At this time, I shall insist upon the conquest, which, as I have observed, is last in nature and time, yet first in the order of the words. I shall pitch upon that now ; and my first endeavour shall be to open it to you; for indeed, though most interpretations in their result and effect come to the same thing, yet I find they do not make it out one and the same way ; so that the phrases need a vindication. Con- sider, then, that the intent of the prophet here is to set out the victory and triumph of the Messiah, which victory and triumph is here set out by terms proper to the triumphs of man. A general, when he hath scattered the enemies and driven them out of the field, securely seizeth upon the prey, and divideth it amongst his followers. The dividing of the spoils is a sign of conquest. Pharaoh, when he promised himself success, Exod. xv. 9, you know what he saith there : ' I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil.' That is the custom of conquerors. So one of Sisera's mother's ladies: ' Have they not sped ? have they not divided the prey ? ' As soon as they had borne down the enemies, and had any leisure, they were for distributing the booty. So the prophet Isaiah, speaking of the glad tidings of the gospel, saith to those that hear them, Isa. ix. 3, ' They joy before God according to the joy in harvest, and as men lejoice when they divide the spoil.' So Christ is here set forth as a conqueror, taking his portion, and dividing the spoil.
I confess there is some difference in reading the words. Junius reads it, Fartem ei dabo, ut cum robustis partiatur proidam — * that he
IsA. LIII. 12.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 457
may divide the spoil with the strong.' Others, ' I will give him the part of many, and he shall divide the spoil of the strong.' Others, in many, and over the strong, as a great man, or as a strong man nseth to do after battle. I shall not intricate the discourse with these things, but by going over word by word make all plain ; though for my part I conceive the phrases are put here as common and in general, and only implying a triumph. ' 1 will divide him a portion with the great, and divide the spoil with the strong ;' that you shall see him as a great con- queror, and like the kings and potentates, and the great and strong ones of the earth, having a part in dividing the spoil.
But it may be better to go over the text more particularly. ' I will divide him a portion with the great.' He is spoken of in the former verses, I will divide him a portion, or give him a part with the great, barabim, with many ; so it may signify, and implieth the numerousness of those that Christ shall gain to himself among the nations ; or the great, that is the powerful, whose power ruled the world. Not as if Christ and they should divide the world between them ; that they should have a part and Christ should have a part : as some think, it implieth that Christ should have the elect, and Satan the rest. No, that is not the force of the word ; but that Christ should come to part- ing ; that is, to spoil Satan, for he is intended by ' the great ' and ' the strong,' though it also noteth and implieth all his instruments, who usually have the dignities and pomp of the world. Therefore, it is said. Col. ii. 14, 15, that ' he spoiled principalities and powers ; ' Eph. iv. 8, ' He led captivity captive ;' and Luke xi. 21, ' He disarmeth the strong man, and divideth the spoils.' I cannot conceal from you that some by this latter sentence, ' divide the spoil with the strong,' under- stand the godly, those that are called the violent, Mat. xi. 12, that with a great deal of fervour of spirit follow him, love hJm, confess him, and cleave to him, and will not give over for any dangers, lets, and difficul- ties. But, for method's sake, and reverence to those learned men that affect that sense, I shall take in that in the last place. The points, then, are : —
1. From the causal particle, therefore. Observe — That the ground of Christ's triumph was his sufferings. Therefore — • why ? Because he laid down his soul an offering for sin, and hath borne our iniquities, as in the former verse ; and it is again amplified in the latter end of this verse. And it is worth our observation, that always the sufferings and exaltation of Christ, when spoken of together, are expressed causally; as Ps. ex. 7, 'He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore he shall lift up the head ;' that is, drink up the lake of curses that divide between God and the elect. Mark the particle therefore. So John x. 17, ' Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life.' Therefore prevail : mark the inference, because. Phil. ii. 9, 10, 'He became obedient to death, even the death of the cross : ivherefore God hath highly exalted him.' And John xii. 32, it is there expressed conditionally and federally : ' If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me ; ' that is, if I be lifted up upon the cross, then I shall have power to work the hearts of men to my obedience. So that you see Christ's exaltation did not only imply his humiliation, as in some places it only doth ; as Eph. iv. 9, 'Now that