74

Christ,  standing  bound  for  the  dect,  could  ob*
ject  nothing  against  God's  just  proceedings  against
.  him,  seeing  it  was  his  own  voluntary  act  to  be-
come their  surety :  neither  God,  angels^  jior  men,
could  force  him  to  it.     On  this  account  it  was
that  he  stood  speechless  at  the  law's  bar  r  "  All  we,
like  sheep,   have  gone  astray;    jre  have  turned
every  one  to  his  own  way ;  and  the  Lord  hath  laid
on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all.     He  was  oppressed,
and  he  was  afflicted,  yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth :
he  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter ;  and,  as  a
sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  opened
not  his  mouth,"  Isai.  liii.  5,  7-     What  wus  the  jpear
son  of  this  profound  silence,  when  not  only  his
reputation  but  his  liberty,  and  his  dear  life  too,
lay  at  stake  ?    No  other  reason  can  be  given  by  men
or  angels  for  it  but  this,  viz.  his  voluntary  act  in
striking  hands  with  his  Fallier,  as  a  sponsor  or  surety
in  the  behalf  of  tlie  el^ct,  in  whose  room,  as  dieir
representative,  he  promised  to  see  all  their  debts
fully  discharged  ;  and  that  by  a  most  exact  keep-
ing the  law  for  them ;  and  by  bearing  to  the  utter-
most the  shame,  curse,  and  death,  to  which  the
law  sentenced  the  elect  for  sin.    The  blessed  Re-
deemer having  thus  laid  himself  under  a  legal  tfe
or  obligation  to  God  his  Fatlier,  when  justice  caUed
him  to  hold  up  the  hand  at  the  bar,  in  order  to
his  coming  to  a  full  and  legal  trial,  he  had  not  one
word  to  object  against  the  severity  of  the  law's  pro-
ceeding against  him.    Tliough  he  had  not  the  least
spot  of  sin  of  his  own '  to  be  charged  with,  yet
having  undertaken,  as  a  surety  for  the  elect,  thesr


75

*

AinS,  tiiotigh  never  so  many,  horrid,  and  vile,  lie
ttiust  take  as  his  own ;  and  so  he  did :  witness  his
<>Wn  acknowledgment  at  the  law's  bar :  "  For  in-
hiimerable  evils  have  compassed  me  abont ;  mintf
iniquities  have  taken  hold  on  nie,  so  that  I  am  not.
