ISA. LIU. 2.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 235
The ways of God are fenced up with thorns to them: Prov. xv. 19, ' The way of a slothful man is an hedge of thorns.' Everything is grievous and troublesome that requireth care and diligence. Thus they reject Christ because he is not suitable to them. To apply it now.
Use 1. It serveth for information, to teach us the difference between God's people and carnal men. To God's people he is all their desire ; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him. It is good to observe their several verdicts of him : 1 Peter ii. 7, ' To you that believe he is precious, but to them that be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence/ To the world he is base and ignominious: Ps. xxii. 6, 'A worm, and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people.' To the spouse, glorious and full of allurements : Ps. xlv. 2, ' Thou art fairer than the children of men : grace is poured into thy lips.' To the world he appeared deformed and contemptible : Isa. lii. 14, ' Many were astonied at thee ; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men ; ' but quite contrary to the spouse : Cant. v. 10, ' My beloved is the fairest of ten thousand.' The Hebrew word signifieth an ensign-bearer. In the world's view there is no form nor comeliness in him ; he is without beauty. To the spouse he is ' altogether lovely,' Cant. v. 16. Well, then, you see here is the true difterencing note iDetween us and the men of the world, whether we see anything in Christ why we should desire him. And it is both an inclusive and an exclusive mark. Some marks are inclu- sive ; that is, if a man find them in him, he may be sure he is in Christ ; but if not, he is not to determine he is out of Christ. As the eminent and vigorous workings of holy graces, they do not take in every state of Christianity, they do not take in the infancy of grace. Other marks are exclusive ; that is thus, they knock off the fingers of pretenders, and serve to show a man out of grace, but not in. As frequenting of the ordinances, a care of duty ; if a man doth not these things, he may be sure he is none of God's, though he cannot be sure he is of God because he doth them. But now this is a mark that is inclusive and exclusive too. It is inclusive, for if your desires be to Christ, no doubt he is yours. It is a true mark, and a mark tliat is compatible to the weakness of grace. It is a true mark, for God looketh to the heart more than to the duty : Prov. xxiii. 26, ' My son, give me thy heart.' And desires are the chiefest part of that. De- sires are most genuine and suitable to the judgment and determina- tion of the soul. They are a mark in which God's weakest servants may comfort themselves. Those that fail in other things are not wanting in desires. However they may have many defects in their carriage and in their duties, yet they are sure their desires are towards him. If they cannot be much in duty, they will be much in their desires and valuations of him. Peter, that durst not appeal to his own conscience for other things, dareth appeal to God's oranisciency for this : John xxi. 17, ' Lord, thou knowest all things ; thou knowest that I love thee.' And the people of God often vouch tliis : Isa. xxvi, 8, ' The desire of our soul is to thy name ; ' Neh. i. 11, ' Tliy servants who desire to fear thy name.' Therefore it is comfortable,
23G A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. 2.
and it is convincing too, and exclusive. Wicked men feel no desires ; they have some slight wishes, carnal and weak velleities, hut they have no serious desires, nor true volitions. Balaam may wish to die the death of the righteous, Num. xxiii. 10. So they may desire Christ out of some general conceit of happiness; hut they do not desire Christ for holiness. So there is no beauty in him why we should desire him. They do not desire him as seeing any beauty in his ways : John vi. 34, * Lord, evermore give us this bread.' When Christ said he was the bread of life, those that would not come to Christ would fain have the bread of life. Nay, heaven itself is not really desired by wicked men ; it is true, they may desire it in a carnal way, as a Turkish paradise, and such a place of ease and delight as the Alcoran sets forth ; but not as it is in itself, to enjoy God, and Christ, and more grace, and to be more free and undisturbed in respect of the prevail- ing of sin and corruptions. Those that desire Christ truly, desire him not for ease (the spirit of the world may do that), but from the beauty and excellency they find in him, and in his ways. His service is of a high and honourable nature, and therefore they desire it. So that you see here is the note of trial, and the main difference, viz., a desir- ing of Christ for the rare beauty and perfections that are found in him. Do you, then, try yourselves by this note. But that you may not deceive yourselves in this matter, I will give you a few notes. I will not speak anything of the cause of desires. A high value and price set upon Christ, and a seeing rich beauties in him, of that I shall speak in the next verse. I shall only treat now of the effects of this desire. If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things. 1. A holy impatiency in the want of Christ. When we strongly desire a thing, the heart fainteth under the want of it. Amnon was sick for Tamar, 2 Sam. xiii. 1-4. And the spouse was sick of love for Christ, Cant. v. 8, The soul languishes with a holy desire of the sense of his mercy, with a longing after pardon, and grace, and quickening, and life, and what is to be found in Christ. They can find no rest in themselves till they do enjoy it : Ps. xlii. 1, ' As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so dr)th my soul pant after thee, 0 God.' Thirst is the most implacable impression that can be upon the body; the creature cannot be quiet till it be quenched. Now, of all creatures the hart is most thirsty by nature, and the thirst is miglitily increased when it is hunted. And mark, it is the she-hart, for so the Seventy read it, rj €\a<f)o^, ' The she-hart panteth after the water brooks.' Passions in females are stronger than in the males. As the she-hart panteth when chased, such a rage of thirst was there in his soul till it were satisfied with God, and refreshed with the com- forts of Jesus Christ. Search then for such a restless and strong desire ; try if there be such an ardency and earnestness upon your affection.s, that noticing can satisfy but Cini.st, that you cannot be quiet till you have him. Was your heart never chased into a panting lor the water brooks? Some arc haunted so by the ghastly appre- hensions of God's wrath, that they have no ease, no rest. 13ut cer- tainly all that love Christ are chased into a panting; they have such a sense of their sins and miseries, that their souls arc put into an earnest expectation of the mercies of Christ.