For the first, let the reader consider what is contained in the several words here setting forth the condition of Christ. We have " despising and rejecting, sorrow and grief," verse 3. He was " stricken, smitten, afflicted," or there was striking, smiting, afflic- tion on him, verse 4; "wounded, bruised, chastised Avith stripes," — wounding, bruising, chastising unto soreness, verse 5 ; " oppressed^ stricken, cut off, killed, brought to slaughter," verses 7-9 ; " bruised, sacrificed, and his soul made an offering for sin," verse 10.
Now, certainly, for the material part, or the matter of punishment, here it is abundantly: here is "malum passionis" in every kind, — immission of evil, subtraction of good in soul and body; here is plentiful measure, heaped up, shaken together, and running over.
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But it may be said, thougli here be the matter of punishment, yet it may be all this was for some other end ; and so it may be it was vouSiffia^ or dozi/j^aala, or 'ffaihiia, not 7-//zwp/a, or punishment pro- perly so called.
Consider, then, the ends of punishment before insisted on, and see ■what of them is applicable to the transaction between God and Christ here mentioned.
1. Was it for his own correction? No; says the prophet, verse 9, " He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth." He was perfectly innocent, so that he had no need of any chastise- ment for his amendment. And so signally in sundry places, where mention is made of the death of Christ, his own spotless innocency is often pleaded.
2. Neitlier was it for his instruction, that he might be wise and instructed in the will of God ; for at the very entrance of the pro- phecy, chap. lii. 13, he says he shall "deal prudently, and be exalted." He was faithful before in all things. And though he experimentally learned obedience by his sufferings, yet habitually to the utmost his ears were bored, and himself prepared to the will of God, before the afflictions here principally intended. Neither, —
3. Was he 'xapdhityp.a, punished for example, to be made an ex- ample to others that they might not offend ; for what can offenders learn from the punishment of one who never offended? " He was cut off, but not for himself," Dan. ix. 26. And the end assigned, verse 11, which is not the instruction only, but the justification and salvation of others, will not allow this end : " He shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities." He set us an example in his obe- dience, but he was not punished for an example. Neither, —
4. Was it fiaprvpla, a suffering to hear witness and testimony to the truth. There is no mention of any such end in this place; 3^ea, to make that the main intendment here is a monstrous figment. The expressions all along, as we shall see in the next place, are, that all this was "for our transgressions, for our sins, for our iniquities, for our peace." God wounded, bruised, killed him, for our iniquities; tluit is, he died to bear witness to his doctrine ! " Credat Apella."
Then, the matter of punishment being expressed, see the cause of the infliction of it. It was for " transgressions," for " iniquities," verse 5 ; for wandering and " iniquity," verse 6 ; for " transgression," verse 8; for "sin," verse 12. Let us now remember the general description of pimishment that was given at the beginning, — it is " malum passionis quod infligitur ob malum actionis," — and see how directly it suits with this punishment of Jesus Christ: first, Here is "malum passionis" inflicted, wounding, bruising, kilhng; and, se- condly, There is " malum actionis" deserving, sin, iniquity, and transgression. How these met on an innocent person shall be after-
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ward declared. Go we along to the peculiar description of punishment properly so called, as managed by God, — it is " vindicta noxse." Now, if all other ends and causes whatever, as of chastisement for example, etc., be removed, and this only be asserted, then this affliction of Christ was "^vindicta noxse," punishment in the most proper sense; but that these ends are so removed hath been declared upon the par- ticular consideration of them.
And this is the first argument from this place to prove that the death of Christ and his suffering have the nature of punishment.
The second is from the more particular expressions of it to this pui'pose, both on the part of the person punishing and on the part of the person punished. A single expression on each part may be insisted on:—
1. On the part of Ood punishing, take that of verse 6, " The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all;" of which sort also is that of verse 10, " Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him ; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin," etc,
2. On the part of him 2)unished, verse 11, " He shall bear their iniquities." From the consideration of these expressions we shall evidently evince what we have proposed. Of these in the next chapter.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Some particular testimonies evincing the death of Christ to be a punishment, properly so called.