p Thou haſt made good thy Promiſe to Abraham concerning the Multiplication of his Seed, Gen: 15. 5. and 22: 17. by adding his Spiritul Seed unto the Carnal, by gathering in the Gentiles to the Jews, and making them both one People in Chriſt, John 10.16. Eph; 2: 14, &c. For in Scripture-account the Believing Gentiles are the Seed of Abraham, as well as the Jews; of which ſee Gal: 3: 7, 8, 9. Or, thou baſt magnificathe Nation, honoured them with pe- cular Priviledges above all other Nations, and eſpecially with this tranſcendent Priviledge, that the M:/5ah and Saviour of the World
of his glorious Nature and Qualities. See my Notes on Iſa; 7: 14. p Theie Words may be taken either, 1. Severally, as they ar: in our Tranſlation, and by many others. This the Jews apply to Hezekin 4, who, as they ſay, is called Wmaerful, becauſe of the Mira- cle which God wrought for him, « Kings 20: 2, &c. . and Counſelour becauſe he took Counſel with his Princes about God's Worſhip,and the Defence of the City, 2 Chron: 29. 4, &c, and gave good Coun- ſel ro others. Which ridiculous Account is ſufficient ro overthrow that Expoſition. But they agree moſt eminenrly to the Lord Chriſt, who is truly Wonderful, in his Perſon, and Natures, and Words;
ſhould be bora of them,and live among them ; of which he ſpeaks |
5 Q and
FS 3 Ws
2p. IX. IS 4 | and Works,being male vp of Wouders, in whom there was not hing | which was not Wonderful ; wo alio may weli be cailed Counſelor, becatſe he knzw the waole Countel of God. and | fo far as It was neceſſary ) r-vealed ir to us, and is the Grzat Counſellor of his Church and People in all rhei; Doubts and Difficulties Or, 2« Joyntly,Wmnd-rfulCrenſell rc may ſeem beſt to agree both with the following Tirl-s, exch of which is made up of two Words, and with ſa. 28. 29. where God is called Wonderſul 7 Counſel, and makes the Title more fu'l and empharical. Tocall Chriſt ſimply a Coun= ſcllor, may ſeem 109 mean a CharaReer, being common to many 0® thers with bim ; But to ſay he is a Wonderful Counſellor, is a ſingular Commendation. And fo Chriſt is, becauſe ke hath been rhe Coun- ſellor of bis Ciurch in all Ages, and the Author and Giver of all thoſe excellent Counſels delivered not only by the Apoſtles,bur alſo by the Prophers, as is evident from 1 Pet- 1. 10, 11. and hath gather- ed, and enlarged, and preſerved his Clucchy by admirable Counſels ani Methods of bis Providence, and, in a word, hita in him «/
gree to no man but Chriſt, who was God as well as Man, to whom the Title of God or Jehovah is given both in the Old and New Teſta- ment, as$ Fer; 23: 6. John 1, 1. Rom; 9. 5. and in many other Pla=- CES. is never ufed in the Singular Number, of any Creature, but only of the Almighty God, as is evident by peruling all the Texts where this Word is uſed. And although the Title of Elohim, which is of the plural Numb:r,be twice or thrice given to ſome Men, yet there is c>oſtant'y added ſome diminiſhing Ex preſſion to it, as when they are {aid to be afraid, Job 41. 25. 2nd to die, Pſalm 49; 10, wheres as here he adds the Epither of Mighty, which 1s aſcribed to the Great Gad. Dent: 10; 17. and el:ewhere. r Heb. The Father of Eternity, Having called him a Child, and a Son, in reſpeCt of his Humane Na*- tur:, le{t this ſhould be miſinterpreteted to his diſparagemenr, he add; thar he is a Father aljo, even the Ged and Father of all things, the Work of Creation being common and commonly aſcribed to each of the Perſons of the Bleſſed Trinity, the Maker and Upholder of all Creatures, as he is faid to be John 1,3, Heb: 133, and the Father of 2'l Believers,w ho are called his Children, Heb. 2: 13. and vhe Fathey of Eternity ; Either, 1. The firſt Author ( ſuch Perſons being called Fa:hers, as Gen: 4: 20- and elſewhere ) of eternal Salvation, as he is called Heb: 5: 9. Or 2+ As werender it, the Everlaſting Father, who, though as Man he was th-n unborn, yet wasand is from everlaſting ro Everlaſting, They who apply this ro Hezekiah render ity, the Fa» ther of an Age, and expound this of his long Life and numerous Po» ſteriry ; Which Irherather mention, to ſhew whar abſurd Shifts they are forc2d to uſe, who interpret this Text of any other bur Chriſt. For, he did not live very long, nor had he, that we read of, more than one Son, Manaſſth, And if both theſe things had bzen true of him, they were more eminently true of many o« ther Men. Bz:ſides, this H-brew Word being uſed of God, as here itis of him who was now called che mighty God, conſtantly ſignities Eternity, as Iſs: 26:4. and 57: 15» ©. 5 This Title doth nor fully agree to Hezekrah, whoſe Reign was not free from Wars, as welee 2 Kings 18. but it agrees exaltly to Chriſt, wh is called our Peace, Mic.5:5:and Eph: 2:14.and is theonly Purchaſer and Procurer of Peace between God and Men, 1/a: 53: 5+ and of Peace between M-=n and Men, Jews and Gentiles, Eph: 2: 15. and of the Peace of our own Conſciences; and kaves Peace as his Legacy to his Diſc ciples, John ' 4; 27. and 16: 23. Ot th increaſe of his Government and Peace, * »33- . thereſhalbennoendr, upon the Throne of David « and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to eſtabliſh i; ; with Judgment and with Juſticex, from henceforth e
3!. ven forever y: the * zeal of che LORD of hoſts will pe: -
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t His pcaceable and happy Government ſhal be enlarged withour end ; Either, without end of Duration, for ever; but that is ex= preſſed ina following Clauſe of this Verſe: Or, without end of Lie mitation, or wWithour Bounds. Ir ſhal not be confined ro a nar row ſpot of Ground, the L:nd of Canaan, but ſhal be extended far and wide to all the ends of the Earth. « Which was promiſed to David, and to his Secd for ever- x Not with Oppreſſion and Ty. ranny, by which other Kingdoms are commonly minaged, bnr by the Adminiſtration ef Juſtice. y From the beginning of it, un» to all Eternity. = This great Work, which ſurpafleth all the Po wer and Skill of Men, ſhall be brought ro paſs by Almighty G:d out of that fervent AffeStion which he hath ro his own Name and Glory, and to the Henour of his dearly beloved Son, and unto his Church and People.
8 The LORD ſent a word 2 into Jacob, and it light-
ed b upon Iſrael c. |