him their fear and their dread," he would be for a sanctuary," a safe place amid sorrow and desolation, but for "a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel; for a gin, and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem :" because, "trouble, and darkness, and dimness of anguish" should be the portion of their unbelief.

Nevertheless, in the midst of this impending darkness, a brighter prospect breaks upon the Prophet's view. Rapt in prophetic vision, he turns his eyes toward the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphatali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Gallilee of the nations; where the scenes of Israel's sorrow, and approaching captivity by the armies of Assyria, were shortly to be laid. There, in thefulness of time, the clouds are seen dispersing, and "the people that walked in darkness see a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them the light shines." It is the glorious rising of the orb of everlasting day, "The light of the world"-the Sun of righteousness, who rises with healing in his wings, and victory upon his brow. The voice of joy, as hearty as the joy of harvest home, reaches the prophet's ear; as men rejoice when they take the spoil. The

* Chap. ix.

and songs

of

battle is fought, the field is won, victory proclaim that the Seed of the woman hath bruised the serpent's head; and this is the burden of their triumphant lay: "Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian." How terrible is the conflict; war is at all times dreadful: "Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise,"--the shouts of the victors, and the cries of the vanquished-" and garments rolled in blood;" but this, most terrible, surpasses all: "with burning and fuel of fire." But what is the occasion of this joy? what gives this confident hope of victory? It is the accomplishment of the prediction, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son. Faith, realizing "things not seen as yet," views it as already fulfilled; "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

With the New Testament in our hands, the ap

plication of this part of our text is not less clear than that which has gone before. The angel, who brought the glad tidings of great joy to the shepherds of Bethlehem, clothed the announcement in words which call to mind the language of this prophecy: "Unto you is born in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." And that Messiah is here intended was freely admitted by the earlier Jewish expositors; but, in more recent times, in order to evade a testimony so explicit, concerning the Person and Office of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Jews have departed from the judgment of their forefathers, and applied the passage to king Hezekiah. In what sense Hezekiah could claim the name of "Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace," it remains for them to shew. We conceive that we, who, under these divine appellations, recognize the promised seed-the Christ that should come into the world-assign to the Jews more honour by our faith, than they can acquire to themselves by their unbelief. We assign to them the distinguished honour, which this prophecy claims, and which the Apostle of the Gentiles concedes, viz. "that of them, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever."* It is theirs to say, "Unto

*Rom. ix. 5.

us-us Jews-a Child is born; unto us Jews a Son is given"—"Salvation is of the Jews."* We rejoice to give them the honour God has given them; and still more shall we rejoice, when they acknowledge that JESUS, though born a child, is the mighty God; though a Son given, is the everlasting Father. Certain it is, that when they shall thus acknowledge him (and acknowledge him they will), they will find "in Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours,+" every feature of the Person, and every function of the Office here described.

The person of Jesus Christ is here unfolded. He is described " WONDERFUL." And who so wonderful as our Lord Jesus? wonderful "in his goings forth from of old, from everlasting;" wonderful in his miraculous conception; in his birth in the Inn at Bethlehem; in his cradle in the manger. Wonderful in his life of sorrow; and wonderful in his death of shame. Wonderful in his glorious resurrection and ascension; and wonderful in the gift of the Holy Ghost. Did the children of Zion but know the wonders of redeeming love, well might they sing to Jesus, as their forefathers sang to Jehovah on the shores of the Red Sea, "Who is like unto thee, O Lord among the gods, who is like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"+

*John iv. 22. † 1 Cor. i. 2. + Exod. xv. 11.

He is further described as COUNSELLOR. What counsel so sweet, so soothing, as His, who said, "Come unto me, all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest;" who came "to preach glad tidings unto the meek, to bind up the broken-hearted, and to comfort all that mourn?" Behold him, when on earth, counselling the publicans and sinners to go and sin no more; the widowed mother, bereaved of her only son, to stay her falling tears; the rich to lay up treasure in heaven; the poor to labour for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life. And even now,

what is it that cheers the afflicted Christian in his hour of sorrow; that sweetens his cup of bitterness and makes him say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted?" what, but the counsel of his compassionate Saviour, carried to the heart by the consoling influence of the Holy Spirit. Truly he is "wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working."

Further, He is THE MIGHTY GOD. This title had been ascribed to him by David. In the 45th Psalm, the Psalmist addresses King Messiah, touching whom he wrote, as a mighty warrior, pursuing his way to glory and majesty, by his victorious sword. "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, 0 Most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty." And then, as if he beheld him returned from con