^ This prophecy is applied to Christ, Luke ii. 32 ; Acts xiii. 47; Gal. iii. 16; Heb. v. 4, 5. And many of the Jews do confess that this place is to be understood of Christ only, Mat. i. 21, 22 ; Luke ii. 10, 11 ; Heb. i. 6.
" See Eph. vi. 17; Heb. iv. 12 ; Rev. i. 16, and yi. 2.
334 THE COVENANT OF KEDEMPTION
by the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, as you may see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together, i Having spoken of the efficacy of Christ's doctrine, he tells us that he will take care of the security of his person : ' In the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and in his quiver hath he hid me.' God the Father undertakes to protect the Lord Jesus Christ against all sorts of adversaries that should band themselves against him, and to maintain his doctrine against all enemies that should conspire to suppress it.^ God so pro- tected his dear Son against all the might and malice of his most capital enemies that they neither could lay hold on him, or do aught, before the time by God fore-designed was come. Christ was sheltered under the wing of God's protection till that voluntarily he went to his passion ; neither could they keep him under when that time was once over, though they endeavoured with all their might to do it. Now in the third verse, God the Father tells Jesus Christ what a glorious reward he should have for undertaking the great work of redemption : ' And said unto me. Thou art my servant, 0 Israel, in whom I will be glorified.' 3 God having called Christ, set him apart, sanctified him, and sent him into the world for the execution of the office of a Redeemer, he doth in this third verse encourage him to set upon it, and to go on cheerfully, resolutely, and constantly in it, with assurance of good and comfortable success, notwithstanding all the plots, designs, and oppositions that Satan and his imps might make against him. Ver. 4, ' Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain ; yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.' In these words Jesus Christ complains to his Father of the incredulity, wicked- ness, and obstinate rebellion of the greatest part of the Jews against that blessed word which he had clearly and faithfully made known to them. When Christ looked upon the paucity and small number of those that his ministry had any saving and powerful work upon, he pours out his complaints before the Father : not that Christ's pains in his ministry among the Jews were wholly in vain, either in regard of God that sent him, or in regard of the persons unto whom he was sent, as if not any at all were converted. Oh no ! for some were called, converted, and sanctified, as you may see by the scriptures in the margin. 4 Or in regard of himself, as if any loss or prejudice should thereby redound unto him. Oh no ! but in regard of the small, the slender effect, that his great labours had hitherto found. ' Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord.' Christ, for the better support and re-encouraging of himself to persist in his employment, opposeth unto the want of the chiefly desired success of his labours with men, the gracious acceptance of them with God. It is as if Christ had said, Although my labour hath not produced such fruits and effects as I
1 Acts ii. 37, 41, iv. 1-4, and xvi. 29-35; 2 Cor. x. 4, 6.
" John vii. 30, 44 ; Luke xxii. 53 ; Mat. xxvii. 62-66, and 2-6 ; Acts ii. 23, 24.
^ Or, as some render the yrords, Thou art my servant to Israel, or for Israel ; that is, for Israel's good, for my people's behoof. — Few, saith Sasbont, to this day do consider Christ's labour in preaching, prayer, fasting, and suffering a cruel death for us ; for if they did, they would be more afiected with love towards him that loved them so dearly. [By ' Sasbont' is probably intended Adam Sasbouth, or Sasbouthius. See his Com- mentarius in Isaiam. 1563 : 8vo. — G.]
^ Isa. vi. 13, and viii. 18, &c.
VERY CLEARLY AND LARGELY OPENED. 335