For the Father judgeth no man
That is, without the Son; which is another proof of their
equality: for that he does judge is certain; he is the Judge of
the whole earth; he is God that judgeth in the earth, or governs
the world with his Son, who works together in the affairs of
providence: he judged and condemned the old world, but not
without his Son, who by his Spirit, or in his divine nature, went
and preached to the spirits now in prison, then disobedient in
the times of Noah; he judged and condemned Sodom and Gomorrah,
but not without the Son; for Jehovah the Son rained, from Jehovah
the Father, fire and brimstone upon those cities, and consumed
them; he judged the people of Israel, and often chastised them
for their sins, but not without his Son; the angel of his
presence that went before them; he judges all men, and justifies
and acquits whom he pleases, but not without his Son; but through
his justifying righteousness, which he imputes to them; in doing
which he appears to he a just judge, and to do right; and he will
judge the world in righteousness at the last day by his Son, whom
he has ordained; so as the Son does nothing without the Father,
the Father does nothing without the Son, which shows perfect
equality. The Jews had an officer in their sanhedrim, whom they
called Ab Beth Din, or "the father of the house of judgment", to
whom belonged the trying of causes, and of judging and
determining them. Hence the Targumist on ( Song of
Solomon 7:4 ) says,
``(anyd tyb baw) , "and the father of the house of judgment", who judgeth thy judgments, or determines thy causes, is mighty over thy people''Whether there may not be some allusion here to this officer, I leave to be considered:
but hath committed all judgment to the Son;
as the judgment, or government of his church and people,
especially under the Gospel dispensation; and which he exercises
by giving ordinances peculiar to it, such as baptism and the
Lord's supper; and by enacting laws, and prescribing rules for
the discipline of his house, over which he is as a Son; and by
appointing proper officers under him, over his churches, to
administer these ordinances, and see that these laws are put in
execution, which he qualifies them for, by bestowing proper gifts
upon them: and he exercises this judgment, by protecting and
defending his people from all their enemies, so that they well
safely under his government: as also the general judgment of the
world at the last day, is committed to him; which affair will be
managed by Christ, the Son of God, when he comes a second time;
he will then raise the dead, that everyone may receive for the
things done in his body, whether good or evil; he will gather all
nations before him, and all shall stand before his judgment seat,
both great and small; he will separate one from another, the
sheep from the goats, and set the one on his right hand, and the
other on his left; he will bring every work into judgment, with
every secret thing, and show himself to be the searcher of the
hearts, and the trier of the reins of the children of men, and
will pass a most righteous and decisive sentence upon all: now
for such a trust, and such a work as this, whether the particular
government of the church, or the general judgment of the world,
he would not be fit, was he not God equal with the Father; the
thing he had suggested, and which he supports and maintains in
this vindication of himself.