Sermon 22

Isaiah 53:5 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.

It's hard to tell whether the subject of this verse, and almost of this whole chapter, be more sad or more sweet; it's indeed a sad subject to read and hear of the great sufferings of our blessed Lord Jesus, and of the spiteful usage that he met with, and to see such a spate of malice spewed and spitted out on that glorious face; so that when he is bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows, we do even then account him plagued, smitten of God, and afflicted, and in a manner look upon it as well bestowed: Yet it's a most sweet subject if we either consider the love it comes from, or the comfortable effects that follow it; that has been the rise, the cause, and the occasion of much singing to many here below, and is the cause and occasion of so much singing among the redeemed that are this day before the throne of God; and as the grace of God has overcome the malice of men, so we are persuaded this cause of rejoicing has a sweetness in it beyond the sadness, though often we mar our own spiritual mirth, and know not how to dance when he pipes to us.

These words are an explication of the 4th verse, where it is asserted that Christ's sufferings were not for himself but for us; from, and by which the prophet having aggravated men's malice, who, notwithstanding thereof esteemed him not, indeed judged smitten of God, he comes again for furthering and carrying on of this scope, to show more particularly the ground, end, and effects of Christ's sufferings; where you would remember what we hinted before in general, that folks will never think nor conceive of Christ's sufferings rightly, till they conceive and take him up as suffering for them; and when we consider this, we think it no wonder that the most part esteem but little of the sufferings of Christ, because there are so few that can take him up under this notion, as standing in their room, and paying their debt, and as being put in prison for them when they are let go free.

In this 5th verse, we have these three: 1. A further expression of Christ's sufferings. 2. The cause of them, or the end that he had before him in them. 3. The benefits and fruits or effects of them.

There are in the words four expressions which I shall clear: 1. He was wounded, to show the reality that was in his sufferings, he was actually pierced, or as the word is rendered in the margin, tormented, and the cause is, our transgressions; and while it is said, He was wounded for our transgressions, he means, 1. That our transgressions procured his wounding, and 2. That his wounding was to remove them, and to procure pardon to us. 2. He was bruised, that is, pressed as grapes in a winepress, he underwent such a wounding as bruised him; to show the great desert of sin, and the heaviness of wrath that would have come on us for it, had not he interposed; and the cause is our iniquities; and these two words transgressions and iniquities, show the exceeding abominableness of sin; transgressions or errings pointing at our common sins, iniquities or rebellions pointing at greater guilt. 3. The chastisement, or as the words bear, the discipline of our peace was upon him; it supposes first, that we by nature were at feud with, and enemies to God. Secondly, that before our peace could be procured, there needed to be a satisfaction given to justice, the mediator needed to come under discipline and chastisement. 4. And by his stripes we are healed; he was so whipped, that to say so, the marks of the rod remained behind; the first benefit looks to pardon of sin and peace with God in the first three expressions; the second in this last expression, looks to our sanctification and purging from the dominion and pollution of sin; by Christ's becoming sin for us, there is a way made to wash us from all the guilt of sin, and from all the foul spots and stains that were on us by sin, and he has thus procured holiness to us; we come easily by it, but it cost Christ dear, indeed very dear.

These very sad, but most sweet, and soul-solacing words, hold out a short sum of the substance and marrow of the Gospel; and because they do so, we shall speak of them summarily together; and you would the more seriously attend, especially such as are more ignorant, that by the reading and opening up of this verse you may be brought and kept in mind of the sum of the heads of the Gospel; and to make the matter the more clear, I shall endeavor to make the doctrines drawn from it, as so many answers to six or seven questions: As 1. What is man's condition naturally, and what is the condition of all them that get not benefit by Christ's death? 2. How is man redeemed and freed from that condition? 3. By whom is he freed, or who makes the satisfaction? 4. How does he perform that satisfaction? 5. What are the benefits that flow from, and come to us by the satisfaction performed? 6. Who are the persons for whom Christ has performed the satisfaction, and to whom he has procured these benefits? 7. What is the way how these benefits are transferred or derived to these persons? And putting these seven together, we may have a short catechism in one verse.

1. Then, what is man's condition by nature. 1. He is under transgressions. 2. Under iniquities. 3. At feud with God. And fourthly, under wounds and most loathsome diseases of a sinful nature. In a word, man by nature is a sinner, guilty, greatly guilty, under God's wrath and curse, and at feud with God, of a most sinful and abominable nature, even sick of, and loathsome, because of sin. The first is implied in this word, He was wounded for our transgressions, that is, our common sins. The second is held out in the next word, He was bruised for our iniquities, or rebellions, which holds out great guilt. The third in that word, The chastisement of our peace was on him, which supposes that we were once without peace with God. The last word, By his stripes we are healed, supposes that we continue in that condition filthy and polluted, and polluting ourselves more and more, greedy to drink in sin, and wounding and sickening ourselves by sin. Now, lay these four words together, they clear this truth to our judgment, and serve to point out to us the necessity of a mediator. Again, consider them in a second notion, and they tell us, that even the elect themselves, are by nature in the same sinful and rebellious condition with others, at feud with, and under the curse of God, and abominably polluted before they be washed and healed, as the Apostle asserts (Ephesians 2): We are by nature children of wrath even as others. And here it is plainly declared, He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, etc. Some are ready to think (as was hinted before) that the elect by nature were better than others, or that God foresaw they would be better, and therefore he elected them. This piece of Arminianism is in all naturally; but this text in down-right contradiction to such a groundless conceit, answers and asserts, that by nature they are even like others, as the Apostle says (Romans 11:32): God has concluded them all under unbelief, that he might have mercy on all. All the elect, as well as others, are concluded under sin and wrath, that the way of obtaining any spiritual good, might be by mercy and free grace alone.

2. How are people freed from this sinful and miserable condition? Answer 1. In general, before the quarrel can be taken away, and their peace can be made, there must be a satisfaction, which is implied in these words, the chastisement of our peace was on him; which supposes the necessity of a satisfaction made or to be made, in respect of God's decree and commination, who said, the day you sin, you shall die, and cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the law to do them. 2. And more particularly, there must be a satisfaction, because there is 1. the justice of God that has a claim by a standing law. 2. The holiness of God that must be vindicated. And 3. the faithfulness of God that must cause to be performed and come to pass what it has pledged itself for, as well in reference to the threatening as to the promise. For these words, Has he said and will he not do it? relate to the one as well as to the other. There is a great mistake in many while they leap immediately to mercy, without minding the necessity of a satisfaction to provoked justice, and on this ground that God is merciful, which if it were an argument good enough, it would say, that all, even the reprobate may get mercy. But we would consider the way that God has laid down for sinners coming to mercy, and how that before peace can be made, he will needs have satisfaction to his justice.

3. Who makes the satisfaction? The text says, it's He and Him; He was wounded for our transgressions, the chastisement of our peace was on Him. And who is this He and Him? It's in general the Messiah, who was then to come, he who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered and was crucified, who died and was buried and rose the third day. Even he, who having the nature of God and our nature united in one Person, he his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, as is said (1 Peter 2:24), and he who knew no sin, was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, as it is (2 Corinthians 5, last verse). Even he of whom the Apostle has been speaking here, while he says, We as ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be [reconstructed: reconciled] to God. And when we say it's Christ that is meant, we are to understand it as well negatively and exclusively, excluding all others, as positively including him. When we make him to be the only Savior, we exclude all that men can do with their penance, prayers, good works, and all that angels can do. Neither man nor angel could satisfy divine justice, and make our peace with God, and therefore it's said (Acts 4:12): Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus, where it's clear that all others are excluded. As it is (Psalm 40:6): Sacrifice and offering you would not, etc. Neither penance, performances, nor any other thing will do it, but it's Lo I come in the volume of your book, it's written of me I delight to do your will O my God. Take this then as another ground of saving knowledge, that it is our blessed Lord Jesus that satisfies justice, even he who being God, was content to become Man, and is God and Man in one Person, He, and he only undertaking the debt, satisfies justice.

4. How does he satisfy justice? Answer: He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was on him, and by his stripes we are healed: in which words, observe these three things. 1. In Christ's satisfaction for us there is an actual undertaking; he becomes guarantor and enters himself in our room; when all other things are cast aside — angels, men with their sacrifices, thousands of rams, ten thousand rivers of oil, and the fruit of the body — then our Lord Jesus comes in and undertakes (Psalm 40:7): "Lo, I come." He satisfies for our transgressions; which supposes that justice could not have sought our debt of him if he had not undertaken it; therefore (Hebrews 7:24) he is called the surety of a better testament, for he comes in our room and place, and undertakes to pay our debt; even as if a man under debt were being carried to prison, and another able, rich man should undertake to pay the debt — although the debt should lie over for a while unpaid, yet the creditor will get a decree on the guarantor for payment of the debt when he pleases to press him — so Jesus Christ enters guarantor for our debt, and becomes liable to the payment of it. 2. Christ's performance and payment of the debt according to his undertaking implies a covenant and transaction on which the application is founded, which we showed was also implied in the foregoing words (verse 4): "He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the party wronged by sin; Jesus Christ considered personally and as Mediator is the party undertaking. The terms are that he shall suffer and satisfy justice for us, and that we shall go free; that his paying shall be our freedom; that the debt which he pays for us shall not be exacted from us ourselves (2 Corinthians 5, final verse): "He who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." And here, the chastisement of our peace was on him; it was transferred from us to him, that by his stripes we might be healed; by his stripes and wounds health was procured and brought to us. 3. Our Lord Jesus in fulfilling the bargain and satisfying justice paid a dear price; it was at a very dear rate that he bought our freedom; he was wounded, bruised, suffered stripes and punishment. So that you may take the answer to the question in sum to be this: our Lord Jesus performed and satisfied for all that was due by us, by undertaking our debt and paying a dear price for sinners according to the covenant of redemption; he came under the law, and the law struck at him as guarantor, and he answered the law's demands, and fully and condignly satisfied the justice of God for us.

As for that question, whether Christ might not by one drop of his blood have satisfied — and such like questions — we think them very needless, too curious, and little or not at all edifying. But if it be asked, why Christ paid so much, we answer: 1. It behooved Christ to pay a condign price, to give a condign satisfaction to justice. 2. It was fitting that he should pay all that he paid. First, we say it behooved to be a condign satisfaction — for: 1. It behooved to be a price equivalent to all that the elect should have suffered, had he not interposed. 2. It behooved to be proportionable to the justice of God, for God having laid down such a way of showing mercy, that his justice should be preserved, there behooved to be condign satisfaction for the vindication of justice; which was done by Christ's suffering to the full undoubtedly — if we consider: 1. The excellency of the person that suffered, God and man in one person. 2. If we consider the nature of his sufferings, that they were exceeding great, heavy, and pressing. And 3. If we also consider the manner of his sufferings, that it was with much readiness and cheerfulness of obedience to the Father's will. That such and so excellent a person should suffer, and suffer so much, and suffer in such a way — this surely makes a condign satisfaction, and so justice is fully thereby satisfied, and made as glorious as if all the elect had suffered eternally. Therefore we say that his sufferings were a condign and proportionable satisfaction to justice for those whose debt he paid; by this, justice is completely and gloriously satisfied. Secondly, we said that it was fitting that he should pay all that he paid, and so it is, if we consider: 1. The excellency of immortal souls — a little price (as all that men or angels could have paid would have been: the finest gold, silver, and precious stones) could not have done it; the redemption of the soul is precious, and ceases forever among all the creatures (Psalm 49:8). 2. The severity of justice on the just account of sin called for such a price. 3. God's end, which was to make both his grace and justice glorious, required and made it fitting that our Lord should suffer condignly, and in his sufferings suffer much — even all that he did suffer. And in this you have an answer to this question: why Christ suffered so much — as the loss (to speak so) of his declarative glory for a time, outward sufferings and inward sufferings, even the [reconstructed: bruising] and squeezing that his soul was under, which made him to say that it was heavy to the point of death, and exceeding sorrowful. Let not sinners then think it a little or a light thing to get a soul saved, the redemption of which ceases forever as to us or any creature. Behold, in this the glory of grace eminently shines forth, when there is such a price paid for that which in some respect is of so little worth; and also the glory of justice, when so great a price is demanded and paid down for its satisfaction by so worthy and excellent a person. And let none think little of sin, the guilt of which could not be otherwise expiated — the chastisement of our peace behooved to be on him.

5. What are the benefits that come by these sufferings? Answer 1. The benefits are such, that if he had not suffered for us, we should have suffered all that he suffered ourselves. 2. More particularly, we have 1. Peace and pardon of sin. 2. Healing by his sufferings, so that if it be asked, what procured pardon of sin and peace with God? We answer, it's Christ's sufferings; or if it be asked, what is the cause of God's justifying sinners? We answer, it's Christ's satisfaction or suffering; and it is (by the way) much to be regretted, that such is the ignorance of some, that if a question be proposed in divers words or expressions, as if it should be asked, therefore are we pardoned? Therefore are we justified? Which is one and the same — they know not how to answer; but here you are called to remember, that Christ's being wounded, and his bearing the chastisement due to you, is the cause of your pardon and justification. 2. Healing looks to sanctification, as we hinted in the exposition, so that if it be asked, how comes it to pass that a sinner is made holy? We have it here answered, that though efficiently it comes by the Spirit, and being his work, yet meritoriously it comes by Christ's sufferings — he bought it; by his stripes we are healed. And under these two words peace and healing, we take in all things needful or pertaining to life and godliness; for by peace the feud and enmity is taken away, [reconstructed: we are reconciled to God] (Ephesians 2:14), [reconstructed: Christ came] to be our peace, and he who came [reconstructed: can] speak peace to all that are afar off and near; and also by peace we understand all [reconstructed: the] effects of peace: 1. Pardon of sin, justification, adoption, communion with God here and hereafter; peace with our own conscience, and with the creatures, eternal peace and glory, and all these good things purchased by Christ's death. For the Hebrews under peace comprehended all good things. And under healing we take in sanctification (as distinguished, though not divided from those other things mentioned) dying to sin, and living to righteousness, with the several degrees of their advance and progress, and the making of us to be without spot and wrinkle, or any such thing. So that people have much advantage by Christ's purchase, and much prejudice through the want of it; by his death we are kept out of hell, and admitted to peace with God and every thing that is good. We have liberty to pray for all that is good, and are brought in his own way and time to the possession of it. It's by the blood of sprinkling that we have a new and living way made open to us to the most holy, and holiness in the way of which we enter in there.

6. To whom has Christ procured all these good things? The text says, it's our and we — the chastisement of our peace was on him, and by his stripes we are healed — to wit, we elect. Observe, 1. That the benefits of Christ's purchase redound only to the elect; there is a certain select number to whom they are applied, and not to all indifferently. It's only of as many as are healed, whose chastisements he has borne; it's only they whom the Father has given him — to them he gives eternal life, and they shall never perish (John 6:45). They are effectually called, justified, and sanctified. 2. Observe that what Christ Jesus has purchased, and the benefits of his purchase, redound and are extended to them that are guilty of heinous sins; to them that are under transgressions and iniquities, that are at feud with God, and under many [reconstructed: portions] and most loathsome spiritual diseases; to them who contemned and despised Christ, and judged him smitten and plagued of God, as is clear from the foregoing words, and to them which have gone straying like lost sheep, as is clear from the words following.

This points at these two or three things very useful: 1. That the elect are by nature, and before Christ does them good, no better than others. 2. It shows the freedom of the grace of God that comes over that, and freely gives pardon, peace, and healing to them. And thirdly, it serves to strengthen a sinner's faith, who is sensible of his enmity and sinfulness, and to be a ground of encouragement to him, to step to and lay hold on Christ's purchase, because it was for such that he died. He may humbly, yet confidently say, Christ died even for such as me — for them that wounded and pierced him by their transgressions and iniquities, for them that were at enmity with God, etc. And alas, I am such, and will therefore on the call of the Gospel come to him, and on his own terms endeavor to cast myself on him.

7. How are these benefits — this justification, pardon of sin, peace and healing, and all that is comprehended under them — derived from Christ to the sinner that by faith flees to him for refuge? Answer: These two generals will clear it. 1. They are derived to us justly and in a legal way; Christ steps in in our room, that we may come in his room. 2. They are derived to us freely; he was wounded and bruised that we might go free; he endured stripes that we might be healed; he got the buffets and bore the burden, and we get the benefits — there is not a grain weight of it laid on us as it is satisfactory to divine justice.

To clear this a little more regarding the deriving of the benefits of Christ's purchase to us, there must be a respect had: 1. To the covenant of redemption, the ground of his suffering for us. 2. To the covenant of grace and reconciliation wherein the offer of these sufferings, and the benefits purchased by them to us, and the terms of both is made.

1. I say, that respect must be had to the Covenant of Redemption, wherein it [reconstructed: was] acted in the Council of the Godhead, that the Son of God should become Man, and suffer, and condignly satisfy divine Justice by paying the price due by the elect; and that that price being laid down, it should be made forthcoming for them for whom he paid it, and be reckoned theirs, and they set actually at liberty when having recourse thereto by faith; and here there is a legal ground for transferring Christ's purchase to and upon us; the cautioner satisfying, we the debtors are on that account absolved in his own order and method, and have a right to seek the application of the price, and the benefits purchased by that price; Christ stands in our room at the bar, and sentence passed on him to pay our debt; he satisfied according to his undertaking for us: And upon the other hand, we are brought in, and the sentence of justification passed on us on that account; He, says the Apostle, who knew no sin, is made sin for us, that in him we may be accounted righteous, and may be declared free (as we are) by virtue of his satisfaction.

But it may be objected here, What, are we then absolved from the very time of Christ's death and forward? For answer, we would distinguish between a right to the thing, and a right in the thing (as we use to speak;) between jus ad rem and jus in re; the elect from Christ's death forward, and before too, have a right to the thing, but not in the thing as to the application of it to themselves; an elect person by virtue of Christ's satisfaction has a legal right to his purchase before believing, but when he comes to believe, the obstruction is taken away that hindered his application, and then he has a new right not only to, but in Christ's purchase; even as a person that is minor or mad, may have a right to a great possession, but by the law he is secluded from the use of it till he come to majority, and have the use of reason; and this distinction we have as one of the clauses of the Covenant, (John 6:39-40) where, 1. in verse 39, Christ says, This is the Father's will that sent me, that of all that he has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day; it is the Father's will that eternal life be given to as many as are given to Christ on his satisfaction, and Christ has purchased it to them by his satisfaction absolute as to the event, and therefore they have an accessibleness to it, a right to it, and cannot but partake of it, yet not simply, but in the way that he has laid down: And therefore secondly, in verse 40, he says, This is the will of him that sent me, that every one that sees the Son and believes on him, may have eternal life; by believing they come to the application of that to themselves which they had a legal right to before by Christ's death.

2. Respect must be had to the Covenant of Grace, which is not quite another thing than the Covenant of Redemption, but the making offer of it and the benefits contained in it in the preached Gospel, when Christ sends out his ambassadors to woo and invite sinners to Christ, and to bring them to the application of his purchase; and it is by closing with, and receiving of Christ's offer that the actual cure comes, and that by Christ's stripes our sores are healed: Even as when a child that was minor becomes major, he comes to have a right to possess the same lands or sums of money by the same law that gave him a legal or simple right to them before; or he comes to have a right in that, which before he had a right to: So elect souls that have a right to Christ's purchase before believing, while they are mad in nature, are under the curse and wrath threatened in the word of God for not believing; but when they come to believe, they come to get an extract from the same word of their right in Christ's purchase, because the word says, He that believes, is past from death to life, and shall not come into condemnation; and so the same word that did condemn before believing, does now absolve upon a sinner's believing; and we come at this absolution by receiving of Christ's offer in the Covenant of Grace: And if it be asked, how comes it that the receiving of Christ's free offer in the Covenant of Grace, gives a right to Christ's purchase? We answer, it is by virtue of the Covenant of Redemption, wherein it is so transacted between God and the Mediator; so that there is the offer of the Covenant received, and the Covenant itself that concur for making over and deriving a complete right to wretched sinners in Christ's purchase.

Let the first use of this be for your instruction and information, which is the end therefore we have chosen in this way by this short view to give you in a very short sum, the marrow of the Gospel; and if you remember these few questions, you may be in a capacity not only to answer us, but through grace to exercise faith on Christ; and we think you will all readily grant, that those who cannot at all answer them, should not go to the Communion: and therefore that you may take them with you, we shall shortly resume them. 1. What condition is man in by nature? Answer: Under sin and misery, and even under the curse of God; or thus, every man is a sinner, and has a sinful nature, or, he is under transgressions and iniquities, is naturally loathsome, wants peace with God, and has need of healing; let this in the first place sink in your hearts. 2. How is man freed from this sinfulness and misery? Answer: He cannot be free from it, till there be a condign satisfaction made to divine justice; wounding and bruising must be to procure pardon, and stripes must be to procure healing, and chastisement must be to bring about our peace; that word, (Exodus 34) who will by no means acquit the guilty, would always be remembered, and faith would look to a Savior for satisfaction. 3. Who can satisfy? Answer: Neither man nor angel can do it, no penances, no prayers nor performances of any mere creature will do it, but he only that was wounded and bruised, he who by nature is the Son of God, the express image of the Father's person, and who in respect of his human nature was born of the Virgin Mary, like to us in all things except sin; it is he that satisfies justice and it is by no other way that we get pardon, and peace with God, and holiness. 4. What way does Christ satisfy justice, and make peace between God and sinners? Answer: He entered himself in our room, and as guarantor undertook our debt, suffered the condign punishments that were due for our sins, and paid the price that we should have paid; he in a manner left Heaven and became man, had a mean life in the world, drank the cup of his Father's wrath, was wounded, bruised, chastised, and died a cursed death, of which his hanging on the cross was but a sign. 5. What benefits come to us by his sufferings? Answer: Pardon of sin, peace with God, and healing; the conscience by his blood is sprinkled from dead works, the person absolved, reconciled to God, made whole, and made at last to be without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; and this is not as Papists blasphemously speak, a putative effect, but a most real one. 6. Who are made partakers of this pardon, peace, and healing? Answer: The elect have right to it, and by believing they make the application, therefore it is said here, our and we; and we may look upon the prophet speaking in the name of all the elect, or in name of the believing elect, who on believing are actually healed; the elect then are healed, and the way how, is by faith making application of Jesus Christ. 7. How in justice can he be condemned that was free of sin, and how can we be absolved that were guilty? Answer: He in justice was condemned, because as our guarantor he came in our room, and undertook to pay our debt; and on the same ground we wretched sinners, may in his way make application of his purchase; because it was on these terms that he undertook the debt, that we might be set free; and it is on these terms that it is offered in the Gospel, that seeing he has paid for elect sinners, they may upon the hearing of the offer, close with it: but how may the sinner apply it? Answer: Not only because it is free, and freely offered, but by gripping to it by faith, as the prophet does here; it is not only to apply it simply, but to step in and rest upon it in the terms it is made offer of, so that as on the one part Jesus Christ became really liable to suffering, and satisfied for our sins, when he said, Lo I come, in the volume of your book it is written of me, I delight to do your will; so upon the other part, the believing sinner comes to apply the price paid, by embracing the price, and acquiescing in the satisfaction, and gripping to it as his own, and by his being brought to say in faith, Let his wounding be my pardon, let his chastisement be my peace, and let his stripes be my healing: by this means, as the law had a right to Christ for his paying the elect's debt, so they by believing get a right to the promise of pardon and healing; for if the bargain was [reconstructed: secure] on the one side to procure wounding to Christ, as if he had been the sinner himself, so on the other side, the bargain is as sure; the believer is set free, and may be as really comforted as if he had a righteousness of his own, or had never sinned.

Use 2. Therefore there is here wonderful matter of consolation to believers, that what was justice to Christ, is grace and mercy to us, that which was pain to him, is pleasure to us; his sorrow our comfort, his wounding our pardon, his stripes our healing, etc.

Use 3. As you would not prejudge yourselves of these benefits which Christ has purchased, make your peace with God through Christ; if your pardon and peace be not obtained this way you will never get it, but you shall be made to pay your own debt, and be liable to wrath eternally, because of inability to pay your debt to the full: therefore step to, and make the offer welcome, however sinful and undone you be; the more sensible you be, you are the more welcome; this is the particular use of the doctrine; O! let these things sink in your hearts, that you are sinners, great sinners, under wrath, and at feud with God; that Jesus Christ is the Savior of lost sinners, and that there is no way to pardon and peace but by closing with him, and saying hold on his satisfaction; that you may be drawn to cast yourselves over on this everlasting covenant for obtaining the benefits that Christ has purchased [reconstructed: God himself bless what has been spoken] for this end and use.