Exposition Upon 1 Peter, Biblical exegesis · Chapter 5 · Verse 8
Verse 8. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring Lyon walking about, seeketh whom he may devour.
HEre follow two other most necessary Exhortations, the one to sobriety, the other to watchfulnes, and that from the danger that else we must needs fall into, by reason of a most dangerous adversary that seeks by all subtilty and diligence our destruction: fitly are these joyned together, that before this; for as a drunken man cannot hold open his eyes, so cannot an intemperate man in these things keep a Spiritual watch.
Be sober,] What Sobriety is.Sobriety is a moderation and right use of our lawful liberties which are given us of God, not to be used as we will, but as may stand with these three main ends, the glory of God, our own good, and the Salvation of our Brethren: Our lawful liberties are meat, drink, apparel, recreation, mirth, use of marriage and riches, all which may be reduced to these two heads; namely, Pleasure, and Profit. But of this heretofore.
Be vigilant,] What watchfulness is here required.He means not of the bodily sleep (that's not prohibited, so it be in fit time; the night not the day, so it be in fit place; our Chambers, not the Church, in fit measure to enable us the more for the duties of our Calling) but of the sleep of the soul, for there be many that be awake in body, rising early, and go late to bed, which yet are in a spiritual sleep in respect of their souls, fast asleep in their sins, and lie snorting in deep security of sin.What Spiritual watchfulness is. Watchfulness is a diligent and continual looking to our selves, that both in thought, word and deed we may resist evil,A man must be awakened before he can watch. and do the good we ought. This is the work onelyonly of a good Christian, who being awakened out of his sins, hath obtained the pardon of them, and assurance thereof, and therefore hath set his heart to lead a godly life,Eph. 5. 14. and to please God in all things: Its requisite then that a man be awakened before he can watch, as we bid not a man fast asleep look to this or that, but first to wake, and then look to it; we bid not a man that is down, run, but first to get up on his feet, and then run.
By nature we are asleep in sin,By nature we are asleep in sin, which is diversly prov'd. yea dead therein: For 1. As in the bodily sleep all the sences are bound up; So in the Spiritual, a natural man hears not the voice of God, hears not the alarms either of mercies or judgements: He sees not one step of the way to Heaven, nor the danger he is in; Though he wallow in the mire of foul sins, that a good man will stop his nose at, yet he smells nothing; he cannot taste good and evil asunder, but calls sweet, sower: The Word, good Counsel, good Company, &c. wherein Gods people take most delight, are bitter to him: Though the word hit him never so hard blows, he feels not, as neither, though he wound his own conscience with never so foul sins. And 2. As a man asleep loves not to be awaked, so a natural man out of his sins, and to be called upon to repent. 3. As in sleep men dream of that they have not, so a natural man dreams he is in a very good case, hath faith, repentance, love, &c. when its nothing so, and when he awakes he confesseth it. 4. As a man in sleep speaks some good words, but knows not what, and by and by is out; so a natural man in good company will speak good words, but hath no feeling of them, and will again be quickly out of them. 5. As a man before he sleeps, gives direction that none awake him, and turns from the one side to the other, sleeping now on the one, then on the other; so a natural man will not be called upon to repentance, having slept long enough on the one side in prodigality, will haply turn on the other, and lie as long in covetousness. 6. As a man that hath been in a long deep sleep can hardly be awakened, though it thunder, though the winds be ready to blow down the house he hears nothing; so its hard to awaken any out of sin, especially when they have lain long, and lived therein, no Preaching or calling on, no Judgements of God, though never so apparent, can awake them from their security. 7. As sleep is an image of the first death, so is sleep in sin of the second.
Therefore we must endeavor for faith,Use. and set upon a good life, we must learn to watch and keep us well while we be well:Iohn 5. 25. To this end, we must make use of the Trumpet of the Word daily sounding in our ears, and take notice of Gods Judgements, both on our selves and others: What may not induce us hereunto?
Reasons are many.Reasons for watchfulness. 1. We are of the day, and the light of the word shines in our faces: Its enough for them in the night of Popery, and where the word is not,1 Thess. 5. 5. to sleep in sin; he is a sluggard indeed that sleeps, when the Sun shines his face: Some of you have slept till nine a clok, till high noon, till three in the afternoon, for shame awake. 2. He that sleepeth in Harvest,Prov. 10. 5. is the Son of confusion. This is the plentiful harvest of the Gospel: Now there is good to be done, good gathering of faith, knowledge, repentance, and such other graces. 3. Its a shame to sleep when others be at work: Many through Gods grace be awakened by the word, and are busily working out their Salvation, laboring for grace, and using the means diligently, and will you lie snorting in sin? then will they be provided of necessaries, when you will perish. 4. Its a shame to sleep, when all one's work lies to do, but many among us have done just nothing of that that God hath set them here for, nothing done towards their Salvation, but all against it; awake therefore ere night come, when you cannot work. 5. It were strange if a man should sleep when he were in great danger,See Ionah 1. 5. the house burning over their heads, or in an hideous Tempest, ready to be cast away, but every natural man hangs as it were over the pit of Hell by a twined threed. 6. It were strange if one should still sleep, having many Messengers sent to awake him: Some will say, If any had called me, I would have awaked with all my heart; we are called by Sermon after Sermon, by this Preacher, that Preacher, the other, &c. to whom the Lord will say, Did not I send you and you to awake such a man, &c. you are now come under the means of awakening; O that it might please God to bless his Word, in piercing the ears of your soul to this end: And be not half awaked, and afterward when you be gone hence, fall asleep again; as a man in a deep sleep, being called upon, he begins to stir, and lift up an eye, and it may be his head from his pillow, but hearing no more, he lies down again, and falls again as fast asleep as before; let it not be so with us. Some, I doubt not, begin to think with themselves about awaking, and that it were good for them so to do; but beware when you be gone hence, you lay not your head down again, but come and hear again and again, till you be soundly awakened, that you may not hereafter sleep any more; if you be not awaked, you must perish for ever. A man would be loath to dye in his Natural sleep, having gone well to bed, and thinking of no such thing, yet this cannot hurt a good man; but to dye in the Spiritual sleep is damnable. And I beseech you yong men and women be awakened betimes, defer no longer, the longer the worse: Come to a man newly gone to bed, ye may easily awake him; come an hour after, more hardly, but come at midnight, and then though you call and shout, you can scarce awake him: Sleep not till your middle age, you can hardly be awaked then, but if till your old age, with exceeding difficulty, if at all. But of this also I have spoken before.
Because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring Lyon, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.] A Reason of the forementioned Exhortation: By yielding thereto we shall take away advantage from the Devil, who else will draw us into manifold temptations: He is here described by all things that make a dangerous Enemy; as Malice, called therefore Our adversary, the Devil; Strength, called therefore A Lyon, A roaring Lyon; Subtilty, That he walketh about, seeketh by all ways and means, as by violence and craft to draw us into evil; Diligence, That he walketh about, &c.
His malice is exceeding against God,Satans malice exceeding great. and man especially, Gods people, and against all goodness: It hath been so from the beginning; from his fall he was filled with malice against God, laboring by all means, that no reasonable creature might praise him on earth: His envy also against mankinde continueth, he is still a most deadly enemy against all goodness and means thereof, against good persons, good duties, good meetings, the Word, Sacraments, Prayer, Fasting, &c. laboring to hinder these, and the good success of them; as the good Angels are filled with love and zeal to God and goodness, rejoycing at the conversion of a sinner; so is the Devil on the contrary, yea, his malice is deadly, nothing will content him but our blood, and destruction both of body and soul; therefore called Satan, An Adversary, The Envyous man, The Accuser of the Brethren, A Murtherer from the beginning; and because there is no man so vile, but hath some reliques of humanity in him, he is compared to the Beasts without reason, and so termed here A roaring Lyon, as elsewhere, A red Dragon, &c. he it is that first tempts, and then accuseth us to God, and ready to be the executioner: Let him suck the blood of never so many,Rev. 12. 12. yet is not his malice the more satisfied; he hath been so from the beginning, but now more by much, because his time is but short.
Strength:Satans strength. He was strong by Creation, which though it be diminished, yet continueth it exceeding great: He can do marvellous things, though no true miracles. Through Gods permission he were able to do infinite mischief, see in Job, what havock he soon made; his names declare it, The strong armed man, A Lyon, yea, A roaring Lyon, his strength being doubled with hunger, A great red Dragon, Principalities, Powers, &c. Prince of this world, bearing a great sway, and having many at his command; The God of this world, yea, that doth almost what he list, and who in respect of mans power to resist, hath as it were an Omnipotent strength to do what he list: And as he is wonderful in strength, so he knows it well enough, and is audacious and bold to put it out to the outmost; when he may (as to Job) he wil set upon any the greatest and worthiest servants of God, and sometimes foil them: He set upon David, a man according to Gods own heart, and foiled him twice shamefully, and again got him to number the people: He winnowed Peter that was so couragious, he buffered Paul that valiant Champion; yea, he set upon our first Parents in their innocency, when he had no great likelihood of prevailing; yea, upon our Savior Christ himself, having no likelihood at all, and that again, and again, and again; and when he had been so often foiled, yet he departed from him but for a season, who no doubt was busie with him in his passion in the garden.
Subtilty:Satans subtilty He was made exceeding wise by Creation, which is not lost, but perverted and turned to evil; much hath been revealed to him, and wonderful much he hath gotten by his almost 6000 years experience, which would make a simple body wise, yet he hath not an absolute knowledge; He knows not our thoughts and hearts perfectly, nor things to come, but he can guess very shrewdly and nearly at them by signs, and comparing things past with present, as at our thoughts by observing our speeches, actions and desires; So at future things, by knowing and seeing further into the nature of things, and of mens bodies, then men can, but he is exceeding cunning to do evil and compass his purpose; He was so at first, much more now, therefore called,Matth. 4. 3. not a Tempter, but the Tempter, by way of excellency; he that hath the Art and Trade of Tempting,Rev. 12. 9. that is the Master thereof, all others learning of him: So the old Serpent, which was subtile at first,Gen. 3. 1, 3, 4, &c. but now much more; How cunningly dealt he with Eve? 1. He goes to her, not to Adam. 2. When she was alone. 3. Pretends great good will. 4. Takes away the fear of all danger. 5. Tells her of great benefits which would come by eating of the forbidden fruit, yea, such a benefit as she most desired, and was most fit to tempt her, she wanted nothing but to be as God, &c. 6. He shews her the beauty of the fruit, and how like it was to be good meat, and so perverted her: So dealt he with our Savior Christ, when he had fasted forty days,Matth. 4. 2. and was alone in the wilderness, then he tempts him to trust; and not prevailing therein, to presume; wherein failing, he propounds wealth and honor: So now, he tempts some to be Atheists, and of no Religion; if not so, then to be of a false Religion; if not so, then to be careless and idle professors of the true; if not so, but that men will be somewhat careful, to read, hear, get knowledge, be forward, then he labors to lift them up with pride, and blow them out of the Church to Amsterdam, make them too forward, &c. yea, some he will not leave there, but provoke them further, to be Anabaptists, nay Sebaptists, as Mr. Smith, who Baptized himself: If he cannot tempt men to keep from Church, then will he go with them, to hinder them from receiving any good there, and there bring them asleep, if they be inclined that way; or if not, then fill their heads with worldly thoughts; if not so, then he brings in good thoughts of some good things, that at another time were good, but now out of season, as thoughts of some other Sermon; so in Prayer, he fills the head with odde and strange thoughts, or else with thoughts of the Sermon, to keep them from lifting up their hearts wholly to God: If he cannot keep men in presumption, but that they be troubled about their estate, then he seeks to drown them in dispair: Bad men he will incite to those evils they be most apt to; Civil men he will keep in a coldness in Religion, and carelesness in the matters of Salvation, as about the Word, Sacraments, Sabbath, Prayer; Good men he will incite to do good things, but to ill ends, or if they propound good ends to themselves, to compass them by unwarrantable means; Thus is he a cunning fisher and fowler? He hath baits and nets for all kindes, high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, men, women, yong, old, he will spread them, and so lay them, that he will not lightly miss: He hath for every sex, age, constitution, complexion, state and condition; he will make his shraps of profits, or pleasures, or honors, and then get in some, especially of the fairest marks, and set them up as a stall, and by both together tills in many.
Diligence.] Satans Diligence.He will spare for no pains, he rests neither night nor day, but goeth about continually; His occupation is to compass the Earth: If he prevail not at one time, he will come again and again; yea, he will not leave a man as long as he lives; and though there be such an infinite number alive at once in the world, yet what with the multitude of Devils, and with their most exceeding diligence, and unwearied pains, no man is free: So that he is armed on all sides to do mischief: If he were malicious and had no power, we might despise him; if power and no malice, or but a little, we might the less fear him; or if malice and strength, yet if he had no wit nor cunning, there were much less danger, for he were as a Gyant without eyes, one might keep out of his hands; or if he were all those, and yet were lazy, and could take no pains, we might be free most what, but put altogether: O Lord, who shall escape him?
1. No marvel that most men go the broad way,Use 1. and perish, and so few be saved, seeing there is such an enemy, and so armed, and so followed, that hath sworn all mens destruction; he so malicious, and we so careless of our Salvation; he so strong, and we so weak; he so subtile, and we so simple for our souls, and in Spiritual things; he so diligent, and we so retchless and lazy in the great matters of our soul. Every man by nature loveth sin, and carrieth along with him as ready a disposition to yield to temptations, as Satan is to tempt him: Marvel not that so few, but that any are saved; and if thou hast any hope and assurance, wonder and praise: If God were not infinite in wisdom, power, love and care over us, we should certainly perish.
2. See what wonderful need there is of diligent,Use 2. continual, zealous, earnest and plain preaching of the Word; its that must cast the strong man out:Acts 26. 18. This is the mean to scale his walls, batter his Kingdom; were it not for this, he would do what he list in the world, and carry all to destruction: Where this is not, he may sit and sleep, for his work and will goes forward; What should let? therefore its no marvel he is such an Enemy to it, and the Preachers thereof. O what should become of Gods people already pluckt out of his Kingdom, if they had not the Word to shew his subtilties, what is the will of God, what good, what evil, how to do it, what be the advantages that Satan takes, and how we may be able to resist them? Hence Gods servants are made wise, and strengthened against his Temptations; they come weak to the Word, but go from thence mightily strengthened: What do they then that seek the hinderance of the faithful and zealous preaching of the Word, but gratifie the Devil in an high degree, and work journey-work to him in the best maner; its to learn the Devil to have his will, to devour what souls, and as many as he lists.
3. We may wonder and praise God,Use 3. that seeing there be so many Devils, and such as we have spoken of, that the Church of God can be upon the face of the earth, that it is not rooted out and swallowed up, the Devil having so many and such armed instruments in the world: A wonder the Church hath any abiding, but that God Almighty hath a care of it, and will defend and preserve it; Christ Jesus the Husband thereof, will not suffer his Spouse to be trodden under: We may wonder we be yet a people under this peace of the Gospel, there being so many Papists within and without the Land; and such an infinite number of most subtile and malicious Jesuits, that like the Devil, go up and down compassing the earth to work mischief: That poor weak men and women in themselves, sinful and poor creatures, should yet be got out of Satans power, and then defended from his malice; not in body, goods and name onelyonly, but from his deadly temptations, and to escape them, and get safe to Heaven. O this is Gods Almighty power and goodness; so may every poor Christian man say, and wonder.
4. This rebuketh 1. Such as make a League with the Devil to obtain their purposes;Use 4. It was death by the Law of God,Exod. 22. 18. and so ought to be still: What fools be these? They think the Devil serves them, and is at their command, when indeed he hath got them to serve him, and that in an high degree of sin to their destruction. 2. Such as seek to such for things lost, or for cure from them, for them and theirs: Those woful Creatures, seeking to the sworn Enemy of mankinde for help, are like to speed, as if a Lamb should run to a roaring Lyon to be kept from harm.Simile. Think they that he will do them any little pleasure outwardly, unless to fasten deadly on their souls to work the ruine of them? His help is as the milk which Jael presented unto Sisera. 3. All such as live in sin, and so serve the Devil; These count him not a deadly Enemy, if they did, they would not be at his beck, as the most part be; Though they stop their ears against God, their Parents, Magistrates, Friends, yet they open them to all his temptations; no Servant can serve his Master so diligently, as the world doth the Devil, even with all the might both of their bodies and mindes, speaking, and writing, and employing both their goods and pains on his behalf, and for sin, and that both night and day: What he bids them do, they do, Lye, Swear, Curse, break the Sabbath, Oppress, Cozen, Mock, &c. who yet (for that their humor likes it, and its agreeable to their own minde) observe not Satans policy herein, nor suspect him for an Enemy: They will say, they hate the Devil as much as any, and defie him; alas, he can give them leave so to do, as long as they serve him, and do his works; This is as good as Popish holy Water, and crossing themselves. 4. All civil persons that say they never found the Devil so troublesom as they hear folks talk; They never doubted of their Salvation, were ready to make away themselves, were never troubled with such wicked and blasphemous or troublesom thoughts, were never so troubled but that they could go to Church, and serve God quietly, &c. True, the Devil tempts them not to dispair, because he hath them fast enough in pride and presumption: He tempts them not to foul sins, because he sees God hath restrained them, and so that there's no great likelihood he shall prevail, neither cares he, seeing he hath them fast enough in the main; namely, in ignorance, unbelief, or carelesness of the first Table: He troubles them not with thoughts it may be when they go to good duties, because he knows they are likely not to do any good duty; yet he tempts them in things, which through blindeness they discern not, as being none of the foulest things as they think: Though in the hearing of the Word they have many wandring by-thoughts, they feel not that the Devil is at their elbow, and at work with them, because they make no account of such smal things; also about worldly idle speeches on the Sabbath, they see not Satan going along with them, because they count them small, whereas a good Christian in these espies Satan, and is troubled thereat: when the strong man hath and holds his Possession, all things are at peace, the Devil having these fast enough, he cares not for troubling them; but let him be about to be cast out, and then Ile warrant you he will bestir himself, and they shall have trouble. Let a civil man that lived never so quietly before, be smitten in conscience for his sins, and begin to be converted, he shall finde his case altered, and that the Devil will do him all the mischief he is able, and this is a great deal better then before; and men should labor to be at enmity with him, and must pray that the stronger man, even Christ, would put him out of his possession.
5. This should rowze up the servants of God out of security and intemperance:Use 5. Have they need to be drunk with the world, or be asleep, having such an Enemy? ought they not rather to be sober, and continually to watch to save themselves from his deadly enmity.
Against his malice let us have Christian resolution, and earnestness to seek after salvation.
Against his power let us set the power of God, and be strong in his might, craving his assistance continually, for we have no power of our selves; he that should trust to himself, should speed as this our Apostle; we must always have recourse to God, saying with David, God is my Castle, Psal. 18. 2.Rock, Tower of Defence, in him will I trust.
Against his subtilty,Col. 3. 16. let us labor to be wise in the Word of God, read, hear, meditate, confer, that it may dwell plentifully in our hearts in all wisdom, and labor for the wisdom of the Spirit of God, that thereby we may spy Satans subtilties, and be holpen to avoid them; and let us have the fear of God always in our hearts, and before our eyes, which is true wisdom: Through this alone we avoid Satans snares, and are not ignorant of his wiles; who so Achitophel like, think by worldly policy to resist the Devil, the Devil will make fools of them, and ensnare them at his pleasure.
Against his diligence, let us be as diligent and watchful; we must not be weary, or give over our watch at any time, if we do, we must prepare our throats for destruction; Satan gives no truce. Not a few Christians have no such fear of this enemy as they should, neither do they furnish themselves against him as they should, but are careless, silly and negligent. Hereby it comes to pass that the Devil hath his will too much, and too often of us, and catcheth us here and there; as to neglect one duty, to do another untowardly, and to fall into this or that evil, and so makes us to dishonor God, to wound our own consciences, and to give ill example to others: If we had a bodily Enemy thus armed, how would we fear? If there were a great Lyon in our fields, and which did haunt our grounds, how afraid would we be? but there's a roaring Lyon, a red Dragon, an old Serpent, lies in wait for us, who may do us more mischief then all the Lyons, Dragons or Serpents in the world, and yet we are careless. Here he is not thus fearfully described to discourage us, or make us cast away all our weapons, as though there were no resisting, but to watch and be careful; and then, though he be as he is, we may be preserved from his anger; for though he be malicious, yet God is most merciful and careful for us: Though he be strong, yet God is stronger: His power is limited, he cannot do what he will to the godly (as to Job) nay, not to reprobates, as to Saul and Ahab, the Devils had leave, before they could do their feats, nay, till they had leave they could not enter into the Swine: And though he be so subtile, yet the wisdom of God is far beyond his craft to catch him in it, as he hath done many a time; as in the fall of our first Parents, he thought the same should have been to Gods utter dishonor, and that he should not have a Creature on earth to serve him, which yet turned to Gods greater glory; the like might be instanced about the death of Christ: So he can turn his temptations to nothing, to folly, to our greater good: And though he be diligent,Psal. 121. 4. yet have we a God that keepeth Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps.Rev. 5. 5. The Devil is a Lyon, but we have a Lyon of the tribe Judah to fight against him: He is strong, but God is stronger then all; they be innumerable, but God is greater then all together; and to help our weakness, we have the good Angels to take our part, more with us then be against us: He is a Spirit, but the Spirit of God is in us more active, nimble and wise then he; we have no cause therefore to be dismaid: Let us hold our Faith, Hope and Confidence, and go on in a godly course, and in the end we shall get to Heaven. Praised be God, praised be God alone: To God onelyonly be glory for this.