Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 10
Verse 10. Of which Salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you.
HAving spoken of Salvation by Christ, laid hold upon by Faith, which they had obtained; He now commends and sets forth this Salvation and the means thereof, to be the onelyonly true way, and the Gospel revealing it to be the most blessed and excellent Doctrine that ever was: for 1. Its no new device of any, or first preached by the Apostles, but that which the holy Prophets that have lived in all ages (men endued with the Spirit of God) have studied and enquired into, and found, and have in their writings prophesied of the same; enquiring also to know the time when our Savior Christ should be exhibited into the world; who understanding by the Spirit, that he was not to be born in their days, but in the last ages of the world, yet seeing him afar off, were glad, and took it thankfully, and so believing in him, were saved by him. 2. That the Gospel and Salvation by Christ, was preached by the holy Apostles, men set apart by God for that business, endued with his Spirit that came on them from Heaven; and so its the same that was known to our Forefathers, and Patriarks, and Prophets, not varied, but the same Doctrine and constant way of Salvation. 3. That the very Angels as they wondred at the wonderful mystery of Christs Incarnation, and learned (as is very probable) something by the Apostles Ministery, which they knew not before; so, into the fulness of this Salvation they desired to see. So we have a commendation of the Gospel, or the way of Salvation therein preached: 1. By its antiquity; the Prophets knew and embraced it: 2. The Apostles not of their own heads, but by the Spirit extraordinarily sent upon them, preached it. 3. The Angels desire further to see into it. In the Prophets search we are to observe, 1. The substance they sought. 2. The circumstance of time: for the substance, it was privately for their own benefit, who therefore enquired into it, and searched it our diligently; and publiquely, for the benefit of the Church, who therefore prophesied of it.
Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired, &c.] In that the Apostle,No point touching salvation is to be taught or received, but whats grounded on the Word. to prove that this was the true way of salvation, produceth the writings of the Prophets in the Old Testament, learn, That for all matters of faith that we reach the people, and would have them receive, we must ground them on no other proof, but the Word of God; no point ought to be admitted touching salvation, whereof God is not the author, and author he is of nothing, but of that which is in his written Word,2 Tim. 3. 16. which is a perfect Rule, able to teach all truth, and confute all error.
1. This confutes the Papists,Use 1. who lean so much on Councels, as they banish the Scripture as a dumb Judge: Of those, howsoever the more ancient of them are to be reverenced, and did worthily oppose & conclude against the Heresies of their Times; yet even in them some things are left rawly, whether those worthy men intending the greatest, less regarded smaller matters, or whether they erred as men, that we might not put too much confidence in them, or give too much to them: But for many latter ones, they are patcht by the Pope and his Adherents, which will be sure to do nothing against him, and the greater part overcomes the better part; Therefore we are not to rest in these,Isa. 8. 20. but go to that Law and to that Testimony, which alone must Judge and bear Rule in the Church: For, though Christ hath promised,Mat. 18. 20. that where two or three be gathered together, he will be amongst them, yet they must be m…t in his Name; which is, when they all submit themselves to the Word of God, and suffer Christ to be President of their Assembly by his Word, and not when they will set up Conceits of their own devising.
2. Ministers must learn in all matters of faith,Use 2. to bring forth the written Word of God,Luke 24. 27. and not mens Judgements, which are of no force to stablish the Conscience,Acts 18. 28. neither Popish Traditions, by them termed Apostolical and unwritten Verities.
3. People also for their part must receive nothing,Use 3. but that which they see grounded hereupon:Ioh. 5. 39. To this end they are to search the Scriptures,Acts 17. 11. and with the Berea…s to confer place with place, to finde out the truth:Gal. 1. 8, 9. If an Angel from heaven should bring any Doctrine contrary to this, we are to hold him accursed. Assuredly, for want of Catechizing publikely, and reading the Scripture privately, if a cunning Heretique should in most Congregations open his pack of Wares, they would go for currant, few or none being able to control him.
Enquired and searched] The words imply the great pains they used herein,The Prophets took great pains to know the mystery of our salvation by Christ. as Daniel by prayer, fasting and meditation: They had a little hint from God, and they found the savor of it, so as they followed it most earnestly to get out more, and plodded upon it to see further and further.Dan. 9. 3.
What then are all of us to beat our heads, and to set our hearts upon? even upon the mystery of our Salvation by Christ, that we may 1. Know it, and every part thereof. 2. Give full assent thereto. 3. Labor for a particular perswasion thereof by faith. These things belong to us, whom it much concerneth to know this by an effectual knowledge,Ioh. 17. 3. feeling the power of Christ in us,Phil. 3. 8. causing us to dye to sin, and live to righteousness; 1 Cor. 2. 2.and this we should do: 1. For that its the chiefest thing in the world; Its life eternal to know him, and all is dung to this; yea, we should desire to know nothing but Christ, and him crucified. 2. Because in seeking we may finde more in one day, then all the Prophets and Fathers could finde by all their diligence all the days of their life.
This condemns the monstrous Unthankfulness of our days,Use. that make no reckoning of this so blessed Gospel, of those glad tidings that should be the glory of the world, without which the world is dead in sin, and comes to confusion. O how few regard to hear the Word? Many run to Sports and Pastimes, others to Markets and Fairs, but in many places, what thin Churches? their Oxen and Farms draw them away: Others hear, yet it is without any regard, any life; Israel never loathed Manna more, then most do the preaching of the Gospel; O they have had Sermons in many Congregations, until they have even loathed them! O how few can be brought to see their own misery! how few to prize Christ, and to whom he is indeed welcom, how few that will stoop to his yoke! Sundry in shew would have him their Savior, and talk that they hope to be saved by Christ, but that's but a Bawd for their sins, whereby they may go on the more freely in them; yea, are not the truest and painfullest Preachers and Professors of the Gospel hated? what this will come to, is easie to see; assuredly (being like Ch…razi… and Bethsaida) we may justly fear some iudgement at hand. Time was, when Christ was welcom amongst us, and the kingdom of heaven suffered violence (as haply it doth still in some parts of the land) but O dead hearts, and unthankful in most places. Those under the Law, saw but a little, yet took it thankfully; we have much revealed, yet little regard it: To prize the Gospel, and seek after Christ, will be our wisdom and welfare; then to enquire for Salvation by Christ, there can be no greater thing, it becomes us well: if for this we be counted fools, well, we be such fools as the Prophets were, who enquired and searched after Christ; God be thanked for our so doing, let us continue in Gods name; this shall bring us comfort living and dying, when carnal Wordlings shall perish for want of comfort, and go to hell.
But did they onelyonly enquire after Salvation, and the way to it, and found it not? Yes, as they foretold Christ to others, so did they finde that in him they sought for,The Prophets and old Fathers were saved by Christ as well as we. and were saved by him.
The Prophets and old Fathers were saved by Christ as well as we.
This confutes two pestilent Opinions, 1. That of the Anabaptists, That the Fathers had no other but earthly Promises and Rewards,Acts 4. 12. & 15. 8. and there was an end,Heb. 13. 8. and had no heaven, nor hope of any such thing; most vile;Use. 1. for 1. God gave them his Word, which was to convert their Souls,Psal. 147. 19. & 19. 7, 23 and to be an immortal seed, to beget them to eternal life; and the Prophets in their times were filled with the Spirit of God;Rom. 3. 2. but God did not all this for nothing.Zech. 7. 12. 2. He made a Covenant with them,Levit. 26. 12. I will be your God, and you shall be my people: Now to have God to be our God, contains not onelyonly Earthly things, but Heavenly and Eternal,Psal. 33. 12. For blessed is the people, whose God is the Lord: Our Savior Christ saith,Mat. 22. 23. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not of the dead, Mat. 8. 11.but of the living; so that they live not in Soul onelyonly, but in Body also to Godward,Heb. 11. 13. for he will surely raise them up again:Gen. 47. 9. Jacob speaking unto Pharaoh, mentioned the days of his Pilgrimage; both he and the rest confessed themselves Pilgrims: see what construction the Holy Ghost makes hereof,Heb. 11. 15. namely, That this was in respect of some other Countrey; but what Countrey, Earthly or Heavenly? If Earthly, then that from whence they came, Caldea; but if it had been that, they had leasure enough to have returned thereunto, but they desired a Heavenly, therefore God prepared for them a City, even such a one as they desired,Iob. 19. 25. an Heavenly one. Job believed that his Redeemer lived,Luke 16. 23. and Abrahams bosom is put for Heaven.
But such speeches as Jobs, Obj.are of some few principal men, and not of the people, with whom no doubt it was as with us, most understood not, neither believed, though others did.
This comes of a false understanding of the Promises.Sol. The Lord provokes them to keep his Law, and promiseth them a plenteous Land▪ and threatned the loss thereof if they obeyed not; But who knoweth not, that as Egypt was a Type of their Spiritual bondage, so Canaan, of Heaven,2 Cor. 5. 7. and Heaven promised under it? even as the Lamb in the Passover was a Type of Christ, the true Paschal Lamb and Christians Passover, as the Apostle affirmeth.
2. That of those which affirm,Use 2. That they were saved by some other way (not by Christ as we) and what? by the keeping of the Law, its otherwise; The Law was not to this end given them, that they might be justified thereby, more then to us, or that they could keep it more then we; for never could any keep it, but to shew Gods perfect righteousness, and their own sinfulness, and so drive them out of themselves, to Christ the true Sacrifice: Notable is that Speech of Saint Peter, Acts 15. 10.Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the necks of the Disciples, which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear: He meaneth not here, the Ceremonial Law, wherein an hypocrite might go as far as another;Mat. 19. 20. nor the bodily observance of the Moral Law (whereof the yong man bragged so much) but the true Spiritual Rule of Righteousness, which never any could keep; so they were saved by the Grace of Christ as we:See Rom. 3. 30. Abrahams Faith was imputed unto him for Righteousness, and he was justified both before he was Circumcised, and four hundred years ere the Law was given.
Who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you.] The Doctrine of the Gospel not new.The Doctrine of the Gospel is no new device of man, nor first Preached by the Apostles,Rom. 1. 2. & 3. 21. but almost as old as the World: The Spirit hath given testimony of it in all ages, all the Prophets have looked into it; some Promises were given unto particular persons, some did concern all in general; those especially which were delivered by the Prophets: This was signified by all the Sacrifices and Washings in the Law, wherein there was an acknowledgement of guiltiness and uncleanness,Heb. 9. 12. and a promise of something to satisfie and cleanse;1 Ioh. 1. 7. which was not the blood of Bulls or of Goats,Rev. 13. 8. but of Jesus Christ, who is therefore said to wash away our sins by his blood, and to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
This condemneth that wicked slander of the Church of Rome, Use.that stile our Religion, The new Gospel, or a yesterdays Religion; Nay, theirs is a new Religion; who knoweth not, that though the Mystery of Iniquity began already to work in the Apostles times, and the Devil had spread some Heresies; yet alass, Popery was not then hatcht, and it was not come to the top, till within these three or four hundred years by-past, the whole being at several times patched up with several pieces, by one Pope after another: and new it is, as being of mans brain, most things therein having no ground in the Word of God, nay, altogether contrary thereunto.
The Prophets foretold of Christ, The Prophets foretold of Christ.and that very fully, of his Nature, Offices, Birth, Life, Death, Sufferings, Patience, Resurrection, Ascension, &c. See Gen. 49. 10. Isa. 7. 14. Isa. 9. 6. Jer. 23. 6. Isa. 53. 8. Zach. 12. Psal. 110. 1, 4. Isa. 61. 1. Dan. 9. 25. Mic. 5. 2. Psal. 22. 16. Psal. 16. 10. Psal. 68. 18. Hag. 2. 7, &c.
This sheweth what an agreement and blessed harmony there is betwixt the Old Testament and the New;The harmony between the Old and New-Testament. no diverse matters, but the same Christ, the subject matter of both, driven at in the Law, pointed out in all the Sacrifices:Act. 18. 28. The Old Testament is the New folded up, the New,Luke 24. is the Old unfolded and opened, the one proving the other; and hence are these Phrases, As it is written, And that it might be fulfilled.
1. This condemneth them that reject the New-Testament and Christ Jesus,Use 1. and yet retain the Old, as the Scribes and Pharisees did, and Jews and Turks do;Ioh. 5. 46, 47. but hold one, and hold both, deny one, and deny both. O the lamentable blindeness of the Jews, that were so well acquainted with the Old Testament, which did so foretel Christ! and yet when he came, in whom all was fulfilled, they could not see it; a forestalled conceit of an earthly Potentate hindred all.
2. It teacheth us to labor to be acquainted with both,Use 2. and reverence both, the one giving light unto the other; and they especially that are of better understanding, and have more time, let them read orderly, not here and there a Chapter, and that most or always in the New-Testament, but going on throughout both; They that are slow and dull, and can read little, no matter though they hold themselves most to the New; but for the others, let them be acquainted with both: Are we ignorant of the one? its for want of acquaintance with the other; Hath God set on work his holy Prophets, to Prophefie such things as be greatly for our Confirmation, and kept them through so many storms of Persecution, and shall we not be conversant therein? yea, those Chapters that seem of least use in Leviticus, touching cleansing of many sorts of uncleanness, have this main use, even to teach, That God cannot abide sin, but that it must be cleansed through the blood of his Son: the Chapters also of Genealogies in Numbers and Chronicles, are of good use for the understanding of the rest of the Scriptures, though but a few understand the same.
Of the Grace] He calls Salvation Grace,Salvation why called Grace. and that most worthily, as being freely both Elected,Ioh. 3. 16. Redeemed, and Effectually called.
1. This condemns,Eph. 2. 4. 1. That Luciferian conceit of Merit or Worthiness in us,Use 1. poor miserable sinners: 2. Them that challenge part in Christ, and all that he did, and yet shew no part of thankfulness and duty again, but live as they list, and will not onelyonly not part with their lives, but not with their lusts for his sake, they are lyars, and deceive their own souls.
2. It should teach us to acknowledge the whole work of our Salvation to be of Grace,Use 2. and thereupon to walk the more thankfully and zealously;The Prophets did partake of Salvation, though they saw not. yea, often meditate of this Free-grace and Salvation, whetting up our selves thereby.
That should come unto you.] Why? were they not partakers of Salvation themselves? Yes, as we have heard, but they never saw the time of Christs exhibiting in the flesh,Christ in the flesh. nor so clearly; They received not the promises, Heb. 11. 13.onelyonly saw them afar off, a…d were perswaded of them.