There is scarce a verse in tiie scrii)ture that hath been so variously expounded as this hath been, not only by others, but by the same men. Scarce a man hath agreed with himself positively to determine of the sense of it, tlie phrases looking so many several ways. However, dif- ficulty provoketh endeavouis. According as I apprehend them, you may divide them into two parts: —
1. The scandal itself, laid down in the most aggravating terms — 'prison,' 'judgment,' 'cutting off from the land of the living,' and a ' stroke upon him for trangression ; ' as if the ])rophet had said. Grant all that you will charge upon him, prison. jiidgu)ent, strokes, cutting off,— express it the worst way you can, all this will not impeach the glory of his excellency.
2. We have the defence in other terms : 'He was taken ' from tliose things, and ' who shall declare his generation? ' If you think it is not enough to say that he died for others, and that he was stricken for the trangiession of my peo[)le, yet he did not as every man that dieth for others ; he perished not in this expression of his love, as others do : he was taken from i)ris(»n, and from judgment, and now liveth glori- ously. There are two things in the defence : —
[1.] His resurrection: ' He was taken from prison and from judg- ment ; ' he got out from under it.
[2] His life and duration in that state : * Who sliall declare his generation ? ' These are the parts, which will be the better made out to you by going over the phrases, as they lie in the order of the words, clearing this sciipture from a wrong sense.
1. He ivas taken from ])rison and from judgment. These words have been variously translated and variously expounded. Some read ' by i)rison and judgment he was taken away ; ' l)Ut that doth not suit with the scope: others, 'after distress and judgment he was taken into glory ,' that differeth not from the proper sense : others, "without prison and judgment he was taken away in a violent, wrongful, extra- judicial manner ; ' but the Hel)rew words do not so easily signify that. Now the main thing is to reconcile scrij)ture and scripture, though it is impossible to reconcile interpreters. Therefore to dance after their pipe would perplex a man with much uncertainty, seeing they knew not which sense to take themselves. The Seventy translate it otherwise than it is read here, and the words are quoted in Acts viii. 32, eV t^ Ta7retj/a»o-«, <fcc., ' In his humiliation his judgment was taken away ; '
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for that place hath the sense, though not the same words ; for in or after his humiliation his judgment was taken away, when he was taken from it : in the middle of death he was a conqueror. Others now fol- low our reading, and give the sense thus : ' He was taken from prison and judgment to the cross ; ' as soon as bound and condemned, pre- sently crucified. But that mistaketh the sense, and the following words show it is wrong, for they declare the glory of his resurrection, as these do his resurrection.
Thus for the different opinions. The true sense briefly is, that Christ was taken and assumed into glory from the prison of the grave. Prison is taken metaphorically for any distress, or it may be taken properly for the prison of the grave, and that judgment and condem- nation that was passed upon him by God and men: by God, as our surety, condemning him in our stead ; by men, in an unjust and violent way. Thus, after much traversing the variety of senses, I find this to be best and most approved.
2. It foUoweth, Who shall declare Ms generation? The Seventy, and Luke out of them, have it, r^y yeveav avTov Ti<i hiri<yr}crerai; ' Who shall declare his generation ? ' Some apply this to his eternal generation, as the fathers generally do, — as if the scandal of his misery were excused by that: others to his incarnation, — who can declare it how he was begotten of the Virgin ? But these are wide of the scope, and. the word will not bear it. Others refer it to the wickedness of that age, — Who can tell it ? Oh, the wickedness of such a generation, who would put to death such an innocent person as the Messiah ! Who can declare the wickedness of the people of this generation ? But that is but arresting the place, and a haish sense. Others more properly interpret it thus : Who shall declare his generation ? that is, the numerousness of those converts that shall be gained to him, the race or issue that shall come of the gospel .-* But this is the matter of another verse, and such a thing is never expressed by dor or f^evea pro- perly, but by other words. The sense is, then, who shall declare his generation ? that is, his age or duration : dor is often for that, and •yevea too : Acts xiii. 36, ' David, after he had served (yevea) his age, or his generation, he fell asleej).' The like in othei- places. So that the meaning is, though he were a short time under distress and judg- ment, some two or three days ; yet, when he was taken from it, who shall declare his generation ? who shall be able to count the num- ber of his age, or the date of that time ? You may easily count the number of a man's age and the date of his generation : Ps. xc. 10, ' The days of our jears are threescore years and ten.' But who can tell those many thousands of thousands of years, tho.se endless ages that for ever Chris't shall live? You can tell David's or Jacob's generation, but can you tell his ? Theirs is soon reckoned, but who can find out a sum that can reach eternity ? Thus for this phrase.