Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 5 · Verse 13
Verse 13. The Church that is at Babylon elected together with you, saluteth you, and so doth Marcus my son.
ANother part of the conclusion, consisting of Salutations from the whole company of the faithful with him, and particularly from Mark.
The Church] The company of the faithful that were at Babylon, knowing of our Apostles writing to these his dispersed Brethren, entreat to be remembred to them, and pray the Apostle (for he would not send their commendations without their knowledge) that he would signifie to them,Christians must be mindful one of another, how far distant soever. that they remembred them, loved and reverenced them, and were glad of them, praying to God for them, &c.
Gods people though far distant one from another, yet must be mindeful one of another.
Which is at Babylon,] God hath some even in the worst places.Namely, a City of Assyria, whither the Jews were carryed Captive by Nebuchadnezzar, and there abode for Seventy years: There were here now sundry believing Jews, as God hath his Church in the worst places, where Satans Throne is, and though most of the Jews rejected Christ, yet some here and in other Cities embraced him.
The Papists will needs have this meant of Rome, This place not meant of Romebut upon what ground they know not; there can be no reason rendred why Peter should hide the name or dissemble it: But this is that they might get some place of Scripture proving Peter to have been at Rome, but if they can get no plainer then this, the Pope may sit besides his Chair: They have no place to prove it by,See Dr. Willets Synops. and yet they say, he sate there as Bishop five and twenty years, which that it was not, the Learned have proved by divers Reasons.
But thus the Pope comes by his Supremacy, Peter had it, and he left it to his Successors, the Bishops of Rome: But neither had Peter any such Supremacy, or if he had, it was not tyed to place, but to Truth and Religion; now the Popes is clean contrary to Peters, hating and persecuting the same.
But where by Babylon, Rome indeed is meant, as Rev. 14. 17, 18. (so called mystically for the likeness to Babylon in Idolatry, and vexing the Church and Servants of God) that they cannot away therewith; See Dent on this Question.
Thus Hereticks wrest Scripture at their will to their own purpose;Hereticks wrest Scripture. where it may make for them, though it have no such meaning, it shall yet be used; where its against them, though it be never so plain, yet it may not be allowed: This is a vile taking of Gods name in vain, and it will be to their own destruction.
1. Therefore we must not believe that is confirmed by Scripture of their or any Hereticks alledging,Use 1. but try their allegations.
2. That we never dare to bring a sence of our own to the Scripture,Use 2. but fetch the sence thereof out of the Scripture by humble and diligent search.
Elect together with you,] A Church chosen of God (as you are) out of the world to bestow his Gospel upon, and reveal his truth unto: Election is taken largely or strictly;Election diversly taken. Largely, for choosing a People or Nation out of the world to bestow his favors upon, and make Covenant with,Isaiah 44. 1. as Israel from all other Nations: You onelyonly have I chosen: So to choose to an Office,Iohn 6. 70. as our Savior Christ saith, I have chosen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil: Strictly, for the Election of any to Salvation before the world; When God chooseth out a Church, and bestoweth his mercy upon it, though no doubt there be numbers of Gods Elect in it, as in the Church of England, yet many may be Reprobates, especially in such a Church where Religion is enjoyned by authority: in such a company as this of the Jews where they were voluntary, there was likelyhood of the more, and yet even among such were Hypocrites, that voluntarily joyned themselves to the Church, as Ananias and Sapphira.
1. Know we that its a great mercy to live in an Elect Church,Its not enough to live in an elect Church, but we must finde that we are Elect. as the Church of England is, when most of the world sit in darkness, and be Synagogues of Satan.
2. Yet must not we content our selves herewith, but be able to prove our own particular Election, which is an unspeakable favor, and for which we ought to be exceedingly thankful.
Now in that the Apostle calls them an Elect company,Why the Apostle calls them an Elect company. it was because he knew there was a number of Gods chosen among them, as he saw by their fruits; but who they were particularly, and who were not, that he could not justly tell, because its unknown what the heart of the one is, and what God may do in time for the other.
We must not take upon us precisely to determine of other mens Election or Reprobation,Use. but judge modestly and charitable, thanking God for being sure of our own, and laboring more and more for assurance herein.
Saluteth you▪] wisheth all good unto you: What, would the Apostle trouble himself or his Epistle with such a trifling matter, as sending of commendations? Its no idle or small matter, but of very good use; So that as it hath been an ancient custom in the Church of God, so being Christianly performed its worthily continued, and is of great use.The sending of commendations how useful it is. For 1. It testifieth to our selves that we are of the number of Gods faithful ones, that we not onelyonly love the brethren with us, but even those which are absent, yea, not onelyonly no kindred, but not known by face, onelyonly heard of, that we so love God, that we love his grace wheresoever. 2. Its no small encouragement to the Servants of God that be thus saluted, against the many unkindnesses, yea, hatred they meet with from the world, that yet they see themselves regarded, loved and prayed for of Gods people.
1. This should provoke us to perform this Christian duty to the Servants of God,Use 1. for our own discharge, and both their and our comfort; we must not be all to our selves, nor to those we be with, but even have our hearts with the Church of God elsewhere, rejoycing to hear of the free passage of the Gospel, the zeal of any embracing it, and that we help them forward the best we can.
2. If we have salutations sent us by any of Gods Servants,Use 2. we should make special account thereof, and be much comforted thereby, and set the same against all the scoffs, ill will, and hard measure that the world affordeth; and if we be in any heaviness, that we stir up our selves and be thankful to God, that we are remembred of him and his Servants, and make more account of commendations from a mean Christian, then from a great Knight or Noble man thats not in Christ.
3. They that are Messengers hereof,Use 3. must not forget nor deal carelesly herein; even civil and courteous Salutations onelyonly of friends or kindred each to other, are of use and not to be omitted, but much more such as those here, who knoweth how seasonably they may come? what good they may do? what heaviness they may remove? They must not count so lightly of them being sent, as to forget them, or let them (as they say) flye away by the way, but as a token wherewith they were entrusted, and which it were no honesty to keep back.
Marcus my son,] Acts 15. 37. 38.Its like its that Mark spoken of Col. 4. 10. who was Cozen to Barnabas, about whom there was a breach between Paul and Barnabas: He calls him his Son, not in the flesh, but in the faith, as having begotten him thereto by his Ministery, as the Apostle Paul useth the same word on the same ground: See Tit. 1. 4. 1. Tim. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 4. 14. Philem. v. 10. Here note, that
The Preaching of the Word is the instrument of Regeneration to beget men again to God.The preaching of the Word is the instrument of Regeneration.
1. This rebuketh those that disgrace, either simply, or under colour of magnifying, praying and reading; so also those that withdraw themselves from this,Use 1. and staying at home, say, They read good Books,Simile. &c. They do as the Israelites, who having Manna allowed them by God, which should have been unto them in stead of all the food in the world, yet would have Quails, but they had leanness sent into their soul, and so have these; either they get no knowledge, or if any, onelyonly a little swiming in the brain, but not sinking down into the soul, to the changing thereof.
2. It teacheth all Ministers so to preach the Word,Use 2. as by all means possible they may win some; what should our desire be, but so to do, whether we consider the love we owe to God or to our people, & that their salvation will be our crown? To this end we must preach those points most diligently and carefully, that be most effentially necessary to work conversion; we must beat upon mens misery, labor to bring them to Faith and Sanctification, &c. without these all other points will be unprofitable: Unpreaching Ministers have no possibility of winning souls.
3. People should so hear the Word,Use 3. as they labor and pray it may be powerful by the Spirit to their conversion and new birth; they must have a Spiritual Father, as well as a Natural Father; must be born again ere they dye, else happy had they been if they had never had their first birth; lets try our selves herein: Its not hearing the Word, yea, with joy, and reforming some things that is Regeneration; its not to be restrained from the gross evils of the world, or to be somewhat changed in some things; alas, Regeneration is another matter then that, wherein many deceive themselves and perish, knowing no more what is Regeneration, then Nicodemus when he first came unto Christ, nor laboring after it to finde it, with the fruits and signs thereof.
My Son] He calls him so also of tender love,Ministers must love their people as their Children. as Paul One simus, his own bowels. Here note, That
The Ministers of God ought exceedingly to love all Gods people, but chiefly such as have been won to God by their means: They must cherish and further such all they can, as the Hen when she hath hatched her Chickens, broods and tends them; and as the Mother after she hath brought forth her childe, is careful to keep it from harm. and to provide all necessaries for it; they must watch over them, preach to them, pray for them, not depart from them, but in the case of absolute necessity; as the Apostles having won any to God, would come again to them, exhorting them to continue in the grace of God, confirming their hearts, &c. so must we; they be our comfort and joy here, and crown hereafter; our Epistles of commendation, the seals of our Ministery, they that make us rejoyce and give thanks, therefore we are much beholding to them, and must love them most dearly, and desire the work begun may be happily perfected, knowing, its no less wisdom and thrift to hold that we have gotten, then to get more.
Accordingly must the Spiritual Children love their Spiritual Fathers dearly:So people their Ministers. They ought to love all Instructers; but as Children their Parents, so they them best by whom they have been begotten to God: They ought to give them double honor, to reverence them, and not to suffer them want necessary comforts: In doubtful cases of Conscience, they must resort to them for counsel, as Children to their Father: They must obey all their godly precepts, endure their severity, be guided by all their godly directions, receive no accusation against them under two or three witnesses, &c. A childe will not hear, much less believe any evil reports of his Father.
For those people that set light by their Ministers,Use. can suffer them to want, fall out with them (if he be gone, we shall have one as good as he, &c.) its questionable whether ever they were converted by their Ministery; for we see by experience, that such as are converted, their hearts be so knit to their Spiritual Father, that they think best of his counsel, praise God for him, as the instrument of their conversion, love him dearly, &c. we love the fathers of our bodies, and ought so to do, and yet they help us to a being in sin, and into a sinful world and state, and should we not love our Spiritual Fathers, through whom we are changed therefrom? The Separatists therefore are either unconverted persons (as I doubt not but sundry are) or else they be most unnatural and unthankful persons, in railing against all the Ministers of England, and so against their own Spiritual Fathers; They spi: on their faces, and call their Mother Whore: O most wretched requital!