2. The God whom you have wronged. Sin is against all the persons of the Trinity, but it is chiefly against the Father. You may despise the Son, and grieve the Spirit, but the chief est injury is against the Father, because he is the fountain of all ; nay, all that is done to the other per- sons redounds to the Father's dishonour. Thus our Saviour often reasoneth with the Jews, ' He that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.' And the injury to the Spirit, it is called a vexing of his ♦Spirit : Isa. Ixiii. 10, ' They rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit.' There- fore the prophet inquireth, Isa. vii. 13, ' Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also ?' Oh, what a grievous thing is this, to do all this despite to God, that you have vexed and wearied God by your stubborn resisting of the motions of his Spirit ! Why, yet this God puts Christ upon this task, the Lord hath laid on him our iniquities. He whom you have most cause to fear is yowT greatest friend. A soul that is sensible of sin is sensible of the wrong he hath.
320 A PRACTICAL EXFOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 6.
done to God. Why. though you have wronged him, he is chief in the design of mercy. You have not only the 8on on your side, but you have the Fatlier. Jehovah laid our iniquities upon him. You shall see the apostle maketli it a great advantage to mercy that we have the Son and Father too : 2 John 9, ' He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.' He hath one that is willing and one that is able to save him. and therefore the wronged party is of his side and reconciled to him. 0 Christians ! triumph now in this great design of salvation, if you believe you have an interest in the lather's affection, as well as the Son's merit. Nay, to invite you to believe, consider what a remedy here is against all your doubts ; it was the Lord that put Christ upon all that he did for you. I use the more words that I may bring you to weigh these things. Why should you stick at your sins P The iirst motion to pardon cometh from him that should avenge them. You have sinned against Jehovah, and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.
3. The Lord, whose will and word is alone to be looked to. It is no matter what Satan saith, or what your hearts say, for it goetli alto- gether by what God saith, who hath laid our sins upon Christ. See how the apostle rcjoiceth that God's hand was in the acquitting of poor sinners : Piom. viii. 33, 34, ' Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth : who is he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen.' AVhat a bold challenge is there ! Satan may say, I can, and our consciences may condemn us too. The devil is an accuser of the brethren to God as well as men, and a poor soul can go and indict itself at the throne of grace, and bring in many a sad charge against itself, and find its own case liable to death and damnation. I have sinned, and the wages of sin is death. Ay ! but who will you believe — God, or Satan and your own hearts ? The Lord hath laid your sins upon Christ, and you will believe Satan, and lay them upon yourselves. God would have Christ not only to suffer the death, but to bear the sins ; that, as he did take away the condemnation, so he might take away the accusation too ; for mark, the apostle saith, ' Who shall charge ? ' and then, ' Who shall condemn ?' Satan hath nothing to do to bring in the sad charge, or to collect the doleful inferences. Brethren, keep your ground still. It is God that justifieth, the whole business of your acquitment is carried on by the Lord. Satan telleth you, you have been a swearer, a drunkard. It is a sad thing that you have been so, but has God given you a sight of this ? Here is your comfort, God hath ordered all this to be laid upon the back of Christ. Ay ! but Satan saith, the soul that sinnneth shall die. But keep your faith on what God has done ; he hath less reason to condemn than he hath to accuse. ' It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again.' Thus you see what comfort there is in God's acquitment. It is the Lord hath laid : now, nobody is to be believed before him. It is the great ])olicy of Satan to make you put this high affront upon God, that you should believe him before the Lord : thus he did l)y our first parents in another case. Gen. iii. 4, ' Ye shall not surely die.' Here he telleth a })oor distressed soul, Ye shiiU surely die. The devil acts his part on every hand; but do not you believe him, for it is God that justifieth. Satan saith it shall be