"transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and "made intercession for the transgressors." Here the fact, of the death of the person predicted, is again repeated in emphatical language; to shew the certainty of that event, which would be so incredible to the persons immediately concerned. It is also stated, that he would not only die a violent death, but that this death would not be in war, not by assassination, not by a private murder, but by an ignominious execution; being “num"bered with malefactors."—It is likewise repeated, that " he bare the sin of many;" so that, while in the sight of man he died as a justly condemned malefactor, in the sight of God he was regarded as a spotless sacrifice, atoning for the sins of others. In consequence of this, implying as before his resurrection, it is added; "he made "intercession for the transgressors." "It is "Christ that died, yea rather is risen again, who "is even at the right hand of God, who also "maketh intercession for us." I do not quote this passage as authority; but merely to shew, with what exactness and ease the language of the apostle interprets the words of the prophet.

1

Consider Satan, then, as the great and powerful enemy of God, and as lording it over our fallen race: how obvious is it to interpret the beginning of the verse, to predict the effects of the sufferings, death, resurrection, and intercession of the person predicted; when the serpent and his seed, having "bruised his heel," he began immediately to crush the serpent's head; and to rescue millions

'Rom. viii. 34.

of wretched slaves from Satan's destructive bondage "Who hath delivered us from the power "of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgive66 ness of sins."1 "Thus he saw his seed;" for these redeemed persons are "counted to him for "a generation," or progeny.-But I by no means intend to give an adequate comment on the chapter: I would merely touch on some prominent particulars; shewing, what must be found in the person and the facts, which fulfil such a prophecy. It is not requisite to enlarge on the Christian interpretation. No other even plausible interpretation has yet been given; nor does it appear possible that any should be given; for nothing can be more remote from such a completion in the MESSIAH, than the expectations of the Jews are at present.

I would only add, that it is by no means sufficient, in order to subvert the argument from this prophecy, concerning the Messiah, that he would suffer, and die by a public execution as a malefactor, in man's esteem, but in reality as a sacrifice for sin; and would rise from the dead, become an intercessor, "justify many," and set up a kingdom on the ruins of the usurped dominion of Satan ; it is, I say, wholly insufficient to subvert this argument, to make objections, to propose other readings or translations; or to argue in a way of speculation against it. Another, and more satisfactory interpretation must be adduced, or nothing

'Col. i. 13, 14.

to the purpose can be done. The grand outline must be otherwise interpreted, or our interpretation must be admitted, and at least silently allowed to be unanswerable; a very common and convenient way of disposing of unanswerable books, and by far the best way, in policy, of leaving them to fall into oblivion.

Did this prophecy stand single in the scriptures, there might be some ground for hesitation as to the strong conclusions to be drawn from it: but this is so far from being the case, that a history of our Lord's sufferings, and death, and even the minute circumstances of it, might be compiled in the very words of the ancient prophets; only, on some occasions substituting the preterite for the future.

We will therefore now proceed to take a concise view of another remarkable prophecy. The twenty-second Psalm opens with the very words which our Lord used on the cross, only substituting the Syriac or Chaldee word for the Hebrew ; Sabachthani, for : "My God, my God, "why hast thou forsaken me." This might be less remarkable, were not the coincidence at the beginning carried throughout, in language which never suited any other person; nor is there the least probability that it ever will. It is not necessary that every part of the Psalm should be gone through: The speaker in it says, "But I am a "worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and "despised of the people. All they that see me ❝laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they "shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord "that he would deliver him; let him deliver him,

"seeing he delighted in him." This might indeed be in some sense spoken by David, especially in respect of the ill usage, with which he met from Israel, during Absalom's rebellion. Yet the language is more energetic, than even that usage warranted; and it was not literally fulfilled: for, though enemies at a distance spake and acted most cruelly and contumeliously to David; all who approached him, except Shimei, treated him with great respect and affection. But who, that has read the New Testament, can help perceiving how exactly and literally it was fulfilled while Jesus hung on the cross? They that passed by "reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying, "Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it "in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son "of God, come down from the cross. Likewise "also the chief priests mocking him, with the "scribes and elders, said, He saved others, him"self he cannot save. If he be the King of

Israel, let him now come down from the cross, " and we will believe him. He trusted in God: "let him deliver him, if he will have him; for he "said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, cast the same in

"who were crucified with him, "his teeth." This concurrence of the rude multitude with those in authority, with the principal ministers of religion, and with the most learned men of the nation, in reviling and insulting a poor sufferer on a cross; joined with the insults of his fellow sufferers; is unparalleled in the history of mankind: but it most exactly fulfilled the pro

'Psalm xxii. 6-8. Matt. xxvii. 39-44.

66

phecy under consideration, as well as many others to the same purpose." In my adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, "the very abjects gathered themselves together. Nothing occurs in the history of David like this: nor indeed can any instance be produced, in which the prophecy before us received a literal interpretation, except in the history of Jesus of Nazareth. It is also remarkable, that the Psalm contains no confession of sin, or any thing in the least intimating the criminality of the sufferer: whereas David, in all the other Psalms written during the calamities which he suffered from Absalom, continually recurs to the sins which had occasioned them. So far from this, the speaker uses words concerning himself, which no mere man could in strict propriety use. "Thou didst "make me to hope, when I was upon my mother's "breasts."

c

Again, Many bulls have compassed me; strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round: they gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out "like water; and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst "of my body: my strength is dried up like a

potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws ; " and thou hast brought me into the dust of "death."2 David was never thus surrounded by powerful and fierce enemies, till brought down to "the dust of death :" on the contrary, he was, in his severest trials, surrounded by faithful friends

1 Psalm xxxv. 15.

* Psalm xxit. 12—15.