Exposition on 2 Peter 1, Exposition · Verse 7
Brotherly kindneſſe. Or as the word may ſignifie, brotherly louelove. I agree vntounto their iudgement which referre this vntounto the inward affection; and the next, namely charity to the practiſe; the firſt is to teach vsus to louelove, the ſecond is to teach vsus to be kinde.
Brotherly kindneſſe. That is, louelove to the brethren. By brethren we are to vnderſtand ſuch as truly feare God, vntounto whom, of all other men, our louelove and beſt affections are due.
Brotherly. Hence obſerue we, that Doctrine.all ſuch as truly feare God, are brethren. And they are ſo called in Epheſians 6.23. Peace be to the brethren, with louelove and faith from God. And in Coloſſ. 1.2. To the Saints and faithfull brethren in Chriſt.
And iuſtly are they ſo called: firſt, becauſe they are adopted of one and the ſame Father, Epheſ. 1.5.
Secondly, becauſe they are borne, I meane, newborne of one and the ſame mother, Galat 4.26.
Thirdly, becauſe they are brought vp in the ſame family, Epheſians 2.19.
Fourthly, becauſe they ſhall be partakers of the ſame inheritance, Rom. 8.17.
Vſe.This ſerues to condemne the practiſe of ſuch which do ſcoffe at this terme Brethren, ſaying, He is one of the holy brethren, and the like: Oh thou wretch! Doth God himſelfe giuegive this title to his people, and dareſt thou mocke and ſcoffe at it? Doth God giuegive this name in holineſſe, and doſt thou vſe it in deriſion?
Secondly, this ſhould teach rich Chriſtians humility; they muſt know that the pooreſt Chriſtian is their brother or ſiſter, and therefore they muſt carry themſelues accordingly towards them: they muſt not be aſhamed of them; for if Chriſt himſelfe be not aſhamed to call vsus Brethren, as it is in Hebr. 2.10. then we muſt not be aſhamed to owne one another.
Thirdly, this ſhould teach poore Chriſtians thankfulneſſe; God hath made them, by vertue of regeneration akinne to the greateſt Nobles and Potentates in the world: I meane, to ſuch Potentates as are true fearers of God. All Gods people come of a great houſe, and are of a great kindred, both in reſpect of God and man, they are all brethren.
Fourthly, this ſhould teach vsus to auoid diuers things, as firſt, contention with any that feare God: we may ſay as Abraham ſaid to Lot, Geneſis 13.8. Let there be no ſtrife betweene vsus, we are brethren.
Secondly, euill ſpeaking or ſlandering. It is the diuels property to traduce or falſly to accuſe the brethren, Reuel. 12.10.
Thirdly, we muſt auoid tyrannizing ouer Gods ſeruants; we muſt remember they are our brethren.
Fiftly, conſidering that all that feare God, are brethren, therefore this muſt teach vsus diuers things: it muſt teach vsus indeed to carry our ſelues towards our fellow-Chriſtians as towards brethren: therefore, as one brother will ſtand by another, ſo one Chriſtian muſt defend another; we muſt not ſuffer any Chriſtian to be wronged, if it be in our power to helpe him.
Secondly, one brother will hauehave a fellow-feeling with another; they will reioyce to ſee any good to befall one another, and they will grieue to ſee hurt. Euen ſo we muſt reioyce to heare of the proſperity of Zion, and we muſt grieue to heare or to ſee the deſolation thereof.
Thirdly, one brother will do for another according to abilitie; euen ſo we muſt eueryevery one according to his abilitie do for the Church of God. If a brother or ſiſter be naked or deſtitute of daily food, as Iames ſpeaketh, Iames 2.15. we muſt relieue them.
Brotherly kindneſſe, or brotherly louelove. In the next place we are to obſerue, that Doctrine.There ought to be louelove amongst Chriſtians, yea brotherly louelove. This is proued by 1. Pet. 3.8. LoueLove as brethren. and out of Hebr. 13.1. Let brotherly louelove continue.
And there be eſpeciall motiues to ſtirre vsus vp to this louelove: firſt becauſe it is a ſigne that we are tranſlated from death to life. 1. Iohn 3.14. Secondly, that we are borne of God, 1. Iohn 4.7. Thirdly, that we are of the truth, 1. Iohn 3.19. Fourthly, that God dwelleth in vsus, 1. Iohn 4.16.
Queſti.But how ſhould I know a true Chriſtian, that I may louelove him as a brother?
Anſw.Thou mayeſt know him: firſt, by his faith; he lookes for ſaluation by Chriſt alone.
Secondly, by his humility; he thinketh baſely of himſelfe.
Thirdly, by his louelove to Gods houſe, the place where Gods honour dwelleth.
Fourthly, by his language, for he ſpeakes the holie language of Canaan.
Fiftly, by his practiſe and life; for he liueth holily, righteouſly, and ſoberly in this preſent world.
Sixtly, by his fruitfulneſſe; for he is no barren figtree, but he bringeth forth fruit in due ſeaſon.
Seuenthly, by his oppoſition in this world; for his ſect is euill ſpoken of in eueryevery place, Acts 28.22. Thus thou mayeſt know a Chriſtian.
Vſe.Now, is it ſo, that true Chriſtians, and true fearers of the Lord are to be beloued with brotherly louelove? Then this ſerues iuſtly to rebuke the world for want of this brotherly louelove. The world is ſo farre from louing the godly, as that they hate no people in the world more. A fearefull ſigne of a bad eſtate.
Secondly, it may ſerue to reproue, euen Chriſtians themſelues; for where is that louelove which ſhould be amongſt vsus? Surely, it is either growne cold, or elſe, which is worſe, its turned into preiudice and enuy: but I will ſay with the Apoſtle in another caſe; My brethren, theſe things ought not ſo to be.
Thirdly, this muſt teach vsus to be thankfull to God, in that he hath commanded all to louelove vsus, and to encourage vsus. We may iuſtly ſay with Dauid, Lord, what is man that thou thus regardeſt him? The truth is, we deſerue to be hated both of God and man: Therefore it is the greater mercy of God, not only to louelove vsus himſelfe, but alſo to command others to louelove vsus.
Fourthly, let this teach vsus to examine our ſelues, whether we louelove the brethren or no. And that will appeare by theſe ſignes: Firſt, if we louelove poore Chriſtians aſwell as rich; if our louelove be towards all the Saints, Epheſ. 1.15.
Secondly, if we louelove not in tongue onelyonly, but in deed and in truth; if we louelove ſincerely, from the heart, and fruitfully, doing them all the good we can.
Thirdly, if we thinke our ſeruice for the Church to be eaſie, as Iacob thought his ſeuen yeares ſeruice for Rachel, it is a ſigne we louelove.
Fourthly, if we continue in our louelove towards Gods Saints. The continuance proues our louelove to be true, the not continuing argueth hypocriſie in our louelove.
Charitie. By this we are to vnderſtand the practiſe or expreſſion of brotherly louelove. In the former grace we are taught affection, in this grace we are taught action. The point is, that It is the part and dutie of eueryevery Chriſtian, amongst the reſt of his gifts and graces, to labour for Charity. The Apoſtle Paul preſſeth this duty with great feruencie, in 1. Corinth. 13.1.2.3. ſhewing, that if one do neuer ſo great things, yet if he hauehave not Charitie, it auaileth him nothing.
Now there is a two-fold charitie to be exerciſed by vsus towards our brethren; the firſt is a charitie towards their ſoules, the ſecond is a charitie towards their bodies.
The Charitie towards the ſoules of our brethren, is ſeene in theſe particulars: Firſt, in pitying their ſpirituall eſtate, if we ſee them out of the way; according to that in Iude 22. HaueHave compaſsion of ſome, in putting differēce. Or if we ſee them deſtitute of the meanes of ſaluation, if they be as ſheep without a ſhepheard, Matth. 9, 36. or if they be proud and obſtinate, Ieremy 13.17. But if yee will not heare it, my ſoule ſhall weepe in ſecret places for your pride.
Secondly, Charitie towards the ſoules of others is ſeene in the inſtructing of them. The Centurion ſhewed himſelfe a true charitable perſon, in building a Synagogue, Luke 7.5. Yea, in this he was more charitable then if he had built them an Almeſ-houſe or Hoſpitall, by how much the ſoule is more excellent then the bodie.
Thirdly, ſpirituall charitie is ſeene in forgiuing our brethren, if they hauehave offended vsus, and now come and ſay, It repenteth me; according to that in Matth. 18.33. Shouldſt not thou hauehave had compaſsion on thy fellow-ſeruant as I had compaſsion on thee? He that can forgiue without reuenge, is charitable.
Fourthly, ſpirituall charitie is ſeene in reprouing and admoniſhing ſuch as are out of the way; and ſeeking their reformation, Leu. 19.17. Thou ſhalt in any wiſe rebuke thy neighbour, and not ſuffer ſinne vponupon him. And indeed, what greater charitie can there be then to labour to ſaue a ſoule from hell?
Fiftly, ſpirituall charitie is ſeene in praying for the ſaluation of others. Thus Paul ſhewed himſelfe a charitable perſon in Romans 10.1. in that his hearts deſire and praier to God for Iſrael, was, that they might be ſaued.
Vſe.This may ſerue to reprooue the world of want of this ſpirituall charitie. For who amongſt a thouſand is charitable ſpiritually? Some will ſhew themſelues charitable in matters concerning the body; but what is become of ſpirituall charity?
Now the charitie towards the bodies of our neighbours is ſeene in theſe things.
1. In commiſerating their eſtate, to wit, in grieuing for the affliction of Ioſeph, Amos 6.6.
2. In viſiting them in their diſtreſſe, Iames 1.27. Mat. 25.36.
3. In feeding the hungrie, and cloathing the naked, Iob 31.17.19.
4. In lending them ſufficient for their need, Deuteronomy 15.8.
5. In forgiuing them their debts, if they be not able to repay, Luke 6.35.
6. In ſtanding in the gap, to turne away Gods iudgements from them, as Moſes did, Pſalme 106.23.
Vſe.This ſerues iuſtly to reproue ſuch as will reproue and exhort, and ſay, God helpe you, and the like; but they exerciſe no charitie toward the bodies of their brethren: theſe are hypocrites.