Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 6
Verse 6. Wherein ye greatly rejoyce, though now for a season (if need be) yeare in heaviness through manifold temptations.
HAving shewed the Inheritance at large, here he sheweth by what way God will bring us thither; namely, by weeping-cross, by the rough way of affliction, which yet shall not be to our hurt or consuming, but to the trial of our Faith, that it may be (being purified) to our honor at Christs coming: Therefore though our afflictions breed heaviness, yet not such, but that the assurance of our Salvation makes us in the same to rejoyce.
Wherein] that is, In which Election, Sanctification, Lively hope, and happy Inheritance ye rejoyce: Here he setteth down another benefit bestowed upon us by the Gospel; namely, Spiritual joy, and rejoycing proceeding from Faith and Hope, yea, and that in adversity.
He knew they rejoyced in the assurance of their happiness, he knew it by himself, he did so, and therefore they could do no other, for the same Spirit worketh alike in the elect, which makes that they can the better tell how to speak, to advise, counsel and understand one another.
But in commending them,Phil. 1. 18. he exorteth them, namely, That they would do so still;We must rejoyce in the assurance of our Salvation. for being now in persecution, he requires them to reioyce yet in the assurance of their eternal happiness, as Paul of himself in another case.
Hence note,See Psal. 4. 7. & 50. 12. that
Its the duty of all those that be assured of their Salvation, to rejoyce in it,Mat. 9. 2. which being attained unto, breeds joy, and no marvel; For,Luke 10. 20.
Is liberty joyful to the captive,Act 8. 8. 39. & 16. 34. health to the sick, sight to the blinde, life to the dead? Then must Salvation needs be so to them that have felt themselves condemned; for them to be the children of God, that were the slaves of Satan, heirs of Heaven, that were firebrands of Hell.
Who can but rejoyce, that knoweth that there's no condemnation to him? Though thousands perish, God loves him, he shall want nothing; such need not fear though Heaven and Earth should come together, he knows that Heaven's prepared for him, without which there can be no true mirth.
This rebuketh Christians that do no more rejoyce in their happiness,Use 1. so seldom think of it, so little refresh and quicken up their hearts by it.
Wee could be merry in it,Object. but our wretched nature and corruptions, that break out so continually, so many ways damps us, and causeth us to go heavily, when we might else rejoyce.
True,Sol. but this is not all the cause, we rejoyce too much and too often in earthly things, and therefore so seldom in the true treasure and best inheritance; and this is unthankfulness, and too much baseness, and a great fault. If we did more often comfort our hearts in this assurance, it would sharpen us on much to duty; the want of this is the cause of our dulness.
This also rebukes the fond world,Use 2. that thinketh the Christian state so lumpish, as that there's no mirth in it; and that if they should undertake that state, they should never be merry more: such are afraid of their own shadows,Phil. 4. 4. they are desperate and mad men, that can or dare be merry till they be Christians,1 Thess. 5. 16. who onelyonly have commission to be merry.
The wicked are bidden indeed, but its with a choak in the end, that they must come to Judgement.
Religion takes not away,Religion reforms mirth. but onelyonly reforms mirth; it takes away the filthy and wicked mirth, that provokes God to anger, and ends in howling, as the wicked cannot be merry, but in swearing, drunkeness, ribaldry, mocking the children of God, and the like: What, no sport but with firebrands and edgetools? with nothing but that which must anger God, and wound our own souls?
Again,Moderates our lawful mirth. It moderates our lawful mirth, wherein many rejoyce too excessively, teaching us first to rejoyce in God and his love, then in these things, as coming from thence, and as helps, and for the hope of better things.
Oh that roysters and carnal worldlings would set less by this joy,Use. for howling will be the end, and labor for the ground of true joy, which may make their hearts merry here,Pro. 14. 13. and bring them to endless joy hereafter.Eccles. 7. 6. The wicked laugh, but in the midst thereof their heart is heavy.
They have many secret stings; its with good and bad men as its with a true man and a thief, the true man goes home merry, and there sits down quiet, though he have no great provision; the thief having his purse full of money at his Inn, calls for great cheer, wine and musick, and yet with a trembling heart, a fearful eye, an ear that lists to every knock, thinking still that some are come to apprehend him; he is not therefore so truly merry as the poor true man: so is it with good and bad men.
Ye rejoyce] They were in affliction,Being assured of Heaven we must rejoyce even in our troubles. yet rejoyced in the hope of Heaven; whence learn, that being assured of Heaven, we are to rejoyce even in affliction, in troubles.
This is often commanded; We are to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations.Rom. 5. 3. For
Our light affliction which is but for a moment, 2 Cor. 8. 2.worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory: Mat. 5. 11.And,Iam. 1. 2. The sufferings of this present time, Reason.are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 2 Cor 4. 17.Therefore our assurance of Heaven should swallow up our heaviness,Rom. 8. 18. and not be swallowed up of it. We must be content with hungry men to eat good meat,Acts 5. 41. though it have sharp swace; as others have not been daunted by any troubles,2 Cor 6. 10. but amidst them expressed no small mirth;Heb. 10. 34. so also must we.
Herein there's no small odds between christians and carnal men,Use 1. for these though they have all that this world can afford them to make them happy (like Dives) Wife, Children, Friends, and the like; yet dangers and troubles shall sooner make them weary of this happiness, whereof he is in present possession, then the childe of God can be of that whereof here he hath but the assurance: for example, Take a man and give him what the world will afford him, yet let a Millstone hang by a small coard over his head, at his back a fierce adversary with his sword drawn, before his face an hissing Serpent ready to sting him, on each side ramping and devouring Bears and Lyons ready to tare him in pieces, would not this fear daunt him more then all his jollity would comfort him? Would he have any joy at all, the case being thus with him?Dan. 5. 6. As in Belshazzer: Nay, let him have but the gout or stone, and how will he take on? But take a Christian that hath the hope of eternal life, and set all these about him, they shall not daunt him, nor make him comfortless; He will hope and rejoyce notwithstanding, as Paul and Silas in prison: As the fear of Hell will abate all joy, so the hope of Heaven will abate all sorrow and fear: The assurance of Salvation will comfort one more, then the enjoying of all the world; what can daunt him that hath this? such is the power of Faith.Use 2.
This also sheweth the difference between the joy of an Hypocrite and a true Christian; The one can rejoyce in prosperity, but not in adversity, neither fasteth the Hypocrites joy, more then for a season: The wicked cannot bear, but fret at troubles, because they know no assurance of ease, but rather that they are forerunners of greater sorrows: As one may be drowned in a small River if he fall in headlong, and come safe to land in the main Sea, if he have a board to swim on; so the wicked are overwhelmed in less troubles, and the godly upheld in the greatest, by the assurance of an happy end.
This also rebukes our daintiness and faint-heartedness,Use 3. that are straight dismaid at a little trouble: He hath not rightly profited in the knowledge of God, and life eternal, that is dismaid by these troubles; If thou faint in the time of affliction, Pro. 24. 10.thy strength is but small: We are ready (like the Israelites) to murmure if we lack any thing in the way to Canaan; the assurance thereof should have made them (as it may us) to bear many difficulties: To this end we set before us the Godly courage of the Martyrs, and many of our Godly predecessors: True it is, no affliction is joyous in it self, but tedious, yet Faith comforts,Rev. 16. 21. and even in it affords joy▪ The wicked then must labor to get assurance of Gods favor, else they may come to be Blasphemers, or to do in their troubles as Ca…n, Achi…ophel, Judas.
Though now for a season, &c.] Here he sets out their joy by the contrary that it was mixed withal, namely, heaviness, occasioned through temptations, which are aggravated by their number, Manifold, yet diminished again by three things: 1. They are but short, for a season now. 2. The author or sender, God, he seeth it good, if need be. 3. By the end that their Faith may be tryed, and so found to their honor at the last day, as in the ensuing Verse.
Manifold Temptations] They were driven from their Native country, forced to fly for their lives, & so questiōless met with variety of troubles.
Whence may be noted, that
Even such as are highly in Gods favor, and shall be heirs of Heaven, must undergo, not one or two, but many troubles:Gods children must here undergo many troubles. As the Israelites went to Cannan through the Wilderness, where sometimes they wanted water, sometimes it was bitter, sometimes they met with Enemies,Psal. 34. 19. as at other times were encountred with other difficulties, so shall we in our journey to Heaven:Acts 14. 22. Behold it in Noah, though he was saved from the flood,2 Tim. 3. 12 yet was it as it were by an Hundred deaths; what toil had he in making the Ark, whilest the world sported? Was he not also shut up in a close place amongst Beasts for a long time, where questionless there could not be but a noysom savour … when he came out of the Ark, was he not mockt by his own Son, so that his own mouth was feign to curse him▪ The same might also be instanced in Abraham, Jacob, Job, David, Paul, and others; one might marvel where they should have a breathing time; as one flood calleth another, one wave followeth another, one Cloud after another comes over the face of the Sun, so did their troubles and crosses as it were strive for place, and crowd to prevent one another, the end of one being the beginning of another.
Reasons hereof may be these,Reasons.
1. To drive them to repentance,2 Sam. 12. 18. as the death of Davids childe begotten in adultery,Gen. 42▪ 21. Josephs brethrens hard usage in Aegypt: They are as the Shepherds dog. to fetch us out of the corn, to bring us into compass again;Psal. 32. 4, 5. & 119. 67. 71. which David acknowledged again and again: As they prepare some which have never repented, so do they …waken others to the renewing of their repentance.
2. To keep them from sin,Hos. 2. 6. being therefore compa…ed to an hedge of thorns.Iob 33▪ 17.
3. To humble them;2 C…on. 20. 37 we have a proud nature, and while we be in health, we think our heads half touch the clouds, therefore God pulls us down by troubles; no rule in a house where children be without rods: so the Lord should have no rule with us, were it not that sometimes by himself, sometimes by others he chastiseth us.
4. To make them more holy,Isa: 4. 4. to scourge off the rust,Heb. 12. 10. purge out some of the rem…ant of this old man,Isa. 27. 9. and renew the inner man. Afflictions are like the furnace, like the fan, like physick, they are Gods pruning knife to cut off our superfluous branches, and make us more fruitful, as the Gardiner prunes the Vine yearly, that it may fructifie.
5. To wean them from the world, to which even the best are too much addicted, and to make them willing to die, and to be gone hence, so setting them on work to look after, and make sure of a better inheritance; how loath was L…t to come out of Sod…m, though it were then even ready to be burnt? what would have drawn him out, if it had not been that? How loath were the Israelites to leave the fleshy pots of Aegypt, and go to Canaan, being there notwithstanding in bondage▪ what would they have done▪ if they had lived there in honor as Joseph? God was feign to raise up a persecuting Phara…h, whereby they were made to cry … him, and he thereupon sent them Moses and …, yet even then were they scant willing.
6. To prove the Devil a li…, who gives out, That Gods servants do serve him for wages (Doth Job (saith he) fear God for nought) that so they may triumph in their obedience.Iob. ….
7. To keep them from hell and condemnation.Ioh …. 18.
8. To bring them to Heaven;1 Cor 11. …2. no marvel then,Psal 9…. 1…, 13. if that man be blessed whom the Lord chasteneth,Heb. 12. 6. his chastisements being indeed sight of his love. Therefore
1. We should not dream all of peace and prosperity here,Use 1. but of trouble also; accordingly looking for it one after another; if God spare us, it is because of our weakness, but look we not long to be spared, but in the mean time gather strength; if we expect troubles, they prove the weaker; if they come on us unlooked for, they daunt us the more. In our prosperity we must think often hereof, thus reasoning with our selves, Well, now I am in health, how shall I do when long and strong sickness shall lie upon me? now I have wealth, what shall I do if all be taken away. and I be put to a poor condition? now I am in mine own Countrey, House and Land, what should I do if I were imprisoned or banished among them I know not? This will partly make us use our present prosperity more soberly, and also we shall be fitter to meet with adversity when it comes: if it come not, its labor well lost; if it come, well bestowed.
2. We should bear them patiently,Use 2. seeing not onelyonly we must needs undergo them, but they are so many ways for our good: We must not then be dismaid at them, seeing even Gods dearest children have undergone them, they have been their lot: But how loath are we to think of troubles till they come? They will come time enough we say, but never the sooner for thinking on them, it may be the longer, and to be sure the lighter.
3. We must be thankful for them,Use 3. as we would be to one that tames our wilde Horses or Steers, or to a Physician for purging our superfluous humors. Its no matter, so as our souls gain, though outwardly we smart: Shall we thank and reward the Physician for very untoothsom Phisick, and which makes us sick at the heart, and shall we be unthankful unto God for healing our souls, what means soever he useth?
4. We must neither think them the better that are without affliction,Use 4. nor them the worse that are afflicted; the latter may be happy, as the former miserable.
5. We must make a right use of afflictions,Use 5. whensoever they come upon us.
Temptations] That is, troubles or tryals.
But its said,Object. God tempts none.
There be two kindes of Temptations;Sol. one, Tryals, by leaving us to our selves,2 Chro. 32. 31▪ as Hezekiah; or by afflictions (as here) to bring to light what is in us: The other, Suggestions to perswade us to evil; of the first God is the author, of the latter, the Devil and man.
Afflictions,Afflictions ar… tryals. as Poverty, Sickness, Banishment, Imprisonment, are Temptations; they serve to try what is in us, not but that God knoweth what is in us already (he knoweth both the heart and reins) but that our selves and others may attain this knowledge. Sometimes we overprize, sometimes we underprize our selves: But they sometimes bewray hidden grace; as who would have thought of so much Faith in Abraham, Patience in Job, Meekness in David and Moses, if they had not been tryed? Sometimes also hidden corruptions; for who could have thought of so much weakness in Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, if they had not been tryed? So what grace hath appeared in some, as weakness and impatience in others in the time of affliction, neither of which before could have been believed?
Are afflictions tryals? then
1. Labor we for such soundness of grace,Use 1. that when afflictions shall come, they may finde us pure gold and wheat, and not cast us out for chaff and dross.
2. Do we consider that God now tryes us by them,Use 2. and so look we to our selves, observing what they discover, if it be more grace then we thought, that we may thank God; if more corruption, be truly humbled, laboring for more grace: yea, whatsoever shall be discovered, we are to thank God, as which will tend to our good. There's therefore no cause why we should be impatient in troubles, for they try us; and who would be unwilling to be tryed? Its a sign he meant not well that would not have his gold put to the Touchstone; or he that proffering Land to be sold, would not have his Writings perused.
In heaviness] Can heaviness and rejoycing stand together?Here on earth heaviness and rejoycing may stand together. A. They can in divers respects and degrees: In Heaven where our joy shall be in such an high degree and great measure, we cannot mourn, nor the wicked in Hell rejoyce; but here on Earth we may: The wicked be merry, because they have their will, yet inwardly they are wounded in their consciences, for fear of that which may come after; So the godly are joyful in the assurance of Gods favor and Heaven, and yet heavy thorugh troubles which here lie upon them: As a sick man hearing glad tidings may rejoyce, and yet be heavy for his pain; a Father also may be heavy for his childes death, and yet rejoyce for his happy end and godly departure:Ezra 3. 12, 13. Amongst the Israelites upon the rebuilding of the Temple, some wept and others rejoyced; both might have been (and haply were) even in some one.
Gods servants as by their Faith they are not freed from afflictions, so neither from heaviness,Heb. 12. 11. but have sence of their miseries, which are grievous to them,2 Cor. 6. 10. as Poverty,Iohn 16. 20. Sickness, Imprisonment, and the like; even our Savior himself mourned and wept, and so he said his Disciples should: Nay, our Savior himself shed tears of blood in his passion, saying, yea crying out, My soul is heavy unto the death: Faith makes us not blocks, neither takes away sense, onelyonly moderates our grief. The Martyrs had pain, but Faith prevailed and enabled them to bear it: Where there's no pain, there can be no patience; nothing due to blockishness, else were frantique persons worthy commendation, which feel nothing: Faith moderates our grief, makes us wait upon God, speak good of him, using no unlawful means when the cross is upon us.
1. This is contrary to that blockishness of the Stoicks, Use 1.that profess to be moved with nothing so much as to change countenance, but to be at the hardest tidings, as if the joyfullest news had been brought them.
2. To those half Stoicks amongst our selves,Use 2. which think it too much weakness to complain or make moan in any affliction.
3. This may comfort the servants of God when they are pinchad hard by troubles,Use 3. and are affected thereat, and feeling pain declare it: Though they may be thought impatient, they are not; God knows we be not iron, as long as Faith can moderate; and we being heavy and pincht to the heart with pain, are yet upholden with the joy of eternal salvation,Iob 13. 15. and can say with Job, Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him, in the mean time using no unlawful means, our care is good: Job is renowned by S. James for a mirror of patience,Iames 5. 11. yet he rent his garment,Iob 1. 20. shaved his head, put on sackcloth, and the like.
For a season] Our afflictions are but short,The godlies afflictions are short. as our life is, as a span long, as a vapor, a Weavers shuttle, a thought; yet in this short time our good days have been …o then our afflictions.2 Cor. 4. 17. Psal. 90. 9.
We think them long if they have been on us a few days,Psal. 30. 5. and 125. 3. but its our weakness, they are short in respect of that we have deserved, in respect of the pains we be freed from,Isa 54. 7, 8. and joys we go to.
If our enemy should burst with malice, he cannot hurt us after this life.
Therefore bear them patiently,Use. think them not long: They that lie in Hell shall have a long task indeed; let us think of our long eternal joy: we if our afflictions be but very short think much, but look on Jacob and David, that from their youth were never free.
If need require] That is,See Cap. 3. 17. as it seemeth good to God, as it pleaseth him, as he seeth it fit and expedient.
Hence note, that
Our afflictions come not to us at adventure,Afflictions come by the wise disposing of Almighty God. nor by the will of Satan and wicked men, for then woe to us, they would afflict us too much; nor yet by our own will, for then either we would have none, or too little; but they come by the will, providence, and wise disposing of Almighty God, who is infinite in wisdom, and knoweth what is best for us: who in love will do for the best to all his. Therefore,
1. We may bear them more patiently,Use 1. seeing they come from our Master; Nay, from our most wise and gracious Father, thanking him that he hath not left us into the hands of Satan or any of his, but hath the rod in his own hand, and knoweth when to stay; with him is mercy, with them none.
2. We must not rush into troubles,Use 2. and draw them upon our selves, not being called of God thereto; but must be wise as Serpents, we must save our heads, whilest we may lawfully, and not exasperate men against us wilfully: Neither must we trust to our great strength, for then we prove weakest; they have not always proved the stoutest in the end, that have been forwardest to thrust themselves into trouble… Our Saviour Christ bade them, when they were persecuted in one city, fly into another, but if the will of God be that we shall suffer, we must be couragious, and quit our selves like men.