ISA. LIII. 12.] THE FIFTV-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 489
man to imitate the superior beings, God and angels. Children, you know, when they first come to have the use of their reason, their pride is to imitate the actions of grown men. Why should not we then imitate those of God? Nay, further, you have the pattern of the saints, as well as the pattern of the Most High, that you may not think it an inimitable pattern. Stephen cried with a loud voice, ' Lord, lay not this sin to their charge,' Acts vii. 60. Note his vehemency, 'He cried with a loud voice;' his tender love and com- passion, ' Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.' The sense of your privileges and prerogative should make you do more than others. It was an accusation, 1 Cor. iii, 3, ' Ye walk as men.' Should not Christians do more than publicans and heathens ? Mat. v. 46, ' If ye love them that love you, what reward have ye ? Do not even the publicans the same ?' Christians must have something eximious and rare. Where is your differing excellency ? Oh, go and shame your- selves with these considerations.
[2.] Consider the inducements ; such as these : —
(1.) The calmness of your spirit. If ever any were wise, they are wise that get and keep this frame of spirit. Men would find more pleasure in holy meekness and Christian endeavours for patience, than possibly they can in the pleasure of revenge. Vexations disturb the quiet of the heart ; not only your affections, but your consciences. For can I do mine enemy a greater pleasure than to let him take away my con- tentment from me ? It is a madness, when I am wronged by others, to wrong myself David's heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Saul's garment, that was his enemy ; but what a comfort is it when, like an oak, we can endure the angry blasts in an unmoveable posture.
(2.) The likelihood of gaining upon them. Saul wept when he saw David's tenderness towards him : 1 Sam. xxiv. 19, ' If a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away ? ' This is not usual. It is ex- pressed by ' heaping coals of fire upon his head/ Prov. xxv. 22. You may make him pliable to your purposes. They are men of distorted depraved natures, that will not be won by kindness.
(3.) Your acceptance with God: Prov. xxv. 22, 'And the Lord shall reward thee.' You will say, it will be labour lost. The sincere endeavours of duty are not lost with God ; the Lord shall reward thee. Christ did much for the unthankful Jews, but he comforts himself with this, ' My reward is with thee.' A pattern for ministers to deal with opposers in meekness ; you get nothing but scorn and contempt with men, but your judgment is with the Lord. There is much com- fort in the sincerity and faithfulness of your endeavours.
Secondly, Look upon this intercession of Christ as a part of his mediation. Oh, what a glorious instance is this of Christ's love ! what a pledge and token of those bounteous dispositions that are in his heart to poor sinners ! Do but consider the circumstances that may com- mend it to you: —
1. Who prayeth : Christ, one that could destroy them with his glory easy enough. We say we forgive men when we cannot harm them ; power efferates the mind ; many would be cruel enough if it were in their power. Chiist could command twelve legions of angels
490 A PRA.CTICAL EXPOSITION UPON [ISA. LIIL 12.
if he would have prayed in another strain : Mat. xxvi. 53, ' Thinkest thou that I cannot j)ray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels ? ' But he doth not say, ' Father, send me twelve legions of angels ;' hut, ' Father, forgive them.' Alas ! one angel was enough, 2 Kings xix. 35, to destroy a hundred fourscore and five thousand in Sennacherib's camp. But he prayeth for plenty of compassions, though in man's eye the other would have been a rare vindication of his glory.
2. Consider when he prayed. In the very act of his sufiFerings he seeks mercy for the instruments of his sufferings ; he is full of love when the world is full of spite : 1 Cor. xi. 23, ' The same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread.' When they were devising mischief, he was devising comfort. He taketh Paul, Acts ix., breath- ing out threatenings ; and scorners have been brought upon their faces by an ordinance. We pardon when got rid of the misery, and perceive it is advantageous to us ; but Christ pardons in the height of his sor- rows. A man would have thought that the sharp sense of his sufferings should have embittered his spirit. Oh, the invincible love of Christ to poor sinners ! It is much that he intercedeth in heaven ; but that he should upon the cross say, ' Father, forgive them,' we cannot but admire and adore till there be no spirit left within us.
8. For whom he prayed. For the transgressors, vile sinners, that offered him all the indignities in the world; them that had mocked, buffeted, spit upon him, and by their clamorous importunity got him to the cross, and gave him vinegar to drink, and placed him between two malefactors, and desired a mui'derer to be released before him. They cursed themselves, 'His blood be upon us ;' they prayed back- ward, as we say, for themselves. He was placed between two thieves. Now, he made intercession for these trangressors. Go home now, and see if you can find any just exception, among all your sins, against the love of Christ. Come and urge it ; he prayed for the transgressors, for scorners of love, men that did not pray for themselves, injurious, blasphemers ; name anything of higher aggravations ; for those that scorned him in the very service and labour of love. Holy David vowed he would cut off all in the house of Nabal, that scorned and slighted his love. He vowed, but Christ prayed for such.