Who his own self bare our sins, &c.— That which is deepest in the heart is generally most in the mouth; that which abounds within, runs over most by the tongue or pen. When men light upon the speaking of that subject which possesses the affection, they can hardly be taken off, or drawn from it again. Thus the apostles in their writings, when they make mention any way of Christ suffering for us, love to dwell on it, as that which they take most delight to speak of; such delicacy and sweetness is in it to a spiritual taste, that they like to keep it in their mouth, and are never out of their theme, when they insist on Jesus Christ, though they have but named him by occasion of some other doctrine; for He is the great subject of all they have to say.
Thus here the apostle had spoke of Christ in the fore-going words very fitly to this present subject, setting him before Christian servants, and all suffering Christians, as theircomplete example, both in point of much suffering, and of perfect innocence and patience in suffering. And he had expressed their engagement to study and follow that example; yet he cannot leave it so, but having said that all those his sufferings, wherein he was so exemplary, were for us, as achief consideration, for which we should study to be like him, he returns to that again, and enlarges upon it in words partly the same, partly very near those of that Evangelist among the prophets, Isaiah 53:4.
And it suits very well with his main scope to press this point, as giving both very much strength and sweetness to the exhortation; for surely it is most reasonable, that we willingly conform to Him in suffering,who had never been an example of suffering, nor subject at all to sufferings, nor in any degree capable of them, but for us; and it is most comfortable, in these light sufferings of this present moment, to consider, that hehasfreedus,iffaithful, from the sufferings of eternity, by himself suffering in our stead in the fulness of time.
That Jesus Christ is, in doing and suffering, our supreme and matchless example, and that he came to be so, is a truth: but that he is nothing further, and came for no other end, is, you see, a high point of falsehood; for how should man be enabled to learn and follow that example of obedience, unless there were more in Christ; and what would become of that great reckoning of disobedience which man stands guilty of? No, these are too narrow; he came to bear our sins in his own body on the tree, and for this purpose had a body fitted for him and given him to bear this burden; to do this as the will of his Father; to stand for us instead of all offerings and sacrifices; and by that will, says the apostle, we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, Hebrews 10:10.
This was his business, not only to rectify sinful man by his example, but to redeem him by his blood. He was a teacher come from God. As a prophet he teaches us the way of life, and, as the best and greatest of prophets, is perfectly like his doctrine; and his actions, (which in all teachers is the liveliest part of doctrine,) his carriage in life and death, is our great pattern and instruction: but what is said of his forerunner, is more eminently true of Christ; he is a Prophet, and more than a prophet, a Priest satisfying justice for us, and a King conquering sin and death in us; an example indeed, but more than an example, our sacrifice, and our life, and all in all. It is our duty to walk as he walked, to make him the pattern of our steps, 1 John 2:6.: but our comfort and salvation lies in this, that he is the propitiation for our sins, 1 Peter 2:2. So in the first chapter of that epistle, 1 Peter 2:7 we are to walk in the light, as he is in the light: but for all our walking, we have need of that which follows; that bears the great weight, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.