364 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII, 9.
rann was laid. For now God began to honour Christ because he had done no violence. In Peter, it is, 'Who did no sin;' for indeed the word must be taken so generally, dvo/xia^. It is meant, no gross fact could be charged upon him ; neither was there deceit in his mouth ; that is, he was guilty of no secret evil : for no guile in the mouth argueth there was none in the heart — there being a swift intercourse between the heart and the tongue : James iii. 2, ' If any man olfcnd not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body.'
Thus for the phrases. The sum of all is this, that though the Messiah was taken away by a shameful death, and therefore likely to be looked upon as an eminent instance of divine wrath and vengeance, yet the Lord provided for his glory in the midst of this ignominy, by procuring such a sepulchre and burial for him as might set out not only his innocency but his honour ; for he indeed was without fault and blame.
There is not much to be observed out of this verse, yet that which is, is very comfortable, and therefore in the general take these notes.
1. There is a sweet harmony and accord between the Old and New Testament ; they agree in the least things. Isaiah saith, ' He made his grave with tlie rich ; ' and Matthew saith, ' a rich man of Arima- thea came and begged his body.' So in other things you may observe there is an agreement in those things which a man would judge to be of least consequence.
Note 2. That every passage of Christ's life is considerable ; as this concerning the account of his burial. A man would have thought it had not been so worthy of observation, and yet the prophet speaketh of it as an eminent circumstance, and you shall see much use may be made of it by and by. So, for Christ's name, Mat. i. 23, ' They shall call his name Emmanuel, which, being interpreted, is, God with us.' So the offering for liim a pair of turtle-doves and two young j)igeons. Man would easily overlook the.se things, yet the Holy Ghost thought them worthy the noting. Oh, study Christ's life more; there is no waste passage in it. But what benefit is there in the text ? I shall not here give you doctrines, as I did from the other verses, but direct you, for your comfort, to look upon Christ under a threefold notion, viz., as our surety, as a pattern of providence, and as a great example.
1. As a surety; so there are two clauses that afibrd comfort to believers : —
[1] That ' he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death.' That expression, ' He made his grave with the wicked,' holdeth forth the payment of the debt, and full evidence of his satis- faction. Your surety suffered in your stead. * Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.' And the Lord Christ was accursed to redeem us from the curse of the law. But I shall chiefly take notice of this cir- cumstance, ' And with the rich in his death.' After Christ had onco died, God began to honour him : full satisfaction being made to God, and the reproach and shame due to sins taken awny ; after death ho had an honourable interment. Of all jx'ople, the Jews did most look to burials. It was a great threatening that they should die unburied:
ISA. LIII. 9.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 365
Prov. XXX. 17, * The eye that mocketh at his father, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the youns^ eagles shall eat it ;' alluding to the shameful death and burial of the disobedient son. And again, Ps. Ixxix. 3, There should be ' none to bury him.' And Jer. xxii. 19, ' He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, draAvn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.' But now Christ had not only a decent but an honourable burial. Well, then, Christians, here is encouragement for your faith. Christ was honoured as soon as he died : the work is ended — the last act of his humiliation was the first step to his exaltation, and there began his triumph and glory. Joseph and Nicodemus, two of his devout followers, they celebrate his funerals, and bury him with such solemnities as are due to persons of the greatest honour. Well, then, conclude in faith, that by Christ's death, shame, and sufferings, sin is done away. Christians were wont to solemnise their funerals with psalms of thanksgiving. You may remember Christ's funeral with rejoicing and giving of thanks : there you have the first intimation that the work was finished, sins were satisfied for, shame and reproach began to vanish. 0 you redeemed of the Lord, go forth and rejoice. God beginueth to take off the ignominy of Christ's death, and thereby your ignominy and your shame. So that now, ' In him we have boldness and access with con- fidence by the faith of him,' Eph. iii. 12 ; that is, you may freely have communion and social commerce with God, your shame being gone ; God hath branded sin with shame. Adam hid himself ; the captains and great men called to the mountains to cover them from the wrath of the Lamb, they could not endure the sight of God. Guilt maketh a fallen countenance, and causeth a shyness of God. Now you may lift up your heads, your shame is taken away.