Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 5 · Verse 14
Verse 14. Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus, Amen.
THe last part of the conclusion, consisting 1. Of an Exhortation to embrace each other with love, and to testifie the same by outward signs. 2. Of a Prayer for them, that all that be true Believers in Christ Jesus, might have all prosperity and welfare; to which he joyns the note of his faith and fervency, Amen. So concluding his Epistle with all signs of love.
In general; That he contents not himself that he loved them, but labors to further love among them;Its needful that where love is, it should be continued. we may note how needful this duty is; where love is, we must endeavor the continuance and encrease thereof; where its crazy, we must use means to heal it, Blessed be the peace makers; Its a sign they are endued with the wisdom which is from above: All our words should tend to make love, the Devils Colecarriers and Bellows that blow up strife, rejoyce in folks contentions, and further encrease the same: A woful office; who gets hereby but the Devil, except the Lawyers hap to get too.
Greet one another,] Christians should salute one another.To Salute each other hath been an ancient custom in the Church of God, whereof you may finde the forms, Judg. 6. 12. Ruth 2. 4. Psal. 129. 8. Luke 1. 28. and 10. 5. John 20. 19. and elsewhere: Ours also are commendable, when we meet any, we say, God save you; when any goes from us, God be with you, or Fare you well; in the morning, we say, God give you a good morning; in the afternoon, God give you a good night; when any is at meat, we pray God that much good it may do them; when one goes a journey, we say, God speed you in your journey; when at work, God speed your work; when one is come newly to an office, God give you joy of your office, &c. These ought we to use as occasion serveth, both to our Superiors more reverently, by the Titles that are due to them, of worship, honor, &c. our equals with good respect, and somewhat familiarly, as we look they should to us, and to our inferiors, that they may not think themselves despised, and so be discontent with their place, and with God; and its a base thing to tread under ones inferiors: Thus we must salute not our friends onelyonly, but strangers, but our enemies; Even blessing them that curse us, and praying for them persecute us: Else we shall be but like the Publicans, who salute those that salute them; so we must salute not onelyonly good men (though those most respectively) but even the bad, for we must have peace with them, though not with their faults, and give them their due, though if we have occasion to speak of their sins, we must deal plainly, except we know them to be Gods Enemies, then ought we to give them no countenance.
Reasons hereof may be these:Reasons. 1. Its a good testifying of our love, which we should do upon all occasions. 2. Its a part of urbanity and courtesie. 3. Its a good means to procure love from them whom we do salute;2 Sam. 15. 6. so did Absolom, &c. 4. The neglect hereof, as it cannot but bewray some defect in us, so it breeds suspicions, and thoughts of emulation in our neighbors, and works in them no small discontent, for our nature can abide nothing less, then to see our selves despised.
1. This rebukes not so much those that of rudeness,Use 1. or for want of good maners, go by and regard no Salutations, seeming so to minde their businesses, as they regard none but themselves; but those that of a prophane minde neglect it, especially towards those whom they think not to be of their disposition, as some prophane rude wretches, that will come by a Minister or godly Christian after a scornful maner, without shewing any courtesie; This being done in respect of their Religion, is abominable and vile, and a very bad sign.
2. Such as of pride;Use 2. If they have a little more wealth or gay cloaths, or any gift more then another, they are so puft up; that they pass by others scornfully or carelesly: What is one worm to lift up himself thus against one that is his own flesh, that it may be is as good or better then himself? The more God hath given any, the more humble they should be.
3. Such as of frowardness,Use 3. malice and old hatred, cannot speak at meeting, are tongue-tyed; They have a tongue, but the malice of their heart taketh away the use of it; They look like Tygers on each other, and would as readily kill them, if they could as safely and easily; This is seen to God,1 Iohn 3. 15. before whom he that hateth his brother is a manslayer.
4. Let us labor to purge our hearts hereof,Use 4. that we may give every one his due.
With a kiss of charity,] The ancient maner of saluting among the Iews.The maner of saluting among the Jews, was by kissing; Thus did Jacob and Esau at their meeting, Laban and his Children at their parting, so Joseph and his Brethren, Jonathan and David, &c. we finde it also practised in the new Testament; See Luke 7. 45. and Acts 20. 37. It was a Custom in some Churches before the Communion, to kiss each other, signifying the joyning of hearts; this we retain in part: But men Salute by uncovering, and shaking hands, the joyning of our hands signifying the joyning of our hearts; This was the use till courtly Congeys and Crouchings have put them by, taking one another by the knees and by the elbows, &c.
Of charity,] Our Saluting one another must be in love.But be the Salutation what it will, kiss or shaking hands, or uncovering head, it must be of love, and thence proceeds; for as we must not be content to have love in our heart, except we shew it by outward signs; so must all outward tokens proceed from love as the ground and root, else its lying diffimulation.
Those kisses they are elswhere termed holy;Rom. 16. 16. not a wanton kiss, not a dissembling kiss, much less a treacherous kiss, but such a one as proceeds from a Sanctified affection of love seated in the heart.
1. This rebuketh the customary and formal saluting which wants this ground;Use. 1. Many do thus greet one another, who yet have but small love to the parties they salute: This is a taking of Gods name in vain, its a dissembling with our neighbors,Rom. 12. whereas love should be unfained without dissimulation.
2. Treacherous courtesies and greetings, when there are fair speeches, How do you? I am glad to see you well, &c. when mischief is in the heart,Psal. 28. 3. as did Joab and Judas; Thus the Devil pretended love to Eve, this is the note of a wicked man: Many after kinde salutations, will straight rail, gibe, slander, plot mischief, &c. Those should rather make known their malice, that others might beware of them, then cloak their mischief with the shew of love.
3. Let every one of us labor to possess our hearts of true love,Use 3. that so we may not onelyonly salute one another, but in a right maner do the same: O let us labor for this most lovely vertue of love, so often commanded of us, so highly commended to us; Its the bond of perfectness that tyes up all together,Col. 3. 14. without which all duties shatter asunder;Rom. 13. 10. Its the fulfilling of the whole Law; Its that vertue which is so pleasing to God, that which so long continueth, that wherein the Angels and Saints now shine.
To this end,Hinderances of love. let us labor to be more and more assured of Gods love to us, which will make us not onelyonly to love him, but our neighbors for his sake, the godly best, but all because God bids, yea our Enemies, as who loved us when we were Enemies; we must also strive against, and purge out the cankers of love; as namely, 1. Pride, which esteems so highly of ones self, and basely of others, offereth occasions of offence readily, and taketh occasion for every thing. 2. Covetousness, for this also hinders love, he that's covetous cares not how he gets, by right or wrong, nor how much he wrongs his Neighbor. 3. Frowardness and hastiness; This also stirs up strife: If there have any things fallen out otherwise then well between us and any (as there may be even between good persons) let us take notice thereof, acknowledge and be sorry for the same, seek reconciliation,Rom. 1▪ 31. be pacified, forgive and forget as we are required, and expect forgiveness from God: O an unappeasable minde is a fearful thing, a note of a Reprobate! Such are unlike God, who is slow to wrath, ready to forgive; like the Devil, who is irreconcileable: O woful, a poor mortal man to bear immortal hatred! How can he look God in the face? little doth he think what fearful things he hath done against God; did he, he would think how ever he could look up to God for pardon of 10000 Talents,See Matth. 18. 28. when he catcheth and holdeth his neighbor by the throat for 300 pence, nay, it may be if it be truly examined, for nothing.
Peace be with you all, What meant by peace.&c.] Now he prays for them; by Peace is usually meant outward prosperity, as health, conveniency of outward things, welfare of our selves and ours, freedom from grievous evils, and a quiet estate and condition in the comfortable enjoying of Gods blessings, in our bodies, wives, children, goods, names, &c. also that which is the fountain hereof; namely, peace with God and our own conscience: But I will speak here first of outward blessings: Where note, That
We may lawfully desire for our selves and ours,Outward blessings may lawfully be desired, and how. or any other, a convenient portion of Gods outward favors; so did both Jacob and Agur. True, we have no warrant to pray for abundance, that were a sign of a proud and earthly heart; but if God send it, we must crave much grace therewith, lest we surfeit thereof, and it make us like a Camel over-burthened, that we cannot go: So we may crave Peace in a Land,See Psal. 1. 3. and 112. 3. & 128. 3. and 84. 11. in Towns, in Families, between particular persons; so health, a dutiful fruitful Wife, religious and obedient Children, &c. These things are promised of God, neither will he withhold any good thing from them that love him,Matth. 6. 33. and therefore we may pray for them: But, because they be good but in a mean degree, we must desire grace first more and more earnestly, these things onelyonly conditionally, we must seek his favor, forgiveness of our sins, faith, grace, absolutely without taking; nay, for the outward, we must submit our wills to his will, and desire them onelyonly so far, as may stand with his glory and our best good; for God seeth, that though these blessings be goodly things, over the contrary, yet we abuse them, and are the worse for them, and therefore God is fain to take them away, and send the contrary; as see what an abundance of iniquity this our long peace and plenty hath bred, so that though we may not pray as Elias did, for a punishment on the Land, yet surely we might rather be glad, if God would scourge the Land one way or other to the amendment thereof, then that it should thus go on to be destroyed; and for our selves, how do we abuse our prosperity, if it do but continue some small time? we must therefore pray for that which may stand with our best good, and for grace to use it well, we shall enjoy it the longer; we must be content for our selves, rather to have an healthful soul in a sick body, then in an healthful body a surfeited soul with sin and security; so a meaner Estate with some losses, but with Spiritual gains in grace, is better then abundance with a worldly and secure heart; so for our Children, we may desire that they may prosper in this world, and have a competency, and live to do good, but must desire most that they may be gracious, and rather so in a poor estate, then to swagger it out, or be worldings in great wealth: Its found true from experience, that such as be earnest and much in desiring these outward things, they seldom or never crave Gods favor, or seek grace for their souls; If we be shortened in these things, look we cause it not by our sin; If we have, we must repent and amend; If we have not, then may we think that the Lord knoweth this state to be best for us, and thereupon to be content therewith.
That are in Christ Jesus,] Christ is the fountain of all peace.Here's the true fountain of all Peace, namely, to be in Christ; Hence all Peace comes to us, and without this, there is nor can be no true Peace: By nature we are the Children of wrath, are at enmity with God, are Rebels and Traytors, and guilty of eternal condemnation, so that there must be a peace made between God and us, else we perish: This is onelyonly done by Jesus Christ, who is our Peace-maker, who by his All-sufficient Sacrifice of himself, hath made an atonement; when our sins is taken away in his death, and his righteousness imputed unto us by faith, then is God at peace with us, and become our merciful Father: when we be assured hereof by Gods Spirit, and able to prove it by good Testimonies, then have we peace in our own consciences, even such as passeth understanding, yea joy, and that unspeakable and glorious: Then,Hosea 2. 18. being at peace with God, all Creatures be reconciled to us, the Angels to become our friends and attendants, the Devils not to have their wills of us, men to respect and regard us, &c. and thus have we right to all outward peace and prosperity, for Christ hath purchased, as Heaven, so Earth for us, and its promised to the believers, and they have right thereto, though with exception of the cross, when God seeth it best.
Thus we see how peace flows from Christ; no peace in conscience till God be at peace with us; no Creature at peace with us, till God be reconciled, yea, without this peace, we have no right to any outward peace; so that a bad man can have no peace.
Obj. But the common sort of men,Obj. prophane worldlings, and civil ones, will say, We are none of those you think very well of, for we are none of your precise fellows, yet we have peace with God we doubt not, nor see we any other cause, and if he loved us not, he would not do for us as he doth; and for my conscience, I thank God I am at peace therewith, I was never troubled in my life; and for outward prosperity, I thrive (I thank God) well; nay, these precise fellows are most without peace, for they are not in Gods favor its like, for no body cares for them, but hates them; besides, they be troubled in minde, and sad, and some of them are at their wits ends; and for outward peace, they be ever sickly, a number of them, and one cross or other is upon them, so that I think you are quite wide.
Answ. How foolishly do these reason?Sol. They are loved of God because of their outward prosperity; This is but Esaus, but Ishmaels Portion, yea, and Judas bare the bag: The Lord maketh his sun to shine and the rain to fall, even on the bad: He casteth such bones to dogs; and for their peace of conscience, its no peace, but benumbedness, and an hard heart for want of sight of their deadly danger, which yet is never the less, and will one day break out in most fearful maner; they peace that were never humbled for their sins? Its woful peace; they peace that live in their sins, what to do have they therewith? had Zimri peace that slew his master?
For outward peace,Iob 21. 7, 8, &c. health, welfare, &c. its often the portion even of Atheists and contemners of God; but what is it whilest they have no peace, with God, have it in wrath with a wo and secret curse? There's no soundness in this peace, it cannot comfort the heart, its but flashing vanity, if any contrary blow come, they are dead in the nest, as Belshazzar. Besides, how uncertain is it? subject to be lost every moment;Iob 20. 8. The wrath of God is still ready to seize on them, as on the Philistines sporting at Sampson, See Psalm 37. 2. 20.Pharaoh, Herod, &c. They pass away as a dream, their rejoycing is as the crackling of Thorns; How soon is their Candle put out? They stand in a slippery place, how suddenly are they gone, leaving nothing but a stink behinde? Their end will be eternal howling with Dives. And are not the godly in Gods favor, because men favor them not? They are the more; and for their trouble in minde, when is it? even in the beginning, especially when God opens their eyes to see their woful case, whereupon they are humbled; but them by the Gospel have their hearts directed to see the right way of comfort, and so in time attain sweet peace, which if at any time they interrupt, they never leave seeking till they have recovered it again: For their crosses, they have often prosperity, though not so much or continually as to surfeit, but when they meet with crosses; God makes them wholesome, as our corrupt nature makes them needful,Iohn 14. 27. but in the midst of them, they know themselves at peace with God,2 Cor. 6. 9. and have peace in conscience, and this sweetens their affliction; Their case is in shew miserable, but in truth happy.
Therefore let none content himself,Use. till he can prove himself in Christ,Isaiah 48. 22. else there's no peace for him.
All that are in Christ Jesus,] Here note,
1. That we should not neglect the poorest or weakest Christian in a Congregation,Respect is to be had of all Gods people. but have respect unto them as well as the greatest or wealthyest: Its an ill sign when men can make no difference in their judgement between a Civil man, and one truly Religious, and that can give no countenance to those in whom they see the grace of God; They account of every thing in great men, but despise or slight even the greatest things in mean ones.
But there be some professors which yet be not in Christ Jesus, but are hang-byes and hypocrites, what wisheth he to them? none of this peace; its not for them, sorrow is fitter for them, that they may be humbled, and endeavor after true repentance: So do I wish to all true hearted Christians, as much peace and welfare as may be good for their souls; but those that be hypocrites, professors, but neither believing in Christ, nor reforming their ways, I wish they may have little rest and ease, till they set their hearts to seek to be at peace with God.
2. The most admirable and near union that is between Christ and every true believer;The near union between Christ and true Christians They are in Christ as the root, and built on him as the foundation, and are Members of his mystical body; by vertue hereof it comes to pass that they continue and hold out, when hypocrites fail and fall away: Hypocrites are as a wooden leg, believers as true Members of the Body;Simile. Those as standing waters that dry up, these as a spring that runs continually, and that from Christ the Well-head and Fountain of all grace. But of this heretofore.
Amen.] Fervency of affection and faith requisite in Prayer.This word noteth the fervency of his affection, and shews forth his faith; These two be most necessary in all our Prayers, and thus we see he hath taken his leave of them with as many tokens of love as may be.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Rogers, Exposition Upon 1 Peter (1650)