Christ Crucified, Sermon 21
SERMON XXI.
ISAIAH LIII.IV, V.
Verſ. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs, and carried our ſorrows: yet we did eſteem him ſtricken, ſmitten of God, and afflicted.
Verſ. 5. But he was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, he was bruiſed for our iniquities: the chaſtiſement of our peace was upon him, and with his ſtripes we are healed.
THeſe words, and all this Chapter, look liker a piece of the Hiſtory of the Goſpel then a Prophecy of the Old Teſtament; The ſufferings of the Meſſiah being ſo directly pointed at in them; We ſhew that this firſt part of the 4. Verſe holds forth the cauſe of his ſufferings, and it is applyed to our Lord, Matth. 8.17. and 1 Pet. 2.24. As for the ſecond part of the Verſe in theſe words, yet we eſteemed him ſmitten of God, ſtricken and afflicted; any who are acquainted with the Goſpel, cannot but know that it was fulfilled in him; and it is an aggravation of their ſin who did ſo undervalue and deſpiſe him, that though he condeſcended to come ſo low for us, yet we ſlighted him, & even then when there was greateſt love let out, we abuſed it and made it the riſe of greateſt malice: and for the 5. Verſe, it is applied by Peter, 1 Pet. 21.24. This whole Chapter then being ſo Goſpel like, and having a direct fulfilling in Chriſt, we may draw this general Doctrine from it.
That our Lord Jeſus Chriſt who was born of the Virgin Mary, ſuffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, and roſe again the third day; is the very ſame Meſſiah that was propheſied of in the Old Teſt…ment, and was promiſed to Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob, whom the Fathers before his coming in the Fleſh were waiting for: And though this may be looked on as but a very common and uſeleſs Doctrine, yet it is the main ground and found…tion of our Faith; we take many things for granted, wherein if we were well tried and put to it, we would be found unſicker, and in this among the reſt: Now for confirmation of it, this ſame one argument will make it out, we ſhall not follow it at length, but in the proſecu…ing of it ſhall aſtrict our ſelv s to this Chapter; the argument runneth thus, if in Chriſt Jeſus, that which was propheſied of the Meſſiah, and promiſed to the Fathers, have its fulfilling and accompliſhment; then he muſt be the ſame Meſſiah that was propheſied of, and promiſed to them; for theſe things ſpoken of the one and alone Meſſiah, can agree to no other. But whatever was propheſied and ſpoken or promiſed of the Meſſiah to the Fathers, to the leaſt circumſtance of it, was all fully accompliſhed and fulfiled in Chriſt; therefore the concluſion laid down in the Doctrine follows, to wit, that our bleſſed Lord Jeſus is the ſame Meſſiah that was propheſied of, promiſed to the Fathers, and whom they before his coming were looking for: So that that queſtion needs not now to be propoſed art thou he that ſhould come, or do we look …or another? Go, ſays Chriſt, Mat. 11.4 5.6. and tell John, the blind receive their ſight, the lame walk, and the lepers are cleanſed, the deaf hear, and the dead are raiſed, and the poor have the Goſpel preached to them, and bleſſed is he whoſoever ſhall not be offended in me; bleſſed is he, who becauſe of my Humiliation is not ſtumbled: Now, not to make a rehearſal of the general Propheſies in Scripture, all of which have their exact fulfilling in Chriſt, we ſhall only ſpeak to two things here for mak…ng out of the Argument propoſed. 1. That this Chapter ſpeaks of the Meſſiah. 2. That what is ſpoken in it, is literally fulfilled in Chriſt.
1. That this Chapter ſpeaks of the Meſſiah; Though of old the blinded J…ws granted it, yet now they ſay that it ſpeaks of ſome other; but that it ſpeaks of him, theſe things will make it evident, 1. If we look to the 13. Verſe of the former Chapter, where it is ſaid, My ſervant ſhall deal prudent…y, he ſhall be exalted and extolled, and be very high; there our Lord Jeſus is ſpoken of as the Fathers Servant or great Lord-Deputy; and the Jews themſelves grant that this is mean'd of the Meſſiah, and there is nothing more clear then that what is ſpoken in this Chapter relates to him who is called the Lords Servant in the former Chapter as we ſhew at our entering to ſpeak of it. 2 If we look to the deſcription of his Perſon, it can aggree to no other, for it's ſaid, There was no guile found in his mouth, he was brought as a lamb to the ſlaughter, and as a ſheep before the ſhearer is dumb, ſo he open…d not his mouth▪ &c. he had no ſin of his o…n, which can be ſaid of no other, therefore this Chapt r ſpeaks of him. 3. If we conſider the end and effects of his Sufferings, they do alſo clear it; the end of his Sufferings for it's for the tranſgreſſions of his People, and as it is Dan. 9.26. He was to be cut off but not for himſelf; the effects, He ſhall ſee his feed, and by his knowledge juſtifie many: And the New Teſtament is full to this purpoſe, there being no Scripture in all the Old Teſtament more made uſe of, nor oftener applyed to Chriſt then this is.
2. What is ſpoken in this Chapter is really and literally fulfilled in Chriſt, and we may ſhortly draw what is in it to theſe five Heads; all which we will find clearly fulfi…led in him. 1. To his Suff…rings. 2. To the ground of his Sufferings. 3. To Mens account and eſtimation of him. 4. To the Promiſes made to him. 5. To the effects that followed on his Sufferings. 1. For his Sufferings it's ſaid, that he ſhould be a man of ſorrows and acquainted with grief, that he ſhould be deſpiſed and rej…cted of men, and not be eſteemed; that he ſhould be looked on, as ſtricken, ſmitten of God and afflicted; that he ſhould bear ou… ſorrows and griefs; and be wounded for our tranſgreſſions, that he ſhould be opp eſſ… and afflicted; and brought as a lamb to the ſlaughter; that he ſhould be numbred, among…t the tranſgreſſours; and that he ſhould die and be buried make his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death; all which are clearly fulfille: in him; and the clearing of his Sufferings, whereof we ſpoke before, clears this, that not only he ſuffered, but that he was brought ſo low in ſuffering. 2 For the ground of his Sufferings, its …aid to be the ſins of his own Elect, He bare our griefs and carried our ſorrows; he was wounded for our tranſgr…ſſions, and bruiſed for our iniquities; there was no guile found in his mouth; the greateſt enemies of our Lord could impute nothing to him; Pilat was forced to ſay, that he found no fault in him; all which ſhew that it was for the Tranſgreſſions of his People that he ſuffered. 3. As for Mens little eſteem of him, it is alſo very clear, for He was deſpiſed and rejected of men; we hid as it were our faces from him; He was deſpiſed and we eſteemed him not; the World thought little of him, and we that are elect thought but little of him, and what is more clear in the Goſpel then this? where it is told, that he was reproached, buffeted, ſpitted on, deſpiſed; they cri…d away with him, crucifie him; He truſted in God, let him deliver him; but God hath forſaken him. 4. As for the Promiſes made to him, He ſhall ſee his ſeed, he ſhall prolong his days, and the pleaſure of the Lord ſhall proſper in his hands; He ſh…ll ſee of the travel of his ſoul and be ſatisfied; and by his knowledge ſhall many be juſtified, &c. what mean all theſe but that he ſhall die and riſe again, and have many Converts; that God's work ſhall thrive well in his hand, and that he ſhall have a glorious Kingdom and many Subjects? which is ca…led afterward, his having a portion with the great, and his dividing of the ſooil with the ſtrong: All this was accompl ſhed in Chriſt, when after his Reſurrect…on many were win and brought in by the Goſpel to believe on him; and though Jews and eathens concurred and conſpired to cu… off all Chriſtians, yet his Kingdom ſpread and hath continued theſe ſixteen hundred years and above. 5. As for the effects that followed on his Sufferings, or the influence they have on the elect People of God; as m…ny Converts as have been and are in the World, as many Witneſſes are there, that he is the Meſſiah; every converted, pardoned, and reconciled Soul ſeals this truth: Hence 1 John 5.7, 8 it is ſaid, There are three that bear witneſs in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghoſt, and theſe three are one; and there are three that bear witneſs on earth the Spirit in his efficacy, the Water in the ſanctifying vertue of it, in changing and cleanſing his People, and the Blood in the ſatifying and juſtifying vertue of it, and theſe three agree and concur in one, even this one, to wit, that Jeſus Christ is the Son of God; and then it follows, He that believeth hath the witneſs in himſelf, becauſe he hath gotten Pardon through him, and therefore can ſet to his Seal to this truth, and ſay, truly Chriſt is the Meſſiah.
The Uſe is, To exhort you to acquaint your ſelves with theſe things that ſerve to confirm this truth; the book of the Acts of the Apoſtles, and the Epiſtle to the Hebrews, are much ſp…nt upon it, even to hold out, and to prove Chriſt Jeſus to be the true Meſſiah, and Saviour of his People: If this be not made ſure and ſicker, we have an unſtable ground for our Faith; and though it be ſure in it ſelf, yet ſo long as it is not ſo to us, we want the conſolation of it; and there is a twofold prejudice that cometh through Folks want of thorow clearneſs in, and aſſurance of this truth. 1. To the generality of Hearers, there is this prejudice, that they are ſo careleſs and little ſolicitous to reſt on him: And as it made the Jews to r…ject him, who to this day ſtumb…e at him on this ſame very ground, that they know him not to be the Meſſiah, the Chriſt of God, in whom is accompliſhed all that was ſpoken of the Meſſiah; to Chriſtians not being through in it, they do not reſt on him nor cloſe with him as the true Meſſiah. 2. There is a prejudice alſo from it to Believers, who having only a glimring light of Chriſts being the Meſſiah, come ſhort of thar conſolation that they might h…ve if they were through in the F…ith o… it; there is this great evil among Chriſtians, that they ſtudy not to be ſolidly clear and through in this point to that if they were pu… to reaſon and debate with a Jew if there were not a witneſs within themſ…lves of it, the truth of the Faith of many would be exceedingly ſhaken.
2. From this, That he never ſpeaks of Chriſts Sufferings, but he makes applic…tion of them he carried our Griefs, he was wounded for our Tranſgreſſions, &c. Obſerve, That Believers would look on Chriſts Sufferings as undergone for them, and in their rooms and place; We cleared before, 1. That Chriſt ſuff…red for ſome peculiarly, and not for all; And 2. Th…t Believers would endeavour the clearing of their own intereſt in his Sufferings, and that they have a right to them; Now we ſhortly add this 3d. of kin to the former, That B lievers, and ſuch as are fled to Chriſt for refuge, would look on his Suff…rings as come under for them; and theſe ſame Scriptures which we cited to confirm theſe, will confirm this: The reaſon why we would have you confirmed in this, is, Becauſe, 1 It is only this that will make you ſuitably thankful, it is this which is a notable ground of that Song of Praiſe, Rev. 1.4. To him that hath loved us and waſhed us from our ſins in his own blood, &c. 2. This is a ground of true, ſolid, and ſtrong conſolation, even to be comforted in the applicative Faith of Chriſts purchaſe. 3. It is the Lords allowance on his People, which they ſhould reverently and thankfully make uſe of, even to look on Jeſus Chriſt, as wounded, pierced, and lifted up on the Croſs for them; and by doing this according to his allowance, there is a paved way made for application of all the benefites of his purchaſe.
3. From the ſcope (looking on the words as ſpoken to remove the ſcandal of the Croſs) Obſerve (which may be a reaſon of the former) that folk will never take up Chriſt rightly in his ſufferings, except they take him up as ſuffering for them, and in their room; This look of Chriſt, leads 1. To take up much of the glory of grace, and condeſcending love to ſinners. 2. It leads to take up Chriſts faithfulneſs, that came to the world on ſinners errand according to the ancient tranſaction in the Covenant of Redemption, as he is brougbt in ſaying Pſal. 40. Lo I come in the volume of thy book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will O God. 3. It leads to a ſtayed look of Gods Holineſs, Juſtice, and Goodneſs, in exacting ſatisfaction of his own Son, and in accepting of that ſatisfaction. 4. It gives a right view of the way of grace, and leads in to ſee it to be a moſt real thing; God the offended Party accepting of the price, and Chriſt paying it: Thus the Believers Faith gets a ſight of Chriſt ſatisfying as if he ſaw his own debt ſatisfied by himſelf; It ſees him undergoing the curſe and juſtice inflicting it on him, that the Believer may go free.
The Uſe is, to ſhew the neceſſity of ſtudying the well-grounded application of Chriſts ſufferings as for us; much of the reaſon why Chriſt is not more pr…zed lies here, that he is not looked on as paying our debt; otherwiſe when challenges of the Law and of Juſtice take hold on the Soul, if Chriſt were ſeen interpoſing, and ſaying, A body haſt thou prepared unto me; And if Juſtice were ſeen exacting, Chriſt performing, and God accepting his ſatisfaction, and that in ſign and token that Juſtice is ſatisfied, he is raiſed from the dead, juſtified in the Spirit, and is entered in poſſeſſion of Glory as Believers fore-runner in their name; it would afford precious and lovely thoughts of Jeſus Chriſt, and humbling thoughts of our ſelves; Therefore there is a neceſſity, if we would conſider his ſufferings aright, and prize and eſteem him, that we endeavour to make particular application of them to our ſelves on good grounds. 2. Upon the other hand, know, ye who have no ground to make this application, that ye cannot eſteem aright of him or his ſufferings, nor of the grace that ſhined in them, becauſe ye have no title to, nor can while ſuch, have any clearneſs of intereſt in them. 3. For you that would fain have a high eſteem of Chriſt, and yet are all your days caſting at this foundation, never think nor expect to win rightly to eſteem of him, ſo long as ye ſcarr to make application of his purchaſe; And therefore that ye may love and praiſe him, and eſteem rightly of him, labour to come up to the making of this application on ſolid and approved grounds.
4. More particularly from this part of the aggravation, Yet we eſteemed him ſtricken, ſmitten of God, and afflicted; We have a fourfold confirmation of truth, or four precious truths confirmed. 1. That our Lord Jeſus in his ſufferings did really ſuffer, and was really brought low in his ſufferings, ſo as on-lookers thought him a moſt deſpicable man, and one that was ſtricken and ſmitten of God, and …fflicted: Of this we ſpoke on the beginning of the 4. verſe. 2. We have here an evidence of the exceeding great freeneſs of grace, and of the love of Chriſt in his ſufferings, in ſo far as he bare their ſorrows, and payed their debt that counted him ſmitten; There was no good thing in us to deſerve or procure his ſufferings, But moſt freely he under-went theſe ſufferings, and undertook our debt, Rom. 5.8. God commends his love towards us, in that while we were yet ſinners Chriſt died for us; And v. 10. While we were yet enemies we were reconciled by the death of his Son: Can there be a greater proof of infinite and free love then appears in our Lords ſufferings? There was not only no merit on our ſide; but on the contrary, deſpiſing, rej…cting, being aſhamed of him, reproaching him kicking againſt him, and rubbing of aff…onts on him; Paul and others having their hands hot in his blood.
Uſe 1. Conſider here, behold and wonder at the free love of God, and rich condeſcending love of Chriſt, he ſtands not at the Barr and prays for them that were praying him to pray for them; But as it is in the end of the Chapter, it was for tranſgreſſours; It was even for ſome of them that were ſeeking to take away the life of the Prince of Life, and for other tranſgreſſours.
2. Know that in them to whom the benefite of Chriſts death is applied, there is no more worth then there is in others who do not ſhare of the benefite of it: It's the opinion not only of Hereticks, but ſome way of many ignorant Profeſſors; That theſe for whom Chriſt died were better then others; But here we ſee a proof of the contrary; He dies for them that accounted him ſmitten of God: And this he doth for two reaſons, 1. To ſhew the riches and freedom of his grace, that could overcome mans evil and malice, and outreach the hight of the deſperat wickedneſs that is in man, and that that ſtands not (to ſpeak ſo) on ſtepping-ſtones, but comes over the greateſt gulfs of ſin and enmity in the creature. 2. To comfort & encourage his followers when engaged to him, againſt and out over their groſſeſt failings and greateſt miſcarriages; He that loved them when they were deſpiſing and rejecting him, and ſpitting in a manner in his very face, Will he now give up with them when they have ſome love to him, for this or that corrup…ion that ſtirreth or breaketh forth in them? Thus the Apoſtle reaſons, Rom. 5.10. If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we ſhall be ſaved by his life: We were enemies when Chriſt gave himſelf for us, but thorow grace we are ſomewhat better now; Enmity and deſpite in us was then at an hight, now it is weakned, reſtrained, and in ſome meaſure mortified: And if while we were at the h…ght of enmity againſt him he died for us to reconcile us to God, How much more now being reconciled, may we expect peace and ſafetie, and all the benefits of his purchaſe thorow him? Thus there is a notable conſolation, from this bent of malice that was ſometime in us, compared with the victory that grace hath now gotten over it; and the gradation is alwayes comfortable, to wit, that theſe luſts that once did reign, and were without any gracious oppoſition made to them, or any proteſtation entered againſt them, prevailing it may be publickly, are now oppoſed and proteſted againſt; And if Chriſt ſtood not on the greater, will he ſtand on the leſſer? And our Lord allows this ſort of reaſoning ſo much the more, that he may thereby ſtrongly engage the heart of the believer againſt ſin, and to the admiring of grace, and withall to the ſerious ſtudy of holineſs.
3, It ſerves to let you know how much ye Believers are engaged and obliged to Grace, and what thanks you owe to it. 1. Look to what ſatisfies for your debt, ye pay not one farthing of it, our Lord Jeſus payed all. 2. Look to the moving cauſe, it's to be attributed to nothing in you, but altogether to free grace: Some poor Dyvour may by his pleading prevail with an able and pitiful-hearted man to pay his debt; But there was no ſuch externally moving cauſe in you to procure this of him, but he freely and willingly, and with delight payed your debt when ye were in the hight of malicious oppoſition to him, doing all that might ſcarr him from it; And had it been poſſible that man's malice, deſpiſing, and deſpite could have ſcarred him, he had never died for one ſinner, but he triumphed openly in his grace over that and all that ſtood in his way. 3. We have here a confirmation of that truth that holds out mans malice and deſperat wickedneſs, And can there be any thing that evidenceth man's wickedneſs and malice more? Then 1. To have enmity againſt Chriſt. 2. To have it at ſuch an hight as to deſpiſe him, and count him ſmitten and plagued of God. And 3. To be at the hight of malice even then when he out of love was condeſcending ſo low as to ſuffer and ſatisfie Juſtice for him; ye may poſſibly think that it was not ye that had ſuch malice at Chriſt; But ſaith not the Prophet, We eſteemed him ſmitten of God? Taking in himſelf and all the elect, which might give us this Obſervation, That there is nothing more deſperatly wicked, and filled with more enmity againſt Chriſt in his condeſcending love, and againſt God in the manifeſtation of his grace, then when even elect ſouls for whom he hath ſuffered, deſpiſe him, and count him ſmitten of God and afflicted: It's indeed very ſad, yet very profitable, to walk under the deep apprehenſion, and ſoul-preſſour of heart-enmity againſt God and Chriſt: Are there any of you that think ye have ſuch ſinful and wicked natures that diſpoſe you to think little of Chriſt, to deſpiſe and reject him and his grace? Gods Elect have this enmity in their natures; And if ſuch natures be in the Elect, what muſt be in the Reprobat who live and die in this enmity? If this were ſeriouſly conſidered and laid to heart, O but folk would be humble, nothing would affect the ſoul more, and ſtound to the very heart, then to think that Chriſt ſuffered for me, through grace an Elect and a Believer, and that yet notwithſtanding I ſhould have ſo deſpiſed and rejected him, and accounted him ſmitten of God and afflicted; Let me exhort all of you to look back on your former walk, and to lay this enmity to heart, for the day is coming when it will be found to be a biting, and conſcience gnawing ſin to many.
4. In that he aggravates their enmity from this, Obſerve this truth which is alſo here confirmed, that there is nothing that gives ſin a deeper Dye, then that it is againſt grace and condeſcending love, that is, againſt Chriſt when ſuffering for us, and offered to us; O! that makes ſin to be exceeding ſinful, and wonderfully abominable, and thus it is aggreged, Heb. 2. As greater then the contempt of Moſes his Law; And Heb 6. It's accounted to be a crucifying the Son of God a-freſh, and a putting him to an open ſhame; And Heb. 10. it's called a trod…ng him under foot, an accounting the blood of the Covenant to be an unholy thing, and a d…ing deſpite to the Spirit of Grace; Theſe two laſt Scriptures look mainly to the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, yet ſo as there is ſomewhat of that which is ſaid in them to be found in all unbelievers their deſpiſing of Chriſt; It's a ſin ſome way hateful, even to the Publicans and Sinners to hate them that love us, to do ill to them that do good to us; How much more ſinful and hateful is it to deſpiſe and hate him who loved us ſo as to give himſelf for us, and when he was giving himſelf for us? There are many ſins againſt the Law that will draw deep, but this will draw deeper then they all, even ſinning againſt Grace, and the Mediator interpoſing for ſinners, and manifeſting love to them; And the reckoning will run thus, Chriſt was manifeſted to you in this Goſpel as the only remedy of ſin, and ſet forth as crucified before your eyes, and made offer of to you in the Goſpel, and yet ye deſpiſed him, and eſteemed him not: And let me ſay it to Believers, that it's the greateſt aggravation of their ſin; It is true, in ſome reſpect that the ſins of Believers are not ſo great as the ſins of others, they not being committed with ſuch deliberation and full benſil of will, nor from the dominion of ſin, yet in this reſpect they are greater then the ſins of others, becauſe committed againſt ſpecial Grace and Love actually communicated; and therefore when the Believer conſiders that he hath requit Chriſt thus, it will affect him moſt of any thing, if there be any ſuitable tenderneſs of frame.
5. From conſidering that it is the Prophet that expreſſeth this aggravation, we may Obſerve, that the Believer that is moſt tender, and hath beſt right to Jeſus Chriſt and his ſatisfaction, and may upon beſt ground apply it, will be moſt ſenſible of his enmity, and of the abominable guilt that is in deſpiſing and wronging of Jeſus Chriſt; Therefore the Prophet brings in himſelf as one of thoſe that by Chriſts ſtripes were healed, taking with his guilt, we deſpiſed and rejected him, we eſteemed him not, we judged him ſmitten of God; The reaſon is, becauſe intereſt in Jeſus Chriſt makes the heart tender, and any wrong that's done to him to affect the ſooner and the more deeply, the ſcurf that ſometime was on the heart being in a meaſure taken away; and intereſt in Chriſt awakeneth and raiſeth an eſteem of him, and produceth a holy ſympathy with him in all the concerns of his glory, even as the members of the body have a fellow-feeling with the head; Make a ſuppoſition, that a man in his madneſs ſhould ſmite and wound his head, or wrong his Wife, his Father, or his Brother; when that fit of madneſs is over, he is more affected with that wrong then if it had been done to any other member of his body, or to other perſons not at all, or not ſo nearly related to him: There is ſomething of this pointed at, Zech. 12.10. They ſhall look unto him whom they have pierced, and mourn for him as a man doth for his only Son; As if he had ſaid, the ſtroaks they have given the head, ſhall then be very heavy and grievous to be born, and will be made to their feeling to bleed a-freſh; They thought not much of theſe woundings and piercings of him before, but ſo ſoon as their intereſt in him is clear, or they come cordially to believe in him, they are kindly affected with the wrongs done to him.
The Uſe is, That it's a mark, to try if there be indeed an intereſt in Chriſt, and if it be clear; The man whoſe intereſt is cleareſt, 1. His wrongs done to Chriſt will prick him moſt, if the wrongs be done by others they affect him; if by himſelf they ſome way faint him; Wholeneſs of heart under wronging of Chriſt, is too great an evidence that there is little or no ground for application of his ſatisfaction, but it's kindly like, when wrongs done to Chriſt affect moſt. 2. When not only challenges for ſin againſt the Law, but for ſins againſt Chriſt and Grace offered in the Goſpel, do become a burden, and the greateſt burden. 3. When the man is made to mind ſecret enmity at Chriſt, and is diſpoſed to muſter up aggravations of his ſinfulneſs on that account, and cannot get himſelf made vile enough; When he hath an holy indignation at himſelf, and with Paul counts himſelf the chief of ſinners; Even thou h the evil was done in ignorance, much more if it hath been againſt knowledge; It's no evil token when ſouls are made to heap up aggravations of their guilt for wrongs done to Chriſt, and when they cannot get ſuitable expreſſions ſufficiently to hold it out, as it is an evil token to be ſoon ſatisfied in this; There are many that will take with no challenge for their wronging Chriſt, but behold here how the Prophet inſiſts, both in the words before, in theſe, and in the following words, and he can no more win off the thoughts of it, then he can win off the thoughts of Chriſts ſufferings.
6. While the Prophet ſaith, when Chriſt was ſuffering for his own, and for the reſt of his peoples ſins, We eſteemed him not, but judged him ſmitten of God; Obſerve briefly, becauſe we haſten to a cloſe, that Jeſus Chriſt is often exceedingly miſtaken by men in his moſt glorious and gracious works, can there be a greater miſtake then this? Chriſt ſuffering for our ſins, and yet judged ſmitten and plagued of God by us; Or more home, even Chriſt Jeſus is often ſhamefully miſtaken in the work of his Grace, and in the venting of his love towards them whoſe good he is procuring, and whoſe iniquities he is bearing.
The Uſe of it ſerves 1. To teach us when we are ready to paſs cenſure on Chriſts work, to ſtand ſtill, to animadvert on, and to correct our ſelves, leſt we unſuitably conſtruct of him: He gets much wrong as to his publick work, as if he were cruel, when indeed he is merciful, as if he had forgotten us, when when indeed he remembers us ſtill: And as to his privat work in particular perſons, as if he did fail in his promiſe when he is moſt faithful, and bringing it about in his own way. And 2. (which is of affinity to the former) it's a warning to us not to take up hard conſtructions of Chriſt, nor to miſconſtruct his work, wh…ch when miſconſtructed, himſelf is miſtaken and miſconſtructed: How many think that he is breaking when he is binding up, that he is wounding when he is healing, that he is deſtroying when he is humbling? Therefore we would ſu…pend paſſing cenſure till he come to the end and cloſe of his work, and not judge of it by halves, and then we ſhall ſee there was no ſuch ground for miſconſ…ructing of him, who is every day holding on in his own way, and ſteddily purſuing the ſame end that he did from the beginning; And let him be doing ſo: To him be praiſe for ever.