The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 150

and holier patience. A great sa.int has said, "They feel not their own wounds who contemplate the wounds of Christ." He endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy ~hat was ~et before him. If we, in our sufferings, look unto Jesus, sacred thoughts of bis cross will fill our heart more and more, and prevent us from dwelling overmuch on onr own afflictions. He is the transcendent Example of suffering for well-doing. Dut his death is unique; it stands alone in its unapproachable glory; it is surrounded with an atmosphere of awful and yet most blessed mystery. He is not simply a martyr for the truth; he suffered, indeed, for well-doing, but he suffered also on account of sins. Sin was the cause of his death, but not his sin; he was absolutely sinless. He was just, the Just One; but he gave himself in his wondrous love to sufi'er for the unjust, for their sake, in their behalf, that he might do them good. Their sin caused his death ; if man had not sinned, there had been no need that the Son of God should die. 'l'he sin of the world was a burden that none but he could bear; he took it upon him. As the high priest bore the names of the tribes of Israel on his shoulders and on his breast, so Christ the great High Priest bore the names of his chosen in his heart, and the tremendous burden of the world's sin upon his innocent head. And this he did of his own free will, in his own generous love; we must think of him when we are called to suffer, especially when we suffer for well-doing. 2. Their purpose. It was "that he might bring us to God." Our sin had separated us from God; we were afar off from him. "But now bath he reconciled us by his cross, having slain the enmity thereby." He has suffered our punishment; therefore, if we are his, we have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Apart from God there can be no holiness, no happiness, no true life. Separation from God means darkness, misery, spiritual death. Christ suffered that he might bring us to God; then we must follow him by the way which he trod, the way of the cross. He himself is the Way; and we can walk in that way only by imitating him; if, then, we would come to the Father by the new and Ii ving Way, which is Christ himself, we must learn to imitate Christ, always in patient submission to the will of God, sometimes in patient suffering for the truth's sake. 0. Their extent. Christ's sufferings extended even unto death; they could reach no further. "He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." It was his own free act; be laid down his life of himself; none could take it from him. The heathen thought it a good omen when the victim came quietly to the altar. No victim ever came with such entire consent of will as the Lord Jesus Christ; for he knew with perfect foreknowledge all the circumstances of his bitter Passion, and at each moment of that long agony he submitted himself of his own will to the tortures inflicted by those poor weak creatures whom he might by one word have swept into utter death. He set us the example of obedience unto death. Let us learn of him. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life." The Lord was quickened in the spirit; so shall it be with his chosen. From the moment of death they are blessed; for they shall be with him in Paradise. From that moment they are quickened in the spirit; the spirit is filled with a. new life, with new powers and energies; the life of departed saints is "far better" than this earthly life; indeed, they are absent from the body; they have not yet reached that perlect consummation and bliss both in body and soul, which can be realized only in God's everlastir,g glory; but they are with tLe Lord; they rest from the labours of this anxious, restle~s life; their works do follow them; they are quickened ia the spirit to o. new life of love and blessedness, aud, it may be, of holy work for Christ. That work will be full of bappiness; there will be no more suffering, no more weariness. 'l'he natural tendency of goodness is to produce _happiness; those tendencies a.r? marre~ a.?d impeded here; there they will have their perfect work; perfected holiness will issue 111 perfected l,appiness. II. HIS wons: OF PREACHING. 1. The Prcaclier. It was the Lord himself, the Word of the Father. He is the Word:" God has spoken to us by his Son." He preaches the V1' ord the Word of eternal life. He preached a.II the years of his earthly ministry; nnd when' his boly body lay in the grave, after he bad been put to death in the flesh, still he preached in the S[Jirit. The ministers of God's holy Word and sacraments must learn of the great Prtacber; they must preach faithfully, diligently, for his sake, for the love of the souls whom he loved; they must count it not a labour, but a high and holy privilege, to preach the gospel of salvation. Ho preached in the spirit; then on. m. 1-22.] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 115