Sermon 31

Isaiah 53, Verse 8. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

The Prophet has been long in describing Christ's sufferings, and has shown what height they came to, even to prison and to judgment, and to death itself, He was cut off out of the land of the living; now he casts in a word to show why all this was, or what was the procuring cause that brought all this suffering and sorrow on Christ, which also was the end that he had before him in it, in these words, for the transgression of my people was he stricken; we show that by my people here, was not meant all men and women in the world, or rather, not all men who are externally called in the visible Church, but his Elect only, these whom he has chosen to be his people, and separated from others by an eternal decree of Election; we show also that these words, for the transgression of my people was he stricken, do not contain only a reason of Christ's extreme suffering, even of his being brought to prison and to judgment before men, but also and mainly of his being brought so before God, and of his being cut off; for the sins of God's people are not laid to his charge before men, but before God they are; and so it does imply an influence that the sins of the Elect had upon Christ's sufferings, and a respect that his sufferings had to their sins; the Elect's sins procured these sufferings to him, and his sufferings were undergone by him for the satisfying of justice for their sins, and for the removing of them.

I shall not insist further in the exposition of the words, having opened them up the last day, but shall hint at a few doctrines from them; and because they are general and more doctrinal, I shall be the shorter in speaking to them; though it may be you think not so much of them, yet they are not a little for your edification; and if you were suitably sensible of sin, and of your hazard, there is no doctrine concerning the Covenant of Redemption but it would be useful and refreshing to you.

There are several things implied here concerning the efficacy of the price of Christ's death, and concerning the extent of it, as it's laid down as a price for the sins of the Elect, which I shall first passingly touch upon, and then come to these doctrines that are more directly held forth in the words.

1. Then, it is implied, that there is a people of God separated from others, and chosen by him, on whom he intended and purposed before the world was, to glorify his grace; The very designation that they get here clears this; It's my people, not only of the Jews, nor my people only of the Gentiles, but my people both of Jews and Gentiles; as Christ says, (John 10) Other sheep have I which are not of this fold, them I must bring [reconstructed: in].

2. It is implied that this Decree of Election is [reconstructed: antecedent] to, and goes before the Covenant of Redemption in order of nature, it flows not from Christ's death as the effect of it, but is prior to it; for if Christ's death be the mean, or price (as indeed it is) whereby the sins of God's Elect people are satisfied for, then the Decree of Election must precede it; Only we would beware to ascribe to God any priority or posteriority in his decrees in order of time, for he is infinite in wisdom and foresight, and able to look on all things with one blink of beholding, and to decree things infinite in number at once, which we cannot conceive of, nor comprehend; But this we say, that considering the order of things, the Decree of Election is not a fruit or effect of Christ's death, but prior to it, and Christ's death follows as a mean to make it effectual; He is appointed to save the Elect from their sins, and from that which their sins deserved. For the transgression of my people was he stricken; They were God's people by Election before Christ's engagement to suffer and satisfy for them, much more before his actual suffering, and so their Election cannot be a fruit and effect of his suffering.

Use. It serves to vindicate this truth from an error and mistake of the Arminians, who, as they overthrow the design of grace in the salvation of sinners in other steps thereof; so do they in this, in making Christ's death to precede Election, and Election to follow it; But, as we hinted before, the Decree of Election is Sovereign, being an act of grace absolutely free, the Lord in it having designed some for manifesting the glory of his grace upon them as the end, he has taken in Christ's death and other [reconstructed: means] for the promoting of it.

3. It is implied here, that even the Elect or God's people are considered as sinful in the Covenant of Redemption, For the transgression of my people was he stricken; They were considered as sinful as well as others when they were bargained for: We need not here dispute whether they were considered as sinful in the Decree of Election, it not being necessary in this place, nor profitable for you, but sure in Christ's undertaking for them they are considered as sinful; for God sent not Christ, neither came he into the world to purchase life and salvation to righteous folks, but he was sent and came to lay down his life a ransom for many, namely sinners, and therefore it is given as the reason of his name, (Matthew 1:21) You shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins.

Use 1. It serves to humble the Elect greatly, who, when ever they come to get grace, they get it most freely, for they were no better by nature than others whom God passed by, as is clear, (Ephesians 2:1) We were dead in trespasses and sins, and were by nature children of wrath even as others; Peter and Paul were by nature children of wrath as well as Judas; And David was a child of wrath by nature as well as Saul, when this transaction concerning the work of Redemption was agreed upon and concluded between these most responsible parties.

2. It serves also much for the encouragement of a believer who is sensible of sin, and afraid of wrath, and in that posture betakes himself to Christ for refuge; though his unbelief should make him say with Peter, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, yet this consideration may hearten him to draw near, that Christ was stricken for sinners, for the transgressions of his elect people; indeed, if there had not been sin, and if the Covenant of Works had [reconstructed: held its ground], there needed not to have been a Saviour, and therefore sinners have here a solid ground to lay hold upon for life and salvation.

And therefore as a third use of it, it is an unsafe assertion, beside the curiosity of it, that Antinomians maintain, which is, that though man had never fallen, yet Christ would have become Man; For we see here, that Christ's becoming Man, and his being stricken, flowed from his being Surety for elect sinners; and his being Surety flowed from the Covenant of Redemption concerning elect sinners: To be wise without, or beside and above what is written in the Scriptures, it's vanity, pride and folly.

4. It is implied here, that sin wherever it is deserves strokes, even the sin of the elect; Indeed we may add this to it, that not only do the sins of the elect deserve strokes in themselves, being breaches of God's Law, but that there is an actual curse standing against them till it be removed; And God's threatening, The day you eat you shall surely die, infers a necessity of strokes; This we say is clearly implied here, because the Mediator entering himself Surety for the elect's debt had to be smitten, and when he was so smitten, sure sin must deserve much; We speak not of an absolute necessity, but God having revealed to man his duty, and added a threatening, that in the day he should eat he should die, there is a necessity in respect of God's truth, faithfulness, and unchangeableness who had spoken the word, that strokes should follow sin, for sin cannot be removed till the threatening be satisfied.

Use. This may point out to us that sin is no little nor light thing, neither is the obtaining of pardon any easy business whatever men generally think of them; There are many sad strokes that follow sin, which will hotly pursue sinners who are not in Christ; O! do not then think lightly of sin which is the fountain of so much misery and woe to the sinner; If you knew how exceedingly bitter wrath and the curse is that follows sin, you would as soon put your head in the fire as you would meddle with it; If you believed that word to be true which is in (Exodus 34) He will by no means clear the guilty; And if you believed God's faithfulness that is engaged to make good his threatenings, accusations for sin would be more strong and stinging.

5. It is implied here, that though the elect's sins deserve wrath, and that there must be a satisfaction before they can be removed, that yet the elect cannot satisfy for themselves, For the transgressions of my people was he stricken; Christ had to be smitten before their sin could be removed; If the elect could have done their own business they needed not to have been so much in Christ's debt, nor to have given him thanks for his undertaking; But this is brought in to hold forth the condescension of his love, that when no other thing could do it, he interposed as Surety; The abominableness of sin was so great, that the majesty of God his infinite holiness and his spotless justice being wronged, and the finite creature not being able to make amends for the wrong done, did require this; For all mankind, indeed all the holy angels could not satisfy for the wrong done by one man to the infinite God, therefore he says, I am the Saviour, and there is none else; He gives defiance to all Saviours beside himself, None can redeem his brother's soul from death, nor give a price sufficient for it, the redemption of it ceases for ever among the creatures.

Use. Study then to be suitably sensible of this; you may possibly think it to be but a common doctrine, but [reconstructed: alas] you walk not under the due and deep conviction and sense of it, hence it comes to pass that so few think themselves in Christ's debt, and that so few make their address to him: Ask the most part how they think they will get to Heaven? They will readily name many things and ways before they light on Christ and faith in him; If they have done a fault they say they will make amends, or they will pray for pardon, and they think that will do the turn: Such have this language in effect, that either there is no need of satisfaction for sin, or that they can satisfy for themselves.

6. It is implied here, that though the elect have sinned, and cannot satisfy for themselves, yet it is necessary that a satisfaction be provided for them; I do not say simply that whoever has sinned must have a satisfaction made for them; For the Lord has left legions of angels and many thousands of reprobate men and women without hope of a Saviour, or of a satisfaction; But considering God's purpose to bring many sons to glory, and his decree of election which must needs stand, and that the elect's names are written in the book of life; It is impossible that they can lie still under the curse, but must be satisfied for, and redeemed from it; For the transgression of my people was he stricken; My people have sinned, and must be redeemed; On supposition of the decree of election our Lord undertook that great work, the elect cannot perish, sin cannot draw them utterly away from God; Not only shall no externals such as devils or men, persecution, tribulation, etc. be able to come between them and life, but not sin itself that is within them; His decree being peremptory must stand, as he says (John 10), I have other sheep which are not of this fold, them also I must bring in; God's purpose cannot be frustrated nor altered, therefore of necessity their sins must be satisfied for.

It is implied here, that for this end, to wit, that the elect might be saved from sin, and that God's decree of election might stand sure, Christ Jesus became surety, and did undertake to satisfy for their sins; otherwise he could not have been liable to be stricken for them, if he had not become surety for them. That he was for the transgression of God's people stricken, says plainly that he was engaged for them, as it is (Hebrews 7:22): He was made surety of a better testament. And (Psalm 40:7): Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God. These things being spoken after the manner of, and borrowed from, the bargainings or transactions that use to be among men, we may conceive the business thus (hinted before): there is the Father's refusing of somewhat, Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, and his proposing of another thing, and that is, that the Mediator would engage for the elect. And upon the other side, there is the Mediator's offer to undertake, and his actual undertaking and accepting of the Father's proposal; when sacrifices and offerings, when thousands of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil will not do it, Lo, I come, says he. And then for a conclusion of the bargain and transaction, there is the Father's accepting of his undertaking; he is content to take his sufferings as the price for the elect's debt. Hence (John 17), he says, Your they were, and you gave them me, that is, yours they were by election, and you gave them me to be redeemed by me. And (Hebrews 10:10), it is said, that it is by this will that we are sanctified, that is, by the will of the Father, that the Son should be surety.

Look upon the work of redemption as a great, gracious, and glorious work; about the designing and contriving of which the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were occupied (to speak so with reverence) before the world was. He might have made worlds of angels and of sinless men and women at a word, and yet he has graciously condescended to this way for redeeming of the poor elect. We are alas sinfully disposed to think little of the salvation and redemption of a soul, but it is a great matter in God's account, the deepest of whose consultation (to say so) is taken up about it, and in the contrivance of which the manifold wisdom of God conspicuously shines forth. And as in other things therein, so in this, that there was an ancient undertaking and engaging by Jesus Christ in the room of the elect as their surety.

While it is said, For the transgression of my people was he cut off and stricken, it implies that Christ in his undertaking for the elect did oblige himself to undergo all these sufferings that were due to them, and even the suffering of a cursed death, which was the curse threatened against man for sin: The day you eat you shall surely die. And though Christ becoming surety and guarantor, the party is altered, yet the price is still continued to be the same, as is clear (Galatians 3:13): He was made a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come on us Gentiles. By this the justice of God is vindicated, and he has access to show mercy to the elect without any the least imputation to it. Nay, this way is more for the vindicating of God's justice, and for the making of his faithfulness to shine, that Christ became man, and died for the elect, than if the curse had lighted and lain on all the elect themselves, and it is a greater [reconstructed: awe-restraint] on sinners against sin. I say again, that hereby the pure and spotless justice of God is more vindicated, and his faithfulness more demonstrated, when he will needs so severely, and with so much holy rigidity exact of the guarantor the elect's debt to the least farthing, than if they had suffered themselves eternally. It shows forth also, both the manifold wisdom and the riches of the free grace of God, there being a decree of election for saving so many, and for bringing them to glory. And they being under sin, there is another decree and threatening that goes forth for cursing the sinner, and these two seeming to be altogether irreconcilable, the question comes in on the one hand, how is it possible that a sinner under the curse can be saved? And upon the other hand, how is it possible that an elect of God can be damned? The wisdom of God looses the knot; spotless justice is satisfied by taking hold of, and falling on, the guarantor. Wonderful grace and love vent themselves in pardoning the sinner, and in accepting of a ransom for him. And manifold wisdom manifests itself in knitting these two together, so as none of them can want its effect. But all returns to the manifestation of the glory of grace in the upshot. It cannot be that the elect shall be damned; yet here stands the threatening of a just God, and his curse ready to be executed, but here is the reconciliation: the curse is executed on the Mediator, whereby God shows himself to be a hater of sin, and an avenger of the wrong done to his justice. And the elect sinner is pardoned, whereby God manifests the freedom of his grace, and his wonderfully condescending love.

But now we come to a 9th doctrine, which is more directly held forth in the words, and it has two branches, that our Lord Jesus his death and sufferings is a proportionable price and satisfaction laid down for the sins of the elect, and for them only. This is in the express words of the prophet; if the question be asked, why did Christ suffer all this? He answers, he suffered it as a price for transgression; if it be asked again for whom, or for whose transgression did he suffer? He answers, not for all men and women in the world, but for the transgression of my people was he stricken, or the stroke was on him for their transgressions. The first branch of the doctrine is to this purpose, that Christ's suffering is intended to satisfy for the transgression of God's elected people, and with respect to satisfying for their sins did he suffer. And if we take these to be truths that we marked before, as implied in the words, this will natively and necessarily follow; if he engaged to be cautioner and surety for the elect's debt, then his laying down his life must be on the same account, and for the same end. Now, when we speak of Christ's laying down a price to satisfy for the transgressions of the elect, we mean not only this, that his sufferings and death have a value in themselves to satisfy for their sins, but that they are so intended by him in undergoing of them, and that they are so accepted of God according to his purpose, and according to the transaction that passed between Jehovah and the Mediator. They are not only (as Socinians say) to be a confirmation of the doctrine which he preached, and to be a rule and example to us of patient suffering, and of giving obedience to the death, as he did; but it's also and mainly to satisfy the justice of God for our debt. So then this wicked tenet of the Socinians is exceeding derogatory to the sufferings of Christ, and to the matchless love that shined in them, indeed, and even to the whole design of redemption. For if Christ's sufferings be not a satisfaction to justice, we are left without all just plea and apology for ourselves at God's bar, and if we have none, then that curse looks the awakened sinner full in the face, 'The day you eat you shall surely die.' And however men in their security may please themselves with such dreams, and think that a satisfaction to justice is not needful, yet if the conscience be once awakened, it will not be quieted without one. And if men's faith give not credit to God's threats, they can have but little, or rather no comfort at all in his promises. There is therefore a necessity of a satisfaction, and if Christ's sufferings be not the satisfaction, there is not another, and so the whole work of redemption is overturned. So then, though Christ in his sufferings has left us a copy of how we should suffer, yet that is not the only nor the principal end of them; but it is contrived in the covenant of redemption, and intended by the [reconstructed: Mediator], and also accepted by Jehovah, that they should be the meritorious cause of procuring pardon to the elect, and the price of their redemption.

This may be further cleared and confirmed, 1. From the phrase that is ordinarily made use of in Scripture, He suffered for the sins of his people; and in the text, For the transgression of my people was he stricken; their sins had a peculiar influence in bringing the stroke on him; and what influence I pray could they have but as they procured the stroke to him? And if his strokes were procured by our sins, then the desert of them was laid on him, and his sufferings behooved to be the curse that we elect sinners should have suffered; so when he is called their guarantor, it tells that he undertook their debt, and his laying down of his life is the performance and fulfilling of his undertaken suretyship and guaranty; and considering that their debt was exacted of him, and that he was arraigned before God's tribunal as their surety in their room, and that this could be for nothing else but to answer for them as being their guarantor; his sufferings behooved to be intended as a satisfaction for their sins; for the Elect's sins were not the cause why Pilate, the people of the Jews, and the Scribes and Pharisees pursued him to death, but for our sins he was [reconstructed: summoned before] God's tribunal, and being our guarantor he was called to reckon for them, and they were put upon his account or score. 2. It's clear also from the names that his sufferings get in the Scripture, where they are called the price of our redemption, a buying of us, a propitiation for our sins that pacified God (Romans 3:25 and 1 John 2:2), a sacrifice often and ransom (Matthew 20:28), The Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many, that is, for all his Elect people, to relieve them from the bondage they were under; which plainly shows the [reconstructed: respect] that his sufferings had to our sins, that they were a propitiation for them to God. 3. It's clear, if we consider that Christ's death as to its object is for the transgressions of all God's people, of all the Elect that lived before he suffered, whether they died in their infancy or at age, and for all that lived or shall live and die after his suffering, to the end of the world; now, what benefit could redound to them that died before Christ came in the flesh by his sufferings, if it were as Socinians say? For his death could not sure be a pattern of patience and obedience to them: but the efficacy of his death was from the beginning of the world; he was still in that sense the Lamb slain before his incarnation, as well as since: and if it be not meritorious in procuring salvation to Elect infants, what influence or advantage can it have as to them? Either they are not taken to Heaven at all; or they are taken to Heaven and yet not in the least obliged to Christ for their being brought there; or if they be obliged to him, it is certainly by virtue of the merit of his sufferings for expiating the sins of his people. 4. It's clear from this, that in this same chapter and throughout the gospel, all the benefits that come to God's people, as namely justification and pardon of sin, they are attributed to this as the cause of them, as verse 11, By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; and if all the spiritual benefits that come to us were procured by his death, there must necessarily be virtue in it that procured them, and it must be a price and satisfaction in reference to the procuring and purchasing thereof, that he laid down in his dying. 5. It is clear from the end that God had before him in the work of redemption, and in Christ's sufferings; which was to glorify his justice as well as his mercy, and that neither of them might be clouded or reflected upon; now, by Christ's death God's justice is glorified, and he is seen to be just in executing his threatening against sin, even in the person of his own dearly beloved Son when he became surety for sinners; but if his sufferings had not a satisfaction in them to divine justice, though there might be some show of showing mercy, yet none at all of a satisfaction to justice; but says the Apostle (Romans 3:25-26), God has set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, and that he might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Jesus? By this, God has made it manifest that he is a just God, that none may preposterously presume upon mercy, nor dare to [reconstructed: trifle with sin] when it is pursued in the surety with such severity:

For use and application, 1. Do not think these truths to be of little concern to you, as alas they and such like truths of the Gospel are often thought of by many, and therefore they are tasteless to them, and it's a weariness to people to hear them spoken of; and yet notwithstanding, this same truth that we are now upon, is a great ground of our faith; for if we believe not this, that Christ was a propitiation for sin, we can have no ground of trusting to him, or believing on him; but knowing and being confirmed in the faith of this truth, we have (cordially closing with him) ground from it to expect God's favor and to be freed from the curse; because Christ as our surety undertook and accordingly satisfied for us; which is the thing that makes his death to be sweet; that Christ in his death should humble himself to leave us an example, is much, yet if we had no more by it, it would be but cold comfort, except we had it as a satisfaction to divine justice to rest upon: Though this may be looked upon as doctrinal only, yet it comes nearer to our practice than we are aware of; and though we have not Socinians in opinion and profession to deal with; yet we have two sorts that are Socinians in heart among us. 1. These that securely sin on still, and yet hope to get mercy, and who will confess that they are sinners, but that for making an amends they will pray and mend their life, and they will speak of a number of things, but it may be, not one word of Christ or of his purchase, or of their natural inclination to presume and to slight Christ, as if they had nothing yet to look to but a covenant of works without a Savior, or as if God had removed or would remove the curse threatened without a satisfaction; so that Christ's satisfaction is not known nor rested on by the multitude of hypocrites that live in the visible Church; and this is easily proven from this, that there are but very few who make use of him or stand in awe to sin; if it were believed that justice required and will have satisfaction either of the sinner himself or of a surety in his room, and that Christ is the only surety, folks would either quit their hopes of Heaven, or be more in Christ's company; and that so many maintain the hope of Heaven without a due consideration of a satisfaction to justice by Christ, and without employing of him, it declares plainly that they are drunk with this error. A 2nd sort are these who being awakened in conscience and sensible of sin, yet are as heartless, hesitating and hopeless to get peace through him, as if he had not satisfied; what else does the doubting and despondency of such say, but that there is not a complete satisfaction in Christ's death? and that therefore they dare not trust to it, otherwise they would wonder that God has provided such a remedy, and yet venture to rest upon it, seeing God is as well pleased with it as if they had not provoked him at all, or had satisfied his justice themselves.

Secondly, it serves to let us see what we are in God's company and debt, and how much we are obliged to the Mediator; when there was a necessity that either he should suffer or that we should perish; and that though his sufferings drew so deep as to bring him to prison and to judgment, and to put him to a holy sinless anxiety and perplexity, that yet he yielded to it and underwent all for our sakes; this is our great ground of confidence, and the strong stay of the mind of an awakened believer: And should make us wonder at the Father's love that gave the Son, and at the Son's love that was so condescending, and should make our souls warm towards him, who, when we deserved nothing but to be hurried away to the pit, was content to enter himself as our surety, and to pay our debt: It should also be a motive to chase souls in to him, knowing that where sin is, there a satisfaction must be, and that there is therefore a necessity to fly to him and to be in him, because there is no other way to get justice satisfied; the thorough conviction of which is that which through grace not only chases the soul to, but engages it to close with Christ and to rest upon him, and to give him the credit of its sustaining when it is ready otherwise to sink: Now the Lord himself teach you to make this use of this doctrine.