Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 2, Commentary · Chapter 1 · Verse 7
Verse 9.
9 Not rendring evil for evil; or railing ofr railing: but contrary wise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
OPposition helps Grace both to more strength and more lustre, when Christian Charity is not encounter'd with the Worlds malignance, it hath an easier task: but assaulted and overcoming, it shines the brighter, and rises higher, and thus it is when it renders not evil for evil.
To repay good with evil is amongst Men the top of iniquity, yet this is our universal guiltiness towards God, he multiplying mercies and we vying with multiply'd sins, as the Lord complains of Israel, as they were increased, so they sinned. The lowest step of good mutual amongst Men, is not to be bent to provoke others with injuries, and being unoffended to offend none, but this, not to repay offences, nor render evil for evil is a Christians rule, and yet further to return good for evil, and blessing for cursing, is not only counsell'd (as some vainly distinguish) but commanded.
It is true the most have no ambition for this degree of goodness; aspire no further but to do or say no evil unprovoked, and think themselves sufficiently just and equitable if they keep in that; but this is lame, is but half the rule. Thou thinkest injury obliges thee, or if not so, yet excuses thee to revenge, or at least disobliges thee, unties thy engagement of wishing and doing good; but these are all gross practical errours.
For 1st. The second injury done by way of revenge differs from the first that provoked it little or nothing, but only in point of time, and certainly no one Man's sin can procure priviledge to another to sin in that, or the like kind. If another hath broken the bonds of his allegiance and Obedience to God, and of charity to thee, yet thou art not the less ty'd by the same Bonds still.
2dly. By revenge of injuries thou usurpest upon God's prerogative who is the Avenger, as the Apostle teaches, Rom. 12. this doth not forbid either the Magistrats Sword for just punishment of Offenders, or the Souldiers Sword in a just War; but such revenges, as without authority or a lawfull call, the pride and perversness of Men do multiply one against another: In which is involv'd a presumptuous contempt of God, and his supreme authority, or at least the unbelief and neglect of it.
3dly. It cannot be genuine upright goodness that hath its dependance upon the goodness of others that are about us; that as they say of the vain glorious Man, his vertue lyeth in the beholders eye, if thy Meekness and Charity be such as lyeth in the good and mild carriage of others towards thee, in their Hand and Tongues, thou art not owner of it intrinsecally: such quiet and calm, if none provoke thee, is but an accidental uncertain cessation of thy turbulent Spirit unstirr'd, but move it and it acts it self according to it self, sends up that Mind that lay at the bottom; but true Grace doth then most manifest what it is, when those things that are most contrary surround and assault it; it cannot correspond and hold game with injuries and raylings, hath no faculty for that, for answering evil with evil, a Tongue enur'd to graciousness, and mild Speeches and Blessings, and a heart stor'd so within can vent no other, try it, and stir it as you will. A Christian acts and speaks not according to what others are towards him, but according to what he is through the grace and Spirit of God in him, as they say, quicquid recipitur, recipitur ad modum recipientis the same things are differently received and work differently as the Nature and way is of that which receives them: A sparkle blows up one of a sulphureous temper; and many Coals, greater injuries, and reproaches are quench'd and loose their force being thrown at another of a Cool Spirit Prov. 17. 27.
They that have malice, and bitterness, and cursings within, though these sleep it may be, yet awake them with the like, and the Provision comes forth out of the abundance of the heart; give them an ill word and they have another, or two for one in readiness for you; where the Soul is furnished with spiritual blessings there blessings, come forth even in answer to reproaches and indignities, the mouth of the Wise is a Tree of Life, says Solomon, can bear no other fruit, but according to its kind, and the Nature of the root, an honest spiritual heart, pluck at it who will, they can pull no other fruit but such fruit. Love and Meekness lodge there, and therefore whosoever knocks, these make the answer.
Let the World account it a despicable simplicity, seek you still more of that Dove-like Spirit, the Spirit of meekness and blessing, a poor glory to vie railings and contest in that faculty or any kind of vindictive returns of evil; the most abject creatures have of that great Spirit, as follish poor Spirited persons account it; but it is the glory of Man to pass by a transgression, the noblest victory, and, as we mention'd, the highest example. God is our Pattern in Love and Compassions, we are well warranted to do't in this. Men esteem much more of some other vertues that make more shew, and trample upon these, Love, and Compassion, and Meekness: but though these violet… grow low, and are of a dark colour, yet they are of a very sweet and diffusive smell, odoriferous Graces, and the Lord propounds himself our example in them, Matth. 5. 'tis to be truly the Children of your Father, your Father which is in Heaven, to love them that hate you, and bless them that curse you; 'tis a kind of perfection ver. 48. He makes his Sun to shine on the Righteous and the Wicked, &c. Be you like it, howsoever Men behave themselves, keep you your course, and let your benign influence, as you can, do good to all. And Jesus Christ sets in himself these things before us, Learn of me not to heal the sick, or raise the dead, but Learn, for I am meek and lowly in Heart. And if you be his Followers, this is your way, as the Apostle here addeth, hereunto are you called, and this is the end of it, agrecable to the way, that you may inherit a blessing.
[foreign] Knowing that] Understanding …right the Nature of your holy calling, and then considering it wisely and conforming to it.
They that have nothing beyond an external calling and profession of Christianity, are wholly bliud in this point, do not think what this imports, a Christian. Could they be drawn to this, it were much, it were indeed all, to know to what they are called, and to answer it, to walk like it: but as one calls a certain sort of Lawyers, indoctum doctorum genus, we may call the most an unchristian kind of Christians.
But even they that are real partakers of this spiritual and effectual Call, yet are much to seek in this often viewing their rule, and laying it to their Life, their hearts, and words, and actions, and squaring by it, and often posing themselves, suits this my calling? Is this like a Christian?[Caputartis est decere quod facias.] 'Tis a main point in any civil Station to have a suitable convenient carriage to a Man's Station and condition; that his actions become him: but how many incongruities and solecisms do we commit, forgetting our selves, who we are, and what we are called to; to what as our duty, and to what, as our portion and inheritance; and these indeed agree together, we are called to an undefiled, a holy Inheritance, and therefore likewise to be Holy in our way to it, for that contains all. We are called to a better estate at home, and called to be sitted for it, while we are here, to an Inheritance of light and therefore to walk as Children of light and so here to blessing, as our inheritance and to blessing as our duty, for this [foreign Thereunto] relates to both, looks back to the one, and forward to the other, the way and the end, both Blessing.
The fulness of this inheritance is reserv'd till we come to that Land where it lyeth, there it abideth us: but the earnests of that fulness of blessing are bestow'd on us here, spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, they descend from those heavenly places upon the heart, that precious name of our Lord Jesus powred on our hearts, if we be indeed interessed in him (as we pretend) and we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are put in possession of that blessing of forgiveness of sin, and in terms of love, and amity with the Father, being reconciled by the blood of his Son, and then blessed with the anointing of the Spirit, the graces infus'd from Heaven: now all these do so cure the bitter accursed distempers of our natural Hearts, and so perfume it, that it cannot well breath any thing but sweetness and blessing towards others, being it self thus blessed of the Lord, it eccho's blessing, both to God and Men, to his blessing of it, and its words, and whole carriage, are as the smell of a Field that the Lord hath blessed, as old Iacob said of his Son's Garments. The Lord having spoke pardon to a Soul, and instead of the curse due to sin, bless'd it with a title to glory; it easily and readily speaks pardon, and not only pardon, but blessing to the advantage, even to these that outrage it most and deserve worst of it; reflects still on that, Oh! what deserv'd I at my Lords hands, so many talents forgiven me, shall I stick at forgiving a few pence?
And then call'd to inherit a blessing, so every Believer an heir of blessing: and not only are the spiritual blessings he hath received, but even his largeness of blessing others is a pledge to him an evidence of that heirship: as those that are bent to cursing though provok'd, yet can look upon that as a sad mark that they are heirs of a curse, Ps. 109. 18. shall they not that delight in cursing, have then enough of it, when they shall hear that doleful word, go ye cursed, &c. And on the other side as for the Sons of blessing that spar'd it not to any, the blessing they are Heirs to, is a blessedness it self, and they to be enter'd into it by that joyful speech, come ye blessed of my Father, &c.
Men can but bless one another in good wishes and the Lord in praises, and applauding to his blessedness, but the Lord's blessing is really making blessed, an operative word, brings the thing with it.
Inherit a Blessing] Not called to be exempted from troubles and injuries here, and to be extoll'd and favour'd by the World; but on the contrary rather to suffer the utmost of their malice, and be the mark of their arrows, of wrongs, and scoffs, and reproaches: but it matters not, this weighs down all, you are called to inherit a blessing, which all their cursings and hate cannot prejudge you of: for as this inheriting of blessing binds on the duty of blessing others upon a Christian, so it encourages to go through the hardest contrary measure, they receive from the World:Qui thesaurum tuum alieno in ore constituis, ignoras quod arca ista non clauditur? if the World should bless you, and applaud you never so loud, yet that blessing cannot be call'd an inheritance, they fly away, and dy out in the air, have no substance at all, much less that endurance that may make them an inheritance; and more generally, is their any thing here, so to be called; the surest inheritances are not more than for term of Life to any one Man,Si haec sunt …estra tollite eavobiscum. S. …ern. their abiding is for others that succeed, but he removes, and when a Man is to remove from all he hath possess'd and rejoyc'd in here, then fool indeed if nothing provided for the longer, O! how much longer abode he must make elsewhere. Will he not then bewail his madness? that he was hunting a Shaddow all his Life time, and may be turned out of all his quiet possessions and easie dwelling before that; (and in these times we may the more readily think of this) but at the utmost at night, when he should be for most rest, when that sad night comes after this day of fairest prosperity, the unbeleiving unrepenting sinner lies down in sorrow in a woful bed, then must he, whether he will or no, enter possession to this inheritance of everlasting burnings: he hath an inheritance indeed, but he had better want it, and himself too be turn'd to nothing. Do you believe there are treasures that neither Thief breaks into, nor is there any inward moth to corrupt them; an inheritance that tho' the whole World be turned upside down, is in no hazard of a touch of damage, a Kingdom that not only cannot sall, but cannot be shaken? Oh! be wise and consider your latter end, and whatsoever you do, look after this blessed inheritance, seek to have the right to it in Jesus Christ, and the Evidences and Seals of it from his Spirit, and if it be so with you, your Hearts will be upon it and your lives will be like it.