EMS Sa S1¥A Cre
ing mean. and illiterate, not famous for any arts
‘tion of the word, as.it did zpon the inhabitants in or fciences, and having no prophet among them, fhould, in the days of the Meffiah, be highly honoured, and made glorious by his prefence, mini+ ftry, and miracles among them”. See Matt. iv.
13, 14, 15.:where it is quoted, and applied to Chrift’s being in thofe parts.
¥. 2. The people that walked in darknefs; Bcc.) ©
Meaning not the inhabitants of Fudab and Ferufalem, in the times of Hezekiah, when Sennacherib befieged them, as Farchi and Kimchi interpret it, and much lefs the people of Irae in Ezypt, as the Targum paraphrafes it; but the inhabitants of Gafilee, in the times of Chrift;> fee Matt. iv. 16s Fobn i. 48. and vii. 49, 52. and is a true character of all the people of God before converfion, who are in a {tate of darknefs, under the power of fin, fhut up in unbelief; are in grofs ignorance of themfelves, and their condition; of fin, and the danger they are expofed to by it; of divine and fpiritual things; of the grace of God, of the way of peace, life, and falvation by Chrift; and of the work of the blefféd Spirit; and of the truths of the gofpel; they are in the dark, and can fee no objects in a fpiritual fenfe; not to read the word, fo as to underftand it; or to work that which is good; and they wa/k on in darknefs, not knowing where they are, and whither they are going; and yet of thefe it is faid, they have feen a great light; Chrift himfelf, who converfed among’ the,
Galileans, preached unto them, and caufed the light of his glorious gofpel to fhine into many of their hearts; by which their-darknefS.was removed, fo that they not only faw Chrift, this great light, with their bodily eyes, but with the eyes of -theit underftanding; who may be called the Hight, becaufe he is the author and giver of all light, even of nature, grace, and glory; and a great one, becaufe he is the fun, the greateft light, the fun of righteoufnefs, the light of the world, both of Fews and Gentiles; he is the true light, in diftinétion from all typical ones, and in oppofition to all falfe ones, and who in his perfon is God over all. Td that dwell in the land of the fhadow of death, as Ga= lilee might be called, ‘becaufe it was a poor, miferable, and uncomfortable place, from whence no good came; and this character fitly defcribes God’s people in a {tate of nature and unregeneracy, who are dead in Adam, dead in law, and dead in trefpaffes and fins, dead as to the fpiritual ufe of the powers and faculties of their fouls; they have no {piritual life in them, nor any fpiritual fenfe, feeling, or motion; and they dwel/, continue, and abide in this ftate, till grace brings them. out of its fee Fobn xii. 46.:. upon them hath the light foined
~Chrift in human nature, thro’ the miniftration of his gofpel, by his Spirit, fo as to enlighten them who walk in darknefs, and to quicken them who dwelt in the land of the fhadow of death, and to comfort them in their defolate eftate; and this light not only fhone upon them in the external miniftrageneral, but it fhone into the hearts of | them in particular, fo that in this li light. 2. J ee ¥. 3. Thou haft multiplied the nation, light, knowledge, honour and glory, of the nations before-mentioned, nefs, and of the fhadow of death, ple dwelt; on whom Chrift, the light, fhone a ‘;: hi a 4 Lan of the prophecies of the Meffiah, &c. rai miniftration of his gofpel to him; whereby the number of believers in Chrift were multiplied; and indeed, as he converfed, preached, and wrought his miracles moft here, he had here the greateft number of difciples and followers; here were the five hundred brethren by whom he wasefeen at once, after his refurrection, 1 Cor. xvi16. Matt. XxXVili. 7, 10, £6. for this is not to be underftood of the Afyrian nation, whofe army under Sennacherib was very large; nor of the Fewi/h nation enlarged-by the deftruction of that army; or of their increafe after their return from the Badylonifh captivity; nor of the church of God by the acceffion of Gentiles to it; but of the land or nation before fpoken of: and ot increafed the joy; or rather, as it fhould be rendered, and haft increafed jy unio it; following the Keri, or marginal reading, which directs that it fhould be read, not as a negative mx not, but \4 to it; and which is followed by the Targum and Syriac verfion, and by Farchi, Aben Exra, and Kimchi, and others; and the fenfe of the words requires this reading, fince it follows, they joy before thee; or otherwife there would be a manifeft contradiction in the text; tho’ fome, to avoid it, read the words interrogatively, haf thou not increafed the joy? thou haft; and in this way both the Keri and the Cetib, the reading and the writing may’be taken in, haf thou not increafed joy unto it? and fo as Guffetius ‘renders it, *< thou haft multiplied the nation to whom thou << hadft not given great joy;” that is, temporal joy; tho’ now much of that which is of a fpiritual kind: Chrift the light appearing, his gofpel being preached by him, and his apoftles, and many believing in him, occafioned an increafe of fpiritual joy in thofe parts; and fo it is, that wherever the gofpel comes, and Chrift is preached, and fouls are converted, there is great joy, és viii. 6, 8. and xiii. 48. where there is any grace of the fpirit, as faith, hope, and love, there is joy; and particularly when a foul is enlightened and quickened, as in the preceding verie, it rejoices, refle€ting on the ftate of darknefs and death it is brought out of, and on the marvellous light, life, and liberty it is brought into; and at a fight of Chrift, his perfon, offices, relations, and grace, as the fun of righteoufnels, with healing in his wings, and beaming light, falvation, and happinefs; which joy is fpiritual, internal, pafles knowledge, is imperfect, but capable of being increafed: they joy before thee; ‘the words, both in this and in the preceding claufes, are addrefled to God, and fhew, that as the work of converfion, and an increafe of fpiritual joy, are from him; fo that joy that is given by him, is exprefied before him, in his houfe and ordinances, and it is in his fight, before whom all things are manifeft; and fo it denotes the truth and fincerity of it, which is illuftrated by the following metaphors: according to the joy in harveft, fach as is exprefied by men in harveft-time, both by the rich owners and proprietors, when they have a good harveft, and well got in, and by the poor, who have a profpett of a comfortable fupply in a cheap manner; and this fimile is ufed with great propriety and pertinence. Chrift and his minifters are fowers of feed, of the word; and hearers of the word are compared to feed fown in different places; and when any number of thefe are converted, it is an harveit, which occafions joy. The Targum is, ‘ as
“« the joy of conquerors in war;” which agrees with what follows: and as men rejoice when they divide the fpoil, taken in war: in redemption, Chrift has taken the prey from the mighty, and delivered the lawful captive, and has divided the fpoil with the ftrong; and in effectual vocation binds the ftrong man armed, and fpoils his goods, and delivers fouls out of his hands, and this is matter of great joy, If, liti. 12. Luke xi. 21, 32. fee Pf. cxix. 162. ¥. 4. For thou hajt broken the yoke of his burden, &c.] Of Galilee, of the nation multiplied, of the fpiritual inhabitants of it, whofe joy was increafed; and this is one reafon of it, becaufe they were delivered by the Lord from the burdenfome yoke of the ceremonial law, which was broken off, and abolifhed by Chrift; and from the tyranny of fatan, the God of this world, out of whofe hands they were ranfomed and delivered; and from the dominion of fin, under the power of which they had been in bondage. And the ftaff of his fhoulder, the rod of his oppreffor; different phrafes expreffive of the fame thing; the bondage and flavery of the law, fin and fatan: as in the day of Midian; when Gideon got an entire victory over the Midianites, with a few unarmed men, by the found of trumpets, and breaking of pitchers, Fudg. v. 16—22. and may denote the eafy manner in which Chrift obtained a conqueft over all his and our enemies; and the means by which it is made known unto us, and we are freed from bondage to fpiritual enemies; namely, by the miniftration of the gofpel, compared to the blowing of trumpets; and which is a treafure put into earthen veffels, frail and weak men. ¥.5. For every battle of the warrior is with con= fufed noife, &c.| With the found of the trumpet, and as now with beating of drums, and the huzzas and fhoutings of the foldiers, the ftamping and neighing of horfes, the rufhing of chariots, and rumbling of wheels, and the clafhing of, fwords, fpears, and fhields, and thefe fometimes ftriking one againft another “: and garments rolled in blood; of them that were flain in battle: duz this hall be with burning and fuel of fire, which refers either to the fudden deftru€tion of the Médianites, or rather to the quick and eafy conqueft that Chrift obtained over fin, fatan, the world, and death; which was as foon over, as any combuftible matter is burnt with fire. Some interpret this of the deftruction of the devil, his angels, of antichrift, and all wicked mien by fire, at the laft day; and others think that this laft claufe is to be read in connexion with the pteceding: and garments rolled in blood, which fhalt be for burning, the fuel of fire’, that is, which garments rolled in blood, fhall be burnt with fire, and utterly confumed; and fo there be no more war, but perpetual peace. It was ufual after vi€tory to burn the armour and fpoils of the enemy”; or rather, it may intend the burning love, and flaming zeal and affection of Chrift the Saviour, next defcribed. y¥. 6. For unto us a child is born, &c.] ‘This is a reafon of all that is faid in the context; of the great light that fhone upon, and was feen by thofe that fat in darknefs, and in the land of the fhadow of death; of the great joy among the people; of the breaking off of the yoke, rod, and ftaff of the oppreffor; and of the burning of garments rolled in blood, fo putting an end to war, and eftablifhing peace; all which is owing to the child here faid to 1 $o Cocceius, De Dieu.
to. be born, by whom we are to underftand. the ‘Meffiah, ‘as the Targum interprets it; and not He- -zekiab, as many of the Fewi/fh writers" apply it; who could never be reprefented as a child juft born, “when ‘he was, at leaft,. ten or eleven years of age, when this prophecy. was given out, and twentynine when Sennacherib came up with his army againft him,.as Aden Ezra obferves;, to which time he, and. others, refer the. context; nor, can any reafon be affigned, why he fhould,be called a fon, in.fuch a peculiar and unufual manner; nor can it ‘be faid: of him,, that he was the great light which ‘fhined upon the inhabitants, of Galilee;, nor was his birth the occafion of fo great joy, as the) birth of this child is aid to be; nor, can it, with any. juftnefs, be. faid. of. him, that. of. the increafe. of his government.and. peace, there..was no end; feeing his government only extended to, the two tribes of Benjamin and Fudab, and his reign was but twentynine. years, and for. the moft part attended with affliction, oppreffion, and war; -befides, the many augult titles, here ufed, cannot be afcribed unto him, nor.to any mere, creature whatever’; but every: thing agrees with Chrift; and. to him, it is applied, even -by fome antient and modern writers among the Fews? themfelves.. ‘This claufe refpects his humanity, -his incarnation and birth, which is fpoken of.in the prefent tenfe, tho’ future, becaufe of the certainty of it; that he fhould really become man, aflume a true body, and a reafonable. foul, partake of the fame flefh and blood with, the children, be made. fiefh, -and dwell among us: and this was to us, 135 for us; for our goou, for our ‘profit and advantage; not for angels, but for men; for the faints under the Old Teftament, and under the New; for all his people,:his brethren, and children; that they might have a-fanctified nature; that Jaw and juftice might: be fatisfied in that nature which had finned, and fatan:be ruined by it, which he himfelf had ruined;.and that Chrift might be a’
fit mediator and -redeemer of his people, and be capable. of executing his feveral offices to:our advantage;; his. prieftly. office,: by fatisfying and. interceding for us; his prophetic office,.by teaching us; and his kingly office,” by ruling over us.;. and that he might anfwer the relations he ftands in of a father, hufband, /brother,, and friend: nto _us. a
Jon is given; even he who,is the fon of God, his, own fon, his only begotten fon, his beloved fon, the dear fon of his love; all which aggravate his love.in the, gift of him,;to be, the covenant.and, head unto us, to be the faviour of us,. anda facri-, fice for us; and in delivering him up into the hands of men, juftice, and death; this is a free gift of God’s Jove, a very large and comprehenfive, one, is unparalleled and unfpeakable, unchangeable and irreverfible. - And the government fhall be upon. bis fooulder; not only of. the world in. general, but of the church in particular; this child is born to royal dignity; he is king of faints his government confifts in ruling in the hearts, of his people,. inenact-, ing laws for them, and: caufing them. to fubmit unto them, in fubduing their enemies, in protecting them,, their perfons and properties, rights. and liberties, and in fupplying them with every thing neceflary; and this government is delegated to him from his father, is. devolved upon him by him, | is not of this world, but is fpiritual; it is righte-' the righteous from the wicked; pronouncing diftinct fentences, and executing them; in a w oufly adminiftered, is peaceable, and will continue — for ever: and its being faid to be upon his shoulder, is an allufion to magiftrates having a key or rod laid on their fhoulders, as enfigns of their office, or carried by their officers for them, fee ¥. 4. and ~ chap. xxii. 21, and it fhews that it was laid upon him, or enjoined him by his father, tho’ not againft.
his will, and it denotes a weight of honour and care bore by him, whofe fhoulders are fit for the fame, and equal to it; and that he is the prop and fupport of his church and people, who are fafe under his government and protection: and his mame foall be called, wonderful; not that he fhould be commonly called among men by this name, nor by any. of the following; but that he fhould appear. to be, or to have that in him, or to do what would fufficiently anfwer to this name, and to the reft: he is wonderful in his perfon, and in the glory and beauty. of it; that he fhould be God and man in one perfon, and have two natures, fo different from each other, united in him; that he being truly God, fhould. become man; and that he.fhould be born of a virgin: wonderful in the difpofition of his mind, and in the qualities he is poffefied of; in his love to his people, and his fympathy with them,; in\ his humility, meeknefs, - and patience; in his wifdom, conduct, courage, and. greatnefs of foul: wonderful in his life cinta, private life many wonderful things are recorded of him;,as the direétion of the wile-men to him by a ftar, and their worfhipping of him; the prefervation of him from. Herod’s cruelty; his difputation with the doctors.in the temple at twelve years, of. age; and his living fuch a mean and ob- {cure life for thirty years together: and his public life.was.nothing,but a:continued feries of wonders; his baptifm in ‘Yordan.; his temptations in the wil- ~ dernefs; his: doctrines and miracles, and his transfiguration on the mount: wonderful in his death; that he fhould die.at ail, who is the prince of life, the’ Lord of life and glory; that he fhould die with his own, and his father’s confent, and that for finners, even the chief of finners; and by dying procure. life for us; abolifh death; deftroy him that had the power, of it, the devil; and obtain eternal falvation and redemption: the circumftances attending his death were marvellous; fuch as the darknefs that. was upon the earth; the rending of the veil, and cleaving of the rocks: wonderful in his refurrection from:the dead, which was by his own.power, before he {aw corruption, at the time fignifed by types..and prophecy;, and with the fame body exceeding glorious; and which has an influence on our juftification, regeneration, and refurre€tion.;/‘wonderful in his afcenfion to en, both in the manner of it, in.a.cloud, and in the effects of it, receiving, gifts for men, and giving them to them 5. in, his entrance into heavelt teri at the right-hand of,God,; and interceffion for tranigreffors: wonderful, he, will be in his fecon¢ coming to judgment;,.the figns of it are many at marvellous;. the manner,.of. it wonderfully glo- ‘vious;. the. different, effects. of it on men, filling fome with joy, and jothers with terror; and the things that.will,then be done; as the raifing of the dead;. placing all. nations before him 5 f parating yet 200 A loc. Nizzachon Vet. p. 87. R. ° See my book of the: propt jes Of ta
Chrift is wonderful, in all he is, has, or belong unto him; in his perfon, offices, and relations; in ‘his people, who are for figns and wonders; in his doétrines and ordinances; and in the manifeftations of himfelf, and of his grace to his people, now and hereafter; nay, the word fignifies not only won- _ derful, but a miracle itfelf, as Chrift is in his perfon %, fee ‘Fudg. xii. 17, 18, 19: counféllor, this fome’ read in conjunction with the former title, thus, wonderful counfetlor, fo the Arabic verfion; and the Septuagint, which ‘calls him, the angel of the great council; and the Targum is, ‘* wlio does *< wonderfully in council;”. and which agrees with ff. xxviii. 29. This title’ belongs to Chrift, as concerned with his Father, and the blefléd Spirit, in the works of nature, providence, and grace. God ftands in no need of counfel, nor does it properly fall on him, tho’ it is fometimes afctibed to him, fpeaking after'the manner of men. Creatures are not of his council, but Chrift is; he was privy to all his thoughts, purpofes, and. ‘decrees; he. was confulted in creation, and in the works. of providence, Gev. i.26. and xi. 7. and in the great affair of redemption and falvation; the council held concerning that, is the great council, the Septuagint -verfion here makes mention of; and may’be called the council ‘of peace, Zech. vi. 13.\in. which the fcheme of falvation’ was fixed; the author of it was found, and pitched upon; the way of it agreed on, to be thro’ the affumption of human _nature,. and by obedience, fufferings, and death; and the time of Chrift’s incarnation and death fettled,. as well as all bleffings of grace and glory, for. the perfons who were to fhare in this falvatioh. This ‘title alfo agrees with Chrift‘in refpect to his people, to whom he is council, and for: whom he is council; he is council to them; _he’gives them counfel, fo he did in perfon, when on earth;. he advifed finners to repentance;' encouraged’ fouls to ‘believe in him; directed’ the weaty to come to him for reft; the hungry and thirfty for food; ‘fuch as were healed and pardoned, he counfelled them to ‘fin no more; attd‘he advifed’ his followers to do to all behave in an humble and-modeft manner; to bear reproaches and perfecutionis chearfully} to love one! another;’ and to’ pray’to~his- Father, in his natne, for all things they wanted’; and now he ‘gives™his ‘people counfél by the miniftry of the word, ‘which is the counfel of God, the’prodtce of his-wifdom, a tranfcript of -his eternal council and covenant, a declaration’ of the will of’God, and of Chritt; and in which Chrift counfels the’ poor in‘ fpirit to ‘come to him) for riches, the’ naked for’ cloathing, the ignorant for fpiritual light and knowledge, fuch
‘as are ready to-perith for falvation’; and he counfels
‘thote that believe to abide in him, and by his truths ‘and ordinances’; which counfel_is wholefome and (uitable, hearty, fincere, and faithful; is wife and prudent, ' ahd reely given’; and which being taken,
“ven; “he appears’ there in’ the prefence of God for ‘them;' repref€nts their ‘perfons, and prefents their ‘petitions;' amfwers to all’ charges exhibited againft them ';°and hs’ their advocate, ’ pleads their caufe; “and calls for blefines aetted to be beftowed-upon them, which they want; fot all which he is abun- ‘dantly qualified} being the Gfily ‘wife God, “the an- the father Of his people; and as me-