So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of
many
As man dies but once, Christ was offered but once, or he suffered
and died but once; and that was not on his own account, or for
his own sins, "but to bear the sins of many": not of angels but
of men, and these not a few, but "many"; which is said to magnify
the grace of God, to exalt the satisfaction and righteousness of
Christ, and to encourage souls to hope in him: hence many are
brought to believe in him, and many are justified by him, have
their sins forgiven them, and are glorified; though Christ bore
not the sins of all men; for as all men have not faith, all are
not justified, pardoned, and saved: what he bore were "sins"; all
kind of sin, every act of sin, and all that belongs to it; its
filth, guilt, and punishment, even the iniquity of all his
people; which must be a prodigious weight, and than which nothing
could be more nauseous: his bearing them supposes they were upon
him, though not in him, imputed, though not inherent; that he did
not sink under them; that he made an entire satisfaction for
them, and bore them wholly away, both from the persons of his
people, and from the sight of justice. The way in which he came
to bear them was this; he became a surety for all the elect; his
Father imputed to him all their sins, and he voluntarily took
them upon himself; where justice found them, and demanded
satisfaction of him for them, and he gave it; which is an
instance both of his great love, and of his great strength:
and unto them that look for him:
with affection, faith and patience:
shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation;
this is to be understood of Christ's visible and personal
appearance on earth, which will be a glorious one; he will appear
in his own glory, and in his Father's glory, and in the glory of
the holy angels, and in the glory of his power, to the joy of
saints, and to the terror of the wicked; for every eye shall see
him: and this is said to be "the second time"; that is, that he
appears on earth, and personally; for though he often appears to
his people, it is in a spiritual way; and though he appeared to
Stephen and to Paul, yet not on earth, but in heaven; and this is
called the second time, with reference to his first appearance in
human nature at his incarnation, and after that he ascended to
heaven; and as this will be the second, it will be the last: the
manner in which he will appear, will be, "without sin"; without
sin itself; without any thing like it: without any infirmities,
which though not sinful are the effects of sin; without sin
imputed to him, with which he appeared before; without being a
sacrifice for sin; and without sin upon his people that come with
him, or he shall meet whom he shall raise, or change, and take to
himself: and the end of his appearance with respect to them, will
be "unto salvation"; the end of his first appearance was to
obtain salvation for his people, and he has obtained it, and
there is a comfortable application of it made unto them by the
Spirit of God; but the full possession of it will be hereafter,
and into this will Christ put them, when he shall appear: the
Alexandrian copy adds, "by faith", and also some other copies.