BOOK VII: Of the difference of the works on temporary believers, and those truly called, and that t
he makes, not only in relation to their neglect of particular duties, but in relation to their eternal estates and conditions.
BOOK VII Of the difference of the works on temporary believers and those truly called, and that they differ in their nature and kind.
CHAPTER I
That the apostle Peter, 2 Peter 1:3, 4; 2 Peter 2:20, 21, makes a clear distinction between temporary professors and those truly called.
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.—2 PET. 1:3, 4.
For if after they hare escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to
turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.—2 PET.
2:20, 21.
I HAVE set these two passages of the same epistle together, and by comparing the one with the other, you may easily discern that Peter would seem to speak somewhat like, yet clear differing things of two several sorts of professors, and two several works in those professors of religion. In the second chapter, he speaks of such who professed religion, and had once a work upon their hearts, which caused them at first so to do, and to break forth from the world, ver. 18, and that ὄντως (as the word is), that is, 'really had escaped from them who live in error,' or the common error of a natural condition, common to you with other men, but now were fallen away, and their latter end was worse with them than the beginning, ver. 20–22. But in the first chapter, ver 1, he speaks of and unto such who had obtained 'like precious faith with us,' namely, the apostles of Christ. And of each of these he seems to speak like things (as on purpose), and yet how distant are they in the reality!
1. Of both the one and the other he says, that 'they escaped the defilements of the world,' 2 Peter 1:3; 2:20.
And 2. He tells us that both of them were wrought upon and induced to this by one and the same means, 'through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' (compare ver. 3 of chap. 1 and ver. 20 of chap. 2), insomuch as both are enlightened with such a knowledge of Christ, as hath a powerful impression upon their hearts, as it is said of these (2 Peter 2:18) that thus fall away, that they did ὄντως, really and indeed, and in earnest, forsake those sins.
Yet how differing is the state of these persons! The sum of which difference is reduced to this, that those (of whom he speaks in the first chapter) that were savingly wrought upon, had such a knowledge of Christ as had thoroughly altered and changed the frame of their hearts, their very natures and dispositions, turning and transforming them from sin to a divine nature.
1. It had prevailed to sever and part their souls from the power of in ward lusts, as well as outward gross defilements, ἀποφυγόντες τῆς ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ φθορᾶς, 'that corruption that consisteth in lust or inward concupiscence.' The prevailing knowledge of Christ had destroyed and rent the indentures that had been between the soul and these corruptions; for the word escaping speaks and hath reference to freedom from the tyranny of a hard masster (or as it is, ver. 19 of chap. 2), of being 'servants of corruption.' In these sincere believers, the divine power had cut the very heart-strings, ligaments, and ties between their souls and their lusts so far, that their in ward man had really parted with, and was delivered from the strength and violence of lusts. But of those other, chap. 2, it is barely said they had escaped, τά μιασματὰ, 'the grosser defilements of the world,' ver. 20, that pollute men outwardly; in respect of which it is that they are said to have escaped from those that live in error, ver. 18 He mentions nothing to express that this work had reached to the destroying of lusts, or alteration of their sinful natures, but their case was as that of runaway servants. They had made an escape from their masters, but the inward bonds and indentures were not cancelled, and so they were fetched back again; ver. 19, 'While they promise them liberty, they themselves are servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage;' which he affirms more plainly, ver. 22, comparing them to a sow that was once washed, which imports an external cleansing only, from the mire they wallowed in, which cleaves to the outward parts; but to escape the corruption that consists in lusts, to have the sinful nature, the inward radical constitution changed, this they wanted. The old man, or nature of man as it comes into the world, is said (Eph. 4:22, like to what is here), to be 'corrupt in lusts;' that is, the formal being and essence of its corruption (as it is corrupt) is said to consist in lusts; and therefore to have escaped, through the knowledge of Christ, the corruption that is in lust, is to put off the old nature, to have the inward disposition altered; which there also the apostle affirms is done by such a knowledge of Christ as hath a difference in it from what is in ordinary professors: ver. 21, 'If so be ye have heard him, and been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus.' It imports a
distinction from what is counterfeit, therefore, Gal. 5:24, those that are Christ's, are said to 'have crucified the lusts with the affections.'
2. Here is another difference, namely, the participation of a contrary divine nature. This divine nature clearly shews a change of nature; and so their having 'escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust,' 2 Peter 1:14, is the 'putting off the old nature, which is corrupt in lusts.' And on the other side, forasmuch that such a change from a state of natural corruption is specified with this divine nature as its opposite, it is evident that this participation of the divine nature is to be understood of the contrary divine qualities and principles, but now made natural to the soul, as lusts once were. But it is not the participation of the essence of God substantially, as some both of old and of late have offered to affirm.
My assertion is yet more clear, inasmuch as the apostle also calleth the communication of this new nature the 'giving of all things belonging to life and godliness;' that is, all inward principles, seeds, powers, and abilities of godliness, and a spiritual life, and those as the roots and habits of all actions made natural. Now, look, as there is a different mercy or grace in God, out of which he bestows those gifts he vouchsafes unto men, whom in the issue he saveth not, different far from that mercy out of which he gives that grace and holiness which hath salvation accompanying it, so the like difference is to be found in the exertings of the degrees of his power, out of which he worketh either. His mercies, that are over all his works, are styled common mercies, whereas to his elect, there are peculiar special mercies, called 'the sure mercies of David.' Answerably the works on temporaries flow but from his common providential mercies, only farther heightened towards such than to others of mankind (these being choicer mercies in themselves than riches, honours, &c.), and are therefore styled common graces, as being in their general valuation cast but into the same heap with other common mercies. But they are rather called common graces, because they bear the semblance and counterfeit of true and saving graces.