Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 24
Verse 24. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass: the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. Verse 25. But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever; and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you.
THe Apostle now laboreth to make men labor for their part in this Regeneration whereof he had spoken, and that is by shewing the miserable state of a carnal and unregenerate man; and that a man without this hath nothing that good is, nothing that can please God, that can stand him in stead, and bring him to Salvation; for whatsoever is in man besides this, is flesh, is corrupt and sinful, and so consequently vain and vanishing as grass; yea, the best thing that is or can be in an unregenerate man, is but as a flower, that fadeth soon away, and cannot abide the heat of the Sun; no more can any thing in an unregenerate man abide the censure and judgement of Almighty God: and this he doth to drive as well carnal men out of themselves, and make them labor for this grace of Regeneration; as to stir up them that were Regenerate, to be thankful to God for this marvellous work, and labor to walk worthy of it in all fruits of holiness and obedience.
Now having laid out the misery of a carnal men, yet he leaves him not so, but tells him that there is a means to help this, and to bring him to an happy state, and to live for ever; namely, The Word of God, which endureth for ever, whereby the Soul is converted, Faith wrought, we united to Christ, and fetch from him as pardon of sin by his death, and favor by his obedience; so, ability to live the life of grace here, and the life of glory hereafter. But lest any should say, But where is this Word that is able to do thus wonderfully for us? and how must it be dealt with to make it thus effectual for our Regeneration? He tells them, that its among them; and being sincerely preached, and humbly heard, believed and obeyed, would become effectual to their Salvation.
In the words we have both the Law and the Gospel: 1. The miserable state of all unregenerate men. 2. The mean to make us live for ever. Both these are set down in two Propositions: The first concerning the base estate of a carnal man, hath two branches, one a degree above another; The first, that all flesh (that is, whosoever is carnal and unregenerate) is grass, that is, frail, brittle, fickle, perishing, which is not onelyonly in respect of his bodily estate, but any thing else in him. The second, that the glory of man (that is, the best things that be or can be in him) are as the flower of grass, vain and vanishing. The second concerns the Word of the Lord, that it endureth for ever, and that to make us live for ever, by uniting us to Christ the Fountain of life.
The words are taken out of Isa. 40. 6, 7, 8. (where note by the way, that no text is ever cited out of the Apocrypha) the Apostle being guided by the same Spirit that the Prophet was, looking upon the same sense, not standing precisely upon the very words.
All flesh is as grass,] Though it be not chiefly meant of the frailty and brittleness of our bodily condition,Psal. 103. 15. yet it is also included; of which a little.
This our life is often compared to grass,Wherein mans life may be compared to grass. and that fitly: for as grass is subject to come to an end many ways, so we. It may be blasted with the East-wind as soon as ever it peers out of the ground; if not that, yet in the spring the beasts will crop and bite it off; if it miss both these, yet the mower will cut it down with his sithe; if it escape all these, yet there is one thing coming that it cannot escape, namely, the cold frosty winter, whereby it must needs wither away: So we may be blasted as soon as we be born; how many have dyed the same day they have been born, or shortly after? if we scape then, yet some disease may bite us in our youth; or if we miss both these, death with his sithe may cut us down in our middle age; but if yet we scape, the winter notwithstanding of old age will wither us away, and we cannot shift it.
Alas, we are as a bubble, a vapor, of no continuance, so vain a thing is man,Mr. Midman at that time so kild. lighter then vanity: A little too much heat or cold, * a little blow with a Horse foot, a bad savour, or the like, can quickly make an end of us: Alas, we carry the matter of many diseases daily about us, in our bosoms and bowels; insomuch that all must dye: Its so appointed,Heb. 9. 27. It cannot be shifted, Its the way of all flesh, high and low: This grim Sergeant knocks at every door, spares none, will not be bribed by any, Money, Physick, Wit, Wealth, cannot free us from it; even Methuselah dyed: They that have been most unwilling, yet have dyed; where are all our Forefathers? where all the mighty Monarchs? long since gone, and so must we, there's no remedy: yet we know not when, to day or to morrow, this year or the next; nor where, at home or abroad, in our bed or in the fields, by sea or land, nor how of a natural or violent death: Here to day, to morrow gone; The fairest flower may be soon welked: A few years ago we said, Our Fathers and Mothers are dead, and shortly our Children will say so of us,Eccles. 1. 4. one Generation passeth, another succeedeth.
1. This may well serve to humble us,Use 1. pull down our Peacocks plumes: Alas, why should we be proud? proud against God, as most be to shake off his commandment, to stand in no awe of his Word, but to do that which he flatly forbids, nay, though he threaten never so severely? O thou poor Worm, thou Snail, what art thou poor Potsheard, that darest lift up thy self against thy Maker, the mighty and glorious Lord of Heaven and Earth?Dan. 5. 22, 23. shouldest thou not fall down at his footstool, and say, Speak Lord, for thy poor Creature is ready to do whatsoever thou requirest, as its right meet, and my bounden duty so to do? proud against our Neighbors, what art thou that liftest up thy self proudly, vaunting of thy Beauty, Birth, Strength, &c. mayest thou not be laid full low ere to morrow Night? what art thou that treadest others down by thy greatness, mayest thou not be laid where others shall tread on thee, and that shortly? what art thou, who so proudly deckest thy self with endless cost and time? why dost thou so gorgeously set out, and take such delight in a piece of clay? may it not lie by the walls this week? may not a Tuft of grass be cut down this night? O that there should be such excess, cost, vain fangles, endless and too much time spent in trimming up the body, and no care of decking the soul! O this curious and long dressing and pinning is but for a day! and yet what a great deal of precious time is spent this way? Also what art thou that bearest malice against thy Neighbor, and will not be pacified, but threatnest to be revenged? Alas poor soul, where mayest thou be ere that time? lay down thy displeasure to day, lest thou dye to morrow, and dye in wrath.
2. This may abate our care for the world:Use 2. O how do men toil and care,Use 3. as if they were to live here, and never dye, when as dye they shall,How to be prepared for death and that haply very suddenly!
3. This should make us labor, always to be prepared for death: To this end, 1. Labor to be assured of the forgiveness of our sins, and that the book be crost, the reckonings cancel'd, and God at peace with us; wo be to him that dyes, these things being not discharged: But alas, most as if they were not enough indebted already, run on more and more. 2. Walk ever carefully in the fear of God, that we may be found well-doing; but how do most live in sin, that they are unfit to dye. 3. Be we not fettered nor intangled with the profits, pleasures,Luke 21. 34. and excessive cares of this life. 4. Imploy we our selves carefully in some measure about the work whereunto we are called. 5. Wait we for the Lords coming, being always desirous thereof.
4. It should make us (seeing we be but grass) not to promise great matters of our selves;Use 4. We will do this or that, We will be revenged of him ere seven years come to an end, We will go and buy and sell, and get gain,Iam. 4. 13. and tarry thus long, We will repent seven or ten years hence: Alas poor fool, art thou not ashamed to shew thy folly? Alas poor Creature, whereof art thou made? Thou thinkest of heart of Oak, Marble or Cedar, remember thou art but grass: Reckon not without thine Hoast, boast not of to morrow.
Be we hereby stirred up to do all the good we can,Use 5. while we may, and work while its day;Eccles. 9. 10. If thou hast to repent, do it to day, hear this Sermon,Gal. 6. 10. keep well this Sabbath, thou knowest not but it may be the last; come this Communion, thou knowest not whether thou shalt live till another.
6. Never trust to any mortal friends,Use 6. haply they may be gone when thou shalt have most need of them, and when they might do thee most good; Trust in God that lives for ever, who is Almighty, ever a merciful Father and a Friend to his: So, make the best use of any friend while thou hast him, People of their good Ministers, Husbands of their gracious Wives,2 King. 2. 3, 5. Children of their godly Parents, &c. Thou knowest not how soon they may be taken from thee; we shall hear lamentings after the death of such, buts it more wisdom to make use of them while they be with us: so for thy Enemies, fear them not too much,Exod. 4. 19. they are but grass, they may be taken away ere the time come wherein they should have hurt thee.Matt. 2. 10.
7. For our Children,Use 7. delight not too much in them for their beauty, stature, growth, they are but grass; If we set our minde too much on them while we have them, we will be too excessively grieved when God takes them from us; love them moderately of Gods blessings: If we bring them up in the fear as God, that they may prove gracious, and instruments to honor God in Church and Common-wealth, we do well: Take heed we prank them not up too much, or too much cocker them, and give them the head, as David to Absolom and Adonijah; as also that we rake not greedily for them, and so hinder God of his service: If they be perkt up to high, or regarded more then the glory of God, its the next way to provoke God to pull them down.
And all the glory of man as the flower of grass:] Not onelyonly the glory of men, as Nobles, Princes, Great-men, High-born, Wise, Witty, Learned, and the like, which are the chief, are as flowers, somewhat finer and fairer then grass in colour, & of them some fairer then some, but even the greatest man is but a flower, that for all the beauty fades assoon as another: But this is the meaning, that
The glory of a carnal man is but a vain thing,Doct. and the best part of an unregenerate man is corrupt;The glory of a carnal man is but a vain thing. the best gift is but vain, our understanding not dark, but darkness: The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can; flesh and blood reveals no such things to him:Eph. 1. 8. Our understanding is altogether blinde in the first Table,1 Cor. 2. 14. unless it be for some few general notions, that serve to leave us without excuse, as, That there is a God, That he must be served, but what, and who he is, and how to be served, alas, here we dote: Hence have risen so many thousand Inventions, Images, Idols, so many kindes of Services in all Nations,Rom. 1. 23. Turning the glory of the incorruptible God, into the similitude of a corruptible man, calf, creeping thing, &c. In the second Table, God for the preservation of civil society, hath left a little more light to discern between right and wrong, just and unjust, good and evil, as appears by the Laws of the Heathens against vices and for vertues, yet herein how blinde is carnal man? In the general he holds adultery, murther, &c. to be evil; but in particular, lust and anger (practised by himself) not so, or but a little; but for concupiscence, original sin, the root of them, alas, this is quite hidden: So for our will, its altogether corrupt and rebellious; it ought to be guided by Reason, yet often when Reason speaks, and would guide right, it will not onelyonly not be ruled, but will over-rule Reason; as the horses draw Coach and Coachman over hills and dales whither they list,See Gen. 6. 5. yea all that is in us is onelyonly evil; Our Righteousness is like a filthy clout,Isa. 64. 6. we are not able to think a good thought; In me, that is, in my flesh (saith the Apostle) dwelleth no good thing: Rom. 7. 18. & 8. 7.The wisdom of the flesh is not onelyonly an enemy,Eph 2. 1. but enmity against God, and our own conversion and Salvation, and we are dead in sins and trespasses, and so cannot stand before God; our sins must be taken away in Christ, and Christs righteousness imputed to us, and put upon us; we must also be purged and renewed,Mat. 5. 20. Either must our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees (who yet were very strict and civil) or we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: What if a man could rule Towns, Countreys and Commonwealths, as long as he hath no true rule over his own heart according to Gods Word? What though a man could compound all the controversies between man and man in a Countrey, and were reputed the wisest man therein, yet if he know not the great controversie that sin hath made between God and himself, and seek and know that compounded in Christ, what would it avail him? What if a man were never such a skilful Lawyer, and could help every man to his inheritance, if he knew not that hell were his inheritance by nature, and labored for a better, and for the same shew good evidence? What if a man▪ were so skilful in Physick, as he knew the cases and cures of all diseases, if he know not the Spiritual diseases of his soul, and how they must be cured in the blood of Jesus Christ.
This may stir up all men to examine themselves in what state they stand:Use. If thou hast not felt an Almighty work of God in thee, to renew and alter thee throughout, then art thou yet but a carnal and unregenerate man, then thou art in a woful case, thou hast nothing that can please God, what shall become of thee? rest not in this state: O that people could be perswaded of their woful and wretched miserable state, then were it easie to perswade them to seek to have it bettered! The Lord ferret you out of your holes, and muses that you have to lurk in: Alas, they will not all hide you f…om the All-seeing eye and justice of God: O pitty thy soul! This is the first step to Heaven, to know thy naked case: Take out this first Lesson, Thou canst never learn any other till this be learned; Thou that hast not learned this (as most have not) thou hast learned nothing to do thee good by all the Sermons which thou hast at any time heard.
The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. Observ.] Even so whatsoever is or can be in a meer unregenerate man,Nothing in an unregenerate man can abide the Lords examination. when it comes to the Lords examination, it will not abide, but vanisheth away, as snow on the Sun-fide of the house, and Butter before the fire.
But the Word of the Lord endureth for ever;] Having told them of their misery without Regeneration, he leaves them not there, but tells them of a remedy: To what purpose were it to tell one of his nakedness, unless he were also told how to come by clothing? that he is sick, unless he be told how he may be cured? to rake in the wound and sore, unless a Playster be applyed? This were but to encrease a mans grief; so to Preach mans misery, and there leave, were to drive a man to dispair, were either to make men blockishly careless what they did, or desperately to rage, and run into the Gulf of all impiety, seeing there is no remedy: The Apostle therefore doth both, teaching Ministers wisely to joyn Law and Gospel together; we must not onelyonly tell people of a remedy in general (so leaving them to se…k it themselves) but prescribe them the way by dutiful attendance to the Word of God; else they are like to do as sick folks, that having no counsel from the Physician, take things of their own head, which rather increase the disease then otherwise, even by some blinde courses of their devising seek a remedy, which will do them no good.
The Word of the Lord is the means appointed of him,Doctr. to make us live that be dead,Gods Word is the means whereby we may live for ever. to convert the Soul, to work Faith, whereby we are united to Christ the fountain of life: Its the Conduit pipe, whereby God conveyeth the life that is in him into us; without the Word,Iohn 5. 25. we are sta…k dead, where that fails, the people perish; without the Word,Prov. 29. 18. I say, we are but dead men, and we must dye and perish eternally if it help us not: But if it be carefully heard, believed and obeyed, it will bring us to everlasting life, to an enduring state in Grace and Glory.
1. O then,Use 1. wherewith shall this Word be prized? If even a Soul be more worthy then all the world, what is it worth that saves Souls? O no marvel though David said it was better then gold and silver,Psal. 19. 10. & 119 72, 127. and sweeter then honey: O how thankful should we be to God for this rich treasure hidden from most part of the world? he hath given his Statutes to Jacob, Psa. 147. 19, …0he hath not dealt so with other Nations; what if we had this whole worlds wealth amongst us, if we had not the Word of God? O what are we, that we should be preferr'd before so many great Countreys, and innumerable people? O how great is the unthankfulness of this Land, that set so little by it! why are the people so shie, and so hardly drawn to the preaching of the Word? Is it not some great hurt it would do them? Its even this, It would make them of sinners converted persons, bringing Salvation to their house; of dead, make them alive, and to live for ever: without it we are sure to dye, and that eternally.
2. To answer the prophane world,Use 2. that wonders at people that take pains winter and summer, to travel and take such journeys to the Word; they think they be fools, and laugh at them, What do they mean, say they? What mean they? they seek to have their Souls saved; if you have any greater business in hand then that, or know a better way to effect it, then the preaching of the Word, you should do well to set about it: But if ye do neither of these (as I know ye do not) then cease marvelling at them, and give them leave rather to marvel at you, that can be so careful for toys, and so careless of your Souls for the time to come.
3. If we have the Word of God, which is sufficient, and appointed to save our Souls, then how dare the Brownists separate themselves from us? Peter would not from Christ, when being asked of him whether he would go away,Ioh 6 68. Master (saith he) whether shall I go, thou hast the words of eternal life; yea, though there may be some things amiss, and where at they are offended, yet seeing there is sufficient to the Salvation of our Souls, we ought to take heed of departing from those places where such means are; they will go farther, and speed worse. Again, whereas they call our Ministers Antichristian, and B…alitical Priests, &c. what gross wrong is this? will God bless the labors of such to the winning of Souls? Have not sundry Ministers among us through Gods goodness been the instruments of converting many to God?1 Cor. 9. 2. Paul took that as a good Seal of his Apostleship, that he had been so blessed.
Of the Lord] This is to exclude all mens Traditions, false Scriptures, &c. which have no such power, and to stop the mouthes of Enthusiasts, that depend upon immediate Revelations from God, as though the Scriptures were insufficient.
And this is the word, Doct.which by the Gospel is preached unto you.] Where is the Word,The word by preaching is made the instrument of Regeneration. might they say, and how must it be handled to make it thus effectual? He answereth, If it be effectually preached, as it is among you, this is the means; its not in heaven, but among you, and by preaching its made the instrument of Regeneration: For, How shall they believe in him, Rom. 10. 14.of whom they have not heard; and, It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe: 1 Cor. 1. 21.The Eunuch having that by preaching opened and applied to him which he read,Acts 8 3…. was thereupon converted;See Neh. 8. 8. that which could not be done by bare reading, was done by preaching. Its true, the Word read and preached are both alike apt to convert in respect of themselves, but not in respect of us; as whole loaves, and bread cut in pieces and made small, have like nature and aptness to nourish in respect of themselves, but not in respect of us: for whole loaves will not enter into the mouth, nor into the stomack; or if they could be there, so fit to digest as when cut small, yea and chewed, for then its fit: So a sentence of Scripture must be broken, and divided into Doctrine and Use, then its fit, and not till then to nourish us; so that the cause why the Word read is not so apt to Regenerate and nourish us as the Word preached, is not in the Word it self, but in us, in respect of our weakness that cannot conceive it, nor yet apply it to our selves.
Therefore they that would have bare reading in Congregations,Use. and that as sufficient for the Salvation of a Congregation, they are Enemies to the Souls of Gods people. True it is, the reading of the Word, as well privately as publikely in the Congregation, is an exercise both holy and profitable, and hath ever been used in the Church of God, and is to this day, but yet not as sufficient (as the other) to Salvation.
Preached] This he addeth, that they might not look that God should speak to them from Heaven, or by an Angel, he hath thought good to speak unto us by men, whom he sends to preach unto us.
Unto you. Doct.] In that it was preached as to others, so also to them; note, That the Word ought to be preached in every particular Congregation;The Word ought to be preached in every Congregation. They that have it not, must seek it elsewhere, for it will not avail them that its preached in the same Land, Countrey or corner, except they also have it preached; nor yet will this serve for their excuse, We had it not in our Town: If light be come into the world, we must seek after it, as men go from Market to Market for provision.
And if the Word be truly preached in any Congregation,Use. the people ought in any wise to attend there, and wait for a blessing thereon: They must not discourage their Ministers through their absence, but rather by their presence and prayers for them in preaching, and themselves in hearing, help them forward.
And this is the word, &c.Obser.] Peter boldly avoucheth it was the Word of God that was preached among them;The Word must be so preached, as that the Ministers thereof may avouch it to be indeed the Word of God. and therefore that they which resisted it, resisted not him, but God: So must we preach, that we may boldly say thus and avouch it.
Those Ministers that broach Errors, and corrupt Opinions, or that plead for Baal (for this and that Disorder) or they that bend the edge of their Ministery against the forward and better sort, and so weaken their knees,Use. and strengthen the hands of the wicked, these cannot thus say, This is the Word of God that is preached unto you; God would not have said thus, neither saith Gods Word thus: and they that resist not God, but man, nay, the Devil, that moves him to utter these things. We ought to take heed, not daring to utter any thing, but that whereof we may boldly avouch; Thus saith the Lord, He that speaketh, 1 Pet. 4. 11.let him speak as the Oracles of God: But if we speak nothing but the Truth, and as God would, let all take heed how they shall dare to resist or gainsay it, or not yield obedience thereto; for he that resisteth it, despiseth his own Salvation, and resisteth not a mean man, but Almighty God, whose Word and Ordinance it is to save the Elect: and be sure if it save you not, it will condemn you, For as the rain cometh down, Isa. 55. 10. 11.and the snow from Heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower: So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth (saith the Lord) it shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
CHAP. II.
WE have finished the former Chapter through Gods goodness; many that heard the beginning thereof, dyed ere we came to the end, many dead since: We set now upon this second, hoping for the same assistance; and I pray lets all attend to the beginning with carefulness, for no doubt sundry of us (so frail are we) shall never live to the end of it, and therefore are to make the best use of that we shall hear.
In the latter end of the former Chapter,The coherence of this Chapter with the former. he had spoken of Regeneration, whereof he was perswaded many of them were partakers; now he perswades them to declare and honor that state and calling by a life answerable, even an holy conversation, both in their general and special callings, renouncing the sins and corruption from which they were called, and which became not new persons, and performing all the contrary good duties, beseeming them that are called to the state of grace and hope of glory.
This whole Chapter contains Exhortations;The sum of this Chapter. some general to all Christians, from the beginning to the thirteenth verse, some special, from thence to the end.
In the three first Verses he exhorteth as well to the laying aside some faults,The sum of the first three Verses. as the performance of a most necessary duty: The faults to be avoided and abandoned, verse 1. The duty to be practiced, verse 2. Whereunto is annexed a Reason why they should so earnestly long after, and heartily embrace the Word of God, even because they had already found some benefit thereof, yea the special goodness of God thereby, verse 3.