52. Secondly, They add, that the subject of this prophecy is spoken. of in the plural number, and so cannot intend any one singular per- son. This they endeavour to prove from these words of the Lord, verse 8, inp Y22 BY PEL; which they render, “A transgressione populi mei plaga illa,” ‘‘* Lamo’ is of the plural number, and so cannot respect any single person, but must denote the whole people.” Ans. (1.) But what perverseness is this! Whoever is intended in this pro- phecy, he is spoken of twenty times as a single person, and such things spoken of him as can by no artifices be suited unto any col- lective body of people; and shall one expression in the plural num- ber outweigh all these, and be made an engine to pervert the whole context, and to render it unintelligible? (2.) Suppose yet the word to denote many, a people, and not one single person, will it not unavoidably follow that here is mention interserted occasionally of some other persons besides him who is the principal subject of the prophecy; and so the sense can be no other but that the people of the prophet, that is the Jews, should assuredly be punished for their
SECT. 52, 53.| THE ONLY TRUE AND PROMISED MESSIAH. 409
rejection of him whose person and work he prophesied about. (38.) The truth is, the word hath not necessarily a plural signification. in?, “Jamo,” is most frequently put for i> by the insertion of », whereof we have sundry instances in the Scriptures: Gen. ix. 26, “ Blessed be the Lorp God of Shem,” in? Tay jyI22 "1 —“ and Canaan shall be his seryant.” “Lamo” for “lo.” Job xx. 23, “God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him,” pane3 roy WO, —“ and shall rain it upon him whilst he is eating.” imey for yey, So again the same word is used, chap. xxii. 2. Ps. xi. 7, “The righteous LorD loveth righteousness ;” 12°25 37)! Ww — his countenance doth behold the upright.” 42.5 for 28. And in this prophet, chap. xliv. 15, “ He maketh it a graven image,” 192773D",—“ and he falleth down to it.” “ Lamo” for “lo.” And this is so known that there is scarce any grammarian of their own who hath not taken notice of it: so that this exception also is evidently impertinent.
53. They yet urge further these words, verse 10, “ He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days.” “ This,” say they, “ is not agree- able unto any but those who have children of their bodies begotten, in whom their days are prolonged.” Ans. (1.) It were well if they would consider the words foregoing, of his making his “soul an offer- ing for sin,”—that is, dying for it,—and then tell us how he that doth so can see his carnal seed afterwards, and in them prolong his days. (2.) He that is here spoken of is directly distinguished from the seed, that is, the people of God; so that they cannot be the subject of the prophecy. (8.) It is not said that he shall prolong his days in his seed, but he himself shall prolong his days after his death; that ~ is, upon his resurrection he shall live eternally, which is called length of days. (4.) The seed here are the seed spoken of Ps. xxi. 30, “A seed that shall serve the Lord, and shall be accounted unto him for a generation,”—that is, a spiritual seed; as the Gentiles are called the children of Zion, brought forth upon her travailing, Isa. lxvi. 8. Besides, how the Messiah shall obtain this seed is expressed in the next verse: “By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many.” They are such as are converted to God by his doctrine, and justified by faith in him. And that disciples should be called the “seed,” the offspring, the children, of their masters and instructors, ig so common among the Jews and familiar unto them, that no phrases or expressions are more in use. Thus speaks expressly this prophet also, chap. vili. 18, “Behold, I and the children whom the Lorp hath given me.” And who were his children he declares, verse 16, “ Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” These were the “children” whom the Lord had given him. And this is the sum of all that which, with any appearance of reason, is objected against our application of this place unto the Messiah; which how weak and trivial it is, is obvious unto every ordinary understanding.
410 JESUS OF NAZARETH [EXERC. XVII.
54, We may yet add some other testimonies to the same purpose. Daniel tells us, chap. ix. 26, 72 N73!,—“ Messiah shall be cut off,” that is, “from the land of the living;” and that “not for himself.” And, Zech. ix. 9, it is said he shall be °3¥, “‘ poor,” and in his best condition “riding on an ass;” which place is interpreted by Solo- mon Jarchi and others of the Messiah. He was also to be “ pierced,” chap. xii. 10, being the “shepherd,” chap. xiii. 7,—the x2dp, the “king,” as the Targum,—that was to be smitten with the sword of the Lord; the “judge of Israel,” that was to be “smitten with a rod upon the cheek,” Mic. iv. 1;—all denoting his persecution and suffering.