Lord.' 'Behold my servant whom I uphold; mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.' I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.' 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord God hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God "."

Again, there is another class of texts which have a metaphorical allusion to our Lord's prophetical office.

7 Is. xi. 1, 2; xlii. 1, 6, 7; lxi. 1, 2.

1. Where he is spoken of as a messenger or apostle. 'The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in 3.' The church is told by Zechariah, that they should acknowledge the Messiah as the legate of God

- Ye shall know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me. Accordingly, when Christ came, he appealed to a convincing testimony in favour of his pretensions. I have greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me.' He alleges the same authority for delegating a similar commission to his own apostles. As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you.' And in the Epistle to the Hebrews, the title of messenger is directly applied to him in conjunction with his sacerdotal character. 'Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apo

8 Mal. iii. 1.

9 Zech. ii. 9.

stle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus'.'

2. Where he is spoken of as a shepherd. 'He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.' 'I will set up my shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant, David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.' 'David, my servant, shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd". This character, also, is both claimed for himself by our Lord, and ascribed to him by the apostle. I am the good shepherd, and other sheep I have which are not of this fold: these also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.' 'Ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls.' 'Now the God of heaven, that brought again from the dead that great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, through the blood of the everlast

John, v. 36; xx. 21; Heb. iii. 1.

2 Is. xl. 11; Ezek. xxxiv. 23; xxxvii. 24.

ing covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will3.'

3. Where he is spoken of as a counsellor. 'His name shall be called, Counsellor.' He shall be a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.'

4. Where he is spoken of as a light. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.' 'I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.' 'Arise! shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.' Unto you that fear my

3 John, x. 14, 16; 1 Pet. ii. 25; Heb. xiii. 20.

4 Is. ix. 6; Zech. vi. 13.

name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings 5.'

Now, from this series of texts, it appears that it was predicted of the scope of our Lord's prophetical mission, that he should be a messenger who would reveal, unreservedly, the whole will of God, and his laws for the government of men in general, as Moses did with regard to the more limited purpose and period for which God employed him-that this revelation would be complete, and consequently final, for last of all he sent his son'-and that as for those who would not acknowledge his authority, or receive his father's word from his mouth, God would require it at their hands.

The next step, therefore, is to inquire how far the conditions of the prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus.

I. We have, first, Christ's own testimony to the fulfilment, in his own person, of the pre

5 Is. ix. 2; xlix. 6; lxi. 1-3; Mal. iv. 2.