Exposition of John, Chapter 13 · Verse 5 – Verse 6
Verſe 8. Peter ſaith unto him, Thou ſhalt never waſh my feet. Jeſus anſwered him, if I waſh thee not, thou haſt no part with me.
In the ſecend branch of this Expoſition, upon occaſion of Peters more peremptory refuſal, there is a further Expoſition of the meaning of this waſhing, and of the neceſſity of what he intended to point at thereby. For Peter not acquieſcing in what Chriſt had told him, but proceeding from admiration to a wilful refuſal, that Chriſt ſhould waſh his feet, as conceiving it his duty in modeſty to refuſe; however Chriſt ſhould preſſe it: Chriſt taking hardly with this, renounces all communion with him, and diſclaims that Peter had any intereſt in him, unleſſe he did waſh him. Which doth not import only that his wilful refuſing to ſtoop to Chriſts Will in this external waſhing, would, if he perſiſted in it, prove him to be in a bad condition, though that be true in it ſelfe: But chiefly, (as the following expoſition of waſhing their feet in particular makes clear) it points out that Chriſt, by waſhing their feet, would (not inſtitute a Sacrament, but) put them in minde of ſoule waſhing, which as it can only be done by him, ſo without it, men can prove no intereſt in him. And ſo the meaning of this waſhing in general is, to point out the neceſſity of waſhing ſinners by Regeneration, Juſtification, and begun Sanctification, which was alſo the ſignification of their ſeveral waſhing under the Law, Pſ. 51.
From Peters refuſal, Learn, 1. Men may have much ſeeming humility in the matters of God, which yet is but prepoſterous and ſinful, and learnt from carnal reaſon; for, ſuch was Peters humility, condemned by Chriſt here. See Col. 2.18, 23. 2. It doth not juſtifie mens tentations and ſinful humility, that it ſeems to riſe from much good, but we are to diſtinguiſh betwixt what is really good, and what tentations Satan faſtens on it; for, this condemned humility did begin at admiration, at Chriſts condeſcendence, v. 6. and grounded it ſelf upon his reſpect to Chriſt, and diſeſteem of himſelf. 3. It is an evidence men are under a tentation, when they are ſtiffe, and do pertinaciouſly ſtand out againſt Chriſts verdict; And in particular, it is but ſinful humility, when men will not ſubmit to Chriſts verdict and Will; for, this was the fault in Peters humility, that he would not take ſatisfaction from Chriſt, concerning what he was doing. 4. It is but ſinful and prepoſterous humility, which refuſeth Chriſts offer, whatever it be, or how unworthy ſoever we be of it; for, this alſo was Peters fault, Thou ſhalt never waſh my feet; He thought himſelf unworthy of this condeſcendence, and therefore utterly refuſeth to admit of his offer; ſo the contrary of this in the Churches admitting of Chriſts commendation, ſeeing he was pleaſed to have a deſire toward her, Cant. 7.1, 2, &c. with v. 10.
From Chriſts anſwer to Peter, Learn, 1. Saints, by what they do out of a pretext of humility, may be running on a ſnare, and deſerving ſad threatnings from him; for, Peters humility meets with this entertainment. 2. It is Chriſts method, oft-times with his people, to break their obſtinacy with ſad threatnings, and to boaſt them to their mercy, and from their prepoſterous humility, when faire dealing will not perſwade them; for, thus doth he deal with Peter. 3. It is the ſaddeſt of threatnings and judgments, to be ſecluded from an intereſt in, and communion with Chriſt; Therefore is it held out to Peter as a very ſad caſe, Thou haſt no part in me, that is, no intereſt in him, and conſequently, no communion with him, nor ſhare in that inheritance purchaſed by him, and ſo is no coheir with him. 4. The contempt of an Ordinance or Command of Chriſt, how mean-like ſoever, deſerves the ſaddeſt of threatnings, and that the contemner ſhould be ſecluded from Chriſt; for, this holds true, even of the outward waſhing, and his reſiſting thereof, when Chriſt required it, If I waſh thee not, thou haſt no part with me. By which ſad threatning Chriſt drives Peter to ſubmit. 5. Soul-purging from ſin is ſo neceſſary, that without it men can have no evidence of intereſt in, or communion with Chriſt; for, it holds chiefly true of the thing pointed at, If I waſh thee not, thou haſt no part with me. 6. It is neither the goodneſſe of our nature, nor legal purifications, or our own endeavours, that can either prove, or make us clean; But it is Chriſt alone who muſt waſh us, that we may participate with him, and who muſt apply the merit and efficacy of his blood for that end; for, If I waſh thee not, faith he, thou haſt no part with me.
Verſe 9. Simon Peter ſaith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but alſo my hands and my head.
In the third branch of this expoſition, upon occaſion of Peters running to another extremity, Chriſt declares what he meant by waſhing their feet only. In this verſe we have Peters propoſal, occaſioning the explication: He, being afrighted with the former threatning, and (belike) now underſtanding what Chriſt meant by this external waſhing, he is ſo farre from refuſing that Chriſt ſhould waſh his feet, that he offers hands and head, and all to be waſhed. Whence learn, 1. It is ſo terrible a thing to be threatned with ſeparation from Chriſt, that the thoughts thereof will cauſe a childe of God draw nearer to him, and make him condeſcend to any thing, rather then admit of that; for, this brake Peters obſtinacy, and made him ſay, Lord, not my feet only, but alſo my hands and mine head, before that be. 2. Saints, being ſenſible of ſin, are ready to forget their renewed and juſtified eſtate, and to look on themſelves as altogether polluted and corrupt; for, this may alſo be underſtood as Peters language, when he underſtood the ſignification of this waſhing. In which caſe, he ſeeth not only foul feet, but head and hands, and all to be waſhed, and therefore upon that account, he offers them all to Chriſt. Which, though Chriſt clear it to be his miſtake, yet it is ofttimes the ſad exerciſe of Saints. 3. It is the great infirmity of Saints, that they run, for moſt part, upon extreams; And when they leave one extremity, they return not to the right way, but fall on the contrary extremity; for, whether we look to the external action, or ſignification thereof, Peter did thus erre, firſt in declining to be waſhed at all, and then in offering more to be waſhed then Chriſt required.