Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 4 · Verse 6
Ver. 6. For for this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit.
HEre he returns to his former matter, his Exhortation to Sanctification, pressing the same by another reason, from the end of the Gospel, and the preaching thereof, that wheresoever and whensoever it hath been preached, this hath been the end thereof; to bring men to Sanctification and holiness of life, to dye to sin and live to God by the Spirit of grace.
By Gospel we are to understand Christ Jesus, and the onelyonly way of salvation by him. By Dead we are to understand their forefathers, that lived before Christs coming, who were then dead when the Apostle spake this; not that the Gospel was preached to them when they were dead, but when they lived here. By being judged according to men in the flesh, understand dying to the flesh, namely, the lusts and corruptions of their sinful nature.See 1 Cor. 5. 5. As by living according to God in the Spirit, to live a spiritual & godly life to Gods liking, by his regenerating & sanctifying spirit.
For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead] Here note,The Gospel was preached before Christs time.
That the gospel was preached before Christs time, as to Adam in Paradice,Acts 4. 12. so to Abraham, so to those under the Law in their Sacrifices, Washings,Iohn 14. 6. Sacraments, &c. See Gen. 3. 15. & Joh. 8. 50. 1 Cor. 10. 3, 4. Heb. 11.Heb. 13. 8. Those then, and we now, are saved by one & the same Christ, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; Yesterday and to day, and the same for ever. There was never but one Covenant since the Fall, God never altered his minde: The distinction of old and new is not in respect of substance, but of the maner of Administration, to them more darkly, to us more clearly; then more sparingly, to us more plentifully; then under types, to us the body is revealed.
1. This confutes those that think that those before the Law were saved one way,Use 1. they under the Law another, & they under the Gospel another.
2. It confutes them that hold, That every man is saved by his own devotion and religion,Use 2. whatsoever it is, so he be zealous in it, and live orderly: This they would prove hence, namely, That the Jews were saved by observing of a few Rites and Ceremonies; a false foundation must needs lay the building under foot: Do not we see, that when they were even most zealous in Ceremonies, that yet the Prophets cryed out, that God was not content, but called both for Faith and Love. Besides, what a folly is it to think that every man shall be saved by his own Religion? Is any thing pleasing to God, but that which himself hath appointed in his Word? not our conceit, but his wil is the rule of his Worship: The Word sends us to Christ, in whom alone God is well pleased, without him there's no Salvation for any.
3. It confutes those among our selves,Use 3. which hope to be saved by their good meaning, good prayers, civil righteousness, by their repenting, and crying God mercy, &c. All these are blinde Sodomites, they grope for a door where there's none, & wil but hit their heads against the wal to their destruction: O how happy are we, that (there being but one way of salvation, known but to a few) it should be so clearly made known to us, were we so happy as to make it good to our selves.
That they might be judged according to men in the flesh,The Gospel calls for sanctification. &c.] Here note from the end of the Gospel, that
The Gospel calls for sanctification,Matth. 11. 27. and all the parts thereof, for as the Law hath Commandments,Tit. 2. 11. so hath the Gospel; it cals for faith and repentance,Differences between the Law and the Gospel. and in this latter, obedience to all the Commandments of the Law: The differences are, 1. The Law requires obedience, but gives no power, the Gospel doth both. 2. The Law requires strict obedience to the utmost, the Gospel requires an upright endeavor onelyonly, and to believe in him who hath performed it perfectly. The Sacraments and Sacrifices of the old Testament called for this, even for truth of heart, for faith & repentance.See Exo. 12. 15. God bade them circumcise the foreskin of their hearts,2 Chro. 30. 21. and under that Law of purging all leaven out of their houses, the people were called to repentance. So Baptism and the Supper of the Lord, the appurtenances of the Gospel, call for Sanctification: And doth any thing more cal for mortifying of our lusts, & living to God, then the death of Christ for sin, wherein we see how hainous a thing sin is in Gods account, as also the unspeakable love of God to us, in giving Christ thus to dye for us? The death of Christ should be a great corrosive to eat our sin:2 Cor. 5. 15. This was the end of Christs suffering for us; Will Christ dye for a man,Luke 1. 74. and yet have no use of him after, but that he may live as he list? assuredly God would never cause his Gospel to be preached, but to bring men to Sanctification.
1. This confutes as well the Papists for affirming,Use 1. that we preaching Justification by Faith onelyonly,See Rom. 3. preach a doctrine of liberty to sin; but on the contrary, this doctrine doth notably establish good works, as those among our selves, that cry out upon going to sermons; O, say they, we see none worse then they, they will deceive, they will cut their neighbors throat; but of most this is a lye: but if some be so, let them know, that the Gospel teacheth them not so to do.
2. This rebuketh those carnal wretches,Use 2. which live under the Gospel, yet abide still in their sins: They think the Gospel brings onelyonly tidings of salvation, but requireth no amendment or mortification. If Paul, Tit. 2. had gone no further, but stayed at Bring salvation, we should have had a number of Christians, but his other words, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, &c. O this part they cannot away with; so they could willingly hear, Come unto me …ll ye that are weary, &c. but not take up the Cross, but God hath joyned them together, and they cannot be separated; he that hath the one must have the other, as he that was to have the inheritance, was to marry Ruth. Hence it is, that multitudes have in their mouthes, They hope to be saved by Christ, and yet remain in their lusts, without mortifying the same, or giving up themselves to God in an holy life: Thus is it with ignorant persons, prophane persons, civil persons, worldlings and hypocrites; What impudent wretches are these? They hope to be saved by Christ, and yet live in their sins, thus making Christs death to be a license to all evil. Sundry deceive themselves in these days, some content themselves with an outward profession, some are haply at some times humbled, and thereupon conceive themselves to be converted, &c. but let every man try himself by his Sanctification: If this was required of them that lived before Christs coming, who had dimmer light, and more sparing means and promises then we, then think whats required of us that have heaven set open to us, and all the Fathers minde revealed, yea, Christ dead, risen, ascended, and all fulfilled.
3. For Gods children,Use 1. which do indeed hope for Salvation by Christ, and have yielded obedience to the Gospel in some measure; there is nothing that can become us better, then to labor to profit in mortifying our lusts, and to shew the fruits of the Sprit more plentifully and powerfully in our lives: Every Sermon and Sacrament should put new life in us; For what is the profiting by the Gospel, but to dye to sin, and live to righteousness daily, by an effectual knowledge of Christ Jesus: O its our great fault that we grow so slowly, that we get not a full mastery of our lusts, that sometimes we shrink at the yoke of Christ, as thinking some part of it too strait, and desiring more liberty, who yet thought we could never do enough for the Lord: O that our actions should favor so much of the flesh, and so little of the Spirit; O that we might encrease in our zealous affection to God, for his love in Christ, and for the Gospel, and that our behavior may be daily more answerable thereto, as our Salvation doth more nearly approach.