Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 4 · Verse 15
Verse 15. But let none of you suffer as a murtherer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busie body in other mens matters. Verse 16. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorifie God on this behalf.
LEst any should think that he commended suffering in respect of it self, so that all suffering should be blessed, and were to be rejoyced in, he tells us, That there's another kinde of suffering, then that he hath been speaking of, which is not to be rejoyced in; namely, when men suffer reproach and punishment, or whatsoever else for evil doing, for their just deserts: Those sufferings are base and shameful, whereof Christians must beware; but for the sufferings which are for Christ, for Righteousness sake, for a good Conscience, there's no shame belonging to them, but rather glory and rejoycing.
Here then are two kindes of sufferings laid down,Two kindes of sufferings. the one forbidden, whereto shame belongs, namely, to suffer for ill-doing, which is to be avoided; the other enjoyned, and wherein we are to rejoyce, namely, in suffering for well doing.
But let none of you suffer as a murtherer, &c.] Not that if any be a murtherer or thief, &c. he should not suffer the punishment due thereto, but flie from it; for that herein he resists the Magistrates Sentence on his deserts, sets himself against God: but he would not have men do any such evil, as to procure or deserve any such sufferings.
Obj. But none can walk so circumspectly, but that he may and shall do evil, and so deserve punishment at the hand of the Lord.
A. True, but he speaks of foul vices, and punishable by men, which Christians should be far from; and for the frailties of Gods Servants, he will not impute them to them.
The words afford this Doctrine, that
Sufferings for ill-doing are not glorious,Suffering for ill-doing are shameful. but shameful: Sufferings are good onelyonly in respect of the cause; if that be good, then they be good; if that be evil, then they be shameful: The same sufferings for kinde and measure may be to one person glorious, to another infamous; the one may have cause of joy, the other to hang down their heads: Both Abel and Jezabel were killed, but he for his goodness, she for her badness; both Joseph and Pharaoh's Officers were imprisoned, but he unjustly, they justly: Such as are reviled, are blessed, provided it be for the Name of Christ, and for Righteousness sakes.
1. This rebuketh all that suffer for ill-doing,Use 1. especially such as rejoyce therein; as 1. The Papists, who keep a Kalender of Martyrs, I warrant you, that have suffered in our late Queens days, and since; but they be the Devils Martyrs, if they be any: If they had not impudent faces, they would be ashamed of them; for why have they suffered? for their Religion? no such matter: Have they been asked, what say you to the Mass, to Worshipping of Images, to Justification by Works, &c. if you will not recant these, you shall dye? no such thing; but they have been convicted by Witnesses, or their own Confession, of Treason and Mischief against the Prince, State and Commonwealth; and for these have they, according to the Laws of all Countreys and Kingdoms, as pestilent instruments, been cut off: Yet if they had been put to death for their Religion, they had been no Martyrs, for it had not been for the Truth or Gospels sake, but for maintaining Lyes and Errors. None can dye the death of a Martyr, who hath not first lived the life of a Christian, which they did never; they are even as good Martyrs as those of our own, that be executed for their theft and murther: They have a multitude of Saints in their Kalender, that be Fire-brands in Hell. 2. Such as for their crimes and faults bring sufferings upon themselves, as thieves, murtherers, &c. woful wretches, they have cause to hang down their heads, both in respect of their sin, and the punishment that doth befal them; they are herein companions with the Devil and Reprobates, that they suffer for their sins: Others bring punishments upon themselves for their Drunkenness, Whoredom, Cousenage, Oppression, Quarrelling, Idleness, &c. Others bring an ill report upon themselves, being noted and ill-spoken of for Lyars, Backbiters, Slanderers, Tale-tellers, Covetous Pinehers, Hard Dealers, Gamesters, Company-keepers, &c. 3. Such as are professors of Christianity, and it may be have some good things in them, which yet are justly blamed for some faults; for one may be a Christian and be blamed, and yet not for his Christianity, but for something he did before he was a Christian, or for some fault that is yet in him: As some be justly blamed for being such deep censurers of others, so for separating from the Church, living in no Church at all, but setting up any ignorant persons to take upon them the office of Preaching: So some among our selves are justly blamed, for being too proud, given to censuring, and medling with matters that concern them not: So some poor men that have nothing but their Labor, and a Family depending upon them, that yet be negligent in their Callings, and look to live of others, and it may be go to three or four Sermons in a week, and tarry abroad a day or two here, three or four there, or, as some, go from house to house, and live of others, who though they can talk well, yet must not be negligent in their Calling, or of their Families: So a number of Servants that profess Religion, are very desirous to hear every Sermon, who yet are idle, lazy, careless and untrusty, thinking that a little profession of goodness should bear out all; when-as thereupon there's more required at their hands: These cause the Name of God to be ill spoken of, fie upon it; it is your Masters duty to let you come to the Word, and is it not as well your duty to give them an account when you are come home (which some of you do not at all) and to shew the fruit of your hearing, by your faithfulness in your particular places?
2. Let all beware of these kindes of sufferings,Use 2. and those that have besmeared themselves thus, seek to wash themselves clean again by repentance to God, and better conversation to men; let us walk so warily, that we may not in any case grieve the Servants of God, and that the wicked may finde nothing justly to speak ill of us (as thus, He is a Professor,Dan. 6. 5. but covetous, idle, proud, &c.) as the Princes, though they watched Daniel narrowly, could finde nothing against him, but in the cause of his God.
Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed,] Now of the other kinde of sufferings, whereof no man ought to be ashamed; If a man suffer for Christs sake, his Christianity, godliness, for that very cause, and in that onelyonly respect, for his goodness, for holding the truth of the Gospel, for yielding obedience to the Word; Hereof none need be ashamed, but rather thank God for the same. Here note, That
Sufferings for godliness be glorious,Sufferings for godliness are glorious. they be the marks of Christ; Christs sufferings, no shame belongs to them, for no shame belongs to Christianity; The Cause is good and glorious, accordingly must the sufferings so be: No shame belongs to goodness, no shame among Turks to be counted and known a Christian, among Papists to be a Protestant, among common Protestants to be a zealous server of God, that desires to bring into practice that which we outwardly profess; we need not care who know we be such, shame came in with sin, and belongs to sin; to suffer for goodness, whether it be by word or deed, as to be Apprehended, Imprisoned, put in Irons, Whipped, &c. is not shameful, but glorious; the Apostle Paul might have boasted more of his iron Chain, then others could have of their golden Chains; No suffering is base, if it be for a good Cause: If one should be put in a vile Dungeon, dragg'd at an Horse tale, &c. yet being for the Cause of Christ, he needed not be ashamed.
1. This rebuketh all such that are ashamed of goodness,Use 1. and to be ill spoken of for it; not onelyonly the common sort who are ashamed of no evil (as of Covetuosness, Swearing, Sabbath breaking, &c. but do even strive who should exceed others therein) are ashamed of the least goodness, and would not be seen with a Bible in their hand, or in good company, or to speak a good word, lest their companions and betters should upbraid them: No, beware; well, they are not worthy of the honor, they shall not need to fear it; But others that have some goodness in them, as one would hope that are yet so ashamed of being seen to be too forward, would hear oftner, but for fear they should be counted Puritans, have their Landlords frown, &c. and accordingly grieve if they have a rebuke for their forwardness: Alas poor Creatures, that see not what is their glory, are ashamed of that they should glory in, namely their goodnes, which is the thing that commends every man; even Kings in the Scripture are not otherwise commended but for their goodness: Others as great as they, are either branded with reproach, or passed by in silence that had no goodness.
2. Take heed therefore you be not ashamed of God here,Use 2. lest he be ashamed of you another day: Do as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they built here and there Altars, and were not ashamed to call on the Lord, neither was he ashamed of them to be called their God: Art thou called Puritan? Answer, I am not so pure as I should be, I pray God make me pure; you must be pure, else you shall never see God: we must also take heed that we esteem not basely, nor be ashamed of them that suffer for Christs sake, shunning and avoiding their company lest forsooth it should be known weare friends to Puritans; to those the world so calls and counts, and that for their goodness; wo be to us if we be not friends and favorers of them, this being indeed a main mark of our Regeneration.1 Iohn 3. 14.
But let him glorifie God on this behalf.] To suffer for well-doing affords matter of Thanksgiving.As sufferings for God are a benefit for which we are to praise God, so they be a great honor which the Lord vouchsafeth his: Hereby we are tryed, made Partners with Christ, the Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs, that be now in Heaven, are like our head in suffering,Acts 5. 41. and so shall be in glory, and shall rejoyce at his coming,Phil. 1. 29. and for ever: This is an argument we are none of the world, but chosen out of it, yea, that we are blessed, and have the Spirit of God in us; hereby also we glorifie God: And might not God have left us to our selves, and brought shameful sufferings upon us for foul sins, as upon many others; yea, might have cast us to Hell, to have most just and woful torments for ever and ever: Now seeing he vouchsafeth to change our shameful sufferings here and hereafter for our sins, into a few glorious sufferings for his names sake, it is a priviledge: Therefore though there be some tartness in the afflictions themselves, yet consider how they might have been, and now the cause why they be, what Partners we have, what good they will do us here, and what an happy end we shall have hereafter, we have great and unspeakable cause to praise and glorifie God, which I pray in Gods name let's labor (by faith) to bring our hearts unto.