Sermon 26

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.

In the former verse the Prophet has asserted three most wonderful truths, and very concerning to the people of God, and yet such truths as will not be easy to digest by natural reason. 1. That our Lord Jesus was put to sore and sad sufferings — He was wounded and bruised, etc. 2. That these sad sufferings were for us the elect; it was for our sins, and what was due to the elect, he was made to bear them — He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. 3. The end of these sufferings, or the effect that followed on them to us, pardon of sin, peace with God, and healing — The chastisement of our peace was on him, and by his stripes we are healed.

And each of these being more wonderful than another, therefore the Prophet goes on to clear their rise, which is no less wonderful; how it came to pass that he suffered, and suffered so much, and that we have such benefit by his sufferings. It could not (would he say) be otherwise, but it behooved our Lord Jesus to suffer, and to suffer so much, and for us; neither was it unreasonable that it should be for our benefit, for we had all like lost sheep gone astray, and every one of us had turned to his own way. And there was no way of relief for us but by Christ's stepping into our place, and interposing for us, and engaging to pay our debt; and by virtue of that interposition and bargain, The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. And therefore, 1. Would you have the reason of Christ's so great sufferings? Here it is — the elect had many sins, and he interposing for them, their account was scored out, and they were reckoned on his score. 2. If the cause and reason be asked, how it came to pass that Christ suffered so much for us? Here it is — he undertook to satisfy for our iniquities, and God imputed them to him; even as if a debtor were pursued, and one should step in and be guarantor for him, and being enacted surety, should take on, and become liable for the debt; the exacting it of him is the laying it on him. But 3. If it be asked how it comes to pass that his sufferings become our healing, and bring peace to us? It is answered, it was so transacted and agreed upon; he was content to pay all our debt, and the Father accepted of his payment for ours; our blessed Lord Jesus engaging and satisfying, the elect are set free, and justice betakes itself to him as the more responsible party. This is the scope of the words, which though but few, yet exceeding full and significant, as holding out the fountain and fundamental grounds of the Gospel. We shall look upon them in these three respects. 1. As they imply a covenant and transaction, whereby the elect's sins are transacted on Christ, and his righteousness is made application of to them; Christ undertaking to pay their debt, and Jehovah accepting it, and promising that his satisfaction made for the benefit of the elect, shall be applied to them. 2. In respect of the effects, which are two; which though they seem contrary, the one to the other, yet they are well consistent together, and subordinate the one of them to the other. The first is of justice on Christ's side — he satisfies for the debt due by the elect. The second is of mercy and grace to the elect, which is also implied, but comparing these words with the former, it is very clear; he is wounded and bruised, and they are healed, the chastisement of their peace was on him, the imputing of their debt to him, makes that it is not imputed to them. 3. In respect of the influence that the eternal covenant has on these effects, it lays down the way how these may be justly brought about, which is the scope of all, even to show how Christ Jesus being the innocent Son of God, and without sin, was made liable to the debt of the elect's sin. He became guarantor for them, and is made liable on that account to satisfy for them. It clears also how his sufferings stood for theirs; which may seem to be unreasonable and unjust among men, that the sufferings of an innocent party should stand for the guilty. It was so articled in the Covenant of Redemption that the Son as Mediator interposing and undertaking to pay the elect's debt, the Lord Jehovah the creditor, should not reckon it on their score, but on the Mediator's, and that he should account for it. The Prophet in every verse almost, is striking on the sweet and pleasant string of this noble plot and contrivance of God concerning the redemption of elect sinners, called the Covenant of Redemption; which these words considered with respect to their scope, do in all the parts of it clearly hold out. And therefore the clearing of it being the clearing of a main ground of our faith in reference to Christ's sufferings, and to the way how they are made forthcoming to us, and moreover to the benefits that come by them to us, we cannot speak too much nor too often of it, if we could speak of it suitably to the passing excellency of the matter.

The first doctrine supposed here is, that there is an eternal covenant and transaction between the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator, wherein the whole business concerning the redemption and salvation of the elect is contrived; there is an eternal covenant past between God and the Mediator, wherein all that is executed, or will be, concerning the elect till the day of judgment, was contrived; there is nothing relating to the elect's salvation, but it was in this transaction exactly contrived and laid down, even as it is in time executed; and it's called a covenant in Scripture, and we call it so, not strictly and properly, as if all things in covenants among men were in it, but because materially and substantially it is so, and the resemblance will hold for the most part; the Lord having laid down in it the plot of man's salvation in a legal way, so as his grace and mercy may be glorified, and his justice satisfied, has put it in this form so as it may bear the name of a covenant. Wherein we have, 1. Mutual parties, the Lord Jehovah the party offended on the one side, and the Lord Mediator, him, the party engaging to satisfy on the other side; which shows the freeness of the redemption of the elect as to them, and the certainty of their salvation; and moreover, the immutability of God's purpose, for the parties are not mutable creatures, but on the one side Jehovah, and on the other side the Mediator, though considered as to be incarnate and the head of the elect; this whole business bred there, to wit in the council of the Godhead, for promoting of that great end, the glorifying of the grace and justice of God in the elect's salvation. 2. What is it about? It's about this matter, how to get the elect saved from the curse, to which on their foreseen fall and sinning they were made liable; redemption necessarily presupposing man's fall and the covenant of works, to which the certification and threatening was added, the soul that sins shall die, and the elect presupposed as fallen as well as others, are liable to that curse, except a satisfaction for them do intervene; so that the elect are considered as having sins, and as being in themselves lost: and what is the Lord Jehovah and the Mediator doing, what are they about in this covenant? It's how to get the punishment due to the elect for their sin removed from them: and these persons used in the text are all the elect, wherein there is implied a particular consideration of them that are designed to life and salvation, and a particular consideration of all their sins, and of their several aggravations, that there may be a proportion between the price and the wrong that God has gotten by their sinning against him. 3. The occasion of this covenant, and the reason why it needed to be, is held forth in the first, all we like sheep had gone astray, and turned every one of us to his own way; the elect as well as others had made themselves through their sinning liable to God's wrath and curse, and they were incapable of life and salvation till the curse was removed; and so there is a hindrance and obstruction in the way of the execution of the decree of election (which must stand for the glorification of God's grace and mercy, primarily intended in all this work) and till this hindrance be removed, the glorification of God's grace is hindered and obstructed; for the removal of which obstruction there is a necessity of a Redeemer, for the elect are not able to pay their own debt themselves; now that there may be a Redeemer, and that a price of redemption may be laid down, there is also a necessity of a covenant, otherwise the Redeemer cannot be, if a transaction do not precede, on which the Redeemer's interposing is founded. 4. What is the price, what is the stipulation, or that which the Mediator is engaged to, and that which provoked justice required? It is even satisfaction for all the wrongs that the sins of the elect did or were to do to the majesty of God; these sins deserved wounding and smiting, and the terms run on this, that justice shall get that of the Mediator, that the elect may be spared; and comparing this verse with the former, upon the one side our Lord Jesus gives his back to bear their burden, and engages to satisfy for their debt, and to undergo the punishment due to them; and upon the other side Jehovah accepts of this offer and engagement, and lays over the burden of their debt on him; as the Mediator places and enacts himself in their room for payment of their debt, so he lays it on him, and accepts of it. 5. The end of this great transaction, to wit, of the undertaking on the Mediator's side, and of the acceptation on the Father's side, is, that the elect may have pardon and peace, and that by his stripes they may be healed; that justice may spare them and pursue him, and that the discharge of the debt purchased by him, may be made forthcoming to them, as if they had paid the debt themselves, or had never been owing anything to justice.

Hence deductions may be made holding forth several points of truth, as, 1. Concerning the definiteness of the number of the elect. 2. Concerning the virtue and efficacy of the price which the Mediator has paid, and the fullness of his satisfaction. 3. Concerning imputed righteousness, which is or may be called the laying of his righteousness on us as our iniquity was laid on him; he is counted the sinner by undertaking our debt, and the elect by receiving the offered righteousness in the Gospel, are accounted righteous by virtue of his satisfying for their debt. 4. Concerning the ground and matter of wonderful soul satisfaction and ravishment that it is here; that God should be thus minding the salvation of the elect, and thus contriving and ordering the work of their redemption, that their debt shall be paid, and yet nothing (to speak so) come out of their purse; and that by so excellent a means as is the intervention of the Mediator, and that this shall notwithstanding the dear price paid by him, be made freely forthcoming to the elect.

Use 1. O! Look not on the salvation of sinners, and the bringing of a sinner to heaven, as a little or a light business and work; it's the greatest work and most wonderful that ever was heard tell of; indeed its in effect the end of all things which God has made, and of his preserving and guiding the world in the order wherein it is governed, even that he may have a church therein for the praise of the glory of his grace; we are exceeding far and sinful wrong in this, that we value not the work of redemption as becomes, and that we endeavor not to pry into, and take up the admirable love and deep wisdom of God that goes along and shines brightly in this whole contexture; who could ever have found out this way? When the Elect were lying under God's curse and wrath, that then the Son of God should undertake to satisfy for them, and that the Majesty of God should be so far from all partiality and respect of persons, that he will pursue his own dear Son for the Elect's debt when he undertakes it; this is the rise of our salvation and the channel wherein it runs; O! rare and ravishing, O! admirable and amiable, O! beautiful and beneficial contrivance, blessed, eternally blessed be the contriver.

Use 2. The second use serves to stir us up to study to know somewhat, and to know more of the way of salvation under this notion of God's covenanting with the Mediator; not thereby to restrict God to man's laws and forms, but for helping us to the better and more easy uptaking of these great things; and that we may see that the salvation of the Elect is sure, forasmuch as it is laid down by way of bargain, [reconstructed: Transaction] or Covenant between Jehovah and the Mediator, whom the Lord will no more fail in performing the promises made to him, than he has failed in giving the satisfaction required: this would help both to clear and confirm the faith of believers, and to strengthen the hope of all who are fled for refuge to take hold of him, in the certain expectation of these things engaged for in the Covenant; seeing there is no less reason to think that Jehovah will be forthcoming to the Mediator, than there is to think that he has performed all that he engaged himself for.

The second thing here, is the native effect or fruit of the Covenant, and that which the Prophet aims at; even to show how it came to pass that Christ suffered so much, because it was so covenanted, statute and ordained, because he was by a prior contrivance and contract substituted with his own hearty consent in the room of the Elect who had many and great sins to account for; from which observe, that by virtue of this eternal Covenant between Jehovah and the Mediator, all the sins of the Elect with their several aggravations, are imputed to Jesus Christ, and reckoned upon his score; or take it thus, by this eternal Covenant that passed between God and the Mediator, the complete punishment that was due to all the Elect for their sins in their greatest aggravations, was laid upon Jesus Christ; Jehovah laid upon him the iniquity of us all; this is frequently touched on in this chapter, as particularly in the words going before, He carried our sorrows, he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, etc. And it's sufficiently confirmed in the New Testament, as 2 Corinthians 5 — he who knew no sin was made sin for us; he had no sin in himself, but by virtue of this Covenant, he was made the sacrifice for our sin, and made to bear the punishment thereof; and Galatians 3:13, he has redeemed us from the curse of the law, he himself being made a curse for us.

There are two words which we shall a little clear in this doctrine; and secondly, give some reasons of it; and then thirdly, we shall speak to some uses from it.

1. For the two words or things in the doctrine to be cleared, they are these: first, what we mean by this, when we say iniquity is laid upon Christ; the second is, how it is laid upon Christ? As to the first, when we say iniquity is laid upon Christ, we mean these things shortly. 1. That our Lord Jesus is really made accountable and liable to justice for these iniquities as if they had been his own, by virtue of his covenant; in God's justice he having engaged to pay the elect's debt, his engagement makes him liable to it. 2. We mean that not only our Lord Jesus is made liable to our debt, but that really he is made to satisfy for it. In short, we have done the wrong, but he makes the amends as if he had done the wrong himself. The just satisfied for the unjust; he in whose mouth there was no guile, was made to satisfy for guilty sinners as if he had been the guilty person himself. By the sins of the elect, God's declarative holiness suffered; creatures impudently broke his command, and his justice was wronged; creatures topped with it, to say so, and that even after the curse was pronounced, and after they had believed the Devil more than God. But our Lord Jesus comes in to make the amends, and the holiness of God is vindicated by his obedience, and his justice is vindicated by his suffering. The elect have deserved wounding, but says the Mediator, let the wounds which they have deserved come on me, let them be mine; and thus he makes reparation of the wrong and the amend, because though the elect be spared, yet hereby the Lord is known to be as really and as much a hater of sin, and as just in fulfilling his threatening, as if the elect had been smitten in their own persons; because he punished sin in his own Son. Indeed by this means he is seen so much the more to be holy, severe, pure and spotless; and that the Son of God sweetly submits to his becoming man; and to these terrible sufferings for satisfying Divine justice. Here, O! here the spotlessness and severity of the justice of God, as also the greatness of the glory of the free grace and love shine forth conspicuously. 3. It implies this, that really there was a convening and turning of that wrath and of these sufferings proportionably on Jesus Christ, which justice was to have inflicted on the elect eternally if he had not interposed for them; and that altogether in a full cup presented to him and put in his hand. That which would have been in so many drops an eternal hell to elect sinners, is made to meet on him in one great sea; he gets it to drink up, dregs and all. In which respect (Galatians 3:13) he is said to be made a curse for us. The Lord will not pass from one farthing of what was due to him, and will be satisfied with no less than proportionable satisfaction to that which was due to justice by the elect themselves, though the surety was his own only Son. Therefore it behooved Christ to come under the curse, in which sense he is said to be made a curse for us, which supposes that he endured the same curse and punishment due to the elect's sins in all the essentials of it. He behooved to die, and to have his soul separate from his body for a time, and for a season to want in a great measure the comfortable manifestations of God's favor and presence, and to have wrath pursuing him, and to have horror seizing upon him. Though our blessed Lord being spotless and without sin, and having a good conscience, was not capable of these some way accidental circumstances, of unbelief, sinful anxiety and desperation, that sinful finite creatures are liable to when they come under wrath.

The second word or thing to be cleared in the doctrine, is, How are iniquities laid upon Christ Jesus? In three respects, 1. In respect of the eternal transaction between Jehovah and him as Mediator sustaining the person of the elect; even as one man has another's debt laid on him, when by a law-sentence he is made liable to it; so is Christ made liable to the elect's iniquity, when their account is blotted out, and the debt as it were written down in his account to be satisfied for. 2. In respect of Justice pursuing him for it; When he becomes surety and full debtor for the elect, he is put to pay their debt to the least farthing; the Lord musters up against him his terrors, and commands his sword to awake and to smite the man that is his fellow. But thirdly, and mainly. In respect of his actual undergoing the curse and suffering, that which the elect should have suffered; for it is not the work of a court to pass a sentence, but also to see to the execution of the sentence; not only are orders given to the sword to awake and smite, but the sword falls on and smites him actually; and though from the apprehension of the anger of God, as Man, and without the sensible and comforting manifestation of his Father's love, and his seemingly forsaking him for a time; He prayed, Father if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; yet it will not be, and he submits most sweetly to it; and not only is the cup put in his hand, but the dregs of wrath are, as it were, wrung out into it, and he must needs drink it up all; which manifestly appears in his agony in the garden when he is made to sweat blood; and in his complaint (if we may so call it) My soul is exceeding sorrowful, and what shall I say? And in these strange words uttered by him on the Cross, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? All which tell us plainly, that not only was he enacted as surety, and had the sentence past on him, but that really he satisfied, and had the sentence executed on him; that in his soul he was really pierced and wounded, and that with far deeper wounds than these were which the soldiers by the spear and nails made in his body; before the elect's discharge of their debt could be procured and obtained. What it was more particularly that he suffered, the following words hold out. But here it's clear, that he suffered really, and suffered much; that not only he undertook to pay, but that he was actually pursued and made to lay down to the least farthing whatever was due to Justice by the elect. And this is the cause why these words are brought in as the reason why he suffered so much, even because so many and so great sins with all their aggravations were laid upon him; and if his sufferings were not great and undergone for this end, to satisfy for the elect's debt that they might be set free, the prophet's scope would not be reached, neither would there be a suitable connection between the latter and the foregoing words.

As for the second, to wit some reasons of the doctrine, we shall shortly give you these three why the elect's sins were laid on Christ and put on his account, and why he was made to undergo the complete punishment of them by virtue of the Covenant of Redemption. 1. Because it did much contribute to the glory of God, for he had designed in his eternal council that his grace should be glorified in the salvation of the elect; and that his justice should also be glorified in punishing of sin either in themselves or in their surety; and as free grace and mercy must be glorious in saving the elect, and justice in being satisfied for their sins; so it's to that end, that since the elect cannot pay their own debt, that their surety pay it, and pay it fully, that the Lord in exacting satisfaction from him in their name, may be known to be just. 2. This way makes much for the confirmation of the faith of the believing elect and for their consolation; for the confirmation of their faith, for what can justice demand that it has not gotten? It is fully satisfied; and then for their consolation; seeing the Father put his own Son to suffer, and to so great suffering for them, what is it that they may not confidently expect from such a fountain? 3. This serves to hold out the wonderful great obligation of the elect to God and to the Mediator; for the greater their sin was the more he suffered; the greater their debt was, the more he paid; and they are the more in his debt and the greater debtors to him; and ought the more to love him, and their duty for his sake; as it is said of the woman (Luke 7), She loved much for much was forgiven her; so this way of paying the elect's debt, calls and strongly pleads, and also makes way for much warm and tender love in them to Jesus Christ.

In the third place, we come to the uses of the doctrine; to which I shall preface this word of desire to you, that you would not look on these things as tasteless or unsavory; for had we not had these precious truths to open up to you, we should have had no meetings to this purpose, no ground to speak of life to you, nor any the least hope or expectation of life. And indeed it may be sadly lamented, that among a multitude of professing people, these substantial truths of the gospel are so tasteless and little appealing to the most part; which too evidently appears in the unconcerned, wearying, and gazing posture of some, and in the slumbering and sleeping of others in our public assemblies. If our hearts were in a right frame, half a word, to say so, to this purpose would be a wakening and alarming to us. However this is a great privilege in itself; heathens may and do know something of moral duties, but it's a privilege which we have and they lack, that the fundamental truths of the gospel are among us and not among them.

The first use serves to let us see the brightness of the glory of grace and truth; of mercy and justice shining clearly here. Can there be any greater mercy, and more pure mercy than this, that the Lord should be gracious to sinners, and to great sinners, that had turned every one of them to their own way, in providing a Mediator, and such a Mediator, in providing such a help for them, and laying that help upon one that is mighty, and that he should have done this of his own head (so to speak with reverence) when the Elect were in their sins, and when there was nothing to be the impulsive or meritorious cause of it? And that the Father should have laid this weight of punishment on Christ the Son of his love, and pursued him at this rate of holy severity for sinners' debt? O! what grace and mercy shines here? And secondly, the spotless justice of God does also here wonderfully manifest itself. O! How exact is justice, when it will not quit a farthing even to the second Person of the Godhead, when he became Man, and man's Surety? But since he has put himself in the room of sinners, the Lord makes all their iniquities to meet on him. This is matter of admiration to men and angels, to consider how justice and mercy run in one channel, and shine in one covenant, the one of them not encroaching upon the other.

Use 2. We may gather from this same insight and clearness in the very great sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ. For these things are here put together: first, that he suffered for all the Elect, all of us; second, for all the sins of all the Elect, and for all the sins of all the Elect in their highest and most aggravating circumstances, the particular reckoning of them all, as it were, being cast up, they are all put on his score; third, all these meet together in a great sea and shock upon him at one time, as they came from several directions, like so many rivers. Or they were like so many regiments, or rather armies of men, all meeting together and marshalled, to fall pell mell (to say so) on him. One sin were enough to condemn, the many sins of one is more, but all the sins of all the Elect is much more. They deserved to have lain in Hell eternally, but he coming in their room all their sins met as the violent press of waters on him. What then must his sufferings have been, when he was so put to it for all the sins of all the Elect, and that at once?

Use 3. We may gather from here a just account of the truth of Christ's satisfaction, and a ground for refutation of the Socinian error, a blasphemy which is most abominable to be once mentioned, as if our Lord had suffered all this only to give us an example, and as if there had not been a proportionable satisfaction in his sufferings to our debt, nor an intention to satisfy justice thereby. Every verse almost, not to say every word in this chapter refutes this. If he had not satisfied for our sins, why is he said to be here on the matter put in our room? And if his sufferings had not been very great, what needed the prophet to show the reason of his great sufferings, in all the sins of all the Elect their meeting on him? There was surely a particular respect had to this, even to show that the meeting of all these sins of all the Elect together upon Christ, did cause and procure great and extreme sufferings to him. He suffered the more that they had had so many sins, seeing their many sins are given for the cause of his so much suffering.

Use 4. Here is great ground of consolation to believing sinners. Out of this eater comes meat, and out of this strong comes sweet. The more sharp and bitter these sufferings were to Christ, the report of them is in some respect the more savory and sweet to the believer, whose effectual calling discovers his election. And indeed I cannot tell how many grounds of consolation believers have from this doctrine. But first, if they have sinned, there is here a Savior provided for them. Second, this Savior has undertaken their debt. Third, he has undertaken it with the Father's allowance. Fourth, as he has undertaken it, so the Father has laid on him all their iniquity. Fifth, all the Elect come in here together in one roll, and there is but one covenant, and one Mediator for them all. The sin of the poor body, of the weakest and meanest, is transacted on him, as well as the sin of Abraham that great friend of God, and father of the faithful, and the salvation of the one is as sure as the salvation of the other. All believers from the strongest to the weakest have but one right of charter to Heaven, but one holding of the inheritance. Sixth, the Lord has laid on him all the iniquities of all the Elect with a particular respect to all their aggravations, and to all the several ways that they have turned to sin — their original sin, and all their actual transgressions, with their particular predominants, as to their punishment. And there is reason for it, because the Elect could not satisfy for the least sin. And it is necessary for the glorifying of grace, that the glory of the work of their salvation be not halved, but solely and singularly ascribed and given to God; therefore the satisfaction comes all on the Mediator's account, and none of it on theirs. Seventh, all this is really done and performed by the Mediator without any suit or request of the Elect, or of the believer, at least as the procuring cause thereof. He buys and purchases what is needful for them, and pays for their discharge. And they have no more to do, but to call for an extract, and to take a sealed remission by his blood — the application of which, the uses that follow will give occasion to speak to.

Use 5. Since it is so, then none would think little of sin, which checks the great presumption that is among men and women, who think little and light of sin, and that it is an easy matter to come by the pardon of it. They think there is no more to do but barely and [reconstructed: baldly] to confess they have sinned, and to say, God is merciful, and hence they conclude that God will not reckon with them. But, did he reckon with the Mediator, and that so holily, rigidly and severely too, and will he, do you think, spare you? If he dealt so with the green tree, what will become of the dry? Be not deceived, God will not be mocked.

And therefore 6ly, As the close of all, see here the absolute necessity of sharing in Christ's satisfaction, and of having an interest therein by this covenant derived to you, else know that you must count for your own sins; And if so, woe eternally to you; Therefore either betake yourselves to the Mediator, that by his eye-salve you may see, that by his gold you may be enriched, that by his garments you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness do not appear; And that you may, by being justified by his knowledge, be free from the wrath to come, or otherwise you must and shall lie under it for ever.

Thus you have the fullness of God's covenant on the one side, and the weightiness and terribleness of God's wrath on the other side laid before you; If you knew what a fearful thing his wrath were, you would be glad at your hearts to hear of a Savior, and every one would run and make haste to be found in him, and to share of his satisfaction, and to be sure of a discharge by virtue of his payment of the debt, and they would give all diligence to make sure their calling and election; For that end the Lord himself powerfully persuade you to do so.