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  COMMENTARY ON 1 PETER
  by Robert Leighton
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Leighton's devotional and practical commentary on the First Epistle of Peter,
comparing God's provision of spiritual nourishment for new believers to His
natural provision of physical sustenance. A work renowned for its warm spiritual
tone and depth of insight.

  Chapters: 2

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS
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    1. 01 1Pe 1:1-25
    2. 02 1Pe 2:1-25

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  CHAPTER 1: 01 1PE 1:1-25
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A Practical Commentary upon the First Epistle of Peter By Robert Leighton

CHAPTER I. Ver. 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered
throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. The grace of God in
the heart of man is a tender plant in a strange unkindly soil; and therefore
cannot well prosper and grow, without much care and pains, and that of a skilful
hand, and one who has the art of cherishing it: for this reason God has given
the constant ministry of the word to His Church, not only for the first work of
conversion, but also for confirming and increasing His grace in the hearts of
His children. And though the extraordinary ministers of the Gospel, the
Apostles, had principally the former for their charge—the converting of
unbelievers, Jews and Gentiles, and so the planting of Churches, to be after
kept, and watered by others (as the Apostle intimates, 1 Corinthians 3:6); yet
did they not neglect the other work of strengthening the grace of God begun in
the new converts of those times, both by revisiting them, and exhorting them in
person, as they could, and by the supply of their writing to them when absent.
And the benefit of this extends, (not by accident, but by the purpose and good
providence of God,) to the Church of God in all succeeding ages. This excellent
Epistle (full of Evangelical doctrine and Apostolic authority) is a brief, and
yet very clear summary both of the consolations and instructions necessary for
the encouragement and direction of a Christian on his journey to Heaven;
elevating his thoughts and desires to that happiness, and strengthening him
against all opposition along the way, both that of corruption within, and
temptations and afflictions from without. The heads of doctrine contained in it
are many, but the main that are most insisted on, are these three, faith,
obedience, and patience; to establish them in believing, to direct them in
doing, and to comfort them in suffering. And because the first is the groundwork
and support of the other two, this first chapter is much occupied with
persuading them of the truth of that mystery which they had received and did
believe, viz. their redemption and salvation by Christ Jesus; that inheritance
of immortality bought by His blood for them, and the evidence and stability of
their right and title to it. And then he uses this belief, this assurance of the
glory to come, as the great persuasive to the other two, both to holy obedience,
and constant patience, since nothing can be too much either to forego or
undergo, either to do or to suffer, for the attainment of that blessed state.
And as from the consideration of that object and matter of the hope of
believers, he encourages to patience, and exhorts to holiness in this chapter in
general; so in the following chapters, he expresses more particularly both the
universal and special duties of Christians, both in doing and suffering; often
setting before those to whom he wrote the matchless example of the Lord Jesus
and the greatness of their engagement to follow Him. In the first two verses we
have the inscription and salutation, in the usual style of the Apostolic
Epistles. The Inscription has the author and the address,—from whom, and to
whom. The author of this Epistle is designated by his name—Peter; and his
calling—an Apostle. We shall not insist upon his name, that it was imposed by
Christ, or what is its signification: this the Evangelists teach us.1 By that
which is spoken of him in various passages of the Gospel, he is very remarkable
amongst the Apostles, both for his graces and his failings; eminent in zeal and
courage, and yet stumbling oft in his forwardness, and once grossly falling; and
these, by the providence of God being recorded in Scripture, give a check to the
excess of Rome’s conceit concerning this Apostle. Their extolling and exalting
him above the rest, is not for his cause, much less to the honor of his Lord and
Master Jesus Christ, for He is injured and dishonored by it; but it is in favor
of themselves. As Alexander distinguished his two friends, that the one was a
friend of Alexander, the other a friend of the king, the preferment which they
give this Apostle is not in good-will to Peter, but in the desire of primacy.
But whatever he was they would be much in pain to prove Rome’s right to it by
succession. And if ever it had any such right, we may confidently say they have
forfeited it long ago, by departing from St. Peter’s footsteps, and from his
faith, and retaining too much those things wherein he was faulty; namely— His
unwillingness to hear of, and consent to, Christ’s sufferings,—his Master, spare
yourself, or Be it far from you,2—in those they are like him; for thus they
would unburden and exempt the Church from the cross, from the real cross of
afflictions, and instead of that, have nothing but painted, or carved, or gilded
crosses; these they are content to embrace, and worship too, but cannot endure
to hear of the other.—Instead of the cross of affliction, they make the crown or
miter the badge of their Church, and will have it known by prosperity, and
outward pomp; and so turn the Church militant into the Church triumphant, not
considering that it is Babylon’s voice, not the Church’s, I sit a queen, and am
no widow, and shall see no sorrow.3 Again, they are like him in his saying on
the mount at Christ’s transfiguration, when he knew not what he said, It is good
for us to be here:4 so they have little of the true glory of Christ, but the
false glory of that monarchy on their seven hills: It is good to be here, they
say. Again, in their undue striking with the sword, not the enemies, as he, but
the faithful friends and servants of Jesus Christ. But to proceed. We see here
Peter’s office or title,—an apostle; not chief bishop. Some in their glossing
have been so impudent as to add that besides the text; though in chap. 5 ver. 4,
he gives that title to Christ alone, and to himself only fellow elder; and here,
not prince of the apostles, but an apostle, restored and reestablished after his
fall, by repentance, and by Christ Himself, after His own death and
resurrection.5 Thus we have in our Apostle a singular instance of human frailty
on the one side, and of the sweetness of Divine grace on the other. Free and
rich grace it is indeed, that forgives and swallows up multitudes of sins, of
greatest sins; not only sins before conversion, as to St. Paul, but foul
offenses committed after conversion, as to David, and to this Apostle: not only
once raising them from the dead, but when they fall, stretching out the same
hand, and raising them again, and restoring them to their station, and
comforting them in it by His free Spirit, as David prays: not only to cleanse
polluted clay, but to work it into vessels of honor; not only so, but of the
most defiled shape to make the most refined vessels; not vessels of honor of the
lowest sort, but for the highest and most honorable services; vessels to bear
His own precious name to the nations; making the most unworthy and the most
unfit, fit by His grace to be His messengers. Of Jesus Christ.] Both as the
beginning and end of his Apostleship, as Christ is called Alpha and Omega;
chosen and called by Him, and called to this—to preach Him, and salvation
wrought by Him. Apostle of Jesus Christ.] Sent by Him, and the message no other
than His Name, to make that known. And what this Apostleship was then, after
some extraordinary way, befitting these first times of the Gospel, that the
ministry of the word in ordinary is now; and therefore an employment of more
difficulty and excellence than is usually conceived by many, not only of those
who look upon it, but even of those who are exercised in it;—to be Ambassadors
for the Greatest of Kings, and upon no mean employment, that great treaty of
peace and reconciliation between Him and mankind.6 This epistle is directed to
the elect, who are described here by their temporal and by their spiritual
conditions. The first has very much dignity and comfort in it; but the other has
neither, but rather the contrary of both; and therefore the Apostle, intending
their comfort, mentions the one but in passing, to signify to whom particularly
he sent his Epistle; but the other is that which he would have their thoughts
dwell upon, and therefore he prosecutes it in his following discourse. And if we
look to the order of the words [That is, the order in the original …], their
temporal condition is but interjected; for it is said, To the elect, first, and
then, To the strangers scattered, &c. and he would have this as it were drowned
in the other—According to the foreknowledge of God the Father. That those
dispersed strangers who dwelt in the countries here named, were Jews, appears if
we look to the foregoing Epistle, where the same word is used, and expressly
appropriated to the Jews.7 St. Peter, in Galatians 2:8, is called an apostle of
the circumcision, as exercising his Apostleship most towards them; and there is
in some passages of this Epistle, somewhat which, though belonging to all
Christians, yet has, in the strain and way of expression, a particular fitness
to the believing Jews, as being particularly verified in them, which was spoken
of their nation.8 Some argue from the name "strangers," that the Gentiles are
here meant, which seems not to be; for proselyte Gentiles were indeed called
strangers in Jerusalem, and by the Jews; but were not the Jews strangers in
these places, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia?—Not strangers
dwelling together in a prosperous, flourishing condition, as a well planted
colony, but strangers of the dispersion, scattered to and fro. Their dispersion
was partly, first by the Assyrian captivity, and after that by the Babylonish,
and by the invasion of the Romans; and it might be in these very times increased
by the believing Jews flying from the hatred and persecution raised against them
at home. The places here mentioned, through which they were dispersed, are all
in Asia. So Asia here is Asia the lesser; where it is to be observed, that some
of those who heard St. Peter are said to be of those regions. And if any of
those then converted were amongst these dispersed, the comfort was no doubt the
more grateful from the hand of the same Apostle by whom they were first
converted; but this is only conjecture. Though Divine truths are to be received
equally from every minister alike, yet it must be acknowledged, that there is
something (we know not what to call it) of a more acceptable reception of those
who at first were the means of bringing men to God, than of others; like the
opinion some have of physicians whom they love. The Apostle comforts these
strangers of this dispersion, by the spiritual union which they obtained by
effectual calling; and so calls off their eyes from their outward, dispersed,
and despised condition, to look above that, as high as the spring of their
happiness, the free love and election of God. Scattered in the countries, and
yet gathered in God’s election, chosen or picked out; strangers to men amongst
whom they dwelt, but known and foreknown to God; removed from their own country,
to which men have naturally an unalterable affection, but made heirs of a better
(as follows, ver. 3, 4); and having within them the evidence both of eternal
election and of that expected salvation, the Spirit of holiness (ver. 2). At the
best, a Christian is but a stranger here, set him where you will, as our Apostle
teaches after; and it is his privilege that he is so; and when he thinks not so,
he forgets and disparages himself, and descends far below his quality, when he
is much taken with anything in this place of his exile. But this is the wisdom
of a Christian, when he can solace himself against the meanness and any kind of
discomfort of his outward condition, with the comfortable assurance of the love
of God, that He has called him to holiness, given him some measure of it, and an
endeavor after more; and by this may he conclude, that He has ordained him unto
salvation. If either he is a stranger where he lives, or as a stranger deserted
by his friends, and very nearly stripped of all outward comforts, yet may he
rejoice in this, that the eternal, unchangeable love of God, which is from
everlasting to everlasting, is sealed to his soul. And O! what will it avail a
man to be surrounded with the favor of the world, to sit unmolested in his own
home and possessions, and to have them very great and pleasant, to be well
moneyed, and landed and befriended, and yet estranged and severed from God, not
having any token of His special love? To the elect.] The Apostle here designates
all the Christians to whom he writes, by the condition of true believers,
calling them elect and sanctified, &c.: and the Apostle St. Paul writes in the
same style in his Epistles to the Churches. Not that all in these Churches were
such indeed, but because they professed to be such, and by that their profession
and calling as Christians, they were obliged to be such: and as many of them as
were in any measure true to that, their calling and profession were really such.
Besides, it would seem not unworthy of consideration, that in all probability
there would be fewer false Christians, and the number of true believers would be
usually greater, in the Churches in those primitive times, than now in the best
reformed Churches; because there could not then be many of those who were from
their infancy bred in the Christian faith, but the greatest part were such as,
being of years of discretion, were, by the hearing of the Gospel, converted from
Paganism and Judaism to the Christian religion first, and made a deliberate
choice of it; to which there were at that time no great outward encouragements,
and therefore the less danger of multitudes of hypocrites, which, as vermin in
summer, breed most in the time of the Church’s prosperity. Though no nation or
kingdom had then universally received the faith, but rather hated and persecuted
it, yet were there even then amongst them, as the writings of the Apostles
testify, false brethren, and inordinate walkers, and men of corrupt minds,
earthly-minded, and led with a spirit of envy and contention and vainglory.
Although the question that is raised concerning the necessary qualifications of
all the members of a true visible Church can no way, as I conceive, be decided
from the inscriptions of the Epistles; yet certainly they are useful to teach
Christians and Christian Churches what they ought to be, and what their holy
profession requires of them, and sharply to reprove the gross unlikeness and
nonconformity that is in the most part of men to the description of Christians.
As there are some that are too strict in their judgment concerning the being and
nature of the visible Church, so certainly the greatest part of Churches are too
loose in their practice. From the dissimilarity between our Churches and those,
we may make this use of reproof, that if an Apostolic Epistle were to be
directed to us, it ought to be inscribed, "To the ignorant, profane, malicious,"
&c. As he, who at the hearing of the Gospel read, said, "Either this is not the
Gospel, or we are not Christians," so, either these characters, given in the
inscription of these Epistles, are not true characters, or we are not true
Christians. Ver. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood
of Jesus Christ. In this verse we have their condition and the causes of
it.—Their condition, sanctified and justified; the former expressed by
obedience, the latter by sprinkling of the blood of Christ. The causes, 1.
Eternal election. 2. The execution of that decree, their effectual calling,
which, I conceive, is meant by election here, the selecting them out of the
world, and joining them to the fellowship of the children of God.9 The former,
election, is particularly ascribed to God the Father, the latter to the Holy
Spirit; and the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is here assigned as the
cause of their justification; and so the whole Trinity concurring dignify them
with this their spiritual and happy estate. First, I shall discourse of these
separately, and then of their connection. I. Of the state itself, and 1. Of
justification, though named last. This sprinkling refers to the rite of the
legal purification by the sprinkling of blood; and aptly so; for these rites of
sprinkling and blood all pointed out this blood and this sprinkling, and
exhibited this true ransom of souls, which was only shadowed by them. The use
and purpose of sprinkling were purification and expiation, because sin merited
death, and the pollutions and stains of human nature were by sin. Such is the
pollution, that it can in no way be washed off but by blood.10 Neither is there
any blood able to purge from sin except the most precious blood of Jesus Christ,
which is called the blood of God.11 That the stain of sin can be washed off only
by blood, intimates that it merits death; and that no blood but that of the Son
of God can do it, intimates that this stain merits eternal death—and that would
have been our portion, if the death of the eternal Lord of life had not freed us
from it. Filthiness needs sprinkling; guiltiness, such as deserves death, needs
sprinkling of blood; and the death it deserves being everlasting death, the
blood must be the blood of Christ, the eternal Lord of life, dying to free us
from the sentence of death. The soul, like the body, has its life, its health,
its purity, and the opposite of these,—its death, diseases, deformities, and
impurity, which belong to it as to their first subject, and to the body by
participation. The soul and body of all mankind are stained by the pollution of
sin. The impure leprosy of the soul is not an outward spot, but wholly inward;
so, as the bodily leprosy was purified by the sprinkling of blood, this is, too.
Then, by reflecting, we see how all this expressed by the Apostle St. Peter is
necessary for our justification. 1. Christ, the Mediator between God and man, is
God and Man 1:2. A Mediator not only interceding, but also satisfying.12 3. This
satisfaction does not reconcile us, unless it is applied; therefore there is not
only mention of blood, but the sprinkling of it. The Spirit by faith sprinkles
the soul, as with hyssop, by which the sprinkling was made: this is what the
Prophet speaks about,13 So shall he sprinkle many nations; and which the Apostle
to the Hebrews prefers above all legal sprinklings (chap. 9:12-14), both as to
its duration and as to the excellence of its effects. Men are not easily
convinced and persuaded of the deep stain of sin, and that no other laver can
remove it but the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Some who have moral
resolutions of amendment dislike at least gross sins, and try to avoid them—to
them it is cleanness enough to reform in those things, but they haven’t
considered what becomes of the guiltiness they have already contracted, and how
that shall be purged, how their natural pollution shall be taken away. Don’t be
deceived in this; it is not a passing sigh, or a light word, or a wish of "God
forgive me;" no, nor the highest current of repentance, nor that which is the
truest evidence of repentance, change—none of these purify us in the sight of
God, and expiate His wrath; they are all imperfect and stained themselves,
cannot stand and answer for themselves, much less be of value to compensate the
former guilt of sin. The very tears of the purest repentance, unless sprinkled
with this blood, are impure; all our washings without this are but washings of
the blackamoor—it is labor in vain.14 None are truly purified by the blood of
Christ, who do not endeavor after purity of heart and conversation; yet it is
the blood of Christ by which they are all made fair, and there is no spot in
them. Here it is said, elect to obedience; but because that obedience is
imperfect, there must be sprinkling of the blood too. There is nothing in
religion further out of nature’s reach, and out of its liking and belief, than
the doctrine of redemption by a Savior, and a crucified Savior,—by Christ, and
by His blood, first shed on the cross in His suffering, and then sprinkled on
the soul by His Spirit. It is easier to make men aware of the necessity of
repentance and amendment of life (though that is very difficult), than of this
purging by the sprinkling of this precious blood. If we saw how necessary Christ
is to us, we should esteem and love Him more. It is not by the hearing of
Christ, and of His blood in the doctrine of the Gospel; it is not by the
sprinkling of water, even that water which is the sign of this blood, without
the blood itself, and the sprinkling of it. Many are present where it is
sprinkled, and yet have no portion in it. See to it that this blood is sprinkled
on your souls, so that the destroying angel may pass by you. There is a
generation (not some few, but a generation) deceived in this; they are their own
deceivers, pure in their own eyes.15 How earnestly does David pray, Wash me,
purge me with hyssop! Though bathed in tears, that satisfies not—Wash me.16 This
is the honorable condition of the saints, that they are purified and consecrated
to God by this sprinkling; yes, they have on long white robes washed in the
blood of the Lamb. There is mention indeed of great tribulation,17 but there is
a double comfort joined with it. 1. They come out of it; that tribulation has an
end. And, 2. They pass from that to glory; for they have on the robe of
candidates, long white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb, washed white in
blood. As for this blood, it is nothing but purity and spotlessness, having no
stain of sin, and besides, has the virtue to take away the stain of sin where it
is sprinkled. My well-beloved is white and ruddy,18 says the spouse; thus in His
death, ruddy by bloodshed, white by innocence and purity of that blood. Shall
those, then, who are purged by this blood, return to live among the swine, and
tumble with them in the puddle? What gross injury would this be to themselves,
and to that blood by which they are cleansed! Those who are chosen to this
sprinkling, are likewise chosen to obedience. This blood purifies the heart;
yea, this blood purges our consciences from dead works to serve the living
God.19 2. Of their sanctification. Elect unto obedience.] It is easily
understood to whom. When obedience to God is expressed by the simple absolute
name of obedience, it teaches us that to Him alone belong absolute and unlimited
obedience, all obedience by all creatures. It is the shame and misery of man,
that he has departed from this obedience, that we have become sons of
disobedience; but grace, renewing the hearts of believers, changes their
natures, and so their names, and makes them children of obedience (as afterwards
in this chapter). As this obedience consists in the receiving Christ as our
Redeemer, so also at the same time as our Lord or King; in an entire rendering
up of the whole man to His obedience. This obedience, then, of the
Only-begotten, Jesus Christ, might well be understood not as His actively, as
Beza interprets it, but objectively, as 2 Corinthians 10:5. I think here it is
chiefly understood to mean the obedience that the Apostle in the Epistle to the
Romans calls the obedience of faith, by which the doctrine of Christ is
received, and so Christ Himself, which unites the believing soul to Christ,—He
sprinkles it with His blood, to the remission of sin,—and which is the root and
spring of all future obedience in the Christian life. By obedience,
sanctification is intimated; it signifies both habitual and active obedience,
renovation of heart, and conformity to the Divine will. The mind is illuminated
by the Holy Spirit, to know and believe the Divine will; yea, this faith is the
great and chief part of obedience.20 The truth of the doctrine is first
impressed on the mind—pleasant, loving obedience flows from it. From there all
the affections, and the whole body, with its members, learn to willingly obey,
and submit to God; while before they resisted Him, being under the standard of
Satan. This obedience, though imperfect, yet has a certain, if I may so say,
imperfect perfection. It is universal in three kinds of ways,—1. In the subject.
2. In the object. 3. In the duration. The whole man is subjected to the whole
law, and that constantly and perseveringly. The first universality is the cause
of the other. Because it is not in the tongue alone, or in the hand, but has its
root in the heart, it does not wither as the grass or flower lying on the
surface of the earth; but flourishes, because rooted. And it embraces the whole
law because it arises from a reverence it has for the Lawgiver Himself.
Reverence, I say, but tempered with love; hence, it considers no law nor command
little, or of little importance, which is from God, because He is great and
highly esteemed by the pious heart; no command hard, though contrary to the
flesh, because all things are easy to love. There is the same authority in all,
as St. James divinely argues; and this authority is the golden chain of all the
commandments, which if broken in any link, all fall to pieces. That this
threefold perfection of obedience is not a picture drawn by fancy, is evident in
David, Psalms 119:1-176, where he subjects himself to the whole law: his feet,
ver. 105; his mouth, ver. 13; his heart, ver. 11; the whole tenor of his life,
ver. 24. He subjects himself to the whole law, ver. 6, and he professes his
constancy therein, in verses 16 and 33: Teach me, O Lord, the way of your
statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end. II. We have the causes of the
condition above described. According to the foreknowledge of God the Father.]
The most exact knowledge of things is, to know them in their causes; it is then
an excellent thing, and worthy of their endeavors who are most desirous of
knowledge, to know the best things in their highest causes; and the happiest way
of this knowledge is, to possess those things, and to know them in experience.
To such the Apostle here speaks, and sets before them the excellence of their
spiritual condition, and leads them to the causes of it. Their state is, that
they are sanctified and justified: the nearest cause of both these is, Jesus
Christ. He is made to them both righteousness and sanctification: the sprinkling
of His blood purifies them from guiltiness, and quickens them to obedience. Now
follows to consider the appropriating or applying cause, which is the Holy, and
holy-making or sanctifying Spirit, the Author of their selection from the world,
and effectual calling unto grace. The source of all, the appointing or decreeing
cause, is God the Father: for though they all work equally in all, yet, in order
of working, we are taught thus to distinguish and particularly to ascribe the
first work of eternal election to the first Person of the blessed Trinity. In or
through sanctification.] For to render it, elect to the sanctification, is
strained: so then I conceive this election is their effectual calling, which is
by the working of the Holy Spirit; as in 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, where vocation
and election are used in the same sense: You see your calling, brethren, how
that not many wise men after the flesh, &c., but God has chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise. It is the first act of the decree of
election; the beginning of its performance in those who are elected; and it is
in itself a real separation of men from the profane and miserable condition of
the world, and an appropriation and consecration of a man to God; and therefore,
both regarding its relation to election, and regarding its own nature, it well
bears that name.21 Sanctification in a narrower sense, as distinguished from
justification, signifies the inherent holiness of a Christian, or his being
inclined and enabled to perform the obedience mentioned in this verse; but it is
here more large, and co-extends with the whole work of renovation; it is the
severing or separating of men to God, by His Holy Spirit, drawing them unto Him;
and so it includes justification, as here, and the first working of faith, by
which the soul is justified, through its apprehending and applying the
righteousness of Jesus Christ. Of the Spirit.] The word calls men externally,
and by that external calling prevails with many to an external reception and
profession of religion; but if it is left alone it goes no further. It is indeed
the means of sanctification and effectual calling, as John 17:17, Sanctify them
through your truth; but it does this when the Spirit, who speaks in the word,
works in the heart, and causes it to hear and obey. The spirit or soul of a man
is the chief and the first subject of this work, and it is but slight false work
that doesn’t begin there; but the Spirit here is rather to be taken for the
Spirit of God, the efficient, than for the spirit of man, the subject of this
sanctification. And therefore our Savior in that place prays to the Father, that
He would sanctify His own by that truth; and this He does by the concurrence of
His Spirit with that word of truth which is the life and vigor of it, and makes
it prove the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes.22 It is a fit
means in itself, but it is a prevailing means only when the Spirit of God brings
it into the heart. It is a sword, and sharper than any two-edged sword, fit to
divide, yea, even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit;23 but it does not
do this without being in the Spirit’s hand, and Him applying it to this cutting
and dividing. The word calls, but the Spirit draws, not severed from that word,
but working in it, and by it. It is a very difficult work to draw a soul out of
the hands and strong chains of Satan, and out of the pleasing entanglements of
the world, and out of its own natural perverseness, to yield up itself to
God,—to deny itself, and live to Him, and in so doing, to run against the
mainstream, and the current of the ungodly world without, and corruption within.
The strongest rhetoric, the most moving and persuasive way of discourse, is all
too weak; the tongue of men or angels cannot prevail with the soul to free
itself, and shake off all that detains it. Although it be convinced of the truth
of those things that are represented to it, yet still it can and will hold out
against it, and say, Non persuadebis etiamsi persuaseris—You shall not persuade
me, even though you convince me. The hand of man is too weak to pluck any soul
out of the crowd of the world, and to set it in amongst the select number of
believers. Only the Father of spirits has absolute command of spirits, viz. the
souls of men, to work on them as He pleases, and where He will. This powerful,
this sanctifying Spirit knows no resistance; works sweetly, and yet strongly; it
can come into the heart, whereas all other speakers are forced to stand without.
That still voice within persuades more than all the loud crying without; as he
who is within the house, though he speak low, is better heard and understood,
than he who shouts outside the doors. When the Lord Himself speaks by this His
Spirit to a man, selecting and calling him out of the lost world, he can no more
disobey than Abraham did, when the Lord spoke to him after an extraordinary
manner, to depart from his own country and kindred: Abram departed, as the Lord
had spoken unto him.24 There is a secret, but very powerful, virtue in a word,
or look, or touch of this Spirit upon the soul, by which it is forced, not with
a harsh, but a pleasing violence, and cannot choose but follow it, not unlike
that of Elijah’s mantle upon Elisha.25 How easily did the disciples forsake
their callings and their dwellings to follow Christ! The Spirit of God draws a
man out of the world by sanctified light sent into his mind, 1. Revealing to him
how base and false the sweetness of sin is, which withholds men and amuses them,
so that they return not; and how true and sad the bitterness is that will follow
upon it; 2. Setting before his eyes the free and happy condition, the glorious
liberty of the children of God,26 the riches of their present enjoyment, and
their far larger and assured hopes for hereafter; 3. Making the beauty of Jesus
Christ visible to the soul; which immediately takes it so, that it cannot be
stopped from coming to Him, though its most beloved friends, most beloved sins,
lie in the way, and hang about it, and cry, Will you leave us so? It will tread
upon all who come within the embraces of Jesus Christ, and say with St. Paul, I
was not disobedient unto, or unpersuaded by, the heavenly vision.27 It is no
wonder that the godly are by some called singular and precise: they are so,
singular—a few selected ones picked out by God’s own hand, for Himself: Know
that the Lord has set apart him that is godly for himself.28 Therefore, says our
Savior, Because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world, therefore the world hates you.29 For the world lies in unholiness and
wickedness—is buried in it; and as living men can have no pleasure among the
dead, neither can these elected ones amongst the ungodly; they walk in the world
as warily as a man or woman neatly appareled would do amongst a multitude that
are all sullied and bemired. Endeavor to have this sanctifying Spirit in
yourselves; pray much for it; for His promise has passed to us, that He will
give this Holy Spirit to those who ask it.30 And shall we be such fools as to
lack it, for lack of asking? When we find heavy fetters on our souls, and much
weakness, yea averseness to follow the voice of God calling us to His obedience,
then let us pray with the spouse, Draw me. She cannot go nor stir without that
drawing; and yet, with it, not only goes, but runs. We will run after you.31
Think it not enough that you hear the word, and use the outward ordinances of
God, and profess His name; for many are thus called, and yet but a few of them
are chosen. There is but a small part of the world outwardly called, compared to
the rest that is not so, and yet the number of the true elect is so small, that
it gains the number of these that are called the name of many. Those who are in
the visible Church, and partake of external vocation, are but like a large list
of names (as is usual in civil elections), out of which a small number is chosen
to the dignity of true Christians, and invested into their privilege. Some men
in nomination to offices or employments, think it a worse disappointment and
disgrace to have been in the list, and yet not chosen, than if their names had
not been mentioned at all. Certainly, it is a greater unhappiness to have been
not far from the kingdom of God,32 (as our Savior speaks), and miss it, than
still to have remained in the furthest distance; to have been at the mouth of
the haven, the fair havens indeed, and yet driven back and shipwrecked. Your
labor is most preposterous; you seek to ascertain and make sure things that
cannot be made sure, and that which is both more worth and may be made surer
than them all, you will not endeavor to make sure. Listen to the Apostle’s
advice, and at length set about this in earnest, to make your calling and
election sure.33 Make sure this election, as it is here (for that is the order),
your effectual calling sure, and that will bring with it assurance of the other,
the eternal election and love of God towards you, which follows to be
considered. According to the foreknowledge of God the Father.] Known unto God
are all his works from the beginning of the world, says the Apostle James.34 He
sees all things from the beginning of time to the end of it, and beyond to all
eternity, and from all eternity He foresaw them. But this foreknowledge here
relates peculiarly to the elect. Verba sensus in sacra scriptura denotant
affectus—Words of sensation in Scripture denote affections,—as the Rabbis
remark. So in man, If I regard iniquity;35 and in God, For the Lord knows the
way of the righteous, &c.36 And again, You only have I known of all the families
of the earth, &c.37 And in that speech of our Savior, relating it as the
terrible doom of reprobates at the last day, Depart, &c., I know you not, I
never knew you.38 So St. Paul, For that which I do I allow [Gr. know] not.39 And
Beza observes that ginosko is by the Greeks sometimes taken for decernere,
judicare—to determine, judge; thus some speak, to cognosce upon a business. So
then this foreknowledge is none other than that eternal love of God, or decree
of election, by which some are appointed unto life, and being foreknown or
elected to that end, they are predestinated to the way to it. For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren.40 It is most vain to imagine a
foresight of faith in men, and that God in the view of that faith, as the
condition of election itself, has chosen them: for, 1. Nothing at all is
futurum, or can have that imagined futurity, so to speak, but as it is, and
because it is, decreed by God to be; and, therefore (as says the Apostle St.
James in the passage before cited) Known unto God are all his works, because
they are His works in time, and his purpose from eternity. 2. It is most absurd
to give any reason of Divine will without Himself. 3. This easily solves all
that difficulty which the Apostle speaks of; and yet he never thought of such a
solution, but runs high for an answer, not to satisfy caviling reason, but to
silence it, and stop its mouth: for thus the Apostle argues, You will say then
to me, Why does he yet find fault? For who has resisted his will? No but, O man,
who are you who reply against God?41 Who can conceive where this should be, that
any man should believe unless it has been given him of God? And if given him,
then it was His purpose to give it him; and if so, then it is evident that He
had a purpose to save him; and for that end He gives faith; not therefore
purposes to save, because man shall believe. 4. This seems cross to these
Scriptures, where they speak of the subordination, or rather coordination, of
those two: as here, foreknown and elect, not because of obedience, or
sprinkling, or any such thing, but to obedience and sprinkling, which is by
faith. So God predestinated, not because He foresaw men would be conformed to
Christ, but that they might be so: For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate.42 And the same order, And the Lord added to the Church daily such
as should be saved. Also, And as many as were ordained to eternal life
believed.43 This foreknowledge, then, is His eternal and unchangeable love; and
that thus He chooses some, and rejects others, is for that great purpose, to
manifest and magnify His mercy and justice; but why He appointed this man for
the one, and that man for the other, made Peter a vessel of this mercy, and
Judas of wrath, this is even so, because it seemed good to Him. If this is
harsh, yet is Apostolic doctrine. Has not the potter (says St. Paul) power over
the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto
dishonor?44 This deep we must admire, and always, in considering it, close with
this: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!45 III.
The connection of these we are now for our profit to take notice of; that
effectual calling is inseparably tied to this eternal foreknowledge or election
on the one side, and to salvation on the other. These two links of the chain are
up in Heaven in God’s own hand: but this middle one is let down to earth into
the hearts of His children; and they, laying hold on it, have sure hold on the
other two, for no power can sever them. If therefore they can read the
characters of God’s image in their own souls, those are the counterpart of the
golden characters of His love, in which their names are written in the book of
life. Their believing writes their names under the promises of the revealed book
of life, the Scriptures; and so ascertains them, that the same names are in the
secret book of life which God has by Himself from eternity. So that finding the
stream of grace in their hearts, though they see not the fountain from where it
flows, nor the ocean into which it returns, yet they know that it has its
source, and shall return to that ocean which arises from their eternal election,
and shall empty itself into that eternity of happiness and salvation. Therefore
much joy arises to the believer: this tie is indissoluble, as the agents are,
the Father, the Son, and the Spirit: so are election, and vocation, and
sanctification, and justification, and glory. And therefore, in all conditions,
they may, from the sense of the working of the Spirit in them, look back to that
election, and forward to that salvation; but those who remain unholy and
disobedient, have as yet no evidence of this love; and therefore cannot, without
vain presumption and self-delusion, judge thus of themselves, that they are
within the peculiar love of God. But in this, Let the righteous be glad, and let
them shout for joy, all that are upright in heart.46 It is one main point of
happiness, that he who is happy knows and judges himself to be so: this being
the peculiar good of a reasonable creature, it is to be enjoyed in a reasonable
way; it is not as the dull resting of a stone, or any other natural body in its
natural place; but the knowledge and consideration of it is the fruition of it,
the very relishing and tasting its sweetness. The perfect blessedness of the
saints is awaiting them above; but even their present condition is truly happy,
though incompletely, and but a small beginning of that which they expect. And
their present happiness is so much the more, the clearer their knowledge and
firmer their persuasion they have of it. It is one of the pleasant fruits of the
godly, to know the things that are freely given to us of God.47 Therefore the
Apostle, to comfort his dispersed brethren, sets before them a description of
that excellent spiritual condition to which they are called. If election,
effectual calling, and salvation, are inseparably linked together, then by any
one of them a man may lay hold on all the rest, and may know that his hold is
sure; and this is that way by which we may attain, and ought to seek that
comfortable assurance of the love of God. Therefore make your calling sure, and
by that your election;48 for that being done, this follows of itself. We are not
to pry immediately into the decree, but to read it in the performance. Though
the mariner sees not the pole-star, yet the needle of the compass which points
to it tells him which way he sails: thus the heart that is touched with the
loadstone of Divine love, trembling with godly fear, and yet still looking
towards God by fixed believing, points at the love of election, and tells the
soul that its course is heavenward, towards the haven of eternal rest. He who
loves may be sure he was loved first; and he who chooses God for his delight and
portion may conclude confidently that God has chosen him to be one of those who
shall enjoy Him and be happy in Him forever; because our love and electing of
Him is but the return and repercussion of the beams of His love shining upon us.
Find but within you sanctification by the Spirit, and this argues, necessarily,
both justification by the Son, and the election of God the Father. Hereby know
we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.49
It is a most strange demonstration, ab effectu reciproco—from the reciprocal
effect:—He called those He has elected; He elected those He called: Where this
sanctifying Spirit is not, there can be no persuasion of this eternal love of
God: those who are children of disobedience can conclude no otherwise of
themselves, but that they are the children of wrath. Although, from present
unsanctification, a man cannot infer that he is not elected—for the decree may,
for part of a man’s life, run, as it were, underground—yet this is sure, that
that estate leads to death, and unless it be broken, will prove the black line
of reprobation. A man has no portion amongst the children of God, nor can read
one word of comfort in all the promises that belong to them while he remains
unholy. Men may please themselves in profane scoffing at the Holy Spirit of
grace, but let them nevertheless know this, that that Holy Spirit, whom they
mock and despise, is that Spirit who seals men unto the day of redemption.50 If
any pretend that they have the Spirit, and so turn away from the straight rule
of the Holy Scriptures, they have a spirit indeed, but it is a fanatical spirit,
the spirit of delusion and giddiness; but the Spirit of God that leads His
children in the way of truth, and is for that purpose sent them from heaven to
guide them there, squares their thoughts and ways to that rule: and that word
whereof It is Author, which was inspired by It, sanctifies them to obedience. He
who says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth
is not in him.51 Now this Spirit which sanctifies, and sanctifies to obedience,
is within us the evidence of our election, and the earnest of our salvation. And
whoever are not sanctified and led by this Spirit, the Apostle tells us what
their condition is: If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his.52 Let us not delude ourselves: this is a truth, if there be any in
religion—those who are not made saints in the state of grace, shall never be
saints in glory. The stones which are appointed for that glorious temple above,
are hewn and polished, and prepared for it here; as the stones were wrought and
prepared in the mountains for building the temple at Jerusalem. This is God’s
order. He gives grace and glory.53 Moralists can tell us that the way to the
temple of honor is through the temple of virtue. Those who think they are bound
for heaven in the ways of sin have either found a new way untrodden by all who
have gone before, or will find themselves deceived in the end. We need not then
that poor scheme for the pressing of holiness and obedience upon men, to
represent it to them as the meriting cause of salvation. This is not at all to
the purpose, considering that without it the necessity of holiness to salvation
is pressing enough; for holiness is no less necessary to salvation, than if it
were the meriting cause of it; it is as inseparably tied to it as the purpose of
God. And in the order of performance, godliness is as certainly before
salvation, as if salvation wholly and altogether depended upon it, and was in
point of justice deserved by it. Seeing, then, there is no other way to
happiness but by holiness, no assurance of the love of God without it, take the
Apostle’s advice; study it, seek it, follow earnestly after holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord.54 Grace to you, and peace, be multiplied.] It
has always been a civil custom amongst men, to season their conversation with
good wishes one for another; this the Apostles use in their epistles in a
spiritual Divine way suitable to their holy writings. It well becomes the
messengers of grace and peace to wish both, and to make their salutation conform
to the main scope and subject of their discourse. The Hebrew word of salutation
we have here—Peace, and that which is the source both of this and all good
things, in the other word of salutation used by the Greeks—Grace. All right
rejoicing, and prosperity, and happiness, flow from this source, and from this
alone, and are sought elsewhere in vain. In general, this is the character of a
Christian spirit, to have a heart filled with blessing, with this sweet good
will and good wishing to all, especially to those who are their brothers in the
same profession of religion. And this charity is a precious balm, diffusing
itself in the wise and seasonable expressions of it, upon fitting occasions; and
those expressions must be cordial and sincere, not like what you call court
holy-water, in which there is nothing else but falsehood, or vanity at the best.
This manifests men to be the sons of blessing, and of the ever-blessed God, the
Father of all blessing, when in His name they bless one another: more than this,
our Savior’s rule goes higher, bless those who curse you, and urges it by that
relation to God as their Father, that in this they may resemble Him: that you
may be the children of your Father who is in heaven.55 But in a more eminent way
it is the duty of Pastors to bless their people, not only by their public and
solemn benediction, but also by daily and importunate prayers for them in
secret. And the great Father, who sees in secret, will reward them openly.56
They are to be ever both endeavoring and wishing their increase of knowledge and
all spiritual grace, in which they have St. Paul as a frequent pattern. To those
who are messengers of this grace, if they have experience of it, it is the oil
of gladness that will dilate their heart, and make it large in love and
spiritual desires for others, especially their own flocks. Let us consider, 1.
The matter of the Apostle’s desire for them—grace and peace. 2. The measure of
it,—that it may be multiplied. 1st. The matter of the Apostle’s desire, grace.
We need not make a noise with the many school distinctions of grace, and
describe in what sense it is here to be taken: for no doubt it is all saving
grace to those dispersed brethren, so that in the largest notion which it can
have that way, we may safely here take it. What are preventing grace, assisting
grace, working and co-working grace (as we may admit these differences in a
sound sense), but various names of the same effectual saving grace, in relation
to our different state? as the same sea receives different names from the
different parts of the shore it beats upon. First, it prevents and works; then
it assists and prosecutes what it has wrought: He works in us both to will and
to do.57 But the whole sense of saving grace, I think, is comprehended in these
two. 1. Grace in the fountain, that is, the peculiar love and favor of God. 2.
Grace in the streams, the fruits of this love, (for it is not an empty, but a
most rich and liberal love,) viz. all the graces and spiritual blessings of God
bestowed upon those whom He had freely chosen. The love of God in itself can
neither diminish nor increase, but it is multiplied, or abounds in the
manifestation and effects of it. So then, to desire grace to be multiplied to
them, is to wish to them the living spring of it—that love which cannot be
exhausted, but is ever flowing forth, and instead of abating, makes each day
richer than the one before. And this is that which should be the top and sum of
Christian desires,—to have, or want any other thing indifferently, but to be
resolved and resolute in this, to seek a share in this grace, the free love of
God, and the sure evidences of it within you, the fruit of holiness, and the
graces of His Spirit. But most of us are taken up with other things. We will not
be convinced how basely and foolishly we are busied, though in the best and most
respected employments of the world, as long as we neglect our noblest trade of
growing rich in grace, and the comfortable enjoyment of the love of God. Our
Savior tells us that one thing is needful,58 signifying that all other things
are comparatively unnecessary, by-works, and mere impertinences: and yet in
these we lavish out our short and uncertain time; we let the other stand by
until we find leisure. Men who are altogether profane, do not think about it at
all. Some others possibly deceive themselves thus, and say, When I have done
with such a business in which I am engaged, then I will sit down seriously to
this, and bestow more time and pains on these things, which are undeniably
greater and better, and more worthy of it. But this is a neglect that is in
danger to undo us. What if we reach not the end of that business, but end
ourselves before it? Or if we do not, yet some other business may step in after
that. Oh! then, say we, that must be dispatched also. Thus, by such delays, we
may lose the present opportunity, and in the end, our own souls. Oh! be
persuaded it deserves your diligence, and that without delay, to seek something
that may be constant enough to abide with you, and strong enough to uphold you
in all conditions, and that is alone this free grace and love of God. While many
say, Who will show us any good? set in with David in his choice, Lord, lift up
the light of your countenance upon me, and this shall rejoice my heart more than
the abundance of corn and wine.59 This is that light which can break into the
darkest dungeons, from which all other lights and comforts are shut out; and
without this all other enjoyments are, what the world would be without the
sun—nothing but darkness. Happy are those who have this light of Divine favor
and grace shining into their souls, for by it they shall be led to that city,
where the sun and moon are unnecessary; for the glory of God does lighten it,
and the Lamb is the light thereof.60 Godliness is profitable unto all things,
says the Apostle, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is
to come;61 all other blessings are the attendants of grace, and follow upon it.
This blessing which the Apostle here, as St. Paul also in his Epistles, joins
with grace, was, with the Jews, of so large a sense, as to include all that they
could desire; they wished peace, they meant all kind of good, all welfare and
prosperity. And thus we may take it here for all kind of peace; yes, and for all
other blessings; but especially that spiritual peace, which is the proper fruit
of grace, and so intrinsically flows from it. We may and ought to wish outward
blessings for the Church of God, and particularly outward peace,—as one of the
greatest, so one of the most valuable favors of God: thus prayed the Psalmist,
Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.62 But that
Wisdom which does what He will, by what means He will, and works one contrariety
out of another, brings light out of darkness, good out of evil,—can and does
turn tears and troubles to the advantage of His Church; but certainly, in
itself, peace is more suitable to its increase, and, if not abused, it proves so
too. As in the Apostolic times, it is said, The Church had peace, and increased
exceedingly.63 We ought also to wish for ecclesiastical peace to the Church, so
that she may be free from dissensions and divisions. These readily arise, more
or less, as we see in all times, and haunt religion, and the reformation of it,
as a malus genius. St. Paul had this to say to his Corinthians, though he had
given them this testimony, that they were enriched in all utterance and
knowledge, and were lacking in no gift,64 yet, presently after, 11:18; 3:3, I
hear that there are divisions and contentions among you. An enemy has done
this,65 as our Savior speaks; and this enemy is no fool, for, by Divine
permission, he works to his own end very wisely; for there is not one thing that
does on all hands choke the seed of religion so much, as thorny debates and
differences about itself. So, in succeeding ages, and at the breaking forth of
the light in Germany, in Luther’s time, multitudes of sects arose. Profane men
do not only stumble, but also fall and break their necks upon these divisions.
"We see," think they, and some of them possibly say it out, "that they, who mind
religion most, cannot agree upon it: our easiest way is, not to embroil
ourselves, nor at all to be troubled with the business." Many are of Gallio’s
temper; they will care for none of those things.66 Thus these offences prove a
mischief to the profane world, as our Savior says, Woe unto the world because of
offences!67 Then those on the erring side, who are taken with new opinions and
fancies, are altogether taken up with them, their main thoughts are spent upon
them; and thus the sap is drawn from that which should nourish and prosper in
their hearts, sanctified useful knowledge, and saving grace. The other are as
weeds, which divert the nourishment in gardens from the plants and flowers; and
certainly these weeds, men’s own conceits, cannot but grow more with them, when
they give way to them, than solid religion does; for their hearts, as one said
of the earth, are mother to those, and but step-mother to this. It is also a
loss, even to those who oppose errors and divisions, that they are forced to be
busied in that way; for the wisest and godliest of them find (and such are
sensible of it) that disputes in religion are no friends to that which is far
sweeter in it, but hinder and abate it; viz. those pious and devout thoughts,
that are both the more useful and truly delightful. As peace is a choice
blessing, so this is the choicest peace, and is the peculiar inseparable effect
of this grace with which it is here jointly wished,—Grace and Peace; the flower
of peace growing upon the root of grace. This spiritual peace has two things in
it. 1. Reconciliation with God. 2. Tranquility of spirit. The quarrel, and
matter of enmity, you know, between God and man, is, the rebellion, the sin of
man; and he being naturally altogether sinful, there can proceed nothing from
him, but what foments and increases the hostility. It is grace alone, the most
free grace of God, that contrives, and offers, and makes the peace, else it had
never been; we would have universally perished without it. Now in this is the
wonder of Divine grace, that the Almighty God seeks agreement, and entreats for
it, with sinful clay, which He could wholly destroy in a moment. Jesus Christ,
the Mediator and Purchaser of this peace, bought it with His blood, killed the
enmity by His own death.68 And therefore the tenor of it in the Gospel runs
still in His name: We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;69 and
St. Paul expresses it in his salutations, which are the same with this, Grace to
you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.70 As the free love
and grace of God appointed this means and way of our peace, and offered it,—so
the same grace applies it, and makes it ours, and gives us faith to apprehend
it. And from our sense of this peace, or reconciliation with God, arises that
which is our inward peace, a calm and quiet temper of mind. This peace which we
have with God in Christ, is inviolable; but because the sense and persuasion of
it may be interrupted, the soul that is truly at peace with God may for a time
be disquieted in itself, through weakness of faith, or the strength of
temptation, or the darkness of desertion; losing sight of that grace, that love
and light of God’s countenance, on which its tranquility and joy depend. You hid
your face, said David, and I was troubled.71 But when these eclipses are over,
the soul is revived with new consolation, as the face of the earth is renewed
and made to smile with the return of the sun in the spring; and this ought
always to uphold Christians in the saddest times, viz. that the grace and love
of God towards them depends not on their sense, nor upon anything in them, but
is still in itself incapable of the smallest alteration. It is natural for men
to desire their own peace, the quietness and contentment of their minds: but
most men miss the way to it; and therefore find it not; for there is no way to
it, indeed, but this one by which few seek it, viz. reconciliation and peace
with God. The persuasion of that alone makes the mind clear and serene, like
your fairest summer days. My peace give unto you, says Christ, not as the world
gives.72 Let not your heart be troubled.73 All the peace and favor of the world
cannot calm a troubled heart; but where this peace is which Christ gives, all
the trouble and disquiet of the world cannot disturb it. When he gives
quietness, who then can make trouble? when he hides his face, who then can
behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only.74 All
outward distress to a mind thus at peace, is but as the rattling of the hail
upon the rooftop, to him who sits within the house at a sumptuous feast. A good
conscience is called so, and with an advantage that no other feast can have, nor
could men endure it. A few hours of feasting will weary the most professed
epicure; but a conscience thus at peace is a continual feast, with continual
unwearied delight. What makes the world take up such a prejudice against
religion as a sour unpleasant thing? They see the afflictions and griefs of
Christians, but they do not see their joys, the inward pleasure of mind that
they can possess in a very hard estate. Have you not tried other ways enough?
Has not he tried them who had more ability and skill for it than you, and found
them not only vanity but vexation of spirit?75 If you have any belief of holy
truth, put but this once upon the trial, seek peace in the way of grace. This
inward peace is too precious a liquor to be poured into a filthy vessel. A holy
heart, that gladly entertains grace, shall find that it and peace cannot dwell
asunder. An ungodly man may sleep to death in the lethargy of carnal presumption
and impenitence; but a true, lively, solid peace, he cannot have. There is no
peace, says my God, to the wicked.76 And if He says there is none, speak peace
who will, if all the world with one voice should speak, it shall prove none.
2ndly. Consider the measure of the Apostle’s desire for his scattered brethren,
that this Grace and Peace may be multiplied. This the Apostle wishes for them,
knowing the imperfection of the graces and peace of the saints while they are
here below; and this they themselves, under a sense of that imperfection,
ardently desire. Those who have tasted the sweetness of this grace and peace,
call incessantly for more. This is a disease in earthly desires, and a disease
incurable by all the things desired; there is no satisfaction attainable by
them; but this avarice of spiritual things is a virtue, and by our Savior is
called Blessedness, because it tends to fullness and satisfaction. Blessed are
those who hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.77
Ver. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Ver. 4. To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away. It is a cold lifeless
thing to speak of spiritual things upon mere report: but those who speak of them
as their own, as having share and interest in them, and some experience of their
sweetness, their discourse of them is enlivened with firm belief, and ardent
affection; they cannot mention them, but their hearts are straight taken with
such gladness, as they are forced to vent in praises. Thus our Apostle here, and
St. Paul, Ephesians 1:1-23 and often elsewhere, when they considered these
things with which they were about to comfort the godly to whom they wrote, they
were suddenly elevated with the joy of them, and broke forth into thanksgiving;
so teaching us, by their example, what real joy there is in the consolations of
the Gospel, and what praise is due from all the saints to the God of those
consolations. This is such an inheritance, that the very thoughts and hopes of
it are able to sweeten the greatest griefs and afflictions. What then shall the
possession of it be, where there shall be no rupture, nor the least drop of any
grief at all? The main subject of these verses is that, which is the main
comfort that supports the spirits of the godly in all conditions. 1. Their after
inheritance, as in the 4th verse. 2ndly, Their present title to it, and assured
hope of it, ver. 3. 3rdly, The immediate cause of both assigned, viz. Jesus
Christ. 4thly, All this derived from the free mercy of God, as the first and
highest cause, and returned to His praise and glory, as the last and highest end
of it. For the first: The inheritance. [But because the 4th verse, which
describes it, is linked with the subsequent, we will not go so far off to return
back again, but first speak to this 3rd verse, and in it,] Consider 1. Their
Title to this inheritance, Begotten again. 2. Their Assurance of it, viz. a


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  CHAPTER 2: 02 1PE 2:1-25
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A Practical Commentary upon the First Epistle of Peter

Robert Leighton

CHAPTER II. Ver. 1. Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and
hypocrisies; and envies, and all evil speakings, Ver. 2. As new-born babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. The same power
and goodness of God that manifests itself in giving being to His creatures,
appears likewise in sustaining and preserving them. To give being is the first,
and to support it is the continued effect of that power and goodness. Thus it is
both in the first creation, and in the second. In the first, the creatures to
which He gave life, He provided suitable nourishment to uphold that life;1 so
here, in the close of the former chapter, we find the doctrine of the new birth
and life of a Christian, and in the beginning of this, the proper food for that
life. And it is the same word by which we there find it to be begotten, that is
here the nourishment of it; and therefore Christians are here exhorted by the
Apostle so to esteem and so to use it; and that is the main scope of the words.
Observe in general—The word, the principle, and the support of our spiritual
being, is both the incorruptible seed and the incorruptible food of that new
life of grace, which must therefore be an incorruptible life; and this may
convince us that the ordinary thoughts, even of us who hear this word, are far
below the true excellence and worth of it. The stream of custom and our
profession brings us here, and we sit out our hour under the sound of this word;
but how few consider and prize it as the great ordinance of God for the
salvation of souls, the beginner and the sustainer of the Divine life of Grace
within us! And certainly, until we have these thoughts of it, and seek to feel
it thus ourselves, although we hear it most frequently, and let slip no
occasion, yea, hear it with attention and some present delight, yet, still we
miss the right use of it, and turn it from its true end, while we take it not as
the engrafted word which is able to save our souls.2 Thus ought those who preach
to speak it; to endeavor their utmost to accommodate it to this end, that
sinners may be converted, begotten again, and believers nourished and
strengthened in their spiritual life; to regard no lower end, but aim steadily
at that mark. Their hearts and tongues ought to be set on fire with holy zeal
for God and love to souls, kindled by the Holy Spirit, who came down on the
Apostles in the shape of fiery tongues. And those who hear should remember this
as the purpose of their hearing, that they may receive spiritual life and
strength by the word. For though it seems a poor despicable business, that a
frail sinful man like yourselves should speak a few words in your hearing, yet,
look upon it as the way by which God communicates happiness to those who
believe, and works that believing unto happiness, alters the whole frame of the
soul, and makes a new creation, as it begets it again to the inheritance of
glory—consider it thus, which is its true notion; and then what can be so
precious? Let the world disesteem it as they will, you know that it is the power
of God unto salvation.3 The preaching of the cross is to those who perish
foolishness; but unto us who are saved it is the power of God,4 says the
Apostle; and if you would have the experience of this, if you would have life
and growth by it, you must look above the poor worthless messenger, and call in
His almighty help, who is the Lord of life. As the Philosophers affirm, that if
the heavens should stand still, there would be no generation or flourishing of
anything here below, so it is the moving and influence of the Spirit that makes
the Church fruitful. If you would but do this before you come here, present the
blindness of your minds, and the deadness of your hearts to God, and say, "Lord,
here is an opportunity for You to show the power of Your word. I would find life
and strength in it; but neither can I who hear, nor he who speaks, make it thus
unto me—that is Your prerogative; say the word and it shall be done." God said,
Let there be light; and there was light.5 In this exhortation to the due use of
the word, the Apostle continues the resemblance of that new birth he mentioned
in the preceding chapter. As new-born babes.] Don’t be satisfied with yourselves
until you find some evidence of this new, this supernatural life. There are
delights and comforts in this life, in its lowest condition, that would persuade
us to look after it if we knew them; but as most cannot be made aware of these,
consider therefore the end of it. Better never to have been, than not to have
been partaker of this new being. Except a man be born again, says our Savior, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.6 Surely those who are not born again, shall one
day wish they had never been born. What a poor wretched thing is the life that
we have here! a very heap of follies and miseries! Now if we would share in a
happier being after it, in the life that doesn’t end, it must begin here. Grace
and glory are one and the same life, only with this difference, that the one is
the beginning, and the other the perfection of it; or, if we do call them two
several lives, yet the one is the undoubted pledge of the other. It was a
strange word for a heathen to say, that that day of death we fear so—aeterni
natalis est—is the birthday of eternity. Thus it is indeed to those who are here
born again: this new birth of grace is the sure earnest and pledge of that
birthday of glory. Why do we not then labor to make this certain by the former?
Is it not a fearful thing to spend our days in vanity, and then lie down in
darkness and sorrow forever; to disregard the life of our soul, while we may and
should be making provision for it, and then, when it is going out, cry, Quo nunc
abibis?—Where are you going, O my soul? But this new life puts us out of the
danger and fear of that eternal death. We have passed from death unto life,7
says St. John, speaking of those who are born again; and being passed, there is
no re-passing, no going back from this life to death again. This new birth is
the same that St. John calls the first resurrection, and he pronounces them
blessed who partake of it; Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death has no power.8 The weak beginnings of
grace, in comparison to the further strength attainable even in this life, are
sometimes expressed as the infancy of it; and so believers should not continue
to be infants: if they do, it is reprovable in them, as we see, Ephesians 4:14;
1 Corinthians 2:2; 1 Corinthians 14:20; Hebrews 5:12. Though the Apostle writes
to new converts, and so may possibly imply the tenderness of their beginnings of
grace, yet I think that infancy is here to be taken in such a sense as
corresponds to a Christian in the whole course and best state of his spiritual
life here below. So, likewise, the milk here recommended is suitable to this
sense of infancy; and not to the former, (as it is in some of those cited
places, where it means the easiest and first principles of religion, and so is
opposed to the higher mysteries of it, as to strong meat;) but here it signifies
the whole word of God, and all its wholesome and saving truths, as the proper
nourishment of the children of God. And so the Apostle’s words are a standing
exhortation for all Christians of all degrees. And the whole state and course of
their spiritual life here is called their infancy, not only as opposed to the
corruption and wickedness of the old man, but likewise as signifying the
weakness and imperfection of it at its best in this life, compared with the
perfection of the life to come—for the weakest beginnings of grace are by no
means so far below the highest degree of it possible in this life, as that
highest degree falls short of the state of glory; so that, if one measure of
grace is called infancy in comparison to another, much more is all grace infancy
in comparison to glory. And surely, as for duration, the time of our present
life is far less compared to eternity, than the time of our natural infancy is
to the rest of our life; so that we may be still called but new or lately born.
Our best pace and strongest walking in obedience here, is but as the stepping of
children when they begin to go by hold, compared to the perfect obedience in
glory when we shall follow the Lamb wherever he goes. All our knowledge here is
but as the ignorance of infants, and all our expressions of God and of His
praises but as the first stammerings of children, in comparison of the knowledge
we shall have of Him hereafter, when we shall know as we are known, and of the
praises we shall then offer Him, when that new song shall be taught us. A child
has in it a reasonable soul, and yet, by the indisposedness of the body, and
abundance of moisture, it is so bound up, that its difference from the beasts in
partaking of a rational life, is as apparent as afterwards; and thus the
spiritual life that is from above infused into a Christian, although it acts and
works in some degree, yet it is so clogged with the natural corruption still
remaining in him, that the excellence of it is much clouded and obscured; but in
the life to come, it shall have nothing at all encumbering and indisposing it.
And this is the Apostle St. Paul’s doctrine.9 And this is the wonder of Divine
grace, which brings such small beginnings to a height of perfection that we are
not able to conceive of—that a little spark of true grace, which is not only
indiscernible to others, but often to the Christian himself, should yet be the
beginning of that condition in which they shall shine brighter than the sun in
the firmament. The difference is great in our natural life, in some persons
especially; that those who in infancy were so feeble and wrapped up as others in
swaddling clothes, yet afterwards come to excel in wisdom and in the knowledge
of sciences, or to be commanders of great armies, or to be kings; but the
distance is far greater and more admirable between the weakness of these newborn
babes, the small beginnings of grace, and our after-perfection, that fullness of
knowledge that we look for, and that crown of immortality which all those are
born to, who are born of God. But as in the faces or actions of some children,
some characters and presages of their after-greatness have appeared, (as a
singular beauty in Moses’ face, as they write of him, and as Cyrus was made king
among the shepherds’ children with whom he was brought up, &c.,) so also,
certainly in these children of God there will be some characters and evidences
that they are born for Heaven by their new birth. The holiness and meekness, the
patience and faith, that shine in the actions and sufferings of the saints, are
characters of their Father’s image, and show their high origin, and foretell
their glory to come; such a glory, as does not only surpass the world’s
thoughts, but the thoughts of the children of God themselves. Now, that the
children of God may grow by the word of God, the Apostle requires these two
things of them: 1. The innocence of children; 2. The appetite of children. For
this expression, as newborn babes, as I think, is relative not only to the
desiring of the milk of the word, ver. 2, but to the former verse, the putting
off malice. So the Apostle Paul exhorts, Howbeit in malice be you children.10
Wherefore laying aside.] This signifies that we are naturally prepossessed with
these evils, and therefore we are exhorted to put them off. Our hearts are by
nature nothing more than cages of those unclean birds—malice, envy, hypocrisies,
&c. The Apostles sometimes name some of these evils, and sometimes others of
them, but they are inseparable,—all one garment, and all included under that one
word, the old Man 1:11 which the Apostle exhorts Christians to put off—and here
it is pressed as a necessary evidence of their new birth, and furtherance of
their spiritual growth, that these base habits be thrown away; ragged, filthy
habits, unbecoming the children of God. They are the proper marks of an
unrenewed mind, the very character of the children of Satan, for they are his
image. He has his names from enmity, and envy, and slandering; and he is that
grand hypocrite and deceiver, who can transform himself into an angel of
light.12 So, on the contrary, the Spirit of God who dwells in His children is
the Spirit of meekness, and love, and truth. That dovelike Spirit which
descended on our Savior, is communicated from Him to believers. It is the
grossest impudence to pretend to be Christians, and yet to entertain hatred and
envyings upon whatever occasion; for there is nothing more recommended to them
by our Savior’s own doctrine, nothing more impressed upon their hearts by His
Spirit, than love. Kakia may be taken generally, but I conceive it intends that
which we particularly call malice. Malice and envy are but two branches growing
out of the same bitter root; self-love and evil-speakings are the fruit they
bear. Malice is properly the procuring or wishing another’s evil, envy the
repining at his good; and both these vent themselves by evil speaking. This
infernal fire within smokes and flashes out by the tongue, which St. James says,
is set on fire of hell,13 and fires all about it; misjudging the actions of
those they hate or envy, aggravating their failings, and detracting from their
virtues, taking all things by the left ear; for (as Epictetus says,) Every thing
has two handles. The art of taking things by the better side, which charity
always does, would save much of those janglings and heart-burnings that so
abound in the world. But folly and perverseness possess the hearts of most
people, and therefore their discourses are usually the vent of these; For out of
the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.14 The unsavory breaths of men show
their inward corruption. Where shall a man come, almost, in societies, but his
ears shall be beaten with the unpleasant noise (surely it is so to a Christian
mind) of one detracting and disparaging another? And yet this is extreme
baseness, and the practice only of false counterfeit goodness, to make up one’s
own esteem out of the ruins of the good name of others. Real virtue neither
needs nor can endure this dishonest shift; it can subsist of itself, and
therefore ingenuously commends and acknowledges what good is in others, and
loves to hear it acknowledged: and neither readily speaks nor hears evil of any,
but rather, where duty and conscience require not discovery, casts a veil upon
men’s failings to hide them: this is the true temper of the children of God.
These evils of malice, and envies, and evil speakings, and such like, are not to
be overlooked by us, in ourselves, and conveyed under better appearances, but to
be cast away; not to be covered, but put off; and therefore that which is the
upper garment and cloak of all other evils, the Apostle here commands us to cast
that off too, namely, hypocrisies. What avails it to wear this mask? A man may
indeed in the sight of men act his part handsomely under it, and pass so for a
time; but know we not that there is an Eye who sees through it, and a Hand that,
if we will not pull off this mask, will pull it off to our shame, either here in
the sight of men, or, if we should escape all our life, and go fair off the
stage under it, yet that there is a day appointed in which all hypocrites shall
be unveiled, and appear what they are indeed before men and angels? It is a poor
thing to be approved and applauded by men while God condemns, to whose sentence
all men must stand or fall. Oh! seek to be approved and justified by Him, and
then, who shall condemn?15 It is doesn’t matter who does. How easily may we bear
the mistakes and dislikes of the entire world, if He declares Himself well
pleased with us! It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of
man’s judgment; he who judges me is the Lord,16 says the Apostle. But these
evils are here particularly to be put off, as contrary to the right and
profitable receiving of the word of God; for this part of the exhortation
(Laying aside) looks to that which follows (Desire, &c.), and is especially so
to be considered. There is this double task in religion—when a man enters upon
it he is not only to be taught true wisdom, but he is also, yea, first of all,
to be untaught the errors and wickedness that are deep-rooted in his mind, which
he has not only learned by the corrupt conversation of the world, but brought
the seeds of them into the world with him. They improve and grow indeed by the
favor of that example which is round about a man, but they are originally in our
nature as it is now; they are inherent to us, besides continual custom, which is
another nature. No one comes to the school of Christ suiting the Philosopher’s
word, ut tabula rasa—as blank paper—to receive his doctrine: but, on the
contrary, all scribbled and blurred with such base habits as these, malice,
hypocrisies, envies, &c. Therefore, the first work is to raze out these, to
cleanse and purify the heart from these blots, these foul characters, so that it
may receive the impression of the image of God. And because it is the word of
God that both begins and continues this work, and draws the lineaments of that
Divine image on the soul, therefore, in order to receive this word rightly, and
to be properly affected by it, the conforming of the soul to Jesus Christ, which
is the true growth of the spiritual life, it is required beforehand that the
hearts of those who hear it be purged of these and other such impurities. These
dispositions are so opposite to the profitable receiving of the word of God,
that while they possess and rule the soul, it cannot at all embrace these Divine
truths; while it is filled with such guests, there is no room to entertain the
word. They cannot dwell together, because of their contrary nature; the word
will not mix with these. The saving mixture of the word of God in the soul is
what the Apostle speaks of, and he assigns the lack of it as the cause of
unprofitable hearing of the word—not being mixed with faith in those who heard
it.17 For by that the word is concocted into the nourishment of the life of
grace united to the soul, and mixed with it, by being mixed with faith, as the
Apostle’s expression means: that is the proper mixture it requires. But with the
qualities here mentioned it will not mix; there is a natural antipathy between
them, as strong as in those things in nature, that cannot be brought by any
means to agree and mingle together. Can there be any thing more contrary than
the good word of God,18 as the Apostle calls it, and those evil speakings? than
the word, which is of such excellent sweetness, and the bitter words of a
malignant tongue? than the word of life, and words full of deadly poison? For so
slanders and defamings of our brethren are termed. And is not all malice and
envy most opposite to the word, which is the message of peace and love? How can
the gall of malice and this milk of the word agree? Hypocrisy and guile stand in
direct opposition to the name of this word, which is called the word of truth;
and here the very word shows this contrariety, sincere milk, and a double,
insincere mind. These two are necessary conditions of good nourishment: 1st,
That the food be good and wholesome; 2ndly, That the inward constitution of
those who use it be so too. And if this fails, the other profits not. This
sincere milk is the only proper nourishment of spiritual life, and there is no
defect or undue quality in it; but the greatest part of hearers are inwardly
unwholesome, diseased with the evils here mentioned, and others of the same
nature; and, therefore, either have no kind of appetite to the word at all, but
rather feed upon such trash as suits with their distemper (as some kind of
diseases incline those who have them to eat coals or lime, &c.), or, if they are
in any way desirous to hear the word, and seem to feed on it, yet the noxious
humors that abound in them make it altogether unprofitable, and they are not
nourished by it. This evil of malice and envying, so ordinary among men (and,
which is most strange, amongst Christians), like an overflowing of the gall,
possesses their whole minds; and not only are they not nourished by the word
they hear, but are made the worse by it; their disease is fed by it, as an
unwholesome stomach turns the best meat it receives into that bad humor that
abounds in it. Don’t they do so, who observe what the word says, in order to be
better enabled to discover the failings of others, and speak maliciously and
uncharitably of them, and vent themselves, as is too common—This word met well
with such a one’s fault, and this with another’s?—Is not this to feed these
diseases of malice, envy, and evil speakings, with this pure milk, and make them
grow, instead of growing by it ourselves in grace and holiness? Thus, likewise,
the hypocrite turns all that he hears of this word, not to the inward renovation
of his mind, and redressing what is amiss there, but only to the composing of
his outward carriage, and to enable himself to act his part better—to be more
cunning in his own faculty, a more refined and expert hypocrite; not to grow
more a Christian indeed, but more in appearance only, and in the opinion of
others. Therefore it is a very necessary admonition, considering these evils are
so natural to men, and so contrary to the nature of the word of God, that they
be purged out, so that it might be profitably received. A very similar
exhortation to this has the Apostle St. James, and some of the same words, but
in another metaphor: Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of
naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word.19 He compares the
word to a plant of excellent virtue, the very tree of life, the word that is
able to save your souls; but the only soil in which it will grow is a heart full
of meekness, a heart that is purged of those luxuriant weeds that grow so rank
in it by nature; they must be plucked up and thrown out to make place for this
word. And there is such a necessity for this, that the most approved teachers of
wisdom, in a human way, have required of their scholars that, to the end their
minds may be capable of it, they should be purified from vice and wickedness.
For this reason the Philosopher considers young men unsuitable hearers of moral
philosophy, because of their abundant and unbridled passions, granting that, if
those were composed and ordered, they might be admitted. And it was Socrates’
custom, when they asked him a question, seeking to be informed by him,—before he
would answer them, he asked them concerning their own qualities and course of
life. Now, if men require a calm and purified disposition of mind to make it
capable of their doctrine, how much more is it suitable and necessary for
learning the doctrine of God, and those deep mysteries that His word opens up!
It is well expressed in that Apocryphal book of Wisdom, that Froward thoughts
separate from God, and into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter:20 no,
indeed, that is a very unfit dwelling for it; and even a heathen (Seneca) could
say, The mind that is impure is not capable of God and Divine things. Therefore
we see the strain of that book of Proverbs that speaks so much of this wisdom;
it requires, in the first chapter, that those who would hear it, do retire
themselves from all ungodly customs and practices. And, indeed, how can the soul
apprehend spiritual things, that is not in some measure refined from the love of
sin, which abuses and bemires the minds of men, and makes them unable to arise
to heavenly thoughts? Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God,21
says our Savior: not only shall they see Him perfectly hereafter, but so far as
they can receive Him, He will impart and make Himself known unto them here. If a
man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will
come unto him, and make our abode with him.22 What makes the word obscure is the
filthy mists within; whereas, on the contrary, He will in just judgment hide
Himself, and the saving truth of His word, from those who entertain and delight
in sin; the very sins in which they delight shall obscure and darken the light
of the Gospel to them, so that though it shines clear as the sun at noonday,
they shall be as those who live in a dungeon—they shall not discern it. And as
those who have the evils here mentioned reigning and in full strength within
them, receive no benefit by the word, so with those who are indeed born again,
the more they retain of these evils, the less shall they find the influence and
profit of the word; for this exhortation concerns them. Some of them may
possibly have a great remainder of these corruptions unmortified; therefore they
are exhorted to lay aside entirely those evils, all malice, hypocrisies, &c.,
else, although they hear the word often, yet they will be in a spiritual
atrophy; they will eat much, but grow nothing by it; they will find no increase
of grace and spiritual strength. If we want to know the main cause of our
fruitless hearing of the word, here it is; men do not bring meek and guileless
spirits to it, not minds emptied and purified to receive it, but stuffed with
malice, and hypocrisy, and pride, and other such evils; and where should the
word enter, when all is so taken up? And if it did enter, how should it prosper
amongst so many enemies, or at all abide amongst them? Either they will turn it
out again, or choke and kill the power of it. We think religion and our own
lusts and secret heart-idols should agree together, because we would have it
so—but this is not possible. Therefore labor to entertain the word of truth in
the love of it, and lodge the mystery of faith in a pure conscience,23 as the
Apostle St. Paul speaks. Join those together with David, I hate vain thoughts:
but your law do I love.24 And as here our Apostle, Lay aside all malice, and
hypocrisies, and envies, and evil speakings, and so receive the word, or else
look for no benefit by it here, nor for salvation by it hereafter; but cast out
all impurity, and give your whole heart to it; so desire it, that you may grow,
and then, as you desire, you shall grow by it. Every real believer has received
a life from Heaven, far more excelling our natural life than that excels the
life of the beasts. And this life has its own peculiar desires and delights,
which are the proper actings, and the certain characters and evidence of it:
amongst others this is one, and a main one, corresponding to the like desire in
natural life—namely, a desire for food; and because it is here still imperfect,
therefore the natural end of this is, not only nourishment, but growth, as it is
here expressed. The sincere milk of the word.] The life of grace is the proper
life of a reasonable soul, and without it the soul is dead, as the body is
without the soul; so that without untruth this may be rendered reasonable milk,
as some read it; but certainly that reasonable milk is the word of God, The milk
of the word. It was before called the immortal seed, and here it is the milk of
those who are born again, and thus it is nourishment very agreeable to their
spiritual life, according to the saying, Iisdem alimur ex quibus constamus.25 As
the milk that infants draw from the breast is the most suitable food for them,
being of that same substance that nourished them in the womb; so, when they are
brought forth, that food follows them as it were for their supply, in the way
that is provided in nature for it; by certain veins it ascends into the breasts,
and is there fitted for them, and they are by nature directed to find it there.
Thus, as a Christian begins to live by the power of the word, so he is by the
nature of that spiritual life directed to that same word as its nourishment. To
follow the resemblance further in the qualities of milk, after the monkish way,
that runs itself out of breath in allegory, I conceive is neither solid nor
profitable; and to speak freely, the curious searching of the similitude in
other qualities of milk, seems to wrong the quality here given it by the
Apostle, in which it is so well resembled by milk, namely, the simple pureness
and sincerity of the word; besides that the pressing of comparisons of this kind
too far, proves often so constrained before they have finished it, that by too
much drawing they bring forth blood instead of milk. Pure and unmixed, as milk
drawn immediately from the breast; the pure word of God without the mixture, not
only of error, but of all other composition of vain unprofitable subtleties, or
affected human eloquence, such as become not the majesty and gravity of God’s
word. If any man speak, says our Apostle, let him speak as the oracles of God.26
Light conceits and flowers of rhetoric wrong the word more than they can please
the hearers: the weeds among the corn make it look gay, but it were all the
better they were not amongst it. Nor can those mixtures be pleasing to any but
carnal minds. Those who are indeed the children of God, as infants who like
their breast-milk best pure, do love the word best so, and wherever they find it
so, they relish it well; whereas natural men cannot love spiritual things for
themselves, desire not the word for its own sweetness, but would have it sauced
with such conceits as possibly spoil the simplicity of it; or at the best, love
to hear it for the wit and learning which, without any wrongful mixture of it,
they find in one delivering it more than another. But the natural and genuine
appetite of the children of God is to the word for itself, and only as milk,
sincere milk; and where they find it so, from whomever or in whatever way
delivered to them, they feed upon it with delight. Before conversion, wit or
eloquence may draw a man to the word, and possibly prove a happy bait to catch
him (as St. Augustine reports of his hearing St. Ambrose), but once born again,
then it is the milk itself that he desires for itself. Desire the sincere milk.]
Not only hear it because it is your custom, but desire it because it is your
food. And it is, 1. A natural desire, as the infant’s of milk; not upon any
external respect or inducement, but from an inward principle and bent of nature.
And because natural, therefore, 2. Earnest; not a cold indifferent willing, that
doesn’t care whether it obtains it, but a vehement desire, as the word
signifies, and as the resemblance clearly bears; as a child who will not be
stilled till it has the breast; offer it what you will, silver, gold, or jewels,
it regards them not, these answer not its desire, and that must be answered.
Thus David, My soul breaks for the longing that it has unto your judgments;27 as
a child likely to break its heart with crying for want of the breast. And again,
because natural, it is, 3. Constant. The infant is not cloyed or wearied with
daily feeding on the breast, but desires it every day, as if it had never had it
before: thus the child of God has an unchangeable appetite for the word: it is
daily new to him; he finds still fresh delight in it. Thus David, as before
cited, My soul breaks for the longing that it has unto your judgments at all
times. And then this law was his meditation day and night.28 Whereas a natural
man is easily surfeited of it, and the very commonness and cheapness of it makes
it contemptible to him. And this is our case; that while we should wonder at
God’s singular goodness to us, and therefore prize His word all the more, that
very thing makes us despise it—while others, our brethren, have bought this milk
with their own blood, we have it upon the easiest terms that could be wished,
only for the desiring, without the hazard of bleeding for it, and scarcely at
the pains of sweating for it. That you may grow thereby.] This is not only the
purpose for which God has provided His children with the word, and moves them to
desire it, but that which they are to intend in their desire and use of it; and,
answerable to God’s purpose, they are therefore to desire it, because it is
proper for this end, and that by it they may attain this end, to grow thereby.
And herein, indeed, these children differ from infants in the natural life, who
are directed to their food beside their knowledge, and without intention of its
end; but this rational milk is to be desired by the children of God in a
rational way, knowing and intending its end, having the use of natural reason
renewed and sanctified by supernatural grace. Now the end of this desire is,
growth. Desire the word, not that you may only hear it—that is to fall very far
short of its true end—yea, it is to take the beginning of the work for the end
of it. The ear is indeed the mouth of the mind, by which it receives the word,
(as Elihu compares it, Job 34:2,) but you know that meat which goes no further
than the mouth cannot nourish. Neither should you desire the word only to
satisfy a custom; it would be a great folly to make such superficial a thing the
purpose of so serious a work. Again, to hear it only to stop the mouth of
conscience, that it may not clamor more for the gross impiety of condemning it,
this is to hear it, not out of desire, but out of fear. To desire it only for
some present pleasure and delight that a man may find in it, is not the due use
and end of it: that there is delight in it, may help to commend it to those who
find it so, and so be a means to advance the end; but the end it is not. To seek
no more than a present delight, which vanishes with the sound of the words that
die in the air, is not to desire the word as meat, but as music, as God tells
the prophet Ezekiel of his people.29 And, lo, you are to them as a very lovely
song of one that has a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for
they hear your words, but they do them not. To desire the word for the increase
of knowledge, although this is necessary and commendable, and being rightly
qualified, is a part of spiritual growth, yet, take it as going no further, it
is not the true end of the word. Nor is the venting of that knowledge in speech
and frequent discourse of the word and the Divine truths that are in it; which,
where it is governed with Christian prudence, is not to be despised, but
commended; yet, certainly, the highest knowledge, and the most frequent and
skillful speaking of the word, severed from the growth here mentioned, misses
the true end of the word. If anyone’s head or tongue should grow apace, and all
the rest stand at a stay, it would certainly make him a monster; and they are no
other, who are knowing and discoursing Christians, and grow daily in that, but
not at all in holiness of heart and life, which is the proper growth of the
children of God. Appropriate to their case is Epictetus’s comparison of the
sheep; they return not what they eat in grass, but in wool. David, in that 119th
Psalm, which is wholly spent upon this subject, the excellence and use of the
word of God, expresses, ver. 15, 16, 24, his delight in it, his earnest desire
to be further taught, and to know more of it; his readiness to speak of it, ver.
13, 27; but withal, you know, he joins his desire and care to keep it, to hide
it in his heart, ver. 5, 11; to make it the man of his counsel, to let it be as
the whole assembly of his private counselors, and to be ruled and guided by it;
and with him to use it so, is indeed to grow by it. If we know what this
spiritual life is, and of what the nature of it consists, we may easily know
what is the growth of it. When holiness increases, when the sanctifying graces
of the Spirit grow stronger in the soul, and consequently act more strongly in
the life of a Christian, then he grows spiritually. And as the word is the means
of begetting this spiritual life, so likewise of its increase. 1. This will
appear, if we consider the nature of the word in general, that it is spiritual
and Divine, treats of the highest things, and therefore has in it a fitness to
elevate men’s minds from the earth, and to assimilate to itself such as are
often conversant with it; as all kind of doctrine readily does to those who are
much in it, and apply their minds to study it. Doubtless, such kind of things as
are frequent with men, have an influence on the disposition of their souls. The
Gospel is called light, and the children of God are likewise called light, as
being transformed into its nature; and this they are still the more, by more
hearing of it, and so they grow. 2. If we look more particularly unto the strain
and tenor of the word, it is most fit for increasing the graces of the Spirit in
a Christian; for there are in it particular truths relative to them, that are
apt to excite them, and set them on work, and so to make them grow, as all
habits do, by acting. It does (as the Apostle’s word may be translated) stir up
the sparks, and blow them into a greater flame, make them burn clearer and
hotter. This it does both by particular exhortation to the study and exercise of
those graces, sometimes pressing one, and sometimes another: and by right
representing to them their objects. The word feeds faith, by setting before it
the free grace of God, His rich promises, and His power and truth to perform
them all; shows it the strength of the new covenant, not depending upon it, but
holding in Christ in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen; and drawing
faith still to rest more entirely upon His righteousness. It feeds repentance by
making the vileness and deformity of sin daily more clear and visible. Still as
more of the word has admission into the soul, the more it hates sin, sin being
the more discovered and the better known in its own native color: as the more
light there is in a house, the more any thing that is unclean or deformed is
seen and disliked. Likewise it increases love to God, by opening up still more
and more of His infinite excellence and loveliness. As it borrows the
resemblance of the vilest things in nature to express the foulness and
hatefulness of sin, so all the beauties and dignities that are in all the
creatures are called together in the word to give us some small scantling of
that Uncreated Beauty who alone deserves to be loved. Thus might it be instanced
in respect to all other graces. But above all other considerations, this is
observable in the word as the increaser of grace, that it holds forth Jesus
Christ to our view to look upon not only as the perfect pattern, but also as the
full fountain of all grace, from whose fullness we all receive. The
contemplation of Him as the perfect image of God, and then drawing from Him as
having in Himself a treasure for us, these give the soul more of that image
which is truly spiritual growth. This the Apostle expresses excellently30
speaking of the ministry of the Gospel revealing Christ, that beholding in him
(as it is, ch. 4 ver. 6, in his face) the glory of the Lord, we are changed into
the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord; not only that
we may take the copy of His graces, but have a share of them. There be many
things that might be said of this spiritual growth, but I will add only a few.
First, in the judging of this growth, some persons conclude too rigidly against
themselves, that they grow not by the word, because their growth is not so
sensible to them as they desire. But, 1. It is well known, that in all things
that grow, this growth is not discerned in motu, sed in termino,31 not in the
growing, but when they are grown. 2. Besides, other things are to be considered
in this: although other graces seem not to advance, yet if you grow more
self-denying and humble in the sense of your slowness, all is not lost; although
the branches shoot not up so fast as you wish, yet, if the root grow deeper, and
fasten more, it is a useful growth. He who is still learning to be more in Jesus
Christ, and less in himself, to have all his dependence and comfort in Him, is
doubtless a growing believer. On the other side, a far greater number conclude
wrong in their own favor, imagining that they do grow, if they gain ground in
some of those things we mentioned above, namely, more knowledge and more faculty
of discoursing; if they find often some present stirrings of joy or sorrow in
hearing of the word; if they reform their life, grow more civil and blameless,
&c.; yet all these and many such things may be in a natural man, who
notwithstanding grows not, for that is impossible; he is not, in that state, a
subject capable of this growth, for he is dead, he has none of the new life to
which this growth relates. Herod heard gladly, and obeyed many things.32
Consider, then, what true delight we might have in this. You find a pleasure
when you see your children grow, when they begin to stand and walk, and so
forth; you love well to perceive your estate or your honor grow: but for the
soul to be growing more like God, and nearer Heaven, if we know it, is a
pleasure far beyond them all: to find pride, earthliness, and vanity abating,
and faith, and love, and spiritual-mindedness increasing; especially if we
reflect that this growth is not as our natural life, which is often cut off
before it reaches full age, as we call it, and, if it attain that, falls again
to move downwards, and decays, as the sun, being at its meridian, begins to
decline again; but this life shall grow on in whomever it is, and come certainly
to its fullness; after which, there is no more need for this word, either for
growth or nourishment,—no death, no decay, no old age, but perpetual youth, and
a perpetual spring; ver aeternum; fullness of joy in the presence of God, and
everlasting pleasures at His right hand.33 Ver. 3. If so be you have tasted that
the Lord is gracious. Our natural desire for food arises principally from its
necessity for that end which nature seeks, viz. the growth, or at least the
nourishment of our bodies. But there is, besides, a present sweetness and
pleasantness in the use of it that serves to sharpen our desire, and is placed
in our nature for that purpose. Thus the children of God, in their spiritual
life, are naturally carried to desire the means of their nourishment and of
their growth, being always here in a growing state; but besides, there is a
spiritual delight and sweetness in the word, in that which it reveals concerning
God, and this adds to their desire, stirs up their appetite towards it. The
former idea is expressed in the preceding verse, the latter in this. Nature
sends the infant to the breast; but when it has once tasted of it, that is a new
superadded attraction, and makes it desire after it the more earnestly. So here,
The word is fully recommended to us by these two, usefulness and pleasantness:
like milk, (as it is compared here,) which is a nourishing food, and also sweet
and delightful to the taste: by it we grow, and in it we taste the graciousness
of God. David, in that Psalm which he dedicates wholly to this subject, gives
both of these as the reason for his appetite. He passionately expresses his love
for it (119:97-102), O how love I your law! It follows, that by it he was made
wiser than his enemies,—than his teachers,—and than the ancients; taught to
refrain from every evil way; taught by the Author of that word, the Lord
Himself, to grow wiser and warier, and holier in his ways; and then, ver. 103,
he adds this other reason, How sweet are your words unto my taste! yea, sweeter
than honey to my mouth! We shall speak, I. Of the goodness or graciousness of
the Lord; II. Of this taste; and III. Of the inference from both. I. The
goodness of God: The Lord is gracious; or, of a bountiful, kind disposition. The
Hebrew word in Psalms 34:8, whence this is taken, signifies good. The Septuagint
renders it by the same word as is used here by our Apostle. Both the words
signify a benignity and kindness of nature. It is one of love’s attributes,34
that it is kind, chresteuomai, ever compassionate, and helpful as it can be in
straits and distresses, and still ready to forget and pass by evil, and to do
good. In the largest and most comprehensive sense must we take the expression
here, and yet still we shall speak and think infinitely below what His goodness
is. He is naturally good, yea, goodness is His nature; He is goodness and love
itself. He who loves not knows not God; for God is love.35 He is primitively
good; all goodness is derived from Him, and all that is in the creature comes
forth from none other than that ocean; and this Graciousness is still larger
than them all. There is a common bounty of God, in which He does good to all,
and so the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.36 But the goodness that
the Gospel is full of,—the particular stream that runs in that channel, is His
peculiar graciousness and love to His own children, that by which they are first
enlivened, and then refreshed and sustained in their spiritual being. It is this
that is here spoken of. He is gracious to them in freely forgiving their sins,
in giving no less than Himself to them; He frees them from all evils, and fills
them with all good. He satisfies your mouth with good things and so it follows
with good reason, that He is merciful and gracious; and His graciousness is
further expressed in His gentleness and slowness to anger, His bearing with the
frailties of His own, and pitying them like as a father pities his children.37
No friend is so kind and friendly (as this word signifies), and none so
powerful. He is a very present help in trouble,38 ready to be found: whereas
others may be far off, He is always at hand, and His presence is always
comfortable. Those who know God, still find Him a real useful good. Some things
and some persons are useful at one time, and others at another, but God at all
times. A well-furnished table may please a man while he has health and appetite,
but offer it to him in the height of a fever, how unpleasant would it be then!
Though never so lavishly prepared, it is then not only useless, but hateful to
him; but the kindness and love of God is then as seasonable and refreshing to
him, as in health, and possibly more; he can find sweetness in that, even on his
sickbed. The bitter choler abounding in the mouth, in a fever, does not make
distasteful this sweetness; it transcends and goes above it. Thus all earthly
enjoyments have but some time (as meats) when they are in season, but the
graciousness of God is always sweet; the taste of that is never out of season.
See how old age spoils the relish of outward delights, in the example of
Barzillai,39 but it makes not this distasteful. Therefore the Psalmist prays,
that when other comforts forsake him and wear out, when they ebb from him and
leave him on the sand, this may not; that still he may feed on the goodness of
God: Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength
fails.40 It is the continual influence of His graciousness that makes them still
grow like a cedar in Lebanon, that makes them still bring forth fruit in old
age, and be fat and flourishing; to show that the Lord is upright, as it is
there added, that He is (as the word imports) still like Himself, and His
goodness is ever the same.41 Full chests or large possessions may seem sweet to
a man, until death presents itself; but then (as the Prophet speaks of throwing
away their idols of silver and gold to the bats and moles, in the day of
calamity,42) then he is forced to throw away all he possesses, with disdain for
it and for his former folly in doting on it—at that time, the kindness of
friends, and wife, and children, can do nothing but increase his grief and their
own—but then is the love of God the good indeed and abiding sweetness, and it
best relishes when all other things are most unsavory and uncomfortable. God is
gracious, but it is God in Christ; otherwise we cannot find Him so: therefore
this is here spoken in particular of Jesus Christ, (as it appears by that which
follows,) through whom all the peculiar kindness and love of God is conveyed to
the soul, for it can come no other way; and the word here mentioned is the
Gospel,43 of which Christ is the subject. Though God is mercy and goodness in
Himself, yet we cannot find or apprehend Him so to us, but as we are looking
through that medium the Mediator. That main point of the goodness of God in the
Gospel, which is so sweet to a humbled sinner, the forgiveness of sins, we know
we cannot taste of, but in Christ—In whom we have redemption.44 And all the
favor that shines upon us, all the grace that we receive, is of his fullness;45
all our acceptance with God, our being taken into grace and kindness again, is
in Him—He has made us accepted in the beloved.46 His grace appears in both, as
it is there expressed, but it is all in Christ. Let us therefore never leave Him
out in our desires of tasting the graciousness and love of God; for otherwise we
shall not only dishonor Him, but also disappoint ourselves. The free grace of
God was given to be tasted, in the promises, before the coming of Christ in the
flesh; but being accomplished in His coming, then was the sweetness of grace
made more sensible; then was it more fully broached, and let out to the elect
world, when He was pierced on the cross, and His blood poured out for our
redemption. Through those holes of His wounds may we draw, and taste that the
Lord is gracious, says St. Augustine. II. As to this taste: You have tasted.]
There is a tasting exercised by temporary believers spoken of, Hebrews 6:4.
Their highest sense of spiritual things, (and it will be far higher in some than
we easily think,) yet is but a taste, and is called so in comparison of the
truer, fuller sense that true believers have of the grace and goodness of God,
which, compared with a temporary taste, is more than tasting. The former is
merely tasting, rather an imaginary taste than real; but this is a true feeding
on the graciousness of God, yet it is called but a taste in respect of the
fullness to come. Though it is more than a taste, as distinguishable from the
hypocrite’s sense, yet it is no more than a taste, compared with the great
marriage-feast that we look for. Jesus Christ being all in all47 to the soul,
faith, apprehending Him, is all the spiritual senses: it is the eye that beholds
His matchless beauty, and so kindles love in the soul, and can speak of Him as
having seen Him, and taken particular notice of Him:48 it is the ear that
discerns His voice.49 It is faith that smells His name as ointment poured
forth;50 faith that touches Him and draws virtue from Him; and faith that tastes
Him;51 and so here, If you have tasted. In order to this there must be, 1. A
firm believing of the truth of the promises in which the free grace of God is
expressed and exhibited to us. 2. A particular application or attraction of that
grace to ourselves, which is the drawing of those breasts of her consolations,52
namely, the promises contained in the Old and New Testaments. 3. A sense of the
sweetness of that grace, being applied or drawn into the soul, and that is
properly this taste. No unrenewed man has any of these in truth, not the highest
kind of temporary believer; he cannot have so much as a real lively assent to
the general truth of the promises; for if he had that, the rest would follow.
But as he cannot have the least of these in truth, he may have the counterfeit
of them all, not only of assent but of application, yea, and a false spiritual
joy arising from it; and all these so drawn to the life, that they may much
resemble the truth of them. To give clear characters of difference is not so
easy as most persons imagine; but doubtless the true living faith of a Christian
has in itself such a particular stamp, as brings with it its own evidence, when
the soul is clear, and the light of God’s face shines upon it. Indeed, in the
dark we cannot read, nor distinguish one mark from another; but when a Christian
has light to look upon the work of God in his own soul, although he cannot make
another sensible of that by which he knows it, yet he himself is assured, and
can say confidently in himself, "This I know, that this faith and taste of God I
have is true; the seal of the Spirit of God is upon it;" and this is the reading
of that new name, in the white stone, which no man knows saving he that receives
it.53 There is, in a true believer, such a constant love to God for Himself, and
such a continual desire after Him, simply for His own excellence and goodness,
as no other can have. On the other side, if a hypocrite would deal truly and
impartially by himself, he would readily find out something that would reveal
him more or less to himself. But the truth is, men are willing to deceive
themselves, and herein arises the difficulty. One man cannot make another
sensible of the sweetness of Divine Grace: he may speak to him of it very
excellently, but all he says in that kind is an unknown language to a natural
man; he hears many good words, but he cannot tell what they mean. The natural
man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, because they are spiritually
discerned.54 A spiritual man himself does not fully comprehend this sweetness
that he tastes of; it is an infinite goodness, and he has but a taste of it. The
peace of God, which is a main fruit of this His goodness, passes all
understanding,55 says the Apostle, not only all natural understanding, (as some
modify it,) but all understanding, even the supernatural understanding of those
who enjoy it. And as the godly man cannot comprehend it all, so as to that which
he understands, he cannot express it all, and that which he does express, the
carnal mind cannot conceive of by his expression. But he who has indeed tasted
of this goodness, O how tasteless are those things to him that the world calls
sweet! As when you have tasted something that is very sweet, it disrelishes
other things after it. Therefore a Christian can so easily either lack, or use
with indifference the delights of this earth. His heart is not upon them: for
the delight that he finds in God carries it unspeakably away from all the rest,
and makes them in comparison seem sapless to his taste. Solomon tasted of all
the delicacies, the choicest dishes that are in such esteem amongst men, and not
only tasted, but ate largely of them, and yet see how he goes over them, to let
us know what they are, and passes from one dish to another. This also is vanity,
and of the next, This also is vanity, and so through all, and of all in general,
All is vanity and vexation of spirit, or feeding on the wind, as the word may be
rendered.56 III. We come in the third place to the inference: If you have
tasted, &c., then lay aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies, and
envies, and all evil speaking, ver. 1; for it looks back to the whole
exhortation. Surely, if you have tasted of that kindness and sweetness of God in
Christ, it will compose your spirits, and conform them to Him; it will diffuse
such a sweetness through your soul, that there will be no place for malice and
guile; there will be nothing but love, and meekness, and singleness of heart.
Therefore those who have bitter malicious spirits, prove that they have not
tasted of the love of God. As the Lord is good, so those who taste of His
goodness are made like Him. Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.57 Again, if you have
tasted, then desire more. And this will be the truest sign of it: he who is in a
continual hunger and thirst after this graciousness of God has surely tasted of
it. My soul thirsts for God, says David. He had tasted before; he remembers,
that he went to the house of God, with the voice of joy.58 This is that happy
circle in which the soul moves: the more they love it, the more they shall taste
of this goodness; and the more they taste, the more they shall still love and
desire it. But observe, if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, then,
desire the milk of the word. This is the sweetness of the word, that it has in
it the Lord’s graciousness, and gives us the knowledge of His love. Those who
have spiritual life and senses find this in it, and those senses are exercised
to discern good and evil; and this engages a Christian to further desire of the
word. They are fantastical deluding tastes, which draw men from the written
word, and make them expect other revelations. This graciousness is first
conveyed to us by the word; there first we taste it, and therefore there still
we are to seek it; to hang upon those breasts that cannot be drawn dry; there
the love of God in Christ streams forth in the several promises. The heart that
cleaves to the word of God, and delights in it, cannot but find in it, daily,
new tastes of His goodness; there it reads His love, and by that stirs up its
own to Him, and so grows and loves, every day more than the former, and thus is
tending from tastes to fullness. It is but little we can receive here, some
drops of joy that enter into us; but there we shall enter into joy, as vessels
put into a sea of happiness. Ver. 4. To whom coming, as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ver. 5. You also, as
lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. The spring of all the
dignities of a Christian, and therefore the great motive of all his duties, is
his near relation to Jesus Christ. There it is, that the Apostle makes that the
great subject of his doctrine, both to represent to his distressed brethren
their dignity in that respect, and to press by it the necessary duties he
exhorts to. Having spoken of their spiritual life and growth in Him, under the
resemblance of natural life, he prosecutes it here by another comparison very
frequent in the Scriptures, and therefore makes use in it of some passages of
those Scriptures, that were prophetical of Christ and His Church. Though there
be here two different similitudes, yet they have so near a relation one to
another, and meet so well in the same subject, that he joins them together, and
then illustrates them severally in the following verses; a temple, and a
priesthood, comparing the Saints to both: the former in these words of this
verse. We have in it, 1. The nature of the building: 2. The materials of it: 3.
The structure or way of building it. 1. The nature of it; it is a spiritual
building. Time and place, we know, received their being from God, and He was
eternally before both; He is therefore styled by the Prophet, The high and lofty
One who inhabits eternity.59 But having made the world, He fills it, though not
as contained in it, and so the whole frame of it is His palace or temple, but
after a more special manner, the higher and statelier part of it, the highest
Heaven; therefore it is called His holy place, and the habitation of His
holiness and glory.60 And on earth, the houses of His public worship are called
His houses; especially the Jewish temple in its time, having in it such a
relative typical holiness, which others have not. But besides all these, and
beyond them all in excellence, He has a house in which He dwells more peculiarly
than in any of the rest, even more than in Heaven, taken for the place only, and
that is this spiritual building. And this is most suitable to the nature of God.
As our Savior says of the necessary conformity of His worship to Himself, God is
a Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth,61
so it holds of His house; He must have a spiritual one, because He is a Spirit;
so God’s temple is His people. And for this purpose chiefly did He make the
world, the heaven, and the earth, that in it He might raise this spiritual
building for Himself to dwell in forever, to have a number of His reasonable
creatures to enjoy Him, and glorify Him in eternity. And from that eternity He
knew what the dimensions, and frame, and materials of it should be. The
continuation of this present world, as it now is, is but for the service of this
work, like the scaffolding about it; and therefore, when this spiritual building
shall be fully completed, all the present frame of things in the world, and in
the Church itself, shall be taken away, and appear no more. This building is, as
the particular designation of its materials will teach us, the whole invisible
Church of God, and each good man is a stone of this building. But as the nature
of it is spiritual, it has this privilege (as they speak of the soul), that it
is Tota in toto, et tota in qualibet parte:62 the whole Church is the spouse of
Christ, and each believing soul has the same title and dignity to be called so:
thus each of these stones is called a whole temple, the temple of the Holy
Ghost;63 though taking the Temple or Building in a more complete sense, each one
is but a part, or a stone of it, as it is here expressed. The whole excellence
of this building is comprised in this, that it is spiritual, distinguishing it
from all other buildings, and preferring it above them. And inasmuch as the
Apostle speaks immediately after of a priesthood and sacrifices, it seems to be
called a spiritual building, particularly in opposition to that material temple
in which the Jews gloried, which was now null, regarding its former use, and was
quickly after entirely destroyed. But while it stood, and the legal use of it
stood in its fullest vigor, yet in this respect still it was inferior, that it
was not a spiritual house made up of living stones, as this, but of a similar
matter with other earthly buildings. This spiritual house is the palace of the
Great King, or His temple. The Hebrew word for palace and temple is one. God’s
temple is a palace, and therefore must be full of the richest beauty and
magnificence, but such as agrees with the nature of it, a spiritual beauty. In
that Psalm which wishes so many prosperities, one is, that our daughters may be
as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.64 Thus is the
Church: she is called the King’s daughter; but her comeliness is invisible to
the world, she is all glorious within.65 Through sorrows and persecutions, she
may be smoky and black, to the world’s eye, as the tents of Kedar;66 but as to
spiritual beauty, she is comely as the curtains of Solomon.67 And in this the
Jewish temple resembles it rightly, which had most of its riches and beauty on
the inside. Holiness is the gold of this spiritual house, and it is inwardly
enriched with that. The glory of the Church of God consists not in stately
buildings of temples, and rich furniture, and pompous ceremonies; these agree
not with its spiritual nature. Its true and genuine beauty is, to grow in
spirituality, and so to be more like itself, and to have more of the presence of
God, and His glory filling it as a cloud. And it has been observed, that the
more the Church grew in outward riches and state, the less she grew, or rather
the more sensibly she abated, in spiritual excellences. But the spirituality of
this building will better appear in considering particularly, 2ndly, The
materials of it, as here expressed To whom coming, &c., you also, as lively
stones, are, &c. Now the whole building is Christ mystical, Christ together with
the entire body of the elect: He, as the foundation, and they as the stones
built upon Him; He, the living stone, and they likewise, by union with Him,
living stones; He, having life in himself, as He speaks,68 and they deriving it
from Him; He, primitively living, and they, by participation. For therefore is
He called here a living stone, not only because of His immortality and glorious
resurrection, being a Lamb that was slain and is alive again forever,69 but
because He is the principle of spiritual and eternal life to us, a living
foundation that transfuses this life into the whole building, and every stone of
it, In whom (says the Apostle) all the building fitly framed together grows unto
a holy temple in the Lord.70 It is the Spirit that flows from Him, which
enlivens it, and knits it together, as a living body; for the same word is used,
Ephesians 4:16, for the Church under the similitude of a body. When it is said,
Ch. 20, to be built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, it only
refers to their doctrine concerning Christ; and therefore it is added, that He,
as being the subject of their doctrine, is the chief corner-stone. The
foundation, then, of the Church, lies not in Rome, but in Heaven, an


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Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/leighton-robert-commentary-on-1-peter/
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