Vers. 7. Hee was oppressed, and hee was afflicted; yet did hee not open his mouth: hee is brought as a sheepe to the slaughter; and as a sheepe before her sheerer is dumbe, so opened hee not his mouth.
HE here praiseth Christs obedience which he shewed, when he was to suffer death. for had hee not done it willingly, hee might haue seemed not to haue satisfied for our dis∣obedience. As by the disobedience of one then, all were made guiltie, (as Paul saith) Rom. 5.19. so by the obedience of one, many were made righteous. And in another place; Hee was obedient to the death, euen to the death of the Crosse: Phil. 2.8. This is the cause why he held his peace before Pilats iudgement seate, Mat. 27.12.14. though hee might haue pleaded his iust defence. But in regard hee had bound himselfe to suffer for vs, hee wil∣lingly submitted himselfe to an vniust iudge∣ment, vvithout muttering one vvord; that wee vvith full mouth might reioice, in being free∣lie iustified by faith, and so acquited from the righteous sentence of our condemna∣tion.
And heere also by the way wee are exhor∣ted to patience and meeknes, that by Christs example wee may be readie to indure repro∣ches, iniuries, wounds, and torments for his sake. In which sense, Saint Peter alleageth this place, 1. Pet. 2.22, 23. shewing that wee ought to be conformed to our head Christ, that so wee may follow him in patience and modestie.
In the word lambe, there may bee an allu∣sion to the sacrifices vnder the Law: in which sense hee is called the Lambe of God: Iohn 1.29.