But briefly to show why Christ cannot miscarry in his ends from the eternal covenant : Isa. liii. 10, 'When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed.' Look to the undertaking of the Father and the Son, and the salvation of the elect is secured ; both are intimated in that phrase of being given to Christ : John xvii. 6, ' Thine they were, and thou gavest them me.' All souls were God's in one sense ; now they are given to Christ two ways : —
1. By way of reward : Ps. ii. 8, ' Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.'
2. By way of charge ; and of this charge Christ is to give an ac- count : John vi. 37, 38, * All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me ; and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out : for I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.' And they not only may, but they shall come : John vi. 39, ' And this is the Father's will, who hath sent me, that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.' Otherwise Christ would lose part of his reward and part of his charge : Heb. ii. 13, ' Behold I and the children whom thou hast given me.'
Use. Is to persuade us to wait for this power, and observe how the whole good pleasure of his will is fulfilled in us. Doth your salvation thrive and prosper in the hands of Christ ? Do you come on kindly in a way of faith ? You seek to put your Redeemer to shame, — to hinder Jesus Christ of the fruit of his travail, when you are vain, and careless, and obstinate. As a moral agent, so all his travail may be in vain, though not as Mediator. He complaineth as a minister of the circumcision : Isa. xlix. 4, ' Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have s})ent my strength for nought and in vain ; yet surely my judg- ment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.' When a people that have the meaus of grace will not be reclaimed, they seek to rob
408 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [IsA. LIIL 11.
Christ of his purchase, and to make all his labour of love to be in vain. Christians are co-workers with God : ' We therefore, as workers together with him, beseecli you to receive not this grace in vain,' 2 Cor. vi. 1. Oh, when shall Christ be formed in you ? Tiiere is travailing in pain till that be done, Gal. iv. 19. Will you be shut out from the blessing ?
Use 2. Here is comfort to God's elect, and an engagement to make your election sure. How shall we know it ? Do you ratify God's decree by your consent ? Consecration answereth giving by way of reward, and committing by way of charge.
1. Consecrate and set apart yourselves for the use and service of the Lord: Kom. xii. 1, 'I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.' Employ what- ever is bestowed upon you for his glory ; live according to his will : Ps. cxix. 94, ' I am thine, save me.' Lord, I would not be my own, unless
1 be thine. Thus we should do when God seemeth to put us off.
2. Commit yourselves to him in well-doing, and in the course of your obedience venture your souls in Christ's hands without trouble:
2 Tim. i. 12, ' For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day ;' 1 Peter iv. 19, ' Commit the keeping of your souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator ;' Ps. xxxi. 5, ' Into thy hands I commit my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, 0 Lord God of truth.'
I come to the third thing in this scripture, and that is the satisfac- tion Christ took in the salvation of men; it was that which gave him full content for all his pains and travail : ' He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied.' The gaining and recovering of lost sinners was a great satisfaction to Jesus Christ : John iv. 34, Christ saith unto them, ' My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.' When the disciples asked him whetiier he had eaten anything, it was satisfaction enough to him that he had gained a soul. 8ee Luke xv. 5, ' And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.' He rejoiceth at the return of a poor wander- ing sinner ; after all the refusals of grace, and despising of offers, Christ is glad if he may at length get him home to himself. It is a welcome work to Christ to carry home his lost sheej) upon his shoulders.