Fourthly, It is an infectious and catching disease. Sin cometh into the world by propagation rather than imitation : yet imitation and
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'2'JO A PIIACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. 5.
example hath a great force upon the soul : Eph. ii. 3, Kara tov alwva, 'Among whom also we all luul our conveisation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfill ing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others;' Isa. vi. 5, ' Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips.' Living among such, he had contracted some contagion and taint. It is hard to converse with wicked ones and not to be defiled : Micah i. 9, ' Her wound is incur- able, for it is come into Judah.' Samaria was desperately sick of pro- vocations, and the taint reached to Judah also.
Fifthly, It is a mortal disease if we continue in it without repent- ance, for ' by sin came death' into the world, Eom. v. 12 ; and ' the wages of sin is death,' Kom. vi. 23. Not only death temporal, which consists in the separation of the soul from the body, but death spiritual, which consists in an estrangement from God, as the author of the life of grace ; yea, death eternal, which consists in a separation both of body and soul from the presence of God for ever, and is a perpetual living in deadly pain and torment. The second death is set forth by two notions — 'the worm that never dieth,' and 'the fire that shall never be quenched,' Mark ix. 44 ; by which is meant the sting of conscience and the wrath of God. Conscience worketh on what is past, present, and to come. There is a vexing remembrance of what is past, your past folly and evil choice, past neglects of grace, past misspense of time, past abuse of mercies, })ast despising of the offered salvation. Oh, what cutting thoughts will these be to the damned to all eternity ! There is a sense of what is present ; they have nothing to divert their thoughts from their misery, no company nor sensual comforts, but are left to the bitter apprehension of their sad estate. There is also a fear of what is to come, or a fearful looking for of more wrath from God. The fire is the wrath of God, which inflicts pains upon the damned both in body and soul. There is no member or faculty free, but feeleth the misery of the second death. The agonies of the first death are soon over, but tho.se of the second endure for ever. The first death is the more terrible because of this death which is to succeed it. In the first death our struggling is for life, we would not die ; but here, for death and destruction, we would not live. This is the fruit of sin.
Secondly, Our recovery out of sin, and all the effects of it, which is our health. Before the ai)i)lication of the blood of Christ, every man in his natural estate is in no less dangerous a condition than a man that is wounded and bleeding to death : Luke x. 30, ' A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.' Not as if he had any spiritual life at all, but it is spoken in respect to his natural life. So before Christ's blood is applied, every man is dead spiritually, and is ])usting towards eternal death ; but when he is legenerated and converted to God, then he is translated from death to life. Therefore this healing must be considered —
1. As to its nature.
2. With respect to the several periods of this benefit, as to its beginning, progress, and final consummation.
1 The nature of this cure, or health bestowed upon us, will be best
ISA. LIII. 5.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 201
understood by considering what is in sin. There are in. sin four things — culpa, macula, reatus, poina.
[1.] Culpa. The fault is the criminal action, which is the founda- tion of our guilt. Now this- properly is not healed, but passed by, or not brought into judgment against us, for as it is an action it cannot be reversed. Factum infectum Jieri iiequit. As it is a criminal action against the law of God, it cannot lose its nature, for Christ came not to make a fault to be no fault. This properly is not healed. Indeed some phrases express pardon but by a passing by : Micah vii. 18, ' That pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage.' The Lord passeth over the fault, or quits the plea towards them that own their faults. The Lord seeth them, and not seeth them ; that is, will not lay them to their chai-ge : Isa. Ivii. 18, ' I have seen his ways, and will heal him ; ' that is, not enter into judgment with him. In short, tlie fault is not disannulled, but passed over, and cast behind God's back. The offender is not made innocent, but pardonable on certain terms. We must remem- ber the fault, but God forgets it.