Isaiah 50

This, and the next Chapter, seeme to make one Sermon.

Isaiah 50:1

Where is the Bill] A conviction of the Jewish people, as authors of their own forlorn condition; together with a justification of God and his Ministers against them, verse 1,—9.

divorcement] Either, none at all; or not for sleight causes, as they used to give Bills of divorcement, but for great disloyalty, yet God ever had his reserved remnant, in all times among them, Rom. XI. 1,—5.

Isaiah 50:2

none to answer?] Their wilful obstinacie; and rebellious, refractory courses. This retarded their delivery, and kept them in this deplorable plight, this desolate and disconsolate condition.

is my hand shortned?] No want of power in God, to deliver them.

Isaiah 50:4

tongue of the learned] The Prophet Esay maintains his own Ministery, and his faithful discharge of it: So to justifie God, that there was nothing wanting on his part, to reclaime and reduce them. It is true, that divers understand all this as spoken in the person of Christ. And indeed there are divers passages, that very fitly agree to him, and whereof concerning Esay there is no mention in the holy Story. And it is true, that the same may be said of sundry particulars, in Psal. XXII. and XL. and LXIX. applied expressely unto our Saviour Christ, in the New Testament, Matth. XXVII. 34, 35, 43, 46.

Heb. X. 5,—10. And yet none make doubt, but that those Psalmes, as they were by David composed, so in his own person they concerned him; and that in all likelihood, in some particulars which yet are not found expressely recorded in the story of him. The like may be here.

Isaiah 50:6

My back to the smiters] Matth. XXVI. 27. and XXVII. 26. John XVIII. 22.

Isaiah 50:8

He is neere that justifieth me] Saint Paul alludes to this, Rom. VIII. 33, 34. The Apostles maner is, to enlarge the promises of God, made to some particular persons, as to Jacob, Joshuah, David, and others, Gen. XXVIII. 15. Josh. I. 5. Psal. XXIII. 1. extending them to all the faithful in general, as having a joynt interest therein, with them, Heb. XIII. 5, 6. And the Apostles argument, borrowed hence, stands firme and good, in general.

Isaiah 50:10

Who is among you] An exhortation to the godly party among them, to rest and rely upon God, in these calamitous times: with a sad commination to those that trusted to ought else; notwithstanding all their shifts and fetches: for which Esay derides them.