Exposition of the Two Epistles of Peter, Epistle and exposition 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse and commentary 3
Verſ. 3. If ſo be ye have taſted that the Lord is gracious.
The fourth motive to ſharpen their appetite after the Word, is, That if they did greedily drink it in, that they might grow by it, their ſo doing ſhould prove to them the reality of any experience they ſeemed unto themſelves to have of the graciouſneſs or ſweetneſs of the Lord to them: of which, whoſoever gets a taſt, they cannot but thirſt earneſtly after more of it through the Word; and they who do not ſo thirſt, cannot conclude they have taſted thereof. And therefore an eager appetite after the Word is to be laboured for. Hence Learn, 1. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom Believers ſeek and ſerve, hath in Him every thing that may be uſefull and ſweet for them, and a ſtrong benſel in his heart to let out the ſame to them; whereof he hath given abundant proof, in providing ſuch a remedy for loſt ſinners, as Himſelf to die for them, Tit. 3.4, &c. in His daily pardoning of their daily failings, Iſa. 55.7. in His ſuccouring of them under their extremities, Heb. 2.18. and in His waiting the fitteſt opportunity for proving Himſelf to be ſuch a one to them, Iſa. 50.18. for, all theſe, and much more, are in this attribute of His, as the Scriptures cited, which do expreſſe the effects of His graciouſneſs, do make clear: and therefore it cannot but be ſweet to all that ever have taſted how gracious the Lord is. 2. Although all that are in the world, do, in ſome ſenſe, taſt of the goodneſs of God, Pſal. 145.9. Yet only His own Elect and Regenerate Ones taſt of His graciouſneſs, as it is manifeſted in the forementioned effects thereof: for, it is only the Regenerate, who are ſupponed here to have taſted how gracious the Lord is. 3. Although the way of Believers partaking and feeling of this graciouſneſs, or ſweetneſs of the Lord, be ſpiritual, ariſing in their hearts from their exerciſing of their Faith in God, as favourable to them through Chriſt, Rom. 5.1, 2. Yet it is no leſſe real and certain, then that which is by any of the outward ſenſes cloſing with, and delighting in, their proper objects. Therefore as it is elſwhere in Scripture ſet forth by ſmelling, Pſal. 45.8. and by ſeeing, Iſa. 45.25. So here (as alſo Pſal. 34.8.) by taſting; If ſo be ye have taſted how gracious the Lord is. 4. All that Believers get of Chriſt in this life, is, in compariſon of that full enjoyment of Him, which they ſhall have in the life to come, but a taſt, a ſparing meaſure to ſharpen appetite after more: for, ſo it is here called a taſting how gracious the Lord is. 5. That which proves our taſts of Chriſt's ſweetneſs to be kindly, and proper to the Regenerate, is, that thereby our inward and beloved luſts are weakened, and we are made to lay them aſide, and to loath them, and our deſires after the Word are more ſharpened; by which the ſweet feelings of the Regenerate are differenced from thoſe which hypocrites may have, which have no ſuch concommitants, Heb. 6.4. for, by conſidering the connexion of this Verſe with the former two, it appears the Apoſtle hath preſt mortification of ſin, and deſire after the Word for growth, as things which could not but be in them, if ſo be they had taſted how gracious the Lord is. 6. All thoſe taſts of the graciouſneſs and ſweetneſs of Chriſt, which the Saints may expect in this life, are to be looked for in, and through the Word: for, while he makes their former taſts of that kind, an argument to ſharpen their deſires after the Word, he doth clearly import, that both their former taſts of that ſort, had been through the Word, and that more of theſe taſts were to be found the ſame way, and no way elſe: deſire the ſincere milk, &c. if ſo be ye have taſted that the Lord is gracious: and ſo would deſire to taſt more of that ſort. 7. All the former experiences we have had of the graciouſneſs and ſweetneſs of Chriſt, ſhould ſharpen and put an edge upon our deſires after more of that ſort, and after the Word, through which thoſe experiences are conveyed: for, to quicken their appetite after the Word, through which the Lord's People taſt of His ſweetneſs, he mentions their former taſts here; If ſo be ye have taſted than the Lord is gracious.