But I would not tarry too long on these black lines and dark shadows of man's sin and misery which are in the text ; therefore I
316 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. G.
come now to the comfortable part, viz., God's remedy : and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. There I propounded three things : —
l.The author of our deliverance: the Lord; that is, God the Father.
'J. The nature or manner of our deliverance: he hath laid our iniquities on him.
3. The parties interested : the iniquities of us all.
1. The author: 'the Lord.' You may take it essentially for the whole Deity, or personally for God the Father, who, in the mystery of redemption, is looked upon af^pars offensa, the wronged party against whom the offence is committed, and the su})reme Judge to whom the ^satisfaction is tendered. The i)oint is —
Doct. That God the Father laid our iniquities on Christ,
I shall a little open this point to you, and therein you shall see, that whatever Christ did as Mediator, or whatever was done to Christ, is attributed to God the Father, to his counsel and appointment.
1. He designed the person, and therefore it is said: Gal. iv. 4, ' God sent forth his Son ; ' Kom. viii. 3, ' God sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh ; ' 1 John iv. 14, ' God sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.' It noteth the decree and designation of God the Father concerning the second person : John x. 3(3, ' Whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world.' When a thing or person is set aside for divine uses and purposes, it is said to be sanc- tified. And so it is said, John vi. 27, ' For hmi hath God the Fatlier sealed.' The Father cannot but accept of the obedience of Christ iu the name of those for whom it is offered, and who do lay hold u})Ou him by faith, seeing Christ did not come of himself, but was sent of the Father to pay our ransom for us. Moses, that interposed of his own accord, was denied : Exod. xxxii. 32, ' If thou wilt not forgive their sin, blot me out of thy book.' But God told him, ' The soul that sinneth, him will I blot out of my book.' But Christ interposed not of his own accord. This sending his Son was a remedy of God's appointing. So in the place forementioned, John x. 36, ' Whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world ; ' that is, consecrated him from eternity unto the office of ]Mediator, and then sent him into the world to assume human nature into the unity of his own i)erson. ' Him hath the Father sealed ; ' that is, the Father hath autliorised him to be the Saviour and Redeemer of lost sinners. He hath a commission under the broad seal of lieaven. Thus kings give commissions to their ministers of state, wlio are employed in their affairs : Esther viii. 8, ' For the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed witli the king's ring, may no man reverse.' Christ coming in God's name is fully autliorised to do your souls good.
2. He qualified him for his office, and therefore he is said to be ' anointed with the Sj)irit of the Lord to preach the gospel to the poor, and to heal the broken-hearted,' Luke iv. 18; and John iii. 34, ' For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the Sj)irit by measure unto him.' As Mediator he is en- dowed with the Spirit for the discharge of his office, that he might be a full storehouse of all grace for his people : 1 Cor. i. 30, ' Who of
ISA. LIII. 6.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 317
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.' Surely we may use him for what he was made of God.
3. Whatever was done to Christ as Mediator, was from God the Father ; either, first, mediately hy men ; God ordered their cruelty with reference to his own designs : Acts iv. 28, 'For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to he done.' God hath sa laid the state of our redemption, that whatever was done to Christ, he- ordereth the whole business from first to last. Or, secondly, immedi- ately by God : Isa. liii. 10, ' It pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief ; ' Zecli. xiii. 7, ' Awake, 0 sword, against my Shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow.' Our sin and punishment was not taken up by Christ without the Father's privity and consent ; it was not by our desire and will, but by the counsel of the Father, that he laid our iniquities upon him.
4. Whatever was done by Christ, you shall find in the scripture ; Christ always going according to the appointment of the Father, the whole work being but a testimony of his obedience : Heb. x. 7, ' Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God,' In the whole transaction Christ would be ordered by the will of his Father ; the Son is become a servant in this business ; therefore it is said, Phil. ii. 7, ' He took upon him the form of a servant.' So in that place, Heb. x. 5, ' A body hast thou prepared me.' It is in Ps. xl. 6, ' Mine ears hast thou opened,' or bored ; that is, made me a wise and faithful servant in the work of redemption. They were wont, under the law, to bore the ears of their servants : Exod. xxi. 6, ' So that he was to be a servant for ever.' And thus you have Christ always professing his obedience to the Father. As if it were not his own business that he was set about, and he could not do as he would in it, but he must be acted and guided by another : John x. 37, ' If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not ; ' John x. 18, 'I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again ; this commandment have I received of my Father.' All which is a testimony that the Father was satisfied by his sufferings, and is a ground of strong consolation to believers. The way was agreed upon between God and Christ long before the accomplishment. It was not out of impotence, as if forced to give- place to the devil and the violence of wicked men, but obedience to God's designed way.