Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 3 · Verse 19
Verse 19. By which also he went and preached to the Spirits in Prison: Verse 20. Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the Ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
THe Apostle proceeds to comfort the faithful that suffer for Righteousness sake:A further comfort to them that suffer for Righteousness sake. He had said before, That as Christ rose again after his sufferings, and had a good end of them, so shall all that suffer for his sake: Now, lest this should be doubted of, he sheweth how it cometh to pass, namely, by the help, assistance and power of the Spirit of God; who as he shewed himself mightily in Christs person, so hath and will in his members: and for instance, he looks back a great while ago, when long before Christs coming, the Spirit shewed himself to the confusion of the wicked and disobedient, and to the comfort and deliverance of Gods servants; as Noah, whom as this Spirit enabled to preach the to wicked world, so they disobeying and mocking him, the same Spirit preserved and saved in the common destruction: And therefore if the Spirit of God shewed himself so in the people of God, for their good so long ago, then we need not fear, but that he will much more shew himself in and with us, inasmuch as now the Spirit is bestowed in a larger and fuller maner, then before our Saviors coming into the world: Now he reckons this, rather then any other example, because it was a famous one, both of convicting the wicked world, and preserving the servants of God in such a bad time, and because it was so long ago. I come to the meaning of the words.
By which (his Spirit) namely,The meaning of the words. his Godhead and Divine Nature, which raised him from the dead, He went and preached, namely, by the mouth and ministery of Noah, To the Spirits in prison, even them that be now and were in Peters time Spirits and Souls in Hell, but when Noah preached, were disobedient men and women, when God seeing the notorious corruption of the times, threatned to destroy the world with a flood, if they did not repent: To them Noah preaching, both by word, and by deed also, in preparing the Ark, they not being moved hereat, nor at the long suffering of God, were at the length drowned, Noah onelyonly and his wife, with his three sons, and their three wives being preserved in the Ark.
This Scripture hath suffered (as Mr. Luther saith of the Lords Prayer) much Martyrdom by false interpretations, and erroneous constructions, whereof that of the Papists is most gross.
They understand it thus,How the Papists understand them. that Christ being dead, in his soul went down to the lower parts of the world, where be four several places together, one above another, Limbus patrum, Limbus puerorum, Purgatory, and Hell, which is the lowest and hottest of all; that Christ went into Limbus patrum, to fetch out all the godly Fathers that dyed from the beginning til his coming, and all such as in Noah's time seeing the flood come, indeed repented, and went to Purgatory, and had there suffered all; and so were gone into Limbus patrum also, to deliver the souls then in Purgatory; and into the lowest part, namely Hell, to Preach to the convicting of the Reprobates there, &c.
But though in truth Christ had done thus (which yet he never did) this proves no such matter,Reasons against the same will afford no such sence: for 1. By Spirit, whereunto the word which hath relation, is not meant Christs soul, but his Godhead; not his soul, for then it was, that Christ was quickned in his soul, or by his soul, but neither can be true; not in his soul, for his soul never dyed, nor was mortal; not by the soul, for it was not the soul that raised him again, but the power of God that joyned them both together, as the Scripture testifieth: and that his Godhead is hereby meant, will appear by the like places, as Rom. 1. 3, 4. 2 Cor. 13. 4. 1 Tim. 3. 16. where that which our Apostle calls flesh, Saint Paul calls infirmity; and what he calls the power of God, our Apostle calls the Spirit, both which are in effect one. 2. Hereby cannot be meant the Fathers and godly, for he speaks onelyonly of the disobedient and Reprobate ones. 3. He speaks onelyonly of those that lived in Noah's time, and no other age of the world. 4. This Prison was an unhappy and miserable place, and not Abrahams bosom, nor the place of the Fathers. 5. Even after our Saviors Resurrection, when our Apostle wrote this, they were then still in Prison, therefore Christ had not delivered them, nor fetcht them out, but they that had been there, were there still: And where they say he went to Preach to the Reprobates, this will not stand neither; for he speaks here onelyonly of the Reprobates of Noah's time, and why should Christ in his soul go unto them, rather then unto any other? Besides, to Preach to them, and do them no good, nor intend any, is against the nature & end of preaching.
But that there are any such places as Limbus patrum, Limbus puerorum, That there are no such places as Limbus patrum, and puerorum.or Purgatory, the Scripture gives not any inkling. 1. That the Fathers went to no such place, is certain, but that their souls loosed by death, went to Heaven; Jesus Christ, yesterday, to day, and the same for ever: They had the same benefit by Christ (as we) after their death. 2. They also believed in Christ as well as we, Abraham saw my day and rejoyced: Iohn 8. 5, 6.They ate the same Spiritual meat, and drank the same Spiritual drink,1 Cor. 10. 3. and so were partakers of the same benefits of Christ. 3. Their Spirits went to God that gave them; they enter into peace, and so not into the Prison. 4. Abrahams bosom into which Lazarus was carried by the Angels,Eccles. 12. 7. was above,Isa. 57. 2. not beneath, an happy, not a miserable place; Christ therefore went not to fetch them out thence, there being no such place.
For Purgatory,The Popish opinion about Purgatory. they say, there's such a place in the brim of Hell, where the pains be almost as bad as Hell pains, and the fire as hot, into which are sent the souls of the godly, that dye in faith and repentance, but yet have not suffered the punishment of their sins in this world, therefore must make up their sufferings in Purgatory (for they teach, that for our sins and punishments both committed before Baptism, Christ suffered, but for those after Baptism, though Christ takes away the sins, yet the punishment must be suffered by our selves, and that partly in this life by penances, &c. and the rest by suffering in Purgatory; & that for every sin is due seven years of payment in Purgatory, and therefore the Pope gives Pardons, sometimes for fifty, sometimes for an hundred years, &c. and therefore they say Masses for the souls of them that have been dead many 100 years; and when they have suffered for all their sins, & paid the utmost farthing, then come the souls out; & after they have been a while refreshed in a fair green field, ful of pleasant flowers, which is hard by Purgatory, then they go up to Heaven; notwithstanding, oftentimes through the mercy of the Popes, those pains are mitigated.Reasons against it. We say, 1. That as they themselves do not agree about the place, &c. So neither is it otherwise grounded, but on unwritten verities: The Scriptures mention but two places, whereinto the souls go immediately after death, Heaven, which is for the godly, and Hell, which is for the ungodly; for the godly, that they do immediately go into an happy place,Luke 2. 29. all the Scriptures sound; with Simeon, they depart in peace, go not to Purgatory, scorching pains; Christ is to them, as in life,Phil. 1. 21. so in death,2 Tim. 4. 8. advantage: Having finished their course, henceforth there's laid up for them a crown of righteousness:2 Cor. 5. 1. They have, after the dissolution of their earthly Tabernacle,Iohn 17. 24. a building of God, an house not made with hand, eternal in the Heavens; Christ hath prayed for them,Luke 23. 43. that they may be where he is, even in Heaven: The thief on the right hand had as much need to have gone to Purgatory as any other, yet on that day wherein he dyed, he was with Christ in Paradice.Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are they which dye in the Lord, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors: After death, presently comes the judgement, that every man shall stick to. Among all those things which God spake to Moses, there's not a word of this; among all the Sacrifices that God ordained, there were none appointed for souls in Purgatory; and amongst all the cleansings and purifyings of all kinde of impurities of Leprosie and Issues, &c. there's not a word of this: What, was God so unmindeful of his Church and people then? Neither is there in all the new Testament any word for it. 2. What a wretched thing is it to hold, that our sufferings should satisfie the wrath of God, and punishment of our sins, when the least sin deserves eternal destruction both of soul and body. And for their distinction, that Christs death gives power to the pains of Purgatory to satisfie, is an idle and ridiculous conceit. 3. To say that Christ should satisfie for our sins, and take them away, but not our punishment, is it not a wicked abuse of Gods justice? where he forgives the sin, doth he not also forgive the punishment? True, he chastens his servants, but they are no part of satisfaction of his justice, onelyonly a means to prevent sin to come, and humble for that which is past; as if I had a quarrel against a man, I might forgive him, and yet if I see him in an Appoplexy or Swoon, I may hit him a blow to fetch him again. The truth is,Why Purgatory was devised. Purgatory was devised, partly of a blinde and curious devotion of some Monks, that thought that they that had some beginnings (as they thought) of goodness, and so dyed, it were no reason they should be damned, &c. who were therefore to be purged in Purgatory, and so come to Heaven; and that seeing most men have much sin in them, even when they dye, it were unreasonable they should go straight to Heaven, for no unclean person shall come there, and therefore they must suffer and be cleansed in Purgatory: Who doth not see the absurdity of these conceits, when the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth in him shal not be condemned; Iohn 3. 18.& that whosoever dyeth in the Faith, all their sins and corruptions are done away, and they received into Heaven: But principally the Pope and his Clergy out of covetousness, were chief founders hereof; for hereby they did infinitely enrich themselves, and every where enjoyed the very fat in the Land: It was devised for the pampering of the living, not the punishing or purging of the dead: Through their covetousness, meeting with the peoples ignorance, Purgatory was hatched.
But what a cruelty is this of the Pope, who hath power, as he saith, to deliver as many as he lists out of Purgatory, & yet will suffer so many so long to lie there frying? But he knows well what he doth; if he should make it too common, or let out too many, then would the people care the less, and say, Though I go to Purgatory, yet the Pope of his clemency will deliver me, and so I mean to give my goods and lands to my children, and not beggar my posterity by giving them for Pardons or Masses, &c. Thus indeed their trade would go down.
1. This may stir us up to give thanks to God for his mercy,Use 1. in delivering us from those cousenages, and revealing unto us his truth: We ought to be so much the forwarder in every duty towards the worship of God, the Ministers maintenance, the poor, &c. you save it an hundred times over, through the preaching of the Gospel truly: Its a foul fault in people, that they cannot be content thus to enjoy their goods & lands, and leave them to their children (which they could not do) but pull and rake from the Minister, care not how little they allow him; yea, and are so miserable, as they will scarce allow their part to keep the house of God upright, or in decent sort, neither give the poor without grudging, or upon necessity.
It may comfort the godly;Use 2. There is no delaying place by the way, to keep them from the joys of Heaven.
3. It may teach men in any wise to look to themselves how they live,Use 3. for as soon as the breath is out of them, they go presently to the place where they shall abide for ever;Eccles 11. 3. as the Tree falls, so it shall lie.
Neither went he down to Hell to preach to the Reprobates;That Christ went not down to Hell to preach to the Reprobates for as its absurd for one soul to preach to another, so preaching is to do some good, and thereby onelyonly to do hurt is against the end thereof: But, say they, he onelyonly went and preached experimentally by his presence, and shewed himself to them to convict them, but they were already sufficiently convicted, condemned, and put in their place of torment; if Christ should have gone thither to convict them again, they were not sufficiently convicted before: But if they say he went to triumph over the Reprobate there, &c. it may be answered, That he triumphed on the Cross, and shall triumph over the Reprobates mightily on the day of Judgement. I proceed unto the Doctrines of the Text.
By which also he went and Preached,] Here note,
1. That when Gods faithful Ministers Preach, Gods Spirit preacheth in faithful Ministers.its the Spirit of God that preacheth in them: Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost; He that heareth you (saith our Savior) heareth me.2 Pet. 1. 21.
1. Therefore Ministers must endeavor so to preach,Luke 10. 16. that it may appear unto all,Use 1. that its the Spirit of God which Preacheth in them; their matter must be sound, and wholly agreeable to the will of God; and for the maner,1 Cor. 2. 4. it must not be with enticing words of man wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; we must not seek our selves, but Gods glory in the Salvation of our people: Such as for their matter Preach contrary to the Word, its not the Spirit of God which Preacheth in them, but the Spirit of Error; and for the maner, such as use a dark kinde of Preaching, or curious and quaint terms, or in such sort as the people cannot understand or profit, do they woo for Christ, or rather do they not speak for themselves? Such kinde of Preaching is blasted and cursed of God, and the Preachers thereof shall have their reward accordingly.
2. Let people know,Use 2. that when they come to the Word, they come not to hear such a man (whosoever he be) but to hear what the Spirit of God saith to them; a great priviledge: we must therefore prepare our selves rich accordingly with all reverence and fear (as having to do with God himself) laying the same to heart, and endeavoring to be profited thereby, in yielding obedience thereto: O how many come hand over head, sit sleeping at Church, and are no whit moved with whatsoever is said? Did we but believe that it were Gods Spirit that did Preach to us, we would give better heed. If we speak according to the Word in rebuking you for your sins, you are not to fret, and say, O some body hath told him hereof, or he doth this of ill will; but acknowledge,See 1 Cor. 14. 25. that its Gods Spirit which rebukes you, and that God is there indeed.
3. Gods people may be comforted by the promises delivered in the Word (as the wicked may be terrified by the threatnings thereof) They shall come to pass,Use 3. for that the Spirit of truth hath uttered them.
2. That God will finde a time to right things,God will finde a time to right things when they are disordered. when they be disordered: Though the wicked may prevail for a time, and iniquity abound and overflow, yet will the Lord in his due time come to visit and reform all; Thus did the Lord deal with this people.
Let the godly have patience,Use. and wait Gods leisure; and for the wicked, let them be never the lustier for that the Lord is patient, and defers for a time, for he will come to give every one his due, and will come too soon for their turn.
In prison,] The woful condition of the wicked.That is, Hell, the place appointed for the souls of the wicked, a fearful place, of Gods own preparing, and whereof the Devil is the Jaylor. For the wicked,
1. They shall be separate and cast from God, in whose presence stands happiness,Matth. 25. that as they regarded not his presence here, so hereafter they shall not enjoy it.
2. They shall be cast into the society of Devils and Reprobates, whom they have served, and whose society they have loved. Yet
3. Not in their company, to be with them in jollity and merriment, &c. as here, but in torments, howling and wailing, &c. those are both intollerable and eternal; their souls are presently after death cast hereinto, as both their bodies and souls, which have been companions together in sin, shall be on the day of Judgement: And for that though many be called, few be chosen; and in the parable of the four kindes of seeds, onelyonly one of them was good; as most of the old world perished, so shall and have most of every age of the world: Though Israel be as the sand of the Sea, yet but a remnant shall be saved.
O how might this cool the wicked,Use 1. the proudest that live in jollity, and set all others at nought! Now they are lusty, and swear, and curse, and do what they list, poor woful creatures: There is a prison prepared for them, that will pull down the proudest of them; sour sauce to their sweet meat, but most live as if there were no such matter. O what fools be they, that for a few short profits ill gotten, or onelyonly sought after, or some transitory pleasure or honor, sell themselves to this woful place. These count themselves wise, and Gods servants fools; but the contrary will be seen one day, and that they themselves were indeed the mad fools.
2. How should this stir up them to be thankful to God,Use 2. that know themselves freed from this woful place, and to Christ that hath suffered for them? O what cause have they to rejoyce, to walk obediently, and to bear their few short afflictions patiently? and for those that know it not, me thinks they should never be quiet, nor sleep good sleep, till they know they are delivered from this prison.
3. This should make us all,Use 3. not onelyonly careful to save our own souls out of this place, but to do all our endeavor to save others, especially them that be committed to us; as, Ministers to preach diligently, zealously and plainly,2 Cor. 5. 11. to save their people out of Hell, and pull them out of the fire; such as do otherwise, are merciless and cruel; so Magistrates to punish sin zealously, that they might not be condemned hereafter; so must Parents towards their children, by prayer, counsel, education, correction; so must every neighbor do what he can to save his neighbor: If thou doest them no good, yet shall they wish one day that they had been ruled by thee.
Which sometimes were disobedient,] Disobedience the cause of Gods judgements on the old world.Here's the cause as well of their bodily punishment by the flood, as their eternal judgement in Hell, even for that they were disobedient to the Commandments of God, and among the rest, to the Ministery of Noah: This is aggravated from the length of Gods patience shewed towards them (though God told them how long he would wait, yet did not they hereby become the wiser) and by the real sermon which they had, which was, the building of the Ark: They had both time and means to have repented, but not repenting, their sin was the greater, and so was their judgement.
Q. Were all, save those eight here mentioned, drowned?
A. The Text is plain, that all were drowned.
Q. Were all those that were drowned damned?Whether all those which were drowned were damned.
A. It is said, That the earth was filled with cruelty, they are also termed the world of the ungodly; and its likely that if any had been openly known to have been good, the Lord would have preserved them that they should not have perished in the waters with the rest; yet its possible that even among them that were drowned, there might be some good, and it were hard if we conclude that all were damned; some were youths, some infants, not capable of sin, some not born, whereof some might belong to God. Again, it might be (though not very likely) that some might repent in truth when they saw the flood come. However, most no doubt were utterly cast away for ever, yet some might be saved eternally, though they had part in the bodily punishment; as Cain a Reprobate had part in the temporal deliverance, and yet perished eternally. Hence perceive
1. The exceeding and almighty power of God,Use 1. that was able thus to take vengeance of the impiety of the world, even of such an infinite multitude, by such a judgement; theres no power nor counsel against him: He is the Lord of Hosts, and hath all Creatures in Heaven and Earth to use to preserve his, and to destroy his Enemies; even from the Angel which destroyed Senacharibs host, to the very lice and worms, fire, ayr, earth, hail, blasting, mildew, lyons, bears, &c. are at his command;See Act 12. 23 there's no Creature so mean, which he cannot use to destroy the very proudest Tyrant: How should this strike terror into the heart of every wicked man, and make him humble himself at the footstool of the Lord, and break off his sins by unfained repentance. The people of Tyrus and Sidon feared Herod, Ibid. 20.because he could hurt the Land, who yet himself was worms meat; God can plague and destroy a thousand ways: What art thou that rebellest against thy Maker, the Lord of the whole world, who hath Heaven and Earth, and Hell at his command, and all Creatures in them? He is able to plague thee which way soever he will, every hour of the day: He is able by the greatest, by the meanest also of his Creatures to destroy thee, as he can also immediately by himself: But if he let all these alone, he is able to finde enough in thine own bowels to torment thee, some ill humor in thine own body or bowels to vex and weary thee; any tooth in thy head may drive thee to extremity of pain,Dan. 4. 5. thine own thoughts may take away sleep from thee; yea, drive thee into desperation,Simile. as it befel Judas. Most Princes if a great many be in a transgression or rebellion, either cannot resist them, or if they could, dare not put them all to death, for fear of rising, or want of Subjects; its not so with the Lord, he hath no need of men; if they rebel against him, he will cut them off, if they be never so many, he fears not: O let none sin with the multitude, thinking to be hidden or escape, for God hath judgements enough, and hath prepared Hell large enough, though there be never so many that rebel against him.
2. The wonderful justice of God,Use 2. and how he hates sin, that thus revenged it upon the whole world: This is a part of his name; he will not account the wicked innocent:Psal. 5. 4, 5. He is a God that hateth and abhorreth iniquity,Leut. 26. 14. and hath shewed it in all ages of the world:Deut. 28. 15. He hath storehouses of judgements here against the wicked, and hath prepared for them a prison and place of torment for them hereafter. This should now make them tremble and fear, hate sin and repent of it: He hath done justice on the whole world, and dost thou think to scape? The world makes an Idol of him, all of mercy; such examples as this, and that upon the Israelites in the Lamentations, and many other, shew his justice; and this is such a dreadful example of Gods justice, as should make all the world to tremble. If we should see an hundred men executed together, how would it daunt us? what will it then to consider, that thousands thousands are sent into Hell?
If any shall think that of those which were drowned there might some be saved eternally,Two necessary considerations. because oftentimes Gods servants be taken away in common calamities, let them learn, 1. To judge charitable of men taken away in such cases. 2. Not to promise themselves any certain freedom from outward calamities; howsoever, we must not voke God hereunto, but yet herein to commend our selves to God, as which shall not hurt our souls: Though we be wrapt among the wicked in some bodily affliction, yet lets be of good comfort, we shall not be so at the day of Judgement, we shall be delivered from eternal punishment.
But disobedience is as the forerunner of destruction,Disobedience is the forerunner of destruction. its as the sin of Witchcraft; he who is the Lord of the whole world, and requireth obedience of all, cannot endure that men should contemn and disobey the admonitions of his Word, whereby they are called to repentance: This is mens destruction, see 2 Chron. 36. 16. Isa. 1. 5. Hos. 5. 4. Mat. 23. 23.
This may serve to awaken this woful world,Use. that is set upon disobedience. Most men do what they list, and follow their own lusts, as if there were no Law, nor any had to do with them; yea, though God call upon them, and send his Ministers unto them, yet they will not give their mindes to repentance, but harden their hearts: Oh, those carry a badge of their destruction, and a mark whither they are going, a certain forerunner of judgement here, or to be sure of eternal destruction hereafter: He that lives in a flat disobedience of any Commandment,Iohn 3. 36. and in any known sin, is in the state of damnation: He that committeth sin is of the Devil.1 Iohn 3. 8. If thou livest in impenitency under the Word, know that thy judgement sleepeth not.
For their particular disobediences, their licentious living, their security and carelesness, their following of their lusts, their intemperancy in eating and drinking, their oppression and cruelty one towards another,The sins of our times like those of the old world. &c. they be the common sins of our times, and therefore we may justly fear some heavy judgement, which in likelihood for those few sakes amongst us which fear God, hath been all this while kept off us. What marrying now onelyonly for beauty, there being no regard had of Religions, and whence this Gyantly generation (not in stature, but lewdness) springeth? How are some set onelyonly upon pleasures, some upon their profits; and what wrestling and clambering is there to get preferment? most care not whom they tread under, so they be aloft.
When once the long suffering of God waited] This aggravates their sin,Gods Patience towards the disobedient aggravates their sin. that they continued disobedient, notwithstanding God did both wait for their repentance, and set them a time of One hundred and twenty years, but nothing would do them good: Thus did he to them, thus to this Nation, thus to every particular, person of us.
1. They that have received grace and are converted should be thankful to God for his great patience towards them before their calling:Use 1. Oh, every one of us have much cause of thankfulness this way: Oh, if God had cut us off in our sins, and days of our vanity, yea, after many a warning that we despised, we had now been howling without hope, with the damned spirits in Hell; yea, if God had taken away his Gospel and Peace from us but within these few years, nay haply within this twelve moneths, in which time God hath shined into our hearts, and hath had mercy on us, how miserable had been our condition?
2. Others that are not as yet converted,See Psal. 50. and 55. must make use of this patience, through their timely repentance: But alas, most do abuse it to the quite contrary;Isa. 57. 11. O how fearful will their case be, which having had experience of Gods long suffering these twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years, yet abide in their old sins? If their judgement was the greater by the abuse of this patience, then what shall those amongst us, which have had longer patience, and a thousand times more means? The time allotted them, an hundred and twenty years, was not above the third part of the life of a man then, which being compared with that hath been allotted us, and the usual time wherein men now live, it will appear, that by way of proportion, we have had far more; and besides the sermons of the Prophets, of Christ and his Apostles, we have had faithful sermons from the faithful Ministers of God: Those of the old world shall rise up in judgement against us, as also Sodom and Gomorrah, and shall speed far better then we. O therefore, lets abuse the patience of God no more,Heb. 2. 13. but to day, whilest it is called to day, not to harden our hearts, &c. Oh, do we this the rather, because God hath set the time how long he will bear with us, which if it should once be out, it would be then too late for us, he would bear with us no longer, but would either snatch the Gospel from us, or us from it by death, or give us over to hardness of heart, never to be moved, or to feel our misery, but when it is too late, as it befel Esau, and the foolish Virgins: Therefore it is said here,
Once the long suffering of God, &c.] That is, it being out, there was no longer time to be granted, nor though they had cryed, would God have heard, and so we may suspect, that there were but a few (if any at all) which either repented when they saw the flood come, or whom (though they cryed) the Lord regarded, for that the time set was then expired.
In the days of Noah,] Here Noahs name remaining up record, honorably registred: He saith not in the days of any of the Gyants, whose names are all buried, but in the days of Noah; God vouchsafes not so much as to name them.
In the Scriptures the godly are spoken of to their honor,The names of the godly mentioned to their honor. but the wicked are either not named at all, or else to their disgrace, and their brand: Jeroboam that made Israel to sin, Ahab that sold himself to work wickedness,1 King. 15. 34. wicked Athaliah, See Prov. 10.that cursed woman Jezabel, Judas that betrayed him, &c. or with their sins at large to their eternal reproach: But how sweet is the memorial of the godly mentioned in Scripture? as of Mary Magdalene, Lazarus, &c. In Stories also we have the names not onelyonly of famous Ridley, Latimer, Cranmer, &c. but even of meaner men, and not onelyonly of men, but of women also, yea, and of those, even of poor ones, who are worthily reported of; whereas the names of their persecutors, are either altogether unknown, or if they be spoken of, as Bonner, Gardiner, and others, its with stopping the nose, &c.
How may the servants of God be comforted? though haply they are mean in the world, yet their names be written in Heaven, and shall abide, when the names of the wicked shall rot: Labor then to be Religious and godly, that ye may be well reported of alive and dead; else if ye be wicked, ye shall have an ill report in the Church of God whilst ye live, and leave a stinking memorial behinde you when ye are dead, both which are fearful.
While the Ark was a preparing,] The old world then most disobedient, when they should have been by Noahs making of the Ark feared therefrom.Another thing whereby their disobedience is aggravated, that it was even then, while they saw Noah busie in making an Ark, which might have admonished them of the flood, for he in Faith made it, obeying the Commandment of God: He believed what God had threatned, but so did not they.
1. Note here, That if Noah because of the flood threatened, made an Ark to save himself from it,Christians must use the means whereby to be freed from Hell and destruction. as God had commanded; its our duty much more, as I may say, to prepare an Ark, and use the means to save our selves from drowning in Hell, the pit of perdition. There is a certain flood of destruction, whereinto all such shall fall, as have not before got into the Ark, as all that were out of this Ark perished. The making of this in likelihood, was a matter of great cost, of great toil, and without doubt he had many a mock for his labor when he went first about it, and whilest he continued working at it, yet went he on:Faith and Repentance an Ark for the soul. As that was for the body, so are Faith and Repentance for the soul; whosoever have these shall never perish, but have everlasting life: For these we must labor, whatsoever pains they cost us; yea, and if it were to hinder our outward estate hereupon, and expose our selves to mockings and revilings: Whosoever misseth of these, whatsoever else they have, shall questionless perish; the word tells it, and we are to believe it.
1. This rebukes the monstrous folly and madness of the world.Use 1. Gods Ministers, his Noahs, preach the flood, and perswade every man to make ready his Ark; but alas, how few look after any such matter, nay (as in the old world) they rather mock at those that do, or that take pains to hear the Word, which is the way to get Faith, or that take pains to lead a godly life; O these precise fellows, they be so holy, and these Scripture fellows, they be so holy, as they will be in heaven ere their bones be cold, &c. whereby it appears, that (as Lots sons in Law about the destruction of Sodom) they believe no flood at all,Gen. 19. 14. no judgement at all to come; or else haply they think it an easie matter to make an Ark at any time, either thinking that some easier and nearer may be found then by Faith and Repentance (as those that hope to be saved by their good meaning, good prayers, civil life, &c. which will assuredly deceive them) or that they are easie to be obtained: Was Noah One hundred and twenty years in making an Ark to save him from drowning in the waters, and can they at pleasure, and on the sudden, make an Ark to save them from Hell, and to get into Heaven; as most hope by Lord have mercy upon me to be saved? But as no doubt, many used sundry shifts to save themselves when the flood came, and none prevailed but the Ark, so shall it be with all such: O what if the flood should now come (as it may ere the morrow) is your Ark ready or not? If it be not, defer the time no longer: No man knows that he shall live One hundred and twenty days, or a quarter so long; yet though Noah knew he should live so many years, he did not defer the time, delay the making of the Ark: It will not be done on the sudden, and after this life there's no making of any;1 Kings 6. 7. as there was no hewing of timber or stone in the Temple, but all in Mount Lebanus: Look to it therefore betimes, regard neither the costs nor pains you may be put to: Its no matter so you be saved.
2. This may comfort them that have their Ark prepared,Use 2. though thousands and ten thousands perish, yet they shall not do amiss, but be preserved and saved as Noah; then shall not we weigh what pains we have taken to make it, to hear the Word, to humble our selves, to repent, &c. And have not others taken as much pains for transitory things, that will vanish and never do them good? and though you have been mockt, yet will the time come, when those mockers will change their note.
Again, in that they saw and heard of this Ark a building, which ought to have been a real Sermon to them, yet were not moved, their sin becoming hereby the greater.
2. Note,How useful Examples and occular sermons are. That when God addes to his Word Examples, and to the Ministery real Sermons also, these ought much to prevail, which when they do not, as well the sin as the judgements of the Delinquents become the more fearful; for the more means men have, if they profit not thereby,See Luk. 17. 32 the greater will be their judgement, as our Savior said of Corazin and Bethsaida. 1 Cor. 10.When God threatens to plague wicked men, it should make them stand in awe, but when they see the same, it cannot but pierce more: To this end, though God hath left some part of Scripture in Precepts and Doctrines, yet hath he left most in Story and Example,Ezek. 12. 3…. accordingly the Prophets used both: Therefore when God in his Word exhorts to diligence in laboring after Salvation, and to lead an holy life, this ought much to move; but when men see Examples of such people before their eyes,Iam. 5. 10, 11. this ought to move the more.
This condemns the notorious obstinacy of our times,Use. that notwithstanding the Word God addes so many examples of his judgements on wicked men, more by far then we could have lookt for in the days of the Gospel; as untimely ends upon Drunkards, and notorious prophane persons, &c. that would take no warning; yea, haply of a dozen of them which have been in a Town,Dan. 5. 22. cut off by one judgement or other, yet who fears? nay, do not others continue in the same state (as some old Drunkards) without amendment, as other new ones grow up every day? The like may be said of other sins: Belshazzar profited not by the judgements of God on his Father, as most do not by any judgement on others: What answer have they to make, and what judgement waiteth them, that have had many examples, and yet never the better? so of notorious covetous gripers, oppressors, rakers, how blockishly and fearfully they have dyed, with the miserable end of their goods? either wofully wasted by drunkards, or dispersed to those that never sweat for them, yea oftentimes to their very enemies; who seeth not? yet who are moved hereat? let these look for greater judgements; so when God raiseth up many godly Christians, that earnestly labor after their salvation, taking great pains to hear the Word and to live godly, most receive no profit by these real examples and Sermons, but some mock at them, and think them more precise then needs; as others are blockish, and are no whit moved thereby: They might think with themselves when they see some such take such pains, that there is somewhat in it, some ill to be avoided, some good to be obtained, some great matter that should move these people to take such pains; surely (might they say) its not for nothing, they have business as well as we, which they could tend if a greater thing were not in the way; its not for nothing that they thus weary themselves. But most do not understand or consider thus much with themselves, and yet God hath raised up such as lights to draw on others; and they that be not won by the Word, nor moved by the examples of the godly, their answer will be fearful: Little do these people think that those that have travelled by their doors, wet and dry, and come through their grounds to hear the Word, shall one day be their Judges; It had been happy for them, if they had dwelt further off.
3. In that this ark did betoken the judgement of God to come,Wicked men fear not Gods judgements. and yet they feared nothing; Note, that wicked men fear not Gods judgements, Thus was it with the Sodomites, with Lots sons in law, with the Israelites:Prov. 14. 16. and 22. 3. This is indeed a token of a wicked man, as being an argument of unbelief, Atheism, and hardness of heart, and that they are mad on their sins;and 28. 14. These are sure to fall into destruction.
This condemns the common unbelief and impenitency of most men, for though they hear Gods judgements denounced against sinners, and that they hang over the pit of Hell, and that he will judge Whoremongers, and Adulterers, &c. and that no such shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and that they are thieves for every bit of bread they eat, & that if they come to the Sacrament without their wedding Garment, they shall be bound hand and foot, &c. yet they fear no colours, but go on like blinde Bayard. People were of old afraid of Purgatory, but these are not, whatsoever can be said of Hell, or the day of Gods dreadful judgement: But they that now fear them least, shall one day feel them most; whereas Gods Servants, which tremble and humble themselves, with David, Habakkuk, and Josiah, hiding themselves with God, shall escape, and they that fear them least before they come, and are boldest in sin,See Mr. Dod on Psal. 14. they are most stricken with horror, and most cowardly, when they come, as Ahaz, Saul, Belshazzar, &c.
Wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water,] Here's the proper use and end of the Ark, The preservation of Noah and his Family from drowning: By souls we are to understand men and women, and by being saved, their temporal deliverance.
1. In that the Ark preserved them, and was not overturned with the raging of the waters, and that Noah with his were not choaked, being so long there with beasts. Note, That
What God will have a thing to do,Weak means are sufficient through Gods blessing for our preservation. though it seem never so weak, or unlikely, yet it shall be sufficient to effect it, as Sampsons jaw-bone, the compassing of Jericho, Daniels pulse which he eat, the Whales belly for Jonah, Jordan to cleanse Naaman; so by the foolishness of Preaching, by the Ministery of a few mean men (to speak of in comparison) to convert the Gentiles, &c. If God shut up Noah in the Ark, he shall be safe enough; yea, and how many poor live and prosper with a short and bare allowance, and many of them in sickness, get up with poor help and means? O the happy condition of Gods Servants, what means soever they have, if God bless the same, they shall suffice to do them good! Hereof, how often in time of danger when means have failed, or weak means onelyonly were to be had, have we had experience?
2. In that Noah with six other righteous persons besides himself were preserved. Note
Both the reward of righteousness (though not for merit,Righteousness shall not want its reward. but Gods mercy) and what a dignity and priviledge it is to be righteous; one such is more worth,1 Tim. 4. 8. then ten thousand others: As they are the glory, the wicked are the dross; so do they finde, that godliness hath the promises both of this life, and that which is to come.
O what a provocation and encouragement ought this to be unto us,Use. to labor to approve our selves to God, to be righteous in Gods sight, and to walk with him! Such shall be preserved from all evil of body and soul; for those that be otherwise, they lie open to all judgements here, and to eternal destruction hereafter: O that men could believe the odds between the one and the other!
Cham, being with his Father in the Ark, was preserved from the Flood, but after was cursed and condemned for his sin, and is in Hell. Note, both that
Its good to be near the godly;Its good to be near the godly. The place, and they that be with them, fare the better for their sake, as Laban for Jacobs, and Potiphar for Josephs, wicked Jehoram for Jehoshaphats, all in the Ship for Pauls, No man can be saved by the goodness of another.and here Cham for Noahs, and none can be saved by any other bodies goodness: The soul that sinneth shall dye, and every one shall be saved by his own Faith: Cham perished though he had Noah to his Father,Ezek. 18. 20. who was such a good man. Note further, That
Though the wicked both may and do often escape bodily dangers (as Cham did) yea live,The wicked however they escape bodily dangers, shall meet with everlasting judgements. wax old, and grow in wealth, &c. yet they shall not escape the everlasting judgement of God for their sins: While they continue their sins, (whatsoever their prosperity be) their judgement sleepeth not, neither doth their damnation slumber.
4. In that of those which were saved from drowning, being but few, yet one was not saved eternally. Note, That
It ever hath been,There are but a few which shall be saved is and will be, that a very few have been or shall be saved; thus you see it was in the old world: So was it under the Law, when all the Nations lived without God in the world, onelyonly God was known in Jury, yea, though Israel was as the sand of the sea, yet but a remnant of those were saved: How few in the wilderness, but were disobedient? how few under the Prophets, but were idolatrous and stiff-necked? In the days of Christ, where was faith to be found? and now (not to speak of the Jews, Turks, and Pagans) even among Christians, doth not the love of most wax cold? Narrow is the way to Heaven, and there be few that finde it; Many are called, but few are chosen. Gods people are a little Flock; Faith and Repentance (without which none can be saved) be so difficult things, as few attain them. An Hypocrite and civil man may go far, but come far short: If indeed to speak two or three good words at ones death, were a sign of repentance (as numbers hold) or Heaven were so easily come by, in vain did Gods Servants humble themselves, and labor to cleanse themselves in innocency. I would never care for coming into Heaven, if it were so easily obtained; as the Arrian at Norwich, about to be Executed, said to one standing by,The speech of an Arrian at his death. Do you think Christ would forgive me, if I did confess and believe in him, and acknowledge him? O saith the party, without all doubt he would: To whom the Arrian, If your Christ be so easily to be entreated,Matth. 7. 21. I'le never believe in him: But not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: Faith and Repentance, with the change of a man, is the greatest work in the world. Though we cannot judge the precise number of those which shall be saved, neither yet who they are, yet generally this is true, That in the visible Church, but a few shall be saved.
We must not therefore content our selves to do as most do,Use. or the rest of our Neighbors do, but rather as the fewest do, else we can never enter into Heaven, or be saved; we must crowd, and strive hard, and labor to be of the number of those few which shall be saved; we must give all diligence hereunto, seek after this, cry for this; we must not content our selves with any shadows of grace, but seek after true grace, which is to salvation; we must not content our selves to be of the family of the righteous, but must labor and finde that we our selves are righteous.
5. In that he termeth those eight which were saved Souls (by which word also elsewhere men and women be meant) which is not at any time given unto any other Creature:Gen. 46. 27. Note,Rom. 13. 1. that
Men and women be more excellent then all other Creatures;Men and women be more excellent then other creatures they have reasonable souls, and so capable of the mysteries of God, of the image of God, of the graces of his spirit, and immortal souls, and so capable of living in glory for ever.
1. If God hath bestowed infinite more cost on man then on all other Creatures,Use 1. how should we by serving God with our reason, and having our souls adorned and filled with the gifts of the Spirit of God, labor to excel them? O the miserable and base madness of most men, who though being endued with reason, they are apt to serve God best, and may observe all Creatures serving them in their kinde, yet rebel against him, and so become indeed void of reason! And how do most let their souls lie unfurnished of saving knowledge, and other graces, like bruit beasts: Happy they had been beasts, God made them men, but they live like beasts that perish.
2. Our care must be more for our souls then our bodies;Use 2. Those be immortal, shall live even when parted from the body: O the folly of most people, that toil and care for transitory things, as profits and pleasures, food and raiment, but have no care for any thing that is eternal; God gave them souls capable of immortal glory, and they have so neglected the seeking hereof, as that they must dye eternally, and be in wo for ever.
Noah and the old world were a right picture of the good and bad in our age;Noah and the old world a right picture of the good & bad in our age while he was carefully workiug, they took their pleasure, but in the end he was saved and they drowned: So now the servants of the Lord, they knowing their sin and danger, they spend their time in mourning and humbling their souls, and in making of an ark of Faith and true Repentance, wherein to save themselves from the flood of Gods wrath, which they know they have deserved: They take pains to hear, read, pray▪ mortifie their affections and lusts, abridge themselves of many profits and pleasures, having many reproaches from men, and hard measures, yea, it may be crosses and afflictions from God to further them in a good course; while in the mean time the common sort they follow the swinge of their own hearts, and do what they list, they follow their profits and pleasures like Esau, and often escape afflictions, and have great prosperity, so that one would think their case happy in comparison of the state of the people of God: But mark the end, time will come, that the people of God shall be saved, and escape drowning, when the jolly world shall fall into the pit of eternal perdition: So the children of God begin in tears, but they end in joy, whereas the wicked begin here in jollity, but must end in eternal howling; which of these is the best, chuse the first or the last, that which perisheth, or that which endureth to life eternal.