[L] That he might make a change with us : 2 Cor. v. 21, ' He was made sin for us that knew no sin, that we might be made the right- ■eousness of God in him.' He would take our sins, that we might have his righteousness. What a great exchange is here ! As if a king should take a beggar's weeds and dunghill rags for his own royal robes. It was much for Joshua to have his filthy garments taken
26G A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIIL 4.
from him. more to have change of raiment ; most of all that Christ should take such cast-oif rags upon himself. We are righteousness in him, he is sin in us. In the great contrivance of the covenant, everything is done by way of exchange. The Son of God was made the Son of man, that the sons of men might become the sons of God. He took our misery that we might have his glory. He was^ born of a woman that we might be born of God. Christ was really sin for us, that we might be really righteous in him.
[2.] That he might destroy sin in us, by taking it into his own per- son : 1 Peter ii. 24, ' He bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might be dead unto sin,' — a-TroyeuofievoL : the word signifieth that we might be unborn to sin : it cannot be fully rendered. We were be- fore dead in sins : Christ would make us dead to sin, and, therefoie, he took it into his own person. You know some foul diseases pastv from us by the transmission of the infection to others. Clu'ist was in- fected, as it were, by our corruptions, that we might be free. We, that were dead in sins, are now dead to sin, the vigour and strength of sin being extinguished by virtue derived from Christ's bearing of them, whereby the soul is restored to health again.
The uses of this point are : —
1. To discover to us the love of Christ, whereby our faith hath somewhat to fix and dwell upon. The love of Christ is seen in that he would not only take away the guilt of sins, but take it into his own person. Here is the lowest condescension, and so the highest expres- sion of love, that he was ' made sin.' This is that which is most ab- horrent from the purity of the divine nature, to be sin ; and yet he was so for our sakes ; that was the lowest step and condescension that could be. Christ was made many things for us, but there is the highest wonder of his love, that he should be made sin for us. Usually that is the highest expression of love, when men do not only stoop beneath themselves, but do that which is contrary to their natures, to do us good. As when a stern man doth not only serve our necessities in his own way, but with great affability ; and when a modest man is bold for our sakes. These things take with us, when men deny their very- tempers and dispositions to serve us. This was the greatest self- denial in Christ, to become sin. Oh, work it upon your hearts, and display it before your faith ! Here is cause of triumph : Col. ii. 14, ' Whatever was contrary to us, Christ took it away, nailing it to his cross.' How nailed it ? It was nailed when Christ was nailed : he bore it in his own person. Oh, how hath God provided for the triumph of our faith !
Doct. 3. I might further observe, that sin is our soul-sickness.
He took our griefs or sickness. The more gracious, the more healthy the soul is : 3 John 2, ' I wish above all thing that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul jtrospereth.' Gains had a healthy soul in a sickly body. As a disease blasteth the per- fection and beauty of the body, so doth sin tliat of the soul, — it doth not thrive and prosper under it. There are some sins that bear a great analogy and resemblance with outward diseases, and affect the soul just as they do the l)ody. But I will not sj)eak to that now.
I proceed to a fourth point from the second act of Christ's love.
IsA. LIII. 4,] THE FIFTY-THIKD CHArXER OF ISAIAH. 267
Doct. 4. That the Lord Jesus Christ took not only our sickness but our sorrows.
He did not only bear our griefs, but carried our sorrows ; that is, took not only our guilt, but our punishment upon him ; that is,, the very wrath that we should have endured If we had suffered for sin, even the curse of the law and the wrath of God. He put himself in our stead ; Christ would give us an experience of what he freed us. from in his own person. That I may make this out to you, consider : — (1.) What ; (2.) How ; (3.) Why Christ suffered.
1. What Christ suffered. His sufferings were not only outward and visible, such as he endured in the garden, in the hall, and on the cross, — bufifetings, scourgings, taunting insultatlons, being mocked, spit upon, crowned with thorns, pierced, crucified. Not only these, but inward sufferings, such as were : —