5. All Christ's sufferings were from men or by men. If there be anything shameful in the cross, blame the Jews for it, and yourselves for it. Many blame the Jews, and are ready to fly in their faces ; but do you blame yourselves? It is hard to know which is meant by 'the transgression of my people,' or ' for,' or ' of my people.' God would have us reflect upon both. Christ, that died for the sins of men, was taken away by the sins of men, that so he might at the same time discover his personal innocency and assumed guilt.
6. Oppressed innocency will get clear again : ' Who shall declare his generation ? for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people.' It was not a just debt in regard of men, and therefore not a lasting death ; and it was not for any fault of his own. It plainly hinteth the unexpected restitution of glory to the people of God in their greatest humiliation ; their judgment is taken away : God can never come with help too late, but men can. In his humiliation, in his judgment, Christ showeth the meaning of that riddle, ' Though he kill me, yet I will trust in him.' There may be victory in death ; the matter is never past help with God : Jonas in the whale's belly was recovered. We can never sink below hope and prayer. Our interest thrives best many times when the case is dead and despeiate as to all appearance.
These things having been observed, I now come to the main things intended in the text, and that is the glory of the resurrection, and the duration and continuance of that glory.
The points are two : —
1. That the Lord Jesus was taken from prison and from judgment, i.e., he rose again out of the pit of distress, to which he was condemned for our sakes.
2. That Christ being risen, liveth a numberless date of years, even for ever with God in glory.
These two points, then, the resurrection of Christ, and the life of Christ : the first is from that clause, ' He was taken from prison and
348 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIU. 8.
from judgment;' the other from that, ' Who can declare his genera- tion ? '
I begin with tlie first point, that the Lord Jesus was taken from prison and from judgment, and rose out of tlie pit of distress, to which he was condemned for our snkes. He was taken from prison and from judgment ; lie did rise as Mediator, and could not choose but rise ; he was not suffered to miscarry in it. The scriptures testify abundantly that he rose again : 1 Cor. xv 3, 4, 'That he died for our sins, and rose again the third da}-, according to the scriptures.' And in other places, tlint he ought to rise again : Luke xxiv. 46, ' And tiius it be- hoved Christ to sutler, and to rise from the dead the third day.' This Ciirist proveth out of the scriptures.
Therefore I shall show you — (1.) Why he rose, by reasons reflecting upon the efficient cause ; (2.) Wliy he ought to rise, reflecting upon the final causes and ends of God in Christ in it for our good.
First, I shall show you why he rose, giving you the reasons for it; as —
1. His own prayer. Christ s prayers were all granted, but especially those that were })ut forth with such vehemency and strong j)0uriiig out of his soul to his Father. He prayed for it with a great deal of holy fear, that he might not miscarry in the work. Therefore he was taken from prison and from judgment. The apostle saith, Heb. v. 7, 'He was heard in that he feared ; he offered up prayers and supi)lica- tions, with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save him from death.' He did not so much pray that he might not die, as that he might be saved from death ; that liaviug taken so much guilt upon him, he might not sink under it.
2. God's power was put forth upon his prayer to support him. He had a Father to look after him, whose tenderness would not let him leave Christ in the grave, nor suffer his Holy One to see corruption. And therefore the resurrection of Christ is applied to God the Father ; as here in the text. 'He was taken from prison and from judgment.' And Acts ii. 24, ' Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible he should be holden of it.' He helped the grave to disburden herself, easing it of its pangs and throes: Rom. viii. 11, 'But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,' &c. The apostle speaketh of a mighty power of God, that is, of God the Father, which wrought in Clirist when he raised him from the dead, Eph. i. 20. God the Father j)ut forth his power to take off the pains of death and the chains of the grave.
3. There was the power of his own Godhead ; he had in himself a divine virtue to quicken his body. I distinguish this from the former, because God did not only raise Christ, but lie raised himself, so as his resurrection might be a discovery of his Godhead. And therefore you shall find in scripture, that he is not only said to be raised by the power of God, but by himself, by his own person : Acts ii. 24, ' He loosed the pains of death, because it was not jwssible he should be holden of it.' The grave was to give up this hot morsel, as a man that hath swallowed dctwn a hot bit was not able to hold it. The scriptures do not only ascribe the resurrection to God the Father, but to the Godhead of the Son too : John x. 17, ' 1 lay down my life, that I may take it again.' The words speak of Christ's taking up his life