Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 16
Verse 16. As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
HEre the Apostle prevents an Objection that they might make,The prevention of an Objection. whereby he would cure the disease they were sick of, even their not yielding subjection willingly; and that both in respect of their badness which ruled, and of their own liberty, which they misconstrued and stretched beyond the bounds: We be freed (might they say) by Jesus Christ, therefore we know no Reason we should be subject to them: He answereth, you are free indeed, I confess, Christ hath purchased, and that dearly, a happy and blessed freedom for you, but this (as every other good thing) may be abused and stretched beyond the reach thereof, as you do this; for its not such a freedom as sets you at liberty to do what you list, or to shake off Government, and live at your pleasure, and which is not to be used as a cloak of naughtiness and carnal liberty, but you must use it, as those that be freed from sin and the Devil, but not from God and your obedience to him, but to be his servants, and so to obey him, as in all things, so in this amongst the rest, even in obeying Magistracy, which is one of his Commandments.
Here three things are considerable;The particulars laid down in this verse. 1. The liberty of Christians, As free. 2. The abuse of Christian liberty, not using your liberty as a cloak of maliciousness. 3. The right use of it, but as the servants of God; all needful to be known, that in a right maner we may use our Christian liberty to the glory of God, our own good, and the benefit of our brethren.
As free,] Naturally we are in bondageFreedom presupposeth bondage: By nature we are all bound till we be freed through Christ.
1. We are all guilty of Adams sin,Reas. 1. born in Original sin, infinitely defiled with actual rebellions, whereby we stand under the wrath and curse of God, and all evils in this world, and that which is to come for ever: There is no curse in all the Scripture threatned or executed, or any other that God hath in his infinite store-house, whereunto we are not lyable and daily subject: God is just, and no whit of this can be called back; a fearful condition.
2. We are all the very vassals of Satan,Reas. 2. and slaves of sin, taken prisoners of him in the fall, and we have no power of Soul, nor part of body, but are all fast bound to his will, our understanding darkness it self, our will altogether averse and rebellious to that that is good, carried forcibly to all evil, as are also our affections and other parts.Rom. 6. 17. The Devil holds us, as a Captain doth his Castle, naturally he rules in our hearts at his pleasure,Eph. 2. 2. till through Christ we be delivered out of this power of darkness:Col. 3. 13. He is the strong man that keeps the house, till a stronger then he comes, which is Christ alone: We have no power to think a good thought, to stir a finger in any good, though about the matter of our Salvation;Rom. 8. 7. Our wisdom is enmity against God, All our thoughts are onelyonly evil continually: Gen. 6. 5.Its as impossible for a natural man to do any good, as for a bramble to bear grapes or figs; nay, which is worse, and makes up our bondage, we cannot see we be in this case, believe when we be told it, desire to come out of it, as being weary thereof; nay, we delight in it, think it the onelyonly liberty, spend body, goods, name, soul, and all in the service of it, the basest master, and most cruel, the basest work, and most woful wages, and this yet is worst, that we like of it, and liberty being offered, we loath it. No vassal among the Turks that hath been there never so long, but yet retains a free minde, he would be gone if he might or could tell how; but such are not we, we have no desire from Satan or sin; our bondage being thus made known unto us, we are a little the fitter to listen to the freedom here spoken of, we being in this most woful bondage,Iohn 8. 36. God of his infinite mercy found out a way, a strange way to free us,Gal. 5. 1. and that was by Jesus Christ, who hath procured our liberty and makes us free.
This is called Christian liberty,Believers are made free by Christ. because its purchased by Christ for Christians, namely Believers, and no others: Its a Spiritual and holy freedom, not Civil, such as the Jews looked for (even great advancement in an earthly Kingdom) or the Anabaptists dream of, which shake off Magistracy; nor Carnal, such as that of the Libertines, which live as they list in all silthiness;Wherein Christian liberty consists. and procured it is by Christ alone, no other could do it: It stands in these four things, 1. Through Christ we are freed from the wrath and curse of God, and all the punishment of our sins here, and hereafter; and this he hath done by his precious blood,1 Pet. 1. 19. having redeemed us, and became also a curse for us:Isa. 53. 4, &c. He was arraigned before a worldly Judge,Gal. 3. 13. that we might not be arraigned before the Judge of the whole world; He was condemned, that we might be absolved; He dyed, that we might live; He hath become our surety, and so freed us from the wrath and justice of God, and his payment was most royal, because he was God, and by his Resurrection he declared that it was full and perfect;Rom. 8. 1. So that now to all that believe in him, there is no condemnation: It hath nothing to do with them; for though God be just, and will have it once paid, yet not unjust to require it twice. 2. We are freed from the service of Sin and the Devil, which he hath done by the vertue of his Word and holy Spirit, working faith in our hearts: So Regenerating and Sanctifying us, washing us in his blood, enlightening our understandings, renewing our wills, reforming our affections and whole man, working a quite change from that was before, an hatred of the sin that before was onelyonly loved, a love to the good that before was not regarded, yea of all sin, and of all good, with some power to resist and overcome the one, and perform the other; so that though Satan tempt us, yet shall he not have us at command as before, though our heart and flesh lust after evil, yet the Spirit resisteth it, and provoketh to good, and sin reigneth in us no longer: Thus were Zacheus, the Jaylor, and Mary Magdalene quite altered from that they were before: So among our selves, through Gods goodness, they that understood nothing to purpose, are now enlightened and ashamed of themselves in respect of their former conversation, hate their sins and old companions, and are turned to love God, and to delight in his Word, Saints, Prayer, good Duties, have tongues that cannot now speak for their liyes as before, but are ready to speak gracious words, which before they could not;Isa. 32. 3, 4. & 35. 4, 5. and where before they were lame to any good, now they are active, and can finde their legs now to carry them to goodness; but we are only thus freed in part: we cannot do what we would, & as we would, and oftentimes also we do also what we would not, yet shall we draw vertue from God by his Spirit in the daily use of the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer, to be more and more freed therefrom, till at last we shall attain the same, even perfect freedom in glory for ever. 3. We are freed from the rigor of the Moral Law, and the uttermost extremity of it, which of the unbeliever is exacted, but on the behalf of Believers is taken away by Christ, so that though in them there be many wants, yet God in Christ Jesus will accept the will for the deed; he will accept of their hearts, and of the truth of their actions, pardoning their infirmities: Hence it is that now they flee not from the Law as a cruel Tyrant, but come thereto, as to a Schoolmaster to instruct them in Gods will.Gal. 3. 24. 4. We are freed from the Ceremonial Law, whereof the Sacraments, Sacrifices, Rites, Purifyings, &c. were meer shadows till the body came: So from bondage,See Gal. 5. 1. in all things indifferent, as meats, drinks, days, and the like, which were rudiments serving for the minority of the Church:Col. 2. 16. There is now no indifferent thing we are bound in for Religions sake, or from which we are to abstain for conscience sake; much more are we freed from all mens Traditions, which serve not to binde the conscience, wherewith notwithstanding the Church of Rome endeavoreth to hold people in base and deadly bondage (as the Scribes and Pharisees of old) and that for Conscience and Religions sake: The Kingdom of God is not meat nor drink, Rom. 14. 17.neither if we eat are we the more acceptable, or if we eat not, the less.
1. This is a wonderful consolation to every Christian;Use 1. whoso can prove themselves Believers, they are the onelyonly happy persons in the world, they onelyonly are free: Art thou such a one? be of good comfort, there's no condemnation to thee; though thou hast been stung with sin, yet seeing thou hast had grace to look up to Christ Jesus, thou art cured, Christ hath dyed for thee, thou shalt not perish, but have life everlasting, Who shall lay any thing to thy charge? Christ hath paid thy debt to the uttermost farthing; when therefore the conscience of thy sin troubles thee, with the danger thereof, and the Devil pursueth thee with temptations, O then look up to thy Surety, stick to him, he hath perfectly discharged thee! Though there be a Hell wide and large, and the burning thereof as it were fire and much wood, which the breath of the Lord as a River of Brimstone doth kindle, and wherein thou hast deserved to have thy portion, yet there thou shalt not come, Christ hath given a discharge for every one that believeth in him: Thou art humbled, the Spirit of God beareth witness to thine, that thou art Gods, and thou findest in thy self the fruits of faith; be of good comfort, God can as soon deny himself, as that thou shalt perish: O what cause have we to thank God for Christ Jesus, and all the means whereby we came to faith, and to be Christians! we can have no curse in this world (crosses for good, are no curses) death shall do us no hurt, yea turn to our especial good: Art thou a Believer? then art thou no longer the Servant of sin, to be at the command, and follow it in the lusts thereof; though thou canst not do as thou wouldest, yet having thine understanding enlightened, thy will and affections reformed, and thine heart changed, &c. thou hast a blessed freedom, a pledge indeed of that perfect freedom thou shalt have in Heaven; yet labor every day to be more freed from the bondage of thy corruption, and set at liberty to serve God; And is it not a wonderful comfort, that we may offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ? and that we are enabled in some measure to do the will of God, and that with delight; and that our works, though imperfect and done in weakness, yet being done in Truth are accepted of God,Psal. 103. 13. who hath compassion on us, as a father on his son: He that is indeed a true Believer, is the onelyonly free person in the world, so free as nothing can make him otherwise; let him be bound with sickness, with poverty, with imprisonment, let him be tyed hand and foot, let him be chained about the neck to a prison wall, &c. yet is he free; free from sin and damnation, free from the bondage of the Devil, is a conqueror over temptations, hath a free minde to serve God, and even then with Paul and Silas, and the three children, can sing and laud his name: O praise God for this, walk thankfully and joyfully, love the word, and search it, where these blessed prerogatives and priviledges be enrolled: Its a great fault we rejoyce no more herein, especially considering the price that our freedom cost.
2. For them that cannot prove themselves Believers;Use 2. O let them labor to have a part in this freedom.Acts 22. 28. Rome had great priviledges, therefore many sought and that with great sums to be free of it: When the Jews were freed from Hamans conspiracy,Ester 8. 17. and had the Kings favor, many become Jews; O so, me thinks, many should desire to become Christians, that they may partake of this freedom, which is more to be desired then the whole world: Till you be freed by Christ, you are in woful bondage;Iohn 8. 36. When the Son shall make you free, then shall you be free indeed, till which time you are bound indeed, and that in a fearful maner; the curse of God follows you whithersoever you go or ride; you go not over a stile, but you may break your neck; get up on your horses, but you may receive some deadly blows to send you to Hell; take tools in your hands, but you may mischief your selves thereby, you may be swallowed up as Korah, drowned as Pharaoh, burnt with fire from Heaven as Nadab and Abihu, eat up with worms as Herod: Being unbelievers, you have no warrant to the contrary, every minute you hang over the pit of Hell, for whom it gapeth: You are also slaves of the Devil, at his command, and do base work for a woful master, whose wages will be accordingly: But this the world will not believe, they dream not of Spiritual bondage, neither consider that their hearts are fast locked in unbelief; were they sensible hereof, they would seek by all means to be rid of the same, they would be afraid even to sleep this night, lest Hell should catch them ere they awoke, lest their souls should be fetched from them being in this condition: O never be quiet till you know your selves freed by Christ; to this end humble your selves, confess your deadly bondage, bewail it to God, cry for pardon, rest not till you receive a gracious answer; never leave waiting on God in his Word, and craving his Spirit, till he change your hearts, and make you free, whence will spring peace of Conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost: What are Riches, Wit, Civility, yea the gifts of Knowledge, Utterance, and hearing of the Word with joy, and the like, without this? This is to be known by Faith especially; But how do most content themselves to hold the hope of Heaven by sleight conceits of their own, rather then seek by sound arguments from the Word to be assured thereof? Is not this fearful? Its time for us to awaken our selves, and to ransack our Evidences; weak holds will vanish when strong temptations come:… 16. 16. O get we the shield of Faith, which will quench all the fiery darts of the Devil: He is such an adversary, that we had need be throughly armed, being to encounter with him.
And not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness,] Here's the abuse of Christian liberty: They were freed indeed, but he would not they should stretch their liberty further then was meer, or abuse it any way as a cloak and cover for any licentiousness or naughtiness whatsoever. Here note, That
Through the evil heart and corrupt nature of man,Through mans corrupt nature even the most holy Ordinances of God, and best things are subject to be abused. not onelyonly the creatures of God, but even his holy Ordinances, and the very best things are subject to be abused: The Gospel was foolishness to the world, and Christ Jesus himself a stone whereat many did stumble: Thus the Doctrine of Predestination, many turn to a desperate course of doing what they list: The Doctrine of Gods great mercy most take as an emboldening to sin; so is the Doctrine of Justification by Faith onelyonly, and of Christian liberty abused unto licentiousness: Even the Apostles writings were by some wrested to their own condemnation.2 Pet. 2. 16.
1. Seeing our nature is so apt to abuse such things,Use 1. it behoves the Ministers of God to pray to God for wisdom, that they may deliver wisely and warily as all points of Doctrine, so especially those that are most apt to be abused: They must so handle the Doctrine of Gods judgements against the wicked, that the godly humble be not dismaid; and so comfort the godly, that the wicked be not emboldened, but each have his portion that's due to him.
2. This rebuketh as in general all such as shall thus abuse any holy things of God,Use 2. so in particular all abusers of Christian liberty, whether such as turn it into carnal licentiousness (as the Familists and Libertines, and too too many in this Land, in solemnizing the Feast of our Saviors Nativity) or such as turn it into civil liberty, and freedom from civil subjection,Acts 1. 6. as of old the Jews (which looked for earthly priviledges and immunities by Christ) and of late the Anabaptists: How many hearing that we are freed by Christ from the rigor of the Law, make no more account of it, as though a believer freed from the curse and rigor of it, were not yet under it while he lives? How many make Religion a cloak for their naughtiness and whoredoms, being very diligent at Sermons, and outwardly very devout, that they might be the less suspected? as the Scribes and Pharisees, which devoured widows houses, Mat. 23. 14.and under colour made long prayers? How many hearing that the Ceremonial Law is abrogated by Christ, will not therefore read any part thereof; nay scarce any of the Old Testament, shaking off the Testimonies cited out of it, ignorantly saying, O the old Law is abolished. How many now hearing that we be not under the bondage of any thing indifferent, rush out into all excessive and vile abuse of the same, without keeping any bounds, or going by any rule? They will eat and drink excessively at all times, wear what apparel they list, without respect of their degree for the matter of it, or the fashion for the maner: So for recreations, they dare run unto those that be unlawful, and use those that be lawful without all bounds of moderation.
But of the use of things indifferent,Three restrainers of things indifferent. there be three restrainers, Gods Words, The Laws of Magistrates, and the rule of Charity: Gods Word, where are rules whereby to guide us in the use of things indifferent, as that they be decent, of good report, done to edifying, used in sobriety and modestly, tend to the glory of God; and to make us fitter for duties.
The Laws of Magistrates, whether Civil or Ecclesiastical; for if they command in things indifferent, and be so in their use also as well as their nature, and be according to the rules of the Word, then they are by the Magistrates commandment made necessary,Acts 15. 28. as for abstinence from flesh not for Religion, but civil respects: So if they forbid men to wear silk upon some special causes, or to hunt within such a compass; these were before indifferent, but now necessary.
The rule of charity; we must not use indifferent things to the offence of our weak brother,Rom. 14. 13, 15, 19. or to cause him stumble, or hinder him any way in the course of his Salvation: Indeed for obstinate ones that will not be perswaded,Rom. 15. 2. we are not bound to respect them;1 Cor. 10. 28. as Paul, that was content for the week Jews to circumcise Timothy, Acts 16. 3.would not after,Gal. 2. 3. because of their obstinacy, consent that Titus should be circumcised.
Our Christian liberty is an holy thing, precious indeed and dear: O let's not abuse it, let's not suffer our selves to be intangled again with sin, or the works of the Devil, and fashions of the world, from which Christ hath freed us! Neither let us suffer our selves to be made the Servants of men,1 Cor. 7. 23. or to be brought into subjection of mens Traditions, or the superstitious use of things indifferent (as the Papists thus hold poor people in bondage) it cost Christ a dear price to purchase our freedom:Col. 2. 16. Contrarily,Gal. 5. 1. Take heed we abuse it not to wantonness and licentiousness, but use it to the glory of God, our own good, and the benefit of our Brother: Remember we also, that our freedom by Christ doth not exempt us from subjection to Magistrates: Christian liberty, and civil subjection may well stand together;1 Cor. 7. 25. Even Christ himself and his Apostles were subject unto the higher powers, neither hath he purchased liberty for any to do hurt, or cross his Fathers order.
But as the servants of God.] Here's the right use of Christian liberty, we must use it as Gods servants, that are freed from sin to serve him in obedience to all his commandments, and this of subjection among the rest.
A Christian though he be free,A Christian though free, yet is still a Servant. yet is he a Servant still; He is freed from Sin, Hell, Damnation, and the Devil, to serve the Lord of Heaven and Earth; an happy service, a most blessed change: A Christian is of all others the most free,Luke 1. 74. and yet the greatest Servant: The greatest Christian,Rom. 6. 22. the greatest Servant; He that will be greatest, let him be servant of all: We must serve God in the duties of his worship both privately and publiquely, and that zealously, and we must serve men to the good of their souls and bodies, by Admonition, Exhortation, Consolation, Example, and Prayer: This is no bondage, but the happiest liberty that may be; Comfort and joy accompanies this service for the present, whereof the end will be life everlasting: Not to serve thus, but to be under the service of sin, is of all others the basest bondage.
As therefore we would serve the Lord with all our might,Use. and shake off all tediousness and wearisomness that comes upon us in the performance of any duties, whether private or publique, and would zealously and chearfully run the way of his commandments, do we consider our freedom (who were sometimes the lackies of the Devil) from what, and by what price are we freed; let's remember what service we have done for sin in the days of our vanity, and now as much, or rather more for the Lord; we thought it no burthen to sin all day long, and must not now to be godly all the day long; we have forgotten our meat for play, and yet thought the time short; yea, have sate up whole Nights at Cards and Dice, and have spent a good part of our Goods, and taken great pains to do evil, and should it now be irksome unto us to serve the Lord? far be it from us.