Ver. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.

THAT which is deepest in the heart is generally most in the mouth; that which abounds within, runs over most by the tongue or pen. When men light upon the speaking of that subject which possesses the affection, they can hardly be taken off, or drawn from it again. Thus the Apostles in their writings, when they make mention any way of Christ suffering for us, they love to dwell on it, as that which they take most delight to speak of; such delicacy and sweetness is in it to a spiritual taste, that they like to keep it in their mouth, and are never out of their theme, when they insist on Jesus Christ, though they have but named him by occasion of some other doctrine; for he is the great subject of all they have to say.

Thus here the Apostle had spoke of Christ in the foregoing words very fitly to this present subject, setting him before christian servants, and all suffering christians, as their complete example, both in point of much suffering, and of perfect innocence and patience in suffering. And he had expressed their engagement to study and follow that example; yet he cannot leave it so, but having said that all those his sufferings wherein he was so exemplary, were for us, as a chief consideration, for which we should study to be like him, he returns to that again, and enlarges upon it in words partly the same, partly very near those of that Evangelist among the prophets'.

And it suits very well with his main scope to press this point, as giving both very much strength and sweetness to the exhortation; for surely it is most reasonable, that we willingly conform to him in suffering, who had never been an example of suffering,

* Isa. liii. 4.

nor subject at all to sufferings, nor in any degree capable of them, but for us; and it is most comfortable in these light sufferings of this present moment, to consider, that he hath freed us from the sufferings. of eternity, by suffering himself in our stead in the fulness of time.

That Jesus Christ is, in doing and suffering, our supreme and matchless example, and that he came to be so, is a truth: but that he is nothing further, and came for no other end, is, you see, a high point of falsehood for how should man be enabled to learn and follow that example of obedience, unless there were more in Christ; and what would become of that great reckoning of disobedience that man stands guilty of? No, these are too narrow; he came to bear our sins in his own body on the tree, and for this purpose had a body fitted for him, and given him to bear this burden; to do this, as the will of his Father; to stand for us instead of all offerings and sacrifices; and by that will, says the Apostle, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

This was his business, not only to rectify sinful man by his example, but to redeem him by his blood. He was a teacher come from God. As a prophet he teaches us the way to life, and as the best and greatest of prophets, is perfectly like his doctrine; and bis actions, (that in all teachers is the liveliest part of doctrine) his carriage in life and death, is our great pattern and instruction: but what is said of his forerunner, is more eminently true of Christ; he is a prophet, and more than a prophet, a priest satisfying justice for us, and a king conquering sin and death for us; an example indeed, but more than an example, our sacrifice, and our life, and all in all. It is our duty to walk as he walked, to make him the pattern of our steps". But our comfort and salvation lieth in this, that he is the propitiation for our sins. v. 2. So in the first chapter of that epistle, v. 7. Ive b 1 John. ii. 6.

a Heb. x. 9.

are to walk in the light, as he is in the light: but for all our walking we have need of that which follows, that bears the great weight, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. And so still that glory which he possesseth in his own person, is the pledge of ours; he is there for us; he lives to make intercession for us, says the Apostle, and I go to prepare a place for you, says he himself".

We have in the words these two great points, and in the same order as the words lay; 1. The nature and quality of the sufferings of Jesus Christ.

2. The end of them.

And

1. The nature and quality of the sufferings of Christ, he himself bare our sins in his own body on the tree. In this expression of his sufferings, we are to consider, 1. The commutation of the persons, he himself for us. 2. The work undertaken and performed, he bare our sins in his own body on the tree.

1. The act or sentence of the law against the breach of it standing in force, and divine justice expecting satisfaction, death was the necessary and inseparable consequent of sin. If you say the supreme Majesty of God being accountable to none, might have forgiven all without satisfaction; we are not to contest that, nor foolishly to offer to sound the bottomless depth of his absolute prerogative. Christ implies in his prayer, that it was impossible that he could escape that cup: but the impossibility is resolved into his Father's will, as the cause of it. But this we may clearly see, following the tract of the holy scriptures (our only safe way) that this way wherein our salvation is contrived, is most excellent, and suitable to the greatness and goodness of God; so full of wonders of wisdom and love, that the angels, as our Apostle tells us before, cannot forbear looking on it, and admiring it; for all their exact knowledge, yet they still find it infinitely beyond their knowledge, ftill in astonishment and admiration of what they see, and still in search, looking in to see more; those cherubims still having their eyes fixed on this mercy-seat.

• Heb. vii. 25. b John xiv. 2.

• Matt. xxvi. 39.

Justice might indeed have seized on rebellious man, and laid the pronounced punishment on him; Mercy might have freely acquitted him, and pardoned all but can we name any place where Mercy and Justice, as relating to condemned man, could have met and shined jointly in full aspect, save only in Jesus Christ, in whom indeed, Mercy and Truth met, and Righteousness and Peace kissed each other, yea, in whose person the parties concerned, that were at so great a distance, met so near, as nearer cannot be imagined.

And not only was this the only way, for the consistence of these two, Justice and Mercy, but take each of them severally, and they could not have been in so full lustre, as in this. God's just hatred of sin did, out of doubt appear more in punishing his only begotten Son for it, than if the whole race of mankind had suffered for it eternally. Again, it raises the notion of Mercy to the highest, that sin is not only forgiven us, but for this end God's own co-eternal Son is given to us, and for us. Consider what he is, and what we are; he the Son of his love, and we enemies: Therefore it is emphatically expressed in the words, he himself bare our sins. God so loved the world, that love amounts to this much, that is was so great, as to give his Son: but how great that is cannot be uttered. In this, says the Apostle, God commendeth his love to us, sets it off to the highest, give us the richest and strongest evidence of it.

The foundation of this frame, this appearing of Christ for us, and undergoing and answering all in our stead, lies in the decree of God, where it was plotted and contrived in the whole way of it from eternity, and the Father and the Son being one, and their thoughts and will one, they were perfectly agreed on it; and those likewise for whom it should hold, were agreed upon, and their names written down, according to which they are said to be given unto Christ to redeem. And just according to a Plas lxxxv. 10. b John iii. 16.

< Rom. v. 8.

that model did all the work proceed, and was accomplished in all points, perfectly answering to the pattern of it in the mind of God. As it was preconcluded there, that the Son should undertake the business, this matchless piece of service for his Father, and that by his interposing, men should be reconciled and saved; so that he might be altogether a fit person for the work, it was resolved, that as he was already fit for it by the Almightiness of his Deity and Godhead, and the acceptableness of his person to the Father, as the Son of God, so he should be further fitted by uniting wonderfully weakness to Almightiness, the frailty of man to the power of God; because that suffering for man was a main point of the work, so' as his being the Son of God made him acceptable to God, his being the Son of man made him suitable to man, in whose business he had engaged himself, and suitable to the business itself to be performed. And not only was there in him, by his human nature, a conformity with man (for that might have been by a new created body,) but a consanguinity with man, by a body framed of the same piece, a Redeemer, a Kinsman, as the Hebrew word goel is, only purified for his use, as was needful, and framed after a peculiar manner in the womb of a virgin, as it is expressed, thou hast fitted a body for me, having no sin itself, because ordained to have so much of our sins, as it is here, he bare them in his own body, which expresses.

2. The work undertaken; and this looks back to the primitive transaction and purpose, Lo I come to do

thy will, says the Son; and behold my Servant whom?

I

have chosen, says the Father; in this master-piece of my works, none in heaven or earth is fit to serve me, but mine own Son. And as he came into the world according to that decree and will, so he goes out of it again in that way, the Son of Man goeth as is determined, it was wickedly and maliciously done by men against him, but determined (which is that he there a Heb. x. 5. **Psa. xl. 7. Isa. xliii. 10. ¿Luke xxii. 22