Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 19
Verse 19. For this is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
NOw follow the Reasons to perswade to patient suffering of the hard dealing of unconscionable Masters (and needful it was to use a great many Reasons to perswade to such a duty, being so hard to nature, which accordingly he doth) If you do so, and do as you ought, you please God, and its acceptable to him (as the word is translated in the following verse;) for being referred to God, we can do nothing thank-worthy to God (when we have done all, we are unprofitable servants) but we may do that which by Jesus Christ may be acceptable to him. This is the first Reason: Whence may be noted, That
To enforce the performance of any duty how difficult soever,To be incited to the performance of any duty, its necessary to know that its pleasing to God. this is enough, that its pleasing to God, that's to be lookt at of us in all our life and actions.
Hereby the Apostle exhorts Children to perform their duties to their Parents, as all to do good, and to distribute: What Tenant would not be glad to do that which will please his Landlord,Col. 3. 20. or a Subject that which will please his Prince?Heb. 13. 16. And should not we readily do such things as will please God, yea, if it should be to the laying down of our lives? Is not he the Soveraign Lord of the whole world, that made us and all things? Hath not he (as he is most holy, pure, and good in himself) been admirably merciful to us? Is not his will a right will? Is he not pleased with that which is good? Doth any thing displease him but sin? Should we not do that which is pleasing to him, though difficult? Should we not fly from that which displeaseth him, though we might get thousands by it? If we please him,Heb. 12. 29. hath he not a Kingdom for us? If we displease him, is he not a consuming fire?
Oh!Use. this may make us hang down our heads, that we are no more careful to please such a great and good God. Alas! if a thing have any difficulty, we pass it off, though the doing thereof would please God never so well: Oh! why do we not pray oftner, and with better affection? why hear we not the Word more diligently? why are we not more heavenly minded, more patient, more liberal? would not God be pleased herewith? and is there any thing better becoming us, then to please God with all our might? Hath he not made us? and chosen us to life before the world? given his Son to dye for us, and save us? given us his Gospel and Spirit? hath prepared a Kingdom for us, and will we not please him? yea, if a thing stand with our profit, though we know it will displease him, can we be content to do it? O that we should offend so good a God, and so merciful a Father as he hath been unto us! O do we endeavor to please him, whosoever be thereat displeased, whatsoever we lose, or whatsoever trouble we bring upon us! But, O the monstrous course of this world, that of all things cannot abide what pleaseth God! that so live, as if God had nothing to do with them, as if they were neither in his debt nor danger, as if they were not afraid of them, or he could do them no hurt. Are you not woful creatures that thus abuse God? Are you not in his debt? Who gave you these Bodies and Souls? who fashioned them? whence was it that you were not Toads, Monsters, mad persons, and fools? who hath maintained your lives? who hath kept you, that you have not been ere this consumed, or are not now in hell? Art thou not in his debt, who hath let thee live under the Gospel, the means of saving thee, denyed to most of the world? Should you not then please him? Art thou not in his danger? Cannot he make the earth to swallow thee, the worms to eat thee up? Can he not smite thee with an incurable disease in thy bowels? Can he not strike thee with madness, cast thee upon thy bed, and there forsake thee, and give thee up to a desperate minde? Is he not able to send thee to Hell ere night? Can he not make every joynt of thy body, every tooth of thy head so to torment thee, that thou shalt be weary of thy life? Canst thou promise thy meat shall nourish thee, or that when thou lyest down thou shalt have one wink of sleep, for pain of body or vexation of minde, or shalt ever rise again? When there is the greatest hope of fruit, cannot he in one night by a Frost destroy it all? Do we not stand at his courtesie for every shower of Rain, for the Bread we eat, and every thing else? and should we not then please him? If he smile on us, whose frown need we regard? If he frown, whose smiles can do us good? Who can stand before him when he is angry? He rendeth the rocks, and maketh the mountains to tremble: O that any through fear, or to procure the favor of any, or for any other by-respects, should displease him!
For this is thank-worthy, or acceptable,] Whence note, that
The actions of Gods Children,The actions of Gods Children, when pleasing to God. done as they ought and may be done, are pleasing to God; howsoever, they are not (as the Papists from this and the like places affirm) Meritorious: They are pleasing to God, as being done by such as are justified by Faith in Christ, the weaknesses of their actions being covered in his Death and Obedience.
1. This is a great comfort unto all such as can prove themselves Gods Children,Use 1. and strive to do their duty in the best maner they can; though the same be done weakly, yet being done in truth, is pleasing to God; then which, what greater joy, comfort and encouragement unto any duty can be wished?
2. This may be a terror to all that cannot prove themselves justified persons;Use 2. they never did that thing throughout their whole lives that pleased God: A carnal man can no more make a good action, then a Painter or Carver can make a living man. The actions of unregenerate men want a soul. Till a mans person please God (which is not till he be justified through Christ) his actions cannot but displease him; Even the sacrifice and prayer of the wicked, Prov. 28. 9.is abomination before him: What joy can a man have, when being old and full of years, he cannot truly approve that ever he spake, thought, or did that which was good: Did men believe this, they would endeavor with all speed to come out of their unregenerate condition.
If a man for conscience towards God endure grief, Why servants must do their-duties to unconscionable Masters.&c.] Here he shews the maner how servants must do their duty to such unconscionable Masters, even for conscience towards God, because God so requires the same; for if servants should bear quietly with such a Master, and do their duty, because they know no remedy, know not how to help themselves, or know, that though he be wondrous hasty and boisterous, yet to them that can bear with him, and let him alone, he will be good and bountiful; whoso do their duties, I say, for such respects, please not God, neither shall have any reward with him: what we do for conscience towards God,See Ioh. 6. 26. is pleasing to him, not otherwise; whoso looketh asquint at profit, pleasure, honor, credit, favor of this or that man, or the like, is far from pleasing God; whoso doth for conscience sake,See Isa. 38. 3. may with comfort look up to God in life and in death.
This rebuketh the common sort,Use. which do many duties, and abstain from many sins, but not in a right maner; for carnal and sinister respects, and not for conscience towards God: Such hypocrites shall have their portion with the hypocrites.
Q. How may we know whether we do our duties for conscience sake, or not?
A. By these Notes:How we may know whether we do our duties in conscience. 1. If we make most conscience of the greatest things first, and then of less in their place, and so of the greatest sins; for God hates greatest sins most, as in D…id, of whom its said, He walked in uprightness all his days, saving in the matter of Uriah: He had other faults, rashness towards Nabal, pride in numbring the people, rashness to believe Zibah, 1 King. 15. 5.yet that against Uriah was the worst of all. Greatest sins rob God most of his glory, do most disgrace the Gospel, make greatest wounds in our souls, procure most numbness and hardness of heart, and greatest outward punishment; we must make conscience of all, but especially of the greatest: Such as seem very earnest against some small things, and make no account of greater, are Hypocrites,Mat 23. 24. like the Scribes and Pharisees which strained at a g…at, but swallowed a Camel:Mat. 27. 6. Such were the high Priests, they made conscience of putting the thirty pieces of silver into the treasury, which Judas returned to them, but made no conscience of putting Christ to death: They made Conscience of going to the Common-Hall,Iohn 18. 28. least they should be defiled, and made unfit for the Passover, who yet made no conscience of shedding innocent blood.
So the Papists stands altogether upon meats, days, and such trifles of their own devising, making no conscience of Gods great Commandments, of the 2, 3, 4, &c. So many among our selves will speak very hardly of some small blemishes in a Professor, and, Oh! is this agreeable to Gods Word? &c. who do yet live in foul sins. Again, some one hath deceived them or wronged them, and they can speak very hardly against falshood and ill dealing, who yet can see foul faults in others (but such as have not touched them) and not speak against them at all: Some make great account of their truth and honesty, and, Oh, they would not deceive their Neighbor, nor carry away any thing out of his house, and why? fie on it, hath not God forbid it? who yet will rob the Lord of a great part of his day, which he saith is his: Some also make conscience to give their Servants victuals enough, but make no conscience to give them any good instruction, or to pray for them, and with them, &c. These things they ought to have done, and not left the other undone. 2. If a man have a care of all Gods Commandments, hate all sin, and do all good, always endeavoring to keep a good conscience in all things: He hath an ill conscience that nourisheth any sin; He that bears with himself in one sin, shuns none for conscience: Some are very forward to the Word, Sacraments, good Company; ask why, Because, say they, God requireth the same;Isa. 1. 15. but why follow they not their calling, pay every man his own, deal justly? doth not God require these also? He is an Hypocrite that doth the former, but makes no conscience of the latter: Contrarily, some follow their calling, pay every man his own, &c. who yet robs God of his due and the times of worship, Requireth not the Lord as well these as those? Again, such a man dares not do such and such a sin, rob, kill, steal, &c. Why? because of God and his Word, who yet will swear, lye, rail, break the Sabbath, hate their Neighbors, &c. Why? hath not God as well forbid these as those? 3. If a man be careful to do his duty zealously, as in Prayer, not to bow the knee onelyonly, but the heart also; at the Word, not to hear onelyonly with the outward ear, but from the heart to reverence the same, with a purpose to be ruled thereby; He that slubbers over duties coldly, its a sign he looks onelyonly to men, not God. 4. If a man be as careful to do his duties in private, as he is in publique, as in private to pray, as he is in publique to hear, so to meditate, to be oft making moan for sin, begging mercy and grace, wrestling against his corruptions, &c. Every Hypocrite doth outward duties, true Christians are in secret the same: How many froward husbands will shew much kindeness to their Wives before company, whereas he that makes conscience of his ways, is most kinde in private? So a man must make as much conscience of secret sins, as of open sins▪ of private sins in a corner, of secret corruptions, pride, hypocrisie, distrustful, impatient and lustful thoughts; so of wandring thoughts in Prayer, and at the Word and Sacraments, and of worldly thoughts on the Lords-day; He must be grieved for them, pray against them. 5. If a man be not for a brunt, but hold our constantly, and continue, yea and that in persecution; as well where wind and tide is against him, and he meets with ill will and hard measure for so doing, as when he hath good countenance, and may so do without control: Thus David, Daniel, and the three Children, though Princes both spake, sate, and did against them; most part do contrarily: Some make a shew a little while, but quickly through love of the world, through fear or favor fall away; as questionless if Religion should alter, most would go with the strongest side, and many which now come to the Gospel, would as readily go to Mass, yea, carry a faggot to burn them that now sit with them in the same seats: These be they that know not the truth, that receive not the love of the truth, that live as they list, and will not obey the truth.
Examine your selves by these Notes,Use. and as you are to repent, and ask mercy and pardon for all thats past, even your best actions, and the maner of your performance thereof, so for the time to come do not any duty in Hypocrisie, but all for conscience unto Gods Commandment.