Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 4.djvu/62

56 and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7. 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 of hosts will perform this.

The first words of this chapter plainly refer to the close of the foregoing chapter, where every thing looked black and melancholy; Behold, trouble, and darkness, and dimness; very bad, yet not so bad, but that to the upright there shall arise light in the darkness, (Ps. cxii. 4.) and at evening-time it shall be light, Zech. xiv. 7. Nevertheless, it shall not be such dimness (either not such for kind, or not such for degree,) as sometimes there has been. Note, In the worst of times, God's people have a nevertheless to comfort themselves with, something to allay and balance their troubles; they are persecuted, but not forsaken, (2 Cor. iv. 9.) sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, 2 Cor. vi. 10. And it is a matter of comfort to us, when things are at the darkest, that he who forms the light, and creates the darkness, (ch. xiv. 7.) has appointed both their bounds, and set the one over against the other, Gen. i. 4. He can say, " Hitherto the dimness shall go, so long as it shall last, and no farther, no longer." Three things are here promised, and they all point ultimately at the grace of the gospel, which the saints then were to comfort themselves with the hopes of, in every cloudy and dark day, as we now are to comfort ourselves, in time of trouble, with the hopes of Christ's second coming, though that be now, as his first coming then was, a thing at a great distance. The mercy likewise which God has in store for his church, in the latter days, may be a support to those that are mourning with her for her present calamities. We have here the promise,

I. Of a glorious light, which shall so qualify, and by degrees dispel, the dimness, that it shall not be, as it sometimes has been not such as was in her vexation; there shall not be such dark times as were formerly, when, at first, he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, which lay remote, and most exposed to the inroads of the neighbouring enemies; and, afterward, he more grievously afflicted the land by the way of the sea, and beyond Jordan, (v. 1.) referring, probably, to those days when God began to cut Israel short, and to smite them in all their coasts, 2 Kings x. 32. Note, 1. God tries what lesser judgments will do with a people, before he brings greater. But, 2. If a light affliction do not do its work with us, to humble and reform us, we must expect to be afflicted more grievously; for when God judges he will overcome.

Well, those were dark times with the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, and there was dimness of anguish in Galilee of the Gentiles, both in respect of ignorance, (they did not speak according to the law and testimony, and then there was no light in them, ch. viii. 20.) and in respect of trouble and the desperate posture of their outward affairs; we have both together, 2. Chron. xv. 3, 5. Israel has been without the true God and a teaching priest, and in those times there was no peace: but the dimness threatened (ch. viii. 22.) shall not prevail to such a degree; for, (v. 2.) The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. (1.) At this time, when the prophet lived, there were many prophets in Judah ahd Israel, whose prophecies were a great light both for direction and comfort to the people of God, who adhered to the law and the testimony; beside the written word, they had prophecy; there were those that had showed them how long, (Ps. lxxiv. 9.) which was a great satisfaction to them, when, in respect of their outward troubles, they sat in darkness, and dwelt in the land of the shadow of death. (2.) This was to have its full accomplishment when our Lord Jesus began to appear as a Prophet, and to preach the gospel in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, and in Galilee of the Gentiles. And the Old Testament prophets, as they were witnesses to him, so they were types of him. When he came, and dwelt in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, then this prophecy is said to be fulfilled, Matth. iv. 13—16. Note, [1.] Those that want the gospel, walk in darkness, and know not what they do, or whither they go; and they dwell in the land of the shadow of death, in thick darkness, and in the utmost danger. [2.] When the gospel comes to any place, to any soul, light comes, a great light, a shining, light, which will shine more and more. It should be welcome to us, as light is to them that sit in darkness, and we should readily entertain it, both because it is of such sovereign use to us, and brings its own evidence with it. Truly this light is sweet.

II. Of a glorious increase, and an universal joy arising from it; (v. 3.) "Thou, O God, hast multiplied the nation, the Jewish nation, which thou hast mercy in store for; though it has been diminished by one sore judgment after another, yet now thou hast begun to multiply it again." The numbers of a nation are its strength and wealth, if the numerous be industrious; and it is God that increases nations, Job xii. 23. Yet it follows, "Thou, hast not increased the joy; the carnal joy and mirth, and those things that are commonly the matter and occasion of that; but, notwithstanding that, they joy before thee, there is a great deal of serious spiritual joy among them, joy in the presence of God, with an eye to him." This is very applicable to the times of gospel-light, spoken of, v. 2. Then God multiplied the nation, the gospel-Israel. "And to him" (so the Masorites read it) "thou hast magnified the joy, to every one that receives the light." The following words favour this reading; they joy before thee; they come before thee in holy ordinances with great joy; their mirth is not like that of Israel, under their vines and fig-trees, (thou hast not increased that joy,) but it is in the favour of God and in the tokens of his grace." Note, The gospel, when it comes in its light and power, brings joy along with it, and those who receive it aright, therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice; therefore the conversion of the nations is prophesied of by this, Ps. lxvii. 4. Let the nations be glad, and sing for joy, Ps. xcvi. 11. 1. It is holy joy: "They joy before thee;" they rejoice in spirit, (as Christ did, Luke x. 21.) and that is before God. In the eye of the world, they are always as sorrowful, and yet, in God's sight, always rejoicing, 2 Cor. vi. 10.  2. It is great joy, it is according to the joy in harvest, when those who sowed in tears, and have with long patience waited for the precious fruits of the earth, reap in joy; and as in war, men rejoice, when, after a hazardous battle, they divide the spoil. The gospel brings with it plenty and victory; but those that would have joy of it, must expect to go through a hard work, as the husbandman, before he has the joy of harvest, and a hard conflict, as the soldier, before he has the joy of dividing the spoil; but the joy, when it comes, will be an abundant recompense for the toil. See Acts viii. 8, 39.

III. Of a glorious liberty and enlargement; (v. 4, 5.) "They shall rejoice before thee, and with good reason, for thou hast broken the yoke of his burthen, and made him easy, for he shall no longer