I shall here handle two questions, and so despatch this use : —
First, What it is to believe in Christ as God's righteous servant ? It is not only to believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; not only to have distinct and explicit thoughts of the Trinity ; but to believe in Christ as Mediator. You have a willing God, and you have an able Saviour. It is to reflect upon the whole carriage of Christ's mediator- ship, as a sufficient help for poor creatures ; there is enough in God's righteous servant to become a sufficient bottom and ground for our faith. Though faith is not to rest in Christ, it is to begin in him, that by him we may the more comfortably believe in God. And this is the reason why many times there is no other object of faith expressed but Jesus Christ : John i. 12, ' To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.'
Second question, What special comfort and privilege doth there come to faith by it ?
1. By this you have a double claim. An interest in God by virtue of the covenant of grace made with your persons, and the covenant of
452 A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIII. 11.
works made witli Jesus Christ. It is due to you as it is all of grace, but to Jesus Clnist it was a due debt; he satisfied justice and merited mercy : Iloni. iii. 24, ' Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ;' that is Christ's claim, and your claim by virtue of 3'our interest in him. So the 2Gth verse, 'That he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.' When you reflect upon Jesus Christ, your claim is not dis- annulled, but strengthened by the justice of God. Clirist hath satisfied justice and merited mercy ; Christ hath satisfied the covenant of works by suffering what was due in point of transgression, and by discharging what was due in point of obedience. You see satisfaction as well as imputation.
2. It ministereth matter of glory and triumph of faith, considering every scruple. You have not only a proof of the Father's love, but tlie Son's merit : Rom. viii. 34, ' Who is he that condemneth ? it is Christ that died.' And therefore faith speaketh of glorying in the cross of Christ, Gal. vi. 14. Tliere is matter of glorying in the cross of Christ, in his obedience and death, that there is so full satisfaction and such exact obedience. Oh, plead it to your souls ; he fulfilled every tittle. Alas ! we have but little cause to boast; we know but in part, and do but in part ; but in Christ we may glory ; nay, you may glory in God the Father : 1 Cor. i. 31, ' That according as it is ivritten, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.' Why ? because Christ is made all to us by the Fathci- — wisdom, righteousness, and sanctifica- tion, and redemption : an object fully eatisfying, so that now you may make your boast of God all the day long.
3. It ministereth joy, in that you see God in your own nature, and he is your kinsman. Affinity begets obedience and hopes of speeding. Your hearts would tremble and quiver at the sight of God's back parts in his own glorious nature ; and therefore, because you cannot converse with God in his own nature, there is Christ to help to relieve you ; in believing God in your own nature, that is an object of our faith. Hence it is said, Eph. iii. 12, ' We have access with boldness through the faith of him;' and Heb. x. 19, 20, 'Having therefore boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which be haUi consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.' The manhood of Christ is the means to bring God and us together ; otlierwise, there was a flaming sword against us every way, and we could not come near but we must die. The mere God- head was incensed against us ; and therefore, till God became man, there was no hope left unto us to see him ; but when he became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, it was matter of great encourage- ment .to the creature. There are other considerations, but these are enough to persuade you in believing, not only to look upon God, but to look upon Christ, to look uj)on God's righteous servant ; not only upon the mercy or grace of God, but upon the mercy and grace en- gaged to you by the sufferings and obedience of Jesus Christ. Thus you see you have a double claim to God, and you have an excellent remedy against the doubts of your own hearts ; you may see God in your own natures. The Lord grant you may have a right sight of these things, not that you may abuse them to looseness, and to the
ISA. LIII. 11.] THE FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 453