fhall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgreffion of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleafed the Lord to bruife him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his foul an offering for fin, he shall fee his feed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord fhall profper in his hand. He fhall fee of the travail of his foul, and fhall be fatisfied: by his knowledge fhall my righteous fervant juftify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. There fore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he fhall divide the Spoil with the ftrong; because he hath poured out his foul unto death; and he was numbered with the tranfgreffors: and be bare the fin of many, and made interceffion for the tranfgreffors.

This Prophecy is an exact anticipation of fome of the most remarkable circumftances relating to the life and death of Christ, and the great benefits of his paffion. And to prove that it was literally accomplished in our Saviour, we need only bring together

* Isaiah liii. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

the

the parallel paffages in the prophetic and in the historic writings ".

He was defpifed and rejected of men, for, as he himself declared, "the fon of man had not where to lay his head; and though he had done fo many miracles, yet the greater part of the Jews believed not on him."— He was a man of forrows, and acquainted with grief; for "he wept at the tomb of Lazarus, mourned the approaching deftruction of Jerufalem, and expreffed continual forrow for the fins and diftreffes of mankind." - Surely he hath borne our griefs, for "he was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our juftification." He was wounded for our tranfgreffions, and bruised for our iniquities, for "he gave himself for our fins, that he might deliver us from this prefent evil world."-The chastisement of our peace was

John xii. 37. Matt. viii. 16. Rom. iv. 25. Gal. i. 4. 1 Pet. ii. 24. 1 Tim. ii. 6. Matt. xxvi. 63. xxvii. 38. I Pet. ii. 22. 2 Cor. v. 21. Rom. v. 18. Matt. xxvii. 57, 58. Col. ii. 15. Mark xv. 27. Heb. vii. 25.

I refer the Reader for fome excellent remarks on this Prophecy, to Paley's Evidences, vol. ii p. i. It is much to be wifhed, that this very able Divine had applied the acuteness of his penetration, and the peculiar vigour of his understanding, to a full elucidation of this important part of his fubject.

VOL. I.

N

upon

upon him, and with his ftripes we are healed, for 66 his own felf bare our fins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to fin, fhould live unto righteoufnefs.-The Lord bath laid on him the iniquity of us all, for

"

--

" he was

he gave himself a ranfom for all." He was oppreffed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. When brought before the High prieft," Jefus held his peace.' He was cut off out of the land of the living, for crucified in the flower of his age." He made bis grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, for "when the evening, after his crucifixion, was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Jofeph, and begged the body of Jefus, and laid it in his own new tomb.' He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth, for “he did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth." His foul was made an offering for fin, for God made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin." By his knowledge did the righteous fervant (or son) justify many, for by the righteoufnefs of one, the free gift came upon all men unto juftification of life." He divided the fpoil with the great, for having fpoiled principalities and powers, he made a fhow of them openly, triumphing over them." He was numbered with the

tranf

tranfgreffors, for "with him they crucified two thieves." He made interceffion for the tranfgreffors, for "he is able to fave finners, to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them."

Struck by the exact application of this paffage to the character and fufferings of Christ, the devout Eunuch of Ethiopia liftened to the explanatory narrative of St. Philip, and became a zealous convert to the faith. In this inftance the power of Prophecy, as one great evidence of the truth of Christianity, was eminently difplayed. And I cannot help reminding the Reader of another instance in the cafe of a profligate nobleman of this country, who in the last century was infamous for his vices, and exemplary for his repentance. Upon the bed of death, he liftened with eager curiofity to the pious Prelate, who illuftrated to him this remarkable paffage of Isaiah, and died a true believer in an afflicted and perfecuted Saviour d

c Acts viii. 26.

4 See Bishop Burnet's Life of Lord Rochefter, which, Dr. Johnfon has obferved, "the critic ought to read for its elegance, the philofopher for its arguments, and the faint for its piety."

N 2

The

The coming of the Meffiah and the nature of his kingdom, as we have before observed, form the leading fubjects of prophetical inspiration. "The teftimony of Jefus is clearly and most eminently the spirit of Prophecy." To him all the Prophets give witness, and around him they, throw the beams of their united light. As a proof of the truth of this affertion, we shall now select fome scattered predictions, that mark with as great exactness certain nice and difcriminating circumstances relative to the promised Mefsiah; and subjoin to each of them those extracts from the writings of the Evangelifts and Apostles, which show their completion.

The Prophet Micah points out the place where the Meffiah was to be born, and the tribe from which he was to fpring. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee hall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Ifrael. All the evangelifts mentioned that Jefus was born in Bethlehem of Judea; and that fuch was an undoubted fact, St. Paul

• Revelation xix. 10.

1

f For thefe Prophecies, and their correfpondent completion, the Reader is referred to Micah v. 2. Matt. ii. 1. Heb. vii. 14.