our Saviour did. Yet do we never read that our Saviour in the days of his humiliation, or hour of his agony, did direct his prayers unto God under the title of , his Lord and God, but unto God as his Father. And this is to me a pregnant argument, that not only the forecited place of Isaiah, but many other hymns or psalms, especially in or after David's time, were literally meant of the prophets which composed them, especially in respect of this circumstance of the person or party to whom they prayed, seeing our Saviour in his prayers to God did never use the same title they did. The prophet David himself had many and just occasions in his own person to conceive that excellent prayer, Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me: for I am poor and needy, &c. psalm lxxxvi; yet were the occasions and matter of this psalm really accomplished in the Son of David, whom David here, as in psalm cx, twice instyleth his Lord and God; as ver. 12: I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. And ver. 15: And thou, O Lord, art a God full of pity and compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Moses had said the same in effect long before: only he doth not give the title of Lord, nor intimate such a clear distinction of the persons in the Trinity, as David in this psalm cx. did. For David (as was observed before) had a clear prevision, that albeit the Messias or promised seed was to be his Son, yet was withal to be the Son of God: therefore to be that, unto whom he and other holy men did continually pray in their calamities, and so much magnify, either for their comfort, or strength to endure their grievances. 7. But to return to the forecited place of the b See chap. 15. par. 3. and 4. prophet Isaiah, the words immediately following the forecited place, ver. 8, He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? &c. Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? were literally and respectively meant, not only of Christ's forerunners but of his followers: and are so applied by our apostle, Rom. viii. 30, 31: If God be for us, who can be against us? And again, vv. 33, 34: Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. The apostle in this had the same confidence in Christ the Lord, and in his sufferings, which the prophet Isaiah had in the Lord his God, to whom he directs his prayers. And so may all others have that faithfully believe in him; that is, all such to whom their own consciences can testify such a true conformity unto Christ in his sufferings, as our apostle Paul and the prophets were conscious of in their souls and spirit. And any other mark of election besides this I know none; nor will it be easy for the reader, whosoever he be, to find any other in the day of trial or temptation. 8. The evangelical parallel to the prophet Isaiah's prediction we have in part Luke xxii. 63, 64: And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? Thus they dealt with him in the high priest's hall, before his examination or sentence given against him. And so again they used him at his examination, John xviii. 19, &c.: The high priest asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered, I spake openly to the world, &c.885 |