read of terrible crystall Let your course be patient and pious before men who are not so and this will keep God and good men with you and all others below your peace if not below their owne He is not so fit to advise you as to pray for you that you may be in the secret of his people who is and shall be still theirs and Yours at the Throne of Grace NICHOLAS LOCKYER A SERMON PREACHED at the late FAST before the Honourable House of COMMONS ISAIAH 53.10 Yet it pleaseth the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to griefe when thou shalt make his soule an offering for sin he shall see seed he shall prolong daies and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand THe great workes of man-kind for soule and body beare heard upon Christ to Jew and Gentile doth this text relate both which in a very sad condition and yet Christ here affirmed unto them a full reliefe The Jew waste chapter foregoing verse 9. Choreb dried up Mount Choreb so called from hence because a drie dead thing and so all the rest of the wildernes Choreb a land of drought great drought wherein there was no water and this one reason why called a terrible wildernesse Deut. 8.15 The wisdom of God is glorious hee led our Fathers in such a way externall as all along in every step thereof spake unto them their internall state they were Choreb to God a land of drought their soules withered and dead no one scarse of any sap Who hath beleived our report chapter contaning my text ver 1. And yet the bravest roote that ever was must spring out of this drie ground and when at driest as in deed it was very drie when Chrst sprang up amongst them and by vertue of it all made fruitfull Hee shall spring up before me as a tender plant and as a roote out of a drie ground verse 2. The fruitfulnesse of this roote in very drie ground read ver the 4. Surely he hath borne our griefes and caried our sorrowes A full relation of this precious fruite is continued verse after verse to the very text I am to stand upon The Jew Choreb and the Gentile Coreb both drie and barren and yet this latter also which was as given up of all to be made fruitfull and by the same hand and therefore called upon to sing Sems Redeemer Iapheths Redeemer Her Redeemer the holy one of Israel the God of the whole Earth shall he be called Chapter following the text verse the 5. The misery of both these barren ones is largely exprest in the Scriptures foregoing and following that we are to stand upon under the metaphor of barrennesse and this metaphor divinely carried out to note all manner of bondage both outward and inward captivitie to sin and for sin and one infolded in another Yea so divinely carried out as to set forth both Jew and Gentile wrapt up totally under the power of sin Satan and men and yet both to be brought out of the hand of all these all which wonderfull indeed The greatnesse of the worke makes the fulnesse and the solemnesse of the assertion here And the apt situation of the words betweene both as equally respecting either casts more vigour and lustre upon the designe Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to griefe when thou shalt make his soule an offering for sin he shall see seed he shall prolong dayes and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand The text is a full affirmation of all good to Jew and Gentile not withstanding all opposition it speakes deliverance from all sorts of slavery and bondage whatsoever Not ashamed nor put to shame is the expression proper to both chapter following my text ver the 4. the one expression noting all naturall internall weaknesse the other all extrinsecall coercive powers The text hath two branches the action of the Father towards the Sonne and the issue of this action towards the sonnes of men The action of the Father towards the Sonne is sad and exprest exaggerately some expressions pointing more properly at the body of Christ though the soule not excluded others pointing more properly at the soule of Christ though the body not excluded those expressions which point at the bodie of Christ are the beginning words of my text the Father bruised the Sonne Dacha tore him in pieces so is the word rendred Psal 94.5 They breake in pieces thy people O Lord. Not a bone of Christ was broken Exodus 12.46 John 19.36 But the flesh of Christ was Hee gave his backe to the smiters and his cheekes to them that plucked off the haires Esa 50.6 pluckt c. Marat scratcht or rooted up * radicitus evulsit pilos scalpsit excoriavit What that Prophet there speakes of his backe and his cheekes that another Prophet speakes of his eyes and his belly Mine eyes are consumed with griefe my soule and my belly Psal 31.9 consumed gnashash gnaw'd and fretted as a moth frets and gnaw's a thing from thence is gash which signifies a moth and used Esa the 50.9 the moth shall eate them up The wrath of God like a moth did gnaw teare and eate up the flesh of Christ the flesh of his backe and cheekes the flesh of his eyes and belly i. all his body from head to foote The wrath of God did so gnaw and teare the flesh of Christ that one might tell all his bones Psal 22.17 It did so teare and rend that it made him sicke which is the next expression in the text amplifying the action of the Father upon him He did put him to griefe Chalah which signifies to make sicke so rendred Isa 38. the 1. Hezekiah was sicke unto death * It may be Chizk â—â—â—ak from Chazak strong and then very strong was very weake so was Christ Now lest any should thinke that the sufferings of Christ were but skin deepe that the Father did but onely touch and teare the flesh of the Sonne all that was said is resum'd and souled as I may say When thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinne asham peccatum i. peccatum pretii peccatum to beare and present our sinne to stand with our filthy garments upon him covering him from head to foote bodie and soule and withall paying the price thereof that these may be taken off Bodie and soule suffered Christ was a whole burnt offering which the Hebrewes call Chalil from Chalal perficere to perfect he did perfectly suffer that is in all and so did perfectly satisfie that is for all our sinnes Their chalil or whole burnt-offering was their most compleat and prime offering and did above all other offerings set out what an offering Christ was to the Father and what an offering wee should be to the Sonne See the dignitie of it above other offerings in Deutoronomie upon the faithfull carriage of Levi whom God did prove at Massah and Mertbah
and said I have found David the Son of Jesse a man after mine owne heart which shall fulfill all my will which is spoken in opposition to Saul who did fulfill but a part Christ did not baulke one title Heaven and Earth shall passe Matth. 5. but one title of the Law shall in no wise passe till all be fulfill'd such parts of Divine will as were most debasing of Christ were fulfilled as well as other parts which were dignifying he stoopt to men who were not worthie to stoop to his shooe latchet Suffer it to be so now for thus it becomes to fulfill all righteousnesse Matthew 3.15 as if Christ had said the will of the Lord shall prosper in my hand though I lie at any ones foot Take the next word in the text and it will carrie it to this sense the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper Tsalach it signifies the carrying on or the carrying thorough of a thing against all difficultie a breaking through or a cutting through with the foote As if God had said My will will be much opposed by Devills and men yet he into whose hand I have put it will breake through all The word is used 1 Samuel the 10. the 6. And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and thou shalt prophecie The Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee Tsalach will breake in upon thee and thou shalt prophecie whether thou wilt or no. 'T is used in the 2 Sam. 19.17 There went a thousand men of Benjamin over Jordan before the King Tsalach brake through before the King Thus shall he into whose hand Gods will is put breake open the everlasting doores and breake in upon dead soules and breake down whatsoever hinders their eternall life Consider the word in its simple signification or consider it in the time in which it is here put Shall prosper by his hand Which future tense carries us not so much to the futuritie of the worke as to the certaintie of it as noting upon what strong bottome it beares to wit the Justice of God and this in a double respect Gods voluntary chusing Christ and owning him to be his servant 'T is a matter of justice that whom I voluntarily take and owne to any businesse of mine I should cleave to him and assist him as I am able This I take to be the emphasis and life of those words Psalm the 89.20 I have found David my servant with my holy oyle have I anointed him with whom my hands shall be established mine arme also shall strengthen him the enemie shall not exact upon him and I will beate downe his foes before his face c. I have found David my servant c. Matsa I have laid hands upon him or taken hold of him so the word is rendred Psal 116.3 The paines of hell tooke hold upon mee I have laid hands upon my Son and therefore t is but Justice I should keep hold of him and that these hands which I have laid upon him should be every way vertuall to him and they shall be so the enemies shall not exact upon him The word used for exact is Nasha seducere decipere and signifies to seduce cheat and deceive and so is rendred Jer. 29.8 Let not your Prophets deceive you c. As if God had said the times through which my Sonne shall passe will be full of craft and if it were possible to deceive mine elect but it is not possibe because hee is mine elect he is my servant and because my servant he shall deale prudently not the subtlest wit in the world shall put a trick or cheat upon him in order to any punctum of my will The word Nasha hath no affinity with Nasag which signifies to be overtaken and catcht as huntsmen doe their prey Christ is the Hinde of the morning hunted from Sun-rise to Sun-set but having Hindes feet he cannot be taken Thou hast made my feet like hindes feet saith Christ oft in the Old Testament Christ cannot be taken nor overtaken hunt and catch and lay snares who will Saul Judas or all the violent craftie hypocrites in the world A bow of steele is broken by his hand Hell is naked before him not onely open but naked as a thing without all strength or force to hurt because one walking in this furnace with him the support of the God-head You have the Father telling all the world that he goes upon this ground along with the Sonne to wit that he is his chosen servant Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect c. I have put my Spirit upon him my mantle and livery as my servant he shall not faile nor be discouraged not darkned or broken till he hath set Judgement in the earth i. accomplished all my will Isa 43.1 2 3 4. Upon this ground God sticks close to us because his chosen servants see it largely and comfortably set forth by the same Prophet Isa 48.8 9 c. and therefore bid againe and againe though wormes yet not to feare because wormes upon such a ground Shall prosper the futurity of the word points at the certainty of the worke upon another ground of Justice that is Christs merit Christ hath bought and paid to the utmost farthing for all that may accomplish him in order to any part of the pleasure of God towards the creature this is a ground granted by God himselfe in the text When thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinne he shall see the issue thereof c. There be many difficulties about the creature but may be all infolded in one to wit sinne Man would have the heart of God were it not for sinne and he that hath the heart of God hath his hand and can doe any thing Now Christ hath paid the price of sinne fully and presents in our person a primitive state and so hath bought the eare the hand and the heart of God that is a full concurrence of the Father for all executions and accomplishments in order to the creature which is the reason of that strong language of Peter in his converting Sermon VVhom God hath raised up He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 demanded life of thee c. Psal 21. having losed the paines of death because it was not possible that he shorld be holden of it Acts 2.24 Not possible why the reason is rendred verse 27. Thou wilt not suffer thy holy One to see corruption Christ is a holy one that is legally holy thou hast made his soule an offering for sinne bought the soule with a soule an eye with an eye a tooth with a tooth he hath purchased all the fulnesse of the God-head to concurie with him and therefore I should be unholy to a holy one if I should leave his soule in grave c. Compare with this place Isaiah 50.6 7 8 9. verses I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire I hid not my face from
shame and spitting * The inference necessary and my Lord God will help me therefore I shall not be confounded therefore have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed He is neare that justifieth me who will contend with me Let us stand together who is mine adversary let him come neare to me Behold the Lord God will help me again he repeats who is he that shall condemne me the Moth shall eat them up If any one could condemne Christ for any thing that he had not done all things well in order to his Fathers will then something might be said why things should not prosper in his hand why he should not have a full concurrence of divine power to carie him thorow al in order to the creature but none can say this no not the Father himselfe He will justifie me and He is neare that is ready to doe it and therefore I am sure as I have been a holy One to my Father so He will be a holy One to me and will not suffer me to see corruption not be overcome by any adversary who will contend with me compare with this Psal 45.7 Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with oile of gladnesse above thy fellowes where Christ's legall righteousnesse is mentioned he did performe all things for the matter exactly and for the manner exactly with such a degree of affection * He did doe righteously and love the doing of it his affection was as compleat as his action though the worke very sad that he did buy all the oile of his lamp which might accomplish him for the creature therefore God called his God as by purchase thou lovest righteousnesse therefore God thy God Compare with this that type Deut. 33.8 9 10. And of Levi he said Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy One whom thou didst prove at Massah and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah who said unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children for they have observed thy word and kept thy Covenant they shall put incense before thee and a whole burnt-offering upon thine altar The exactnesse of Levi's righteousnesse in that point of great triall is made a type of Christ's exact righteousnesse whereby he purchased not onely Or lux but Urim lights that is all the treasures of wisdom knowledge And so not only thamam integrity or perfection but Thummim perfections i. all righteousnesse Vse This point may exhort us to bee patient patience hath two things in it a spirit free from perturbation and pure in ' expectation and both these would I distinctly enforce Contentation from the truth in hand It 's a very shaking time of all sorts bodies soules persons Kingdomes and when trialls are strong passions are so too for the most part and men forget themselves as men much more as Christians and play the beast One would not have thought there had been so many unreasonable creatures in this land until the hand of God appeared amongst us Ier. 18.20 Harvest is past the Summer is ended and wee are not saved Everie wheele breakes and then the heart breakes too when 't hath forgot the truth in hand that the pleasure of the Lord prospers in Christ's hand No wheele moves fast enough nor well enough when the heart makes haste no body is wise nor faithfull none hath braines nor hands to doe any thing t is strange to see how all is carried stranger to thinke what all will come to No body wise nor faithfull Yes Christ is and it should bee enough to everie one in any straight that he is and will be a succesfull agent When many are about a busines oftt-imes no body is one jostles so against another til all be in danger to jostle against Christ and the very principles of sober men When wheeles have much weaight upon them they oft-times make a very unpleasant noise Is God amongst us Israel wants water Amalek waites to give battell and this great straight made that great State fall a chiding of God and one another Is God amoungst us The place was called for this Massah Meribah i. striving and chiding The bigger bodies are with the greater difficulties they move now when great difficulties make great impatience towards God and towards one another this and not our straights indangers all as you may see in the example forementioned Straights simplie considered Exodus 17. though never so great can undoe none neither a person nor a Kingdom but how either behave themselves in them When wee retort temptation upon God this overturnes all that is when he tempts us then wee fall a tempting of him Water is wanting mony wanting enemies not wanting Amalekites in abundance readie to combine yet as long as Christ is there is enough for the prosperity of any good worke and then not enough for the quiet and tranquillitie of thy spirit What though mountaines move yet should wee be still so long as Christ is there is a streame that will refresh the Citie of God in the greatest drought Impatience is very excogitous a man had need have more naturall strength then ten men or else he will fall into a consumption the soule is so uncessantly hammering it selfe and other folks about its owne devices and divine events Jer. 10.14 Every founder is confounded If every founder then an impatient man for he is one founder he is heating and melting his braines night and day casting this and casting that till he hath no more metall to cast and then quite confounded when he cannot cast the Idol he would then quite casts off the true God Is God amongst us What and things so hard and so crosse and confused Action may be in our hand but successe is in Christs this the founder doth not see I meane the impatient man and therefore is confounded Impatience is spiced with pride and ignorance though possibly neither discerned by the subject in which it is What if the will of the Lord whilst in our hand be nothing but straights and difficulties bloud and death wilt thou therefore rage and fret against God his people and will this is to make a God of thy self to be angry because the successe of things is not plac'd in thy hands and under thy cognisance whereas God hath said it shall be onely in Christs hand As impatience is spiced with pride so with ignorance Great stormes bring great darknesse with them you know God usually is so much hid in such times from man that nothing but his hand is seene and this too rather felt then seen and in such cases Solomon tells us how ordinarily poore blind man goes to worke Say not thou what is the cause that former dayes were better then these for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning