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6. All we like sheep have gone aftray: we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us

all.

The folly and mifery of tranfgreffors, which were the impulfive caufes of the Meffiah's fufferings, with the wonderful expedient devised by infinite Wisdom for our deliverance, is very fignificantly reprefented in these words. Our extreme folly and danger is exhibited by an inftructive fimilitude. All we like fbeep have gone aftray. This hath been the conduct, not of a few heedlefs mortals, but of all people in every nation and in every age, whether Jews or Gentiles, Greeks or barbarians, whether difeafed or healed by the stripes endured by Jefus Chrift. However different in other refpects, however much fome may flatter themselves with regard to the fafety of their condition, yet all have wandered from God.-Sheep that have left good pasture, and ftrayed from under the fhepherd's care into the barren defart, present, in the strongest and most affecting light, an emblem of difappointment, indigence, and perplexity. Being incapable of providing for their own fafety, of defending themselves from thofe who would hurt or destroy them, deftitute of that inftinct by which they might find their way back to the fhepherd and his flock, they convey a ftriking resemblance of finners who have departed from God, or their utter inability, by their own efforts, to regain the happiness they have loft, and to return to the Shepherd and Bishop of their fouls.

We have turned every one to bis own way. Every one hath a particular course of his own, wherein he goes, and though pleased that he does not tread the fame path with those from whom he differs, he is forgetful that he alfo hath gone afide into his own way. Some have turned into the way of dithonour

ing the great God, by neglecting his worship, or by carelessly performing it, fo that whilft they honour him with their mouths, their hearts go out after their covetousness. Others have turned into the way of profaning the name of God, and speaking irreverently of his infinite Majefty, of his perfections, word, and providence. Some have got into the way of contemning the Sabbaths of the Lord, and appropriating them to indolence, to unprofitable amufements, or worldly business. Others, difregarding the love of their neighbour, and the faithful performance of relative duties, incumbent upon them in their several capacities and stations, indulge criminal paffions, and are addicted to cruelty and revenge, to lewdness and debauchery, to calumny and flander, to fraud and dishonesty, to falsehood and defamation, to discontent, and covetousness. Into all, and efpecially into one or other of these pernicious ways, every one hath turned and gone aftray from God. In confequence whereof, all are obnoxious, to have executed upon them the awful fentence denounced againft tranfgreffion in the Divine law, which hath fixed an infeparable connexion between fin and death. Juftice might have feized on the finner, and inflicted the threatened punishment. But, eternal thanks to Jehovah,

The Lord bath laid on him the iniquity of us all. These words defcribe the admirable expedient which the Lord God hath been pleased to adopt, that he might remove from us the guilt contracted by our wanderings, and bring us back into the path of life. The Hebrew word, tranflated iniquity, is ufed in fcripture to exprefs, not only our perverfe deviations from the way of God's commandments, but also the punishment thereby incurred. My iniquity, (faid Cain *,) or the punishment which I have thereby deferved, is greater than I can bear. Our iniquities, with the penalties annexed to them, Jehovah, the righteous Lord and fupreme Governor of the univerfe, hath laid upon the Meffiah, or, as the word intimates,

* Gen. iv. 13.

intimates, he caufed them to fall or to meet upon him. The fins of all whom he faves, in every nation and age, met on him, even as the brooks and rivers from all quarters run into the fea. For them he made his foul an offering, and bare them on his own body on the tree. In forming fentiments on this fubject, affiftance may be derived from attentive confideration of the rites that were obferved, by Divine appointment, under the former difpenfation; and particularly from the inftitution recorded, Lev. xvi. 21. to which poffibly the words before us may refer. As the high priest of the Ifraelites, having offered one kid of the goats for a fin-offering, was commanded to lay his hands upon the head of the other, and to confefs over him all the iniquities of the children of Ifrael, putting them upon the head of the goat, that was to bear upon him all their iniquities into a land not inhabited, &c.-In like manner, Jehovah laid upon the Meffiah all our iniquities, and exacted of him the punishment they deserved; though not precifely in every circumstance, yet he fuffered what was effentially the fame we deferved, and what was fufficient to vindicate the honour of the Divine perfections and government. This immenfe load, which he alone was able to bear, he voluntarily and readily fubmitted to endure, that he might fave his people from their fins. In this wonderful tranfaction, the unfearchable wifdom, the confummate righteousness, and infinite love of God, are illuftriously displayed, whilft the admirable grace and condefcenfion of our Saviour are exhibited in the most amiable light, and a key is given us to open the import of many things that are written concerning Jefus of Nazareth.

7. He was oppreffed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the flaughter, and as a fheep before her fhearers is dumb, fo he openeth not his mouth.

In confequence of Jehovah having laid all our iniquities upon the Meffiah, and demanding of him the immenfe debt contracted by our tranfgreffions, he was greatly depreffed, and crufhed to death. We learn from the hiftory of the Acts of the Apoftles*, that this was the place of Scripture which the man of Ethiopia, who had the charge of all Queen Candace's treasures, was reading in his chariot, at which Philip the Evangelift began, and preached unto him Jefus Chrift. The paffage before us is there cited with fome fmall variations. It exhibits the compaffionate Saviour as greatly oppreffed and fore afflicted, when bearing the dreadful weight of our fins, and the awful punishment they deserved. Hear him breathing out language expreflive of the heaviest distress and bittereft anguith: 'Now is my foul troubled, and what fhall I fay-Father, fave me from this * hour, but for this cause came I unto this hour †' 'O my Father, if it be poffible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt ‡' -He was afflicted of God, who fpared him not, but delivered him up to the death for us all-He was afflicted by Satan, who affaulted him with many strong temptations. He was afflicted by Jews and Gentiles, by the Jewish fanhedrim and the Roman Governor, by chief priests, elders and rulers; yea, by the rabble, who infulted and abufed him-He was afflicted by his difciples, who forfook him and fled, one of them betraying him into the hands of his enemies, and another repeatedly denying connection with him-He was afflicted not only by the wounds and bruises he received on his body, but by the unjust malicious charges that were brought against him, of fedition, blafphemy, and other crimes-He was afflicted in his foul, by awful apprehenfions of the miseries of mankind, the malignity of fin, and the wrath of the Almighty.

Yet he opened not his mouth, &c. Even when falfe accufations were laid against him, which he could

eafily Chap. viii. 32, 33. ↑ John xii. 27. + Mat. xxvi. 39.

eafily have refuted; to the aftonishment of his judges, he answered never a word.-He opened not his mouth, to arraign the righteoufnefs of God's providence in his complicated diftreffes, or to complain of the grievous weight of the afflictions to which he was deftined-He opened not his mouth in his own vindication, which might have been deemed inconfiftent with willingness to fuffer, or in complaints of the cruel treatment of his enemies, or in fevere animadverfions upon the conduct of thofe for whofe fins he was afflicted.-This remark is illuftrated by two fimilitudes, which ftrongly reprefent the perfect innocence, meeknefs, and patience of Jefus Chrift, under the accumulated injuries he received.-1, He is brought as a lamb to the flaughter. As the Lamb, which in its nature is gentle and tractable, makes no refiftance, but is conducted with the utmost ease to the place where it is to be flain, fo Jefus Chrift was led to the place of his crucifixion, without fhewing the least reluctance, or making the smallest oppofition. He went forth to fufferings and death with calmness, refolution, and alacrity.-2dly, A fheep before her fhearers is dumb, and complains not while it is ftript of its fleece of wool; fo Jeíus Chrift was filent when deprived of his reputation, of his raiment, of his reft, and other bleffings enjoyed by mankind. Though none of the fons of men did ever fo little deferve fuch cruel ufage, though never one could have faid fo much in his own defence, or could have executed fuch awful judgments on his enemies; yet he held his peace, and maintained profound filence under all the ill treatment to which for us he fubmitted. What aftonishing meekness, what invincible patience, did the compaffionate Redeemer manifeft under the most afflictive undeíerved fufferings! Let us then endeavour, in dependence on his gracious aid, to transcribe into our conduct the amiable pattern he hath given us, by calmly and fubmiffively bearing all the calamities that be fal us, confident that if we do well and fuffer, if we take it patiently, this is acceptable to God.

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