he embraced the most proper opportunities of delivering them, and in the most attractive forms communicated them to his audience. That I fhould know, &c. Jefus Christ was to addrefs with peculiar fkill and happy effect, the weary who are grieved in their minds, whofe ftrength is exhaufted by the troubles they have fuftained, and who oppreffed with the burden of iniquity, are longing for deliverance and confolation. Perfons of this defcription, who of all others moft need encouragement and comfort, were the efpecial objects of our Redeemer's condefcending regard, and to them he fometimes particularly addreffed his difcourfe. Among the many valuable gifts and qua'lifications which the Meffiah was to poffefs, this is one of the most excellent, that having perfect acquaintance with the ftate of people's minds, and able to give efficacy to the words of his mouth; he could fo adapt his discourse to their particular fituations, as to afford relief to the feeble and dejected. He can so speak to their hearts as to alleviate their burdens, difpel their griefs, and prevent them from falling into defpondency under a fenfe of guilt. When his word comes with power, majesty, and authority, and penetrates the heart; he banishes their forrows, he diffipates their fears, he reftores ftrength to their fouls, he revives their hopes, and grants them facred liberty peace and joy.-May He, who is mighty in word and in deed, fo invigorate all our faculties, that under the preffure of affliction we may neither defpife the chaftening of the Lord, nor faint when we are rebuked of him; and thus happily escape the dangerous rocks of prefumption and defpair. And as the gifts of knowledge, wifdom, and fpiritual difcernment, poffeffed by Jefus Chrift, flow down from the head to the members of his body the church; let us be folicitous in our measure to poffefs thofe qualifications wherewith he was richly adorned; that in this as in other inftances, we may imitate his amiable example. Em ployment ployment of this fort is a valuable gift; fervice is real preferment, and duty a high privilege. He wakeneth morning by morning, &c. This expreffion feems to allude to the practice of eminent affiduous teachers, who early in the morning awake their scholars, that they may diligently apply their minds to study; and who frequently excite them to clofe attention to their inftructions, as the belt way to the attainment of knowledge. The words may import, that the Meffiah from his infancy was constantly inftructed by the Lord God and his Spirit ; that every day from morning until evening he was ever prefent with him, illuminating his mind, and acquainting him with those things which he was to communicate to his church. Such was his aftonishing progrefs in learning, that at twelve years of age, he was employed about his heavenly Father's business; fitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and afking them queftions. And all that heard him were amazed at his understanding and answers. After this illuftrious teacher entered on his public miniftrations, thofe who attended to his incomparable difcourfes bare him witnefs, and wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. His intimate acquaintance with the moft fublime fubjects; he does not feem like other prophets to have acquired by means of dreams and vifions, but to have been led to the knowledge of divine truths, by the extraordinary illumination of the Holy Spirit inceffantly afforded him from day to day. He wakencth mine ear, &c. Men of great capacity and extenfive erudition, receive the information communicated to them with clofe attention, with clear perception, often revolving in their minds what they have heard, that they may improve it to their own advantage, and be the more capable of imparting knowledge to the illiterate. To fuch diligent and careful attention was the ear of Meffiah wakened, that he might be perfectly qualified for CHAP. L. for being the inftructor of his disciples. He affiduoufly liftened to all the discoveries of the divine will that were given to him, he fully understood them, he often meditated upon them, and with admirable prudence communicated them to thofe who attended him. This important benefit poffeffed by our great Mediator, we ought to be folicitous in fome good meafure to enjoy, that we may profit by the inftructions which in various ways we receive from the Moft High. 5 The LORD God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. The readiness and alacrity with which the great Redeemer of mankind executed the important work to which he was deftined by Jehovah, is in this verse ftrongly expreffed.-The Lord God bath opened ming ear, &c. to hearken to the command he hath given me, to which I am prepared to yield a prompt and chearful obedience, notwithstanding the immense difficulties that must be furmounted in order to fulfil his commiffion. This act of Jehovah toward the Meffiah, is defcribed in fimilar terms by the prophet David in his fortieth Ode, at ver. 6. Mine ears haft thou opened.' The words are thus explained by the writer of the Epiftle to the Hebrews, chap. x. 5. where fpeaking of the Son of God coming into this world, he faith, A body hast thou prepared me.' Thefe feveral expreffions perfectly harmonize, and denote the preparation requifite, that the Lord of glory might yield obedience to the Sovereign will of the Father who fent him. For this purpose, the Lord God formed for him a human body, one principal organ of which is mentioned by our prophet in place of the whole corporeal fyftem. The phrafe here ufed 'is fignificant and proper, because it is impoffible that he could have done the will of God had not a body been been prepared for him, and had not his ears been open to receive instruction. The words plainly intimate, that all neceffary provifion was made that he might be capable of fulfilling the will of God, and of accomplishing the arduous work which was given him to do. The joyful confequences there, fore are fet forth both by prophet and apoftle in thefe words, Then faid I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.'-The whole astonishing plan of falvation with the qualifications poffeffed by the Saviour for its complete execution, originate in the Lord God, who prepared for his own Son a human body, by means of which it was accomplished in the fulness of time. And I was not rebellious, &c. Much more is intended than expreffed. The Meffiah far from opposing the. will of Jehovah, or turning back from the work afligned him, yielded perfect obedience to the commands he received of the Father. The first words that he uttered, recorded in the gofpel are truly memorable. Though they were lately quoted, I will repeat them. They were addreffed to his mo ther, to whom he faid Wift you not that I must be about my Father's bufinefs?' Though he had been fubject to his parents, he gave her to know that he had a Father infinitely higher than her, who had intrusted him with the execution of a work of which she did not feem to be aware, to which every other matter was to be kept in fubferviency. In the progrefs of his miniftry he declared, My meat is to do the will of him that fent me, and to ⚫ finish his work *. Jefus Chrift was hungry, and had fent to market for provifion, in the meantime the most delicious meat was given him, for which he had the highest relish; namely, the faving of a foul from death, and covering a multitude of fins. This he faid was his meat, the food that he most defired, and which was perfectly fuited to his taste. Toward the conclufion of life, in the profpect of encountering * John iv. 34. countering the greatest difficulties, fuch was his fubmiffive language, As the Father hath commanded me, even fo I do*.' Nor did the near view ofthe most excruciating fufferings, make him fhrink back from finishing the arduous enterprise in which he was engaged. Such were his invincible fortitude and magnanimity, fuch were his intenfe defires for the completion of his glorious defign of faving them that were loft; that he informed his difciples he must go to Jerufalem, the place where he was to fuftain the most dreadful fufferings, and to fubmit to the most agonizing death. Though with infinite eafe he could have fhook the pillars of heaven, and buried his enemies in the wreck of the world, whilst he himself ftood fafe amid the ruins, he generoufly forgave them, and bleffed, his Father for giving him counfel to perfift in the refolution of laying down his life for them. Aftonishing grace! Incomparable fubmiflion! Who does not admire fuch determined firmness? Who will turn his back upon fuch a Saviour? Who would on any account relinquifh his labour of love? 6 I gave my back to the fmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from fhame and fpitting. Some of the great indignities and injuries which the Meffiah was patiently to endure in his humbled state are here specified; fome of the circumstances of ignominy and pain to which he was patiently to fubmit are exactly delineated.-I gave my back to the fmiters. The plowers plowed upon my back, 'they made long their furrows, may Ifrael now fay!" Such is the intimate union fubfifting between Jefus Christ and his church, that what is faid concerning the one frequently admits of an application to the other. A remarkable inftance of the truth of this remark occurs in the paffage I now quoted from * John xiv. 31. the |