Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 2, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 5
Verse 7.
7. But the end of all things is at hand, be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
THE heart of a real Christian, is really taken off from the World and set heavenwards: yet there is still in this flesh, so much of the flesh hanging to it, as will readily poise all downwards, unless it be often wound up, and remembred of these things, that will raise it still to further spiritualness. This the Apostle doth in this Epistle, and particularly in these words.
In them three things to be considered. 1. A threefold duty recomended. 2. Their mutual Relation, that binds them to one another. 3. The reason here used to bind them upon a Christian.
And of the three the last is evidently the chief, and here so meant, the other being recommended as suiting it, and subserving to it, prayer: Therefore I shall speak first of it.
And truly, to speak, and to hear of it often, were our hearts truly and entirely acquainted with it, would have still new sweetness and usefulness in it. Oh! how great were the advantage of that lively Knowledge of it, beyond the exactest defining of it, and a discoursing Knowledge, and of the heads of Doctrine that concern it.
Prayer is not a smooth expression, or a well-contrived form of words, not the product of a ready memory, nor rich invention, acting it self in the performance; these may draw a neat picture of it, but still the life is wanting. The motion of the Heart Godwards, holy and divine affection, makes prayer real, and lively, and acceptable to the Living God, to whom it is presented; the pouring out of thy heart to him that made it, and therefore hears it, and understands what it speaks, and how its moved and affected in calling on him. It is not the guilded Paper, and good writing of a Petition that prevailes with a Man: but the moving Sense of it, and to the King that discerns the heart, heart sense is the sense of all, and that which he alone regards, listens what that speaks, and takes all as nothing where that is silent, all other excellence i… prayer, is but the outside and fashion of it, that is the life of it.
Though Prayer precisely taken, is only petition; yet in its …uller and usual sense, it comprises the vent of our humble sense of vileness and sin, in the sincere confession, and the extolling withal, and praising the holy name of our God; his excellency and goodness, and thankful acknowledgment of received mercies. Of these sweet ingredient perfumes is the incense of prayer composed, and by the divine fire of love ascends unto God; the Heart, and all with it: and when the Hearts of the Saints unite in joynt prayer, the Pillar of sweet smoke goes up the greater and fuller. Thus says that Song of the Spouse, going up from the Wilderness, as Pillars of smoak perfumed with Myrrh and Frankincense, and all the Powders of the Merchant: and as the word there signifies, streight Pillars like the tallest streightest kind of trees. Indeed the sincerity and unfeignedness of prayer makes it go up as a streight Pillar, no crookedness in it, tending streight towards Heaven, and bowing to no side by the way. Oh! the single and fixed viewing of God, as in other ways it is the thing makes all holy and sweet, so particularly in this Divine Work of Prayer.
It is true we have to deal with a God, who of himself needs not this our pains either to inform, or excite him; he fully knows our thoughts before we express them, and our wants before we feel them, or think of them. Nor doth his affection and gracious bent to do his Children good, wax remiss, or admit the least abate and forgetfulness of them.
But instead of necessity on God's part which cannot be imagined, we shall find that Equity, and that singular Dignity, and Utility of it on our part which cannot be denied.
1. Equity, that thus the Creaturesignifie his homage to, and dependance on his Creator, for his being, and wellbeing; takes all the good he enjoys, or expects from that Sovereign Good, declaring himself unworthy, waiting for all upon the terms of free goodness, and acknowledging all from that Spring.
2. Dignity, Man was made for communion with God his Maker, 'tis the Excellency of his Nature to be capable of this end, the happiness of it to be raised to enjoy it. Now in nothing more in this Life, is this communion actually and highly enjoyed, than in the exercise of prayer; that he may freely impart his affairs, and estate, and wants to God as the faithfullest and powerfullest Friend, the richest and lovingest Father, may use the liberty of a Child, telling his Father what he stands in need of, and desires; and communing, with him with humble confidence, admitted to so frequent presence with so great a King.
3. The Vtility of it. 1. Easing the Soul in times of strait, when it is prest with griefs and fears, giving the vent, and that in so advantageous a way, emptying them into the bosom of God. The very vent, were it but into the Air, gives ease; or speak it to a Statue rather than smother it, much more ease, poured forth into the lap of a Confident, and sympathising Friend, though unable to help; yet much more of one that can, and of all Friends our God the surest, and most affectionate, and most powerful, so, Isa. 63. 9. both compassion and effectual salvation exprest; In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love, and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. And so resting on his Love, Power, and gracious Promises. quiets it self in God upon this assurance, that its not vain to seek him, and that he despiseth not the sighing of the poor.
2. The Soul is more spiritually affected with its own condition by opening it up before the Lord, more deeply sensible of sin; and ashamed in his sight in confessing it before him; more dilated and enlarged to receive the mercies suited for; as the opening wide of the mouth of the soul that it may be filled; more disposed to observe the Lord in answering, and to bless him and trust on him upon the renewed experiences of his regard to their distresses and desires.
3. All the Graces of the Spirit in Prayer are stirr'd and acted, and by acting, strengthned and increased. Faith in applying the Divine Promises, which are the very Ground that the Soul goes upon to God, and Hope looking out to their performance, and Love particularly expressing it self, in that sweet converse and delighting in it, as love doth in the company of the Person loved, thinks all hours too short in speaking with him: Oh how the Soul is refresht with freedom of Speech with its beloved Lord; and as it delights in that, so it is continually advanced and grows by each meeting and conference, beholding the excellency of God, and relishing the pure and sublime pleasures that is in near communion with him: looking upon the Father in the face of Christ, and using him as a mediator in prayer, as still it must, is drawn to further admiration of that bottomless love, that found that way of agreement, that new and living way of our access, when all was shut up, and we to have been shut out for ever. And then the affectionate expressions of that reflex love to find that vent in prayer, do kindle higher, as it were …ann'd and blown up, rise to a greater, and higher, and purer flame, and so tend upwards the more strongly. David as he doth profess his love to God in Prayer in his Psalms, so no doubt it grew in the expressing. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength, Psal 18. and Psal. 116. doth raise an incentive of love out of this very consideration of the correspondence of prayers; I love the Lord, because he hath heard, and resolves thereafter upon persistence in that course; therefore will I call upon him, as long as I live. And as the Graces of the Spirit are advanced in prayer, by their actings; so for this reason further, because prayer sets the soul particularly near unto God in Jesus Christ, 'tis then in his presence; and being much with God in this way, it is powerfully assimilated to him by converse with him; as we readily contract their Habitudes with whom we resort much, especially of such as we singularly love and respect; thus the Soul is moulded further to the likeness of God, is stampt with fuller Characters of him, by being much with him; becomes liker God, more holy and spiritual, and brings back a bright shining from the Mount, as Moses.
4thly. And not only thus by a natural influence doth prayer work this advantage, but even by a federal efficacy; suiting, and upon suit obtaining supplies of Grace, as the chief good, and besides all other needful mercies, it is a real means of receiving, whatsoever you shall ask, that will I do, says our Saviour. God having establisht this intercourse, and engag'd his Truth and Goodness in it, that if they call on him, they shall be heard and answered. If they prepare the Heart to call, he will incline his ear to hear; and our Saviour hath assur'd us, that we may build upon his Goodness, and the affection of a Father in him; that he will give good things to them that ask, says one Evangelist, and the holy Spirit to them that ask it, says another; as being the good indeed, the highest of Gifts, and the sum of all good Things, and that which his Children are most earnest supplicants for. Prayer for Grace doth, as it were, set the Mouth of the Soul to the Spring, draws from Jesus Christ, and is replenisht out of his fullness, thirsting after it, and drawing from it that way.
And for this reason is it, that our Saviour, and from him, and according to his example, the Apostles recommend Prayer so much. Watch and pray, says our Saviour, and St. Paul, pray continually. And our Apostle here particularly specifies this, as the grand means of attaining that conformity with Christ, which he presses, this is the high-way to it, be sober, and watch unto prayer. He that is much in prayer, shall grow rich in grace; he shall thrive and increase most, that is busiest in this, which is our very traffick with Heaven, and fetches the most precious commodities thence, he that sets oftenest out these Ships of desire, makes the most Voyages to that Land of Spices and Pearls, shall be sure to improve his stock most, and have most of Heaven upon Earth.
But the true art of this trading is very rare; every trade hath something wherein the skill of them lies; but this is deep and supernatural, is not reacht by humane industry; industry is to be used in it, but we must know it comes from above, the faculty of it, that Spirit of Prayer; without which Learning, and Wit, and religious Breeding can do nothing. Therefore this to be our prayer often, our great suit for the Spirit of Prayer, that we may speak the Language of the Sons of God by the Spirit of God, which alone teaches the Heart to pronounce aright those things, that the Tongue of many Hypocrites can articulate well to mans ear; and only the Children in that right strain, that takes him, call God their Father, and cry unto him as their Father; and therefore many a poor unlettered Christian, so far outstrips your School-Rabbies in this faculty, because it is not effectually taught in these lower Academies; they must be in God's own School, Children of his House, that speak this Language, Men may give Spiritual Rules and Directions in this, and such as may be useful, drawn from the word, that furnishes us with all needful Precepts, but you are still to bring these into the seat of this faculty of prayer, the Heart, and stamp them upon it, and so to teach it to pray, without which there is no prayer; this is the prerogative Royal of him, that framed the Heart of Man within him.
But for advancing in this, growing more skillful in it, it is, with continual dependence on the Spirit, to be much used; praying much thou shalt be blest with much faculty for it, so then askest thou, what shall I do that I may learn to pray? there be things here to be considered, that are exprest as serving this end, but for present this and chiefly this, by praying thou shalt learn to pray, thou shalt both obtain more of the Spirit, and find more the chearful working of it in Prayer, when thou puttest it often to that work, for which it is received, and wherein it is delighted; and as both advantaging all Graces, and the Grace of Prayer it self, this frequency and abounding in Prayer is here very clearly intended, in that the Apostle makes it as the main of our work that we have to do, and would keep our hearts in a constant aptness for it; be sober and watch; to what end? unto prayer.
Be sober and watch.] They that have no better, must make the best they can of carnal delights: it is no wonder they take as large a share of them as they can bear, and sometimes more: But the Christian is called to a more excellent estate, and higher pleasures; so that he may behold men glutting themselves with these base things, and be as little moved to share with them, as men are taken with the pleasure a Swine hath in weltring in the Mire.
It becomes the Heirs of Heaven to be far above the love of the Earth, and in the necessary use of any thing in it, still to keep both within the due measure of their use, and their heart wholly disingag'd from the affection of them. This is the Sobriety here exhorted.
Its true, that in the commonest sense of the word, it is very commendable, and it is sit to be so considered by a Christian, that he flie gross intemperance, as a thing most contrary to his condition, and holy calling, and wholly inconsistent with the spiritual temper of a renewed mind, and those exercises to which it is called, and its progress in its way homewards. It is a most unseemly sight to behold one, simply by outward profession a Christian, overtaken with surfeitting and drunkenness, much more, to be given to the vile custom of it: all sensual delights, the filthy lust of uncleanness go under the common name of Insobriety,foreign. Intemperance, and they all degrade and destroy the noble Soul; are unworthy of Man, much more of a Christian, and the contempt of them preserves the Soul, and elevates it.
But the Sobriety here recommended, though it takes in that too, yet reaches further than temperance in meat and drink. It is the spiritual temperance of a Christian mind in all earthly things; as our Saviour joyns these together, Luk. 21. 34. surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life: and under the cares are all the excessive desires and delights of this life, which canno… be followed, and attended without distempered carefullness.
Many that are sober men, and of temperate diet, yet are spiritually intemperate, drunk with pride, or covetousness, or passion, drunk with self-love, and love of their pleasures and ease, with love of the world, and the things of it, which cannot consist with the love of God, as St. Iohn tells us: drunk with the inordinate unlawful love even of their lawful calling, and the lawful gain they pursue by it, their hearts going after it, and so reeling to and fro, never fixed on God and heavenly Things; but either hurried up and down with uncessant business, or if sometimes at ease, it is, as the ease of a drunken man, not compos'd to better and wiser thoughts, but falling into a dead sleep, contrary to the watching here joyned with sobriety.
Watch.] There is a Christian Rule to be observed in the very moderating of bodily sleep, and that particularly for the interest of Prayer; but Watching, as Sobriety here, is chiefly the spiritual circumspectness and vigilancy of the mind, in a wary walking posture, that it be not surprized by the assaults or slights of Satan, by the World, nor its nearest and most deceiving enemy, the corruption that dwells within, that being so near, doth most readily watch unperceived advantages, and easily circumvents us, Heb. 12. 1. The Soul of a Christian being surrounded with enemies of so great, both power and wrath, and so watch…ul to undoe it, should it not be watchful for its own safety, and live in a military vigilancy continually, keeping constant watch and sentinel, and suffering nothing to pass that may carry the least suspicion of danger; to be distrustful and jealous of all the motions of his own Heart, and the smilings of the World, and in relation to these, it will be a wise course to take that word as a good caveat, be watchful, foreignand remember to mistrust. Under the Garment of some harmless pleasure, or some lawful liberties, may be conveyed into thy Soul some thief or traytor, that will either betray thee to the enemy, or at least pilser, and steal of the preciousest things thou hast. Do we not by experience find, how easily our foolish hearts are seduc'd and deceived, and so apt to deceive themselves? and by things that seem to have no evil in them, yet are drawn from the height of affection to our highest good; and from our Communion with God, and study to please him, which should not be intermitted, for then it will abate, but ought still be growing.
2. Now the Relation of these is clear, they are inseparably link't together, each of them assistant and helpful to the other in their nature, as they are here in the words, Sobriety the friend of watchfulness, and prayer of both. Intemperance doth of necessity draw on sleep; excessive eating or drinking sending up too many, and so gross vapours, surcharge the brain; and when the body is thus deaded, how unfit is it for any active imployment? Thus the mind by a surcharge of delights, or desires, or cares of earth, is made so heavy, and dull, that it cannot awake, hath not spiritual activeness, and clearness, that spiritual exercises, particularly Prayer, do require. Yea as bodily insobriety, full feeding, and drinking, not only for the time, indisposes to action, but by custome of it, brings the body to so gross and heavy a temper, that the very natural spirits cannot stir to and fro in it with freedom: but are clog'd, and stick as the Wheels of a Coach in a deep miry way. Thus is it with the Soul glutted with earthly things, the affections bemir'd with them, make it resist and unactive in spiritual things, and the motions of the spirit heavy, and obscured in it, grows carnally secure, and sleepy, prayer comes heavily off. But when the affections are soberly acted, and even in lawful things, that they have not liberty, with the reins laid on their Necks, to follow the World and carnal projects and delight, when the unavoidable affairs of this life are done with a spiritual mind, a heart kept free and disingaged; Then is the Soul more nimble for spiritual things, for Divine Meditation, and Prayer, it can watch and continue in these things, and spend it self in that excellent way with more alacrity.
Again, as the Sobriety, and the watchful temper attending it, enables for Prayer, so Prayer preserves these, it winds up the Soul from the Earth, raises it above these things that intemperance feeds on, acquaints it with the transcending sweetness of Divine Comforts, the love and the loveliness of Jesus Christ, and these most powerfully wean the Soul from these low creeping pleasures, that the World gapes after, and swallows with such greediness. He that is admitted to nearest intimacy with the King, and is called daily to his presence, not only in the view and company of others, but likewse in secret, will he be so mad, as to sit down and drink with the kitchin boys, or the common guards, so far below what he may enjoy? surely no.
Prayer being our near Communion with the great God, certainly it sublimates the Soul, and makes it look down upon the base ways of the World with disdain, and despise the truly besotting pleasures of it. Yea the Lord doth sometime fill these Souls, that converse much with him, with such beautiful delights, such inebriating sweetness, as I may call it, that 'tis in a happy manner drunk with those; and the more of this, the more is the Soul above base intemper…nce in the delights of the World: as common drunkenness makes a Man less than a Man; this makes him more; that throws him below himself, makes him a beast; this raises him above, makes him an Angel.
Would you (as sure you ought) have much faculty for Prayer, and be frequent in … and find much the pure sweetness of it, then … selves more the muddy pleasures and sweetness of the World? if you would pray much, and with much advantage, then be sober and watch unto prayer? … your hearts to long so after ease, and wealth … esteem in the World: these will make your hearts, if they mix with them, become like them, and take … quality, will make them gross, and earthly, and unable to mount up; will clog the wings of pray…r, and you shall find the loss when your Soul is heavy and drowsie, and falls off from delighting in God, and your Communion with him. Will such things, as those you follow, be able to countervail your damage? can they speak you peace, and uphold you in a day of darkness and distress, or may it not be such now, as will make them all a burden and vexation to you? But on the otherside, the more you abate and let go of these, and come empty and hungry to God in prayer, the more room shall you have for his consolations, and therefore the more plentifully will he pour in of them, and enrich your Soul with them the more, the less you take in of the other.
2. Would you have your selves raised to, and continued and advanced in a spiritual heavenly temper, free from the surfeits of earth, and awake, and active for heaven, be uncessant in prayer?
But thou wilt say, I find nothing but heavy indisposedness in it, nothing but roving, and vanity of heart: and so, though I have used it sometime, its still unprofitable and uncomfortable to me? although it be so, yet hold on, give it not over; or need I say this to thee, though it were referr'd to thy self? wouldest thou forsake it, and leave off? then what wouldest thou do next, for if no comfort in it, far less any for thee, in any other way. If tentation should so far prevail with thee, as to try intermission; either thou wouldest be forced to return to it presently, or certainly wouldest fall into a more grievous condition, and after horrours and lashings, must at length come back to it again, or perish for ever. Therefore however it go, continue praying, strive to believe that love thou canst not see: for where sight is abridg'd, there it is proper for faith to work: if thou canst do no more, lie before thy Lord and look to him. Lord here I am, thou maist quicken and revive me, if thou wilt, and I trust thou wilt, but if I must do it, I will lie at thy feet; my life is in thy hand, and thou art goodness and mercy; while I have breath I will cry, or if I cannot cry, yet I will wait on and look to thee.
One thing forget not, that the ready way to rise out of this sad, yet safe estate, is to be much in viewing the Mediator, and interposing him betwixt the fathers view, and thy Soul. Some that do orthodoxly believe this to be right, yet, as often befals us in other things of this kind, they do not so consider, and use it in their necessity, as becomes, and therefore fall short of comfort: he hath declared it, no Man comes to the Father but by me. How vile soever, put thy self under his robe, and into his hand, and he will lead thee in to the Father, and present thee acceptable and blameless: The Father shall receive thee, and declare himself well pleased with thee in his well beloved Son, who hath covered thee with his righteousness and brought thee so Cloathed, and set thee before him.
3. The third thing is the reason binding on these, The end of all things is at hand.
This is needful often to be remembred, for even believers too readily forget it, and its very sutable to the Apostles foregoing discourse of Judgement, and to his present exhortation to sobriety, and watchfulness unto prayer, even the general end of all at hand, though since the Apostle writ this many Ages are past. For (1.) The Apostles usually speak of the whole time after the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh as the last time, for that two double Chiliads of years past before it, the one before, the other under the Law, and in this third, it is conceived, shall be the end of all things. And the Apostles seem by divers expressions to have apprehended it in their days not far off. So St. Paul 1. Thess. 4. 17. We which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds. As not impossible, that it might come in their time, which put him upon some explication of that correction of their mistakes, in his next Epistle to them, wherein notwithstanding he seems not to assert any great tract of time to interveen, but in that time great things were first to come. (2.) However this might always have been said in respect of succeeding Eternity, the whole duration of the World is not considerable, and to the eternal Lord that made it, and hath appointed its period, a thousand years are as one day. We think a thousand years a great matter in respect of our short life, and more through our short sightedness, that look not through to eternal life: but what is the utmost length of time, were it millions of years to a thought of eternity. We find much room in this earth, but to the vast heavens, it is but as a point. Thus that which is but small to us, a field or little inclosure: a Fly, had it skill, would divide it into vinces, in proportion to it self. (3.) To each man the end of all things, is even after our measure, at hand; for when he dies, the World ends for him. Now this consideration fits the Subject, and presses it strongly, seeing all things shall be quickly at an end, even the frame of Heaven and Earth, why should we, knowing this, and having higher hopes, lay so much out of our desires and endeavours upon these things, that are posting to ruine; its no hard notion to be sober, and watchful to prayer, to be trading that way, and seeking higher things, very moderate in these, seeing they are of so short a date: and as in themselves and their utmost term, so more to each of us particularly who are so soon cut off, and flee away; why should our hearts cleave to those things from which we shall so quickly part, and if we will not freely part and let go, we shall be pulled away, and pull'd with the more pain, the closer we cleave, and faster we are glued to them.
This the Apostle St. Paul casts in seasonably, though many think it not seasonable at such times, when he is discoursing of a great point of our life, marriage, to work Christian minds to a holy freedom both ways, whether they use it or no, not to view it, nor any thing here with the World's Spectacles, that make it look so big and so fixed, but to see in the stream of time as passing by, and no so great matter, the fashion of this World passeth away, as a pageant or shew in a Street, going through and quickly out of sight: what became of all the marriage Solemnities of Kings and Princes of former Ages, that they were so taken up with in their time? when we read of them described in History, they are as a night dream, or a day fancy, that passes through the wind, and vanishes.
Oh! foolish man that hunts such poor things, and will not be called off, till death benight him, and his great work not done, yea, not begun; no nor seriously thought of, your Buildings, your Trading, your Lands, your Matches, and Friendships, and Projects when they take with you, and your hearts are after them, say, but, for how long all these? their end is at hand; therefore be sober, and watch unto prayer, learn to divide better, more hours for it, and fewer for them; your whole heart for it, and none of it for them; seeing they will fail you so quickly, prevent them, come free, lean not on them till they break, and you fall into the pit.
'Tis reported of one that hearing that 5th. of Genesis read, so long lives, and yet the burden still, they died, Enoch lived 905, and he died; Seth 912, and he died; Methuselah 969, and he died; took so deep the thought of death and eternity, that it changed his whole frame, and set him from a voluptuous to a most strict and pious course of life, how small a word will do much, when God sets it into the heart. But sure this one thing would make the Soul more calm, and sober in the pursuit of present things; if their term were truly computed and considered. How soon shall youth, and health, and carnal delights be at an end? how soon shall State craft, and King-craft, and all the great Projects of the highest Wits and Spirits be laid in the dust? This casts a damp upon all those fine things; but to a Soul acquainted with God, and in affection removed hence already, no thought so sweet as this; helps much to carry it chearfully through wrestlings and difficulties; through better and worse, they see Land near, and shall quickly be at home, that's the way. The end of all things is at hand: an end of a few poor delights, and the many vexations of this wretched life; an end of tentations and sins, the worst of all evils; yea, an end of the imperfect fashion of our best things here, an end of prayer it self, to which succeeds that new Song of endless praises.