Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 22
Verse 22. Who did no sin, neither wus guile found in his mouth.
THe example of Christs sufferings is illustrated,An illustration of Christs sufferings. 1. By his innocency. 2. By his admirable patience: Innocency, that he had no sin, no not so much as ever slipt in his tongue, and so was perfect: Now if he had no sin, suffered patiently, much more should we that are sinful Creatures, and do one way or other deserve a thousand times more then that we suffer: His admirable patience set forth by that he suffered, and his bearing the same sufferings in word and deed, where's shewed both what he did not, and what he did: He requited not onelyonly not ill words, with ill deeds, but not the worst deeds that were done to him, with an ill word again, and he committed his cause to God, knowing that he knew what was to be done, and would judge righteously between him and them.
Who did no sin, Christ was free from sin.&c.] He had no Original sin, but was conceived by the holy Ghost;2 Cor. 5. 21. The matter whereof he was framed, which he took of the Virgin was freed from all spot of sin,1 Iohn 3. 5. and filled with fulness of grace, yea from the first moment of his Conception, was united into one Person with the divine nature: So did the Angel declare to his Mother,Luke 1. 35. That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
1. Then he suffered not for his own sins,Use 1. as they wickedly imagined that put him to death,Isa. 53. 4. as was foretold, but from ours altogether, which should make us loath our selves, that put the innocent Son of God to such things, which we had justly deserved: Oh! How should we hate sin, and love God and Christ Jesus for ever and ever?
But how could it stand with Gods justice that he should suffer,Ob. being every way innocent, and we which were guilty persons should go free?
Christ was an able surety to dye, and overcome death, and he was willing,R. and the Father could not refuse one in our own nature to undertake for us to satisfie his justice, and free us.
Here also we may see how we stand righteous before Almighty God,How the godly stand righteous before God. though we be not perfectly righteous, though not at all till we be sanctified, and then but in part; How? even by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and reckoned, and made ours by Faith, which is not an imaginary thing, as the Papists scoff at it, but a true and real righteousness: for as Christ was no sinner, yet was counted as a sinner, and being so accounted, bare the intollerable weight of our sins; so we by his righteousness imputed, stand verily and truly just before God, and shall be saved.
2. This should teach us to labor for innocency of life:Use 2. The more means we have, and the more shew we make, we must be the more careful to walk warily, as they that have many observers; some that will be grieved if we do ill, and many, as the Devil and the wicked, that will rejoyce: Let the forwardest Towns and persons take heed to themselves that they be innocent in their example; you may do much good this way, else much hurt, look to your selves, you are watcht; and that narrowly.
3. If he suffered,Use 3. and that patiently, who never offended God nor man, but was the most pure and innocent Son of God, how much more should we, who never suffer, but our hearts can tell us we have deserved the same, and ten thousand times more through our sins against God? we have small cause to be impatient, but must submit our selves hereto; yea, we have not onelyonly sinned against God, and so deserved all evil, and that God should make us a Reproach, a By-word, a Scorn of men, and a Threshold for all to tread on, but we have sinned against our Magistrates, against our neighbors, yea against them that misuse us, whosoever they be, for want of reverencing them, praying for them, doing our duties to them, not carrying our selves so innocently towards them, nor so wisely, patiently, & unblameably as we ought; so that though we deserve not to be thus dealt with for this that we are punished for, yet in many other things we do: Submit we our selves therefore in all humbleness of minde and patience: What, are we sinful creatures too good to suffer, when as the Lord of all, and he that was the Son of God did yet suffer?