APPLICATION.
Use 1. This serveth to clear to us the mistake of the doctrine ot universal grace, and to explain those expressions in scripture that are brought to favour this opinion : though you cannot conclude out of them universal grace, yet you may a universal necessity of believing this benefit. Solomon saith, Prov. xxiv. 26, ' Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer ; ' that is, ingenuous men will mightily prize and be taken with aright answer. Why, here now you have an answer against the patrons of universal grace. You see the reasons why the proposals of Christ are so general, and why there are so many expressions of it to all men : it is because all enjoy benefit by him. JEe is sufficient for all : God would not have any enclosure of his grace to any particular person ; and it is to show the multitude of believers ; and that God would have all men look to this, and to no other name, and to but one Clnist.
^ Probably KaXov icrriv oii iravra iiriOvfiei. — Ed.
332 A PKACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. G.
Use 2. Is to inform us what little reason we have to refuse to come to God at his call, seeing he keeps open-house for all comers ; yea, though you have no money for heaven : Isa. Iv. 1, ' Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and with- out price.' The publication of the gosj)el is general to all men — to all kinds of men : nothing hindereth now but unbelief, or the refusal of Christ.
1. Not thy nation. Oh, how are we to praise God that he hath en- larged the bounds of mercy to us Gentiles now, as well as to the Jews formerly ! You may look upon your iniquities as laid upon Christ : Rom. XV. 11, ' Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles.' It is quoted out of Ps. cxvii. 1. All nations now share in this privilege. You know, in traffic or otherwise, peculiar nations have peculiar privileges, but here all alike.
2. Not thy condition. Art thou poor ? Christ is as mindful of thee as of the rich. God taketh a great deal of care and knowledge of a poor soul. In the parable of L)ives and Lazarus, the poor man hath a proper name, and the rich man hath an appellative ; and it is a great favour, I can tell you, to be known to God by name. It is spoken as a great privilege that God knew Moses by name : Exod. xxxiii. 12, * I have known thee by name, and thou hast found favour in my sight ; ' Acts xvii. 34, ' Howbeit, certain men clave unto him, and believed, among which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris.' God took notice of the poor woman at Athens as well as the great scholars. So James ii. 5, ' Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith ? ' Art thou a poor, neglected man or woman, or a poor servant ? Yet your souls may be as dear to him as the richest man's alive, and he is as tender over you. You read in the 16th verse of Philemon, that Onesimus, a servant, was above a servant in regard of his spiritual condition. Oh, brethren, it is a great fault in men, they do not look after the poor in the world, especially poor servants; if they mind the good of the higher servants, yet they neglect the other. I speak a homely word, and yet a true one ; it may be the soul of the poor scullion-boy in the kitchen may be as dear and pre- cious to Christ as yours. So it may be said of one deformed : Acts xiii. 1, and ' Simon that was called Niger ' was a saint as well as Moses the fair.
3. Not your sins. Make no exceptions where the word maketh none. Christ came to die for the dissolute drunkard as well as for the devout hypocrite. Men in despair look upon their sins as Cain did, and cry out, ' My sins are greater than I can bear.' Why, did Christ upon the cross only except thy sins, thinkest thou ? Did he say he would not die for such a one as thou art? Mat. xi. 28, ' Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' Those that have committed so many sins that they are even sunk down to hell by them, Christ calleth to himself; yea, the more un- likely it seemeth to you, God may have the greater regard to yon : Luke xiv. 21, ' The master of the house ])cing angry, said to his seivant. Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.'
ISA. LIII. C] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 333
A man would have thought a morsel at the door had been great pre- ferment for them, and of all persons they should never have been in- vited. There is nothing exempted out of the call of the gospel but tlie sin against the Holy Ghost, and that is never pardoned, because the forgiveness thereof is never asked. Take heed of making exceptions where God hath made none ; a feast may be intended for thee, though thou hast a poor, blind, lame soul.