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the lame man leaped as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb fung (a). In that day the deaf heard the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind faw out of obfcurity and out of darkness; the meek alfo increased their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men rejoiced in the holy One of Ifrael (b).

When the fretching out of Immanuel's wings bad thus filled the land of Judah, it might have been expected, that he would have met with a moft joyful entertainment amongst the people; but the cafe was otherwife. Though he was for a fanctuary to fome, yet he was for a one of ftumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houfes of Ifrael, for a gin and a fnare to the inhabitants of Jerufalem; and many among them frumbled and fell, were broken, and fnared and taken. For the teftimony was bound up, and the law fealed among his difciples (c); known indeed and understood by them, but kept hid as a fecret from the body of the Jewish nation. Not. withstanding the indefatigable labours of our bleffed Lord, in inftructing his people, though God made his mouth like a fharp fword, and made him a polifhed fhaft in his quiver; yet did he find cause to complain, that he laboured in vain, and spent his ̧ Arength for nought and in vain (d). Who among all the Jewish nation were there, that believed his report? and to whom was the arm of the Lord revealed? He was rejected and defpifed of them, and they hid their faces from him (e). It is true, he had a confiderable number of temporary followers, there appeared fome numbers of the children of Zion, who rejoiced greatly; and of the children of Jerufa lem who fhouted when they beheld their King come to them, juft, and having falvation; lowly, and riding upon an afs, and upon a colt the fole of an afs (f). But

(a) Ifa. xxxv. 5, 6. (b) (d) Ifa. xlii. 2, 4.

Ifa. xxix. 18, 19.
(e) Ifa. liii. I, 3.

we

(c) Ifa. viii. 8, 15, 16. (f) Zech, ix. 9.

we shall quickly fee, that this joy was all turned into hatred, and rage, and malice.

I proceed next to fhew the manner of our Savi our's fufferings from the hands of this people. When their rulers took counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed (a), he was betrayed into their hands by one of his familiar friends, in whom he trusted (b). They wounded and bruifed him; the chaftifement of our peace was upon him, that by his Atripes we might be healed (c). He gave his back to the fmiters; and though they buffeted and fpit upon him, yet fuch was his afhonifhing meeknefs and patience, that he gave his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, and hid not his face from fame and fpitting (d). They pierced his hands and his feet (e). And when they had nailed him to the cross, they gave him gall for his meat, and in his thirst gave him vine gar to drink (f). They mocked and upbraided, and even laught him to fcorn, they shot out their lips, they fhook their heads, faying, He trufted in the Lord, that he would deliver him, let him deliver him, feeing he delighted in him (g). In time they cut him off from the land of the living (h). Thus was the Meffiah cut off, but not for himself (i). For the tranfgreffion of God's people was he stricken. He made his foul an offering for fin, and he poured out his foul unto death, that he might bear the fin of many, and make interceffion for tranfgreffors (k). After his death, his inurderers parted his garments among them, and caft lots upon his vefture (1). And being dead, he made his grave with. the rich (m), that is, he was buried in a rich man's

tomb.

Thus

(a) Pfal. ii. 2. (b) Pfal. xli. 9. (c) Ifa. liii. 5. (d) Ifa. l. 6. (e) Pfal. xxii. 16. (f) Pfal. Ixix. 21. (g) Pfal. xxii. 7, 8. (h) Ifa. liii. 8. (i) Dan. ix. 26. *(k) Isa. liii. 8, 10, 12. (1) Pfal. xxii. 18. (m) Ifa. liii. 9.

Thus I have followed our bleffed Saviour to the grave. But could the grave detain him? Could it keep him its prifoner? No! I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth (a). His fefb might go to the grave, and rest in hope; for God would not leave his foul in kell, nor fufer his holy One to be so long under the power of death, as to fee corruption (b).—After his foul was made an offering for fin, he faw his feed, and prolonged his days (c). He afcended to the right hand of God; and the Lord said to him, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footftool (d).-He afcended on high, that he might lead captivity captive, and give gifts unto men (e).

Having thus given you fome account, from the ancient prophecies, of the life, death and refurrection of our Lord Jefus Chrift, I fhall now proceed to fhew you fome of the confequences of this great event.

And it may be proper, in the first place, to take notice, what were the effects of the Jews thus rejecting and murdering the Prince of life; and to thew you, that the people of Titus the Roman Prince came upon them, destroyed the city and the fanctuary, caufed the facrifice and the oblation to ceafe, and the abominations (or abominable armies) with their eagles (and fuperftitious rites) to overspread and to make them defolate (f).—When God had laid in Zion for a foundation, a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious Corner-ftone, and a fure Foundation for all that would believe on him, he then took notice of the Scornful men that ruled in Jerufalem. He laid judgment to the line, and righteoufnefs to the plummet; the hail fwept away the refuge of lies, and the waters overflowed their hiding place. Their covenant with death was difannulled, and

(a) Job xix. 25.
(d) Pfal. cx. I.

(b) Pfal. xvi. 9, 10. (e) Pfal. lxviii. 16.

(f)

(c) Ifa. liii. IG. Dan, ix, 27.

and their agreement with hell could not stand; when the overflowing Scourge passed through them, and they were trodden down by it; from the time it went forth it took them; for morning by morning it paffed over them, by day and by night, until it was a vexation only to understand the report. For the Lord rofe up as in mount Perazim, he was wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, and a confumption was determined upon the whole earth, or upon their whole land (a). The Lord numbered them to the fword, and they all bowed down to the flaughter; because when he called they did not anfwer, when he spake they did not hear; but did evil before his eyes, and chofe that wherein he delighted not; therefore the Lord faid unto them, behold, my fervants (the Chriftians) hall eat; but ye shall be hungry. Behold, my fervants fhall drink; but ye Shall be thirsty. Behold, my fervants shall rejoice; but ye shall be afhamed. Behold, my fervants fhall Jing for joy of heart; but yè shall cry for forrow of heart, and fhall bowl for vexation of Spirit. And ye fhall leave your name for a curfe unto my Chofen, for the Lord God fhall flay thee, and call his fervants by another name, Chriftians, and not Jews (b).

Another confequence of the excifion of the Meffiah, and his pouring out his foul unto death, was the calling the Gentiles into a Church-ftate.-Behold God's fervant whom he upholds, his fervant in whom his foul delighteth, he has put his Spirit upon him, and he hath brought forth judgment unto the Gentiles. He has not failed, nor been difcouraged, until he has fet judgment upon the earth, and the ifles have waited for his law (c). Then did the barren fing that did not bear; he broke forth into finging and cried aloud, that had not travailed with child; and more were the children of the defolate, than of the married wife. For

(a) Ifa. xxviii. 14. to the 22. (c) Ifa. xlii. I, 4.

E

(b) If, lxv. 12. tọ 16,

1

For fhe brake forth on the right hand, and on the left, and her feed inherited the Gentiles, and made the defolate cities to be inhabited (a). Thus was our Lord Jefus Chrift given for a light to the Gentiles, that he might be for falvation unto the ends of the earth (b). And the Gentiles came to his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising (c).

Thus you have had a general view of our bleffed Saviour's life, death, refurrection, afcenfion, and kingdom, out of the Jewish Prophets.-I have not given you all (nor indeed a tenth part) of the predictions of the Meffiah, that are to be found in the Old Teftament; and yet I have by thefe brief hints, given you the advantage to confider, whether thefe prophecies did not in all circumstances exactly agree to the Lord Jefus Chrift; and whether they did, or poffibly could agree to any other perfon in the world.

And now, Sir, I leave it to yourself to judge, whether we can either have, or defire greater certainty of any past event, than these prophecies did directly refer to, and were all accomplished in the Lord Jefus Chrift.

Suppose we had as certain direction when to begin the forty-two months, or one thousand two hundred and fixty years of Antichrift's reign, as we have with respect to the beginning of Daniel's weeks, and you should find by calculation, that they would terminate in the year 1746; and, being filled with expectations of the events of that year, fhould (when it comes) actually fee all the Popish Princes of Europe brought into fubjection, the Proteftant Princes united in confederacy, the city of Rome facked and burnt, and the papal hierarchy every where overturned, the Turkish empire deftroyed, and the Jews collected, and brought into the Chri

(a) Ifa. liv. 1, 3.

(b) Ifa. xlix, 6,

(c) Ifa. lx. 3.

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