the literal meaning of the Words; but to interpret bringing the Prisoners from the Prifon and those that fit in darkness from the Prifon-house of spiritual Slavery, when it may be underflood of Bodily Confinement is · taking, I think, fuch liberty as ought not to be allow'd; efpecially if we confider that at the fixteenth Verfe, the Prophet fhews plainly that he speaks of real not metaphorical Captives; I will bring the blind, that is, the afflicted Jews, to their own Country by a fhort way they are not acquainted with; I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, that is, change their condition from miferable to profperous, and crooked things straight, and reftore them to the happy circumftances they were in before, fpeaking of the poor Slaves; as if the Burdens their Oppreffions put upon them,had made them ftoop in the Back, and go almoft crooked. And yet Matt. 12718, the Evangelift applies thefe Words to our Saviour, and 20, 21, fays they were fulfill'd in him: and fo they were, but in a different Sense; and this he plainly enough gives any confiderable part of the Earth receiv'd his Law. From hence I thus argue, No reafon can be affign'd why St. Matthew fhould leave out part of this Prediction, but because it was not applicable to our Saviour; if it was not applicable to our Saviour, it mufta mult be to fome other Perfon, for the Words are are neither foifted in, nor redundant or infignificant in the Place, therefore of the fame Perfon the other parts of this Prophetic Character must be understood; and therefore there must be allow'd a double interpretation; One, as all the Words belong to Cyrus; the other, as part of them belong to our Saviour, both defign'd by the fame Spirit which directed the Prophets and the Evangelifts hand. I fhall inftance but in one more place, which I think will put it out of difpute, that thofe Prophecies of Ifaiah,which are produc'd by the Writers of the New Teftament, are to be understood in a different Senfe in the New, than in the Old; except part of the 52d and the 53d Chapter, which I think is to be understood the fame way in both. The Spirit of God is upon me, because the Lord C. 51. hath anointed me to preach good tydings to the Meek, he hath fent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the Prijon to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable Year of the Lord. Thus far our Saviour read, when he went into one. of the Synagogues of Nazareth on the Sabbath Day, a Bible was presented him, which accidentally opening at this Place of the Prophet Ifaiah, he read it to Luke 4. 18. them, and fhutting the Book told them, This Day is this Scripture fulfill'd in your Ears: The Words in the Evangelift vary a little from the Prophet's Words, The Spirit of Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the Captives, and recovering of fight to the blind,to fet at liberty themthat are bruis'd, to preach the acceptable Year. This, bleffed Jefu, thou haft done fufficiently, as long as thou waft on Earth,thou didst Preach theGospel to the Poor,the Rich having something else to do than to take care of their Souls; were too Proud or too Bufy, to become the the hearers of the Word. Thou didst heal the broken Hearted, and all that came to thee in humble forrow for their Sins found, and ftill find, O Lord, a Balm to cure the deepeft Wounds of Sin; thou did Preach Eternal Redemption to those who were in a manner Captives to their Lufts; if they were defirous to be fet at Liberty,thou didst endeavour to enlighten the minds of the blind People the Jews with the rays of thy Truth, but they shut their Eyes the clofer, and refolv'd to remain in Sin and Ignorance: Thou didst fet at Liberty all thofe poor Wretches, who bruis'd as it were by the Chains of their Sins, made their complaint unto Thee and defir'd Relief: Thus were the Prophets Words fully accomplish'd by our Saviour,and yet they were true of the Prophet himself, For the Spritt of the Lord was upon him,tho' in a different manner and a lower degree than in our Saviour, He was anointed by God to Preach good Tidings to the Meek, i.e. as Nanavim fignifies to the afflicted Captives,he was fent to bind up the broken hearted; and this his reviving Predictions did after his Death, without which they would have funk into difpair,and not have been able to hold out 70 Years of oppreffion. He proclaim'd Liberty to the Captives, and told them the Perfons Name who should bring it them, and set open their Prifon-doors. He proclaim'd the acceptable Year of the Lord, the time when God would be reconcil'd to his People, lay afide his Anger against them, or Pour it on their Enemies Head. Here our Saviour stopp'd,as well knowing he was no farther concern'd in the Prediction, which belong'd to the Prophet only; for He was to Comfort all that mourn'd in Captivity, he was to give them Beauty for Afbes; that is, turn their Sorrow into Joy; to affure them they fhould be reftor'd to their own Country, and become a Plantation of the Lord,and that they should build the old wafe places and C Gouffer and raise up the former defolations, and repair the waste Cities,the defolations of many Generations; than which if any one can find out Words more expreffive of that wretched condition in which the Captives were likely to find their Country on their return, I fhall readily acknowledge him an excellent Linguist. And now to reafon a little on this Head; were not these Words fpoken to the Jews of his time by Ifaiah, and could they think he would fay the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and not speak of himself? 'tis as natural to fuppofe he means himfelf, as that Virgil does fo, when he fays, Arma virumque cano: does not Nanavim fignifie the afflicted, and Bafar to bring good News or glad Tydings? does not Shevuim in the first and proper fignification denote fuch as are in Captivity, and Dedor liberty and freedom from confinement, and did not Ifaiah do all this? Why then muft not the Words be understood of Ifaiah, when the Prophet in the Verfes before and after this Quotation, is actually fpeaking of the Jewish Captives; Why? because our Saviour fays in the Gospel, this Day are thefe Words fulfill'd in your Ears; which is as much as if he had told them in plain Terms, (fay fome) the Words. which I have Read to you were spoken by the Prophet concerning me;and in me only have their accomplishment. But the Expreffon of being fulfill'd I take to be fo far from confining the Words to our Saviour only, that they plainly prove they are in a lower Senfe to be understood of another Perfon. As if he had faid, I have read to you part of the Prophet Ifaiah, wherein he fpeaks of himself as infpir'd by God, on purpose to keep up the Hearts of his Country-men when they hould come into Captivity, by giving them repeated affurances that they fhould be deliver'd and reftor'd to their own Countries. The Words he made use of on this occafion are true of him, but in me alone they they have their full Completion: He Preach'd to the € 2 |