Sermon 25

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

You have in the former verses somewhat of our Lord's suffering, and of his suffering for sinners, that he was wounded and bruised, etc. In this verse the Prophet proceeds to clear how this came to pass, that Christ Jesus was made to suffer for the Elect, the seed that God had given him; which he does by laying down the occasion and fountain-cause from where it proceeded. 1. The occasion of it in these words, All we like sheep have gone astray; All the Elect, as well as others, had wandered, and every one of us had turned to our own way; We had stripped ourselves of all right and title to eternal life, and had made ourselves liable to God's curse and wrath through our sinning. 2. The fountain-cause is, The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all; When we had all strayed, Jehovah took our Lord Jesus, as the sacrifices under the Law were taken, and put him in our room, and laid on him the punishment due to us for our sins, and actually pursued him for our debt.

So the words are an answer to that question, How comes it to pass that our Lord Jesus suffered thus for sinners? It is answered, The Elect had made themselves liable to the wrath and curse of God, through their straying; and to keep them from that wrath, God designed and provided his Son Jesus Christ to be the Redeemer, and according to the Covenant of Redemption laid on him the punishment due to them for their iniquities. In a word, their sin, and God's appointing him to be cautioner, made him liable to satisfy for all their debt.

The first part of the words holds out our natural disease; the second part holds out God's gracious cure and remedy.

In the first part we have these three. 1. The natural state and condition of all men and women, even of the Elect themselves (who are mainly to be looked on here) — All we have gone astray. 2. This is illustrated by a similitude, We have gone astray like sheep. 3. It is amplified, Every one of us has turned to his own way; several words being put together to set out the desperate sinful condition into which the Elect as well as others had brought themselves.

1. Our natural state and condition is set down in this word straying; To stray, is to wander out of the way, to go wrong, to be bewildered; For God has set a rule to men to walk by in the way to life, the rule and way of holiness, and whoever walk not in that way, do go astray, and wander out of the right way.

2. This is, as I said, illustrated by a similitude of sheep; The comparing of the Elect to sheep here, is not at all to extenuate the sinfulness of their straying; though sometimes the innocency of that creature in some other comparisons is insinuated. But it is to hold out the witlessness, spiritual silliness and brutishness of their straying, the Scripture usually pointing out that beast to be disposed and given to wandering. And both nature and experience tells us, that in a wilderness where there is greatest hazard, they are most ready to run on the hazard; such is their silly, and to speak so, foolish inclination; Just so are the Elect by nature.

3. It is amplified by this, That every one has turned to his own way; Before, it was collectively set down, All we have gone astray; But now lest any should exempt himself, it is distributively set down, Every one, even Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others such, not one excepted. This turning to our own way, holds out two things. 1. It is called our own way, to distinguish it from God's way, as it is, Psalm 81:11. He gave them up to their own hearts' lusts, and they walked in their own counsels, That is, in their own inventions, or according to their own will, humor and inclination. 2. While it is said, that every one turns to his own way, it is to show this, that beside the common way that all sinners have to turn away from God, distinguished from God's way, every sinner has his own particular and peculiar way whereby in his way he is distinguished from another sinner; There is but one way to Heaven, but many ways to Hell, and every one has his different way, some have one predominant lust, some another; But they all meet here, that every one turns from God's way, and every one takes a wrong way of his own.

Considering the scope, we shall shortly and in passing point at two general observations, of which the first is this, that it contributes much for people conceiving and considering of Christ's sufferings aright, to be well acquainted with their own sinful nature and disposition. Men will never look rightly on Christ's sufferings, nor suitably esteem of him, nor make him, and the doctrine that holds him and his sufferings forth cordially welcome, except they have some sense of their sinful nature and disposition. Hence it was that many of the Pharisees and hypocrites of that time wherein the Lord exercised his ministry among the Jews, never welcomed him, nor prized his sufferings, whereas among the publicans and sinners many were brought to get good of him.

Not to insist in the use of this, only in a word, see here a main reason why Jesus Christ is so meanly thought of, and the respect of his sufferings is so little welcomed and esteemed, even because so few walk under the due sense of this, that like lost sheep they have gone astray.

The second general observation from the scope, putting both parts of the verse together, is this, that we should never look on Christ's sufferings but with respect to the covenant of Redemption, and God's transacting with him as our cautioner; therefore the last part comes in, "The Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all." For although we know that Christ has suffered much, yet, if there be not an eye to, and some acquaintance with, the covenant, the rise of his sufferings, and God's hand and end in his sufferings, it will be to no purpose; therefore when Peter is to speak of his sufferings (Acts 2:23), he premises these words, "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God," and then subjoins his being crucified. Looking on Christ's sufferings with respect to the covenant: 1. It lets us know that Christ's sufferings come not by guess, but by the eternal counsel of God, and by virtue of that transaction between the Father and the Son, and this takes away the scandal off them, which the Prophet sets himself here to remove. 2. It gives faith access to make use of his sufferings when we look on him as purposely designed for this end. 3. It holds out the love of God, Father, Son, and Spirit towards elect sinners; that however God looked angry on the Mediator, as personating them, and sustaining their room; yet that Jehovah had the devising and designing of these sufferings, and that he sent his Son to suffer thus, it holds out wonderful love.

3. And more particularly, from the first part of the words, which is the main thing to be marked, observe, that all men, even the elect themselves not excepted, are naturally in a most sinful and desperate state and condition, so that if you would know what they are by nature, this is a description of their state: "All we like sheep have gone astray, and every one has turned to his own way." And when it is called our own way, there needs no other epithet to set out the desperateness of it; that which I mean is this, that all men are naturally under these two: 1. They are under guilt before God (Ephesians 2:1-2) — dead in sins and trespasses, children of wrath, and heirs of condemnation, liable to the curse of God by virtue of the covenant which Adam broke. 2. Which is mostly aimed at here, there is in every one a sinful nature, a sinfulness or sinning sin, an inclination to sin; every one has a straying humor; so that although the similitude of sheep does not agree to them in that sense as sheep are innocent creatures, yet it agrees to them in this sense that they are silly foolish creatures. And in this respect it is said (Genesis 6:8) that all the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart in man are only evil continually; and (Ephesians 2:1) they are said to be dead in sin, not only in respect of their being subject to God's curse, but in respect of their natural deadness, of their sinful nature, and want of spiritual life. So (Romans 3:9-10) and onwards, the Apostle describes the sinfulness of man's nature at large, not only in respect of its guilt, but of its inclination to sin, and says that their throat is an open sepulcher; insinuating thereby that men naturally are like a tomb, and that the corpse within the tomb is death and sin, and that all that comes from them savors of that. "Their feet are swift to shed blood, with their tongues they use deceit," etc. Every member and part of the body, and every faculty of the soul is bent to that which is evil. These three may further confirm it: 1. If we look in general to what the Scripture speaks of men by nature (Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3 and 5); they being as it is (Isaiah 57, penultimate verse), as the raging sea that casts out dirt and mire continually — it is always moving and working one way or other, and more especially in a storm, so that though at one tide you should sweep the shore never so clean, it will be as foul and dirty the next tide that comes. So are these hearts of ours (as Peter speaks, 2 Peter 2, and Jude 1:13) foaming out their own shame; and James says (James 4:5), "The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy" — it has as great eagerness after, and as great delight in sin, as a drunkard has after, and in drink. 2. Experience also confirms it; go through all the men and women that ever were in the world (our blessed Lord Jesus being excepted, as not descending of Adam by the ordinary way of generation) and that will be found true which the Apostle has (Romans 3), "There is none that does good, no not one;" and that which is spoken (Genesis 6), "All flesh has corrupted their way." And what is the spring of all the abominations that are in the world, and the rise of these particular evils that are in believers and saints mentioned in Scripture, as in David, Peter, and others — but this same corrupt nature, this body of death, as it is called (Romans 7:14)? All which strongly prove a fire to be within, when there is such smoke without. 3. We may confirm it from well-grounded reason, for it cannot be otherwise; if the root be of such a nature, can the branches be otherwise? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean thing? No, not one (Job 14:4). When Adam fell the root was corrupted, and the branches cannot be fresh; the fountain was defiled, and the streams cannot be clean and clear. Hence when Adam begot Seth, an elect in whom the Church was continued, it is said that he begat a son after his own likeness (Genesis 5); he himself was created after God's image, but begat children after his own image.

Though this be a commonly received doctrine, yet it is not without good reason, nor for no use insisted on so much here and in other Scriptures; we shall therefore speak a little to these four uses of it.

The first use of it serves for information; and we may make it a looking-glass wherein we may see clearly our own most sinful state and condition; would you know what you are by nature? This text tells you that not only all men have strayed, but that each of us, or every one of us has turned to his own way; but knowing how ready we are to shift the challenge, we would be persuaded that we are by nature liable to God's curse for Adam's sin, dead in sin, and inclined to all evil; sheep are no readier to go the wrong way, and will no more readily stray if they want a Shepherd, than we are inclined to do. There is a common word in many of your mouths, that we are all sinners by nature, but when it's searched into, we find that there is much ignorance among you of what it means; many count themselves to be sinners, only because of their being guilty of the first sin, and so put no difference between the first sin and Original sin, which is an effect that flows from, and follows upon the first sin. The first sin was Adam's deed, and is legally ours being imputed to us; as it is, Romans 5, death reigned over all, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, because Adam in his standing and falling stood in our room, representing all mankind that was to come of him. But Original sin is inherent in us, and cleaves close to us, and is that which we are born and bred and grow up with; and therefore you would distinguish these sins, that you may know that you are not only guilty of Adam's first sinful deed but that you have a present sinful and corrupt nature, though it be not always alike exercising and acting itself. Others again look only upon their nature as inclined to evil, and look not on it as that which makes them liable to wrath by reason of the first sin; but you would put both together, and know that though your sinfulness does not consist only in an inclination to evil, that yet your sinfulness lies mainly in that, and that it will not be long a going wrong. And it's not only your actual straying and going wrong that you would take notice of, but also and mainly of your sinful nature, that inclines, disposes, and sets you on work to go wrong; it's your filthy corrupt nature, the body of death, the smell and savour of which, to say so, is the showing of some actual sin. We may clear it in a similitude or two; we are by this Original sin as young serpents before they can sting actually, or like ravenous birds before they come out of the nest, yet we call these, serpents and ravenous birds, because they are come of such a kind; in our swaddling clothes we have the venomous and ravenous nature, to wit, Original sin in us; and in our actual sinning we are like serpents when they come to sting actually, or like ravenous birds when they come to catch the prey; and our Actual sin is a fruit of Original sin. Or take it in this same similitude in the text, there are many sheep that never actually strayed; yet they are called straying witless creatures, because they are inclined to stray, and ready to stray. Or take it in this similitude, there are some diseases that follow such a house and family, some are inclined to a consumption, some to the stone, some to one disease, some to another, which is from some defect of the body, even so it is here, that from a defect of our nature, infected by Original sin, that all Actual sins flow.

The second use is for conviction and reproof, and indeed we cannot well tell where we shall begin here. However the first thing that it reproves is our natural pride, though this be the sinfulness of our very infancy, yet we are ready to look upon ourselves as something; it's a true saying, though much misapplied, that Job has (Job 11:12): Vain man would be wise, though man be born as a [reconstructed: wild ass's] colt; a colt has a wild humor, and is the most witless of creatures, and this same is it that is implied in that saying of (James 4:5) Do you think the Scripture says in vain, the spirit that is in us lusts to envy, which says this much, that the most part never believe that they have such a spirit in them that's inclined to all evil, bent to have God and every thing that is good. 2. It reproves the great security that is among the most part; if this be a truth that men and women are thus born under the curse of God, and inclined to every thing that is evil, born enemies to God and inclined to aggravate and heighten the quarrel, how comes it then to pass that the great part sleep as soundly and securely as if they were in no hazard? If you were all questioned and put to it, how many of you can give a solid proof that you are reconciled, that your peace is made, that you are changed and your nature renewed, and the quarrel between God and you taken away? And yet if we look up and down, you are generally as secure and quiet as if you were born friends with God; there are but few taking with a conviction, and saying within themselves, Is yonder doctrine true of me? As if the Scripture had spoken in vain whatever it speaks of original sin: Ah! shall this never be amended? Will you never lay your sinfulness to heart? Shall you still think nothing of that which gives the occasional rise to the covenant of redemption and to Christ's satisfaction? All the preaching that you hear daily if it be not now laid to heart, it shall be most terrible and dreadful to you one day; and the peace that you now have shall end in red war and great bitterness. 3. It reproves folks' exceeding great unwatchfulness and their trusting to their own nature and following their own counsel; the wise man says, (Proverbs 28:26): He that trusts in his own heart is a fool; is it not reproof-worthy for a man to be as brutish as the very beast that perishes; as it is (Psalm 49), and yet to be as little watchful and as much trustful, or to trust as much to a man's own guiding, as if nothing of a misguiding humor and disposition were in him? We may more than allude to these words of our Savior here, If the blind lead the blind, shall not both fall into the ditch? Many of you think that you are instructed as scribes in the way to heaven, and will be ready to say, God forbid we should be ignorant of that, and what have we been doing all our days if we be yet to learn that lesson? But we will tell you what you have been doing, you have even been like silly witless sheep straying all your days: and we would the rather speak to this, because it is so necessary to be known and believed, and yet so little known and credited. For, 1. You will never be rightly humbled nor make use of Jesus Christ, nor walk watchfully and soberly; in a word you will never believe and repent till you know, be convinced of, and believe this to be your natural inclination and the sinfulness of your nature. And yet 2. Though this be so necessary that the want of it mars the fruit of the word in you, and preaching does but strike you to say so; how many are there that are as little sensible of it as the very stones of the wall that are before us, or the boards that they lean upon as to their own particular state and condition? I would but ask you, Is it possible that you could live so securely and satisfied with your own case if you believed indeed that you had such a sinful nature, and that you were liable to God's wrath and curse? Or would you give such way to your natural sinful humors and inclinations, and so contentedly slight Jesus Christ and the offers of the gospel as many of you do? And yet we see among them with whom we converse, men and women not only as secure as if they had not such natures, but even belching and foaming out their own shame: we would have you therefore to be convinced and know, that not only you are sinners in the general, but that every one of you is such in particular.

To make it the more clear, I shall give you two or three qualifications that are requisite to a suitable conviction of your sinfulness. 1. It would be particular. 2. It would be sensible, you would not in bare words take with it that you are sinners, but you would see and be convinced that in this and this you have sinned, and you would be kindly affected with it. 3. It would be distinct, not a guessing, but a thing that from the seeing and feeling of it you would be clear in. 4. It would have such influence on the moving of your affections, and such an inward working on your hearts, as that you may loathe your nature, and yourself because of it. We may see all these in Paul, (Romans 7:10) and forward, who, though he was greatly renewed, yet says he, I see a law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind; he feels and is very sensible of that which leads him in captivity, and he cries out, Who shall deliver me; etc. His affections are mightily stirred with it, What I do I allow not, etc. O miserable man that I am, etc. If you believe this to be a truth, and that Paul lived in the faith and feeling of it; then judge if there be not just ground to expostulate with most part of you, as being yet without the faith and feeling of this most concerning thing.

The third use of it serves wonderfully to set forth the glory of the free and rich grace of God, that all this business is made and this transaction entered into, that Christ comes to satisfy and does actually satisfy justice for a number of such wretches that had gone astray like lost sheep. This comes in as the scope; we have strayed and done the wrong, but he has paid the debt, and satisfied for the wrong done: and from comparing this verse with the foregoing, we may take these five considerations that serve to heighten the glory of God's grace and free love, and to shame believers that are so little in wondering at it. 1. Who is smitten? His own Son; we sinned and he was smitten, even he who was and is the Father's fellow, the sword awakes against him and we go free. 2. What did our Lord suffer? He was wounded and bruised, the chastisement of our peace was on him, he laid on him the iniquity of us all; it was not a complemental or fashional suffering, but he was arraigned before the tribunal of justice, and did really pay our debt, and satisfy justice for our sins. 3. Who [reconstructed: exacted] this satisfaction? Who did smite him? It's the Lord Jehovah, it's the Father; which makes the glory of grace shine the more; it's God the Father whose heart was tender to the Son of his love that [reconstructed: exacts] the full price of him, so that as he said of Abraham, By this I know that you love me, because you have not withheld your Son, your only son Isaac from me; we may say, by this we know God's love to the elect, when he has not withheld nor spared his own Son from them, but has laid on him the iniquities of them all. 4. For whom did he smite him? For sinners, for straying sheep, for covenant-breakers, for such as had gone a whoring from God, and were bent to sin against him, I mean the elect. 5. When was it that he suffered for them? Even when they were straying, rejecting, despising, nodding the head at him, spitting in his face, and saying away with him, even then he is praying and dying for them. Now put all these together, that such a price shall be exacted of such a cautioner, and for such sinners, and at such a time, behold and see therein how God commends his love to us, as the apostle speaks (Romans 5:8). In that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us; when we were in our sin, not praying to him, nor in capacity to pray or give him thanks for any thing that he did or suffered, he then died for us. Is there any thing here but freedom of grace? And does not this exceeding highly commend the love of God, that he exacts the debt due by us of his Son, and the wonderful love of the mediator and cautioner, that at such a time and for such transgressions he should pay such a price?

Use 4. Seeing this was our state that we were sinners, and that yet herein was the love of God commended, that he laid [reconstructed: off] his Son the iniquity of us all, then, is there not good ground to take with sin and to make use of the remedy, to take with sin and to close with Christ? We might take occasion here to exhort, 1. To watchfulness, and to walking soberly and humbly, from this ground, that we have such a nature. 2. To exhort every one to repentance, because by nature you are all in such a sinful state and condition; [reconstructed: It] may be ground of exercising repentance even long after your justification and peace made with God who are justified; with whom it should be as we see it was with David. But thirdly, seeing by nature you are under God's wrath and curse, and in a state of enmity with him, it mainly serves to exhort you to flee to Jesus Christ and not to rest till you [reconstructed: get] the quarrel taken away; it might be in reason thought that folks would be soon and easily induced to this even to run to Jesus Christ, and to welcome the Gospel with good will, for preventing the curse and wrath due to them for sin, and for subduing of this sinful nature and inclination to stray from God and his way. Therefore seeing there is a fountain opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleanness, since there is a satisfaction given to justice for removing the guilt of sin, and since the Spirit is purchased for mortifying of sin and making holy; let as many as think that they have gone astray and have turned to their own way, as they would not be found still at this distance with God, make use of Christ for making their friendship with God; it's the word that Peter uses (1 Peter 2, last verse). All we like sheep have gone astray, but we are now turned to the shepherd and bishop of our souls; hold, O hold you near this Shepherd, and make use of his righteousness for making your peace. If we could rightly understand the words, we would see in them, 1. A motive to put us on to believing in Christ, and can there be a greater motive than necessity? We have sinned and gone astray, he is the only Savior, there is no other name given under heaven whereby sinners can be saved. 2. There is also in them an encouragement to believing; it was for sinners, such as we are, that Jesus Christ suffered all that he suffered, which may be ground of hope and encouragement to step forward; and if neither our need, nor Christ's being a Savior willing to make sinners welcome will prevail, we know not what will do it. It will turn to this, and you will be put to it, whether are you sinners? And if sinners, whether is it not a desperate thing to lie under sin and wrath? If you be not sinners we have no warrant to propose this doctrine to you, to invite or make you welcome to a Savior; but if you grant that you are sinners, will you contentedly lie under sin? Will you be able to bear it out against God? Or think you that you will be well enough for all that? And if you dare not resolve to lie under sin, I would ask, what way will you win from it? Think you it easy to win from under it? Must not the justice of God be satisfied? Some of you think that you can pray yourselves out of sin, but what need was there of Christ's sufferings if a satisfaction might have been made to justice another way? And if none but Christ can satisfy, it turns to this, that by all means you would make use of him, else you will most certainly drown and die in your sins. And this is the thing that we would commend to you, that under the sense of sin, and in the faith of God's condescending love, you would flee to Jesus Christ, and give him employment for making your peace with God, and taking away your sin and sanctifying of you. O but this be suitable to sinners; and if you think yourselves sinners, prejudge not yourselves of the benefit of a Savior.