Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 2, Commentary · Chapter 3 · Verse 9 – Verse 10
Verse 11.
To him be Glory and Dominion, for ever and ever, Amen.
THEY know little of their own wants and emptiness, that are not much in Prayer, and they know little of the greatness and goodness of God, that are not much in praises. The humble Christian hath a heart in some measure fram'd to both, he hath within him the best School Master that teaches him how to pray, and how to praise, and makes him delight in the exercise of them both.
The Apostle having added Prayer to his Doctrine, adds here you see praise to his Prayer. To him be Glory and Dominion for ever.
The living praises of God spring from much holy affection, and that affection springs from a Divine Light in the Understanding, so says the Psalmist, sing ye praises with understanding, or you that have understanding, Psal. 47.
It is a spiritual Knowledge of God that sets the Soul in tune for his praises, and therefore the most can bear no part in this Song, they mistune it quite through, their ignorance of God and unacquain ance with him. Praise is unseemly in the mouth of fools, they spoil and mistune it.
Obs. 1. The thing ascribed. 2. The term or endurance of it. The former in two words Glory and Power▪ Glory, the shining forth of his Dignity, the Knowledge and acknowledgment of it by his Creatures, that his excellency may be confest and praised, his name exalted, that service and homage may be done to him; which all adds nothing to him, for how can that be? but as it is the duty, 'tis the happiness of his creature to render it, such as he hath sitted for that; all the creatures indeed declare and spea… him glorious, the Heaven's sound it forth, and the Earth and …ea resounds and …cchoes it back, but his reasonable Creature hath he peculiarly framed both to take notice of Glory in all the rest, and to return it from and for all the rest, in a more express and lively way.
And in this lower World, 'tis Man alone that is made capable of observing the Glory of God, and offering him praises; he expresses it well, that calls Man the World's High-Priest, all the creatures bring their oblations of praise to him, to offer up for them and for himself, for whose use and comfort they are made, the Light and Motion of the Heaven's, and all the variety of creatures below them speak this to Man. He that made us and you and made us for you, is great, and wise, and worthy to be praised, and you are better able to say this than we, therefore praise him on our behalf and your own. Oh! he is great and mighty, he is the Lord our maker.
Power.] Is here not only ability, but authority and Royal Soveraignity that, as he can do all things, he rules and governs all things, is King of all the World, Lord paramount, all hold their Crowns of him, and the Shields of the Earth belong unto God, he is greatly to be exalted, disposeth of States and Kingdoms at his pleasure, establisheth or changeth, turns and overturns, as seems him good, and hath not only might, but right to do so. He is the Most High ruling in the Kingdoms of the Children of Men, and giving them to whomsoever he will, and readily pours contempt upon Princes when they contemn his power.
The term for ever. Even in the short Life of Man, Men that are raised very high in place and popular esteem, may, and often do out live their own Glory, but the Glory of God lasteth as long as himself, for he is unchangeable, his Throne is for ever, and his wrath for ever, and his mercy for ever, and therefore Glory for ever.
Inf. 1. Is it not to be lamented that he is so little glorify'd and prais'd that the Earth being so full of his goodness, is so empty of his praise from them that enjoy and live upon it?
How far are the greatest part from making this their great work, to exalt God, and ascribe power and glory to his name, for that all their ways are his dishonour, seek to advance and raise themselves, to serve their own Lusts and pleasures, and altogether mindless of his glory; the Apostles complaint holding good against us all, seeking our own things, and none the things of the Lord Iesus Christ: true some there are, but as his meaning is so few, that they are, as it were, drown'd and smother'd in the crowd of self seekers, so that they appear not, After all the judgments of God upon us, how doth still luxury and excess, uncleanness and all kind of profaness out-dare the very light of the Gospel and rule of holiness shining in it, scarce any thing a matter of common shame, and scorn, but the power of godliness, turning indeed our true glory into shame, and glorying in that which is indeed our shame. Holiness not only our true glory, but that wherein the ever glorious God doth especially glory, and hath made known himself so much by that name; the holy God. And that which is the express stile of his glorious praises uttered by Seraphims Isa. 6. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole Earth is full of his Glory.
Instead of sanctifying and glorifying this holy name, how doth the Language of Hell, oaths and curs…s abound in our Streets and Houses, that blessed name, that Angels are blessing and praising abused by base worms? Again, notwithstanding all the mercies multiply'd upon us in this Land, where are our praises, our Songs of deliverance, our ascribing glory and …ower to our God, who hath prevented us with loving kindness and tender mercies, hath removed the stroaks of his hand, and made Cities and Villages populous again, that were left desolate without Inhabitants.
Oh! why do we not stir up our hearts, and one another to extol the name of our God, and say, give unto the Lord Glory and strength…, give unto the Lord the glory due to his name? have we not seen the pride and glory of all flesh stain'd and abased, were there ever affairs and times that more discovered the folly and weakness of Men, and the Wisdom and power of God? Oh! were our hearts set to magnifie him that word often repeated in that Psalm Psal. 107. Oh! that Men would praise the Lord for his goodness and his wonderful works to the Children of Men.
Inf. 2. But what wonder that the Lord loses the reverence of his praises at the hands of the common ungodly World, when even his own people fall so far behind in it, as usually they do, the dead cannot praise him, but that they, that he hath quickned by his Spirit, should yet be so surprised with deadness and dullness, as to this Exercise of exalting God, this is very strange: for help of this,
1. We should seek after a fit temper,Direct. 1. labour to have our hearts brought to a due disposition for his praises; and 1. That they be spiritual, spiritual services require that, but this most, as being indeed the most spiritual of all: affection to the things of this Earth draw down the Soul, and make it so low set, that it cannot rise to the height of a Song of praise, and thus if we observ'd our selves, we would find, that when we let our hearts fall and entangle themselves in any inferiour desires and delights, as they are unfitted generally for holy things, so especially, for the praises of our holy God. Creature loves, abase the Soul and turn it to Earth, and praise is altogether heavenly. 2. Seek a heart purify'd from self-love, and possest with the love of God: the heart that is ruled by its own interest, is scarce ever content, still subject to new disquiet; self is a vexing thing, for readily all things do not sute our humours and wills, and the least touch that is wrong to a selfish mind distempers it, and disrelishes all the good things about it: a childish condition it is, if crost but in a toy, throw away all. Whence are our frequent frettings and grumblings, and that we can drown a hundred high favours in one little displeasure, and still our finger is upon that string, more male-content and repining for one little cross, than praises for all the mercies we have received? Is not this evidently the self-love that abounds in us? Whereas were the love of God predominant in us, we would love his doings and disposals and bless his name in all: whatsoever were his will would in that view be amiable and sweet to us, however in it self harsh and unpleasant. Thus would we say in all, this is the will and the hand of my Father, who doth all wisely and well, blessed be his name.
The Soul thus framed would praise in the deep of troubles, not only in outward afflictions, but in the saddest inward condition, would be still extolling God, and saying however he deal with me, he is worthy to be loved and praised, he is great and holy, he is good and gra… cious, and whatsoever be his way and thoughts towards me, I wish him glory: if he will be pleased to give me light and refreshment blessed be he, and if he will have me to be darkness, again blessed be he, glory to his name; yea what though he should utterly reject me, is he not for that to be accounted infinitely merciful in the saving of others, must he cease to be praise worthy for my sake: if he condemn, yet he is to be praised being merciful to so many others, yea even in so dealing with me is he to be praised, for in that he is just.
Thus would pure love reason for him, and render praise to him, but our ordinary way is most untoward and unbeseeming his creature, the best of them, much more such worms as we are, that things must rather be to our mind than his, and we must either have all our will or else for our part he shall have none of his praises.
3. That which on these two will follow, a fixed heart, if it be refined from creature-love and self-love, spiritualness and love of God will fix it, and then shall it be fit to praise, but an unstable uncomposed heart can never be, no more than an instrument can be harmonious and fit to play on, that hath loose pins, that are still slipping and letting down the strings, pins that never fasten: and thus are the most, cannot fix to Divine Thoughts, to consider God, to behold and admire his excellency, and goodness, and his free love. Oh! that happy word of David worthy to be twice repeated, when shall we say it, O God my heart is fixed, well might he add, I will sing and give praise, Oh! that we would pray much that he would fix them, and then he having fixed them, we would praise him much.
2. If any due disposition be once attained for praises,Direct. 2. then must the heart so disposed be set to study the matter of praises.
And that (1.) The infinite excellency of God in himself, which though we know little of, yet this we know and should consider it, that it is far beyond what all the creatures and all his works are able to testify of him, that he transcends all we can speak, or hear, or know of him. (2.) Look on him in his works, behold not the vast Heavens above, nor the firm Earth beneath us, nor all the variety of his works in both, without holy wonder stir'd in us, and that stirring us to sing praises. Oh! his greatness, and might, and Wisdom, shining in these, Lord, how manifold are thy Works, in Wisdom hast thou made them all. But above all that work, that marvel of his works, the sending of his Son forth of his bosom, and that is the mystery the Apostles do so magnifie in their writings, and that so much in this Epistle, and that the chief incentive to this close in praise, ascribing glory to him. This praise looks particularly back to the stile in the prayer, the God of all grace, who hath called us to his eternal glory by Jesus Christ, so many other mercies, but chiefly for that choice of mercies, to his glory; who hath called us to his glory, then look through the work of saving his Chosen, so redeemed by the blood of his Son, his maintaining his own work in them against all the enemies and oppositions about it, the advancing it in the midst of them, and even by them, and bringing them safe to glory, that perfecting and establishment as in the foregoing words; it is that, that so affects the Apostle in the very entry of this Epistle, that there he must break forth into praise, Chap. 1. ver 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead. He begins there in praise, and here ends in it, and so incloses all within that Divine Circle. And as we would consider these things in general, so his particular dealing with us, his good providence in spirituals and temporals, would we search, Oh! what a surcharge of innumerable …ercies would each of us find, and were we better acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, had more our delight in them, they would acquaint us better with all these things, and give us light to see them, and warm our hearts, and excite them to his praises, who is the God of all our mercies.
3. The heart somewhat disposed to praise,Direct. 3. and then studying the matter of it, would be applyed actually to render praise. (1.) To aim at God in all, which is continued praise, to eye his glory in every thing, and chiefly to desire that, that his name may be exalted; this is the excellent way indeed; whereas most are either wholly for their self ends, or often squinting out to them. That Soul is most noble that singly and fixedly aims at exalting God, and seeks this stamp on all it speaks, and does, and desires, all to the greater glory of my God. (2.) To abound in the express and solemn return of praise this way. To him be glory, not a customary dead saying of it over, as is usual with us, but the heart offering it up. What is so pure and high as this exercise, the praises of the ever glorious Deity? What is Heaven but these? and were it not best, as we can, to begin it here, and long to be there? where it shall never end. To him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Verses 12, 13, 14.
12. By Sylvanus a faithful Brother unto you (as I suppose) I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying, that this is the true Grace of God wherein ye stand.
13. The Church that is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you, and so doth Marcus my Son.
14. Greet ye one another with a kiss of Charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Iesus. Amen.
THIS, a kind of postscript, and hath its testimony of the bearer and the Apostolick form of saluting. Withal he expresses the measure of his writing, that it was brief, and the end of it, that it was to testify, &c. And this indeed the end of our preaching, and we ought each to seek it by the word and by mutual exhortations, and sometimes a few words may have much to this purpose, to have our hearty establishment in the faith, and not only to believe, but remember that we have the best of it, that there is truth in our hopes, and they shall not deceive us; they are no fancy as the World thinks, yea when all things else shall vanish, their truth shall most appear in their full accomplishment.
The entertainment and increase of Christian love, of esteem of one another, and affection one to another is no matter of empty compliment, but is the very stamp and badge of Jesus Christ, upon his followers; therefore most carefully to be preserved entire, and unhappy they that by any means do willingly break it. Oh! let us beware of it, and follow peace, even when it seems to fly from us.
This Peace, that is the portion of those in Christ, is indeed within them, and with God, but through him 'tis likewise one with another, and in that notion to be desired and wisht joyntly with the other.
They that are in Christ are the only Children and heirs of true peace; others may dream of it, and have a false peace for a time, and wicked men may wish it to themselves and one another, but 'tis a most vain hope and nought, but to wish it to them that are in Christ hath good ground, all solid peace founded in him, and flows from him. Now the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds through Ies…s Christ. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Leighton, Practical Commentary of 1 Peter Volume 2 (1694)