Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 5
Verse 5. Who are kept by the power of God, through Faith unto Salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.
THey might say its a goodly Inheritance indeed, and reserved for us, but how shall we come at it, that are lost on the sea of this world? how should a Mariner come to the Haven in a great tempest through the midst of rocks and sands,The preventi- of another doubt. and many Pirats in his way? This doubt the Apostle removes, by shewing, That they are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation. God doth, as if a King should lay up an infinite treasure in a most safe place, and bid his subjects fetch and take it, but in the way are many Theeves, and also Lyons, Wolves and Bears, against whom he promises them safe conduct and protection, with his gards to go along with them.
Here then is a further benefit that God bestoweth upon his, that he sets them not onelyonly in hope of Salvation, and in a good way, but so confirms them therein, that they continue to the end, and that by upholding them through his mighty power, against all oppositions whatsoever.
Kept] Therefore we have many enemies and hinderances of our Salvation;Gods children have many enemies to hinder their salvation. 1. The Devil, whose subtilty, malice, power and vigilancy is extraordinary; his names in Scripture, Serpent, Dragon, Lyon, and such like, with his continued practises (there recorded) to hinder our Salvation, evidence the same: Accordingly doth he daily endeavor to have us in one extreme or another, as either to be of no religion, or a false religion; if of a true, then that either we may be carnal and secure, or run on to an erroneous and preposterous zeal; so as he drives some to presumption, he drives others to desperation. 2. The world; whereof 1. The evil examples therein, like a common stream carry us away, as sheep or cattel seeing a few go in at a gap, will in too, whatever come of it. 2. Ill counsel, and that both to yong men, What will you in the prime of your youth give your self to this precise course, never merry more? no body will care for you. Old men, What will you now be an hearer of Sermons, and of another minde then heretofore? what is this, but to disgrace all your former life? you have ever been counted an honest man, do not now discredit your self: and to rich men, will you go among them, a company of poor despised people? it will be no small disgrace unto you. 3. The profits and pleasures thereof, whereby most men are beguiled and enchanted: By profits some are kept from professing religion altogether, their Oxen and Farms keep them off, they have no leasure; yea, some that have heard with joy, and (with Demas) gone further, have been choaked by these thorny cares, as others besorted with pleasures to the ruine of their whole man. 4. Adversities, Persecutions,Mat. 26. 56. Troubles every where to be found therein: All forsook Christ when he was first taken,2 Tim. 4. 16. and the Apostle Paul saith, That at his first answer all for sook him. Rom. 8. 7.And 3. which is the worst, our own corrupt nature,Gen. 6. 5. the wisedom whereof is enmity against God, and all the thoughts of our hearts are onelyonly evill continually:1 Pet. 2. 11. Our fleshly lusts fighting against our souls; Oh the abominable corruption that lurketh in us! we drink in iniquity like water, we hale it to us as with cart ropes, naturally we can do nothing else; as a traytor its ready to deliver us up to every Enemy,Ioh. 17. 11. therefore Christ had cause to commend us to his Fathers custody.
These be so mighty, as that few can be saved for them: These not onelyonly carry down the common sort, but even such as have made great profession, and have received great gifts; many of these, with Demas, are eaten up of the world, as others scared by persecution; yea, hereby even Gods sanctified ones (with David and Peter) are shrewdly shaken.Psal. 73. 2.
We should therefore Be strong in the Lord,Use. and in the power of his might;Eph. 6. 10. Putting on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil and his adherents. No marvel then, though our Savior still stirs us up to watch and pray.
By the power of God] We cannot keep our selves;Christians cannot stand of themselves. No alas! not for an hour: look on David and Peter, nay Adam in the state of innocency; yea, as being left for a while, we fall into some one or other sin, as into security,Psalm 127. 1. or the like; so we could not but fall quite away, if there were no other help but our own.
This should make us hang down our heads,Use 1. and humble our selves, and cling to God: If we trust to our selves we shall speed like Peter; therefore crave new grace, and continual supply.
And if we be kept,Use 2. we may know to whom to ascribe the glory and praise thereof.
Though we have many opposites against our Salvation,Use 3. and we cannot keep our selves, there is one notwithstanding that both can and will keep us, so that we cannot fall from our happy state of grace, in despite of all the enemies of our Salvation whatsoever.
He opposeth to the mighty adversaries of our Salvation,Gods almighty power is sufficient to uphold us against all our enemies. mighty defence, even the Almighty power of God; that is, His Almightiness, whereby he rules all things in Heaven, Earth, Sea, and all deeps, whom neither Angels, Men, Devils nor Hell can resist. Whatsoever disguise we see any Christians to come to,See Rogers his Book of Direct. we that escape them, are so kept by the power of God; the Father having elected us, the Son hath redeemed us, and so committed us over to his Father to be kept: so that our Salvation is not in our own keeping,Ioh. 17. 11. as it was in Adams, for then woe unto us, we should soon lose it; but it is in a sure hand, which makes our state by Christ much better then our state in Adam.
This is most comfortable Doctrine against all fear of our own weakness,Use 1. or any other enemies;Psal. 121. 4. Though they be strong, yet the Father is stronger,Ioh. 10. 19. and none can pluck them out of his hands: Our adversary is as a roaring Lyon,See Phil. 1. 6. but we have the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah on our side;Ier. 31. 3. and being made members of Christ, will be suffer any to pluck and rend us from him? no assuredly, we are not now enemies as in time past, but Gods sons and daughters, therefore not like unnaturally to be forsaken of him in our need;Rom. 5. 10. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life, being delivered from our greatest fear, everlasting condemnation:Objections against this, answered by Downham. lib. 3. cap. 13. its most certain, that our combats that remain, shall not be deadly, but onelyonly to exercise our Faith; let us believe this firmly, God who hath bestowed grace on us, will uphold us to the end, so that we may say, Though we can do nothing of our selves, we are able notwithstanding to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth us: Phil. 4. 13.And, We know whom we have believed, and that he is able to keep that which we have committed to him, 2 Tim. 12.whose love also is unchangeable.
Why,Object. we have known of great professors who have faln finally, as Judas, and many in our time.
Yea,Sol. but not such as were taken into the Divine protection and keeping of God, but hypocrites: They went out from us (saith Saint John) but they were not of us. Peter was kept by the power of God, though shaken by temptation, yet was he not overcome. Judas was never but the childe of perdition, and had common graces, and was never justified nor sanctified.
Let us then look we be found, and indeed be such as are taken into Gods keeping, and then safe enough; then may we triumph with the Apostle,Rom. 8. 31. If God be on our side, who can be against us? And, who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Rom. 8. 35. 37.Shall tribulation, or distress or persecution, &c. Nay in all these things we are more then conqu…rers through him that loved us: So must it needs be, except we think the Lords arm to be shortened, or his power weakned, that he cannot help, and that there should be any stronger then the Almighty: Indeed if we be but Hypocrites, and out of Gods keeping, we may fall into any sin, and miserably fall away for ever, for what have we to stay us? For as if God take not the care of a man, all creatures are lyable to do him hurt; as Cain said murmuringly,Gen. 4. 14. Thou hast cast me from thy face, and every one that findes me shall slay me: Noting indeed truly that he lyeth open to a Thousand perils that is not kept by God; so is it for spiritual dangers, he that is not kept by God, may fall into any sin irrecoverably, and perish eternally.
This then confoundeth that hellish Doctrine of Rome, Use 2.that the elect and sanctified may finally fall from grace, which is contrary to the whole Scripture.
Through Faith] God keeps us,Gods people are kept thr…ugh Faith. but by no miracle or extraordinary way, but by Faith; not without us, but by working and increasing the grace of Faith, and true beleif in us: some would understand it, through hope, because hereby we wait for Salvation, and indeed there is great affinity between Faith and Hope, so that in Scripture they are sometimes put one for another: By Faith we believe the goodness of God towards us, by Hope we wait till we finde and feel him so to us; by Faith we believe eternal life, by Hope we patiently wait for it: And as there could be no Hope, if there were not Faith before, so Hope doth greatly help Faith; it keeps it that it makes not too much haste, nor break off in the mid way; for God oftentimes after his promises deferreth to perform them (so that the wicked also come to say,2 Pet. 3. 4. Where is the promise of his coming) yea ere he come, he hides his face, and seems as if he would not fulfil the same; now therefore here doth Hope her Office, and steps in, and sustains Faith very well, so that a Christian must necessarily have both to go along with him: But I see no reason to alter the Apostles words, but to take Faith properly for the grace of true Faith and believing: though this is true, that Hope helps well on, but he speaks of Faith, which includeth Hope as a necessary companion.
But how doth faith bring us to Salvation?How Faith bringeth us to Salvation. It is said by the Apostle Paul, By grace ye are saved through Faith: Now as it first apprehends Christ and Salvation,Eph. 2. 8. so it holds this hold, and continues our comfort, and still carries us on in the service of God, and an holy life: This assurance of eternal life makes us contemn profits, offered to pull us from a good conscience,Heb. 11. 24. as Moses did Pharaohs Court, and pleasures of Aegypt; so to despise the Cross, and overcome troubles that would draw us therefrom, as the holy Martyrs did from time to time.
Also Faith apprehending the promise of God for our upholding to the end, rests upon the goodness of God, which is constant, and his power, which is infinite: Therefore when any shall perswade us we shall never hold out, we shall be forsaken, Faith then puts up head, and saith nay to it, because God hath promised to keep us unto Salvation.
The wicked come and say, where is now thy God, by reason of troubles which befal the Godly; so the Devil and their own unbelief assaults them,Psal. 42. 5. 11. now Faith helps and saith, Why art thou cast down, why art thou disquieted, trust yet in God, he is my present help and my God: and,Psal. 23. 4. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no ill: and, the name of the Lord is a strong Tower; Pro. 18. 10.the Righteous runneth to it, and is safe: 1 Ioh. 5. 4.This is the Victory that overcometh the world, called therefore the shield,Eph. 6. 16. By which we quench the fiery darts of the Devil: For this purpose our Saviour when he prayed that Peter might hold out, prayed that his Faith might not fail:Luke 22. 32. If that fail we are gone, if it hold, we shall be too hard for all the world; so long as our Faith holds, all the world, with all the Engines it hath to destroy us, can never overturn us: Contrarily, without Faith we can neither begin nor stand against any temptation or danger.
This teacheth men to labor for this true Faith,Use 1. without it they may fall to any thing, as the second and third sort of ground mentioned by our Savior in the parable; most people content themselves in being professors, but labor not for this grace of Faith, and therefore do they fall away, and never come to Salvation.
It teacheth also the Godly,Use 2. still to say with the Apostle, Lord increase our Faith, Luke 17. 5.using all other means to that purpose: A little Faith will go but a little way; the least, if true, shall get to Heaven, but with much ado, as a poor tattered Vessel may get to shoar, especially if there come no storms,Simile. but if there do, its in great danger, and very hardly attains unto it: but as a strong Vessel comes safely, though it have strong tempests; so a strong Faith, though it be strongly assaulted, and put to it (as oft it is) both in life, and in the end of life, yet it conquers.
We have had none but calm times hitherto, but what we may have we know not, whether common trials, or particular ones, accompanied with pain, grief, vexation, &c. Labor therefore for good store of Faith.
Unto Salvation] kept not for a while,Phil. 1. 6. but to the coming of Christ, to the enjoying of Salvation, and not as Moses, who had only a sight of Canaan.
He keeps us by his power:Christians must not look here for outward prosperity. whereto? Not that our finger shall not ake in this world, but have all peace and prosperity, and every bodies good will: No, but to Salvation in the end of our life, for here we must suffer with him,Rom. 8. 17. if hereafter we mean to raign with him; we must be Baptized with the Baptism wherewith he was Baptized.
It is true that godliness hath the promises of this life,Use. and of that which is to come, but of this only, so much as God shall see meet.
Therefore let us dream of no tranquility here, but expect that in Heaven, where we shall be happier then can be uttered.
Ready to be revealed in the last time. The fulness of our happiness not to be had here,] When shall we have it? It was prepared before the world, we shall have a measure of it in death, but the fulness thereof is deferred till the day of Judgement, Christs second coming,Act. 3. 19. which is called the time of refreshing, and our full redemption.
By the last time,Act. 2. 17 may be understood, in divers places of Scripture, all the time from Christs coming in the flesh,Heb. 1. … till the end of the world, so called, in respect of the former times; and because they go directly and immediately before the end, and because God hath perfected his will, and the revelation thereof to his Church in his Son, and no more is to be added.
They under the Law waited for a cleerer and fuller manifestation thereof, but now we have all we shall ever have; but by the last time here, the worlds end is meant, for then shall there be no more time, as there was none before the creation;Gen. 8. 22. the Sun, Moon and Stars were made for signs and season; Winter and Summer, to measure days, moneths, years, &c. but then shall they cease; in Hell the wicked shall have none, in Heaven the godly shall need none; so there shall be no more time, no more day in Hell, but all night, no night in Heaven, but all day.
Well,But at the last day. our full Salvation we shall have at the last day, and not before; then shall our bodies (whatsoever in the mean time becometh of them) as they have been companions with our souls in well-doing, and have been redeemed by Christ, as well as they be raised up, and set on the right Hand; when both joyntly shall hear this comfortable sentence,Col. 3. 3, 4. Come ye blessed of my Father, &c. then shall we be ever with the Lord in Heaven both in body and soul: Now our life is hid with Christ in God; 1 Ioh. 3. 2.But when Christ which is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.
We must therefore wait patiently,Use. 1. not making too much haste; in the fulness of time we shall have our hearts desire: Christ was promised in the beginning of the world, but came not till long after, even when the fulness of time came,Iam. 5. 7. so▪ shall our happiness in the appointed time.
We are taught to pray, Object.Thy Kingdom come; and in the Revelation its mentioned that the souls under the Alter cried, Rev. 6. 10.How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth!
True,Sol. but yet patiently awaiting Gods good time that he hath appointed.Use. 2.
Hereby also we may stop the mouths of mockers that shall come to us, and say,2 Pet. 3. 4. Where is the promise of his coming? we may answer, it is coming, and it will be here too soon for you, and God is not slack as you think, but therefore deferreth, as willing that all men should come to Salvation, even all such as he hath elected, who being once all born and called, the end shall quickly come: And as this may stop their mouths, so it may make us patient to tarry for our fellow brethren.
When we therefore make too much haste, what is it, but that we would have our full, happiness, and leave out some of the elect to be quite put off;Simile. as if we should desire to be over a water, and then draw the bridge that the rest shall not come over: And the rather let us be patient,Iam. 5. 8. not onelyonly because of the greatness of the reward when it cometh, but also because it hasteneth; we have the vantage of our Forefathers, which lay long in the earth, waiting for that day, but now its at hand; we hasten to it, and it hastens to us, we shall meet ere long, and as our Apostle saith,2 Pet. 2. 3. The damnation of the wicked sleepeth not, so neither the Salvation of the godly, now ready to be revealed.
Last time.] The coufutation of an error.Some gather hence, That we shall have no part in glory at all, till the day of Judgement, but that the souls of the Saints go to a middle place, &c. confuted by our Saviors speech to the thief, Verily I say unto thee, Luke 23. 43.To day shalt thou be with me in Paridise; the Angels carrying Lazarus of soul into Abrahams bosom:Luke 16. 22. See also Eccle. 12. 7. Phil. 3. 13. Rev. 6. 10.
This should make us labor for pure and holy souls,Use. seeing they must be in Heaven as soon as ever they depart from our bodies, which we know not how soon it may be: They must be carried up above the Starry Heaven into the most solemn appearance that ever was.