Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 1, Chapter 1 · Verse 24
Verse 24.
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of Grass, the Grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.
IN expressing the vanity and frailty of the natural life of Man, it is very agreeing with the subject to call him flesh, giving to the whole man the name of his corruptible part, both to make the wretched and perishing Condition of this life more sensible, and Man the more humble by it: For though by providing all for the flesh, and bestowing his whole time in the indeavours which are of the flesh's concernment, he remembers it too much, and forgets his spiritual and Immortal part; yet in that over eager care for the flesh, in some sense he seems to forget that he is flesh, or at least that flesh is perishing, because Flesh, extending his desires and projects so far for the flesh as if it were Immortal, and should alwayes abide to enjoy, and use these things; as the Philosopher said of his Countrymen, upbraiding at once their surfettings and excess in Feasting, and their sumptuousness in building: that they eat as if they meant to die to morrow, and yet built as if they were never to die. Thus in Mens immoderate pursuits of earth, they seem both to forget that they are any thing else beside flesh, and in this sense too, to forget that they are flesh, that is mortal and perishing; they neither rightly remember their Immortality nor their Mortality. If we consider what it is to be flesh, the naming of that were sufficient to the purpose. All Man is flesh, But 'tis plainer thus, All flesh is grass, thus in the Psalme, he remembred that they were but flesh, that speaks their frailty enough, but it is added to make the vanity of their estate the clearer, a wind that passeth and cometh not again. Psal. 78.39. So Psal. 103.15. As for man his dayes are as grass, as a flower of the field so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.
This natural Life is compar'd (even by natural Men) to the vainest things, and scarce find they things light enough to express it vain, and as here called grass, so they compar'd the generations of Men to the leaves of trees. But the light of Scripture doth most discover this, and it is a lesson requires the Spirit of God to teach it aright. Teach us (sayes Moses Psa. 90.) So to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto Wisdom. and David Psa. 39 Make me to know my life how frail I am.. So Iam. 4.14. And here its called grass. So Iob. 14.12. Man that is born of a Woman is of few dayes and full of trouble, He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down.
Grass hath its root in the Earth, and is fed by the moisture of it, and for a while, but besides that, it is under the hazard of such weather as favours it not, or the …ythe that …urs is down, give it all the forbearance that may be, let it be free from both those, yet how quickly will it wither of it self: Set aside those many accidents, the smallest of which is able to destroy our naturall life, the diseases of our own bodies, and outward violences, and casualties that cut down many in their greeness, in the flower of their youth, the utmost term is not long; In the course of nature it will wither. Our life is indeed a lighted torch, either blown out by some stroake, or some wind, or if spar'd, yet within a while burnes away, and will dye out of it self.
And all the Glory of man] That is elegantly added. There is indeed a great deal of seeming difference betwixt the outward condition of li…e amongst Men, shall the Rich, and Honourable, and beautifull, and healthfull go in together under the same name with the baser, and unhappier part, the poor wretched sort of the world, that s…em to be born for nothing but sufferings, and miseri…s? At least hath the wise no advantage beyond the fools, is all grass? make you no distinction? no, all is grass, or if you will have some other name, be it so, once this is true that all flesh is grass, and if that glory that shines so much in your eyes must have a difference, then this is all it can have, it is but the flower of that same grass, somewhat above the common grass in gayness, a little comelier, and better apparrel'd than it, but partaker of its frail and fading nature, hath no priviledge nor immunity that way, yea of the two the less durable, and usually shorter liv'd, at the best it decayes with it, the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.
How easily and quickly hath the highest splendor of a Mans prosperity been blasted, either by Mens power, or the immediate hand of God? The spirit of the Lord blowes upon it (as Esay there sayes) and by that, not only withers the grass; but the flower fades, though never so fair. When thou correctest Man for iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume like a moth. Psal. 39.11. How many have the casualties of fire, or war, or shipwrack in one day, or night, or a small part of either turn'd out of great riches into extream poverty? And the Instances are not few of those, that have on a sudden fallen from the top of honour into the fowlest disgraces, not by degrees comeing down the stair they went up, but tumbled down headlong. And the most vigorous beauty, and strength of body, how doth a few dayes sickness, or if it scape that, a few years time blast that flower. yea, those higher advantages that have somewhat both of truer, and more lasting beauty in them, the Endowments of witt, and Learning, and Eloquence, yea and of morall Goodness, and vertue, yet they cannot rise above this word, they are still in all their glory but the flower of grass, their Root is in the …earth: Natural ornaments are of some use in this present life, but they reach no further. When Men have wasted their strength and endur'd the toyl of study night and day, 'its but a small parcell of knowledge they can attain to, and are forc'd to ly down in the dust in the midst of their pursuit of it; that head that lodges most sciences shall within a while be diffurnish'd of them all, and the tongue that speaks most languages silenc'd.
The great projects of Kings, and Princes, and they also themselves, come under this same notion, all the vast designes that are framing in their heads, fall to the ground in a moment, they returne to their dust and in that day all their thoughts perish. Archimedes was killed in the midst of his demonstration.
If they themselves did consider this in the heat of their affairs, it would much allay the swelling and loftiness of their minds, and if these that live upon their favour, would consider it, they would not value it at so high a rate, and buy it so dear, as often they doe, Men of low degree are vanity, sayes the Psalmist, but he adds Men of high degree are a lie, from base mean persons we expect nothing, but the estate of great persons promises fair, and often keeps not, therefore a lie, although they can least endure that word.
They are in respect of mean persons as the flower to the grass, somewhat a fairer lustre they have; but no more endurance, nor exemption from decaying, thus then it is an universall, and undenyable truth. It begins here with a foreign and is as sure a Conclusion as the surest of these in their best Demonstrations which they call foreign. And as particular Men so whole States, and Kingdomes are thus, they have their budding, and flourishing, and withering, and it is in both as with flowers, when they are fullest spread, then they are near their declining, and withering, and thus it is with all whole Generations of Men upon Earth, as Solomon sayes, One goeth and another cometh; but not a word of abiding at all. We in our thoughts shut up death into a very narrow compass, namely, …n the moment of our expiring, but the truth is, as the Moralist observes, it goes through all our life, for we are still losing, and spending it as we enjoy it, yea, our very enjoying it, is the spending it▪ yesterdayes life is dead to day, and so shall this day's life be to morrow. We spend our years, sayes Moses, as a tale, or as a thought, so swift and evanishing is it. Each word helps a tale towards its end, and then in that the vanity, when 'its done it evanishes as a sound in the air. What's become of all the pompous solemnities of Kings and Princes, at their births, and Marriages and Coronations, and Triumphs? they are now as a dream Act. 25.23.
Hence learn the folly, and pride of Man that can glory and please himself in the frail and wretched being he hath here, that dotes on this poor natural life, and cannot be persuaded to think on one higher, and more abiding. Although the course of times and his daily Experience tells him this truth, that all flesh is grass, yea, the Prophet prefixes to these words a command of Crying, they must be shouted aloud in our ears ere we will hear them, and by that time the sound of the cry is done, we have forgot it again. Would we consider this in the midst of those vanities that tosse our light minds too and fro, it would give us wiser thoughts, and balast our hearts make them more solid, and stedfast in those spirituall endeavours, which concerne a durable condition, a being that abides for ever, in comparison of which the longest term of naturall life is less than a moment, and the happiest estate of it, but a heap of miseries; Were all of us more constantly prosperous than any of us is, yet that one thing were enough to cry down the price we put upon this life, that it continues not. As he answered to one that had a mind to flatter him in the midst of a pompuous triumph, by saying, what is wanting here? continuance said he: 'Twas wisely said at any time, but most of all to have so sober a thought in such a solemnity, in which weak heads cannot escape either to be wholly drunk, or somewhat giddy at least: Sure we forget this, when we grow vain upon any humane glory, or advantage, the colour of it pleases us, and we forget that it is but a flower, and foolishly overesteem it, this is that madness upon flowers, that is somewhere in request, where they will give as much for one flower as would buy a good dwelling house. Is it not a most foolish bargain to bestow continuall pains, and diligence upon purchasing of great possessions, or honours? if we believe this that the best of them is no other, but a short liv'd flower, and neglect the purchase of those glorious mansio…s of Eternity, a garland of such flowers as wither not, an unfading crown, that everlasting life, and those Everlasting pleasures that are at the right hand of God.
Now that life which shall never end must begin here, it is the new spirituall life, whereof the word of God is the immortall seed, and in opposition to corruptible seed, and the corruptible life of flesh it is here said to endure for ever. And for this end is the frailty of naturall life mention'd, that our affections may be drawn off from it to this spirituall life that is not subject unto death.