fully understood, but by experience. Those who have never known it by experience, are ready to imagine, that a deep sense of guilt and helplessness will produce discouragement ; and that an assured confidence in God will foster pride. But, if both be combined, as they ought to be, in our hearts, we shall possess that most desirable of all attainments, a childlike spirit0. Nothing servile will remain. " The fear that has torment will be swallowed up in love d," whilst that which flows from love will be in full activity. We shall rejoice evermore in the God of our salvation ; but shall "rejoice with tremblinge;" not " boasting as if we had put off our armour," but girding it upon us for fresh encounters, till we have accomplished our warfare, and are crowned with everlasting victory.]
c Mark x. 15. * 1 John iv. 18. « Ps. ii. 11.
Messiah's sufferings and support.
Tsai. 1. 5 — 9. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me ; therefore shall I not be confounded : therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifleth me ; ivho will con- tend with me ? let us stand together : who is mine adversary ? let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help me ; ivho is he that shall condemn me ? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment ; the moth shall eat them up.
IN considering the prophecies, we often find, that the mystical or prophetical sense is in reality the most literal; and that on some occasions, however the prophets may appear to speak of themselves, their words have little, if any, reference to themselves, and must be understood in reference to the Messiah alone. This is particularly observable in the passage before us. We may indeed suppose the prophet very re- motely to speak of his own ministry, and to hint at his own trials and consolations : but it is obvious, that the expressions cannot with any propriety be applied in their stricter sense to any but the Messiah, in whom they were most literally fulfilled. The prophet Isaiah, it is true, was more fully instructed in divine truth
955.] Messiah's sufferings and support. 279
than any other of the prophets ; and he abounds more in consolatory promises to the weary and heavy- laden11 : but still we are constrained to pass him over, as having no sufficient ground to be noticed in the words before us ; and we must fix our attention con- clusively on the Messiah, of whom they speak. We notice in them,
I. His sufferings —
These were indeed both great and various —
[Not to enter into the consideration of them at large, we shall notice only those which are here brought to our view.
" He gave his back to the smiters." Scourging was no part of the punishment of those who were crucified. The thieves who were crucified with our Lord, were not scourged : and he was scourged in order to prevent his crucifixion b. But a great variety of things which had no necessary connexion with each other, yea, and some which could not, except by a miraculous interposition, be combined together, were to meet in him : though therefore he was to be crucified, (which yet was not a Jewish, but a Roman punishment,) he was also to be scourged : and most cruelly, as another prophecy declares, was this punish- ment inflicted on him, " the plowers plowing upon his back, and making long furrows there0."
" He gave his cheeks also to them that plucked off the hair." When the ambassadors of David were, by the command of the king of Amnion, deprived of half their beards, they considered it as so great an indignity, that they were quite ashamed ; and they were ordered to tarry at Jericho till their beards were grown d. But the indignity offered to our Lord was united with much cruelty : for they blindfolded him, and smote him with their hands, and plucked off the hair from his face, and insult- ingly asked, " Prophesy, thou Christ ; Who is it that smote theee?"