Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 2 · Verse 10
Verse 10. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
HE addes to the heap another mercy to stir them up to the thankfulness he speaks of; and to the end the mercy and benefit may be seen to be the greater, he sets it out by the contrary, comparing the time present with the time past, when it was far otherwise with them; and as he compared them with others before, so he compareth them now with themselves.
Which in time past, &c.] Here the Apostle alludeth to Hos. 1. 10. where the Lord setteth out both the sins and punishment of the ten Tribes under a Typical marriage of the Prophet with a notorious Strumpet, which was not a thing verily done, but to set the more lively before their eyes their Sins and Idolatries; as under the name of those supposed children, were set out the punishments that God meant to send upon them for the same; as, That they should be scattered abroad, That God would have no mercy on them, and lastly, which was worst of all, That they should not be his people; all which were accordingly fulfilled: For first they were carried Captive of the Assyrians, and there retained some remnants of the Worship of God in a corrupt maner, and kept together; but after when the Medes and Persians prevailed over the Assyrians, they were then scattered over the Nations so far and wide, as they had no part of Gods Worship remaining among them, but were so mingled among the Heathen, as they became no people of God at all, but altogether wrapt in all the maners of the Heathen Nations with whom they lived: This is that here meant, when he saith, They were not the people of God, &c. And lest the good among them should be altogether dismaid, as though God had broken his Covenant, he promiseth, That the time should come, that he would receive them into his favor again, which was now accomplished, as the Apostle saith, When by the Gospel they were gathered to the Faith of the Lord Jesus.
In that he sets before them the time past, and what they were, Note, That for a people or particular persons to look to their beginnings,Observ. is of good and singular use:For a people or particular persons to look to their beginnings is of good use. As for us, who since Christs coming are admitted to the same priviledges with the Jews, have the Gospel Preached, Christ Jesus offered, Grace given to receive him, the Word and Sacraments to assure us of him, Heaven opened to us as well as they; for us, I say, being thus, and having the truth, and onelyonly way of Salvation Preached to us by Jesus Christ: To consider what we were will be of great use, as that we were aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, Strangers, drown'd in Idolatry and all Sin, without knowledge of the true God, but woshiping the Devil in stead of the true God; that in the days and under the Tyranny of Antichrist, we were held in blindeness, made to worship Images, taught to believe that we must be saved by Masses, Mans Merits, Popes Pardons, scared with Purgatory, thinking that then we did God high service, when we most dishonored him: So to consider with our selves what we were before our Calling, Ignorant, in Unbelief, Prophane, the servants of Sin, slaves of Satan, in Darkness, loving Sin as our lives, hating the Word and all goodness, &c. and what we are now through Gods mercy, will be of great use. For
This serves,Reason 1. 1. To make us humble, and take down our pride: Therefore, when the Israelites would so brag of Abraham, and Jacob, or Israel, that they were their Seed and Posterity, the Lord by his Prophets would tell them, and what was Abraham, but a poor Idolater in the Land of Ur of the Caldees, and a lone man, a dry stick, and Sarah barren? and what was Israel? was he not a fugitive, as it were, fain to flie for his life into Mesopotamia, and so poor, as he went onelyonly with his staff in his hand, there served for wages, following the sheep, at his return ready to be devoured by Esau? what great cause then have you to brag of your Progeny?
2. To stir us up to thankfulness,Reason 2. when we see we were most wretched, and miserable, poor, and blinde, and naked, having no dram of any good in our selves; this is a great cause of thankfulness: whereas if we think we have ever been as now, or that we had some goodness in us before, as the Papists teach, we cannot be truly and heartily thankful to God as we should: Therefore the Doctrine of Rome, That man is not so miserable,See Rom. 6. 17. but that he hath some good in himself,1 Cor. 6. 10. &c.Tit. 3. 3. will never humble a man as he ought to be, nor make him so thankful as he should be: David was put in minde that he was taken from following the Ewes with yong, that thereby he might be the more thankful.
3. To strengthen our faith to believe in God for afterwards,Reason 3. and for all blessings needful to Salvation:Phil. 1. 6. He that hath already done thus much for me,1 Thess. 5. will not now fail me.
1. Therefore we should do well oftentimes,Use 1. especially when we feel our hearts lifted up with pride, to enter into a deep consideration of our former estate, and what we were before God shewed mercy to our souls in enlightening, converting, and effectually calling us; for we are ready to be puffed up, as though we had not received it, and lift up our selves, and contemn others; now alas we should consider, such were we, and once as far from Salvation as they, and so pity them.
2. When we finde our selves dead or dull to duties,Use 2. do but consider what he hath done for us, and from what a base condition he hath pulled us, and into what dignity he hath advanced us, and this will make us shake off all laziness.
3. When our faith is weak,Use 3. and we begin to fear the time to come, consider, He that freely before the world chose us (passing by most others) gave his Son to dye for us, his Word to tell us thereof, his Spirit to assure us thereof, and so Sanctifie us, he will not now leave his work imperfect.
O but our sins be so many,Object. and we be so unworthy!
If thy sins could have turned away Gods favor,Solut. he would have kept his mercy away at the first; but seeing they could not keep God from shewing thee mercy at the first, they shall never take away the favor of God from thee, now that he hath vouchsafed the same, they shall never take it away wholly and for ever.
Here the Apostle alludes (as ye heard) to Hosea 1. 10.Observ. God there threatned to cut them off from being his people,No priviledges can exempt the contemners of the Word from Gods wrath. which after fell out. Whence learn, that
No priviledges can exempt men from Gods wrath, but if they contemn his Word, he will take it from them, and cast them off: Thus he did with the posterity of Abraham; a very lamentable spectacle to see the ten Tribes carried into Assyria Captives, thence by the Medes chased into many Nations, and dispersed, that had sometimes been the people of God, and now nothing less, but became no people, were as the Heathens; thus hath it fallen out to many Nations since our Savior Christ, as to the Churches that the Apostles Paul and John wrote to, and divers others.
This may terrifie us,Use. and hereby we may learn to stand in awe: If God did not spare them,Rom. 11. 21. will he spare us? we stand upon our good behavior; the sins of our Land be many, not onelyonly Bribery, Oppression, Whoredom, Drunkenness, Pride, Covetousness, but horrible prophanations of Sabbaths and Sacraments, fearful contempt of the Word, and abuse of Gods Servants, and with most, Religion grown to a mock, and a reproach to those that be any thing forwarder therein then others.
If any shall say,Obj. We have enjoyed the mercy of God, and the Gospel, a long time.
Not so long as the Israelites did.Sol.
But what then should God do for a people?Object.
As when God cast off the Jews,Sol. he took us Gentiles in, which they thought could never have been, even so can he finde him out a people among the ignorant and wilde people, which are no worse then this Nation sometimes was, though he should utterly cast us off.
In making them a people again, see both the mercy, power, and truth of God.
1. His mercy in receiving them in again:Gods mercy in making the Iews a people again. Where learn, That Though God should forsake some of the seed of a godly man, yet he will extend mercies on others for their fathers sakes, and remember the next or third Generation for the good old father, or Grandfather.
Let Parents be godly,Use 1. that all their children may be so; or if the Lord should frown on any of them, that yet he may remember his Covenant to their Posterity.
Again,Use 2. though God be angry with men for their sins, yet if they unfeignedly turn to him and humble themselves, he is gracious and merciful.
As this should provoke Gods Servants when they have offended,Use 3. not to fly from him and dispair, but come humbly to him, remembring that though they have shaken off the nature and part of Children, yet he retains still the nature of a father; so this may provoke lewd Wretches to come unto God,Apply 1 King. 20. 21. hearing he is so merciful. But contrarily, they abuse the same, and go on in their sins.
2. His power:His power. Though they were thus scattered, and so unlikely ever to be gathered again, yet did the Lord effect it. If men say a thing, or have a minde to a thing, they may hap to do it, but if God minde a thing, he will do it, neither shall any, or any thing let him.
This may comfort us in all Gods promises of protection of his Church,Use. against the proud adversaries of the same:See Psal. 74. 12.—18. And let such take heed how they oppose God in his Church, or stand in his way, lest they receive that which they shall never claw off again. Though the Jews at this time be so scattered, as that they be in all Nations, yet God will finde a means to gather them under the knowledge and scepter of Jesus Christ.
3. His truth:His truth. That was verified and came upon them, which God had threatned in the time, and by the ministery of Hosea; and whereas there it was foretold, that yet afterward they should be called home again, and be made the people of God: See the truth of his promises as of his threatnings;Use. for his promise to Abraham he took them in again.
Were not a people] He saith not,Observ. they were not the people of God, but,Impenitent persons not worthy the name of people. they were not a people; What then? heads of Swine, not worthy the name of a people or of men, but of Beasts; for such are they which live without the knowledge of God and Christ; nay, evil Beasts, as Horse and Mule without understanding, Oxen and Asses may teach them wit:Tit. 1. 12. The Sork, Crane and Swallow know their times,Psal. 32▪ 9. which they do not, nay worse then Beasts: Hence the Scripture compares them to Dogs,Isa. 1. 3. Lyons,Ier. 8. 7. & 50. 27. Foxes, Tygres, Cockatrices, &c. as wicked rich men to fed beasts. If a Horse have drunk his fill, let him come through the clearest water that is,Amos 4. 1. and he stays not; but numbers having already drunk too much, must needs drink at every Alehouse they come at. Its grace that puts excellency in a man, without which he is worse then a Beast, for he is degenerate from his Creation, hath understanding, but serveth not his Creator, but rebelleth against him, and his end will be a thousand times worse then a Beast: A wicked man is called in Latine, Nequam, which signifieth no body, and so he is indeed in Gods account, No body; and happy were it with him, if he were indeed no body, but he hath a being here to sin, and hereafter to be tormented.
Do not we therefore rest contented with our natural state,Use but labor for grace in our hearts.
But are now the people of God] Though scattered,Observ. yet became they the people of God:No outward affliction doth nullifie Gods Church. So that no outward affliction doth nullifie Gods Church, as no outward pomp nor living together in wealth make a Church; Gods Church scattered, is yet one Houshold, one Sheepfold. Further, in that he reckons it for a great priviledge and blessing, that they were the people of God, Note, That
Its the greatest blessing in the world for a Nation to be the people of God,Obser. even to enjoy the Word and Sacraments,To be the people of God a choyce blessing. and other Ordinances of God, the means of Salvation: so for a particular person to be one of Gods true people;Psal. 147. 20. for as for all outward things, they are common to the wicked, yea the Beasts partake of many of them, but the means of Salvation they are happy things: Its the fearfullest thing in the world not to be the people of God; for if we be in Poverty, Trouble, Captivity, under Tyrants, yet its nothing, so we enjoy the means of Salvation; and if a Nation have all Plenty and Peace, yet want the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus, its nothing: So for a particular person, if he be never so Poor, Sick, Imprisoned, Hated, yet if the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus be in his heart, and true holiness, he is not misrable; and if all Wealth, Honor, Health, whatsoever can be put upon a man, if he be not the childe of God, its nothing. St. James bids the poor Christian rejoyce, because he is made a Christian, exalted; and the rich man to rejoyce, because he is by the grace of God made lowly, not because rich.
1. This may stir up in us thankfulness to God,Use 1. that hath vouchsafed to make us his people in this Land, for which we cannot be sufficiently thankful: But most regard not that which makes the Land happy, namely the Gospel; This is that which makes this Land the people of God, and nothing else.
2. It teacheth us particularly to labor to be of his true people effectually Called,Use 2. Justified, Sanctified, Zealous of good Works, loving the Word, affecting it, and finding it sweeter then the honey, and the honey comb, more precious then gold and silver, delighting in the Sacraments and Prayer, walking in true Holiness, &c. thus shall we be happier then Kings without it. He that is one of Gods true people is dear to God, he will protect him & provide for him, that he shall want no good thing here, and be glorified with him hereafter; every one will be challenging this to himself, the worst of all will take the best names to themselves, and be termed Christians, but let them win it and wear it.
Which had not obtained mercy] What then? were under Gods Wrath and Justice; and why not under Mercy? because of their sins. So that Sins,Observ. especially unrepented of, are a wall of brass to keep Gods mercy from us.Sin unrepented of lets Gods mercy. Therefore repent of them, for without Gods mercy we are utterly undone for ever.
But now have obtained mercy. Use.] This is the same for substance with the former words, and there remain no several Doctrines our of these, besides those there handled, excepting this; Namely, that
What God did for them in making them his people,Observ. was of his meer mercy:What God did for the Iews was of mercy; and so all that we have. He had no need of them, they deserved no such matter. Learn then, that
All that we have or have had, is of meer grace; That we Gentiles are called to be the people of God,Iohn 3. 16. That this Land hath the Gospel, That our selves particularly were Elected,2 Tim. 1. 9. was of meer mercy; So were we redeemed,Eph. 2. 4. so effectually called: Nothing in us to move him to shew any mercy,Tit. 3. 3. first or last,1 Pet. 1. 3. nay, all to move him to the contrary, nay, it was not onelyonly mercy, but abundant and wonderful mercy.
1. This confuteth Popish arrogancy,Use 1. that teach mans Merits to be in part the cause hereof.
2. It teacheth us to walk so much the more thankfully and obediently in all things;Use 2. as we especially take kindely the good turns of a Stranger: O say we, I am exceedingly beholding to him, thus and thus he did, I never saw him before, I shall never forget it! What thankfulness then owe we to God for his love towards us, who were altogether ignorant of him? The less desert Mephi…heth found in himself,2 Sam. 19. 28. the more he found himself bound to David, so may we to God.
3. We must learn to imitate the Lord,Use 3. to be merciful as he is, and to do good to those that never deserved ought of us,Matt. 5. 44. nay, to do good to those that have deserved ill of us, and this men can hardly be brought to: O say some, and those not of the worst, I could be content to yield and to do any thing, but he hath thus and thus abused me with his tongue! But have not we done so by the Lord?