And as a root out of a dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him,

There is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:

And we hid as it were our faces from him,*

He was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs,
And carried our sorrows:

Yet we did esteem him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded† for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities:

Or, he hid, as it were, his face from us, Margin. + Literally, pierced through.

The chastisement of our peace* was

upon him;

And with his stripes we are healed.Isa. liii. 1-5.

XXII.

*By which our peace is effected.

Christ's sufferings for our sins. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own

way;

And the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth:

He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,

So he openeth not his mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment:

And who shall declare his generation ?*

For he was cut off out of the land of

the living:

For the transgression 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. -Isa. liii. 6-9.

* Or rather, "the manner of his life who would declare?" An allusion to the custom of calling upon all who were able to bear testimony to the innocence of the accused. See John xviii. 21. +"And his grave was appointed with the wicked, but with the rich man was his tomb."-Lowth. See John xix. 38-42.

XXIII.

The blessed effects of Christ's sufferings.

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise

him;

He hath put him to grief:

When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,*

He shall see his seed,† he shall prolong his days,

And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many;

For he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great,

And he shall divide the spoil with the strong;

Because he hath poured out his soul unto death:

Or, when his soul shall make an offering for sin, Margin. + True believers.

C

And he was numbered with the trans

gressors;

And he bare the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.-Isa. liii. 10—12.

XXIV. Duty to enemies.

If ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.Luke vi. 33-36.