A Commentary on 1 Peter 1-3, Dedication 1 – Analysis
A COMMENTARY VPONUPON THE THREE FIRST CHAPTERS OF THE FIRST EPISTLE generall of St. PETER.
VVHERIN ARE MOST JUDICIously and profitably handled such points of Doctrine as naturally flow from the TEXT.
Together with very usefull Application thereof: and many good Rules for a godly life.
By NICHOLAS BYFIELD Preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex.
To which is now newly added an Alphabeticall TABLE, not formerly published.
1 PET. 1.13.
Wherefore gird up the loynes of your minde: be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ.
LONDON, Printed by MILES FLESHER and ROBERT YOUNG. MDCXXXVII.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MOST noble Lady, the Lady LVCY Countesse of Bedford: Grace and peace be multiplied.
MADAM,
BY reason of my Lords absence, and your Honours, a great part of the yeare past, I have had more leisure, than I desired, and thereby opportunity to write out my notes on the first chapter of Peter, and not knowing which way to testifie so fully as I ought, my observance, and duty to your Honor, or to satisfie the daily opportunity of many friends, I have adventured againe to come under the Presse, that so (receiving daily an increase of favors from your Honor,) I might thus publikely take occasion to professe my vowes of service and thankfulnesse, beseeching your Honor to vouchsafe the acceptation, protection, and perusall of this abridgement of those Sermons, many of which your Honor hath bin pleased to heare with great attention. As for the desire of many go…y friends herein, I should not have beene easily inclined to hearken to it (the world abounding with bookes even to loathing) but that in writings of this nature, and upon this Epistle, there is some want, and that I have received incouragement from the acceptation of my former labours, and that I know the matter herein contained is wholesome, and not unprofitable; and besides having suffered an involuntary vacation in my weekedaies attendance in your Honors family, and an extreame losse in the want of divers of my chiefe bearers, I was resolved to try, whether I might be helpfull to the Church of God abroad, by such an imploiment of my selfe in the houres I could spare from my study for the Lords day. My most humble request to your Honour is, that you would bee pleased to grace these notes with the liberty to passe under the protection of your name, and favour; I should much rejoyce, if the reading hereof, may make any supply of my intermitted service to your Honor, and your worthy family. The God of mercy and father of glory (that hath abounded towards your Honor, not only in the outward happinesse of unstained nobility, greatnesse of meanes, and favour with the highest on our earth: but which is greatest of all, in the unsearchable riches of Iesus Christ, in the largenesse, and eminency of many singular gifts, and in aboundance of all good workes) make you perfect to doe his will, and worke in you an increase of al that is pleasing in his sight, that you may never lose, what you have wrought, but be kept without offence till the day of Iesus Christ.
Isleworth, Iuly 1617. Your Honours servant in things of Iesus Christ to be commanded, N. BYFIELD.
THE LOGICALL ANALYSIS OF THE first Chapter of the first Epistle of ST. PETER.
THis Chapter hath in it 2 things: 1. matter of salutation, verses 1, 2. 2. matter of doctrine, verse 3. to the end.
In the salutation consider, 1. the person saluting, 2. the persons saluted. 3. the forme of salutation.
The person saluting is described, 1. By his proper name, Peter. 2. By his office, an Apostle, 3. By the author of his office, Iesus Christ.
The persons saluted are described, 1. By their outward estate. 2. By their spirituall estate.
In their outward estate consider first, what it was: they were strangers dispersed here and there. 2. where it was, viz: through Pontus, Asia, Galatia, &c.
For their spirituall estate, they were the Elect of God; and their Election is amplified: 1. By the foundation of it, the foreknowledge of God the Father. 2. By the meanes of execution of it, the sanctification of the Spirit. 3. By the ends of it, which are two: 1. the obedience of their lives. 2. the fruition of the benefits purchased by the blood of Christ, and applied by the sprinkling of his blood.
The forme of the salutation is in the end of the second verse: grace and peace be multiplied, &c.
Thus much of the salutation: the doctrine of the Chapter followes, which conteins both matter of consolation, & matter of exhortation.
The consolation is from verse 3. to verse 13: where consider both the proposition of the consolation, verses 3, 4, 5. and the confirmation of it, verse 6. to 13.
In the proposition consider first the manner of propounding it. 2. The arguments themselves.
The manner of the proposition is, that it is exprest in forme of thanksgiving, Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ.
The arguments are three. The first taken from their regeneration, verse 3. The second from their glorification, verse 4. The third from their preservation unto glory, verse 5.
The consolation raised from their regeneration is amplified, 1. By the impulsive cause, the aboundant mercy of God. 2. By the effect, viz: a lively hope. 3. By the cause of merit, or efficacie, viz: the resurrection of Iesus Christ.
The second argument is taken from our glorification, which is said to be the …nheritance of the Saints which is amplified, 1. By the properties of it, which are three. For it is first incorruptible, 2. undef…led. 3. imma…cessible, it withereth not. Secondly, by the manner of their present interest; It is not now possessed, but laid up for them. Thirdly, by the place, where it lyeth, and that is heaven.
The third argument is taken from our preservation unto glory, verse 5: where consider, 1. the meanes of our preservation, which is both power in God, and faith in us. 2. The end, which is salvation, which is amplif…ed by the things that goe before it, viz: preparation and revelation, in these words prepared to be revealed ▪ as also for the …ime, when it shal be communicated, viz: in the last time.
Thus of the proposition of the consolation: the confirmation followes, which is performed two waies. 1. By prolepsis, or the answer of objections, verse 6. to 10. 2. By the testimonie of the Prophets, verses 10, 11, 12.
First, the Apostle labors to confirm them against two objections.
The first objection might be taken from their crosses, to which the Apostle gives answer, by yeelding foure reasons, why their manifold temptations should not dismay them. 1. Because they may have much joy in the midst of many crosses, verse 6. 2. Their heavinesse is but for a season, verse 6. also. 3. They are not bound alwaies to grieve at their crosses, but when need requires, verse 6. also. 4. Because their temptations doe them good: for they try their faith, verse 7: this effect is both propounded, and amplified: propounded in those words, The tryall of your faith: amplified, 1. by comparison with go…d tri…d in the f…rnace. 2. by the event; it will be found to praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ.
The second objection might be made thus: Wee know not whether the former comforts belong to us; to which the Apostle answers by giving three signes, by which men may try themselves: 1. The love of Christ, whom they have not seene. 2. Beleeving. 3. The unspeakable and glorious joyes of the Holy Ghost, verse 8. The end of all, which is, the salvation of their soules, verse 9.
Thus of the Prolepsis: the testimonie of holy men fo…owes, where consider five things.
1. Wh… …e s…i fie? In generall, Prophets: In speciall, those Prophets, which were app…ed to testifie of the grace that should come unto us Christians.
2. … prec…nes to furnish themselves for the knowledg of the things they testified; They searched & inquired diligently ▪
3. The question they studied, or unto which they testifie: In generall, … of salvation, verse 10. In speciall, it was of the manner, and time of the grace foretold.
4. The … them to this earnest desire after this knowledge, and that was the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, driving them to foretell of the passion of Christ, and glories that should follow.
5. The successe, and that is, that they were answered of God; where observe two things. 1. The manner of the giving the answer, it was by revelation; Unto whom it was revealed. 2. The matter of the answer, which concernes both Persons and Things. The persons are considered negatively, and so they were resolved, that they themselves were not the men, to whom those glories did belong: and affirmatively, that they did minister those things unto us Christians. Now the things promised are not onelyonly propounded, but commended: and that two wayes. 1. By the glory of their efficient causes, which were lesse principall, the Apostles: and more principall, the Holy Ghost sent downe from heaven. 2. By the adjunct respect of the Angels, which things the Angels desire to looke into.
Hitherto of the consolation. The exhortation followes from ver. 13. to the end, where observe: 1. The things, unto which they are exhorted, verse 13. 2. The reasons, by which the exhortation is inforced.
The things to which he doth exhort are three: 1. The first concernes the renovation of the mind, Girde up the loynes of your minde. 2. The second concernes the moderation of life, be sober. 3. The third concernes the confirmation of their hope, Trust perfectly upon the grace to be brought &c. ver. 13.
The reasons follow, and they are 6. in number, taken from the consideration, 1. Of the Image of God, verses 14, 15, 16. 2. Of the judgement of God, verse 17. 3. Of the redemption in Christ, verses, 18, 19, 20, 21. 4. Of the relation to the godly, verse 22. 5. Of the immortality of the soule, verse 23. 6. And sixtly, of the mortality of the body, verses 24, 25.
The first reason taken from the Image of God is both propounded, and expounded: propounded in these words, as obedient children: expounded two waies, 1. by description. 2. by testimonie. By description, 1. negatively, shewing what they should sh…nne, Not fashioning your selves to the lusts of your former ignorance, ver. 14. 2. He sets it out affirmatively, both by shewing the patterne to be imitated, viz: the holinesse of him that called them; and also the manner of imitation, viz: to be holy in all manner of conversation, ver. 15. In the testimonie two things are to bee noted, 1. Whence the proofe was fetched in these words, As it is written: and 2. what was alledged, viz: Be yee holy, as I am holy ▪ ver. 16.
The second reason is taken from the judgement of God, where note, 1. The proposition of the reason, viz: Hee that yee call upon as Father, &c. 2. The inference, or use of the same, viz: Passe the time of your sojourning in feare. In the proposition consider, 1. Who shall be judge, viz: he that was called upon as a Father. 2. How he shall judge, viz: without respect of persons. 3. Whom he shall judge, viz: every man. 4. For what they shall be judged, viz: according to their workes, verse 17.
The third reason is taken from the consideration of our redemption, and this reason should move the more:
1. Because all the precious things in the world could not redeeme man, verse 18.
2. Because the deliverance from our vaine conversation, was one of the maine ends of our redemption, verse 18.
3. Because our redemption was effected by a matchlesse price, viz: the passion of Christ, which is increased, 1. In that it was a suffering even to the effusion of blood. 2. that it was a suffering of one, that was so infinitely pure, without spot or blemish, verse 19.
4. Because our redemption was ordained in Gods counsell, ver. 20.
5. Because the honor of manifesting Christ in the cleare preaching of the Gospell, is done now to us Christians, and not to the Fathers of old, verse 20.
6. Because our redemption was ratified by God the Father, and that two waies. 1. By raising Christ from the dead. 2. By giving him glory, verse 21.
7. Because all this was done, that our faith and hope might be in God, verse 21.
The fourth reason is taken from our relation to the godly, ver. 22. In which reason observe, 1. A proposition of doctrine. 2. An exhortation by way of use. The proposition in it selfe properly concernes sanctification, which is described, 1. By the nature of it, imported in the m…ta…horicall terme, purified. 2. The subject of it, your soules: 3. the forme of it, in obeying the truth. 4. The cause of it, the spirit. 5. The end of it, which was brotherly love, amplified by the property of it, unfained. The exhortation is therefore to love one another with a pure heart fervently.
The first reason is taken from the immortalitie of the soule, which is considered two wayes. 1. In respect of the fountaine of it, which is the new birth. 2. In respect of the meanes of it, which is set downe, 1. negatively, not of corruptible seede. 2. affirmatively: where consider what the meanes is, and by what it is. What it is, viz: incorruptible seede. By what it is, the word, which is praised for three things. 1. It is of God. 2. …t liveth. 3. It abideth for ever, ver. 23.
The sixt reason is taken from the mortality of the body compared with the eternity of the word of God, ver. 24, 25. Of the vanity of man, ver. 24 which is …th propounded, and repeated▪ propounded as it concernes either the person of man, All flesh is grasse: or the condition of man, All the glory thereof is as the flower of grasse. The rep…tition …s it concerns both, is in these words, the grasse withereth, and the flower falleth away. The eternity of the word of God is propounded in these words, but the word of the Lord endureth for ever: and explained by shewing of what word he speaketh in these words, and this is the word which is preached unto you.