Verses 8, 9. So he was their saviour. In all their affliction "And he became their saviour in all their distress"] I have followed the translation of the Septuagint in the latter part of the eighth, and the former part of the ninth verse; which agrees with the present text, a little differently divided as to thee members of the sentence. They read lkm miccol, out of all, instead of :lkb bechol, in all, which makes no difference in the sense; and rx tsar they understand as ryx tsir. kai egeneto autoiv eiv swthrian ek pashv qliyewv autwn� ou presbuv, oude aggelov� "And he was salvation to them in all their tribulation; neither an ambassador nor an angel, but himself saved them. " An angel of his presence means an angel of superior order, in immediate attendance upon God. So the angel of the Lord says to Zacharias, "I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God, "Luke i. 19. The presence of JEHOVAH, Exod. xxxiii. 14, 15, and the angel, Exod. xxxiii. 20, 21, is JEHOVAH himself; here an angel of his presence is opposed to JEHOVAH himself, as an angel is in the following passages of the same book of Exodus. After their idolatrous worshipping of the golden calf, "when God had said to Moses, I will send an angel before thee-I will not go up in the midst of thee-the people mourned, "Exod. xxxiii. 2-4. God afterwards comforts Moses, by saying, "My presence (that is I myself in person, and not by an angel) will go with thee, "ver. 14. autov proporeusomai sou, "I myself will go before thee, "as the Septuagint render it.

The MSS. and editions are much divided between the two readings of the text and margin in the common copies, al lo, not, and wl lo, to him. All the ancient Versions express the chetib reading, al lo, not.

And he bare then and carried them all the days of old "And he took them up, and he bore them, all the days of old."] See the note on chap. xlvi. 3.- L.

Is. 63:1-6 The prophet, in vision, beholds the Messiah returning i triumph from the conquest of his enemies, of whom Edom was a type Travelling, not as wearied by the combat, but, in the greatness of his strength, prepared to overcome every opposing power. Messiah declare that he had been treading the wine-press of the wrath of God, Rev 14:19; 19:13, and by his own power, without any human help, he ha crushed his obstinate opposers, for the day of vengeance was determine on, being the appointed season for rescuing his church. Once, he appeared on earth in apparent weakness, to pour out his precious bloo as an atonement for our sins; but he will in due time appear in the greatness of his strength. The vintage ripens apace; the day of vengeance, fixed and determined on, approaches apace; let sinners see to be reconciled to their righteous Judge, ere he brings down their strength to the earth. Does Christ say, "I come quickly?" let ou hearts reply, "Even so, come; let the year of the redeemed come."

Is. 63:7-14 The latter part of this chapter, and the whole of the next seem to express the prayers of the Jews on their conversation. The acknowledge God's great mercies and favours to their nation. The confess their wickedness and hardness of heart; they entreat his forgiveness, and deplore the miserable condition under which they have so long suffered. The only-begotten Son of the Father became the Ange or Messenger of his love; thus he redeemed and bare them with tenderness. Yet they murmured, and resisted his Holy Spirit, despisin and persecuting his prophets, rejecting and crucifying the promise Messiah. All our comforts and hopes spring from the loving-kindness of the Lord, and all our miseries and fears from our sins. But he is the Saviour, and when sinners seek after him, who in other ages glorifie himself by saving and feeding his purchased flock, and leading the safely through dangers, and has given his Holy Spirit to prosper the labours of his ministers, there is good ground to hope they ar discovering the way of peace.

Is. 63:15-19 They beseech him to look down on the abject condition of their once-favoured nation. Would it not be glorious to his name to remove the veil from their hearts, to return to the tribes of his inheritance? The Babylonish captivity, and the after-deliverance of the Jews, were shadows of the events here foretold. The Lord looks dow upon us in tenderness and mercy. Spiritual judgments are more to be dreaded than any other calamities; and we should most carefully avoi those sins which justly provoke the Lord to leave men to themselves an to their deceiver. "Our Redeemer from everlasting" is thy name; the people have always looked upon thee as the God to whom they migh appeal. The Lord will hear the prayers of those who belong to him, an deliver them from those not called by his name __________________________________________________________________

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