CXCI. THE FATHER'S CONDUCT TOWARDS THE INNOCENT JESUS EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED.

Isai. liii. 9, 10. He made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief.

THE accomplishment of the prophecies is one of the strongest arguments for the truth of Christianity. The predictions which relate to the great Founder of our religion are so numerous and so minute, that they could not possibly have been dictated by any but him, to whom all things are naked and open, and who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. The very smallest circumstances of our Lord's death, even such as were most unlikely and insignificant, were pointed out with as much accuracy as those which were most important. What could be more unlikely, than that he should be crucified, when crucifixion was not a Jewish but a Roman punishment? and yet that was foretold by David hundreds of years before Rome was built. What could be more unlikely than that, if he were crucified, he should not have his legs broken, when that was the customary way of hastening the end of those who were crucified, and they who were crucified with him were actually so treated? yet it was foretold fifteen hundred years before, that bone of him should not be broken." What more insignificant, than that the soldiers should part his garment, but cast lots for his vesture? yet that, with many other things equally minute, was circumstantially foretold. So, in the text, his honourable interment after his disgraceful death, is predicted:"his grave," as the words may be translated, "was appointed with the wicked; but with the rich was his tomb." Now, if we consider the treatment which Jesus was to meet with, it was necessary that such events as could not be foreseen by human wisdom, or accomplished by man's device, should be foretold; because such a concurrence of circumstances, all happening exactly according to the predictions concerning him, would fully vindicate his character, and manifest, that all which he

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suffered was according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Notwithstanding he was innocent and spotless in himself, yet he was to be treated as the vilest of malefactors: nor was he to be persecuted and put to death by men only, but to be an object also of the divine displeasure. Therefore it was foretold by the prophet in the text, that, "although he had done no violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief."

From these words we shall take occasion to consider, first, The innocence of Jesus; secondly, The conduct of the Father towards him; and thirdly, The reasons of that conduct.

I. Let us consider the innocence of Jesus.

The declaration of our Lord's innocence is here peculiarly strong: it is not merely asserted, That he did no violence, but it is taken for granted as a thing which could not admit of one moment's doubt; "although he had done no violence." And indeed, well might it be taken for granted; for, if he were not innocent himself, he could not be a propitiation for our sins: if he had in the least deviated from the perfect law of God, he himself had needed an atonement for his own sins, as much as we for ours. Under the ceremonial law, the lamb that was to be offered in sacrifice at the Passover was solemnly set apart four days before, in order that it might be examined; and, if it had the least spot or blemish, it was not worthy to be offered. To this St. Peter refers, when he calls our Lord, "a Lamb without blemish, and without spot:" and it should seem that our Lord's entrance into Jerusalem just four days before the Passover, and the strict examination of him before Pilate and the chief priests, were intended to fulfil that type. In reference to the same, St. John says, "He was manifested to take away our sin; and in him was no sin;"

a The word "because" should be translated, 66 although." See Bishop Lowth's version, which removes all the obscurities from this passage. If this subject were treated separately, and not in a series of Sermons on the chapter, the first and last clauses of the text should be omitted.

for if there had been any in him, he could not have removed ours.

The text sets forth his innocence in two particulars; "he did no violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth." Deceit and violence are the fruits of wisdom and power when abused: and alas! wisdom is but too often employed in devising mischief, as power is in executing it. Our Lord was endued with wisdom; for "in him were hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge:" and he was possessed of power; for all nature, animate and inanimate, was under his controul: but he never abused either for the purposes of deceit or violence. On the contrary, he employed his wisdom in confounding his captious adversaries, and in explaining the mysteries of his kingdom to his followers: and his power he exerted in working miracles upon the bodies of men, and in affecting the conversion of their souls. Who can read any of his discourses without acknowledging, as they did of old, that "he spake as never man spake?" who that hears him commanding the unclean spirits with authority, and rebuking the winds and the sea, must not immediately confess, that "no man could do these things except God were with him?" Sometimes indeed he answered differently from what we might have expected; as when he told the young man to" enter into life by keeping the commandments:" but this he did, because he knew, that the young man's heart was proud of his great attainments, at the same time that it was glued to his earthly possessions. This therefore was the way, not to deceive, but to undeceive him, by discovering to him the sinfulness of his heart: whereas, if he had told him at once, that the way to enter into life was by believing in him, he would indeed have given a more explicit answer to the question; but he would have left him wholly ignorant of his own corruptions, and would have exposed him thereby to the tenfold danger of making, like Judas, an hypocritical profession. So our Lord may appear to have done violence, when he beat the armed men backward to the ground by his word. But this was done in pity to their souls: it was the very way to convince them, that they were about to seize the Lord's prophet; and thereby to

make them desist from their purpose. If they were Jewish soldiers, as doubtless they were, because they were sent by the chief priests and elders, and Pilate was not yet acquainted with their intentions, they could not but have heard the history of the prophet Elijah, who struck dead two different companies of men, consisting of fifty each, who came to apprehend him. Now our Lord struck them to the ground to bring that to their remembrance: and when they would not desist, he resigned himself into their hands. He healed also the high priest's servant, whose ear Peter had cut off: and, as he had once before rebuked his disciples, when they would have called fire from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village that had refused him admission, so now he told them, that all who took the sword, should perish with the sword." Indeed, if there had been any deceit in Jesus, Judas would gladly have discovered it, as a justification of his own treachery; and, if there had been any violence in him, his numerous and watchful enemies would not have failed to lay it to his charge. But, so far was he from using deceit or violence himself, that he has engaged to deliver his people from all, who, in either of these respects, should attempt to injure them: "He shall redeem their souls, says David (Ps. lxxii. 14.) from deceit and violence."

It appears then that his innocence in every respect stands unimpeached; "he was just such an high priest as became us, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." Nor was he more clear in the sight of men, than he was in the sight of God; for "he did always those things which pleased his Father:" and thrice did his Father, by an audible voice from heaven, declare him to be "his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased."

But, however innocent he was, however free both from violence and deceit, yet he was not dealt with as innocent either by God or man: for, as his own countrymen treated him with the utmost barbarity, so even his heavenly Father acted towards him, as if he had been the greatest of all criminals; as we shall see by considering VOL. II.

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II. The conduct of bis Father towards him.

We must acknowledge that there is something inexpressibly awful, and deeply mysterious, in the declaration before us: nevertheless it will be found literally true, that, notwithstanding the complacency and delight which the Father must of necessity have taken in the immaculate Jesus, "it pleased the Lord to bruise him."

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That his heavenly Father did inflict punishment upon him, even these words indisputably prove; as also do the words which immediately follow; "he hath put him to grief." There is also in other parts of scripture abundant evidence to confirm it: for, all that either men or devils did, was not only by his permission, but by his express commission. The Father "spared not his Son, but delivered him up;" and though the Jews took him, and by wicked hands crucified and slew him, yet St. Peter says, he was delivered up "by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." indeed, how otherwise shall we account for his agony the garden? If it was produced by devils, still they "could have no power against him, except it had been given them from above." And what shall we say to that bitter lamentation which he uttered upon the cross? The complaint arose, not from any pains of body, but from the desertion and wrath which his soul experienced from his heavenly Father: then the Father "bruised him." This expression alludes to the holy incense mentioned in Exod. xxx. 34, 36. "The Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices with pure frankincense, and thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee; and it shall be unto you most holy." Before these spices could ascend up to God as incense, or be worthy to be laid up in the tabernacle, they were to be "beaten very small:" and in the same manner was Jesus to be bruised, before the incense of his merits could be accepted, or his own person be received into the tabernacle of the Most High. This was by far the most distressing part of our Saviour's sufferings; nor could we account for his behaviour under them, unless we believed, that they were inflicted by his heavenly Father: for many martyrs have endured