Exposition of the Two Epistles of Peter, Epistle and exposition 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse and commentary 22, 23
Verſ. 22. Who did no ſin, neither was guile found in His mouth.
23. Who when He was reviled, reviled not again, when He ſuffered, He threatned not, but committed Himſelf to Him that judgeth righteouſly.
The Apoſtle inſiſts in commending Chriſt, as the Believers copy, from three particulars: which may be taken for ſo many further arguments to patient ſuffering for well-doing. The ſixth, in order, taken from Chriſt's innocency, is, That ſeing He who did not in the leaſt offend either God or man, was handled as a ſinner, His ſinful Followers ſhould therefore take well with ſufferings. The ſeventh, taken from His patience, is, That ſince the Son of God, when foul crimes were laid to His charge, did not at all requite His ſlanderers, nor give the leaſt ill word for the worſt uſage; therefore patience under injuries, without ſtudying revenge, becomes His Followers. The eighth, taken from His Faith and Confidence, is, That ſeing Chriſt did reſign Himſelf to His righteous Father, to deal with Him, and His perſecutors as He ſaw fitting, they that deſire to be like Him, ſhould take the ſame courſe. Hence Learn, 1. Chriſt Jeſus our Mediator, was altogether free of the leaſt tranſgreſſion of, or defect in, conformity to the Law of God, though the ſtrongeſt of Satan's fiery darts were ſhot at Him, Mat. 4.1, &c. and 16.22, 23. Yet, His Bow abode in its ſtrength, Gen. 49.24 there being nothing in Him to befriend a temptation, Job. 14.30. He being by His miraculous conception, exempted from the contagion of Original ſin, Luke 1.35. whence actual tranſgreſſions flow, Jam. 4.1. and it behoved Him to be ſo, that He might be compleatly lovely to God, as being the truth of all thoſe ſpotleſs Lambs that were offered under the Law, as types of Him, Joh. 1.29. and that He might be a perfect pattern of holineſſe to His Followers, who did no ſin. 2. There is nothing but truth and ſincerity in all the words of Chriſt, He never expreſt more willingneſſe to receive and do good unto ſinners, than He doth mind really to make out to all that come to Him; nor hath He expreſt more wrath againſt ſlighters of Him, than they ſhall find to be true: for, this is another branch of the commendation of Chriſt from His innocency, Neither was guile found in His mouth. 3 How innocent ſoever the Children of the Lord may be of thoſe crimes, which are unjuſtly charged upon them by perſecutors, as the cauſe of their ſufferings; Yet, the ſenſe of their ſinfulneſs in other things, ought to make them ſubmiſſive to, and patient under hardeſt ſufferings from men, conſidering that they ſuffer for leſſe than they deſerve, Ezra. 9.13. and that it becomes them to bear indignation becauſe they have ſinned, Mica. 7.9. for, the Apoſtle propoſeth the innocency of Chriſt, who was a patient ſufferer, as an argument from the more to the leſſe, to move ſinfull things not to take ill with ſufferings, ſince Chriſt was a patient ſufferer, who did no ſin, &c. 4. As all that would glorifie the Lord by their ſufferings, and have comfort under them, muſt ſtudy to imitate Jeſus Chriſt in His innocency and ſincerity; So, they that have attained to the greateſt meaſure of conformity to Him in theſe, may not therefore expect exemption from ſad ſufferings, but rather, the liker to Him in theſe they are, to look for the worſe uſage from wicked men: for, as Chriſt's innocency and ſincerity are here held forth as ſteps of His which they that would honour Him by their ſufferings, and have comfort under them, muſt follow; So, He is here held forth as expoſed to extream grievous ſufferings, notwithſtanding He had theſe in their perfection, He did no ſin, neither was guile found in his mouth: yet He was reviled, and put to hardeſt ſufferings. 5. It was the lot of our Lord Jeſus, when He was in our place, in the eſtate of His humiliation, not only to ſuffer hard things in His Perſon, but likewiſe in His Name; to have that rent and torn with reproaches, and to have foul crimes (as the word here, rendred to reviſe, ſignifies) unjuſtly laid to His charge, ſuch as compliance with Satan, Joh. 10.20. blaſphemy, Joh. 10.33. ſedition, Luke 23.2. and the like: and that becauſe, though He never did any thing worthy of blame, He ſtood in the room of many ſinners really guilty of all theſe crimes, which were only upon Him by imputation, ſo as He bear the curſe of God, and the ſhame of the world, that was due to theſe ſins: for, this lot is here ſuppo…ed to have been Chriſt's, that He not only ſuffered, but was reviled. 6. While our Lord Jeſus was under this lot, He did not give a meeting of any kind to his enemies, but was ſo far from charging them with foul crimes unjuſtly, which is reviling, that when they had done ſo to Him, calling Him a Devil, Joh. 8.48. He did not at that time ſo much as repeat the like challenge, which He had before juſtly laid to their charge, Joh. 8.44. and though He did ſometimes threaten fearful judgments upon deſpiſers of reconciliation with God through Him, Mat. 23.13, &c. Yet, upon his receiving of greateſt perſonal wrongs, He did not ſo much as renew any of theſe threatnings, but on the contrary prayed for his enemies, Luke 23.34. leſt in the miſapprehenſion of any onlookers, His ſufferings might have been ſtained with imputation of paſſion or revenge, and his followers might have abuſed his practiſe to vent their carnal paſſion againſt their perſecutors; the hazard whereof, is likewiſe imported in the Apoſtle's guarding thus againſt it, Who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He ſuffered, He threatned not. 7. As all Chriſt's Followers ſhould reſolve to meet with grievous reproaches and ſlanders, joyned with their other ſufferings, as Chriſt did, So ought they to follow Chriſt's ſteps, in not requiting their enemies, or giving ill language for the worſt uſage, but muſt learn to die to their reputation as well as to other things, for His ſake, who when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He ſuffered, he threatned not. 8. While Chriſt our Lord was ſuffering in our room. He did with much confidence and willingneſſe deliver Himſelf up to the will of his righteous Father, to endure the utmoſt that was due to ſinners, according to his undertaking in the Covenant of Redemption, Pſa. 40.7, 8. knowing that his Father's righteouſneſſe was engaged in the ſame Covenant, to ſuſtain his Manhead under all his ſufferings, Iſa. 50.7, &c. to reward Him for them, by giving Him all that He died for, as his ſeed, to ſerve him, and praiſe him for ever, Iſa. 53.10, 11. and to puniſh all the reſt according to their deſerving, Pſal. 110.5, 6. for, this is here expreſly aſſerted as the ground of the patience and ſubmiſſion of the man Chriſt to the Fathers will, He committed himſelf to Him that judgeth righteouſly. 9. Although theſe acts of Faith which do neceſſarily preſuppoſe guiltineſſe, or have with them any mixture of miſ-belief or diſcouragement, could not be in Chriſt, who was holy, harmleſſe, undefiled, and ſeparated from ſinners, Heb. 7.26. Yet His Soul was eminently endued with the grace of Faith, as it is taken for reſting upon the faithfulneſſe of God, and reſignation of ones perſon, and cauſe to Him under unjuſt ſufferings from men: for, thus is Chriſt here, as a Believer, deſcribed, He committed Himſelf to Him that judgeth righteouſly▪ 10. The oppreſt and ſuffering People of God, who are not able to defend themſelves from wrongs at mens hands, nor to redreſſe the ſame, ought to commit themſelves and their cauſe to God their Father, as to a righteous Judge, not out of malice againſt, or deſire of judgment upon, their perſecutors, but as a mean to prevent their own deſpondency of ſpirit, and deſpair under their hard uſage: for, this practiſe of Chriſt's is one of his ſteps, which ſuffering Chriſtians ought to follow; He committed himſelf to Him that judgeth righteouſly. 11. The beſt way for Chriſtians to attain to true chriſtian patience under a croſſe for Chriſt, to keep down their carnal paſſions, while they ſuffer wrongfully from men, and to guard their hearts againſt the ſtudy of revenge toward their perſecutors, is, to reſign themſelves, and their cauſe, in the hands of God the righteous Judge: for, though there was no hazard of ſuch ſinfull motions in Chriſt, yet He took that courſe which He knew would be moſt effectual to prevent them in his Followers, whom He would have to follow his ſteps in this, as a mean to keep them down; When he was reviled, he reviled not again &c. but committed himſelf to Him that judgeth righteouſly.