Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 1, Chapter 2 · Verse 3
Verse 3.
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is Gracious.
OUR Naturall desire of food, arises principally from its necessity, for that end which nature seeks, the growth or at least the nourishment of our bodies, but besides, there is a present sweetness, and pleasingness in the use of it, that serves to sharpen our desire, and is plac'd in nature for that purpose; thus the Children of God in their spiritual life are naturally carried to desire the means of their nourishment and of their growth, being alwayes here in a growing estate; but withall, there is a spiritual delight and sweetness in that word, in that which it reveals concerning God, and that addes to their desire, stirres their appetite towards it, the former is in the foregoing verse, the latter in this. Nature addresses the infant to the breast, but when it hath once tasted of it, that is a new superadded attractive, and makes it desire after that the more earnestly: So here.
The word is fully recommended to us by these two, usefulness, and pleasantness, so like milk (as 'tis compar'd here) which is a nourishing food, and withall sweet and delightfull to the taste, by it we grow, and in it we taste the graciousness of God. David in that Psalm that he dedicates wholly to this subject, gives both these as the reason of his appetite, his love to it he expresses patheticaly. Psa. 119. Ver. 97. O how love I thy law? and then he addes, that by it he was made wiser than his enemies, than his teachers ▪ And than the ancients; taught to refraine from every evil way, taught by the Author of that word the Lord himself, thou hast taught me to grow wiser and w… …ier, and holier in thy wayes, and then Ver. 103. He addes this other reason, How sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea sweeter than the hony and the hony Comb.
We shall speak 1. Of the goodness or graciousness of the Lord. 2. Of this taste. And 3. Of the Inference from both.
1. Gracious] Or of a bountifull kind disposition, the word Psa. 34. Whence this is taken is Tob. And which signifieth, good. The Sept there render it by the word used here by our Apostle, both the words signifie a benignity, and kindness of nature, it is one of loves attributes 1 Cor. 13. It is kind, ever compassionate, and as it can be helpfull in straits, and distresses still ready to forget, and pass by evil and to do good, and in the largest most comprehensive sense must we take it here, and yet still speak, and think infinitely below what his goodness is. He is naturally good, yea goodness in his nature, he is goodness and love it self, he that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. 1 Io. 4.8. Primitively good, all goodness is deriv'd from him, and all that is in the Creature comes forth from no other but that Ocean, and this graciousness is still larger then them all.
There is a common bounty of God wherein he doth good to all, and so the whole earth is full of of his goodness: But the goodness that the Gospel is full of, the particular stream that runs in that channel, is his peculiar graciousness, and love to his own Children; that by which they are first enliven'd, and then refresh'd, and sustain'd in their spiritual being. This that is here spoken of, gracious to them in freely forgiving their sins, and giving no less than himself unto them, frees them from all evils, and fills them with all good. Psa. 103.3.4.5. satisfies thy mouth, and so it followes with good reason, Ver. 8. that he is mercifull and gracious, and his graciousness there further express'd in his gentleness, and slowness to anger, bearing with the frailties of his own, and pitying them, as a father pityeth his Children.
No friend so kind and friendly (as this word signifies) and none so powerfull, a present help in trouble, ready to be found, whereas others may be far off, he is alwayes at hand, and his presence is alwayes comfortable.
They that know God, still find him a real usefull good. Some things and persons are usefull at one time, and others at another, but God at all times. A well furnish'd table may please a Man, while he hath health and appetite; but offer it to him in the hight of a fever, how unpleasant would it be then? Though never so richly deck'd, 'tis not only then useless, but hateful to him: But the kindness and love of God is then as seasonable, and refreshing to him, as in health, and possibly more; he can find sweetness in that, even on his sick bed. The bitter Choler abounding in the mouth in a fever doth not disrelish his sweetness, it transcends and goes above it. Thus all Earthly enjoyments have but some time (as meats) when they are in season but the graciousness of God is always sweet, the tast of that is never out of season. See how old age spoyles the relish of outward delights in the example of Barzillai 2. Sam. 19.35. But it makes not this distastful; therefore the Psalmist prayes, that when other comforts forsake him, and wear out, ebb from him, and leave him on the sand, this may not. That still he may feed on the goodness of God Psa. 71.9. Cast me not off in old age, forsake me not when my strength faileth. 'Tis the continual influence of his graciousness makes them still grow like Cedars in Lebanon, Psa. 92. To bring forth fruit in old age to be still fat, and flourishing, to shew that the Lord is upright, as is there added, that he is even (as the word is) still like himself, and his goodness ever the same.
Full chests, or large possessions, may seem sweet to a Man, till death present it self, but then, as the Prophet speaks of throwing away their idols of silver and gold to the Battes, and Moles, in the day of calamity, then he is forc'd to throw all he possesses away with disdain of it, and his former folly in doting on it, then the kindness of friends and Wife, and Children can do nothing, but increase his grief, and their own: But then is the love of God the good indeed and abiding sweetness. And it best relisheth when all other things are most unsavoury, and uncomfortable. God is gracious, but 'its God in Christ, otherwise, we cannot find him so; therefore here this is spoken particular of Jesus Christ (as it appears by that which followeth) through whom all the peculiar kindness, and love of God, is convey'd to the soul, and can come no other way, and the word here mention'd is the Gospel Chap. 1. Ver. ult whereof Christ is the subject. Though God is Mercy, and Goodness in himself; yet we cannot find, nor apprehend him so to us; but only looking through that medium, the Mediator.
That main point of the goodness of God in the Gospel, that is so sweet to a humbled sinner, the forgiveness of sins, we know we cannot taste of, but in Christ Ehp. 1.7. In whom we have Redemption. And all the favour that shines on us, all the grace we receive, is of his fullness, all our acceptance with God, taking into grace, and kindness again, is in him, Ver. 6. He made us accepted in the beloved. His grace appears in both, as tis there express'd, but it is all in Christ. Let us therefore never leave him out, in our desires of tasting the graciousness and love of God: For otherwise, we shall but dishonour him, and disappoint our selves.
The free grace of God was given to be tasted, in the promises, before the coming of Christ in the flesh: But being accomplish'd in his coming, then was the sweetness of grace made more sensible: Then was it more fully broacht, and let out to the Elect world when he was pierc'd on the Cross, and his blood poured out for our redemption. Through those holes of his wounds way we draw, and taste that the Lord is gracious sayes S. August.
2. Taste] There is a tasting of temporary believers spoke of Heb. 6.4. Their highest sense of spirituall things (and it will be in some far higher than we easily think) yet is but a taste, and is call'd so in comparison of the truer fuller sense, that true believers have of the grace, and goodness of God which compar'd with temporary taste, is more than tasting, the former is tasting, rather an imaginary tast then real, but this is a true feeding on the graciousness of God, yet call'd but a tast in respect of the fulness to come, though it is more than a tast, as you difference it from the hypocrites sense, yet 'tis no more but a tast compar'd with the great marriage feast we look for.
Jesus Christ, being all in all unto the soul, faith apprehending him, is all the spirituall senses, it is the eye that beholds his matchless beauty, and so enkindles love in the soul, and can speak of him as having seen him, and taken particuliar notice of him. Cant. 5.9. 'Tis the eare that discernes his voyce. Cant. 2.8. 'Tis faith that smells his name poured forth as an ointment, faith it touches him and draws vertue from him, and faith that tastes him. Cant. 2.3. And here If ye have tasted, &c.
There must be, 1. a firme believing the truth of the promises, wherein the free Grace of God is exprest, and exhibited to us. 2. A particular application, or attraction of that grace to our selves, which is as the drawing those breasts of consolation, namely the promises contain'd in the old and new Testament. 3. There is a sense of the sweetness of that grace, being applied or drawn in to the soul, and that is properly this tast. No unrenewed Man hath any of these in truth, not the highest kind of temporary believer, he cannot have so much as a real lively assent to the generall truth of the promises, for had he that, the rest would follow, but as he cannot have the least of these in truth, he may have the counterfit of them all, not only of assent, but application, yea, and a false spiritual joy arising on it, and all these so drawn to the life, that they may resemble much the truth of them, and to give clear characters of difference is not so easie as most imagine; but doubtless, the true living faith of a Chiristian, hath in it self, such a particular stamp, as brings with it, its own evidence, when the soul is clear, and the light of Gods face shines upon it: Indeed in the dark, we cannot read, nor distinguish one mark from another but when a Christian hath light, to look upon the work of God in his own soul, although he cannot make another sensible of that by which he knows it, yet he himself is ascertain'd, and can say confidently in himself, this I know, that this faith and …ast of God I have is true, the seal of the spirit of God is upon it, and this is the reading of that new name, in the white stone, that no Man knowes, but he that hath it. There is in a true Believer such a constant love to God, for himself, and continual desire after him, simply for his own excellency, and goodness, that no other can have. On the other side, would an Hypocrite deal truly and impartialy by himself, he would readily find out something that would discover him, more, or less to himself: but the truth is, Men are willing to deceive themselves and thence arises the difficulty.
One Man cannot make another sensible of the sweetness of Divine Grace, he may speak to him of it very excellently, but all he sayes in that kind is an unknown language to a natural Man, he hath many good words, but he cannot tell what they mean. The natural Man tastes not the things of God, for they are spiritually discern'd.
A Spiritual Man himself doth not fully conceive this swetness that he tastes of, 'tis an infinite Goodness, and he hath but a taste of it, the Peace of God is a main fruit of this his goodness, it passeth all understanding, sayes the Apostle, not only all natural understanding as some modifie it; but all understanding, even the supernatural understanding of those that enjoy it, and as the Godly Man cannot conceive it all, so that which he conceives, he cannot express it all, and that which he doth express, the carnal mind cannot conceive of it by his expression.
But he that hath indeed tasted of this goodness, O how tastless are those things to him, that the World call's sweet, as when you have tasted somewhat that is very sweet, it disrelisheth other things after it. Therefore can a Christian so easily either want, or use with disregard the delights of this earth. His heart is not upon them: for the delight that he finds in it God carryeth it unspeakably away from all the the rest, makes them in comparison seem sapless to his tast.
Salomon tasted of all the delicacies, the choisest dishes that are in such esteem amongst Men, and not only tasted, but eat largly of them, and yet see how he goes over them, to let us know what they are, and passes from one dish to another, this also is vanity, and of the next this also is vanity, and so through all, and of all in general, All is vanity and vexation of Spirit, or feeding on the Wind, as the word may be rendred.
3. We come in the third place to the Inference. If ye have tasted, &c. Then lay aside all Malice and guile and Hipocrisies and Envies, and all evil speakings, Verse 1. For it looks back to the whole Exhortation; sure if you have tasted of that kindness and sweetness of God in Christ, it will compose your spirits, and conform them to him, it will diffuse such a sweetness through your soul, that there will be no place for malice and guile. There will be nothing but love, and meekness, and singleness of heart, therefore they that have bitter malitious Spirits, evidence they have not tasted of the love of God, as the Lord is good, so they that taste it are made like him. Eph. 4.32. Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you.
Again if ye have tasted, then desire more, and this is the truest sign of it; he that is in a continual hunger, and thirst after this graciousness of God, sure he hath tasted of it. My soul thirsteth for God, (saith David,) he had tasted before, Verse 4. he remembers that he went to the house of God with the voice of Ioy.
This is that happy circle wherein the soul moves the more they love it, the more they shall tast of this goodness; and the more they taste, the more they shall still love, and desire it.
But observe, if ye have tasted that the Lord is gratious, then desire the milk of the Word. This is the sweetness of the word, that it hath in it the Lords graciousness, gives us the knowledge of his love; this they find in it, that have Spiritual life and senses and those senses exercis'd to discern good, and evil; and this engages a Christian to further desire of the Word: These are fantastical deluding tastes that draw Men from the writen Word, and make them expect other Revelations. This graciousness is first conveyed to us, by the Word; there we tast it and therefore there still we are to seek it; to hang upon those breasts that cannot be drawn dry, there the love of God, in Christ, streames forth in the several promises; the heart that cleaves to the word of God, and delights in it, cannot but find in it daily new tastes of his goodness, there it reads his love, and by that stirs up his own to him, and so growes, loves every day more than the former, and thus is tending from tastes to fulness. 'Tis but little we can receive, some drops of joy that enter into us, but there we shall enter into joy, as vessels put into a Sea of happiness.