1. He was wounded. This word, which fignifies pierced or stabbed, refers to his crucifixion. This punishment, being unknown to the Jews till they were brought under the Roman power, they had, therefore, no exprefs name for, in their language. Yet it is plainly defcribed by the pfalmift, who, speaking, by the spirit of prophecy, in the person of MESSIAH, fays, They pierced my hands and my feet*. And it was typified under the law of Mofes †, by the curfe annexed, to hanging upon a tree, which was the nearest death to this; by the pafchal lamb, which was roafted; and by the brafen ferpent. It was a fit death for a finner, painful and ignominious. How circumftantial were the prophecies, how appofite the types, how exactly was all fulfilled, and how wonderful was it that the Jews fhould be led to depart from their own customs and purposes, in order to their accomplishment, though they intended nothing less! But it was the determined counsel and appointment of God, who overrules all the defigns of men, and all that to us appears contingent, to the purposes of his own will and glory.

*Pfal. xxii. 16. + Deut. xxi. 23. Gal.-iii. 13. 1 Cor. v. 7. John iii. 14.

Acts ii. 23.

2. He was bruifed. If we diftinguish wounded from bruifed, the latter may be referred to the forrows of his foul, (for it is exprefsly faid, It pleafed the Lord to bruife him) that diftrefs broke his heart, filled him with dismay, caufed him to be fore amazed and very heavy, and to say to his difciples, My foul is exceedingly forrowful even unto death*. No words can be more selected and emphatical, than those which the evangelifts ufe, in defcribing his confternation in the garden of Gethsemane. How can this his dejection and terror be accounted for, by thofe, who deny that his fufferings and death were a proper atonement of fin; and who fuppose, that when he had given to men a perfect rule of life, and commended it to them by his own example, he died, merely to confirm the truth of his doctrine, and to encourage his followers to faithfulness under fufferings! Many of his followers, who were thus witnesses for the truth, and patterns of faithfulness to us, have met death in its most terrible forms with compofure, yea, with pleasure, yea, with transports of joy. But is the difciple above *Matt. xxvi. 38.

his

his Lord? If Chriftians have triumphed in fuch circumstances, why did Chrift tremble? Not furely because their courage and conftancy were greater than his. The caufes were intirely different. The martyrs were given up to them who only could kill the body, but Jesus suffered immediately from the hand of God. One ftroke of his mighty hand can bruise the spirit of man, more senfibly than the united power of all creatures. Jefus died. They that believe in him, are said to sleep in him*. To them death comes difarmed of its fting, wearing a friendly aspect, and bringing a welcome meffage of difmiffion from every evil. But the death of Jefus was death indeed, death in all its horrors, the death which finners had deserved to fuffer as tranfgreffors of the law.

3. The chafifement, or, the punishment of our peace, was upon him. That chastisement, or punishment, on the account of which, finners obtain peace with God. It properly fignifies here, a punishment for instruction or example. Punishments are inflicted, either for the correction of an offender, or for the prevention of evil, or for example to others.

The two former reasons could not apply to our Lord. He had committed no evil, he was perfect before, and in fuffering. But standing in the place of finners, and engaged to expiate their offences, he was made a public example of the mifery and diftrefs which fin demerited. Thus juftice was vindicated in the exercise of mercy, and finners believing in his name, are exempted from punishment, for his fake, in a way which affords not the least encouragement or extenuation to fin. And thus our peace is procured.

II. The effect of his fufferings for fins not his own. He bore our griefs and carried our forrows; he was wounded and bruifed for us, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, that by his ftripes we may be healed. The Hebrew word here, and the Greek word, the apostle Peter uses in his quotation of this paffage, which we render ftripes *, is, properly, the mark, which ftripes or wounds leave upon the body, or, as we fay, fcars. The scars in his hands, feet, and fide, and, perhaps, other marks of his many wounds, remained after his refurrection. And John faw him in vifron, before the throne, as a lamb that had * Pet. iii. 24. 1 A a

VOL. I.

been

been flain. All thefe expreffions and representations, I apprehend, are designed to intimate to us, that though the death of MESSIAH is an event long fince paft, yet the effects and benefits are ever new, and, to the eye of faith are ever prefent. How admirable is this expedient, that the wounds of one, yea, of millions, fhould be healed, by beholding the wounds of another! Yet this is the language of the gospel, Look and live. Look unto me and be ye faved. Three great wounds are ours, guilt, fin, and forrow; but by contemplating his weals or fears with an enlightened eye, and by rightly understanding, who was thus wounded, and why; all these wounds are healed.

You who live by this medicine, fpeak well of it. Tell to others, as you have opportunity, what a Saviour you have found. It is ufual for those who have been relieved, in dangerous and complicated diseases, by a skilful phyfician, to commend him to others who are labouring under the like maladies. We often fee public acknowledgments to this purpose. If all the perfons, who have felt the efficacy of a dying Saviour's wounds apprehended by faith, were to publifh their cafes, how greatly

2

would