Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 56
THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERALL OF S. PETER.
CAP. I.
1 Peter an Apostle of Iesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus.PEter an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those Jewes, which are dispersed through the regions of Pontus, &c.
2 Elect according to the foreknowledg of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ: Grace unto you and peace be multiplied.Those who in their outward profession, and in the due judgement of charity, are justly reputed for the elect of God, according to the eternall decree, and good purposes of God the Father; which election of theirs is made good unto them, by their true sanctification wrought in them by the Spirit of God conforming them to all holy obedience; & by the remission of sinnes by the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ;3 Which hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead. Grace, &c.
Who when we were naturally the sonnes of wrath, hath wrought graciously upon us, and renewed us by grace, and raised us up, to the hope of everlasting glory, by the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to bee revealed in the last time.Who are by the mighty power of God, through the meanes of their faith (wrought in them by the Spirit of God) kept to the full obtaining, and fruition of that salvation which having beene purchased and revealed by Christ, is ready to be consummated in these last dayes of the world.6 Wherein yee greatly rejoyce, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heavinesse through manifold temptations.
In the hope and assurance of which salvation, ye doe (as ye ought) greatly rejoyce, although now for a season, God sees it fit for you to be in much heavinesse; through those many trialls of affliction which he hath sent upon you.9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soules.
Receiving, in present, the pledges and beginnings of salvation; & thereby, the assurance of the accōplishment thereof, as the full fruit, and scope of our faith in Christ.
10 Who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you.Who long agoe prophesied of that abundant grace, that should bee given unto his Church, in these times of the Gospell.
Bending their thoughts intentively upon the earnest inquiry into the revelation of that Spirit of Christ (whereby they were informed of future things) to know when, and at what time,11 Searching what, or what manner of time the spirit of Christ which was in them, did signifie, when it testified beforehand the sufferings, &c. Christ the Messiah should come into the world, and should suffer; and should reenter into his glory.
VntoUnto whom it was revealed that those things which they reported concerning the Saviour to come,12 VntoUnto whom it was revealed, that not unto thēselves, but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them tha… have preached the Gospell unto you, with the holy Ghost sent downe from heaven, which things the Angells desire to looke into. should not be exhibited, and accomplished really unto themselves, in their time, but unto us, to whom they are now reported, as done, by those his Apostles which have preached the Gospell unto you; even those glad tydings of salvation, which they being inspired by the holy Ghost delivered unto the world; the wonderfull mysteries of which Gospell, it is no marvell, if the Prophets desired to looke into, when as the very Angells of heaven have longed to attaine unto the knowledge, and sight thereof.
As those that runne in a race,13 Wherefore gird up the loines of your minde, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ. or goe a journey are wont to gird up their loines, that they may readily, and without incombrance passe on their way; so doe ye gird up the loines of your minds, take order to prevent all spirituall hinderances, and stirre up your selves, to all forwardnesse, and speed, in your way towards heaven; for this cause, be ye sober, and doe ye perfectly, and constantly hope for the full accomplishment of that grace, and happinesse, which partly is, and perfectly shall bee brought unto you in the revelation of Jesus Christ.
But as ye are by a most holy God called into an holy profession of his Gospell,15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy, in all manner of conversation. so (that ye may approve your selves worthy of this high vocation) labour ye to be holy in all your carriage and conversation.
By whom ye were redeemed from your unprofitable,18 From your vaine conversation received by tradition from your fathers. and dangerous estate, wherein ye were under the law; and freed from those vaine confidences, whereon yee were taught by the tradition of your fathers to relie.
Seeing ye have by the powerfull working of the holy Ghost, sanctified, and purified your hearts,22 Seeing ye have purified your soules in obeying the truth through the spirit, unto unfained love of the brethren. so as that yee doe yeeld intire obedience unto God, in all things, and particularly in bearing unfained love to the brethren, &c.
CAP. II.
1 Wherefore, laying aside all malice, & all guile, and hypocrisies, &c.VVHerefore, since ye are by the grace of the Gospell now happily regenerated, and become children unto God; doe ye demeane your selves, and be affected accordingly; and therefore, laying aside all malicious disposition,4 To whom comming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious; and all guile, and hypocrisies, &c.
To whom being joyned in this spiritull structure, as unto a sure corner stone (rejected indeed and disallowed of men, but chosen and fully accepted of God)
5 Ye also as lively stones, are built up a spiritull house, an holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifice, acceptable to God by Iesus Christ.Ye also, as so many living stones, are laid in this spirituall building, to make up a spirituall Temple unto God, and (that yee may be every way answerable to those legall institutions) ye are also an holy (but Evangelicall) Priest-hood; to offer up, not materiall and bodily, but spirituall sacrifices of your selves, and of prayses and thanksgivings, acceptable unto God, by Jesus Christ.
8 Whereunto also they were appointed.VntoUnto which offence they were given up by the most just decree of God, who hath holily and justly ordained to punish one sinne with another, in the wilfully disobedient.
11 Dearely beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule.My brethren, ye are strangers, and pilgrims in respect of your earthly home (from which ye are driven) much more in respect of your heavenly, whither ye are travelling; I beseech you, therefore, that yee carry your selves thereafter, abstayning from all those carnall and sensuall desires, which worldly hearts are wont to bee taken up with, and which are very pernicious to the soule, and utterly opposite to the peace, and welfare thereof.
13 Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake, whether it bee to the King as supreame.Subject your selves to every superior power, that is appointed over you, whether it be to that of Kings, or other their subordinate governors; and that not so much out of feare, as out of the conscience of your obedience to God, who hath ordained them.
15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.For so is the will of God; that yee so behave your selves, as that, by the integrity and innocence of your carriage, yee may stop the mouths of those ignorant, and malicious infidells, which seeke advantages against you:
16 As free, and not using your libertie for a cloke of maliciousnesse, but as the servants of God.As those that are indeed a free people; free, not from the due obedience to authority, but from the spirituall bondage of sinne; truly freed by the ransome of Christs blood, from your spirituall servitude; but not licentious, and making an ill use of this your liberty, as if under pretence of that, ye were priviledged to cast off the yoke of all obedience and subjection to government, and wholsome Lawes of your superiors; but so demeaning your selves, as that ye remember, that notwithstanding your freedome, ye are still servants to that God, who hath prescribed unto you due obedience, and submission to your superiours.
Who in his owne person,24 Who his owne selfe bare our sins in his owne body, on the tree, that we being dead to sinne should live unto righteousnesse. did take upon him the heavie burden of our sinnes; and did in his very owne body both undergoe and pay, upon the crosse, those punishments, which were due to us, for all our sinnes, &c.
CAP. III.
WHiles those infidell husbands shall see your holy, and chaste conversation,2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with feare. joyned with a reverent awe, and due respects to themselves, as your head.
But let their chiefe ornamēts be in the inward diposition of an holy, and good heart,4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible. in those Christian vertues and graces, which are not subject to corruption, &c.
Whose daughters ye are, if yee follow her example in well doing, boldly and constantly,6 Whose daughters ye are, as long as ye doe well, and are not afraid with any amazement. and not in those weake feares, whereto she yeelded, and was drawn into inconvenience and dissimulation thereby; I know your sexe is subject, by reason of the infirmity of it to manifold feares and suspicions, as if by the submissive yeeldance unto your husbands ye should expose you to their tyranny and contempt, but doe ye that which your place, and duty requireth, and be not affrighted, and disquieted with these doubts, and distrusts; leaving the ordering of all events to the wisdome, and providence of God.
Giving unto them all tender, and due respects,7 Giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessell, &c. as those, towards whom, by reason of the weaknesse of their sexe, all gentle and favorable usage is required of you, &c.
But give yee unto God, in your hearts,15 But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts, and bee ready alwayes to give an answere to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and and feare. that honour which is due unto him, in trusting to his promises, and relying upon his providence, by a stedfast confidence, and reposition; and since ye live amongst heathens, and professed enemies to the Gospell, be not yee daunted with their oppositions, and persecutions; but bee ready when ye are thereunto duely called, to make profession of that true saith, and religion, which yee have received; but let not this be done in a turbulent, and seditious manner, but with all meeknesse of spirit; and reverence to that authothority whereby ye are called thereunto.
Being put to death in his humane body,18 Being put to death in the flesh, but quickned by the Spirit. in regard of the separation of his soule therefrom, for a time; but being quickned, and raised up to an immortall life, by the power of his divine spirit, or deity.
19 By which also hee went and preached unto the spirits in prison;By the power of which divine spirit of his, long before his manifestation in the flesh, he came to the old world; and by the mouth of Noah, that preacher of righteousnesse, spake to them, whose spirits are now fast prisoned in hell;
20 Which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah, while the Arke was preparing.Which were in their life time, wicked and disobedient to his holy counsels; when the patient long suffering of God gave a large respite to them for their repentance, and conversion; even all the while that the Arke was preparing by Noah, &c.
Compare this with chap. 4. vers. 6.
Answerable unto which preservation of the eight persons in Noahs family,21 The like figure whereunto, even baptisme, doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God) by the resurrection of Iesus Christ. by water, is the benefit which we receive by baptisme; which doth also now save vsus, by, and in applying unto us the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and becomes effectuall unto us, not in respect of the outward element, which onelyonly washeth off the filth of the flesh, but in respect of the inward efficacie of the grace, thereby represented, and exhibited; whereby the conscience is both quieted, and assured of pardon and favour; and is thereupon enabled to treat for, and expect mercy from God, and reconciliation with him.
CAP. IV.
FOr as much as Christ hath suffered death in his humane nature,1 For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arme your selves likewise with the same minde, for hee that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne. do yee labour to conforme your selves to Christ herein, and thinke this seriously with your selves, that hee who will be like unto Christ in his death and passion, which hee endured in the flesh, must bee mortified in, and to the corrupt desires of the flesh; and must cease from those sinnes, which are the actions of a carnall, and unregenerate life.
2 That hee no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.He must have nothing to doe with his wonted corruptions; neither must lead the rest of his life (which he hath to spend here below) according to the sinfull lusts of carnall men, but according to the holy will of God.
6 For this cause was the Gospell 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.For, for this cause was the Gospell preached, of old, to those which are long since dead, being swept away by the deluge, that howsoever they were in the sight, and construction of men seized on by the fearefull judgment of God; yet that some of them being wrought upon by that word of his, and brought to a sudden repentance, might have their soules saved.
For true charity if it be in us,8 For charity shall cover the multitude of sinnes. will hide a multitude of those sinnes, and infirmities, which are in our brethren.
If any man be called, by God, to speake publikely,11 If any man speake, let him speake as the oracles of God. as his messenger or minister to his people, let him so deliver that word which hee brings, as may become the holinesse and majesty of the Oracles of God, &c.
Beloved, let it not seeme strange and uncouth to you,12 Beloved, thinke it not strange concerning the fiery tryall, which is to trie you. that there is a fire of persecution begunne to be kindled among you, for the profession of the Gospell, which is intended by God, for the tryall of your faith, and constancie, &c.
For the Spirit of God, which alwayes brings glory,14 For the Spirit of glory, and of God resteth upon you. and happinesse with it, resteth upon you, and doth by this meanes give you good evidence of his abiding in you, &c.
For the time is come, wherein,17 For the time is come, that judgement must beginne at the house of God: and if it first beginne at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospell of God? according to the prediction of the Prophet, judgement must begin at the sanctuary or house of God; which is his Church; the wisedome of God hath thought fit by the cruell hands of wicked men, to exercise the patience, and faith of his dearest children; and if he begin with these sharpe afflictions upon us, which are tenderly beloved, and respected of him; what intolerable punishments hath he provided, and will be sure to inflict upon those that are wilfully, and rebelliously disobedient to the Gospell of God?
And if the most righteous,18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly, and the sinner appeare? and dearest of all Gods children, shall not escape a very sore, and severe tryall of chastisement, such (as if they were left to their owne strength) were enough to overlay, and miscarry them, what shall then become of the wicked, and ungodly? how shall it be possible for them to escape utter confusion?
CAP. V.
THose that are the pastors,1 The Elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an Elder, and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ. or spirituall overseers of the Church, amongst you, I do exhort, who am also a partner with them of the same holy calling; and an eye-witnesse of all those bitter sufferings of Christ, both in his life, and in his death, &c.
Not proudly and tyrannically taking upon them to domineere over the faith of Gods people;3 Neither as being lords over Gods heritage. or in an overly, and imperious manner tyrannizing over the Church, which is the heritage of God, &c.
13 The Church that is at Babylon elected, together with you, saluteth you, and so doth Marcus my sonne.The Church of God consisting of those coelect members of Christ (whether in the properly-called Babylon, which is in Egypt, or the mysticall Babylon, which is Rome) salute you.