-- CHAPTER XI: The engagement of God and Christ by promise for the carrying on his truly called ones
to be his fulness. And so if he should want but a member at that day, or any of his members want a degree of grace or glory designed unto him, Christ should, as in that aspect, as an head, be rendered imperfect; for as we are complete in him, so in this he is reciprocally complete in us, which interest of his is his own so highly that it sufficiently causeth him to see unto the perfecting, strengthening, stablishing of us.
And to conclude; if this that follows be found so effectual a motive to him, as by what himself, John 17:24, utters, doth appear, 'Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am;'—he loves to see them afore him—'that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me;' if this moved him thus to pray for them, that God would 'keep them from the evil of the world,' ver. 15; if this moved him to have them kept, and be brought to glory, that they might (as it were) be but spectators and beholders of his glory; and because he would not be in heaven alone, but be seen and beheld by others; how much more may the interests and considerations we have mentioned (especially all of them put together) be judged to have power and efficacy upon his heart, to preserve and bring us unto the participation of that glory himself hath called us into?
Make you sure of Christ, and he will be sure to make you sure, and your interest in glory to you.
CHAPTER XI
The engagement of God and Christ by promise for the carrying on his truly called ones through all temptations unto eternal glory.—These promises of perfecting, stablishing, strengthening, settling, as to the time of their accomplishment, have not only respect to their gradual performance in us here in this life, but also to our being consummate in the life eternal to come.
The God of all grace make you [or will make you] perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.—1 PETER 5:10.
Ere I enter upon this other part, I judge it meet to give a brief summary account of what hath passed in the first.
Our apostle Peter having himself been a great instance of temptation from Satan, and of falling through that temptation, and so of the danger that all truly called saints are in, to fall away, if God and Christ come not in to preserve, and if fallen, to recover them; and Jesus Christ having thereupon set him up as a common and public example of both the danger and preservation, did purposely, and as it were prophetically, forewarn him thereupon: 1, how that 'Satan had a desire to winnow him;' and, 2dly, that he had 'prayed that his faith fail not;' and, 3dly, commanding him that when he should be
'converted and restored' again, he should take opportunity to forewarn, 'strengthen,' and confirm the rest of his brethren.
This command of his God (and ours) he faithfully performs in the close of this epistle, unto all the saints in the world, and that in words conformable unto that which was used in that command of Christ, that we might discern this to have been in the apostle's eye, and his very intent.
1. In giving warning to all the brotherhood of Satan's going up and down, 'seeking to devour,' verse 8, even as he had 'desired of God to winnow him.'
2. As Christ had said, 'Thy brethren,' so he here admonisheth 'all the brotherhood,' that they must be for some while tempted, as in ver. 9, some way or other as he had been.
3. In the very same word wherein Christ had expressed what he should do to and for his brethren, 'Strengthen thy brethren,' the very same word doth Peter use here, adding withal, 'The God of all grace shall strengthen you,' after a while, even as I was.
So as the words in the scope of them are Peter's consolatory to all saints, or the public faith of heaven, namely, of God and Christ, given to conduct us through all temptations and sufferings safely to heaven.
The management and carriage of my handling in the foregone first part, hath been reduced to the these two heads: The first, the engagements of God and Christ to perfect, strengthen, stablish us, unto a bringing us to glory, maugre all temptations; the second thing hath been the arguments that that forepart of the verse affords, to work in us a stedfastness of faith (as the next words have it), or a security that God by Christ will carry us on. This hath been the way and course of my handling these words, and that so as all those arguments have issued in comfortable supports and encouragements, that God will carry us effectually on unto eternal glory.
Which arguments, drawn out of those words, have been, 1, from God's interest herein; 2, Jesus Christ's.
I. God's.
1. That God is the God of grace.
2. That he is a God of all grace.
3. That he hath called us; and herein I shewed that the true and perfect work in calling is such a work as he will certainly carry it on.
4. That he hath called us; us, whom he called according to his purpose, with difference from others, whom he leaves to fall away, having wrought but an imperfect work of calling in them.
5. That he calls us into glory.
6. Into eternal glory.
7. Into his eternal glory.
And how all these afford arguments to confirm our faith, and assure us that God will certainly carry us through. This I have still shewn all along; and it hath been the burden (as we say) or conclusion of each of them all.
II. The second is from Jesus Christ, 'The God of all grace, who hath called us by Jesus Christ,' &c.
I come to the second part, the promise of performance in all this, which is contained in the latter part of the verse.
Ἄυτος, 'he' (or the same God, whom he had thus described), 'after that ye have suffered a little,' or a little while, 'make you perfect,' or 'will make you perfect, will stablish, strengthen, settle you.'
There are two things to be attended herein.
I. The necessary prerequisite by God's ordination, to precede the performance of the promise, 'After ye have suffered a while,' which is spoke by way of limitation to the full performance of the promise.
II. The promise itself, set forth in four words: 'He will perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.'
I. I speak first to the promise; for though in the current of the words it comes in last, yet that is the ultimate thing intended. That other of suffering a while is but a circumstantial requisite thereunto.
I shall unfold it by questions and answers, and then by particular expositions of those four words, which contain the materials of the promise, and do express the things promised.
Quest. 1. Whether these words be a prayer of the apostle's unto God, or a direct promise from God? And whether to be read,* God shall, and that he will perfect, &c., or that it be a desire or wish of his, that
God would perfect, &c. Those that are for making it a prayer of the apostle for them, say that here he begins the conclusion of his epistle, which in other epistles is usual with a prayer, shutting up the whole; but that is a mistake, for, 1, as Gerard well observes, he brings in these words as a new particular argument of encouragement, specially directed unto and against Satan's temptations, spoken of, ver. 9, and so refers not to the matter of the whole epistle, but singly to this; and, secondly, he begins the conclusion of the whole epistle afterwards in ver. 14; but especially in that, thirdly, that particle, but God, &c. (with which he begins this clause), shews it to be a promise of relief against the temptations spoken of afore; for thereby he positively declares how God would oppositely strike in, and prevent
Satan our adversary in his malice, and all his attempts against us, promising seasonably to succour and strengthen us against him. And it is as if he had said, But God hath took order and care about us, and faithfully promised to help us, &c., whereas if only it had been intended as a prayer of his, this but God had not come in so properly; yea, it had been superfluous; he might only and barely have said,
'The God of all grace strengthen you,' &c., and left out his but. And, 4thly, that description of God that follows that but, 'The God of all grace that hath called,' &c., so largely premised, though indeed it be a just ground of prayer for these things, yet deserved, shall I say required, to make promises of these that follow, and what was promised of God's being the God of all grace, &c., was to stamp a sanction upon them, they being so full, so complete an head of topics to make arguments of, to confirm and assert the certainty that God will and shall perform these, specially when I consider and compare this with other places where the same words that are here used are uttered promise-wise, and that upon less grounds premised than what we find here, in the very point of perseverance, which is the scope of the words, as in 2 Thes. 3:3, 'But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, Στηρίξει, and keep you from evil.' Here is the same word that is here the second, and it is rendered in the future, and is a promise; as also that there adjoined, 'shall keep you,' with these here, and both promises concerning the same thing, perseverance, and the same in sense and effect that these here, and they are both promises
that concern perseverance as these do. The like, Philip. 1:6, 'Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it* until the day of Jesus Christ.' Which is uttered in the future as a promise, he was confident, was certain of the performance of, why therefore should not those copies that make it so hero be esteemed genuine?
Upon this further argument it is, that the description that precedes, fore-mentioned, 'The God of all grace, who hath called,' &c., and the rest that follow, speak higher, fuller, and stronger engagements of God, that he will do thus, than what in these places now mentioned did precede unto those promises there, where but one attribute singly in each is made the gage, viz., faithful; and therefore will in the one, who hath begun a good work, is shall in the other. But here all the grace that is in God (that is, the original of that faithfulness) who hath called (answerable to that who hath begun a good work, in the other), and then superadding, hath called us into his eternal glory.
And, lastly, the emphasis of which hath been opened, he calling in the engagement of his Son, as his surety, too, by Jesus Christ (which hath been opened, these thus accumulated and heaped up in this place, suitably, and justly required (as I said at first, if in those other, or any other place), no less than he should make a promise of them, rather than merely a prayer of his own for them; and thus understood there is an even line runs through the whole, and connects those first words, God of all grace, unto the latter, will strengthen; and to that purpose inserts ἄυτος, (which you find in like manner, Philip. 1:6), that he the same God, that is a God of all grace, promiseth he will perform all these, argues it not to be precatory only, but assertory, and a most emphatically binding, scaling up of the promise of it, and to be a speaking of God to them, rather than a speaking to God for them.
Gerard farther observes out of the following verse, that hereupon he concludes with a doxology: ver. 11, 'To him be glory, and dominion for ever and over. Amen.' Because that these benefits (here mentioned, ver. 10) in these four words, were so certain to be
performed, that he gives thanks to God aforehand. And those that would have the words a prayer (says he), yet would have him give this glory thereupon, because God had heard his prayer, and had assured him that he would perform it. Moreover, the same author says, That because the words might be taken either for a prayer or for a promise, that therefore it is indifferent whether to put in ἐστι, to whom glory is, as assuring us, and confirming the foregoing promises, or ἐστω, to whom be glory; wishing it, as it is a prayer. And further, the scope being (says ho) to assure them of the performance of them, the apostle mentions his power above any other attribute, so signifying that as he had begun with God's being the God of all grace, ver. 10; so in the close, that his power being by grace engaged for the performance, all glory be to God of so infinite a grace and omnipotent a power. He thought meet not to let so great a matter pass by unveiled unto; he strikes sail to that, 'to whom be glory for ever;' and to do this upon this eminent occasion is usual with him in his epistle, so great a matter is the carrying on his called saints effectually unto salvation. Thus likewise in Heb. 13:21, 'Make you perfect, by working in you the good pleasure of his will; to whom be glory,' &c. So he crowns it at the conclusion. The like in Rom. 16:26,
Eph. 3:17, Jude 24. But that which comes fully home to a correspondence with this my text is his ascribing the like glory to God, upon the occasion of God's effectual carrying on his own salvation, which he first utters in the future, 'The Lord shall,' in the same, manner as here, 'The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom,' 2 Tim. 4:18; and then shuts and binds the promise of it up with this doxology, 'To whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.' Just as here, 'the God of grace will make you perfect, &c.; to whom be glory and power (for his so doing) for ever.' Lastly, this his for ever and ever stretcheth itself beyond all times and ages, even to the length of eternity, considering that his grace and love, out of which he doth all these, will be continued to his own during that length of evers; and will be in heaven for ever acknowledged by the saints, for his having so preserved them, and brought them thither, to be glorified with him
by his eternal glory, which he therefore does mention as that he had called them into.
But this small difference (if it should prove any) may be easily reconciled; for if it be a prayer it tacitly implies a promise; there is never a prayer but it includes and supposeth a promise as the ground and foundation of it.
If any query, But how can the construction of the words bear both a prayer and a promise? I answer, that if that reading it in the indicative future be received as genuine, it may well bear the one and the other; Nam sicut Hebrai futura pro præceptivis usurpant, sic et interdum pro optativis, as Estius upon the words hath resolved it.
Only I must still adhere to this, that the words should rather be intended for a direct promise from God; this is more his aim, seeing it is to work confidence in them, and to assure them of the performance; and it is certain that a direct and positive promise doth conduce more to comfort and 'strengthen' (as Christ commanded him) 'his brethren,' than a prayer of the apostle's own, a single person, though an apostle, and never so holy a man; and was far more assuring of the performance, especially when fortified with such super-excelling elogies, and decipherings of God, 'The God of all grace, who hath called us into eternal glory.' From the first of his calling us, this same God will perfect, &c., on purpose to confirm us, so as we should no way doubt of it.
Question 2. The second question may be about the time of perfecting, when these promises are intended to be fulfilled; whether during this life only, and so to carry us through all sufferings whatever, or after this life wholly ended?
Some interpreters would have the fulfilling of them to be in heaven, after all the sufferings of this life perfectly ended; and the Syriac stretcheth them in æternum, to eternity; others are for the performance of them during this life, with some sufferings passed
through; I take in all, and do state and compound the whole matter thus comprehensively. First, that as for this life, during the term of it, these promises are begun to be fulfilled in us, upon and with sufferings still all along accompanying them; and ordered so, as still after sufferings running along, God will and doth interpose strengthenings, stablishments, according as our sufferings and needs are; yet a special favour often vouchsafed, after we have been exercised with sufferings, inward or outward, for I take them both.
For some times past in our lives he doth give us, though not a freedom, yet a more settled, established frame of spirit, in respect to and in comparison of what we were most sufferers in; this for this life. And, secondly, for the other; that having carried us through them, to the end of our days, he then, to be sure, promiseth to crown us with the performance of all these in a more transcending manner in heaven.
1. As to God's performing these in this life, as hath been stated. The opening each particular of the four will abundantly clear that the more frequent use of all these words do intend it. Beza runs so far into this sense, as he seems to limit the words thereunto; however, that is certain which he says, that the apostle here treats of what is during our race in this present life. I might for the present instance in each of the words; καταρτίσει, the first word, which we translate,
'will make perfect.' It is used of advancing the saints to further degrees of faith and holiness, 'after a while,' in this life: 1 Thes. 3:10,
'To perfect that which is lacking in your faith;' Heb. 13:21, 'Make you perfect in every good work' (as the apostle prays then for them) 'to do his will,' and it is added, 'working in you what is well-pleasing in his sight;' all which are a-doing, whilst we are in this life. 2. The next word, στηρίξει, translated 'stablish;' it is the same word which Christ used to Peter, in that his command to 'confirm the brethren.' And that in relation to temptation, and after falls; for it was upon occasion of Peter's own fall, as hath been opened; God having established him after his fall, he bids him to establish, strengthen his brethren; and the like in 1 Thes. 3:2, 'To stablish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith.' And this in relation to temptation, ver. 5,
'Lest by some means the tempter have tempted you.' Likewise the third word, σθενώσει, which imports strength against weaknesses, which we are incident to in this life; and answers unto giving
'strength in the inner man,' Eph. 3:17. Then the last word, θεμελιώσει, he will 'found' us, as the word signifies, namely, in faith in Christ, and God's love; these are spoken of as in this life apparently, as Col. 1:23, and in the same, Eph. 3:17.
This for the import of the words, that they relate unto this life; but for the manner how, and in what cases they are fulfilled in this life
(which I put into my stating the assertion), of that hereafter.
2. As for the other life, which was the second thing proposed, I do not wholly limit the extent of the words to this life, so as to exclude their reach to heaven.
(1.) It is certain that the like promises, that are in effect the same which there, do reach us and accompany us till they have set us in heaven, 1 Cor. 1:8, 'Who shall confirm you to the end,' that is, of your lives, yea, perform or fulfil it until the day of Jesus Christ, Philip. 1:6, the day of judgment.
(2.) Some of these words, if not all of them, serve to express our fixed condition after death, in heaven. The first word, καταρτίσει, is used to express the complete finishing, perfect consummation of God's works; so of the first creation, Heb. 11:3, 'The worlds were framed by the word of God.' Framed is the same word, and you may read it perfected if you will; that is, he completed both worlds in this perfect settled frame they now exist in, which although they were by piecemeal framed in six days, yet we see them they are brought unto this perfection, and by faith believe they were thus made complete by the word of God, which, Gen. 2:1, at the conclusion of the work, tells us, 'Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them,' and so finished as nothing can be added to the perfection of them. And as this word is thus used of the first creation, Heb. 11, so it is and may be most aptly applied to the second creation, or
'workmanship in Christ Jesus,' which in this life is a-framing (as the world was in six days) by degrees, but shall be finished and made complete in heaven. And it is evident that the word καταρτὶζειν doth signify both a gradual framing of a piece of work, and then afterwards fully to make it entire and consummate every way, so as nothing can be added to the perfection of it, as critics have observed; and we may take Heb. 12:23 to confirm that of our full perfecting in heaven, 'The spirits of just men made perfect,'* or spirits consummated, finished as to holiness and righteousness. And the word καταρτίσει here doth, in the ultimate sense of it, comply with that in Heb. 12:23, such a perfecting as brings to a consummation.
The second word, στηρίξει, translated establish, is applied 1 Thes.
3:13, 'That your hearts may be established in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.' For indeed, notwithstanding all the glory our separate souls shall have had before, yet when we shall have every thought, word,
&c., of our whole lives laid open and made known before all the world (as at that day they shall be), our hearts will need a most special strong fulcrum, support, and sustainer (as the word imports), to establish or bear up their hearts, before the great God and all the saints. And yet withal take this in, that it is that exercise of holiness only which we shall attain in this life, by which Christ will stablish our hearts in the day of that great account, and it is not that holiness our souls shall have had whilst they were separate, though that only will be perfect. That holiness between death and judgment the apostle there intends not, nor speaks of to be that which should be the matter of support, and establisher of our souls at that day; no, he singles forth that holiness we had here, though imperfect, consisting in sincerity and truth, as appears by the coherence with the verse afore, ver. 12, 'The Lord make you to increase and abound in love;' then follows, 'to the end he may establish your hearts in holiness at that day.' So as we see it is a work which God doth for us after this life as well as here, even as, in like manner, to forgive sins and to shew mercy is said to be at that day; yet still, seeing the matter whereby we shall then be stablished is that holiness we obtain here,
hence, therefore, we may see God can as well, and doth, by the same holiness, made evident to our hearts by his Spirit, stablish our hearts in this life; and so the promise fitly serves to both, that God will stablish us in this world, as in the world to come, though more imperfectly here.
(3.) The last word here, Θεμελιώσει, which signifies to found, or settle, as in and upon a foundation (of which afore), it falls out that this very word, in Heb. 12:23, lately cited, is in one copy, and that an eminent original copy, found and used to express the consummation and perfection of just men in heaven, and signifying fundatorum,
'the spirits of just men founded.' Which reading Beza thought worthy to put this gloss upon; 'of spirits founded,' says he; that is, of them who are out of all danger of vacillation (or change by frailty), being now actually received into that city, which in the foregoing chapter, ver. 10, is said to have foundations (which is answerable to that word founded). By which it appears that the word itself may and will fitly refer to that heavenly unalterable estate, without any possibility of turning, in heaven; so as although it should not have been the very original word there written by the apostle himself, yet we see the word itself may fitly serve to that sense, and therefore may be well so understood in my text.
As for that other word in the text, placed before this, viz. σθενώσει, which signifies to give strength, power, vigour, though I find it not directly used to set out our heavenly state, yet it being opposed unto all sort of weakness, impotency, and want of strength and vigour
(ἀσθένεια, without strength, Rom. 5), and so imports the cure of weakness, or a restoration from a weakly condition, or a state of impotency, unto perfect strength and vigour. And therefore the one may be judged of by the other, for the positive is known always by its privative, and è contrà. And I, finding not only the spiritual weakness and impotency in the soul to be styled ἀσθένεια (as that, 'when we were without strength Christ died for us,' Rom. 5), but the state of the body by death (that 'last enemy' of ours to be yet destroyed), to be likewise expressed by that very word, 1 Cor. 15:43, 'It is sown in
weakness,' that is, it is sown a dead body, viribus cassum, utterly void of all strength; and oppositely, 'but it is raised in power,' endued, filled, and furnished with all abilities of power, even such as the angels have, who 'excel in strength,' and ours shall be made a spiritual body, as it is there; finding also Christ our pattern, in his death on the cross, and his opposite life in heaven, and his resurrection, to be set out by the same words, 2 Cor. 13:4, 'Though he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by the power of God.' And we
(says the apostle there, as in conformity to him), though we are weak, yet being in him, we shall one day live with him‚ namely, in glory, by the power of God. And finding, as all grant, and it is certain, that the word here in our text imports a renewal of strength spiritual in our souls in some degree in this life, in opposition to spiritual weaknesses of the soul, which are our sufferings, therefore I thought, why might not or should not this word of the promise here reach unto that perfection in power and glory, which are in substance all one with the import of this word here?
And when further considered, how this is most proper and pertinent unto the apostle's scope in the whole paragraph; his direct purpose being to hearten them against all sorts of sufferings, whether from temptations and infirmities in their souls, or from persecutions upon their outward man, against which there is not a stronger cordial than these promises of that glorious estate which both body and soul shall have in the other world. And seeing the body and outward man hath a great share in sufferings for Christ's sake, we may well think that amongst so many words heaped up for their comfort, one of them at least should he found to glance at that state, yea, more directly to aim at the reward and reparations made to the body at the resurrection; and seeing that other apostle doth give this very title of ἀσθενειας, infirmities, unto that large catalogue and inventory of sufferings in his body, In the second of Corinthians, the eleventh and twelfth chapters, again and again, and at last sums up the sorts of them in chap. 13:10, under that denomination, Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong;' and that this word here
translated strengthen is the direct opposite unto all such infirmities, we may, I say, very readily conclude that it extends to the qualifications of power and glory, which the body shall have at the resurrection in lieu of those infirmities, as a recompense of those sufferings, considering withal how the resurrection of the body from death is expressed in the same words, 1 Cor. 15:43, as hath been shewn.
Obj. Beza mentions this objection, that if the glory of heaven were aimed at, that one first word had been sufficient, will make you perfect, he needed not have heaped up so many more.
Ans. 1. If indeed that glory, in the perfection of it, had altogether and alone been intended, this might have had some force in it; but the apostle's scope is to comprehend what is in this life gradually aperforming in us, and then at last to be consummated in the other; and there being many several sorts of sufferings, temptations, and infirmities of soul in this life, there needed a multiplication of comfortable words, more than one, for our more abundant consolation; which comes in the next question to be spoken to.
Ans. 2. Our miseries and sufferings in this life being many and various, the blessedness of heaven itself is set out to us by several words, opposite to those miseries, and expressed to be a freedom from them, so to comfort us particularly against each, as when it is said, 'All tears shall be wiped from our eyes,' 'They shall hunger and thirst no more,' 'The inhabitant shall not say he is sick,' and the like; and we use to comfort ourselves with the privation of and deliverance from such miseries, and therefore it is termed redemption and salvation, glory and immortality, fulness of pleasures, and the like: and so here, a making us perfect, in opposition to our imperfection in this life; a stablishing, instead of unsettlement and aptness to change, as in this life; a strengthening us with a glorious power, in respect of those weaknesses we are here obnoxious unto.
Thus much for clearing the second particular, that these words do concern our state after this world; which I have been the larger in, because if, on the contrary hand, we should limit these promises only to what God doth in this life, there would be this objection, which I have not known otherwise how to solve, than by what hath been now asserted; for it might be said, if these promises be to relieve us against sufferings, &c., and as to be performed only in this life, and performed after we have suffered a while, how is it that persecutions and outward sufferings continue and abide upon the righteous even unto death? and increase, perhaps, more and more; yea, and sufferings from Satan, and temptations to sin, continue so long and sharp unto some, even throughout their lives? And, if so, how doth
God perform these his promises, if (as the apostle says) they have hope only for relief in this life? Hence, therefore, I was enforced, out of tenderness to any that are in such a case to the end of their lives, to entertain and take in that other opinion mentioned, that they should be accomplished in the other world to the utmost, though in this world the performance of them is so slender; yet with a sure and safe carrying on the soul through them all, to an overcoming at last, by continuing so as their faith fail not, which Christ in his speech to Peter prayed for; and to continue faith and obedience, though with some conflicts and prevailings at times of temptations, is yet by Christ himself interpreted to be an overcoming, when it continues to the end.
But my special design upon these four words is to open and apply them as reliefs against the temptations of our souls, whilst we are in this life, without any further insisting on their accomplishment in heaven; which is an universal and general reserve for all souls, but particularly of those upon whom a continuance of their temptations in this life, with any extremity, shall happen to abide to the last of their days; that, however, then, amends and repairs will be made for all. I therefore have limited this next prosecution unto soul temptations whilst we are in this world.