Exposition of the Two Epistles of Peter, Epistle and exposition 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse and commentary 19, 20
Verſ. 19. For this is thank-worthy, if a man for conſcience towards God endure grief, ſuffering wrongfully.
20. For what glory is it, if when ye be buffetted for your faults, ye ſhall take it patiently? but if when ye do well, and ſuffer for it, ye take it patiently; this is acceptable with God.
From this, to the end of the Chapter, the Apoſtle bringeth many arguments, to preſſe upon Chriſtian Servants, dutifulneſs to their Pagan-Maſters, and patient ſuffering of injuries from them in following their duty to Chriſt. The firſt, is, That if they did out of reſpect to Chriſt's command and glory, hold on in their duty, notwithſtanding of hardeſt ſufferings, He ſhould graciouſly reward their ſo doing, as acceptable ſervice to Him, ver. 19. The ſecond is, That it would be a great diſgrace for Chriſtians to deſerve by their miſcarriage hard uſage from Heathens; but, if they were faithful in their duty, and patient under ſufferings for it, they might be ſure of God's approbation, ver. 20. Hence Learn, 1. Although neither our doing, nor our ſuffering, can merit any thing at God's hand, it being wholly His grace (as the firſt expreſſion, ver. 19. may be rendered from the Original) that enables us for both, Philip. 1.29. Yet when His grace hath in ſome meaſure enabled us for both, He is pleaſed to eſteem thereof as if it were worthy of thanks from Him; and graciouſly to reward it with a further increaſe of grace, and ability to do and ſuffer, Mat. 25.19. with begun peace and conſolation in the heart under ſufferings for duty to Him, 2 Cor. 1.5. as earneſt of the full reward which His grace is to beſtow at laſt, Rev. 3.4, 5. which ought to be a ſufficient encouragement to the Godly in their duty againſt all their ſufferings from men, for which end, it is held forth here: for, This is thank-worthy, or (as the Original may be rendered) this is grace. 2. God doth not ſo much reſpect the ſufferings of Profeſſors, even for Truth and Duty (ſeing Hypocrites may attain thereunto, 1 Cor. 13.3.) as He looks unto the principle and manner of their ſufferings, whether they ſuffer becauſe of their former engagements by profeſſion, or otherwiſe; and becauſe they deſire to carry a name and eſteem of religious perſons to the end with them: or, whether they ſuffer out of conſcience toward God, that is, in obedience to Him, who commands them to chooſe affliction rather than ſin, and from a deſire to pleaſe and honour Him, by bearing Teſtimony to His Truth, by ſuffering: for, this ſuffering, and this only, is reckoned thank-worthy, if a man for conſcience toward God▪ endure grief, ſuffering wrongfully. 3. Although the Lord ſometimes keeps heavineſſe and grief off the ſpirits of his People under ſuch ſufferings, as are very heavie and grievous in themſelves, Act. 16.25. Yet, at other times, He ſees it ſitting, not only to exerciſe them with hard and unjuſt ſufferings from men, but likewiſe with many ſad weights upon their ſpirits under theſe ſufferings, ariſing partly from the ſight of God's diſhonour by their enemies, Pſal. 42.3. and partly from the fear of their own miſcarriage under their trials, Joh. 14.1. together with their miſ-belief of the Promiſe of their through-bearing and out-gate, Pſal. 116.11. both which exerciſes together, are ſometimes neceſſary for the Godly, that they may be compleatly denied to their own ſtrength and courage, and may be taught to depend on God for their through-bearing, 2 Cor. 1.8, 9. and therefore both exerciſes ought to be patiently ſubmitted unto by them, in ſo far as they are for their trial and advantage, even as they would expect a reward from God: for, this is thank-worthy, if a man for conſcience toward God, endure grief, ſuffering wrongfully. 4. Although it be the mark of Hypocrites to do all duties of Religion for reſpect to their own credit and glory before men, Mat. 23.5. Yet, the Lord allows His own People to have ſo much reſpect to their own credit, eſpecially before the profane, as may provoke them to a tender and holy walking, and to eſchew every thing that may diſgrace them, and their holy Profeſſion: for, this is here made an argument to duty, and patient ſuffering of wrongs, that if they neglected duty, and ſo were put to ſuffer for their miſcarriage, That would be no glory, but rather a diſgrace to them, and their Profeſſion; for, what glory is it, if when ye be buffetted for your faults, ye ſhall take it patiently? 5. As it hath pleaſed the Lord for the good of humane ſociety, to leave in the minds, even of Heathens, ſome knowledge of what is contrary to His will, Rom. 2.14. 15. and ſome inclination to puniſh the ſame, Act. 28.4. So it is a very great diſgrace to Chriſtian Religion, when Heathens, or ſuch as are like Heathens, void of the ſaving knowledge of God in Chriſt, may find Chriſtians in thoſe ſins, which their light leads them to puniſh, eſpecially, when Chriſtians make their liberty by Chriſt, a pretence and cloak to cover thoſe ſins: for, it is here imported by the Apoſtle, that Heathen Maſters did not only know ſome what of their Servants duty, but alſo would juſtly puniſh them for neglect of it; and that, if Chriſtian Servants did by their miſcarriage deſerve ſufferings from ſuch Maſters, (as they were in hazard to do by abuſing their chriſtian liberty) this would prove a great diſgrace to them, and to the Profeſſion of Chriſtianity: for, what glory is it, if when ye be buffetted for your faults, ye ſhall take it patiently? 6. Although patience, under deſerved ſtroaks from men, be in it ſelf commendable, and will prove perſons to be accepted with God, when they accept the puniſhment of their iniquity, and flie to Chriſt for mercy, Luke 23.41. Yet the patience of a Profeſſor of Religion, under thoſe ſtroaks, which his own miſcarriage hath juſtly procured from wicked men, will not remove his diſgrace, nor the diſgrace of his profeſſion, nor be any glory to him, in compariſon of what patience under ſufferings for well-doing would be: for, this queſtion, What glory is it, if when ye be buffetted for your faults, ye take it patiently? imports, that their ſufferings for their faults, though never ſo patiently, would be no glory to them, to wit, in compariſon of what it would be to ſuffer patiently for well-doing. 7. As none may expect that well-doing will exempt them from trouble and ſuffering, but rather that it will occaſion and increaſe the ſame; So, the Lord's favour toward ſufferers, and His acceptation of them, and of their ſufferings as ſervice to Him, ſhould be thought a ſufficient encouragement to patience under that lot; and ſhould be often conſidered as a recompence of all the ſhame and pain of the croſſe: for, with this encouragement, which the Apoſtle held forth, for the ſubſtance of it, in the begining of the former Verſe he cloſes this Verſe: If when ye do well and ſuffer for it, ye take it patiently: this is acceptable with God.