Messiah; and in this, as well as in a thousand other instances, the scriptures were literally accomplished in him. But God provided a further antidote to this impression in the occurrences of his life. Even while his enemies were conspiring to take away his life, our Lord appealed to them respecting his own innocence, "Which of you convinceth me of sin?" And the very judge who pronounced the sentence of death against him, was constrained no less than three times to acknowledge publicly, that he could find no fault in him. The supposed cause of our Lord's sufferings being thus evidently founded in misapprehension and prejudice, we shall point out II. The real cause This is stated in general as originating in our wretchedness and misery. St. Matthew, quoting the first words of the text, says, that they were accomplished when our Lord healed the multitudes of those who flocked around him. And this was true, inasmuch as the maladies under which men groan, are the consequences of sin; and his removing of bodily disorders was emblematical of the spiritual diseases, which also he came to heal. But the evangelist must not be understood to say, that the prophecy related to nothing more than the sympathizing with the afflicted, and the healing of their disorders; for St. Peter, quoting the very same passage, declares, that Jesus "bare, not our sorrows merely, but our sins, in his own body on the tree, and healed them by his stripes." Hence then we perceive that as sin had introduced all manner of temporal, spiritual, and eternal miseries into the world, it was for the removal of them that Jesus submitted to all the sufferings which were inflicted on him. But more particularly the prophet informs us that Jesus suffered 1. For the expiating of our guilt. It is certainly true, that, wherever suffering is endured by an intelligent creature, there guilt must have previously h John viii. 46. i Luke xxiii 4, 14, 22. 1 1 Pet. ii. 24. been either contracted, or imputed. The brute animals would never have felt pain, if they had not been subjected to it on account of man's transgression." Now our Lord himself "knew no sin;" and yet endured infinitely more from God, from men, and from devils, than ever had been inflicted on any human being. But he had undertaken to redeem us from the curse of the broken law. He had engaged to pay the debt, which a whole world of sinners had contracted; and so to discharge it, that not one farthing should ever be exacted of those who should trust in him. Here then was the true cause of all his sufferings; is it asked, What it was that occasioned him such diversified and unutterable torments? We answer, Men and devils were the executioners; but our sins were the meritorious cause: "He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities." There is not a sin which we have ever committed, that was not as a sword in his bones: and it was only by his bearing of our sins in his own body on the tree, that the guilt of them, and the curse due to them, could be taken away from us. Nothing less than this sacrifice could satisfy the demands of divine justice. As for "the blood of bulls and of goats, it was not possible that they should take away sin:" nor could we remove it by any offerings we could bring: rather therefore, than we should perish for ever, Christ laid down "his own life a ransom for us.' 2. For the effecting of our peace. God was filled with indignation against his guilty crea tures: nor could he, consistently with the honour of his moral government, be reconciled to his offending people, without manifesting, in some way or other, his abhorrence of their evil deeds. What then should be done? What expedient should be found for the punishing of sin, and yet saving the sinner? Behold, the Son of God himself offers to become our substitute!" On ME be their curse, O my Father: let thy sword awake against me, who am thy fellow: inflict their punishment on me, and let them go free; yea, be reconciled to them for my sake." The offer is graciously accepted; and, agreeably to the pre Rom. viii. 20. diction before us," the chastisement of our peace was upon him;" so that God is now reconciled, to every believ ing penitent: he embraces the returning prodigal in his arms, and feasts him with the richest tokens of parental affection. To this agrees the testimony of the great apos tle;" and it is confirmed by the happy experience of mul titudes in every age. 3. For the renovating of our nature. As sin has incensed the wrath of God, so has it disordered all the powers of man. There is not a faculty either of body or soul, which is not filled with this dire contagion, and rendered incapable of exercising its proper functions to the glory of God. But the same expedient that was devised for the expiating of our guilt, and the effecting of our peace, was also the most proper for the renovating of our nature. The blood which Jesus shed upon the cross is as a balm, which heals the disorders of our souls, and restores to man the free and legiti mate use of all his powers. This, no less than the foregoing, was a principal end of all his sufferings: did he give his back to the smiters, so that they even " plowed it up with scourges, and made long their furrows?" It was that "by his stripes we might be healed:" he gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." And it is worthy of observation, that St. Peter, quoting the text, omits all mention of other ends, and fixes upon this alone; "he bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead unto sin, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed." It would be unpardonable, if, on such a subject as this, we did not lead you to CONSIDER 1. What obligations we lie under to love the Lord! If a fellow-creature should submit to excruciating torments for us, how deeply should we feel, how gratefully acknowledge, our obligations to him! We should wonder at such a proof of affection even from the dearest friend or relative, What then shall we say to these tokens of love from one, to whom, in the whole course of our lives, n Col. i. 20-22. . Tit. ii. 14. P See Note 1. we had shewn ourselves the most determined enemies? What shall we think of J sus, leaving the bosom of his Father on purpose to endure these things for us; to endure all that men or devils could inflict, and all that our sins had merited? Shall we feel no grateful emotions rising in our bosom? Shall our hearts be still frozen and obdurate? O let us contemplate the wounds and bruises, the chastisements and stripes which he bare for us. Let us follow him through the whole scene of his sufferings, and say with confidence and wonder, "Surely" it was all for me; to redeem me from destruction, to exalt me to glory. Base as human nature is, it could not long with. stand the influence of such a sight: at the view of him, whom we have pierced, our unfeeling hearts would relent; and, constrained to admire the unsearchable heights and depths of his love, we should burst forth into acclamations and hosannas, "to him who loved us and gave himself for us." 2. How astonishing is the guilt and folly of self-righteousness! What does the self-righteous Pharisee declare, but this? "I will not trust in the Lord Jesus; he was indeed wounded for my transgressions; but I despise the way of healing by his stripes; I can heal myself better by my own works; and I will rather wage eternal war with heaven, than owe my peace to the chastisement of another." Can any thing exceed the ingratitude which such a disposition involves in it? As for all the mockings and revilings of the Son of God, when he hung upon the cross, they were as nothing in comparison of this, because they were vented through an ignorance of his real character; whereas we acknowledge him as our Saviour, and yet rob him of his glory, and make his death of none effect. Let us then turn from such conduct with abhorrence: let us look to him, that we may be "justified by his blood," and experience the full efficacy of his atonement: so shall Jesus himself be "satisfied when he beholds this fruit of his travail," and we shall be distinguished monuments of his love and mercy to all eternity. 9 Zech. xii. 10. CLXXXVIII. THE MEANS OF MAN'S RESTORATION TO GOD. Isai. liii. 6. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way: and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. THE lost state of man by nature, and his recovery through the blood of Christ, are the two principal doctrines of our religion. If we would ascertain the comparative importance of all other doctrines, we must judge of them by the relation which they bear to these; and consider those as most important, which serve most to illustrate and confirm these fundamental points. Moreover, these two should always be considered in their relation to each other; for it is by the atonement that we see the depth of our depravity; and by our depravity we see the necessity and excellency of the atonement. By considering them apart, we are in danger of falling into despondency or presumption: but, by uniting our views of them, our sorrows are moderated with hope, and our confidence is tempered with humility. When God tells us, "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself;" he immediately adds, “but in me is thy help." Thus also the prophet, in the words before us, first sets forth our apostasy from God, and then declares the means provided for our restoration to him. These two points we propose for our present consideration: I. Our apostasy from God. The comparison which the prophet institutes between us and sheep straying from their fold, forms an humiliating, but just picture of our fallen state. Sheep are prone to stray, if not watched and restrained by the shepherd: and, when separated from the flock, they proceed farther and farther, without ever tracing back their steps to the fold. Now the whole race of mankind may be considered as a flock, whose duty and happiness it is to live under the care of the good shepherd. They should hear his voice, and follow his steps, and feed in his pastures, and trust in him for protection. But the whole flock is scattered over the face of the earth; all have departed from |