Matthew 7:1,2 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Judge not, &c.— Our Saviour, having condemned worldly-mindedness in the general, proceeds to forbid allrash and unfavourable judgments, whether of the characters of others in general, or of their actions in particular. See Luke 6:37. Though he does not level his discourse against the Pharisees in this chapter as in the two foregoing, he seems evidently to glance upon them in this and other expressions which he uses in it. That they were very culpable on this head appears from Luke 9:14; Luke 16:14-15 and John 7:47; John 7:49.; compare Isaiah 65:5. Indeed their unjust censures of Christ are the strongest instances of it that can be conceived. God proposes and recommends his mercy to our imitation: he commands us in this, in mercy, to be perfect as himself; but, judgment is his reserved prerogative, and they shall feel the weight of it who rashly invade its office. To judge is an act of sovereignty; it is an exercise of such authority as is indeed very considerable, if we were really possessed of it. Pride, among its other usurpations, arrogates to itself this province; it raises us above our brethren in an imaginary tribunal, whence we affect to distribute praise or blame in the sentence that we pass on them, and which is commonly to their disadvantage, because the firstborn of pride is malice: he who loves himself more than he ought must love others less than he ought; and the same principlewhich makes us overvalue ourselves makes us undervalue our neighbours; for, as our notions of excellence are by comparison, we cannot ascribe it so immoderately to ourselves, but upon a supposed defect of it in others. Their abasement seems to set us higher, and we erect trophies to ourselves upon their ruins; and this is the reason why we err so much oftener to the prejudice than to the advantage of our neighbour. Mere ignorance has an equal chance either way: what is thrown in the dark, and at random, might as probably hit above as below the mark; the reason why we are so often under it, is the malice of our hearts, which makes us delight to find faults in others, as excuses for our own faults, or as foils to our virtues. The expression, with what measure ye mete, &c. is proverbial, and was much in use among the Jews. The words are certainly most awful. God and man will favour the candid and benevolent: but they must expect judgment without mercy, who shew no mercy. See Heylin, Chemnitz, and Beausobre and Lenfant.