The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

3. The Scripture is very clear and express in setting down the part that God had in the Sufferings of Christ as Supreme Judg, the impulsive cause that moved Him, their proportion to the punishment of the Law, and the effect of them for our Deliverance. He was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. ¹All the various and vicious actions of men, were over-ruled by his Providence: The falseness of Judas, the fearfulness of Pilate, and the malice of the Jews were subservient to Gods eternal design. And as He wills not the Death of a Sinner, much less of his Son, but for most weighty Reasons: these are declared by the Prophet, All we like sheep have gone astray, and turned every one to his own ways: Our Errors were different, but the issue was the same, that is, Eternal Death:² And the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all: that is, the Punishment of our Iniquities. His Sufferings had such a respect to Sin, as included the imputation of it. 'Twas an act of Sovereignty in God to appoint Christ as Man to be our Surety, but an act of Justice to inflict the punishment, when Christ had undertaken for us. 'Tis said, He hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows. The expressions are comprehensive of all the Miseries of his Life, especially his last Sufferings. The Hebrew words Nasa, and Sabal signify such a taking away,³ as is by laying upon one who bears it from us. And thus it is interpreted by St. Peter, He himself bare our sins in his own Body on the tree. This necessarily implies the derivation of our guilt to him, and the consequent of it, the transferring of our punishment. Those ⟨p. 242⟩words are full and pregnant to the same purpose: He was wounded for our transgressions, ⁴he was bruised for our Iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was on him, and with his stripes we are healed. Where the meritorious cause of his Sufferings is set down, as appears by the connection of the words with the former. The Jews thought him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted; that is, justly punished for Blasphemy, and usurping Divine Honour. In opposition to this conceit 'tis added, But he was wounded for our transgressions. This the Apostle expressly telleth us, when he declares that Christ died for our Sins.