plural number; and, on the other hand, that in 25. the prophet is evidently speaking of a body of people, though the perfonal pronoun is used there in the fingular number four or five times: "He "knew not, it burned him, he laid it not to "heart," &c.

It may perhaps be farther objected, that though the above-cited paffages fpeak of the unbelief and defolation of the Jews, yet as fuch things have happened to that people at very different times, fo this prediction does not tell exprefsly that it relates to the times of the enlightening of the Gentiles. But, in answer to this, feeing the times of the enlight ening of the Gentiles are the times treated of through the whole foregoing part of the chapter, t is unreasonable to fuppofe, without any manner of ground, that the prophet fpeaks of quite different times in the clofe of the chapter. It is of pu blic notoriety, that the doctrine which enlightened the Gentiles, was rejected by the prevailing party of the Jews; and that, not long after, they met with the most amazing and most durable defolation that either they themselves, or any other nation, ever met with. As it has been proved already, and will be yet farther confirmed, that chap. 42. is parallel to chap. 49.; feeing chap 49. fpeaks fo exprefsly of the Jews as rejecting him who would enlighten the Gentiles, this fhews that the predictions in chap. 42. about the blindness of the Jews relate to the fame event. It will be afterwards observed, that it is even furprising how frequently the prophets intermix predictions about the enlightening of the Gentiles, and the unbelief of the Jews. Thefe things fhew, that by all the beft rules of interpretation, whether we confider the context, or parallel prophecies, or compare predictions with events, the paffages in view muft relate to that blindness and defolation of the Jews that would happen in the times of the enlightening of the Gentiles.

III. As

;

III. As chap. 49. calls him who would be the Light of the Gentiles, a fervant of rulers, plainly importing, that he would not be a temporal ruler or prince himself, but live in a low ftation of life fo the fame thing is clearly enough intimated in this 42d chapter, y. 2. "He fhall not cry, nor lift up, "nor caufe his voice to be heard in the street." Nothing can be more inconfiftent with the Jewish notion of a temporal Meffiah, who would fill the world with the noife of his conquests.

IV. As to doctrinal characters, both the chapters that we are comparing, teach us, that he who would be the Light of the Gentiles would be given by God for a covenant of the people; which, as was proved above, is a character of a very fingular and diftinguifhing nature. And as in chap. 49. it is faid, that that extraordinary perfon would be chofen and called of God, and glorious in God's eyes; that God would hide him in his hand, and be his ftrength, and make his mouth as a fharp fword; fo in chap. 42. 1.6. he who is there defcribed, is called God's fervant whom he would uphold, his elect in whom his foul delights, whom he would call in righteoufnefs, holding his hand, and keeping him, and on whom he would put his fpirit. All which expreffions, especially when joined with the abovementioned facts and doctrines, form a confiderable complication of eminent and diftinguishing characters, proving, that these two prophecies treat of the fame perfon, and of the fame feries of events.

V. This is farther confirmed by the obvious harmony between thefe prophecies, as to fome of the principal figures by which they express the great events they treat of. The enlightening of the Gentiles is expreffed in both, by deliverance from prifon and darknefs; and what is expreffed in the one by establishing the earth, is expreffed in the other by fetting judgement in the earth; and the removal

of

of all obftacles to that gracious defign is expreffed by levelling mountains.

VI. In both prophecies, the divine works they treat of, are mentioned as means of fingular confolation to God's afflicted people, and as grounds of univerfal and extraordinary exultation, as appears by comparing chap. 49. v. 13. 14. 15. with chap. 42. 4. 10.

ISAIAH lii. liii. liv.

As the divifion of chapters, however of manifold nfe, is not of divine inftitution, feveral interpreters have justly observed, that the latter part of chap. 52. belongs to the prophecy that fills chap. 53.; and there is good ground for confidering the three following chapters as a continuation of it; because these chapters fpeak evidently of that great event, the enlightening of the Gentiles, and the preceding chapters treat of the perfon by whom that event would be accomplished.

The particular perfon mentioned at the clofe of chap. 52. is there called God's fervant; he who is described in chap. 53. is there called God's righteous fervant; both chapters defcribe the perfon they speak of, as undergoing great fufferings, and then arriving at high exaltation; and the expreffions in both chapters, not only concerning thofe fufferings and that exaltation, but alfo concerning the effects and confequences of thofe things, make up a complication of characters of a very singular and diftinguishing nature.

Though the eminent perfon spoken of in the last three verfes of chap. 52. is not exprefsly called the Light of the Gentiles, yet as the fame thing may be expreffed with equal evidence in various equivalent terms, the enlightening of the Gentile nations is neceffarily implied in the expreffions about the fingular bleffings which that eminent fervant of God

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is there faid to beftow on thofe nations and their kings; feeing it is faid, after mentioning his fufferings and exaltation, "So fhall he fprinkle many "nations: the kings fhall fhut their mouths at him; "for that which had not been told them fhall they "fee, and that which they had not heard shall they i confider."

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Here it is obvious, that the prophet is not speaking of particular profelytes, but nations; that feeing the Jews were but one nation, a plurality of nations must include the Gentiles, (which is ftill more clear, inafmuch as the prophet fpeaks exprefsly of many nations); as alfo, that the kings he Ipeaks of must be the kings of thofe many (Gentile) nations; and that feeing those kings are faid to liften with attention and reverence, to new and furprifing inftructions, delivered by one who is exprefsly called the fervant of God, this imports, that they would hearken to a new revelation that would come from God: And whereas what is moft directly afferted by all thefe expreffions is, that that fervant of God would inftruct and enlighten the kings of the many Gentile nations, it is evidently implied, that he would enlighten those Gentile nations themselves; efpecially feeing not only the kings, but the many nations themselves, are exprefsly faid to be Sprinkled by him.

By the moft uncontested rules of interpretation, the fprinkling of many nations here mentioned, muft be explained by other places, both in this and other prophets, where the fame or the like expreffions fignify cleanfing from fin, by remiffion and fanctification; as If. i. 18.; Pf. li. 7.; Ezek. xxxvi. 25.; efpecially feeing almoft the whole following context in chap. 53. fpeaks of the fame perfon who is here faid to fprinkle many nations, as fprinkling or cleanfing us from our fins by his blood, by fuffering for them in our ftead. And when, in y 10. his foul is faid to be made a facrifice for fin, it plainly implies,

implies, that he was to make that real and effectual atonement for fin, which the facrifical fprinkling appointed by the law of Mofes could only typify. All which is farther confirmed by y 11. which tells us, that by his knowledge, this righteous fervant of God would justify many; juftification being, in the ftyle of the Old as well as of the New Teftament, opposed to condemnation, as fignifying mens being affoilzied and acquitted in judgement. This explication of the fprinkling which the prophet fpeaks of, is confirmed by the various phrafes in fo many different languages, expreffing guilt by words which in their primary meaning fignify pollution, and expreffing abfolution and juftification by words that fignify sprinkling or cleanfing. And whereas, though the greatest part of chap. 53. afcribes our juftification to the fufferings of that eminent perfon fpoken of, y 11. feems to afcribe it to his knowledge; these things are abundantly confiftent, whether by that knowledge we understand the doctrine of that great fervant of God, or our knowledge and acknowledgement of it: feeing it is not only very confiftent, but exceeding fuitable, that if that perfon's foul was to be made a facrifice for our fins, the doctrine revealing that facrifice, and divine mercy displayed in it, fhould be the outward means, and our acknowledgement of it the inward means of applying its efficacy; which will be afterwards proved to be the doctrine of the prophets, as well as of the apostles, and is a farther proof, that fprinkling many (Gentile) nations neceffarily implies enlightening them.

II. As to the enemies of the great perfon in view, though the Jews are not exprefsly mentioned as rejecting him, yet this is evidently implied in

2.3.4.; because it is not reasonable to suppose, that the prophet is fpeaking in the name of other nations, but rather of his own nation, when he fays, "When we fhall fee him, there is no beauty

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that