Exposition of the Two Epistles of Peter, Epistle and exposition 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse and commentary 17
Verſ. 17. Honour all men. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God Honour the King.
The fifth argument, whereby the Apoſtle preſſeth upon all Chriſtians due ſubjection to Civil Magiſtrates, is taken from the neceſſary connexion that is betwixt this and other unqueſtionable duties: of which, the Apoſtle giveth three inſtances; every one whereof, doth in ſome ſort infer the equity of this duty, which was queſtioned by ſome of them: The firſt, is, That ſome reſpect is due to all men, and therefore much more to Magiſtrates. The ſecond is, That chriſtian ſociety ſhould be very dear to all the Lord's People; and conſequently they ought to reſpect Magiſtrates under whoſe power and protection they do enjoy the ſame. The third is, That they ſhould ſtand in aw to offend God, and therefore ſhould give that honour to Magiſtrates, which he had ſo ſtraitly enjoyned by the Apoſtle before, and here preſſeth again in the cloſe of this Verſe. Hence Learn, 1. While the Miniſters of Chriſt are earneſtly preſſing ſome one ſpecial duty upon the Lord's People, they ought alſo joyntly to preſs ſuch other duties as are to be joyned therewith in their practice, and may be helpfull toward the performance of that, leſt by inſiſting much in the preſſing of one duty, without mentioning of others, which ought to be carried along therewith, the Lord's People may receive ſuch impreſſion of the neceſſity of that one, as may make them forgetful of others, not only equally neceſſary with that one, but alſo ſubſervient toward the performance of it: for, while the Apoſtle is earneſtly preſſing ſubjection to Magiſtrates by many reaſons, he intermixeth a bundle of other duties, which are neceſſary to be joyned in practice with that; and being made conſcience of, will fit them for the performance of it, Honour all men. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God. And ſo, Honour the King. 2. It is a prevailing way of dealing with the Lord's People (which Chriſt's Miniſters ſhould ſtudy) to bear in upon them duties more queſtionable, againſt which they may have ſome prejudice, as neceſſary concommitants or effects of other duties, which they do leſſe queſtion, and will more eaſily ſubject themſelves unto, that from the acknowledged equity of the one, they may be brought to yeeld to the other, which hath neceſſary connexion therewith: even as it is a moſt convincing way of reaſoning upon any ſubject, to make uſe of premiſes eaſily aſſented to, for gaining aſſent to ſome queſtionable concluſion, which is the Apoſtle's way here; for while he preſſeth the duty of ſubjection to Civil Magiſtrates, from which ſome Profeſſors of Chriſtianity did apprehend themſelves exempted by their chriſtian liberty, he preſſeth upon them ſuch other unqueſtionable duties as did infer that ſubjection by the force of good conſequence; if they found themſelves bound to honour all men, to love the Brotherhood, to fear God, then they could not but find themſelves bound alſo to honour the King. 3. Although there be ſome ſo groſly and avowedly wicked, that they ought to be contemned and eſteemed vile by the Lord's People in compariſon of others, Pſal. 15.4. Yet, there is no man, to whom the Children of the Lord do not owe ſome reſpect; conſidering that all men do partake of ſome excellency from God, Act. 17.25, &c. and carry ſome reſemblance of his Image, Jam. 3 9. and that the beſt may know more to be loathed in themſelves, than they can do in the worſt, Philip. 2.3. and that the worſt, for ought we know, may be within the compaſſe of God's election, 1 Cor. 7.16. for which cauſes, we ought to give them ſome ſigns of our reſpect, that ſo we may keep our ſelves in the better capacity of doing good to their ſouls; Honour all men. 4. It is not only the duty of every Chriſtian to give a ſpecial meaſure of love and reſpect to the perſons of other Chriſtians, beyond what they give to any other men, Pſal. 16.3. and to evidence the ſame by their ſympathy with, and ſupply of, one another under their neceſſities, Gal. 6.10. But alſo to love the ſociety one of another, both in the exerciſe of publick Ordinances▪ to which Chriſt hath promiſed his ſpecial preſence, Mat. 18.20. and in the more private duties of mutual edification, which are very pleaſant to the Lord, Mal. 3.16. and profitable to themſelves, Heb. 3.12, 13. for, the Apoſtle having exhorted to honour all men, ſubjoyneth this, as a further degree of reſpect▪ not only to the Saints themſelves, But as the word ſignifies, to their ſociety, Love the Brotherhood. 5. It ſhould be the great care of the Children of God, to carry along in the diſcharge of every duty, the fear of God in their hearts: which is a frame of ſpirit that he worketh in all that are in Covenant with him, Jer. 32.40. whereby they hate every known ſin, Prov. 8.13. and, in obedience to him, aim at every commanded duty, eſpecially, thoſe of their particular relations, 2 Chron. 19.7. and is entertained by the believing conſideration of the terror of the Lord, Pſa. 119.119, 120. his excellency, Job 13.11. his goodneſs, Hoſ. 3.5. and his proneneſſe to pardon ſin, Pſal. 130.4. All which is comprehended under this duty, which ſeaſoneth all the reſt, here preſſed; Fear God. 6. There is a ſpecial meaſure of honour and reſpect due by the Lords People unto thoſe whom God hath ſet in Lawfull Authority over them, beyond what is due to any others on earth, by reaſon of their place, wherein they reſemble the Majeſty of God to his People, Pſal. 82.6. for, the Apoſtle, having exhorted in the beginning of this Verſe, to honour all men, as if that honour which is due to all, were not ſufficient for Magiſtrates, he cloſeth the Verſe with this, Honour the King. 7. The Lord's People, are ſo to honour Magiſtrates, as that they forget not the fear of the Lord, and the duties comprehended under it, in the firſt place: without which no duty can be faithfully diſcharged to any man, Luke 18.2. for, this is not only the order of the words here, but of the purpoſe it ſelf; Fear God. Honour the King. 8. Theſe duties, againſt which the hearts of the Godly have ſome prejudice, and the neglect whereof, proveth moſt offenſive to the profane, had need to be frequently and earneſtly preſt upon the Lord's People: for this duty was unpleaſant to many Profeſſors, and the profane apprehending it to be ſo to all, were incenſed againſt Chriſtians: Therefore, the Apoſtle, having preſſed it before, ver. 14. reneweth his exhortation to it here again, Honour the King.