A Commentary on 1 Peter 1-3, Exposition of chapter 1 · Exposition of verse 13
Verse 14. &c.
As obedient children not fashioning your selves unto the former lusts of your ignorance.
HItherto of the three things to which the Apostle exhorts. The reasons follow, whereof the first is contained in these verses, and it is taken from the image of God, in which Gods children ought to resemble him: they should strive against all inward evils, and refraine all the excesses of life, and addresse themselves with all care and confidence to the provision of a better life, because they are begotten again unto God, and it is required of them that they should be holy as he is holy.
This reason is both propounded and expounded: propounded in these words, as obedient children: It is expounded two waies, 1. By description, 2. By proofe or testimony. It is described negatively and affirmatively: by negation he shewes what we should shun, viz. fashioning your selves according to the lusts of your former ignorance: Affirmatively he sets it out by shewing, 1. the patterne to be imitated: 2. and the manner of our imitation. The patterne is the holinesse of him that called us: The manner is to be holy in all manner of conversation. Thus of the description. For the proofe 2. things are to be considered. 1. Whence the proofe is fetched, …n these word, As it is written. 2. What is alledged in these words, Be ye holy as I am holy.
As obedient children.
These two words import a twofold consideration: 1. they are the children of God: 2. you must obey as children.
The first point gives an occasion to consider of three things.
1. That God hath children, not onelyonly Christ his naturall Son, and the Angels his sons by creation, but the Saints also by adoption and regeneration.
2. That it behoves Christians to seeke and know their adoption to be the sons of God. It is wonderfull to think of the almost infinite carelesnesse of men, that can heare of so great felicity, as the adoption of sinfull men to be the sons of God, and yet there is no heart in man to seeke after it.
3. In that the Apostle applies the consideration hereof to perswade to holinesse of life, it shews, that the assurance of Gods favour as our Father, doth kindle obedience, and make us more fit for all well-doing, as these places prove. 1 Thes. 1.5, 6, 7. 2 Pet. 1.8, 9, 10. 1 Cor. 2.12, 14. 2 Tim. 1.12. Heb. 10.22.Vse. The Use is, First for confutation of their fancies, that thinke assurance would breed security, and that it is better to be a little doubtfull then fully resolved: whereas both Scripture and experience is against it; yea there is a secret corruption in the hearts of the very godly herein, nourished perhaps by the devill. But let us be fully perswaded to pray with all importunity, that God would give us this knowledge.
But I have felt more hardnesse of heart,Object. and corruption of nature since assurance, then I had before.
First, examine thy heart, whether thou call not peace of conscience by the name of hardnesse of heart.Solut. Of those that think they feel more hardnesse of heart after assurance then before.
2. Know, that hardnesse of heart, and unfitnesse to holy duties is in us by nature, and is not taken away by assurance; neither is thy case the worse, that thou feelest it more now then before. For that may import more softnesse of heart.
3. Consider, that God may withhold his comforts, and lead thee to some tentations to try thee, whether thou wilt beleeve without feelings: It is not strange for Gods servants after their greatest comforts to be assailed with greatest tryals. For so after forgivenesse of sinnes, we are taught to looke for tentations, and pray against them in the Lords prayer: as Christ was tempted presently after his confirmation in Baptisme: Paul soiled with vile tentations after his revelations: David afflicted worse then before after his annointing.
4. It will be profitable to set thy heart in some order, and by examination and particular judging of thy selfe, resisting evill, to reduce thy selfe into a better frame, and order of well-doing.
Thus of the first point.
For the second: wee may here observe, that the image of God in us consists in obeying God with the obedience of children, where two things may be noted.
1. The imperfection of our obedience, it is but as the conformity that is in children to the holinesse either inherent,Our obedience must be …he obedience of children in six respects. or prescribed by the Parent.
2. The manner of the truth of our obedience, and so there are sixe things imported in that similitude, which must be in our obedience.
1. It must proceed from love to God and goodnesse, not for servile ends.
2. It must be without distrustfull care about successe in outward things, or a present reward of well-doing: so is it in a child.
3. With constancy: a child is not hired for a day, or a year, to give over upon a quarters warning.
4. With humility and feare.
5. With faith or some perswasion of acceptation.
6. In all things: so doe Children.
Not fashioning your selves according to the lusts of your former ignorance.
One great part of our holinesse, and Gods image in us, is to keep our selves free from the lusts of our former ignorance, that is, from the power of such sins as we were specially guilty of before our callings, or are specially hatefull in unregenerate men.
Before I enter upon the particular opening of the words, in generall these things may be observed.
1. That it is a singular dishonour to our holy profession, for such as professe sincerity in their carriage, to relapse into the similitude of carnall men, and to beare againe the image of the old Adam, or to fall to the sins againe, they have repented of in profession.
2. That after calling we must not onelyonly avoid the foule acts of evill, but strive against the power of lusts of evill, even against the power of internall concupiscence.
In particular I consider in these words three things.
1. The evils to be eschewed: viz. lusts, and former lusts.
2. The manner of eschewing: not fashion your selves.
3. The motive: they were the fruits of former ignorance.
For the first I propound three things to be also considered.
1. What those lusts are of our former lives, which are so hatefull after calling, and doe so oppose the image of God in us.
2. What reasons there are to move us so carefully to preserve our selves against them.
3. What meanes we should use to be kept from them.
For the first. By lusts here the Apostle
1. May meane those grosse sinnes, which before calling, while they were wicked, some of them lived in, such as were whoredome, drunkennesse, covetousnesse, railings, &c. For these and such as these in the fourth Chapter hee calleth lusts of the Gentiles, and such were some of them, 1 Cor. 6.9. Lust signifies sometimes all sorts of sins, Ephes. 4.22. Tit. 2.12. It is true, it is a most lamentable griefe to see Gods children fall into grosse and soule evils, and to run with the times in the same excesse of riot and disorder; I say it is lamentable both in respect of the scandall of it, and in respect of the wound it makes in the conscience, and in respect of the fierce judgement of God, wherewith he doth pursue it: but I think this is not here meant, or not chiefly. For this is not enough to shew that we bear the image of Christ after calling, that we are free from outward grosse sins, but hee goeth further, and therefore
2. Hee doth meane those inward evill desires which deforme and disfigure a Christian, especially when they shew themselves outwardly by any signes or fruits of them: Thus are they called affections, Gal. 5.24. and thus there are divers sorts of Lusts especially hatefull after calling.
Sorts of lust hatefull after calling.1. The love of worldlinesse, and the love of earthly things: the relapsing to the desire after earthly things, when it is immoderate. It is a most lamentable thing to see a Christian that professeth the assurance of a better life, lie digging like a mole in the earth, &c. Eph. ….3, 4. Ier 46.
2. The lusts of envie, strife, and malice, 1 Cor. 3.3. Rom. 13.13.
3. The lusts of vaine-glory and conceitednesse, Gal. 5.24, 25, 26.
4. The lusts of uncleannesse and impurity, Rom. 13.13. Col. 3.5.
5. The lust of Epicurisme, viz. the desire to fare deliciously, and to weare dainty apparell. This was Dives his lust, Luke 16.
6. The lust of the eye, 1 Ioh. 2.16.
It is wonderfull unseemely to behold any of these in Christians.
The reasons why we should be so carefull to avoid these lusts, are
Eight reasons why w… should avoid lust after ….1. It is the speciall will of God, and a speciall part of our sanctification, 1 Thes. 4.3, 4.
2. These defile the soule, and make it ill-favoured like a leprosie, Matth. 15.19, 20.
3. These are works of the flesh, Gal. 5. and fruits of corruption in nature, called lust o… concupiscence: the uncleane issue they are, of our corrupt and putrified natures: the devill is the father of them, and the flesh is the mother: it is to beare the image of Sathan, Ioh. 8.44.
4. These fight against the soule as well as grosse evils, 1 Pet. 2.12.
5. The Apostle disgraceth them by saying they are foolish and noysome: and so they are in their nature and effect, 1 Tim. 6.9.
6. These hinder the efficacie of Gods ordinances; as the word, 2 Tim. 3. 6. Mar. 4.19. prayer, Iam. 4.1, 3, 4.
7. These lusts will quickly intise, and be intised, and quicken, yea and bring forth too, if they be not watchfully suppressed, Iam. 1.15, 16. As in this late instance; Lust begat chambering: Chambering begat sorcerie:Note. Sorcerie begat whoredome: Whoredome begat desire of divorce: Desire of divorce begat murther: Murther begat the unknown villanies.
8. Here lyeth the proofe of our sincerity in Christ, 4.21, 22.
Now there are foure Preservatives to keepe us from the power of these lusts.Foure preservatives against lust.
1. The sound knowledge of Gods Word. For as it is Ignorance that first bred them, so is it knowledge that both drives them out, and keeps them out, Prov. 2.1, 3, 4. &c. Psal. 119.9. especially the promises, 2 Cor. 7.1. 2 Pet. 1.3.
2. Meditation of our short continuance in this world, 1 Pet. 2.12. 1 Ioh. 2.17.
3. To walke before God, and to keep our selves in the way of the righteous, conversing with the wise and mortified, shunning the company of the wicked and dissolute.
4. By confession and godly sorrow to beat downe, and crucifie our flesh, and the lusts thereof, when they begin to rise.
Thus of the matter to be avoided, viz. The lusts of their former ignorance. The manner followes, viz. not to be fashioned unto them; which imports,Fashioning of our selves to sinne hath 7. things in it. that they should not give themselves over out of the liking of sin to the service and obedience of it. For to fashion our selves to evill hath in it divers things.
1. The imagining of mischiefe: praeconsideration, deliberation: the frame of evill.
2. An admiration of the beauty of sin, a liking of it, a secret inward high estimation of it, a kind of adoring of the felicity contained in it, a contemplative delight in it.
3. A taking care to performe it, and accomplish it.
4. A framing and ordering of our affaires, that they may be obeyed, and the inward frame effected.
5. A constancy in all this to be every day striving about it.
6. A pursuing of sinne, though we be disappointed or cloyed in the enjoying of it.
7. A laying downe of all our armour, and not resisting it.
The Use of this is:Vse.
1. For information: wee may here note implyedly, that Gods servants have their frailties after calling, in that he doth only exhort from fashioning our selves to sinne.
2. For tryall: Art thou grieved for thy daily sinnes and wants,How to know whether one sin presumptuousty or no. and dost thou foare thou dost sinne presumptuously? here thou mayest try thy selfe by 1. inquiring, whether thou fall to thy old sinnes or no. 2. whether thou sin with study and deliberation. 3. whether thou admire sin, and accordingly favour it, and delight in it. 4. whether thou take care for it, being vexed if thou be crossed in it, & casting about for all waies to accomplish it. 5. whether thou yeeld thy selfe to it, as a servant to obey it, or rather as a childe of disobedience to be framed according to it. 6. whether thou refuse to beare armes against it. 7. and lastly, continue in the love of it, though thou be disappointed. For if thou beare armes against it, and art thankfull when thou art disappointed, and dost not by covenants yeeld thy selfe to it, nor place thy happinesse in it, or not sinne by deliberation; it is certaine thy sinnes are but of infirmity. But contrariwise, if these things be in thee before condemned, thou sinnest presumptuously. Here also men may try, whether they decline or no after calling.
3. We should be here informed to take heed of any of these degrees of sin, and by a daily watch to looke to our selves, that wee be not overcome of the deceitfulnesse of sinne, and be thankfull to God, if thy sins get not this head in thee; or if they have, dally no longer, but repent: For certainly thou art fallen away, inquire no further into it, but repent and amend.
4. Lastly, here is implyed, wherein the holinesse of a Christian doth consist, viz. 1. To be free from the power of his old corruptions. 2. To fashion himselfe to the law of God, and the law of his minde: It doth not consist in the perfect resembling of the holinesse of Gods law, but in a desire and daily endevour to fit and frame himselfe more and more to the holinesse set before him, and that daily striving still to come neerer and neerer to the patterne.
Ignorance.]
There are three sorts of ignorance. 1. There is a profitable ignorance. 2. There is an ignorance of meere negation, that is no sinne. 3. There is a ignorance of corrupt disposition. There is a profitable ignorance, viz. not to know evill: so it had beene good for Adam never to have known evill by experience: so had it beene good for the Iewes, if they had never known the fashions of the Gentiles: and in some respect for Apostates, if they had never knowne the truth, 2 Pet. 2.21. There is also an ignorance of meere negation, as Christ knew not the day of Judgement, and husbandmen know not Physick, or Astronomie, &c. and yet sinne not. But most usually ignorance is taken in the third sense, to note, that want of knowledge is joyned with evill disposition also: and so it is taken here. Now this ignorance is either of frailty, or of wilfulnesse and presumption: The one is in the godly after calling, and they pray against it, and confesse it, and mourne for it; and the other is in wicked men, and they like themselves well enough notwithstanding; yea they refuse the knowledge of Gods waies, and willingly live without knowledge; and this latter is here meant.
Quest.But why is ignorance named as the speciall sin to set out their unregenerate estate, seeing they were guilty of many other sins?
Answ. Why ignorance of all the sins of unregenerate men is rather named.Not because men sinne onelyonly by ignorance, as the Platonists thinke; but 1. It may be the holy Ghost doth of purpose doe it to aggravate the hatefulnesse of the sinne, because men use to excuse it, and make light of it. 2. Because it is a sinne none are free from: If he had named whoredome, or drunkennesse, &c. many unregenerate men would have pleaded not-guilty. 3. This sinne serves more to taunt and reproch the rebellious nature of man: It was the knowledge of good and evill that Adam so much aspired unto, and loe now he and all his were set in grosse ignorance, as the just fruit of aspiring after forbidden knowledge. 4. Because ignorance is the mother and nurse of all sorts of sinnes, as these places shew, Eph. 4.18, 19. 2 Pet. 2.12. Psal. 36.2, 3, 4.
Quest.But have unregenerate men no knowledge, that he thus directly chargeth the unregenerate estate of the very Elect with ignorance?
Answ.Yes, they have some knowledge: For they are wise to doe evill, and they may have great knowledge and learning in Arts and Sciences; and they may have excellent civill knowledge to manage civill affaires, and may abound in skill to get money and advance their estates: and they have in matters of religion the light of nature, and the generall grounds of knowledge of the principles in Scripture: yea they may raste of the good word of God, and the powers of the life to come: But yet they are justly taxed with ignorance, because they know no… God as a Father by the light of faith, nor whom hee hath sent Christ Iesus: and besides, they have no desire nor delight to know their owne iniquities, or the way how to reforme their owne lives; they have no knowledge to doe good.
These things being thus resolved, there are divers observations to be noted from hence.
1. That a true Convert must make conscience of inward sins, as well as outward: of defects as well as evill desires or lusts: as here of ignorance, as well as of wicked thoughts. The same God that saith, How long shall thy evill thoughts abide in thee? complaines also of ignorance, as Esay 1.3.
2. That ignorance is no small sin: it is exceeding hatefull to God: contrary to the doctrine of the Papists, that say, it is the mother of devotion.
3. That without reformation of ignorance, we cannot be truely turned to God; without knowledge the mind is not good: therefore to teare the vaile is one part of Gods work in our conversion, Prov. 19.3. Esay 25.8.
4. That ignorance is wanton, and full of lust, Eph. 4.18.
5. That the way to be rid of lusts is to be rid of ignorance. For saving knowledge keeps us from sin, Iam. 3.17. A godly man sinneth not, because his seed abideth in him; knowledge is the sword of the Spirit, and here we may see the principall use wee should put our knowledge to, viz. to clense our hearts of base thoughts and desires.
6. That we may live in places of great meanes for knowledge, and yet be grossely ignorant. For he writeth here to the Jewes, who had the law, and the Prophets, and the Oracles of God, and the Priests, &c.
7. That all knowledge or learning without the knowledge of Gods favour in Christ, and the way how to reforme our owne lives, is but grosse darknesse, and foolish ignorance, as was before explained.
8. That habituall lusts are a sure signe of ignorance, whatsoever knowledg men pretend.
Lastly, it may be profitably here asked, Seeing there is ignorance even in the children of God after calling,Quest. what are the signes of unregenerate ignorance?
Unregenerate ignorance may be discerned by divers signes.Answ. …
1. It hardens the heart, and works a continued evill disposition to sinne with greedinesse, Eph. 4.11, 18. Now the ignorance in the godly may be where the heart is softned, and the overflowings of corruption stopped.
2. It hood winketh the soule in the maine things needfull to salvation: as the knowledge of a mans owne iniquities, God in Christ, the forgivenesse of a mans owne sins, and generally all the things of God, 1 Cor. 2.14. For either wicked men perceive them not, or not spiritually, out of desire and care for them, without corrupt ends. A wicked man may discern spirituall things carnally, but not spiritually.
3. It hath never beene in the furnace, I meane of mortification; it hath never been truly repented of: whereas the ignorance of the godly hath often been in the fire: it hath been often confessed, rended, mourned for, &c.
4. It will suffer no saving grace to neighbour by it; where ignorance hath not beene repented of, there no feare of God, no holy contemplation, no uprightnesse, love of God, or his word, or his people, will dwell. Now the ignorance that is in Gods children, is well neighboured with many holy graces that can dwell by it.
And as these ignorances differ in nature and working, so they differ in imputation: For unto the godly there is a sacrifice for ignorance: God d…th not impute ignorance unto the godly: it shall be to them according to what they know, and not according to what they know not.
And thus of ignorance, and so of the 14. verse.