Exposition of the Two Epistles of Peter, Epistle and exposition 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse and commentary 24
Verſ. 24. Who his own ſelf bare our ſins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to ſin, ſhould live unto righteouſneſſe; by whoſe ſtripes ye were healed.
The Apoſtle repeateth, and enlargeth his fourth argument (it being the ſweeteſt and ſtrongeſt of all the reſt) to preſſe patient ſuffering for well-doing, to wit, That ſince Chriſt hath born the weight of our ſins, by enduring the wrath due to us for them in his own Perſon upon the croſſe, how patiently ſhould his Redeemed Ones, bear light afflictions for his ſake? And withal, he adds ſome further arguments to preſſe the ſame point, taken from the ſweet ends of Chriſt's death, and the advantages Believers have thereby. The ninth in number, is, That the very end of Chriſt's death, being to purchaſe vertue for the ſlaying of ſin in his own, and for quickning them to the duties of holineſſe, it doth become all his Redeemed Ones to follow their duty, without deſire of revenge upon thoſe who put them to ſuffer wrongfully. The tenth, is, That ſeing the Redeemed by Chriſt have ſpiritual and eternal health and welfare, by vertue of thoſe wounds which he received from God, and men, for them; therefore they ought not to take in evil part, wounds and ſtripes from men, for following their duty to him. Hence Learn, 1. Chriſt's ſuffering in the room of the Redeemed, is a ſubject that they ſhould not ſoon weary to think and ſpeak of, it being to them a ground of much patience and comfort under their ſufferings, to conſider, that God cannot now be avenging himſelf upon them for their ſins, who are fled to Chriſt, nor taking ſatisfaction to his juſtice at their hands, he having received it already from Chriſt: Therefore, the Apoſtle, having held forth Chriſt's ſufferings, ver. 21. as an argument to conſtancy in duty, notwithſtanding of perſecution from men, he loveth to come over the ſame argument here again, Who his own ſelf bare our ſins, &c. 2. The ſufferings of Chriſt were not only exemplary, that we might have a copy how to carry our ſelves right under our ſufferings, but they were expiatory of our ſins, and ſatisfactory for them to the Fathers juſtice: for, after the Apoſtle had ſet forth Chriſt in the former words, as caſting us a copy of the right way of ſuffering, leſt any ſhould think that to be his greateſt deſign in ſuffering, he addeth this, Who his own ſelf bare our ſins in his own body. 3. Jeſus Chriſt our Mediatour, who was altogether free of any guiltineſs inherent in himſelf (as was cleared from verſ. 22.) had all the ſins of the Elect upon him by imputation, and was handled by divine juſtice, as if he had been guilty of them all, as is imported in this expreſſion, He bare our ſins, which frequently in Scripture ſignifies, to bear the puniſhment of ſin; See Lev. 20.17, 20. Ezek. 23.49. 4. As ſin is to a waking conſcience one of the heavieſt burdens that ever was felt, Pſal. 38.4. So Jeſus Chriſt hath by his ſatisfaction upon the croſſe, lifted up (as the word here ſignifieth) that weight from off the conſcience of thoſe, who feel as much of it as chaſes them to him for eaſe, ſo as it ſhall never preſſe any ſuch down to hell, or to deſpair: for, the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of his own ſins, and the ſins of other penitent and believing ſinners, as a weight that none but Chriſt was able to lift, and which he hath lifted up and born, Who his own ſelf bare our ſins. 5. That the ſecond Perſon of the bleſſed Trinity might be fit to bear our ſins, he behoved to be incarnate, and to take on a true body, not borrowed, or aſſumed for a time, but a body of his own, which with his ſoul being perſonally united to his Godhead, he will keep for ever and ever, that his converſing in Heaven with his Creatures that have bodies may be the more ſweet: for, he bare our ſins in his own body. 6. Although the principal part of Chriſt's ſufferings for us, was in his ſoul, Iſa. 53.10. Mat. 26.38. Yet, he is ſaid to bear our ſins in his body, not only becauſe that is an ordinary deſignation of the whole Perſon, conſiſting of ſoul and body, but becauſe it is moſt wonderful that ever the Son of God ſhould have aſſumed ſo frothy a being, as a body of fleſh; becauſe his bodily ſufferings did viſibly repreſent his love to ſinners, and the deſert of ſin; and becauſe his ſoul ſuffered only while it was in his body before his death: therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, He bare our ſins in his body. 7. Our Mediatour behoved to be put to a painfull, lingering, and ſhamefull death, becauſe he was in the room of many who deſerve ſuch kind of deaths, even by humane Laws, that he might the better illuſtrate the terror of God againſt ſin, and might take the ſting out of ſuch kind of deaths to any of his own, who ſhould endure the like for his ſake; for theſe cauſes he bare our ſins in his own body on the tree, to wit, of the croſſe. 8. That which doth moſt heighten our eſteem of Chriſt's love, in giving himſelf to die for us, and moſt ſtrongly oblige us not to ſpare our perſons for him, is the conſideration of the excellency of his Perſon, and of our unworthineſſe for whom he ſuffered; both which the Apoſtle leads Believers unto here, while he doth ſo often mention him and us, Who his own ſelf bare our ſins in his own body on the tree, that we, &c. 9. Till the merit of Chriſt's death be applied by Faith to the hearts of ſinners, they are alive to ſin, being active, and delighting in the commiſſion thereof; they are dead to righteouſneſſe, being no leſſe impotent for any ſpiritual act, or holy performance, than dead men are for the actions of the living; as is ſupponed in this, That Chriſt's death was for theſe ends, that we being dead to ſin, might live to righteouſneſſe. 10. Chriſt's intention in dying for ſinners, which he doth in ſome meaſure gain in all his Redeemed Ones in this life, and will fully attain in the other, was, That the love of ſin in their hearts, might by the vertue purchaſed with his bloud, be ſo weakened, that they might have no more pleaſure in the commiſſion of it, than dead men have in the delights of the living, and that their hearts might be quickened with ſpiritual life, for holy performances, and they might live eternally praiſing their Redeemer for that righteouſneſſe of his beſtowed upon them, whereby they are juſtified, ſanctified, and ſaved: for, theſe two are here made the great ends of Chriſt's death, that we being dead (to wit, being made ſo in a ſpiritual ſenſe by the vertue of Chriſt's death) to ſin, might live unto righteouſneſſe. 11. As every man in his natural ſtate, before the application of the vertue of Chriſt's bloud to his ſoul, is in no leſſe dangerous and deadly a condition, than a man that is wounded and bleeding to death, Luke 10.30. which is not to be underſtood, as if ſuch had any ſpiritual life at all, but that while they live naturally, they are altogether dead ſpiritually, and poſting toward eternal death, as a man bleeding in his wounds is to his natural death; So, it is only the vertue purchaſed by Chriſt's ſufferings that brings true health to ſinners, which conſiſteth in the pardoning of their ſins, Iſa. 33.24. the curing of their ſpiritual diſtempers, Pſal. 103.3. and enabling them like healthy men to go about ſpiritual performances, Iſa. 35.6. for, it is here ſupponed that ſinners are naturally in a deadly condition, and that there is no health for them, but from Chriſt's ſufferings, by whoſe ſtripes ye were healed. 12. Although we ought to conceive nothing of Chriſt's body now glorified, that may any way in our apprehenſion ſtain the incomprehenſible glory and beauty thereof, Philip. 3.11. Yet, ſo deep were the wounds that Chriſt received from the Father's juſtice, that we may ſafely conceive the impreſſion of them to be no leſſe biding in his heart, for the entertaining of ſympathy with his Redeemed Ones, (who are wounded in their conſciences with the ſenſe of ſin, and fear of wrath, or, in their bodies, by ſtripes from men for their faithfulneſſe to Him) than if He had yet in his body the print of thoſe wounds to move his ſympathy towards them: for, the word here, ſignifieth the biding print, or skar of a wound after it is healed; By whoſe ſtripes ye were healed. 13. None can with patience and chearfulneſs ſuffer wrongs for Chriſt, but they that do by faith apply the vertue of his ſuffering for them to their own ſouls, for the pardoning and ſubduing of ſin, quickening of their hearts in holineſſe, and healing of their ſpiritual diſtempers; which effects of his death, are ſo ſweet to them that partake of them, that they cannot but chearfully endure the worſt that men can do againſt them, rather than do the leaſt thing that may be offenſive to Him, Who his own ſelf bear our ſins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead unto ſin, might live unto righteouſneſſe; by whoſe ſtripes ye were healed. All which the Apoſtle ſets down as ſo many motives to conſtancy in well-doing, notwithſtanding of hardeſt ſufferings.