1 Peter 2:21-23

For even hereunto were you called: Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps. 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 threatened not: But committed himself to him that judges righteously.

The rules that God has set men to live by are universally just, and there is a universal obligation upon all men to obey them, but as they are particularly addressed to his own people in his word, they are out of question particularly bound to yield obedience, and have many peculiar persuasives to it, that extend not to others, which are therefore usually represented to them, and pressed upon them in the Holy Scriptures. Thus the preface of the Law runs to Israel, besides that, I am Jehovah and have supreme power to give men laws, is added I am your God especially your deliverer from slavery, and bondage, and so have a peculiar right to your obedience, so Deuteronomy 7:6. Thus the Apostle here urges this point in hand of inoffensiveness, and patience, particularly in Christian servants: But so as it fits every Christian in his station, for hereunto, says he, you are called. Whatever others do, though they think this too strict a rule, yet you are tied to it by your own calling, and profession as you are Christians; and this is evidently the highest and clearest reason that can be, and of greatest power with a Christian, namely, the example of Jesus Christ himself. For Christ also suffered for us, etc.

So it is all but one entire argument, that they ought thus to behave themselves, because it is the very thing they are called to, as their conformity to Jesus Christ, whose they profess to be, indeed, with whom as Christians they profess themselves to be one.

Hereunto were you called] This in the general is a thing that ought to be ever before our eye, to consider the nature, and end of our calling, and to endeavor in all things to suit it, to think in every occurrence, what does the calling of a Christian require of me in this; but the truth is, the most do not mind this, we profess ourselves to be Christians, and never think what kind of behavior this obliges us to, and what manner of persons it becomes us to be in all holy conversation; but walk disorderly out of our rank inordinately. You that are profane, were you called by the Gospel to serve the world, and your lusts, to swearing and rioting, and voluptuousness? Do you not hear the Apostle testifying the contrary, in express terms? That God has not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness. You that are of proud contentious spirits, are you suitable to this holy calling? No, for we are called to peace, says the same Apostle, but we study not this holy calling, and therefore we walk so incongruously, so unlike the Gospel, we lie and do not the truth, as St. John speaks, our actions belie us.

The particular that here Christians are said to be called to, is to suffering, as their lot; and patience, as their duty, even under the most unjust and undeserved sufferings.

And both these are as large as the sphere of this calling, not only servants and others of a mean condition, that lying low, are the more subject to rigors and injuries, but generally, all that are called to godliness are likewise called to sufferings. 2 Timothy 3:12. All that will follow Christ, must do it in his livery, they must take up their cross. This is a very harsh and unpleasing article of the Gospel to a carnal mind, but it conceals it not, men are not led blindfold upon sufferings, and drawn into a hidden snare by the Gospel's invitations, they are told very often, that they pretend not a surprisal, nor have any just plea for starting back again, as our Savior tells his disciples, why he was so express and plain with them in this. These things says he, have I told you that you be not offended. I have shown you the ruggedness of your way, that you stumble not at it, taking it to be a smooth plain one, but withal where this is spoken of, it is usually allayed with the mention of those comforts, that accompany these sufferings, or that glory that follows them. The doctrine of the Apostles which was so verified in their own persons, Acts 14, that through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God, an unpleasant way indeed, if you look no further, but a kingdom at the end of it, and the kingdom of God will transfuse pleasure into the most painful step in it all, so Psalm 34:19. It seems a sad condition that falls to the share of godly men in the world, to be eminent in sorrows and troubles. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but that which follows weighs it abundantly down in consolation, that the Lord himself is engaged in their afflictions, both for their deliverance out of them in due time, and in the mean time, their support and preservation under them. The Lord delivers them out of them all. And till he does that, he keeps all their bones, etc. Which was literally verified in the natural body of Christ, as St. John observes, and holds spiritually true in his mystical body. The Lord supports the spirits of believers in their troubles with such solid consolations, as are the pillars and strength of their souls, as the bones are of their body, as the Hebrew word for them imports, so he keeps all his bones; and the desperate condition of wicked men is opposed to illustrate this Verse 21. But evil shall slay the wicked.

Thus John 16:33. In the closure they are forewarned what to expect at the world's hands, as they were various times before in that same sermon: but it is a sweet testament, take it all together, you shall have tribulation in the world, but peace in me, and seeing he has jointly bequeathed these two to his followers, were it not great folly to cast such a bargain? And to let go that peace for fear of this trouble, the trouble is but in the world, but the peace is in him who weighs down thousands of worlds.

So then they do exceedingly mistake, and misreckon themselves, that would agree Christ and the world: that would have the church of Christ, or at least, themselves for their own shares, enjoy both kinds of peace together, would willingly have peace in Christ, but are very loath to part with the world's peace, they would be Christians, but they are very ill satisfied when they hear of any other but ease and prosperity in that estate, and willingly forget the tenor of the gospel in this; and so when times of trouble and sufferings come, their minds are as new and uncouth to it, as if they had not been told on't beforehand. They like better of Saint Peter's carnal advice to Christ to avoid suffering (Matthew 16) than of his Apostle's doctrine to Christians, teaching them that as he suffered, so they likewise are called to suffering. Men readily think as he did there, that Christ should favor himself more in his own body, his church, than to expose it to so much suffering; and most would be of Rome's mind in this, at least in affection, that the badge of the church should be pomp and prosperity, and not the cross — the true cross of afflictions and sufferings is too heavy and painful.

But God's thoughts are not ours, those he calls to a kingdom, he calls to sufferings, as the way to it: He will have the heirs of heaven know they are not at home on earth, and that this is not their rest, he will not have them with the abused world fancy a happiness here, and seek life, as Saint Augustin says beatam vitam quaerere in regione mortis. The reproaches and wrongs that encounter them shall elevate their minds often to that land of peace and rest, where righteousness dwells. The hard taskmasters shall make them weary of Egypt, which otherwise possibly they would comply too well with, and dispose them for deliverance, and make it welcome, which it may be they might but coldly desire if they were better used.

He knows what he does, that secretly serves his good ends of men's evil, and by the plowers that make long furrows on the back of his church makes it a fruitful field to himself. Therefore it is great folly and unadvisedness, to take up prejudice against his way, and think it might be better as we would model it, and to complain of the order of things; whereas we should complain of disordered minds, but we had rather have all altered and changed for us, the very course of providence, than seek the change of our own perverse hearts. But the right temper of a Christian is, to run always cross to the corrupt stream of the world, and human iniquity, and to be willingly carried along with the stream of divine providence, and not at all to stir a hand, no nor a thought, to row against that mighty current; and not only is he carried with it upon necessity, because there is no steering against it, but cheerfully and voluntarily, not because he must, but because he would.

And this is the other thing to which they are jointly called, as to suffering so to calmness of mind, and patience in suffering; although their suffering be most unjust, indeed, this is truly a part of that duty they are called to, to that integrity and inoffensiveness of life, that may [reconstructed: make] their sufferings at men's hands always unjust. To the entire duty here, is innocency, and patience, doing willingly no wrong and yet cheerfully suffering it done to them; if either of the two be wanting, their suffering does not credit their profession, but dishonors it, if they be patient under deserved suffering, their guiltiness darkens their patience; and if their suffering be undeserved, indeed, and the cause of them honorable, yet impatience under them stains both their sufferings, and their cause, and seems in part to justify the very injustice that is used against them. But where innocency and patience meet together in suffering, there sufferings are in their perfect luster. These are they that honor religion, and shame the enemies of it. It was the concurrence of these two that was the very triumph of the martyrs in times of persecution that tormented their tormentors and made them more than conquerors even in sufferings.

Now that we are called both to suffering, and to this manner of suffering, the Apostle puts out of question, by the supreme example of our Lord Jesus Christ, for the sum of our calling is, to follow him. Now in both these, in suffering, and in suffering innocently and patiently, the whole history of the gospel testifies how complete a pattern he is. And the Apostle gives us here a summary, yet a very clear account of it.

The words have in them these two things. 1. The perfection of this example. 2. Our obligation to follow it.

1. The example he sets off to the full. 1. In regard of the greatness of his sufferings. 2. Of his spotlessness and patience in suffering.

The first we have in that word he suffered, and after verse 24 we have his crucifying, and his stripes expressly specified.

Now this is reason enough and carries it beyond all other reason, why Christians are called to a suffering life, seeing the Lord and Author of that calling suffered himself so much. The captain or leader of our salvation, as the Apostle speaks, was consecrated by suffering, that was the way by which he entered into the holy place where he is now our everlasting High Priest, making intercession for us, if he be our leader to salvation, must we not follow him in the way he leads whatever it is, if it be (as we see it is) by the way of sufferings, we must either follow on in that way, or fall short of salvation, for there is no other leader nor other way, but that which he opened up, so that there is not only a congruity in it, that his followers be conformed to him in suffering, but a necessity, if they will follow him on, till they attain to glory. And the consideration of both these cannot but argue a Christian into a resolution for this via regia — this royal way of suffering that leads to glory, through which their king and Lord himself went to his glory. It could hardly be believed at first, that this was his way, and we can as hardly yet believe that it must be ours. O fools and slow of heart to believe, ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and so to enter into his glory (Luke 24).

Would you be at glory, and will you not follow your Leader in the only way to it? Must there another way be cut out for you by yourself? O absurd! shall the servant (says he) be greater than his Master. Are you not fairly dealt with if you have a mind to Christ? You shall have full as much of the world's good will as he had, if it hate you he bids you remember, how it hated him.

But though there were a way to do otherwise, would you not rather choose (if the love of Christ possessed your hearts) to take a share with him in his lot, and find delight in the very trouble of it, is not this conformity to Jesus, the great ambition of all his true-hearted followers. We carry about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, says the great Apostle, besides the unspeakable advantage to come, that goes linked with this, that if we suffer with him, we shall reign with him; there is a glory, even in this present resemblance that we are conformed to the image of the Son of God in sufferings. Why should we desire to leave him? Are you not one with him? Can you choose but have the same common friends and enemies? Would you willingly, if it might be, could you find in your heart to be friends with that world, that hated your Lord and Master? Would you have nothing but kindness and ease? where he had nothing but enmity and trouble, or would you not rather, when you think right on it, disdain and refuse to be so unlike him? As that good Duke said, when they would have crowned him King of Jerusalem. No, said he, by no means, I will not wear a crown of gold, where Jesus was crowned with thorns.

2. This spotlessness and patience in suffering are both of them set here before us, the one Verse 22, the other 23.

Whoever it is that makes such a noise of the injustice of what he suffers, and thinks to justify his impatience by his innocency, let me ask you, are you more just and innocent than he that is here set before you? Or are you able to come near him in this point? Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. This is to signify perfect holiness, according to that James 3:2. Man a little world, a world of wickedness, and that little part of him a little world of iniquity. All Christ's words, and actions, and all his thoughts flowed from a pure spring that had not anything defiled in it, and therefore no temptation either from men, or Satan could seize on him, other men may seem clear unstirred, but move and trouble them, and the mud arises, but he was nothing but holiness, a pure fountain, all purity to the bottom, and therefore stir and trouble him as they would he was still alike clear. The Prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me.

This is the main ground of our confidence in him, that he is a holy, harmless, undefiled high Priest, and such a one became us, says that Apostle, that are so sinful, the more sinful we, the more need that our High Priest should be sinless, and being so, we may build upon his perfection, standing in our stead, indeed, we are invested with him and his righteousness.

Again there was no guile found in his mouth, this serves us concerning all the promises that he has made us, that they are nothing but truth, has he said? Him that comes to me I will in no wise cast out, then you need not fear, however unworthy and vile, do you but come to him, and you have his word that he will not shut the door against you, and as he has promised access, so has he further promised ease, and soul's rest to those that come; then be confident to find that in him too, for there was never a false nor guileful word found in his mouth.

But to consider it only in the present action, this speaks him the most innocent sufferer that ever was, not only judicially just in his cause, but entirely just in his person, altogether righteous, and yet condemned to death, and an opprobrious death of malefactors, and set between two, as chief of the three, I am (says he) the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley. And the Spouse says of him: My well-beloved is white and ruddy, thus indeed in his death, ruddy in his bloodshed, and white in his innocency, and withal in his meekness and patience, the other thing wherein he is here so exemplary.

Verse 23. Who when he was reviled, reviled not again. This spotless Lamb of God was a lamb both in guiltlessness, and silence, and the Prophet Isaiah expresses the resemblance in that, he was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, he suffered, not only an unjust sentence of death but withal, unjust revilings, the contradictions of sinners, none ever did so little deserve revilings, none ever could have said so much in his own just defense, and to the just reproach of his enemies, and yet in both, he preferred silence. None could ever threaten so heavy things as he could against his enemies, and have made good all he threatened, and yet no such thing was heard from him. The heaven and earth as it were spoke their resentment of his death that made them: But he was silent, or what he spoke makes this still good, how far he was from revilings, and threats. As spices pounded, or precious ointment poured out give their smell most, thus his name was an ointment then poured forth, together with his blood, and filled heaven and earth with its sweet perfume, was a favor of rest and peace in both, appeasing the wrath of God, and so quieting the consciences of men, and even in this particular was it then most fragrant, in that all the torments of the cross and revilings of the multitude, that as it were racked him for some answer, yet could draw no other from him but this, father forgive them for they know not what they do.

But for those to whom this mercy belonged not, the Apostle tells us what he did instead of revilings and threatenings: he committed all to him that judges righteously. And this is the true method of Christian patience, that which quiets the mind, and keeps it from the boiling tumultuous thoughts of revenge, to turn the whole matter into God's hand, to resign it over to him, to prosecute when, and as he thinks good. Not as the most, that had rather, if they had power, do for themselves, and be their own avengers, and because they have not power do offer up such bitter curses, and prayers for revenge to God, as are most hateful to him, and are far from this calm and holy way of committing matters to his judgment. The common way of referring things to God is indeed impious, and dishonorable to him, being really no other, but a calling of him to be a servant, and executioner to our passion. We ordinarily mistake his justice, and judge of it according to our own precipitant distempered minds. If wicked men be not crossed in their designs, and their wickedness evidently crushed just when we would have it, we are ready to give up the matter as desperate, or at least abate of those confident, and reverent thoughts of divine justice that we owe him. However things go, this ought to be fixed in our hearts, that he that sits in heaven judges righteously, and executes that his righteous judgment in the fittest season. We poor worms whose whole life is but a handbreadth in itself, and is as nothing to God, we think a few months, or years, a great matter, but to him that inhabits eternity, a thousand years are but as one day, as our Apostle teaches us.

Our Saviour in that time of his humiliation and suffering, committed himself and his cause — for that is best expressed, in that nothing is expressed but he committed — and the issue shall be that all his enemies shall become his footstool, and he himself shall judge them. But that which is given us here to learn from his conduct toward them in his suffering, is that quietness and moderation of mind even under unjust sufferings make us like him. Not to reply reproach with reproach as our custom is, to give an ill word for another, or two for one, to be sure not to be behind. Men take a pride in this, and think it ridiculous simplicity to suffer, and this makes strife and contention so abound, but it is a great mistake. You think it greatness of spirit to bear nothing, to put up no wrong — whereas it is indeed great weakness, and baseness. It is true greatness of spirit to despise the most of those things that set you usually on fire one against another, especially being done after a Christian manner. It were a part of the Spirit of Christ in you, and is there any spirit greater than that, think you? Oh, that there were less of the Spirit of the Dragon, and more of that Spirit of the Dove among us.

Our obligation to the example of Christ, besides its own excellency, is in these two things in the words: 1. The intention of his behavior for this use, to be as an example to us. 2. Our interest in him, and those his sufferings, wherein he so conducted himself.

Leaving us an example, etc. He left his footsteps as a copy (as the word is) to follow, every step of his a letter of this copy, and particularly in this point of suffering, he wrote us a pure and perfect copy of obedience in clear and great letters in his own blood.

His whole life is our rule — not his miraculous works; his footsteps walking on the sea, and such like, are not for our following. But his obedience and holiness, and meekness, and humility are our copy, which we should continually study. The shorter and more effectual way (they say) of teaching is by example, but above all, this matchless example is the happiest way of teaching. He that follows me, says he, shall not walk in darkness.

He that aims high shoots the higher for it, though he shoots not so high as he aims. This is that which ennobles the spirit of a Christian — the setting forth of this our high pattern, the example of Jesus Christ.

The imitation of men in worthless things is low and servile; the imitation of their virtues is commendable, but if we seek no higher, it is both imperfect and unsafe. The Apostle Saint Paul will have no imitation, but with regard to this supreme pattern: be followers of me, as I am of Christ. One Christian may take the example of Christ in many things in another, but still examining all by the original primitive copy, the footsteps of Christ himself, following nothing but as it conforms with that, and looking most on him, as both the most perfect and most effectual example. Hebrews 12:2 — there is a cloud of witnesses and examples, but look above them all to him, that is as high above them as the sun is above the clouds. As the way is better — a lively one indeed — so there is this advantage in the covenant of grace, that we are not left to our own skill for following of it, but taught by the Spirit. In the delivery of the law, God showed his glory and greatness by the manner of it, but the law was written only in dead tables. But Christ, the living law, teaches by obeying it, how to obey it, and this is the advantage of the gospel, that the law is twice written over to believers: first in the example of Christ, and then inwardly in their hearts by his Spirit. There is, together with that copy of all grace in him, a Spirit derived from him, enabling believers to follow him in their measure. They may not only see him as the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth, as it is (John 6), but as there it follows, they receive of his fullness grace for grace. The love of Christ makes the soul delight to converse with him, and conversation and love together make it learn his behavior, as men that live much together, especially if they do much affect one another, will insensibly contract another's habits and customs.

The other thing obliging us is our interest in him, and his sufferings — he suffered for us, and this the Apostle returns to in verse 24. Observe only from the tie of these two, that if we neglect his example set before us, we cannot enjoy any right assurance of his suffering for us, but if we do seriously endeavor to follow him, then we may be persuaded of life through his death, and those steps of his wherein we walk will bring us before long to be where he is.