330 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIII. 6.
said, Heb. ii. 9, he 'tasted death for every man;' and so 1 John ii. 2, 'And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world ; ' that is, not only for us Jews, but for all the world, even of all places, orders, and ranks. God would not have the creatures envy it to any man, he proi)Oseth it so generally to take away that Jewish indignation against the Gentiles. Therefore the apostles do so plentifully abound in these expressions.
4. That no man might accuse God as if he had not made suflficient provision for his soul. Men are apt to transfer their guilt; though they will not charge Christ with it in a way of faith, they will charge God with it in a way of censure ; as Prov. xix. 3, ' The foolishness of man perverteth liis wa}', and his heart fretteth against the Lord.' It is their own folly and unbelief, and we are apt to impute it to God, as if he did not intend Christ to us. Now there would be more occasion offered, if the Lord should have ])ointed out by name those to whom he intended Christ. God keepeth it secret what he will do with men, that he may provoke them to endeavours after duty, leaving themselves to his good pleasure. No man can plead now, as an excuse for his negligence, that God left him out ; it is we leave out ourselves ; and therefore the proposal and offer of Christ is general. God hath ex- pressed enough of his will to show man his duty, though not enough of his will to tell man his pleasure and secret intention. Now the will of God concerning any particular person is hidden. Men would fain excuse themselves of duty by prying into God's secrets. God givetli a check to such curious impudence, by making the proposal and offer of Christ general, though his intentions to give Christ may be particular ; yet we must not meddle with that, Foolish curiosity proceeds from an innate desire in the creature to charge God with all its miscarriages: Deut. xxix. 29, 'Secret things belong unto the Lord, but those things which are revealed belong to us, and our children for ever.' The i)roposal of Christ in the gospel, that is a revealed thing, and it bclongeth to the creatures. God would have it carried so as rather typing out duty to them than revealing his own purposes; he would not give the creature such an occasion to murmur.
5. To denote the multitude that should come into Christ, especially in the latter times ; they are as good as a whole world : he ' so loved the world,' John iii. IG. It is understood by many of mundus creden- iium; they were but a world when Christ saved them. God's elect, com])ared with the wicked world, are but a little flock l)y themselves, but they are accounted in the scripture as innumerable: Rev. vii. 9, ' I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hand.s.' Mark, it is a multitude which none can number; the sheep of Christ's flock are so many that it is irmumerable : in a sort especially, there shall be a great increase in the last times. And thus you may expound that place: Heb. ii. 9, 'He tasted death for every man.* In the next verse it is so intended, ' in bringing many sons unto glory.' So Ps. ii. 8, ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.' The gosjicl shall then be sjjread far and near. God hath given Christ
ISA. LIII. 6] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHArTER OF ISAIAH. 331
to have and to hold all the world : Heb. i. 3, ' Whom he hath ap- pointed heir of all things/ And it is said in the 10th verse of this Isa. liii., that ' the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands/ Therefore the scripture speaketh this generally, to comprise the vast multitude that should embrace the doctrine of Christ.
6. To denote the oneness, or the one way by which all are recon- ciled to God : all that have it have it by Ciirist. I say, many times the expressions are general, to show that God disposeth of the sins of all his people one way. Such expressions are rather exclusive of other ways, than inclusive and comprising all persons. God is said to lay the iniquities of us all upon Christ, because all those whose iniquities are disposed in a merciful way, they are disposed this way. Let me exem|)lify this a little: — The philosophers define good thus: koXov 'Ea-Tiv Be TravTe<i e^iXcTac^ — good is that which all things desire. It is not to be understood as if all things in the world did desire good ; for stones and timber, and many other things, have no appetite. The meaning is, all things that desire, desire that which is good. But I will give you instances in scripture : Col. i. 20, ' And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself.' Not that everything is reconciled, but everything that is reconciled, is reconciled this way, by the blood of Christ's cross. So Titus ii. 11, ' The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men;' that is, to all to whom salvation is brought, it is brought by the grace of God ; it rather noteth Christ's merits than the persons that enjoy it. Divers such expressions there are in scripture. Thus, John i. 9, ' That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.' Not that every man that conieth into the world is enlightened, there are many that perish and die in their igno- rance : the meaning is, every man that is enlightened, is enlightened by him. As, for example, such a man cured all the city ; not that every particular man was cured, but all that were cured were cured by him : so Christ is the Saviour of all men, that is, of all that are saved. These expressions are exclusive of all other ways, not inclu- sive of every person. Thus you have the reasons.