Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 2, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 10
Verses 12, 13.
12. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal, which is to try you; as though some strange thing hapned unto you:
13. But rejoyce, in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his Glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
THis fighting li…e, when we consider it aright, sure we need not be desired not to love it, but have need to be strengthned with patience to go through, and to fight on with courage and assurance of victory, still combating in a higher strength than our own, against sin within, and troubles without. This is the great Scope of this Epistle, and the Apostle often interchanges his advices, and comforts in reference to these two. Against sin he instructs us in the beginning of this Chapter, and here again, against suffering, and both in a like way; and us to be armed, armed with the same mind, that was in Christ, against trouble here, after the same manner: in the mortifying of sin, we suffer with him, as there he teaches, verse 1. of this Chapter; in the encountring of a…liction we suffer with him, as here we have it, and so the same mind in the same sufferings, will bring us to the same issue. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, &c. But rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye likewise may be glad with exceeding joy.
The words to the end of the chapter contain grounds of encouragement, and consolation for the Children of God in sufferings, especially in suffering for God.
These two verses have these two things. (1.) The clo…s conjuncture of sufferings with the estate of a Christian. (2.) The due composure of a Christian towards suffering.
1. Its no new, and therefore no strange thing, that sufferings, hot sufferings, fiery ones, be the Companions of Religion, besides the common miseries of humane life; there is an accession of troubles and hatreds for that holiness of life, to which the Children of God are called.
It was the Lot of the Church from her wicked Neighbours, and in the Church, the lot of the most holy and peculiar Servants of God from the prophane multitude. Woe's me, my Mother, (says Ieremy) thou hast born me a Man of contentions. And of all the Prophets, says not our Saviour handling this same argument in his Sermon; So persecuted they the prophets that were before? you and after tells them what they might look for, Behold, says he, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of Wolves. And generally no following of Christ, but with his badge and burden, somthing to be left, our selves left; whosoever will be my disciple let him deny himself; and what to take; take up his Cross and follow me. And doth not the Apostle give his Schollars this universal lesson, as an infallible truth, all that will live Godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution; and look in the close of that roll of Believers conquering in suffering, what a cluster of sufferings and torture, you have Heb. 11. ver. 36, 37. &c. Thus in the Primitive times the tryal and fiery tryal, even literally so, continued long: these wicked Emperours hating the very innocency of Christians; and the people though they knew their blameless carriage, yet, when any evil came, would pick this quarrel and still cry, Christianos ad Leones
Now this, if we look to inferiour causes, is not strange, the malignant ungodly World hating holiness, the light, yea the very shadow of it, and the more the Children of God walk like their Father, and their home, the more unlike must they of necessity become to the World about them; and therefore become the very mark of all their enmities and malice.
And thus indeed the Godly, though the Sons of peace, are the improper causes, the occasion of much noise and disturbance in the World, as their Lord the Prince of peace avows it openly of himself in that sense, I came not to send peace, but a sword, to set a Man at variance with his Father, and the Daughter against the Mother, &c. If a Son in a Family begin to enquire after God, and withdraw from their prophane, or dead way, Oh! what a clamour rises presently, Oh! my Son or Daughter, or Wife, is become a plain fool, &c. And then all done, that may be, to quel and vex them, and make their life grievous to them.
The exact holy walking of a Christian condemns really the World about him, shews the disorder and foulness of their prophane ways; and the Life of Religion set beside dead formality, discovers it to be but a carcase and lifeless appearance; and for this neither grosly wicked, civil, nor formal persons can well digest it. There is in the life of a Christian a convincing light, that shews the deformity of the works of darkness, and a piercing heat, that scorches the ungodly, which stirs and troubles their consciences, and this they cannot endure, and hence rises in them a contrary fire of wicked hatred, and hence the trials, the fiery trials of the godly. If they could get those precise persons removed out of their way think they, then they might have more room and live at more liberty, as 'tis Revel. 11. 10. a carousing [foreign] What a dance there about the dead bodies of the two witnesses; the people and nations rejoyced and made merry, and send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And from the same hearth, I mean the same wickedness of heart in the World, are the fires of persecution kindled against the Saints in the World, and the bonefires of joy when they are rid of them.
And as this is an infernal fire of enmity against God, tis blown by that Spirit whose Element it is: Satan stirs up and blows the coal, and raises the hatred of the ungodly against Christians.
But while he and they, in whom he powerfully works, are thus working for their vile ends in the persecutions of the Saints; he that soveraignly orders all is working in the same, his wise and gracious ends, and attains them, and makes the malice of his enemies serve his ends, and undo their own. It is true that by the heat of persecution, many are fear'd from embracing it, such as love themselves and their pre…ent ease; and others that seem'd to have embrac't it, are driven to let it go and fall from it, but yet all well computed Religion is still upon the gaining hand, those that reject it or revolt from it, are such as have no true Knowledge, of it, nor share in it, nor in that happiness in which it ends; but they, that are indeed united to Jesus Christ, do cleave the closer to him, and seek to have their hearts more fastened, because of these trials, that they are, or likely may be put to. And in their victorious patience appears the invincible power of Religion where it hath once gained the heart, that it cannot be beaten, nor burnt out, it self is a fire more mighty than all fires kindled against it. The love of Christ conquers and triumphs in the hardest sufferings of life, and in death it self.
And this hath been the means of kindling it in other hearts, that were strangers to it, when they beheld the victorious patience of the Saints, who conquer'd dying, as their head did, that wearied their tormenters, and triumpht over their cruelty by a constancy far above it.
Thus these fiery trials, made the lustre of faith appear most, as gold shines brightest in the furnace, and if any dross is mixt with it, its refined and purged from it by these trials, and so it remains by the fire purer than before. And both these are in the resemblance here intended, that the fire of sufferings is the advantage of Believers, both trying the excellency of faith, giving evidence of it, what it is; purifying it from earth and drossie mixtures, and making it more excellently what it is raising it to a higher pitch of refinedness, and worth. In these fires, as faith is tryed, the word on which faith relies, is tried and is found all gold, most precious, no refuse in it, the truth and sweeetness of the promises much confirmed in the Christians heart, upon his experiment of them in his sufferings; his God as good as his word, being with him when he goes through the fire, preserving him that he loses nothing except dross, which is a gainful loss, leaves of his corruption behind him.
Oh! how much worth is it, and how doth it endear the heart to God, to have found him sensibly present in the times of trouble, him refreshing the Soul with dews of spiritual comfort in the midst of the flames of fiery trial.
One special advantage of these fires, is the purging of a Christians heart from the love of the World, and present things; its true, at best it is base and despicable, in respect of the high estate and hopes of a Believer, yet still there is somewhat within him, that would bend him downwards and draw him to too much complacency in outward things, if they were much to his mind: too kind usage might sometimes make him forget himself, and think himself at home, at least so much, as not to entertain those longings after home, and that ardent progress homewards, that became him; It is good for us certainly to find hardship, and enmities, and contempts here, and to find them frequent, that we may not think them strange, but our selves strangers, and think it were strange for us to be otherwise entertained. This keeps the affections more clear and disingaged, sets it upward. Thus the Lord makes the World displeasing to his own, that they may turn in to him, and seek all their consolations in himself; Oh! unspeakable advantage.
2. The composure of a Christian in reference to sufferings, is prescrib'd in these two following, Resolving and Rejoycing. (1.) Resolving for them, reckoning so, think it not strange, foreign, (2.) Rejoycing in them, foreign, Be glad in as much, &c.
Be not strangers in it.] Which yet naturally we would be, are willing to hear of peace and ease, and would gladly believe what we extreamly desire. It is a thing of prime concern to take at first a right notion of Christianity which many do not, and so either fall off quickly, or walk on slowly and heavily, do not reckon right the charges, take not the duties of doing and suffering; but think to perform some duties, if they may with ease, and have no other foresight; do not consider that self denial, that fighting against a Mans self, and vehemently with the World, these trials, fiery trials, which a Christian must encounter with. As they observe of other points, Popery in this, is very compliant with nature, which is a very bad sign in religion; we would be content it were true, that the true Church of Christ had rather Prosperity and Pomp for her badge than the Cross, much ease and riches, and few or no crosses, except they were painted and guilded crosses, such as that Church hath chosen instead of real ones.
Most Men would give religion a fair countenance, if it gave them fair weather, and they that do indeed acknowledge Christ the Son of God, as St. Peter did, Matt. 16. Yet are naturally as unwilling, as he was, to hear the hard news of suffering; and if their advice might have place would readily be of his mind, Be it far from thee Lord. His good confession was not, but this kind advice was from flesh and blood, and from an evil Spirit, as the sharp answer tells; get thee behind me Satan, thou art an offence unto me.
You know what kind of Messiah the Jews generally dreamt of, and therefore took scandal at the meanness and sufferings of Christ, expecting an earthly King of him, and an outward flourishing State; and the Disciples themselves, after they had been long with him, were still in that same dream, when they were contesting about imaginary places; yea they were scarce well out of it, even after his suffering and death; all the noise and trouble of that had not well awakt them, Luk. 24. we trusted it had been he, which should have restored Israel.
And after all that we have read, and heard of antient times, and of Jesus Christ himself, his sufferings in the flesh, and of his Apostles and his Saints from one Age to another, yet still we have our inclinations to this, of driving troubles far off from our thoughts, till they come upon our backs, and fancying nothing, but rest and ease, till we be shaken rudely out of it.
How have we of late flatter'd our selves, many of us one year after another, upon slight appearances. Oh! now it will be peace, and behold still trouble hath increased, and these thoughts proved the lying visions of our own hearts, while the Lord hath not spoken it. And thus of late, have we thought it at hand. And taken ways of our own to hasten it; that I fear will prove fools hast, as you say.
You that know the Lord seek him earnestly for the averting of further troubles and combustions; which if you look aright, you will find threaten us as much as ever. And withal seek hearts prepar'd, and fixed for days of trial, fiery trial, yea though we did obtain some breathing of our outward peace, yet shall not the followers of Christ want their trials from the hatred of the ungodly World, if it persecuted me (says he,) it will also persecute you.
Acquaint therefore your thoughts and hearts with sufferings, that when they come, thou and they not being strangers, may agree and comply the better. Do not afflict your selves with vain fears before hand, of troubles to come, and so make uncertain evils a certain vexation by advance. But thus, fore think the hardest things you may readily be put to, for the name and cause of Christ, and labour for a holy stability of mind for encountering it, if it should come upon you: things certainly fall the lighter on us, when they fall first upon our thoughts. This way indeed of an imagined suffering, the conquest before hand may be but imaginary, and fail in the trial: therefore be still humble, and dependent on the strength of Christ, and seek to be prefurnisht with much distrust of thy self, and much trust in him, with much denial of thy self, and love to him. And thus the preparing and training of the heart may prove useful, and make it more dexterous, when brought to conflicting: in all, both before hand, and in time of the trial, make thy Lord Jesus all thy strength; That is our only way in all, to be conquerours, to be more than conqu…rors, through him that loved us
Think it not strngae, for it is not; sure your thoughts to the experience, and verdict of all times, and to the warnings that the Spirit of God in the Scriptures, and our Saviour himself hath given us from his own mouth, and example shewed in his own person. But the other point goes higher, rejoyce, though we think not the sufferings strange, yet may we not well think that rule somewhat strange, to rejoyce in them? No, it will be found as reasonable as the other, being duly considered. And upon the same ground 'twil bear both, in as much as you are partakers of the sufferings of Christ.
If the Children of God consider not their trials in their natural bitterness, but in the sweet love from whence they spring, and the sweet fruits that spring from them, that we are our Lords gold, and he tries us in the furnace to purifie us (as in the former verse;) this may beget not only patience, but gladness even in the sufferings. But add we this, and truly it compleats the reason of this way in our saddest sufferings, that in them we are partakers of the sufferings of Christ.
So then 1. Consider this twofold connexed participance of the Sufferings of Christ, and of the after Glory. 2. The present joy even in sufferings springing from that participance,
I need not tell you, that this Communion in sufferings is not in point of expiation, or satisfaction to Divine Justice, which was the peculiar end of the sufferings of Christ personal, not of the common sufferings of Christ mystical, he bare our sin on his own body on the Tree, and in bearing them, took them away; we bear his sufferings, as his body united to him by his Spirit. Those sufferings that were his personal burden, we partake the sweet fruits of, they are accounted ours, and we acquitted by them, but the endurance of them was his high and incommunicable task, in which none at all were with him, our Communion in these, as fully compleated by himself in his natural body, is the ground of our comfort, and joy in these sufferings that are compleated in his mystical body, the Church.
This is indeed our joy, that we have so light a burden, so sweet an exchange, the weight of sin quite taken off our backs, and only all bound on his cross, and our crosses badges of our conformity, laid on our shoulders, and the great weight of them likewise held up by his hand, that they overpress us not. These fires of our trial may be corrective, and purgative of the remaining power of sin, and they are so intended; but Jesus Christ alone in the sufferings of his own Cross, was the burnt offering, the propitiation for our sins.
Now although he hath perfectly satisfied for us and saved us by his sufferings; yet this conformity with him in way of suffering, is most reasonable. As our holiness doth not stand in point of law, nor come in at all in the matter of justifying us, yet we are called and appointed to holiness in Christ, as suiting us with him our glorious head, and we do really receive it from him, that we may be like him, so these our sufferings bear a very congruous likeness with him; though no way as accession to his in expiation, yet as a part of his: and therefore the Apostle says, even in this respect, that we are predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son; were it fit that we should not follow, where our Captain led, and went first, but that he should lead through ragged thorny ways, and we pass about to get away through flow'ry meadows: as his natural body shared with his head in his sufferings, so ought his mystical with him, as its head. The buffetings and spitings on his face, and thorny crown on his head, a pierced side, nailed hands and feet, and if we be parts of him, think we that a body finding nothing but ease and bathing in delights were agreeable to a head so tormented.[Nolo auream, ubi Christus spineam] I remember what that pious Duke said at Ierusalem when they offer'd to crown him King there; No Crown of Gold, where Christ Iesus was Crowned with thorns.
This is the way we must follow, or else resolve to leave him; the way of the Cross is the royal way to the C…own. He said it, and remembred them of it again, that they might take the deep impression of it, remember what I said unto you, Ioh. 15. 20.the Servant is not greater than the Lord: if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you: if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. And particularly in point of reproaches; if they called the Master, Mat. 10. 24.…eelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his houshold? a bitter scost, an evil name, reproaches for Christ, why doth this …ret thee, its a part of thy Lords entertainment while he was here, thou art even in this a partaker of his sufferings, and in this way is he bringing thee foreward to the partaking of his Glory: That is the other thing, when his Glory shall be revealed.
Now he is hid, little of his Glory seen; it was hid while he was on earth, and now 'tis hid up in Heaven, where he is, a…d for his body here, his Church, no pompous dress, nor outward splendour; and the particular parts of it, the Saints, poor despised creatures, the very refuse of Men in outward respects and common esteem, so he himself is not seen, and his followers, the more they are seen and lookt on by the Worlds eye, the more meanness appears; true, that as in the days of humiliation some rays were breaking forth through the vail of his flesh, and cloud of his low despiseable condition; thus is it with his followers sometimes a glance of his Image strikes the very eye of the World, and forces some acknowledgment and a kind of reverence in the ungodly: But commonly Christ and his followers are covered with all the disgraces and ignominies the World can put on them. But there is a day wherein he will appear, and 'tis at hand; and then he shall be glorious even in his despised Saints, and admired in them that believe: how much more in the matchless brightness of his own glorious person.
In the mean time he is hid, and they hid in him; our life is hid with Christ in God. The World sees here nothing of his Glory and beauty, and his own not much, have but a little glimmering of him, and their own happiness in him: know little of their own high condition, and what they are born to. But in that bright day he shall shine forth in his royal dignity, and all eyes shall see him, and be overcome with his splendour, terrible shall it be to those that formerly despised him, and his Saints: but to them the gladest day that ever arose upon them, and that shall never set or be benighted. The day they so much longed and lookt out for, the full accomplishment of all their hopes and desires. Oh! how dark were all our days without the hope of this day.
The… says the Apostle, ye shall rejoyce with exceeding joy, and to the end you may not fall short of that Joy in the participance of Glory, fall not back from a cheerful progress in the Communion of these sufferings, that are so close linked with it, and will so sure lead unto it and end it. For in this the Apostles expression; this Glory and Joy is set before them as the great matter of their desires, and hopes, and the certain end of their present sufferings.
Now upon these grounds the motion will appear reasonable, and not too great a demand, to rejoyce even in the sufferings.
It is true that passage in the Epistle to the Heb. opposes present Affliction to Joy. But 1. If you mark, it is but in the appearance or outward visage, it seemeth not to be matter of joy but of grief To look to it, it hath not a smiling countenance, yet joy may be under it.
(2.) And though to the flesh, it is, what it seems, grief, and not joy, yet there may be under it spiritual joy, yea the affliction it self may help and advance that joy. (3.) Through the natural sense of it there will be some allay or mixture of grief, so that the joy cannot be pure and compleat, but yet there may be joy even in it. Thus the Apostle here clearly gives, rejoyce now in suffering that you may rejoyce exceedingly after it, foreign, leaping for joy: doubtles this joy at present is but a little parcel, a drop of that Sea of joy. Now 'tis joy, but more reserved, then they shall leap. Yet
In present rejoyce even in trial, yea in fiery trial. This may be; the Children of God are not called to so sad a life as the World imagines, besides what is laid up, they have even here their rejoycings and Songs in their distresses, as those Prisoners had their Psalms even at midnight after their stripes in their chains, before they knew of a sudden deliverance, true there may be a darkness within, clouding all the matter of their joy; but even that darkness is the feed time of after joy, and light is sown in that darkness, and shall spring up, and not only shall they have a rich crop at full harvest, but even some first fruits of it here, in pledge of the harvest.
And this they ought to expect, and seek after with humble submissive minds, for the measure and time of it, that they may be partakers of spiritual joy, and may by it be enabled to go patiently, yea cheerfully through the tribulations and tentations that be in their way homeward; and for this, endeavour after a more clear discerning of their interest in Christ, that they may know they partake of him, and so in suffering, are partakers of his sufferings, and shall be partakers of his Glory.
Many afflictions will not cloud and obstruct this so much, as one sin, therefore if ye would walk cheerfully be most careful to walk holily. All the winds about make not an earthquake, but that within.
Now this joy is grounded on this Communion. (1.) Sufferings; then 2. In Glory 1. In suffering even in themselves, it is a sweet joyful thing to be a sharer with Christ in any thing, all enjoyments wherein he is not, are bitter to a Soul that loves him, and all sufferings with him sweet. The worst things of Christ more …uly delightful, than the best things of the World, his afflictions sweeter than their pleasures, his reproaches more glorious than their honours, and more rich than their treasures, as Moses accompted them, Heb. 11. Love delights in likeness and Communion, not only in things otherwise pleasant, but in the hardest and harshest things, that have not any thing in them desireable but only that likeness; so that this is very sweet to a heart possest with this love; what does the World in hatreds, and persecutions, and revilings for Christ, but make me more like him, give me a greater share with him, in that which he did so willingly undergo for me. When he was sought to be a King, he escaped; but when he was sought to the Cross, he freely yielded himself. Bern.And shall I shrink and creep back from what he calls me to for his sake; yea even all my other troubles and sufferings I will desire to have stampt thus, with this conformity to the sufferings of Christ, in the humble, obedient, cheerful endurance of them, and giving up my will to my fathers.
The following of Christ makes any way pleasant, his faithful followers refuse no march after him, be it through deserts, and Mountains, and Storms, and hazards that will affright self-pleasing easie Spirits: hearts kindled and acted with the Spirit of Christ will follow him wheresoever he goeth.
As he speaks it for warnings, if they persecuted me, they will persecute you, so he speaks it for comforting them, and it is sufficiently so, if they hate you, they hated me before you.
2. Then add the other, see whether it tends, he shall be revealed in his Glory, and ye shall be filled even over with joy in the part…king of that Glory. Therefore rejoyce now in the midst of all your sufferings; stand upon the advanced ground of the promises and covenant of grace, and by faith overlook this moment, and all that is in it, to that day wherein everlasting joy shall be upon your heads, a Crown of it, and sorrow and mourning shall flie away, believe this day, and the victory is won. Oh! that blessed hope well fixed and acted, would give other manner of Spirits; what zeal for God? what invincible courage against all encounters? How soon will this pageant of the World vanish, that Men are gazing on, these pictures and fancies of false stiled pleasures, and honours, and give place to the real glory of the Sons of God, this blessed Son that is God appearing in full Majesty, and all his Brethren in glory with him; all cloathed in their robes. And if you ask who are they? why these are they that came out of great tribulation, and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.