Sermon 50

_Isaiah 53:11. Verse 11._—By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, etc.

If we had such thoughts of the salvation of our own souls, as the Lord had, and still has of the salvation of souls, we could not but be more seriously concerned about them, and more taken up, how to get them saved: This work of the salvation of sinners did before the world was (to speak so with reverence) take up the persons of the glorious Godhead; and was singled out, and made choice of, as an employment worthy of the Son of God, who was chosen for this very work; that by Him many might be justified and saved; For the accomplishment of which, He became a servant: Must it not then be an excellent work, that none but He could be trusted with, who is heir of all things, and by whom the world was made?

We show you the meaning of these words the last day, and observed two things from this designation, that our Lord gets here. 1. That our Lord Jesus, in the work of mediation, and of the redemption of sinners, was God's servant, not so much to denote His being inferior, as mediator to the Father; as to hold forth His being commissioned for this service, and the Lord accepting of Him in it. 2. That our Lord Jesus did excellently discharge this trust committed to Him. Therefore He is not only called a servant, but my righteous servant, as having most faithfully acquitted Himself, and as being fully approved, and accepted in the trust committed to Him. When the Lord speaks so of Christ, it ought mightily to engage us to be much in love with God, who has given such a faithful mediator and servant, and with Jesus Christ, that condescended to take the trust of poor sinners' salvation, and that does so kindly discharge it. There are some things here, that may be passingly hinted at, and then we shall come more closely and particularly to the words.

1. Then observe, that it is a privilege and prerogative to be God's servant; therefore it is mentioned here as a piece of the mediator's privilege; It is true, He was singularly, and eminently a servant — even the Lord's choice servant, in whom His soul delighted, and does delight, above what any others can be capable of; yet to be a servant to God, to take direction from Him, to do His will, to seek His honor, to give obedience to Him, in what He calls for, is certainly a privilege, and a great one; indeed, it is spoken of as a privilege of glorified saints in heaven (Revelation 22:3): His servants shall serve him, And if it be a privilege in heaven, we would think it so here on earth; and yet if the language of our hearts were known, there would be found a secret disdaining of, and repining at service to God, and a saying on the matter; Let us break his bonds asunder, and cast away his cords from us. But know you what you are doing? Even disclaiming and despising that which is your great privilege; all those that are in heaven, and all those who are in a right frame on earth, count it their privilege to be His servants; and we are commanded to pray: Your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Or, may you be served on earth, as you are in heaven: Therefore, it ought to be accounted of, as a privilege, as a great and glorious privilege to be His servants.

2. Observe, that the Lord can tell exactly and infallibly, how every servant carries himself; Who are ill and slothful, and who are good and faithful servants; Who are righteous servants according to their measure, and who not. Will He take notice how Christ carries Himself in His service, and trust, and will He not take notice of others? Most certainly He will; and therefore, (Matthew 25 and Luke 19) He calls the servants to a reckoning, to whom the talents are given; and as they have made use of them, and improved them, or not; so does He commend and reward them, or not: There are none of us, but have gotten some one talent and trust, or another, and no doubt, there will be much to reckon for; I am afraid, that when He calls us all to an account, though there will be some to whom it will be said, Well done good and faithful servant; There will be many to whom it will be said, You evil and slothful servant; and the slothful servant will be found to be the ill servant, and among other aggravations of his guilt, this will be one, that he was unlike to Christ the righteous servant.

3. Observe, that the right improvement and discharge of the trust committed to us, and of our service to God, is a commendable and honorable thing. It is recorded here to Christ's commendation, that He was a righteous servant, even faithful over the house of God, in all things; and proportionably is the commendation of the ordinary under-servants, when they, in their places and stations perform their service honestly and faithfully, so as they may be accepted of God on His account. The day is coming, when every man's work will be rewarded; and as we sow, so shall we reap; in that day, if we had all the world, we would give it, to hear that word from Christ's mouth, Well done you good and faithful servant. But few will get that testimony: you think it much now, to get a name of fidelity among men, and to be esteemed such as keep your word, and will not break your promise, nor parole (and it's good in so far, that it be so) but many such will be found to have broken many a word to God, and falsified many a promise; think upon it, and lay it to heart, that it will be better to have a word of testimony from God in that day, and to have it said to you, by Him, Faithful servant you improved well the little that I gave you, it was laid out, and expended not so much to buy, and to put on brave clothes, nor to buy or build fine houses, as it was for Me, and for My honor; whatever place, station, capacity, or employment you were in, you endeavored to do good in it; and when you could not do for my work, for my people, and for my honor, you were praying for them; and when you had an opportunity to hear my word, you did not slight, nor let that slip. This, I say, will be better than a great name, and testimony from, and among men: but alas, we fear that it shall be said of many, you had many opportunities of getting, and doing good, but what use did you make of them? It had been better that you had never had them; it had been better that you had never had a groat or two pence, than to have had all these riches; and to have had none rather than to have had such and such a lucrative, or gainful place and employment which you improved not for God. It's a sore matter, that we should preach, and you should hear these general truths of the gospel, from day to day, and that yet they do not sink into your hearts. You will not readily deny, that there is a day of reckoning coming; and that it will be a great favor to be commended of Him, in that day; and yet how few do by their practice evidence, that they lay weight on it? It's very sad that religion should be so trifled in; many of you will come to the church, and seem there, and in your other carriage, as if you were going to heaven, when, in the mean time, you have few serious thoughts, either of heaven or of hell; but in that day wherein you shall stand trembling before His tribunal, and shall there receive the sentence of an evil and slothful servant, you will find to your cost, that there was weight in these truths, that now you take but little notice of.

Fourthly, in general, observe, that it's singular, proper, and peculiar, to our Lord Jesus to be God's approved servant; so as to be without all ground of challenge, in the discharge of His duty, and trust; and indeed there is no righteous servant, in this sense, but He only, who, according to the very rigor of the law, was such; the law could not charge Him with any the least violation of it, or want of conformity to it; for He fulfilled all righteousness. We spoke to this, on verse 9, and shall not now insist on it; only it's a sore matter, that this truth should be called in question, and called an untruth in these days; and that men should say, that this designation and title is not proper to Christ, but that it's common to all true Christians, as if they were all free of sin; and that not by the imputation of Christ's righteousness to them, but by their own doing of righteousness: Lord save us, what a high injury is this to the Son of God? And what gross ignorance is here of the corruption of man's nature, which in the best and holiest of mere men, is never in this life finally expelled, as the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament most convincingly clear, and what a wronging is this of the truth of God, which holds forth our Lord Jesus, as singled out to be, and who is designed by this name, The Lord's righteous servant; now if there were any more properly so called, we could not say that it were meant of Him. But it's not very profitable to insist in speaking of these dotages and fooleries.

But to come more particularly to the benefits that flow from, and come by this righteous servant, and from the service entrusted to Him, and so faithfully managed and discharged by Him; By his knowledge, (says Jehovah) shall he justify many: that is, His service is to absolve sinners, and set them free from the guilt of sin, and from the curse that naturally they are under and liable to.

Looking on these words in the connection with the former, we shall [reconstructed: observe] three or four things, before we come to the more close and particular consideration of the words in themselves.

The first of which is this: that the justifying of many sinners, even of all the elect, is the special trust committed by Jehovah to the Mediator. It is in this especially wherein His service consists: would you then know what is the employment of this righteous servant? It is even this: He shall justify many. He shall procure their absolution from the guilt of sin, and from the curse of God, and shall set them free from the judgment which the law has against them, whereby they are obliged to the curse, for disobedience to it. This we may consider: 1. As it relates to God; and so it implies that the justification of a sinner is very acceptable to Him; for it is that for which He has given a commission to the Mediator; and what He has commissioned Him in, the performance of it must needs be acceptable to Him. Therefore that which is here called the Lord's service is called the Lord's pleasure, in verse 10 — to see a poor sinner brought in by the Mediator, and on the account of His satisfaction justified — He is pleased with, and takes it well. 2. It may be considered as it looks to the Mediator; and so it speaks out the Mediator's design and work; it is that wherein He is employed, and with which He is taken up, even to get elect sinners brought from under the curse of God, and freely justified through Himself. So that if you would know what is the sum and effect of Christ's errand and work in the world, here it is: He came to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). He came to seek and save that which was lost; to bring home the lost sheep on His shoulder; to seek and find the lost coin; to reclaim prodigals (Luke 15). This is His meat and His drink, His work and business; as He Himself says, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34). And, in Luke 2: "Know you not that I must be about my Father's business?" Which is to rescue poor sinners from the devil, and to engage them to God, that their sins may be pardoned. 3. It implies the Mediator's fitness for this service, that He is furnished, fitted, and qualified for, as well as taken up with, the justifying of sinners, and setting them free before the throne of God. He has a full purse (to speak so) to pay their debt; therefore He bids sinners to come and buy from Him eye-salve, gold, and white raiment (Revelation 3:19). He has eye-salve for the blind, gold to enrich the poor, garments for the naked; and in a word, everything that is needful for sinners. It is comfortable to hear that Christ is a servant; but to hear that this is His service — to justify sinners, and that He is so well fitted for it — makes it so much the more comfortable. And were we suitably sensible of sin, and did we thoroughly believe this truth, our hearts would laugh within us, as Abraham's once did, to know that this was given to Christ in commission — to justify sinners, and that He is so well fitted for this business that He is commissioned about, and employed in. Especially now, when He is so busy about His work and employment; for though He has ascended on high, yet He has received gifts for, and given them to men, even for the rebellious, that God the Lord might dwell among them (Psalm 68; Ephesians 4). This is the end of the ministry and ordinances, even to further this work of the justification of sinners, that by acknowledging and making use of Christ, this work may be brought about, and this effect made to follow. This is the end of fasts and communions, even to arrest perishing sinners a while, to meet and treat with Him about the concerns of their souls. These are special seasons for putting Him to exercise His office in justifying of them. And this day, this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears, and you should let it sink in your hearts, that our Lord Jesus is pursuing His commission, and performing His service, keeping up the treaty, and inviting and persuading sinners to come to Him, that the pleasure of the Lord may prosper in His hand. And therefore know assuredly that this is it that Christ is employed in, and taken up with — even to get sinners freed from the guilt of sin, and from wrath by His righteousness. It is not only, nor mainly, to get them brought to the church and to His supper, or to get them made formal, and to abstain from cursing, swearing, and profanity (though these will follow), but it is to get them brought in to Himself, and justified. And we have these two words to say to you further in this matter. 1. There is here good ground of encouragement to a poor soul that would fain make use of Christ for pardon of sin: this is even it that Christ is entrusted with; it is for this end that He is sent and commissioned of the Father. And will He not, do you think, do that which He is entrusted with, and for which He is mainly sent? This is, He says, the will of him that sent me, that every one that sees the Son, and believes on him should have everlasting life, and that I should raise him up at the last day (John 6:39). Which is in sum, that by His knowledge many should be justified. And it is added, "For he shall bear their iniquities," to anticipate and answer an objection: for a sensible sinner might say, how can I be justified, who have so many sins? Here is a solution of that doubt: He shall satisfy for them. All these words are (as it were) big with consolation, being the very heart and life of the gospel, as anything that comes so near to Christ's commission, and unfolds so much of it, is. A second word is this: that you mistake Christ's errand, work, and service very far, who think to content Him and put Him off with this; who would give Him the name of a Savior, and yet would be at the saving of yourselves without Him; who would compliment Him, as it were, with fair generals, but will have none of His physic, or of His cures, nor will renounce your own righteousness, and make use of His, for your justification. This says one of these four things: either that He is not commissioned and entrusted for this end, or that He is not fit for that trust, or that He is not faithful in it, or else that you can do your own turn without Him, and that there is no need of His office. And which of all these can abide the trial before God? And yet it shall be upon one of these that you shall be found to have cast at Christ, and to have refused to permit Him (so far as you could hinder and obstruct) to do His Father's business. And if you do not settle accounts with Him, there will be a most dreadful reckoning between God and you.

Second, observe that this particular trust concerning the justifying of sinners, our Lord Jesus does most righteously, diligently, dextrously, tenderly, and faithfully discharge. It was His Father's will that He should be baptized and fulfill all righteousness, and more especially that He should justify many; in this He is very skillful and faithful, and it is on this account He is called the good shepherd, and that He is said to lay down his life for his sheep. That He is called a faithful high priest, and is said to be one that is able to save to the uttermost those that come to God through him, and that He is holy, harmless, and separate from sinners — fit to make peace between God and sinners, another sort of priest than Aaron was, or any that were before Him. He is, in a word, such a high priest as became us and as we stood in need of, who needed not to offer sacrifice for His own sins — He had no more to do but to satisfy for us. The prophet Isaiah, Chapter 40:11, tells how tender he is in bringing souls to heaven: He gathers the lambs with his arm, he carries them in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with young. And Chapter 42:3, that a bruised reed he will not break, and the smoking flax he will not quench. And it is said (1 John 2), if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father — and who is he? — Jesus Christ the righteous, righteous in the faithful managing of His trust by making sinners' peace with God. Would you know then in what respects, or on what account it is, that Christ is called servant? We answer, in these respects. First, though we have failed and broken the law, yet He has not, and God will not look down on Him. Second, in this respect: that He pleads for no sinner's pardon but He can fully pay their debt, and has done it; if He seeks one thing from God, He yields in another, and according to the covenant of redemption exactly proceeds; for He is a propitiation — He seeks nothing but he pays for it, and wrongs not him in the least who has trusted him; the Lord Jehovah is not a [reconstructed: loser], but has His honor restored by Him. Third, in respect of His keeping faith to the persons that have need of Him, for whom He has undertaken: He is not only faithful to the Master, but to the children and servants; He owns and acknowledges them when they come to Him under their necessities, and is forthcoming to them — every way suitable and answerable to His place and trust in doing good to sinners.

Use. Had we sensible sinners to speak to — sinners groaning under a body of death, with pricked hearts crying out, What shall we do for the wrongs that we have done to God? — sinners under holy fear, to spoil and mar the bargain, and to hazard their own souls; had we, I say, such sinners to speak to, there are good news here to them. The trust of saving souls is committed to a faithful shepherd — it is not committed to yourselves; for so it had been a doleful trust; but it is committed to Him who has gotten the sheep by name given to Him, to be kept by Him, and He will not suffer them to miscarry, nor to go quite wrong. And what more would you have? A salvation and a price is much, but it is more to have a Savior to make the application of His purchase — a bishop of souls to justify and carry sinners through, to make it sure before God and to make it out. The sinner may sleep sound who in the sense of sin has betaken himself to Him, to be justified by His righteousness, and to be in His debt and reliance for obtaining of pardon and for making the application of what, by His sufferings, He has purchased. We can say but little to this purpose to you who care not for your souls and are not sensible of your sin; for He came to save sinners, and if any such do trust Him with the [reconstructed: salvation] of their souls, He is faithful and will not suffer them to perish.

Thirdly, from comparing these words, "By his knowledge he shall justify many," with the former, "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied;" we observe, that our Lord Jesus is never satisfied with sinners, nor content, till he be employed by them, in this piece of service, even to justify them by his knowledge, or by faith in him. He gets not satisfaction for the travail of his soul till this be, and this is it which satisfies him; he cares not for compliments, great professions of respect to religion, and Hosannas without this. He wept over Jerusalem, notwithstanding of these, because of the want of this. He cares not for Martha's burdensome service, but is content with Mary's sitting down to hear and receive his word. If he get not this employment, no other thing will content him; as we may see in these three parables (Luke 15). When the lost sheep is missing, he is not satisfied till it be brought home. The making the house clean will not please him, if the lost piece of money be not found; the finding of which brings out that, "Come and rejoice with me." And when the prodigal returns, then, and not till then, are uttered these joyful words, "This my son was dead, and is alive, he was lost, and is found;" then comes the mirth, and all the musicians are brought in. Would you lay the hair of your head under Christ's feet, would you give him thousands of rams, and rivers of oil, and the firstborn of your bodies for the sin of your souls; all these will not please him, if you get not yourselves to be justified by his knowledge, nothing will content and satisfy him but that. The reasons are: first, because he gets not his work entrusted to him, carried on otherwise (if I may speak so) — for as the Father delights to see the work, which he has trusted him with, prospering, so does he. Second, because he gets not the native credit and honor of his office, till he get this, but counts himself to be like an ambassador, who comes to woo a wife for the king, his master, who is well treated and entertained; but gets a refusal of what he came for. It was the disciples' commendation (John 17) that they received his word. Though all other things could be, if this be not, he never gets kindly respect. Third, because without this, people can never love Christ; for it is this benefit of justification, and pardon of sin, that much engages them to love and praise him. Because (say and sing the redeemed, Revelation 5:9) "You have redeemed us to God by your blood, you are worthy to receive all praise, dominion, power, and glory." It is impossible that they can suitably esteem of him, and love him, who are not justified by him; and therefore they that believe not on him to justification, are called despisers of him, and traders of the blood of the covenant under foot. And they fall under that sad complaint, which is made (John 1:11): "He came to his own, and his own received him not; he was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." There is then a necessity laid upon you, either to give him employment in this, or to lie under his displeasure, and to be made accountable for standing in the way, so far as you would, of his satisfaction. The Lord has so ordered the way of his grace, that not only does he invite and allure sinners, but also he lays strong bonds on them for their good; and leaves it not indifferent to them, to make use of Christ, or not, for their justification; but they must either take this way, or have God, and the Mediator to be their enemies, in the greatest measure, and in the highest degree. Choose you then, whether you will satisfy Christ Jesus or not. How shall he be satisfied? Will you say, even by your betaking of yourselves to him, and by applying his righteousness, for your peace with God, and for your justification before him; humbly pleading guilty at the bar of justice, and begging pardon, and acceptance on the account of his satisfaction, and by faith, extracting your discharge and absolution, that so the application of his purchase being obtained, the conscience may be quieted on that ground. And do you think this a matter to quarrel with Christ about? That he would have you justified, and that you will not; that he would have you washed in his blood from your sins, and that you had rather lie still in them. Think you this reasonable? And yet thus it stands with you, and we declare it to you, in his name, that Christ and you shall never be friends, except on these terms: that you take with your sins, and natural enmity against God, and welcome heartily the news of a Mediator, and embrace his righteousness, trampling your own under your feet, as to all expectation of justification by it; that in a word, you do by faith, take hold of the offer of salvation through him, in the gospel, resigning yourselves absolutely to him, and founding your humble plea before God thereupon. This is the shield of faith, that quenches the fiery darts of the devil, and that which gives wings to the soul, to flee to heaven upon; and we know well this is no unfriendly message, nor evil bargain, and you may have it of him. He is indeed a dexterous and skillful handler of souls, that commit themselves to him. Why do you not then in his own way, hazard your souls on him? Were sinners' hazard known, and what solid confidence they may have, in putting their souls in Christ's hand, they would be thronging in upon him, to get hold laid on his offer, which is like a banner displayed, and spread out in this word of the gospel, to which every one may put his hand. This is the very sum of the gospel, to pray you to be reconciled to God, to admit of the Mediator, and to give him a commission (to speak so with reverence,) or rather to entreat him, to make your peace, that is, to give him the credit of saving you; that if justice were pursuing you, you might be found in him, not having your own righteousness, but his; and in him, have one answer to all challenges. Not thinking yourselves the less secure and sure that you have given up with your own righteousness, and betaken yourselves to his, who knows but souls might be getting good at such a time, if this were made use of, and believed? Oh, so faithful as he is! — he dares give his word and seal, that he will keep to you. And this is his end in word and sacrament, that sinners might be brought to trust in him, in giving him the employment to justify them; that they being in themselves blind, may come to him for light; being poor, may come to him for gold to enrich them; being [reconstructed: naked], may come to him, for garments to clothe them; being ungodly, may come to him, that he may justify them. But, alas, people are for the most part senseless, and regardless of their sin and misery, and therefore he gets no employment from them. Many sit very fine here, and have no legal bar on them, to keep them from the communion, who yet have sleepy and senseless souls, and are ruining and destroying themselves. This we assure you, is the condition of many of you, who never knew to make use of Christ, and of his righteousness, and yet will boast of your faith, and of your good heart toward God. Away with your old presumptuous faith, take with your unbelief and presumption. Say not ignorantly, that you shall do as you can, though you cannot do as you would. You are unsound at the heart, mistaken about your spiritual state, and know that the devil, by a deceitful heart is speaking out of you such language. For it is enemies we are commissioned to reconcile; and it is lost sinners that Christ came to seek, and save; and you see not yourselves to be such, and therefore you care not for such offers of grace. But, ah! many of you, if grace prevent not, will get a cold welcome from Christ at that day; and will be made sadly to smart, for the slighting of many precious opportunities, which God did put in your hand, and of which to make use, you had no heart.