1.

W

Monday before Easter.

For the EPISTLE.

Ifaiah Ixiii.

bis

THO is this that cometh from Edom with died garments from Bozrab, this that is glorious in bis apparel, travelling in the greatness of Strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to fave.

2. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fit?

3. I have trodden the wine-prefs alone, and of the people there was none with me : for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

4. For the day of vengeance is in mine beart, and the year of my redeemed is

come.

5. And I looked and there was none to help, and I wondred that there was none to uphold: therefore my own arm brought Salvation unto me, and my fury, it upbeld me.

18. The people of thy beliness bave poffeffed it but a little while : our adverfaries bave trodden down thy Sanctuary.

19. We are thine, thou never bearest rule over Them: They were not called by tby Name.

Ver. 1. to 7.

COMMENT.

T

His Chapter confifts of Three Parts. In the First, The Prophet defcribes a Victorious Deliverer, returning from the Slaughter of his own and God's Enemies. In the Second, He breaks out into Praise for all the wonderful Mercies, bestowed on his Church and People; recounts the many signal Appearances of his Power in their Favour, down from their Rescue from the Bondage

Ver. 7. to 15.

Ver. 15. to the
End.

of Egypt; enlarges upon the Conducting them over the Red Sea, through the Wilderness, to the Land of Promise, where at length he fixed, and caufed them to Reft; And intermingles, with the mention of these Bleffings, the Ingratitude and Difobedience of the Ifraelites, which often provoked God to Chastise them with Afflictions, and suffer their Enemies to gain Advantage over them. In the Third, He does, in the name of that People, earneftly apply to God by Devout Prayer : Lament his Difpleasure, and their Sins, the wretched Cause of it; Conjure him by his former Loving-kindness, By the Relation he bore to them, as his Children and Covenanted People, By the Trust they repofed in Him alone, And by their present Calamitous Condition, to affert his own Right and Honour, to deliver his Sanctuary and Church from the Insults and Tyranny of Holaters, who Prophaned his Temple, and Perfecuted his Truth.

What particular Juncture of Circumstances this Prophecy was directed to, is not very material at present, to spend time in Examining. The Method, I am engaged in, feems to make it properly my Business, to ap

ply

3

ply this Scripture to such Meaning and Purposes, as the Church, by appointing it a Part in the Office of this Day, intended we should take it in. And therefore that Signification, which is most nearly allied to the other Portions of Holy Writ, which it stands amongst in our Liturgy, and to the Design of this Week's Devotions, will need no other reason, to recommend it

to us.

Now in the First of those Parts which seems chiefly to call for our Meditation; The Prophet introduces fome Person, wondring at a furprizing Object, which then presented it self. By that Perfon; Some underftand the Prophet himself in a Vifion; Others, as St. Jerom, the Holy Angels. The Matter of this Wonder is a Conqueror returning Bloody from Battel: Of whom the following account is given by way of Dialogue, and in Answer to the Questions, Who he is, and why so Habited. That a mighty Victory had been obtained, at the Expence of much Blood and Slaughter, by the powerful, but single Arm of this Mighty Warriour. That by this Victory a total Rout was given to his Adversaries, at a time, when, if He had not engaged, no other was disposed, no other Able, to have quelled the Outrage and Havock, they were making. And that the Stained Garments, he then wore, demonstrated the Sharpness of the Engagement; As his Mien, and Manner of Approach, denoted the Invincible Greatness of his Strength.

Ver. 1,

By this Description, there cannot, I conceive, be any reasonable doubt, whether we be not now invited to contemplate the Hardships, and the Success, of that Combat with the Enemies of our Souls, by which Chrift brought Salvation to Mankind. For fuch was His Conquest of Sin, and Death; when he wrested the Prey out of the Hands of Satan, and, as the Apostle expresses it, Spoiled Principalities and Powers, triumphing over them in bis Crefs. A Conqueft full of Wonder, that, in the lowest Ebb of feeming Weakness, discovered so much of hidden Power; That made the once infamous and accurfed Tree, an Instrument of Honour to himself, and of Blessings to the whole World: Turned the Object of all Mens Aversion and Scorn, to a means of drawing all Men to him: Destroyed Death, by enduring it; by the pouring out of his own Blood, took Vengeance on the Malice of that wicked Spirit, which spilt it; and, by the Agonies of a Body expiring under Anguish infupportable, hath prevented the Everlasting Torments of many Millions of Souls.

Such Glorious Effects, as These, deserve a place in our Thoughts at this time. That they may put to filence the Impertinence of those Cavils, which unthinking and irreligious People do, from the History of our Lord's Death and Sufferings, take the confidence to start; And which, when that History is so oft inculcated and uppermost in our Minds, (as now it ought to be) the Tempter may snatch this, as a favourable Opportunity, for Suggesting. Were we indeed to read the bare Narrative, and rest in Matter of Fact alone; it might appear altogether unaccountable, how God should give up his own Blessed Son, how that Coeternal Son should give himself, to so much Misery and Shame. But, by joining the Epistle and Gospel of this Day together, the reason of that Mysterious Difpensation is, in fome degree, explained to us. The Sufferings related there, are abundantly justified, by the beneficial Confequences ascribed to them here. The Redemption of Fallen Man, (since God in Mercy was pleased to esteem it otherwise) it would ill become Us fure, who enjoy the Benefit, who are indeed the Purchase, to think unworthy for his Son to Undertake, or Bought too Dear at any Price.

But, as the Advantages arising from hence prove the Fitness, and Reasonableness; So does another Argument, furnished by the Prophet here, argue the Necef

fity

1

Acts iv. 12.

sity of this Difpenfation. For, by saying, that He trod
the Wine-prefs alone, that there was no Helper, and the
like: He does in effect affirm, as St. Peter did after-
wards, to the Jewish Synagogue, that
there is no other, by whom Men can be Sa-
ved. None less than He who undertook it, was ca-
pable of procuring so Glorious a Deliverance. No mere
Man could be free from Sins of his own, and all who
are not so, must stand in need of the Sacrifice of ano-
ther. Or, if any Man could be supposed wholly In-
nocent, That Innocence could only fave himself. He
therefore, that could Vanquish Sin, and Death, and
Heil, for Others, must be much more than Man. And
He, who would attempt it, upon the fame Terms our
Jesus did, must be much more than Man
John xv. 13.
too. For Greater Love than this hath no
Man, that he lay down his Life for his Friends: But to
Die, and So to Die, for Enemies, and Rebels, and
Traitors, (and Sinners are all these) is a
Perfection of Love, to which He only
could come up, who is Love it felf.

1 John iv. 8, 16.

To Him therefore let us, with all Humility and Thankfulness, give the whole Glory of this Noble Atchievement: Acknowledging all our Happiness, and all our Hopes, to be the effect, not of our Own, not of any Other's, but entirely due to His, invaluable Merits. Let us, like the Prophet here, when publishing his Kindness, and reflecting, (as at this time particularly we are bound to do) how Dear it hath coft him; not forget at the fame time, to lament those Sins of Ours, which added to his Account. For, if Ifaiah found it reasonable, in Terms so Affectionate, to Magnify his People's Deliverance out of Egypt, and Settlement in the Promised Land: How infenfible, how unworthy are They, who read and hear the Release from a heavier Tyranny, the Destruction of a Spiritual Pharaoh, the Passage into the true and heavenly

Gg