ISA. LIII. 3.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAU. 2 19
from a thing ; but sometimes it is in one affection, and sometimes in another ; as —
[1.] Sometimes in anger; to hate them so as we will not give them a look. Thus God is said to hide his face from his church to express his anger against their sins.
[2.] Sometimes in shame. We turn away from them, as rich men do from their poor friends ; they scorn to give them a look.
[3.] Sometimes in pity. It is such a sad sight that we dare not look on it. I rather prefer that of a scornful shame, being ashamed to follow such a poor, mean, miserable man. Thus many now hide their faces from Christ, when it is disgraceful to close with him. There is nothing now remaineth that is difficult ; only it followeth, he was despised and looked upon as a man leprous, whose face should be hid ; and therefore we did not esteem him worthy of our company. The sum of the verse amounts to thus much, that Jesus Christ was no miserable in regard of his outward face and appearance, that he was looked upon as an abject, as a man not fit to be kept company with. I shall only note these two things more for explication, because upon tliem I shall build two points, which shall be all I will handle out of this verse.
1. Some of these expressions set out Christ as indeed he was ;
2. Some, only as he was in the apprehension of men. He was in himself ' a man of sorrovi^s,' but in the eye of man he was a despised and an abject person : the one is the cause or the occasion of the other; and the prophet so intermingleth these two things in this verse, that the phrases may be taken both ways — how Christ was in himself, and how he was to men.
1. As he was in himself : from thence I observe this point: — Doct. 1. That Christ's appearance in the world, and state of life
among men, was not only very mean, but very miserable.
2. From men's judgment of him : upon this account I observe: — Doct. 2. That carnal men do not look upon Jesus Christ as worthy
of any esteem from them.
I shall begin with the first, viz. : —
Doct. 1. That Christ's appearance in the world, and state of life among men, was not only very mean, but very miserable.
I shall take the several degrees in the text to make it out unto you.
1. The lowest step is negative ; he was ' not esteemed.' He had not that due respect and value in the world that he might justly look for ; and it is a misery to be slighted by those to whom we intend the greatest good. It was much that they should not own him as some eminent man ; it was more that they would not give him the respect due to any man, to an ordinary prophet : John i. 11, ' He came to his own, and his own received him not.' There is an emphasis in the words his oivn, those over whom he had a special care, and to whom he meant the greatest good. Mark, everything else acknowledged Christ, but man would not. The angels ushered in his birth, Luke ii. 14. The wind and seas obeyed him. Mat. viii. 27. The fish paid his tribute to him. Mat. xvii. 27. The wild beasts, when he was in the wilderness, would not touch him, Mark i. 13. The Holy Ghost would have us to note it as a special circumstance, that ' he was in the wilderness forty days, and he was with the wild beasts.' Nay, the
250 A TRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 3.
very devils confessed him, Luke viii. 28. Tlie man that had many devils fell down before him, and cried out, and with a loud voice said, ' What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high?' Yet man would not own him. They thoufj^ht any one was more like to he the j\Iessiah than he, John, tliouj;h lie never did miracles, nor taught witii such authority as Christ did, yet they sent an honourable mes.sage to him, John i. 19. The Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him whether he were the Christ or no. But now they never sent an honourable embassy to Christ, never put him to the ques- tion,butonly in a scoti" asked him whether he were theChristor no. Yet John gave them as much ground of distaste as Christ did, freely taxing their sins. John was sent to in an honourable way, because he was a priest's son, but Christ only a carpenter's son, therefore Christ was not esteemed. Anything is enough to prejudice them that are notaf^'ected to a thing or way. Nay; they not only i)referred John before him, though famous for no miracles, but even Barabbas before him : John xviii. 40, ' When Pilate said, Will ye that 1 release unto you the king of the Jews? Then cried they all, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas, Now Bar- abbas was a robber.' Any rather than Christ, They had very little esteem of Christ, you see. And this fault is objected to them; indeed, it was a great aggravation of their guilt : Acts iii. 14, ' Ye have denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you,' even a cruel highwayman before Christ. Esteeming is a rela- tive word, and it implieth every one, even the worst of men, to be higher in their thoughts than Christ.