Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 4
Verse 4. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fa…eth not away, reserved in Heaven for you.
HEre he explains what we are called to, namely, the lively hope of the Kingdom of Heaven,The Kingdom of Heaven why termed an inheritance. which as it is here termed an Inheritance, so is it in the next verse Salvation. This is called an inheritance to shew us the nature of it, being also described by sundry properties, under divers-phrases, as if no words could sufficiently express the same. Those shew the perpetuity and purity thereof, as also how we shall come by it; its reserved for us, but where? in Heaven, where its out of danger: but how shall we come to it being here on earth among many dangers? We are kept for it, and that by a mighty hand, even the power of God, by the mean of Faith; kept, I say, unto this Salvation, prepared long ago, and which shall be shewed us in the fulness of it, even at Christs second coming.
An inheritance] Therefore no purchase, no wages of a servant, but an inheritance given by a Father to his son, not (such as many heirs have) entailed, or as any natural son, which hath it by a kinde of right after his father,See Act. 20. 32 but an inheritance of Adopted children;Luke 12. 32. taken in as the childe of a Traytor,Rom. 6. 23. nay a Traytor himself, and so made heirs, then which what can be freer? This is said to be given, and whats freer then gift?
This serves to confute not onelyonly the gross Opinion of Papists,Use. that we, God setting us forward, and helping us, can do such things as whereby we can merit Heaven and Salvation; but that which is more nice, is of those which say, that we have no good of our selves, but that its wrought in us by God alone, yet now look for Salvation by their Holiness and Sanctification; No, God forbid, for our Sanctification being imperfect, God might justly condemn us for it, and count our works a polluting of his grace;Psal 146. 2. therefore David saith, No flesh (before nor after grace) can be justified in thy sight; Rom. 3. 20.not onelyonly by nothing of our own,Luke 18. 11. but by nothing that God worketh in us. What differ these men from the proud Pharisee, he attributed his holiness not to himself, but to God, and thankt him for it; but he thought this would merit (that he was not so and so as others) and challenge something at the hand of God, and therefore was rejected. True it is, God not onelyonly disproveth not, but liketh and accepteth of our works, though unperfect, yea crowns and rewards his own grace in us; yet not for the worthiness of the work, but for the persons sake that is in his favor by Jesus Christ, whose perfect righteousness is imputed, to make a supply of our imperfections and wants.
Seeing therefore it is an inheritance every way free, bestowed upon us onelyonly by right of Adoption in Jesus Christ, which by his grace he hath called us unto; let us so acknowledge it to the glory of God, and like Adopted children, love our Father, fear him, be zealous for his glory, and take his part.
Incorruptible, 1 Cor. 2. 9.&c.] Now he describes it, rather setting down what it is not,The happiness of Gods people in Heaven abideth for ever. then what it is, which no tongue can express; it is without end, perpetual, called therefore everlasting life: Life for the excellency, Everlasting for the continuance; God endures for ever and ever, so the happiness of his servants: no death there to deprive us of it,Heb. 12. 28. or take us from it; no sin there to provoke God to take it from us, it abides firm for ever, it cannot be moved. All earthly inheritances are subject to decay, liable to a thousand perils, alterations and troubles, they may be taken from us, and we from them by death. How were the Canaanites put out, and the Israelites succeeded in their places? How did the Chaldeans displace them, as themselves were by the Medes and Persians? These things below are the meat that perisheth, uncertain riches, a treasure which moth and canker corrupt, and whereto theeves may break in and steal, whereof also civil or foraign Wars might quickly deprive us; neither are the smallest inheritances void of cumber, as being in danger of bad titles, oppressors, tyrants, and the like, or to be spent and wasted by unthrifty heirs.
Undefiled] There comes nothing to taint it,Why termed undefiled. its most pure; how can it be otherwise, being the habitation of the most holy God, who is Holiness it self?Act. 20. 12. holiness becometh the presence of God, where his holy Angels attend upon him: This is prepared for them that are sanctified;Apoc. 21. 27. neither can any unclean person come there: Hereof the most holy place in the Temple, called the Holy of Holies, was a figure, and this is also called the holy Jerusalem; Apoc. 21. 10.pure gold is the wall thereof, and precious stones that have no mixture of any impure thing in them; the gates That withereth not, or fadeth not away; A metaphor taken from herbs and flowers, which though fair and fresh, and of good smell in the morning, yet in a short time fade and wither, lose beauty, smell, and all.The Kingdom of Heaven always one and the same. This Kingdom is not so, but continues ever fresh and flourishing, always the same, alters not through continuance or length of time. There's nothing in this world but welks; the older we grow, the more we wrinkle and wither, the more do we fade both in beauty and strength: so do inheritances; so goodly and fair houses in time are ready to drop down, or are quite consumed: Kingdoms also fade and decay, that were sometimes flourishing; so also Cities, yea every thing is the worse for the wearing: Not so with this, here's an inheritance indeed, could we but conceive and express the fame.
This sets out the excellency of the children of God,Use 1. that are beloved of God, attended by the holy Angels, heirs of the promises here, and of such an inheritance hereafter: If any man knew the excellency of a childe of God, covered with Christs Righteousness, heir apparent to such a Kingdom, endued with the Spirit of Sanctification, and who he were that is one of them, he would fall down at his feet, and kiss the ground he trod on, and cry out, Blessed be the day that ever thou wert born; but twice blessed the day wherein thou shalt die, for then thou shalt be blessed, and that eternally: but this the world seeth not, they see us but outwardly, and so our state is mean, they see not our inward estate.Simile.
If the yong Prince should come on foot in his working-day cloaths through a Town, and none knew who were his Father, nor what he is born to, he might go through the street, and no man greatly regard him; but if in his best apparel, and known what he is, then every man would look after him, and reverence him: so the world sees us in our working-days cloaths, and therefore neglect us; if they did see us in our holy-day apparel, they would admire us: but being ignorant of the Father that begat us, and that will give us this inheritance, how can they take notice of us?
This should stir up them that have attained hereunto,Use 2. to be highly thankful for the same; and good cause why, for we were begotten and born at first to a woeful inheritance, to hell and damnation, children of wrath, but now begotten again to this happy inheritance; walk we therefore as becometh those that are called to so high an inheritance:Phil. 3. 20. Kings Sons must not carry themselves like base persons; so neither must we,Col. 3. 1. but have our conversation in Heaven, seeking for those things that are above, and esteeming of this world as vain; so using it, as that thereby we may be furthered to our true inheritance, not hindred; we must long to be at it: How do heirs under age, long to be of age to come to their Lands? so should we (here as it were under age) long to come to our Inheritance; as they that be long tossed on the Sea, long to come to the Haven, and Pilgrims to be at their own Country, and Prisoners to be at liberty; so should we desire to be dissolved, that we enjoy Heaven, our Haven, our Countrey, the onelyonly place of freedom. A wonderful fault in Christians, that so little think of it, take so little pleasure therein, are no more thankful for the same; seek after earthly things too eagerly, and do not so much aim after this: Oh what great unthankfulness is this! to be called to such an Inheritance, and so little to think thereof, so little to long after it? Oh how we linger here below! if God should not drive us out by crosses, as Lot was fired out of Sodom, we would never be weary, we would still say, Its good being here; say we then out of our earnest desire hereof,Rev. 22. 17. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.
Here we sin,Rev. 7. 17. and taste of sorrows many ways; then shall we sin no more, feel no more affliction, pain, sorrow, trouble any way: All tears shall be wiped from our eyes, then shall we be perfectly both holy and happy; when we come there, we shall not need to plow, sow, eat, drink, sleep, we shall not need travel any more to hear more Sermons, God shall be all in all.
This should comfort us against the fear of death;Use 3. what should we need to fear, since when Our earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved, 2 Cor. 5. 1.we know we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. To go out of prison to liberty, is it not comfortable? out of of a miserable world, to a most happy Inheritance, what more desireable? So if we be deprived of our earthly Inheritance, as these Jews were that were scattered into other countreys for Religion sake, comfort we our selves notwithstanding, that yet we have an Inheritance (as hard as the world goes) and that a good and a sure one;Act. 7. 5. as long as we have this, we are happy: So though we have no Inheritance here, not one foot; yet if we have assurance of this, we may rejoyce, and having this, bear with the want of other things: Its better, then without this to be Lord of a Town, Owner of a Kingdom; its our great fault, that if we be somewhat shortened here, we are so much cast down thereat as if we had nothing.
This should make us count all the labor,Use 4. pains, reading, hearing, conferring, praying, and all happy that hath brought us to the hope of this Inheritance; we have travelled well, its happily bestowed. Hereupon for the time to come, we must be encouraged to any pains, to do any thing, to suffer any thing for the attainment and enjoyment of so blessed an Inheritance: This Inheritance should we desire for our children above any other, and use the means accordingly; how do men toil to make their children rich, how few use means to make them gracious.
This may stir up them that have no hope to labor after this Inheritance;Use. 5. Lay up a treasure in Heaven; Mat. 6. 20.Labor for the meat that endureth to everlasting life. Ioh. 6. 27.This is worth our pains and cost, this is good wisdom:Mat. 13. 45. The wise Merchant spying the Pearl hid in the field, goes and sells all, and buys it; so every one that is a true Esteemer of this Pearl, prizeth it above all that he hath; But few do thus, because this Pearl is hid from carnal men, they do not see it, and many among us will not see it, though it be discovered to us: But O woful and miserable world, he that would look upon most men, might think there were no such inheritance: How do some spend all their time in pleasure, and never look after any thing else? How do most men rake after the world, night and day (Sabbath and all) by right and wrong, hook and crook, and suffer no stone unrolled for this pelf and trash of the world, that never set their hearts once to enquire after any other inheritance for time to come, as if Heaven were here: poor beasts, they might as well go on all four: Oh base, that men should spend their time, their thoughts, their pains, and all, for that which may be lost ere morning, and no whit for that which will last for ever: Thus with Judas, most sell Christ for Thirty pieces; with Esau, their Birthright for a mess of Pottage; and with the Gadarens, prefer their hogs before Christ; others that seem not altogether eaten up of the world, or so prophane, will talk of this inheritance, but how do they hold it? by every blinde conceit; they that cannot even by learned Counsel make sure enough their Earthly inheritance, can of their own heads make sure their Heavenly: Nay, the world if they see any take pains in Hearing, Reading, Praying, and the like, wonder at them, count them fools, say, they will beggar themselves, I wonder what they mean, &c. Dost thou wonder? They desire to attain an heavenly inheritance, not easily attained: They may rather wonder to see thee so earnest for this trash, which thou must leave thou canst not tell how soon, and have no care for the time to com, which is for ever; let such leave off seeking for the body,1 Tim. 6. 19. and now care for the soul, Laying up in store a good foundation for themselves against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life: Oh get good evidences to shew for it against all cavillers; content not thy self with this, that God is merciful, and Christ died for all men, and the like, but labor to gain assurance upon good ground, that thou art one of them to whom God hath promised mercy, and for whom Christ dyed: To this end, examine thy Faith by its undoubted fruits, Repentance and Charity.
If it be an undefiled inheritance,Use 6. let every one therefore labor to wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, and by the Spirit of Sanctification, else can we never come there; none but such are admitted into Gods presence: what an impudent sawciness then is it in a number that wallow in the filthy mire of their sins, and yet hope to go to Heaven as well as the best? Are swine, and such filthy cattel used to be brought into Kings Presence-Chambers? No, thou must be washed ere thou come here, and that so, as all the water in the sea cannot wash thee: If such as thou go to Heaven, then who go to Hell? If you will say Turks & Pagans, then look into the Parable of the Sower, three sorts of hearers perish; you know and do not, they know not the will of God: Dost thou think that thou canst go on in thy lewdness, and step out of thy filthy life into Heaven? No, then had all Gods servants lost a great deal of labor: We read of one, and but of one, that made any short cut, namely the thief upon the Cross; labor thou therefore in time to be washed, in time for Sanctification, and hereafter (as heretofore thou hast still done) put not off from day to day: But the Apostle contents not himself with the foregoing description, he yet adds more touching the same; what then? We notwithstanding must learn to be wise according to sobriety; and that we (forgetting our weak understanding) mount not up to search more curiously into Gods mysteries then he hath revealed▪ lest the glory thereof dazle and confound us: We are ready, & have a tickling desire to know further then God hath revealed, which breeds rather jangling then godly edifying: It may be enough for us to know that this inheritance and happiness is such, as that when all that mens tongues can speak is uttered, yet it is nothing to the excellency of it: So laying aside all curious questions about it, let us rather imploy our pains and study to get assurance of it.
Reserved in Heaven] This inheritance is here described by the place, not in Earth, not in Paradice, where Adam was, not in Canaan, which flowed with milk and honey, but in Heaven.
Hence note, that
Heaven is the place wherein God hath appointed to glorifie his Saints,God hath appointed to glorifie his Saints in heaven. even the third Heaven, the place of his presence; where he manifesteth himself most clearly to his Angels and Saints; that Paradice whereinto Christ ascended at his death, where also he promised that the penitent thief should be with himself▪ the bosom of Abraham, whereinto Lazarus was received.
For where Christ is, there shall all his Saints be; as he himself hath promised, and will perform: See to this purpose, Mat. 25. 34. Joh. 14. 2. and 17. 24. & 2 Cor. 5. 1. This is not every where, as some have imagined,Col. 3. 1. but above in the highest Heavens: Christ was taken up,Act. 1. 9. and who knoweth not that Heaven is above, as Hell is beneath?
This sheweth the excellency of this inheritance:Use 1. Oh how infinite odds is there between Heaven and Earth, both for Glory and Eternity! Therefore its called a glorious inheritance:Eph. 1. 18. If the outside be so decked with Sun, Moon, Stars, and such an excellent beautiful sky,Rev. 21. 11. what is the inside? According to our weakness, St. John describes it by things of most worth amongst us, as pure Gold, and precious Pearls: In this will God glorifie all his Saints, whensoever we die, our souls shall be taken up into it, as our bodies also at the last day.
How doth this set forth the unspeakable love of God,Use 2. and merit of Christ, that we who were worthily shut out of the Paradise on Earth, should be received into this Heavenly Paradise.
How should this ravish their hearts,Use 3. that know themselves heirs of this? How should it make them despise these things here below, when they know and finde them experimentally lets hereunto? How should it make us walk with an heavenly minde worthy of that inheritance? Out minde and soul should be there, and savour of it, whither at the time of our dissolution we are to be carried.
How should this stir up all men to seek after this glorious inheritance,Use 4. this Treasure in Heaven, so excellent, so incomparable? But Oh, the blinde world thinks not of this, because its not seen with the bodily eye: Men labor and strive to get up aloft here, to fet their nest on high, from which yet they may come down quickly, as many do, and must do at their death; but how few labor to get up to this height of glory in Heaven?
In Heaven] Hereby our Apostle meets with,The prevention of a conceit of the Iews. and seeks to cure a gross imagination of the Jews, which dreamed of an earthly Potentate, and thought Christ should come and deliver them from the Romans: See it in the two sons of Zebedeus; Mat. 20. 21.yea after three years teaching of Christ,Acts 1. 6. after his death and resurrection, they were not free of this conceit: our Savior used to call their mind from this to heaven, Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of, saith he; and, I came to serve, and not to be served.
So Peter draws them to look for their glory in Heaven; we must not therefore look for an happy estate here below but in Heaven: Here the Cross, there the Crown; here the Battel, there the Victory; The Crown of Thorns here, the Crown of Glory hereafter; many would follow Christ and the Gospel, if there came any preferment by him,Mat. 8. 19, 20. that now do not; so would the yong rich man: But Gods children will serve him, though they undergo troubles here for the glorious inheritance hereafter.
Reserved for us in Heaven] This meets with an Objection that these Christians might make:The preventian of an Objection. Alas, come to this inheritance (it were happy indeed if we could) but what hope of it? Alas, we are tossed up and down, stript of all our goods, and persecuted; we are so far from hope to obtain this eternal inheritance, that we cannot keep these earthly ones which we have: He answered, this is safely reserved for us, and is out of danger to be lost; and though they lost their earthly inheritances, they were but uncertain and transitory things, whereof God never promised that they should be other; but this is eternal, whereof they shall be most sure:Mat. 25. 34. For, hath the Father prepared this inheritance ere the world was, and chosen us unto it? hath the Son purchased it for us when we had lost it?Gods children sh…ll not miss of Heaven. Hath the Holy Ghost assured us of it, and sealed it to us, and given us the earnest of it, and shall we miss it? God forbid, the Spirit of truth cannot deceive us; shall Christ lose his death? Oh no, its reserved for us in Heaven, where no Devil can come, nor wicked men to take it from us.
Let this be a comfor to all the faithful servants of God that are justified and sanctified,Use. to sweeten all their afflictions here below, that they may be as sure of Heaven in the end without fail, as if they had it already: Many children lose their temporal inheritances, for want of good Gardians and Keepers, they are often wasted and gone ere they come to years, or are suffered to be recovered from them by some others; but the Lord is a faithful keeper, we are yet under age; when we shall come to age and dye, the Father that kept it for us, will bestow it on us; Christ Jesus our head and elder brother, he hath taken possession of it for us, and tells us, that where he is, there shall we be. But if we say, we have many ill willers, there can none come into Heaven, but our Friends: The Devil our deadliest adversary, he comes not there, though he did into the earthly Paradise: And for the wicked, though they hare Gods children, so as they could wish, that as they take away their earthly Inheritances, so they should never be happy, if they could help it; its past their power to deprive them hereof; they shall go to Heaven do what they can, yea oftentimes they help them sooner thither then otherwise they should be (though no thank to them) and at the day of Judgement, to the increase of their torment, the godly shall be taken up in their sight to Heaven, when themselves shall be thrust into that place of utter darkness, to be tormented with the Devil and his Angels for ever and ever: Hereof we have need to be throughly perswaded, else when great afflictions come, they will be ready to overwhelm us, as it did almost befal both Job and Jeremiah. Oh the afflictions of this present time are not worthy the glory that shall be revealed! let the assurance of Heaven keep us from wishing we had never been; whatsoever troubles we do here meet withal, pray we still, Lord increase our Faith; but more of this hereafter.
For us] Namely,To be particularly assured of Heaven a special comfort. himself by the judgement of certainty, and them by the judgement of charity.
Here note, that
Its a Christians special comfort,Gal. 2. 20. that he knows and believes that this Inheritance is for him in particular;Iob 19. 25. I know, saith Job, that my Redeemer liveth; Ioh. 20. 28.My Lord and my God, saith Thomas: This nature of Faith is signified in the particular distribution of the Sacrament.
To believe it in general, affords no sound comfort; it may indeed allure one for a while to the profession of the Gospel, to hear that there be such excellent things,Heb. 6. 6. but it will not continue, but will fail and fade away: They that have no more but tasted of the powers of the world to come, will assuredly fall quite away; but a particular assurance is the mother of all comfort, and the onelyonly foundation of a true good life, and continuance therein unto the end; The onelyonly prop and pillar to uphold us in Troubles, Dangers, Distresses, Persecutions, and what not.
Therefore labor for it;Use. But this were presumption, say the Papists, and to this purpose they abuse that of the Preacher, The Righteous and the Wise, Eccle. 9. 1.and their works are in the hand of God, no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them; but hereby is meant onelyonly, that by these outward things no man can conclude whether he be loved or hated of God, but that therefore we may not know at all, its most gross. Indeed if we should say this of our own heads, it were presumption, but when we speak it from the Word, and the witness of the Spirit of truth,Rom. 8. 14. then it is not; As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God, 2 Cor. 13. 5.saith the Apostle; And, Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you, except ye be reprobate. And the Apostle Saint John tells us how we may know that he dwels in us,1 Ioh. 4. 13. even Because he hath given us of his Spirit.
If therefore we finde the fruits of the Spirit, an hatred of all sin, an unfeigned care to please God in all things, love to Gods Word and his people, grieve that we can serve God no better, strive after more power, and that in the use of the means ordained to that end; we should be injurious to the Spirit of God, if we did not believe this inheritance to belong to our selves in particular;Rom. 8. 30. Therefore if we finde our selves regenerate and sanctified, we need not doubt of glorification.