Surely. To note— (1.) The reality of the thing in regard of Christ's suffering, it was verily and really done. (2.) To note the truth of the proposition ; this is a true'proposition. Christ hath borne our griefs ; he bore them, and it is true that he bore them really. And then for the acts, he bore and carried. They note a susception or taking up of things to put them upon our backs. And then the objects, our griefs, our wrroics. The first word signifieth sicknesses, the last wounds. The one importeth the sin, the other the punishment of sin. The Septua- gint translates it, ovTO'i Ta<; a/xapTla<i rjfiwv (^epei koX irepi rjfjLOiv ohwarau — he beareth our sins, and is pained for our sakes. Then the specifi- cation of the object, our sins, our griefs. It implieth, first, that it is for our sakes he endured these sicknesses and sorrows for us. Secondly, He not only bore pains for our sakes, but the pains that we should have ondured,or at least equivalent to what we should have borne and carried, if we had suffered for sin. And it implieth not only the cause of suf- fering, but the quality of suffering. So much for the first part.
2. For man's unthankfulness, yea, evil requital of Christ's love. For here is fii'st something implied, an unworthy refusal of him for om* saviour : yet lue. Secondly, The ground of this refusal, expressed upon a false supposition or surmise, that all these calamities came upon him by the just judgment of God : loe esteemed him stricken and smitten of God. Some read quasi leprosum — stricken with a leprosy. Leprosy was esteemed among the Jews as the greatest expression of God's anger. They looked upon him as in the state of leprosy, as if he had the expressions of God's anger upon him. And then as for smitten of God and afflicted. Expressions are heaped up one upon another, to
262 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 4.
sliow the lieight of Christ's sufiferings, and their malice. He suffered much, and they looked upon him as having all the expressions of God's anger : ' Stricken, smitten, afflicted.'
But you will say, Was not this true? was he not stricken and afflicted by God ?
I answer — True, but not in their sense ; they did not look upon themselves stricken and smitten by God in him. For the matter of the censure, it was right, but for the form and manner of application to Christ, it is wrong.
But now to answer one objection to the whole, and I have done with the explication.
If this be the meaning of the words, how cometh it then to be quoted by Matthew in another sense ? Mat. viii. 17, ' That it miglit be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our in- firmities, and bare our sicknesses.' Where it is applied to the healing of corporal and bodily diseases.
This is a doubt fit to be solved, and I shall answer it.
1. Some think, and, for aught I see, Junius is in the number, that this place is to be meant of bodily diseases, as if it were an argument only brought to prove that Christ was the Messiah by the power he exerted in curing those diseases ; and that this bearing and carrying intimated no more than the bare taking them away. But if it be pro- perly to be understood of diseases, how will the last clause agree ? for it is nonsense to think he was stricken and smitten of God because he took away diseases.
2. Others therefore think that the proper and literal sense is con- cerning the bearing and taking away of sins and punishments, though in an accommodative sense it has respect to diseases bodily. But how is it said then, ' that it might be fulfilled,' which is a note of differ- ence when a text is quoted for the thing contained in it, or the words alluded to in it ? Therefore —
3. What is to be done then ? I answer — We must distinguish of the sense of a place. There is the proper and full sense, and the less principal, secondary, and subordinate sense. So it may be applied to diseases, which was some kind of representation of his great love in taking away our sins, and is virtually so in this place, because sick- nesses are the etiects of sin at least. And this action of Christ's taking away diseases, was a type of his taking away sin. Now, Matthew applieth that to the sign, which did more fully agree to the thing itself and the truth signified. And observe this, for the clearing of this and other scriptures: as the patriarchs in their actions, and in what they did, were types of Christ, so Christ's own actions were in a manner types of what he him.self would more principally do, as casting out of devils, dispossessing of Satan, healing the sick ; and so the prophecy was fulfilled in the t}-pe : and it was a taste of Christ's love when he cured the sick and healed every disease. And so upon the cross, when he bare our sins, and suffered for them ; as it is quoted by Peter, who expressly followeth the Septuagint's translation of this place, say- ing, 1 Peter ii. 24, ' Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.' Now the words being explained, I shall give you several brief notes upon them ; for if I should speak largely, I shall prevent