Sermon 43

Isaiah 53:11 Verse 11. He shall see of the travel of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities.

This is a great work that the Mediator has to do; a great price that He has to lay down for the satisfying of divine justice, and for redeeming of the lost Elect: Now, what shall He have for all the travel of His soul; Here it is answered, and the terms of the Covenant of Redemption again summarized; as for the effects and fruits of His death, spoken of in the close of the former verse, He shall prolong his days, That being spoken to, on the matter: from verse 8. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Being spoken to, by another lately, in your hearing, and in part by us (John 17:4). And from verse 10. Now read over again; we shall forbear further speaking to them, and come to that which follows in verse 11.

In this verse then, there are these three. 1. An offer and promise made to the Mediator: that if He will accept of the proposal, and lay down His life for redeeming of the lost elect, it shall not be fruitless — He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. 2. The way how this satisfaction shall be brought about: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many — that is, by faith in Him, His purchase shall be applied to all these for whom He should suffer, who thereby should be justified. 3. The ground of this, which also shows the way, how He shall justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities — that is, by His undertaking, and paying of their debt, He should meritoriously procure their absolution, and the setting of them free. In the first part, we have these three things implied. 1. A supposed condition, or restipulation on the Mediator's side: that His soul shall be put to travail, which expresses both the nature of His sufferings, that they shall not only be bodily, but also, and mainly, soul-sufferings, and conflicts with the wrath of God, which the elect's sins deserved, as the main and principal thing articled, and that wherein the price of their redemption lay; and the greatness, and extremity of His sufferings, here called travail, from the similitude of a woman in travail, and the travail of his soul — this being the way foretold, how Christ should be used: He should travail in His sufferings, to procure life to His people. 2. A promise made to Him: that He shall see the travail of his soul — that is, He shall not bring forth wind, but shall have a large offspring, which in the second part of the verse, is called a justifying of many by his knowledge; this is the fruit He shall have of His soul-travail. 3. The extent of this, which is His being satisfied, and quiet, which looks to two things. 1. To the certain and infallible success of His sufferings: not one of the elect shall be missing — none that He has bought life to shall want it; He shall get as many justified and saved, as He conditioned for. 2. To the great delight, and complacency that our Lord has, in performing the work of redemption, and in sinners getting the benefit of it: He shall think all well bestowed when they come to get the application thereof, and by faith in Him to be justified. From the first of these, observe that the Mediator, in performing the work of redemption, and in satisfying the justice of God, for the debt of elect sinners, was not only put to external and bodily, but also and mainly, to inward, spiritual, and soul-sufferings; or the redeeming of lost sinners cost our Lord Jesus much soul-travail and suffering. We have hinted at His sufferings often before, but this place especially speaks out His soul-sufferings, and the inward anguish, and agony that He was brought under. We shall therefore speak a little to this, it being most useful, and extensive in the fruits and benefits of it to the people of God; and shall 1. confirm it by some places in the Gospel, where we have the fulfilling of this prophecy clearly held out to us; and secondly, by a fourfold reason. Only take this for an advertisement, that when we speak of the soul-sufferings of our Lord, we do not mean of any sufferings after death (as Papists falsely slander us) but of these sufferings, especially that were about the time of His passion, when He got the full cup of the Father's wrath put in His hand towards His approaching to the cross, and when He was upon it, when He was arraigned, and when He was exacted upon, for the elect's debt. The first passage to confirm it, is that of John 12:27: "Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father save me from this hour." Here His soul-sufferings begin clearly to show themselves when there was no cross, nor suffering in His body, yet He is put to such a pinch, considered as man, that He is, in a manner, nonplussed, and put to say, "what shall I say" — the horror of that which was begun, and was further coming on Him, being beyond all expression, whereupon follows that prayer, "Father, save me from this hour," His sinless human nature [reconstructed: shrinking somewhat] to enter on it. The second passage is that of John 13:21, where it is said, that He began to be troubled in spirit and testified, etc. But let us come forward, and put Matthew, Mark, and Luke together, and we shall see what an inexpressible and inconceivable height and heap of sorrows, His soul-trouble and travail will amount to. Matthew says (chapter 26:37-38) that He began to be sorrowful, and very heavy; and in the next words, "my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even to death." And what made Him so sorrowful? The next words, "Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me," show that it was the cup of His Father's wrathful justice put in His hand. Mark says (chapter 14:33) that when He came to the garden, He began to be sore amazed, and very heavy — a wonderful expression to be used of the Son of God; that the person that was God should be amazed, yet being considered as man he was so. Luke says (chapter 22:44) that being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly. There is a sore exercise and sad soul-travail indeed, when the sword of God's justice awaked against the man that was God's fellow; and when He has the curse that was due to all the elect, to encounter and meet with. This was such a combat, the like whereof was never in the world, and the effect of it is: His sweat as great drops of blood falling down to the ground; when there was no hand of man stirring Him, nor any man to trouble Him by Him, but God as a severe, and holily rigid exactor, putting Him to pay the debt, which He had undertaken to pay, according to His obligation. The inward pressure of His soul presses great drops of blood from His body. And if we will yet look a little forward, to Matthew 27:46, we will find Him brought to that extremity on the cross, that He cries, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Which though it says that there was still faith in the Mediator, in adhering to the Father as His God; yet it sets out that great horror which He had inwardly to wrestle with; when there was some restraint on the sensibly comforting influence of the Godhead. Now when all the evangelists concur so massively, emphatically, and significantly to express this, drawing out and pitching upon such weighty words to set it forth by; we may see it to be designedly held forth, as a special truth, that the faith of the people of God may be strongly confirmed therein.

To confirm it yet further, put these four together. 1. The estate that the Elect are naturally lying in for whom Christ undertakes — they are naturally under sin, liable to the curse of God, for the transgressing of His law; which had said, The soul that sins shall die, and cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the book of the law to do them. 2. Add to this the supposition of Christ's undertaking to be the Elect's Guarantor, and to satisfy for their debt; whereby he steps into their room, takes on their debt; and (as the word is in 2 Corinthians 5, final verse, becomes sin for them) is content to be liable to, and to be pursued by justice for their debt, and though here there be a relaxation in respect of the persons of the Elect for whom the Guarantor stands good, yet in respect of the curse and death due to them, there is no relaxation; but the same thing due to them is laid on Him; as it is in Galatians 3: He has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. In every thing He was put to pay the equivalent, for making up the satisfaction due to justice, and these two being put together — that elect sinners were subject to wrath, and that our Lord came in their room — He behooved to be put to sad and sore soul-travail and suffering. 3. Consider God's end in the work of redemption, which is to point out the inconceivableness of His wonderfully condescending grace and mercy, in exacting satisfaction from the Guarantor, and in setting the sinner free; that His grace may be so glorified, as there shall be a proof given of His justice, and sovereignty going along with it, and infinite wisdom being set on work to glorify infinite grace and justice; there is a necessity for the promoting of this end, that the Mediator shall thus satisfy, and the more full the satisfaction be, the more conspicuously do the grace and justice of God shine forth, and are glorified, according to that word in Romans 3:26 — to declare His righteousness, that He might be just, and the justifier of him that shall believe in Jesus. This is the end of Christ's being made a propitiation, that God may be manifested to be spotless and pure in His justice, as well as free and rich in His mercy and grace; who, having given a law to man, will not acquit the transgression thereof, without a condign satisfaction. 4. Consider that it is indeed a great thing to satisfy justice for sin; that it is more to satisfy justice for all the sins of one person, which all the angels in heaven, and men on earth cannot do; and therefore the punishment of the damned in hell is drawn out to eternity's length, and yet there is never a complete equivalent satisfaction made to justice; but it is most of all to satisfy justice, for all the sins of all the Elect; who, though they be few in comparison of the reprobate world, yet simply considered they are many; indeed, even innumerable. And our Lord having taken all their sins on Him, He is peremptorily required to satisfy for them all; and if this withal be added, that He is to satisfy for all the sins of all the Elect at once, in a very short time, and has the curse and wrath of God due to them, mustered and marshaled in battle against Him, and as it were in a great body, in a most formidable manner, marching up towards Him, and seriously charging Him; and all the wrath which they should have drunk through all eternity (which yet would never have been drunk out, nor made the less) put in one cup, and offered to Him; as the word is in Psalm 110 — He shall drink of the brook in the way: the wrath of God running like an impetuous river, must be drunk up at once, and made dry by Him. These being put together, do clearly, and convincingly show, that it could not but be an inexpressible and inconceivable soul-travail and suffering, that our Lord Jesus was put to.

The use of this doctrine is large, and the first use is this: that you would take it for a most certain truth, which the Scriptures does so frequently and significantly hold forth; that our Lord Jesus, in performing the work of redemption, had much sad soul-travail and sorrow. The faith of this is very useful to demonstrate the great love of God, and of the Mediator; for doubtless the more suffering be undergone by the Mediator, the more love shows therein to the Elect. 2. It serves to hold out the sovereignty and justice of God, and the horribleness of sin. 3. In respect of God's people, it is useful, that they may be thorough and clear in the reality and worth of Christ's satisfaction; He having no other end in it, but to satisfy justice for their sin. 4. It is useful to show the vanity and emptiness of men's supposed, and fancied merits, and of anything that can be alleged to be in man's suffering, or doing for the satisfying of divine justice; seeing it drew so deep on Christ the Guarantor; and here two gross errors come to be refuted, and reprobated; one of the Socinians, who seek quite to overturn Christ's satisfaction; and another of the Papists, that diminish His satisfaction; and extenuate and derogate from the great privilege of the pardon of sin, as if anything could procure it, but this satisfaction of Christ by His soul-travail; both of which are abundantly refuted by this text.

But to speak a word more particularly to the first, for clearing of which you will ask: What could there be to affect the holy human soul of our Lord? Or what was that wherein His soul-sufferings did consist? But before we speak to this, we would premise this word of notice in the entry, that there are two sorts of punishments, or penal effects of sin. The first sort are such as are simply penal and satisfying, as proceeding from some extrinsic cause. The second sort are sinful; one sin in the righteous judgment of God drawing on another; and this proceeds not simply from the nature of justice, but from the nature of a mere sinful creature, and so from an intrinsic cause of a sinful principle in the creature. Now when we speak of the soul-sufferings of Christ, which He was put to in satisfying for the sins of the Elect, we mean of the former — that is, sufferings that are simply penal; for there was no intrinsic principle of corrupt nature, nor ground of challenge in Him; as there is in sinful creatures; and therefore we are to conceive of His soul-sufferings, as of something inflicted from without; and are not to conceive of them as we do of sinful creatures, or that have sin in them, whereof He was altogether free.

Having premised this, we shall speak a little to these two. 1. To that wherein this soul-suffering did not consist. 2. To that wherein it did consist. For the former wherein it was not. 1. We are not to suppose, or imagine any actual separation between His Godhead, and His manhood; as if there had been an interruption of the Personal Union; not so for the union of the two natures in one person remains still, He was God and Man still, though, (as was hinted before) there was a suspension of such a measure, at least of the sensibly comforting influence of the Divine Nature, from the human, as had been wont to be let out thereto; And yet there was even then a sustaining power flowing from the Godhead that supported Him, so, that He was not swallowed up of that which would have quite, and for ever swallowed up all creatures, as is evident in this crying, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Which shows, that though the union, and relation stood firm, yet a comfortable influence was much restrained. 2. There was no sinful fretting, no impatience, nor carnal anxiety in our Lord, all along His sufferings; for He did most willingly undergo them, and had a kindly submission in them all; as is evident by these words: But for this cause came I into this hour, And not my will but your will be done. 3. There was not in Him any distrust of God's love, nor any unbelief of His approbation before God, neither any the least diffidence, as to the out-gate; For in the saddest and sharpest of all His conflicts, He was clear about His Father's love to Him; that the relation stood firm, and that there would be a comfortable out-gate, as His prayer before shows, wherein He styles God, Father, And these hardest-like words uttered by Him on the cross, My God, my God why have you forsaken me — do also show, wherein twice over He confidently asserts His interest, My God, my God, Though He was most terribly assaulted, yet the temptation did not prevail over Him. 4. Neither are we to conceive, that there was any inward confusion, challenge, or gnawing of conscience in Him, such as is in desperate sinners cast under the wrath of God, Because there was no inward cause of it, nor anything that could breed it; indeed, even in that wherein He was Cautioner, He was clear, that He was doing the Father's will, and finishing the work that was committed to Him; and that even under the greatest apprehensions of wrath; Therefore all such things are to be guarded against, in our thoughts, lest otherwise, we reflect upon our innocent and spotless mediator. But 2. To speak a word to that wherein it does consist? 1. It did consist (as we hinted before) in the Godhead's suspending its comfortable influence for a time from the human nature; Though our Lord had no culpable anxiety, yet He had a sinless fear, considering Him as man; and that the infinite God was angry, and executing angrily the sentence of the law against Him, (Though He was not angry at Him considered as in Himself, but as He stood in the room of the elect, as their Cautioner, of whom He was to exact the payment of their debt) and could not but be in a wonderful amazement, as the word is, (Mark 14:33). He was sore amazed, And (Hebrews 5:7) it is said, when he had offered up prayers, and supplications with strong cries and tears, to him that was able to save him from death, he was heard in that which he feared. Which looks to His wrestling in the garden. 2. He had an inexpressible sense of grief; not only from the petty outward afflictions that He was under; (which may be called petty comparatively, though they were very great in themselves) but also from the torrent of wrath flowing in, on His soul; That cup behoved to have a most bitter relish, and an inconceivable anguish with it, when He was drinking of it, as appeared in His agony. O! As He was pained and pinched in His soul? The soul being especially sensible of the wrath of God. 3. It consisted in a sort of wonderful horror, which no question, the marching up (to say so) of so many mighty squadrons of the highly provoked wrath of God; and making so furious and formidable an assault on the innocent human nature of Christ (that considered simply in itself, was a finite creature) behoved necessarily to be attended with; Hence He prays, Father, if it be possible let this cup depart from me; Intimating, that there was a sinless loathing, and a holy abhorrence to meddle with it, and to adventure upon it. Though we have not hearts rightly to conceive, nor tongues suitable to express those most exquisite sufferings, yet these things show, that our Lord Jesus was exceedingly put to it in His holy human soul.

The 2nd use serves to stir us up to wonder at the love of God the Father, that gave His own Son, and exacted the elect's debt of Him; and made the sword of His justice to awake against Him; and to wonder at the love of the Son, that engaged to be surety for them; and humbled Himself so low to lift them up. It was wonderful that He should stoop to become Man, and to be a poor man, and to die; but more, that He should come this length, as to be in an agony of soul, and to be so tossed with a tempest of terrible wrath, though He was not capable of tossing as mere creatures are. This being well considered, would heighten exceedingly the praise of grace in the church; and very much warm the hearts of sinners to Him. And for pressing this use a little and for provoking to holy wondering at this love; consider these four. 1. Who it was that suffered thus? Even He that was without guile, He that was God's delight, His Father's fellow, the express image of His person, He that made all things, and who will one day be Judge of all; it's even He that thus suffered. 2. What He suffered, even the wrath of God, and the wrath of God in such a degree and measure as was equivalent to all that the elect should have suffered eternally in Hell; which pressed forth from Him these expressions which we hinted at before. 3. For whom all this was, which makes it appear to be yet more wonderful; it was for a number of lost straying sheep, that were turned every one to his own way, as it is verse 6. For debtors and debauched bankrupts, that were enemies to, and at odds with Him; some of them spitting in His face, some of them upon the consultation of taking away His life, as may be gathered from Acts 2. Indeed, take the best of them, for whom He suffered; even those whom He took to the garden with Him, to be witnesses of His agony; and we will find them sleeping, when He is in the height of it, and is thereby cast into a top sweat of blood; and out of condition to watch, and bear burden with Him, but for an hour. It had been much for Him to have suffered for righteous persons; but as it is, Romans 5, God commends His love to us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 5. The manner how He suffered, to wit, most willingly and patiently; though He easily could have commanded more than twelve legions of angels to rescue Him, yet He would not; but would needs be apprehended by a number of poor worms; that will with many more, one day crawl at His footstool. That being the overword of every article of the covenant of redemption on the Mediator's part, both as to the undertaking, and the performance, I delight to do your will, O my God. And now, for what end are all these things spoken? Is it, do you think, only that we should speak, and that you should hear of them, and no more? Surely no, it's a wonder that this which concerns us so nearly, is not more affecting to us. Are there any here that have any hope of benefit from Christ's sufferings; or that have come comfortably to apply them? Do you not behold a depth of love here, that cannot be sounded? Is it suitable, do you think, that sinners, who have the hope of heaven through Christ's sufferings, should be so little moved at the hearing and reading of them? He suffers much by sinners, when His love shining forth in His sufferings is not taken notice of. I would pose you, when was your heart suitably affected with thinking on them? Or, when did you make it an errand to God, purposely to bless Him for this, that He sent His Son to suffer, and that the Mediator came and suffered such things for you sinners? This is a part, and a considerable part of your duty; and gratitude should constrain you to it, and you should not scrimp, nor derogate from the just esteem of His love, though, through your own fault, you be not sure of your interest in it, yet His condescending grace is not the less.

Use 3. Behold here, as upon the one side, the exceeding severity of justice, and terribleness of wrath; so upon the other side; the exceeding abominableness, and desperateness of sin. Would you know what sin is, what wrath is, how just and severe the law is? Read all these here; even in what is exacted by justice, off the surety for the elect's sins. The most part of men and women, alas! do not believe how evil and bitter a thing sin is; and therefore they dally and play with it. They know not what wrath is, and therefore they dare risk on it; they know not how strict the law is, and therefore they promise themselves peace, though they walk in the imagination of their own hearts; and add drunkenness to thirst. But, O! secure sinners, what do you mean? Have you, or can you have any hope, that God will deal more gently with you, than He dealt with His own Son, when He was but surety, and the sinner only by imputation? You are finite creatures, and drink in sin, as the ox drinks water, and have an inward sinful principle, and an evil conscience, filled with just grounds of many challenges. Consider with yourselves, what a desperate condition, under inevitable and intolerable wrath you have to look for; who have no ground to look otherwise on God than as an enemy. When wrath was so horrible to innocent Jesus Christ, who had no sin, no challenge, no doubt of an interest in God, what will it be to you? Certainly the day is coming, when many of you will think you have greatly beguiled and cheated yourselves, in thinking that justice would be so easily satisfied as you did. O! then you will be made to know to your cost, the nature of wrath, and justice; and the nature of sin; who would never suffer these things to come to light before. The case of the rich glutton in Hell may persuade many, that the law is strict, and that sin is an ill and bitter thing, and that wrath is sore to bear. Therefore let me entreat you, as you would avoid the wrath of God, and the lash of His revenging justice, beware of sin, dally not with it, as you would not have it aggravated by this circumstance, above many, that you risked to commit it, upon the consideration of God's goodness; that in reason should have led you to repentance.

Use 4. See here the absolute necessity that lies on sinners, who hear this Gospel, to receive Christ by faith; and to improve His satisfaction for obtaining of life through Him; for one of these two must be resolved on, either to come to this reckoning with justice yourselves, or to endeavor the removal of wrath, by the satisfaction of Christ; there being no other way to come to freedom from guilt, and from the wrath that guilt draws on. That Christ Jesus suffered thus, as sinners' Cautioner, it says, that wherever sin is, God will exact satisfaction; and where He exacts, He does it severely, though most justly; and if He exact it severely of the Cautioner, what will He do with the Dyvour debtor, especially, when he has slighted the Cautioner, and despised the grace offered through Him? And therefore not only, in respect of the command, but of the consequent that will follow the disobedience of it: be exhorted, if you mind not to take your hazard of wrath, to endeavor, in God's way to get your interest in this satisfaction which the Cautioner has made well secured. There is here a solid ground for faith, to expect that this satisfaction will do the turn, of all them who will make use of it; and a most pressing motive to engage them that are lying under sin, to embrace, to close with, and to rest upon this offered salvation; that this grace be not received in vain. Is there not a testimony in your consciences of the former, and why do you not make use of the latter? Will you but once be prevailed with, to put yourselves to it thus, What if I be made to reckon for my own sins? What horrid wrath will I meet with, when the Mediator had such sore soul-travel; even when there was a covenant-relation standing still, not doubted of, between [reconstructed: the] Father and Him; when formidable wrath shall be seen palpably pursuing me, the sinner, having no covenant-relation to support me? We would not put it [reconstructed: to] your choice; not whether you will count or not; for that must be, and shall be, whether you choose or refuse. It is appointed for all men once to die, and after to come to judgment; and we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. But that which we would put to your choice, is the ways of coming to this judgment, and reckoning, and there are but two ways; either you must step to it at your own hand, or you must betake you to Christ's righteousness, as being thoroughly convinced of the necessity of it; and that it will do your turn. The Day of the Lord will discover, that many have spoken of their faith, and repentance, that never really exercised the same. I shall now say no more; only remember, that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; who, when His wrath is kindled but a little, can cause the stoutest and proudest of His enemies to perish, in the midst of all their designs and projects. They will all then be found to be happy who have put their trust in Him.