Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 4 · Verse 9
Verse 9. Use hospitallity one to another without grudging.
THis is an exhortation to a particular duty of love, we must be kinde and helpful to strangers, especially such as are in affliction, and persecuted for Religion, we must harbor, receive, and comfort them at our houses, or otherwise relieve them, if it be most profit to them; we must also be kinde and helpful to our own poor, especially the best disposed of them, comforting their bowels, and refreshing them sometimes at our houses; we must also lovingly invite one another to our houses for the further encrease of love, and all this must be chearfully, without grudging.
In the exhortation, Use hospitallity one to another: we will speak of the three preceding branches.
1. For strangers,We must be kinde to strangers. we must be kinde to them, that being of other countreys are in want or flye for Religion, and come to us for shelter, which do either forsake their Countrey for their conscience, or be thrust out of their Countrey, house and home, especially for Religion: This is often commanded, as Exod. 22. 21. and 23. 9. Lev. 19. 33, 34. and 23. 22. Heb. 13. 2. Hereof Abraham, L…t, Job, Booz, Obadiah, Acts 11.Rahab, the widow of Sarepta, the Shunomitish woman, Cornelius, Lydia, Rom. 15. 27.Gaius, Onesephirus, &c. were notable examples; so we read of some that gathered for others, and sent unto them in their necessity: This Land hath done commendably this way, in relieving the French and Dutch.
Reasons. 1. God who requires this duty of us, is merciful, and accordingly should we be so. 2. These with widows and fatherless are most shiftless, most heavy hearted, least regarded in the world, easiest trodden down, unable to requite good, or resist evil; therefore God hath taken the charge of them, both to defend them from wrongs, and to requite the good which is done them. 3. We must not adde affliction to affliction,Obad. 10. that's not to be endured; but we must help bear their burthen, comfort their hearts, refresh their bowels; Its enough for them that they are fain to forsake Land, House, Friends, and all for Christ sake. 4. This will keep them from impatience, murmuring, and many other temptations; as also from falling into their Enemies hands bodily, or from forfeiting a good conscience by recanting, whereunto in likelyhood they would be driven through our unkindeness. 5. This helps strengthen their faith in Gods promise, that he will provide for them, which forsake any thing for his cause; when we use hospitallity towards such, then is this promise fulfilled, and we help them to believe. 6. Hereby also we provoke them to break out into many praises to God, and to pour forth many prayers for us. 7. We know not how soon their case may be ours; now if it were, would we not be kindely used? 8. Thus we shall express our thankfulness to God, in that we our selves are not driven from our own homes. 9. Hereby also we shall declare a good Testimony of our love, and so of our faith; for seeing they can never requite us, therefore we believe its laid up with God. 10. It shall not be forgotten with the Lord, but rewarded here and hereafter; never did any lose by kindeness to strangers:Matth. 10. 42. He that receiveth a Prophet, &c. shall receive a Prophets reward; that is, such a reward as a Prophet may be like by his office to help them to from the Lord; so such a reward as a righteous man may help them to; look upon all the forementioned examples, and they clear the same:Matth. 25. 34. But were there none here, that Scripture, Come ye blessed of my Father, would suffice to draw us on to the performance of this duty.
O let us be ready in performing this duty,Use. let us put to our helping hand, let us shore them up, that they s…ink not: Neither must we thus do onelyonly to strangers of other Countreys, but even to those in our own Land, in the time of persecution; So also if we hear of their great losses by fire, or otherwise (especially being authorized) let us extend our charitable benevolence on them for their relief, and though we our selves do not harbor them, yet if we help to build up or repair their Houses, &c. we perform this duty: Sundry among us do something tollerably that way, but for the mercies of others, they are cruel; Its a sign that those never tasted of Gods mercy, which are altogether without the bowels of mercy.
Obj. O but if I could happen upon Angels in entertaining strangers, then would I like well of it.
Answ. We do after a sort entertain Angels, for they attend about those whom we harbor, and the House is the stronger that night, as Lots was; yea, we entertain more then Angels: For he that receiveth one of these little ones, receiveth me, saith Christ: Who would not be ready to lodge Jesus Christ, if he were here?
If I could obtain a Son,Obj. having none, or being dead, to have him raised from death to life, as the Shunamite, by the means of strangers, or have my friends and servants restored to health, I could like well to entertain them.
Gods Servants may obtain for us as great things as these,Sol. nay greater, even such things as may be for the good, both of our own souls and theirs.
And if even those which in likelyhood have done thus onelyonly in civil courtesie have not been unrewarded, how much less shall they, which do it for Conscience sake?
2. For our own poor:The regard we are to have of our own poor. Its best to maintain them at their own houses, with that which their own labor will not attain, and not suffer them to go from door to door, except when they bring home their work, or come out upon occasion of some sickness, to make known their necessities: But many are forced out, as being neglected at home. Besides their maintenance at home, its meet also for them of ability now and then to bid them home to their houses, to warm them at their fires; and that not onelyonly at the Festival time of the Nativity of our Lord Christ, but upon other occasions, as the day of our deliverance from the Powder-Treason, &c. So its meet, that every Lords day we should take home with us a poor body or two, who are best minded, most diligent in their Callings, bring up their Children well, &c. to encourage them in goodness,Luke 14. 13. and that they may bear their burthen the more chearfully:Isa. 58. 7. This is even in special enjoyned to us, and required of us;Iob 31. 17. and thus doubtless did both Abraham and Job.
But how are the poor by most in most places neglected?Whence it is that the poor are so much neglected. Hereof there are two chief causes: 1. Wicked Covetousness, which hath so prevailed with some, that they are mad for the world, and insatiable, thinking all lost that goes besides themselves: Some rich keep no house; some have many Farms, and for any good they do, it were better they had none; some live basely and miserably, &c. 2. Pride in building, apparel, sumptuous dyet, whereby they are drawn so dry, that nothing is to be had of them: For the former, they covet an ill covetousness to their own house, it being the way to pull it down; and for the latter, their bravery will be turned into rags: God blesseth not the Children of either the one or other; The Fathers being ill Tenants, and not paying their Rent, God will turn out the Children. O how many, by sparing more then is right, come to poverty?Iames 2. 13. Being merciless, they shall have judgement without mercy; stopping their ears at the cry of the poor,Prov. 21. 13. they themselves shall cry, and not be heard: They send away the poor, as Nabal did Davids messengers, and bid them Go, &c. and it shall be said to them at the last day, Go ye cursed, &c. If thou wouldst be merciful to the poor, thou mightest be blessed in all thou puttest thine hands unto; if thou wouldst sow liberally, thou mightst reap liberally; thy Children might be blest,Acts 9. 29. thou mightst have a good name, and be mourned for, as Dorcas; thou shouldst not partake in the evil to come, thou shouldst hear a joyful Sentence on the last day.
3. For inviting one another:Inviting of one another, how useful. Its a means for watering love, much good comes by it, and the contrary strangeness doth hurt: In many places its neglected, and that out of pride; for they cannot or will not meet, but with so great cost and variety, that men be the worse for it a quarter after; if Christians would meet like Christians, for society, and not for meat, and be content with one dish or two, it were much better, and then it might be oftner.
This duty is required of Ministers (and that elsewhere particularly) as well as others:Ministers must use hospitality. for, they be fittest to counsel and comfort strangers, are easily found out, and must go before their people in the practice of that they teach, and shall thus both provoke others the better, and make a way for their Ministery in the hearts of the poor.
If it be thus,Use. then it was doubtless Gods minde, That a Minister should have wherewithal, even a competent maintenance for himself and his, and to do good to others.
Its the conceit of some, That a Minister should live but meanly, and as it were from hand to mouth; and accordingly they do so pole from him, that he can do no good this way. But though they should not be pompous nor sumptuous, nor rake after farms and wealth, yet they must and ought to live in good sort, as well as themselves: Such as have skill in the Scriptures, or have profited by the word, or reverence the Calling of the Ministery, will not otherwise judge: For us, if we cannot do as we would, we must do as we can; nor having ability, must we bid set on the great pot, in the mean while starving our peoples souls.
Without grudging,] God looks no less on one maner of doing, then on the duty.The maner; This is all in Gods account: He will have the work done after his fashion, else its to no purpose, though haply it be as costly and painful as he requireth; to come to the Word, Sacraments, Prayer, be good duties, none better, but the heart wherewith they be performed, and maner of doing, is all in all:See Isa. 1. 11. and 58. 5. As the Gallants of our times, though the matter of the Garment be never so good or costly,Simile. regard it not, if it be not of the fashion; so in duties, the Lord looks to the maner how they are performed.
This of mercy must be done without grudging,Works of mercy must be done without grudging. that is, willingly, chearfully, without murmuring or repining: God loves a chearful giver;Rom. 12. 8. He respects the widows mite thus given: The people offered freely to the building of the Tabernacle and Temple,2 Cor. 9. 7. and accordingly should we do in these works of mercy.
Its a great fault,Use. not of the world onelyonly, but even of Christians, that are brought very hardly and heavily to perform these duties; we ought to be so far from being grieved at them, as we ought to be glad when any occasion is offered this way.
That we do the same chearfully,How we may thus do. let us do it in faith, even be assured, 1. That its pleasing and acceptable to God. 2. That he will reward it abundantly; were this encreased in us, we would be glad of any opportunity to manifest the fruits thereof.