Exposition of the Two Epistles of Peter, Epistle and exposition 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse and commentary 7, 8
Verſ. 7. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious; but unto them which be diſobedient, the ſtone which the builders diſallowed, the ſame is made the head of the corner,
8. And a ſtone of ſtumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which ſtumble at the Word, being diſobedient, whereunto alſo they were appointed.
The Apoſtle, having commended Chriſt, that ſinners might be moved to make uſe of Him, as the Goſpel offers Him, doth here hold forth the dignity and diſpoſition of all that believe in Him; as alſo the diſpoſition, and judgment of all that reject Him, that ſo none might ſtumble or be diſcouraged, when they ſee Him rejected by ſo many. As for Believers, Chriſt is an honour to them, and they have a high eſteem of Him: both which readings, the original words, in the beginning of the ſeventh Verſe will bear. And as for others, who will not be perſwaded to believe and obey the Goſpel, that ſtone, Jeſus Chriſt the Mediatour, whom the Rulers of His time ſet at nought, is exalted by the Father (according to the Pſalmiſt's word, Pſal. 118.22. which the Apoſtle here rehearſes) to be the glorious Head of the Church and Believers, and a terror to all, whoſe blind and carnal hearts, do ſtill find out ſomething in the Goſpel, whence they take occaſion to reject Chriſt, and refuſe to take on his yoke; and thereby do but ruine themſelves, as a mad man that daſhes himſelf againſt a ſtone in his way; or, fooliſh Mariners, that run their ſhip againſt a rock, which are the ſimilitudes here made uſe of, taken out of Iſa. 8.14. and ſo do prove themſelves to be Reprobates. Which purpoſe contains three further motives to preſſe that hearty receiving of the Word, and uſe-making of Chriſt offered in it, which the Apoſtle hath recommended in the former words: every one of which motives, ſerve to guard againſt the offence that might ariſe from wicked mens rejecting of Chriſt. The firſt is, That Chriſt Jeſus is an honour to all that believe in Him. The ſecond is, That his glory is nothing diminiſhed by others rejecting of Him, ver. 7. And the third, is, That they who continue ſo to do, will but run themſelves upon that ruine, to which they have been from eternity appointed, for their rejecting of an offered Saviour, ver. 8.
From ver. 7. Learn, Chriſt is the true honour of all that truly believe in him; He is a great credit to all his poor kinred, who are honoured by him, not only to ſerve him, but to be ſerved by him, Mat. 20.28. and by his beſt Servants, Heb. 1.14. to be made Sons of God, Joh. 1.12. to have a marriage-relation to him, 2 Cor. 11.2. to be heirs and co-heirs of glory with him, Rom. 8.17. and it doth not yet appear, but we ſhall know it afterward how much is in this word, which in the Original is in the abſtract, and runneth thus, Chriſt is an honour to you that believe. 2. Jeſus Chriſt is moſt dear and precious to all that truly believe in him, he being their life, Col. 3.4. their light, Joh. 1.4. their wiſdom, 1 Cor. 1.30. their food, Joh. 6.56. their raiment, Rom. 13.14. and every thing to them which is moſt neceſſary; and conſequently moſt precious to the children of men: and therefore cannot but be in ſo high eſteem with them, that the very thoughts of him, Pſal. 139.17. his Ordinances, Iſa. 58.13. his people, Pſal. 16.3. muſt be precious, and excellent to them; and their moſt precious things in this world, cannot be dear to them, for his ſake, Act. 20.24. but muſt be dung and loſſe that they may gain him, Philip. 3.8. And this eſteem of Chriſt, where ever it is, in any real meaſure, is a clear mark of true and ſaving Faith: for, ſo much is expreſſed in our tranſlation of the word, Unto you that believe he is precious. 3. It is our clear up-taking of Chriſt in his excellency and uſefulneſs for ſinners, as the Word reveals him, and ſome experimental feeling upon our cloſing with him, that he is ſuch a one to us, which begets this precious eſteem of him in the hearts of Believers: we can never eſteem of him, till we know how excellent an one he is, and taſt in ſome meaſure how gracious he is: for, of thoſe, whom the Apoſtle ſupponeth to know Chriſt in ſome meaſure, as he is formerly deſcribed, ver. 6, 7. and to have taſted how gracious he is, ver. 3. he affirms here, Unto you therefore which believe he is precious. 4. They who do not believe in, and eſteem highly of Jeſus Chriſt, they are not only guilty of neglecting and ſlighting of him, (the hazard whereof is unſpeakable, Heb. 2.3.) but they are alſo guilty of high rebellion and diſobedience to God; it being one of his greateſt and moſt peremptory Commands, to believe in his Son, 1 Joh. 3.23. and to honour him, Joh. 5.23. Without obedience to which, it is not poſſible to give any acceptable obedience to any other of his Commands, Heb. 11.6. There is no midſt betwixt theſe two, men muſt either believe in Chriſt▪ and have a precious eſteem of him, or be diſobedient and rebellious as the word ſignifieth: Therefore the Apoſtle thus expreſſeth that diſpoſition, in oppoſition to believing and a precious eſteem of Chriſt, Them which be diſobedient. 5. Although Jeſus Chriſt, in his dealing with ſouls, hath the ſtrongeſt reaſons upon his ſide that ever were uſed with any, Pro. 8.5, &c. and great variety of moſt alluring motives to gain ſouls to his obedience, Mat. 11.20, &c. Yet there are a great many who are ſo adicted to their own will and luſts, Jer. 2.25. that they will not ſuffer themſelves to be perſwaded by him, either to receive information to their minds from him, or to admit that he ſhould reform their hearts and lives: for, this deſcription of the wicked, doth deſign perſons that have been by ſtrong reaſons and alluring motives dealt with, but have ſhewen themſelves a verſe from all yeelding or perſwaſion; But unto them which be diſobedient. 6. Thoſe whom God hath placed in Authority in, or over his Church (and who are obliged to Chriſt for their place and power more than others, not only to build themſelves by Faith upon him, but to employ their wit & power to draw many others in to him, and one of them to work to anothers hand, like ſo many builders in the advancement of his work) are too often found oppoſers of his work, and rejecters of himſelf, as if he were unworthy to be laid as a ſtone in their building, or that his intereſt ſhould be minded in their deſigns: for, thoſe who were in Authority in Chriſt's time, are deſigned by this name of Builders, to which they ſhould have been anſwerable, but it was not ſo: Christ was the ſtone which the builders diſallowed. 7. The higher any be ſet in eminency of power or place above others, the more doth the Lord reſent and take notice of their rejecting of him, and oppoſing of his work: for, though many of the common people among the Jews, did reject Chriſt, for which they bear their judgment, Mat. 23.38. Yet this guilt, is mainly charged upon the Rulers: The ſtone which the builders diſallowed. 8. Chriſt, our Mediatour, will not be the leſſe honourable, nor will his glory be any whit diminiſhed, that many, and thoſe the chief among men, do reject him and ſlight him, But rather that will tend to his greater glory; the Father taking occaſion by their ſo doing, to let out the more of his grace and love to his own Church and People that imbrace him; and to illuſtrate his juſtice the more, in the ruine of rejecters of him: for, while Chriſt is diſallowed of the builders, What comes of him? For the comfort and glory of his Church, He becomes the head of the corner; and for the terror and ruine of his enemies, a ſtone of ſtumbling, &c.
From ver. 8. Learn, 1. Although there be nothing in Chriſt to make any ſtumble or offend at him, Jer. 2.5. but every thing that might draw the deſire and delight of all toward him, Pſal. 45.2. Hag. 2.7. yet through reaſon of mens blindneſs, and ignorance of his worth and excellency, Luk. 19.42. of their own hazard by rejecting of him, Luk. 23.34. their violent proſecution of their luſts, Jer. 8.6. and malice againſt any that would hinder them in their purſuit, Act. 13.45. and ſuch other things as are reſembled by the cauſes of mens ſtumbling in their way, They do take occaſion from the meanneſs and ſimplicity of Chriſt himſelf in regard of his outward condition in his eſtate of humiliation, Iſ. 53.3. Mat. 13.55, 56, 57. and of his followers, Jo. 7.48, 49. and Ordinances, 1 Cor. 1.23.26. from the unlikelihood of the way of ſalvation through his death, and imputed righteouſneſs to carnal reaſon, Rom. 9.32, 33. Joh. 6.61. the contrariety that is in corrupt affections to the precepts of the Goſpel, Mat. 5.29. and from the many croſſes that ordinarily attend his followers, Mat. 26.31. not only to halt, and ſit up in the ſtudy of believing in him, and obedience to his Goſpel, but by reaſon of their malice and oppoſition, to daſh themſelves againſt him, and his will: for, in the fore-mentioned ſenſe, He is a ſtone of ſtumbling, and a rock of offence, to them that ſtumble at the Word. 2. Chriſt Jeſus, is not more properly the cauſe of ſinners rejecting of him, and ruining of themſelves by their ſo doing, than a ſtone in the way of ſome blind, furious, or drunken travellor, whereupon he might reſt himſelf, to help him in his journey, is the cauſe of his breaking his neck upon it; or, a rock in the Sea, is the cauſe of deſperate Mariners ſhipwrack: for, from theſe, is the ſimilitude here taken, while Chriſt is ſaid to be to misbelievers, and rejecters of him, a ſtone of ſtumbling, and a rock of offence. 3. Thoſe who will not ſuffer themſelves to be perſwaded to receive the gracious offers made in the Goſpel, but will run violently on in their own ſinfull wayes againſt the directions thereof; and in ſtead of ſubjection to it, are the more incenſed by it, Theſe are they who ſtumble and offend at Jeſus Chriſt; and by their ſo doing, will hurt themſelves, not him, as the man doth who ſtumbleth at a ſtone in his way: for, here the Apoſtle deſcribeth theſe, to whom it is that Chriſt is a ſtone of ſtumbling, and a rock of offence, Even to them that ſtumble at the Word, being diſobedient. 4. Although the Elect may for a long time, before their converſion, ſtumble at Jeſus Chriſt, and oppoſe him, Act. 9.1. and after converſion, may for a time, under the fit of a temptation▪ do the ſame, Mat. 26.31. Yet none will continue ſo to do, but thoſe who have been from eternity ordained for condemnation, in Gods ſpotleſs decree, which doth infuſe no evil in men, Jam. 1.13. ſeing they ſin with no leſſe freedom and delight, than if there were not a decree concerning their reprobation, Act. 4.27, 28. and are not damned becauſe of a decree, 2 Theſſ. 2.12. but either becauſe of their ſinning againſt natures light, Rom. 1.21. and 2.12 or for their wilfull ſlighting of an offered Saviour, Joh. 3.20. The continuance in which ſin, is the cleareſt proof and evidence of reprobation, of any in the world: for, the everlaſting ruine and condemnation of ſouls, ordained from eternity to the ſame, for their wilfull ſlighting of Jeſus Chriſt, is related unto in the laſt words of this Verſe, as being thereby moſt clearly evidenced; They ſtumble at the Word, being diſobedient, whereunto alſo they were appointed.