Hugh Binning, Works, p. 437:
This was always proponed [proposed] to the church as the strongest cordial, it was given here as the greatest consolation in all their long captivity, that this Redeemer was afterwards to come, whose virtue was then living, and present to the quickening and comforting of souls. It was thought enough to uphold in a most desperate strait, “To us a child is born,” Isa. 9:6. I wish we could take it so. Certainly it was the character of a believer before Christ’s coming, that he was one that was looking and waiting for the salvation of Israel, by this Redeemer. But now we are surrounded with consolation before and behind, – Christ already come, so that we may in joy say, Lo! this is our God, we have waited for him! others waited and longed, and we see him, – and Christ shortly to come again without sin, to our salvation. And what could be able to take our joy from us, if we had one eye always back to his first coming, and another always forward to his coming again?
This was always proponed [proposed] to the church as the strongest cordial, it was given here as the greatest consolation in all their long captivity, that this Redeemer was afterwards to come, whose virtue was then living, and present to the quickening and comforting of souls. It was thought enough to uphold in a most desperate strait, “To us a child is born,” Isa. 9:6. I wish we could take it so. Certainly it was the character of a believer before Christ’s coming, that he was one that was looking and waiting for the salvation of Israel, by this Redeemer. But now we are surrounded with consolation before and behind, – Christ already come, so that we may in joy say, Lo! this is our God, we have waited for him! others waited and longed, and we see him, – and Christ shortly to come again without sin, to our salvation. And what could be able to take our joy from us, if we had one eye always back to his first coming, and another always forward to his coming again?
