John Trapp on Isaiah 61:1

CHAP. LXI.

Ver. 1. THe Spirit of the Lord God is upon me] Chriſt had graciouſly promiſed to accompliſh his peoples happineſſe in its due time, chap. 60.22. Here he ſheweth how and when he will do it, viz. by himſelf, anointed and appointed by his heavenly Father to be Meſſiah the Prince, Dan. 9.25. Chriſt the Lord, Acts 4.26. Prieſt, Prophet, and King of his Church, a Saviour ex Profeſſo, conſecrated as the Prieſts of old were, firſt with oyle, and then with blood: So was he, 1. By the holy Spirit, inviſibly at the firſt inſtant of his conception, and viſibly, at his Baptiſm. 2. By his own blood ſprinkled upon him at his Circumciſion, but eſpecially at his Paſſion, which was another Baptiſm, Matth. 20.23. Luke 12.50.

Becauſe the Lord hath anointed me] Prae conſortibus & proconſortibus, Pſal. 45.7. Above thy fellows and alſo for thy fellows, as ſome render that text; See Joh. 1.33. & 3.34. Luke 4.18. Acts 10.38. Heb. 1.8. with Pſal. 105.15. 2 Cor. 1.21, 22. 1 Joh. 2.20, 27. Only unto every one of us is given grace according to the meaſure, of the gift of Chriſt, Epheſ. 4.7. but God gave not the Spirit unto him by meaſure, Job. 3.34. he had it in an abundant and tranſcendent manner, good meaſure, preſſed down ſhaken together and running over, even as much as his humane nature was capable of. Let the Saints love him for this, Cant. 1.2. and labour to be more and more made partakers of his holineſſe: for of his fulneſſe we all receive grace for grace Joh. 1.16. a perſection in ſome ſort anſwerable to Chriſts own perfection. There are that obſerve in this text (and not amiſſe) the Myſtery of the holy Trinity: viz. God the Father anointing his Son Chriſt, with the Holy Ghoſt. See the like at Chriſts baptiſm, Mat. 3.16. with the Note there.

To preach good tidings to the meck] To preach: this referreth to Chriſts Prophetical Office; as doth binding up the broken-hearted to his Prieſtly, and proclaiming liberty to the captives, to his Kingly Office. To theſe three offices as God, he was conſecrated, (ſet apart for a Mediator, as Exod. 30.30) and as Man, he was qualified, as before. That which Chriſt came to preach was good tydings, goodſpe[illegible: 1 letter] or Goſpel, as we call it, the beſt news that ever came into the world, Luke 2.10. This he came and preached not in his own perſon only, but by his Prophets and Apoſtles, Epheſ. 2.17. in whom he ſpake, 2 Cor. 13.3. and before all whom himſelf preached the firſt Goſpel to our firſt parents, Gen. 3.15. even the Goſpel of grace.

Ʋnto the meek] Or lowly: for humility and meekneſs are ſ[illegible: 1 letter]rores collactancae, twin-ſiſters. Theſe are thoſe poor that are Goſpellized, viz. the poor in ſpirit, ſenſible of their utter indigency and nothingneſſe, Matth. 5.3. whereby alſo our Saviour proveth himſelf to John's diſciples, ſent unto him for the purpoſe, to be the true Meſſiah, foreſhewed by Iſaiah, and foreſhadowed in him, Matth. 11.5. Luke 7.22.

He hath ſent me to bind up the broken hearted] This Chriſt doth as a fit Highprieſt, ſenſible of our miſeries, Heb. 4.15. He hath manum medicam, he is the true Samaritan:Pungit & ungit ut ſanct. not the Phyſician only but the Chirurgion of his people, cataplaſmans & obligans, plaiſtering and binding up their wounds given them by the Devil, (that wicked chief,) then when the Prieſt and the Levite (the Law) had paſſed them by, and yeilded them no help at all.

The broken-hearted] Broken with the ſence of ſin and fear of wrath; ſo broken, as if all their bones were rattling within their skin. This was Davids caſe, Pſal. 51.8. and this he pleads, as one in caſe and capacity for mercy, ver. 17. he knew well enough, that God poureth not the oyl of his mercy, ſave only into broken veſſels: for whole veſſels are full veſſels, and ſo this precious liquor would run over, and be ſpilt upon the ground.

To proclaim liberty to the captives] Liberty from the tyranny of ſin, and terror of Hell. This Chriſt doth as a King, with great power, Joh. 8.32, 34. Rom. 6.17, 18. Col. 1.13. 2 Tim. 2.26.

And the opening of the priſon] i. e. Of Hell, called here koach of lakach to receive: becauſe it is capacious, and ſtill taking in more company; ſic infernus dicicitur ab inferendo, ut aliqui volunt.