The apostle cometh now to another sin, and that is
tyrannous and oppressing cruelty, which is also an effect of riches, where
there is no grace to sanctify the enjoyment of them. From the context observe:
-
Obs. That plenty begetteth injury; and when all things are possible, men
think all things lawful. Rich and great men, if they be higher than others, do
not think of him that is higher than they: Eccles. v. 8, 'if there be
oppression of the poor, marvel not at the matter; for he that is higher than
the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they.'
Ye have
condemned. - The apostle now instanceth in their cruelty and oppression, masked
with a pretence and colour of law. Before they would kill, there was some form
of a legal process; they condemned. Note hence: -
Obs. That God taketh
notice of the injuries done to his people under the form of a legal procedure;
not only of open violence, but that which is closely managed: Ps. xciv. 20,
'Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with thee, which frameth
wickedness by a law?' God taketh it more heinously when public authority, which
is the defence of innocency, is made the pretence of oppression. Many make
conscience of forms of law, that do not make conscience of oppressing the
godly. See Mat. xxvii. 6, 'It is not lawful to put the price of blood into the
treasury;' yet it was lawful to spill the blood of Christ in their account.
Again, the apostle saith, Ye have condemned, and so ye have killed,
they did but procure it by their authority and wealth, corrupting judgment, and
using evil arts to destroy the just. Note: -
Obs. That any concurrence to
the destruction of the innocent bringeth us under the guilt of their blood; and
sins committed by our instigation become ours by just imputation. Christ was
put to death by authority of the Roman empire, and executed by the Roman
soldiers; yet it is charged upon the Jews, upon the whole nation, because done
by their instigation and connivance: as Acts ii. 23, 'Whom by wicked hands ye
have taken and slain;' and ver. 36, 'This is Jesus whom you have crucified;' so
1 Thes. ii. 15, 'They killed the Lord Jesus.' Do not flatter thyself because
thou art not the immediate executioner. Jezebel was punished for Naboth's
death, though the judges and false witnesses were the next agents, 1 Kings
xiii. 23. Beware how you provoke others to blood; the guilt will fall upon your
own consciences: God looketh upon the instigators as the principals: 'Ahab did
evil in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife provoked.' 1 Kings xxi.
25. It was a sorry answer that of the priests to Judas, 'See thou to it,' Mat.
xxvii. 4: they had need see to it too, since it was by their plot and
conspiracy.
And killed. - This is added to show that oppression will
proceed as far as death; wickedness knoweth no bounds and limits; as also to
show the reason why miseries were coming upon them. Note: -
Obs. When
oppression goeth as far as blood, God will surely take vengeance. 'He maketh
inquisition for blood,' Ps. ix.; and blood is one of the crying sins, Gen. iv.
10. The blood of an ordinary man crieth for vengeance; as that of the
Gibeonites that were of the race of Canaan; therefore is that clause
interserted, 2 Sam. xxi. 2, 'Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of
Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites.' Much more the blood of the saints,
which is precious in God's eyes; much more the blood of Christ, which is the
case here.
The just, ton dikaion. - It may be put indefinitely for any
just person; as Isa. lvii. 1, 'The righteous perish," &c. But because the
apostle speaketh in the singular number, and with an article, therefore some
understand it of John the Baptist; others of Stephen, with more probability,
whom the Jews stoned; others, with most probability, of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because I strongly incline to this, I shall produce my reasons: - (1.) Jesus
Christ is elsewhere by way of emphasis called 'that Just One.' Ton dikaion,
Acts xxii. 14. (2.) There seemeth to be a direct parallel place to this, Acts
iii. 14, 'But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be
granted unto you.' (3.) This was the great reason and cause of judgments on the
Jews, 1 Thes. ii. 15, 16, which is the scope and argument of this place; and
indeed the text runneth that way most fluently. (4 ) The illation of the next
verse, or persuasion to patient hope, doth most sweetly arise from this
consideration; the former part of the verse holding forth their injury, and so
the cause of their ruin, which is the argument of hope the apostle propoundeth;
and the latter part Christ's patience, the great example and pattern of ours. I
know the great prejudice against this exposition is, because all this is
supposed to be spoken to Christian Jews; but that we disproved in the first
verse. Neither is that exception of Brochmand of any weight, how this could be
charged upon these sensual rich men, since they that condemned and killed
Christ, and the main promoters of his sufferings, were the Pharisees and chief
priests, dissembling hypocrites, since the guilt lay upon the whole nation, and
they had taken the curse of his blood upon themselves and their children; and
therefore the apostle, assigning the cause of approaching judgments, might well
say to these, Ye have killed. Neither let it seem strange to any that the
apostle doth not call Christ Lord or Saviour, since he speaketh to unconverted
Jews; and the fittest medium of conviction he could use to them is that of his
righteousness or innocency, as also Peter and John do, Acts iii. 14, 'That just
and holy one;' for those that would not acknowledge him a Saviour, by a plain
evidence of his life might acknowledge him a just person, as Pilate's wife
doth, Mat. xxvii. 19, 'Have nothing to do with that just person.' However, lest
the exposition should seem too critical, I shall carry the observations both
ways.
Obs. 1. If you take the expression generally, as noting any just
person, you may observe that innocency itself cannot escape the pangs of
oppression. The just was condemned and killed; so the scripture speaketh of the
blood of righteous Abel, Mat. xxiii. 35. Men hate what they will not imitate;
and it is God's wisdom that the worst should hate the best, lest the world
should judge perversely of their sufferings: Ps. xciv. 21, 'They gather
themselves against the soul of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.' Thus
it hath been, is, and will be. Gregory saith, I would suspect him not to be
Abel that hath not a Cain.
Obs. 2. If you understand it particularly of
Christ, the note is, that Christ died not as a malefactor, but as a just
person. There were several circumstances that did evince his innocency - the
disagreeing of the witnesses, Pilate's wife's letter, Pilate's own
acknowledgment, Judas's confession. Certainly he died not for his own sins, but
ours: 'The just for the unjust,' 1 Peter iii. 18. Our sacrifice was a lamb
without spot and blemish. It is true he loved our justification better than his
own reputation; and therefore, when his innocency was taxed, he would not
answer a word.
And he resisteth not. - The present tense is put for the
past. If you understand it generally, it is to be understood of the weakness
and meekness of innocent men.
1. Of their weakness; they are not able to
withstand, and therefore you oppress them.
Obs. 1. Weakness is usually
oppressed. Men are the more bold with them that want means of defence and
resistance. Oh! but consider, the less outward defence men have, the more is
the Lord of hosts engaged in their quarrel; he is the patron of the fatherless
and widows: Ps. x. 14, 'The poor committeth himself to thee; thou art the
helper of the fatherless.' Weak innocency hath a strong avenger.
2. Of
their meekness; it is their duty not to be revengeful: Mat. v. 39, 'But I say
unto you, that ye resist not evil;' they must not satisfy and accomplish their
own private revenges.
Obs. 2. Meekness inviteth injury, but always to
its own cost. It is true that of Publius Mimus, though spoken to an ill end,
Veterem ferendo injuriam invitas novam - by bearing a former injury you do but
invite a second. Patience may be trampled upon, but God will ordain a defence.
Wicked men are mad without a provocation. Tou have seen crows on a sheep's back
picking wool; it is but an emblem of oppressed innocence. Wicked men do not
consider who deserve worst, but who will suffer most.
Obs. 3. If you
understand it of Christ, so it is most true; he resisteth not. Jesus Christ was
condemned and slain without resistance. He came to suffer, and therefore would
not resist. He would declare his obedience to his Father by his patience before
men: Isa. liii. 7, 'He came as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before the
shearers is dumb.' Swine will howl, but the sheep is dumb in the butcher's
hands: Isa. 1. 6, 'I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that
plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.' Christ did as
it were offer himself to the affronts and indignities done to his person:
Father, since it is thy pleasure, here is a back for smiters, here are cheeks
for the nippers, here is a face for shame; lo! I come to do all thy will. Well,
then, we have a lucky sacrifice, that did not struggle, but came to the altar
willingly. It is notable that Christ doth with the same severity check the
devil tempting him to idolatry, and Peter dissuading him from suffering. It is
spoken to both, 'Get thee behind me, Satan;' compare Mat iv. 10 with xvi. 23.
When he was to suffer, he forbiddeth the pious women to weep, Luke xxiii. Being
about to wipe away all tears by the benefit of his cross, he would have none
shed to hinder him from it. Thus our Saviour resisted not; sibi soli injuriosus
fuit, saith Tertullian - all the injury he did was to himself. Ah! who would
not be willing to do for him that was willing to die for us? He struggled not
when he was going to the cross, and why do we struggle and find such
reluctations when we are going to the throne of grace? Shall we be more
unwilling to pray than Christ was to suffer? &c.
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