2. He taketh off all guilt and obligation to punishment: Rom. viii. 1, ' There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ.' Nothing is done in a vindictive and punitive way, though many things be done in a corrective and chastising way. All God's dispensations are as branches of the covenant.
3. For the blot or sinful inclination ; that is more and more taken away by virtue of Christ taking our sins upon him : 1 Peter ii. 24, ' Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead unto sin, should live unto righteousness ; by whose stripes we are healed.' He took away vicious inclinations, as well as the penal obligations.
Secondly, It is transacted on Christ, or laid upon him. We cannot safely say the fault, for that is the guilt that groweth out of the sin inherent ; but the guilt was laid upon him, such as groweth out of sin imputed : therefore he is said to ' bear the sins of many,' Isa. liii. 12, and to ' bear our sorrows and griefs,' ver. 4.
1. So much sin was laid upon Christ as obliged him to make satis- faction for it to his Father's justice ; for having once submitted to
326 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. 6.
the takin,!^ of it, he could not recede ; there was a necessity that he t^hould clear himself witJi his Father : and therefore it is said, Luke xxiv. '2G, ' Ought not Christ to have suffered, and then to enter into his glory ? '
2. There was so much sin as put Christ in our stead. Therefore, 2 Cor. V. 21, it is said, he was ' made sin for us.' And in this chapter he is said to be ' numbered among transgressors,' nay, the chief of transgressors.
3. So much sin as made him liable to the infinite WTath of God ; therefore it is said, Gal. iii. 13, he was ' made a curse for us.' And in the Psalms it is said, ' The pains of hell gat hold of him ; ' insomuch that he needed justification as well as we: Isa. 1. 8, 'He is near that justifieth me, who shall contend with me?' It is spoken of Christ ; this cliapter is a chapter of Christ. He needed that God should clear him.
4. k50 nuich sin as would have sunk him into eternal misery, had he not been God to escape out of it : Acts ii. 24, ' Having loosed the pains of death, because it was impossible that he should be holden of it.' And therefore you shall find faith's chiefest support cometh from Christ's resurrection : Rom. viii. 34, ' It is Christ that died, yea, rather that is risen again.' ]\Iark that, fxdWov he ; faith looketh to that as the wonderfullest thing, that, having such a weight of sin upon him, he should be able to rise up again. This was a great wonder.
But I come to the reasons of the point.
1. Therefore did God lay it upon Christ, because he was the' fittest person to bear it : he was most able. It best befitted the divine justice to choose such a person as might not miscarry in the work and transaction, else we could have had no assurance that satisfaction was given : Ps. Ixxxi.x. 19, ' I have laid help upon one that is mighty.' It is spoken of David, but chiefly means Christ in it. Tiie help is laid on one that is most able to go through with it, and Christ was most willing to come to the utmost : Luke xii. .50, ' I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished !' Christ had not room enough, his heart being enlarged with love, till he had given testimony of it to the world : Luke x.xii. 15, ' With desire have I desired to eat this passover.' Christ knew the date of liis days was then at an end.
2. This did suit best with God's design, which was to magnify justice and mercy at the same time. The mercy-seat did but cover the tables of tlie law in the ark. The law was satisfied by Christ, and yet God is merciful to us. David saith, Ps. ci. 1, ' I will sing of mercy and judgment.' God would have his people triumph in both now.
Use 1. To press us to bless the Lord for this wonderful deliverance by Christ.
1. That sin is taken off from our shoulders and laid upon Cin-ist. How miserable would it have been if every man had borne his own burden ! Gal. v. G. How light soever men's sins seem wlien they are committed, yet they will not be found light when they come to reckon with God, for then sin to an awakened conscience is one of tlie heaviest burdens that ever was felt. Now Christ hath taken off this burden
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from US. If God had laid sins upon us, as he laid them upon Christ, they would have sunk us to hell. The little finger of sin is heavier than the loins of any other sorrow. If God give you but a touch of it, or a spark of it light into your consciences, you will groan sadly: Ps. xxxviii. 4, ' Mine iniquities are gone over mine head, as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.' When we do but taste of this cuj), we cry out presently, ' My heart faileth.' You may know it —