1 Peter 1:13
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end, for the grace that is to be brought to you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
The great error of man's mind, and the cause of all his errors of life, is the diverting of the soul from God, and turning downward to inferior confidences and comforts; and this mischoice is the very root of all our miseries. Therefore the main end of the holy word of God is to untie the hearts of men from the world, and reduce them to God as their only rest and solid comfort; and this is here the Apostle's mark at which all the preceding discourse aims — it all meets and terminates in this exhortation. Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, etc.
In the words are these 3 things: 1. the great stay and comfort of the soul, which the Apostle repeats and represents to his afflicted brethren; 2. his exciting them to the right apprehension and confident expectation of it; 3. the inference of that exhortation.
The matter of their comfort is the grace which is brought to them at the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Some for grace read joy, having as it seems for [in non-Latin alphabet] read [in non-Latin alphabet] — the words are not more near one to another than the things they signify. Grace and joy, but it is most commonly thus read.
The estate of grace, and that of glory are not only so inseparably connected, but so like one to the other — indeed, so essentially the same — that the same expressions in Scripture do often fit both of them, and so fit them that it is doubtful for which of the two to understand them, but the hazard is not great, seeing they are so near and so one, grace being glory begun and glory grace completed, both often called the kingdom of God. So grace here brought to them is either the doctrine of grace in the Gospel, wherein Jesus Christ is revealed, and that grace in him, for all the whole tenor of the Covenant of Grace, and every clause of it holds in him. His precious name runs through it all — it is the grace of salvation to be fully perfected at the last and clearest Revelation of Jesus Christ, and for this rather I take it here, for that the Apostle's nearest foregoing words were concerning that, and it is set up here as the object of hope, which though often put for faith, yet in its proper notion looks out to that which is to come.
This is the last act of grace, and yet still it is called by itself, and not turned into the name of merit, notwithstanding all the obedience and all the sufferings of the saints that have gone before it — indeed, even the salvation to be revealed to them is called grace — but it is needless to insist on this, for certainly none that partake of grace will be of another mind or ever admit the mixture of the least notion of self-deserving.
Though much dispute has been bestowed on this, and questions multiplying in the disputants' hands (as is usual in controversies), one growing out of another, yet truly, I think the debate in this to be but waste. It is not only against the voice of the Scriptures and of grace itself in the soul, but even against sound reason, to imagine any meriting, properly taken, in any mere creature at his Creator's hands, who has given him his being, of which gift all his services and obedience fall short, so that he can never come to be upon even disengaged terms, much less to oblige anew and deserve somewhat further. Besides, that same grace by which any serves and obeys God is likewise his own gift, as it is said, 'All things come of you, and of your own have I given you' — both the ability and the will of giving to him is from him, so that in these respects, not angels nor man in innocency could properly merit at the hands of God, much less man lost, redeemed again, and so coming under the new obligation of infinite mercy. And this is so evident a truth that the learnedest and most ingenuous Jesuits and Schoolmen have in various passages of their writings acknowledged it, that there cannot be any compensation, and much less merit, from the creature to God, but only in relation to his own free purpose and the tenor of his word and covenant, which is inviolable, because he is unchangeable and truth itself.
His first grace he gives freely, and no less freely the increases of it, and with the same gracious hand sets the crown of glory upon all the grace that he has given before. It is but the following forth of his own work and fulfilling his own thoughts of free love, which love has no cause but in himself, and finds none worthy — but gives them all the worthiness they have, and accepts of their love, not as worthy in itself to be accepted, but because he himself has wrought it in them. Not only the first tastes, but the full draught of the waters of life is freely given (Revelation 22:17) — nothing brought with them but thirst.
That is to be brought — not that is brought, or that shall be brought, but if we will render it strictly, it is, that is a bringing to you. That blessedness, that consummation of grace the saints are hastening forward to, walking on in their way wherever it lies indifferently, through honor and dishonor, through evil report and good report. And as they are hastening to it, it is hastening to them in the course of time — every day brings it nearer to them than before, and notwithstanding all difficulties and dangers in the way, they that have their eye and hopes upon it shall arrive at it, and it shall be brought safe to their hand. All the malice of men and devils shall not be able to cut them short of this grace that is a bringing to them against the day of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
At the Revelation of Jesus Christ.] This is repeated from the seventh verse, and it is a day of Revelation, a Revelation of the just judgment of God (Romans 2:5). And thus it would be to all, were it not, that it is with all, the Revelation of Jesus Christ; therefore is it a day of Grace, all Light, and blessedness to them that are in him, because they shall appear in him, and if he be glorious, they shall not be inglorious, and ashamed. Indeed were our secret sins then to be set before our own eyes, in their most frightful visage, and to be set open to the view of Angels, and Men, and to the eye of divine Justice, and we left alone so revealed, who is there that could gather any comfort? And would not rather have their thoughts filled with horror at the remembrance and expectation of that day, and thus indeed all unbelieving and ungodly Men may look upon it, and find it terrible. But to those that are shadowed under the Robe of Righteous Jesus, yes that are made one with him, and shall partake of his glory in his appearing, it is the sweetest, the most comfortable thought that their souls can be entertained, and possessed with all, to remember this glorious Revelation of their Redeemer.
It is their great grief here, not that themselves are hated, and vilified; but that their Lord Jesus is so little known and therefore so much despised in the world. He is veiled, and hid from the world, many Nations acknowledge him not at all, and many of those that do in word confess, yet in deed deny him, that have a form of Godliness and do not only want but mock and scoff the power of it, and to such Christ is not known, his Excellencies are hid from their eyes. Now this glory of their Lord being tender to them that love him, they rejoice much in the consideration of this, that there is a day at hand, wherein he shall appear in his bright, and full glory to all nations, and all shall be forced to acknowledge him. It shall be without doubt, and unquestioned to all, that here is the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Judge of the world.
And as it is his day of Revelation, it is also the Revelation of all the adopted sons of God in him (Romans 8:9). They are now accounted the refuse of the world, exposed to all kind of contempts, but then the beams of Christ's glory shall beautify them, and they shall be known for his (1 John 3:2; Colossians 3:4).
Next there is, The Exhortation. Hope to the end. The difference of these two graces, faith and hope is so small, that the one is often taken for the other in Scripture, it is but a different aspect of the same confidence, faith apprehending the infallible truth of those divine Promises, of which Hope does assuredly expect the accomplishment, and that is their truth, so that this immediately results from the other. This is the Anchor pitched within the veil that keeps the soul firm against all the tossings on these swelling Seas, and the winds and tempests that arise upon them. The firmest thing in this inferior world is a believing soul.
Faith establishes the heart on Jesus Christ, and Hope lifts it up, being on that Rock over the head of all intervening Dangers, Crosses, and Temptations, and sees the glory and happiness that follows after them.
To the end] Or perfectly, and therefore the Christian seeks most earnestly, and yet waits most patiently (Psalm 130:6). Indeed this hope is perfect in continuance, it is a hope to the end, because it is perfect in its nature, although imperfect in degree. Sometimes doubts are intermixed with it in the Christian soul, yet this is their infirmity, as the Psalmist speaks, not the infirmity, and insufficiency of the object of their hope. Worldly hopes are in their own nature imperfect, they do imply in their very being doubtfulness, and wavering, because the things whereon they are built are inconstant, and uncertain and full of deceit, and disappointments. How can that Hope be immoveable, that is built upon moving sands or quagmire? It is that which is itself unfixed, cannot give stability to any other thing resting on it, but because the truth and goodness of the immutable God is the foundation of spiritual hope, therefore it is assured, and like Mount Zion that cannot be removed, and this is its perfection.
Now the Apostle exhorts his Brethren, to endeavour to have their hearts possessed with as high a measure, and degree of this hope, as may be, seeing in itself it is so perfect and firm, so assured a Hope, that they aspire to all the assurance and perfection of it they can attain.
This Hope, as I conceive, is not only to have the habit of it strong in the Soul, but to act it often, to be often turning that way; to view that approaching day of Liberty. Lift up your heads for the day of your Redemption draws near. Where this hope is often acted, it will grow strong, as all habits do and where it is strong, it will work much, and delight to act often, and will control both the doubts and the other many impertinent thoughts of the mind, and force them to yield the place to it. Certainly they that affect that coming of Christ much, will look often out to it, we are usually hoping, after other things, that do but offer themselves to draw us after them, and to scorn us. What are the breasts of most of us, but so many nests of foolish hopes, and fears intermixed, that entertain us day and night, and steal away our precious hours from us, that might be laid out so gainfully upon the wise and sweet thoughts of Eternity, and upon the blessed and assured hope of the coming of our beloved Saviour.
The other words of Exhortation here used are subservient to this end, that this hope may be the more perfect and firm, and is much after the same manner joined by our Saviour (Luke 12:35) with the expectance and waiting for his coming, and in this posture the Israelites eating the passover were expecting their deliverance, so we our full and final freedom.
If you would have much of this, call off your affections from other things, that they may be capable of much of it. The same eye cannot both look up to Heaven, and down to earth at the same time; the more your affections are trussed up, and disentangled from the world, the more expedite and active will they be in this hope; the more sober they are, the less will they fill themselves with the course delights of earth, the more room will there be in them, and the more they shall be filled with this hope. It is great folly in our spiritual warfare, to charge ourselves superfluously. All fullness of one thing hinders the receiving, and admittance of any other; especially of things so opposite, as these fullnesses are opposed. Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Holy Ghost, says the Apostle, that is a brutish fullness, makes a man no man, this divine, makes him more than a man, it would be happy to be filled thus, as that it might be called a kind of drunkenness, as [reconstructed: it was] with the Apostles (Acts 2).
Be sober] Or Watch, the same word signifies both, and with good reason; for you know the unsober cannot watch. Now though one main part of sobriety is that which more properly and particularly bears this name, temperance in meat, and drink, and against this, not only the purity, and spiritualness of Religion; but even moral virtue inveighs as its special enemy; indeed nature itself, and they that only naturally consider the body, and its interest of life, and health, find reason enough to cry down this base intemperance, which is so hateful by its own deformity, and withal carries its punishment along with it. But this sobriety is indeed most necessary for the preservation of grace, and spiritual temper of the soul, and is here intended; yet I conceive it is not all that is here meant, the word is more general, for the moderate and sober use of all things worldly, as he says, Gird up the loins of your mind, so it is to be understood, let your minds be sober, all your affections inwardly attempered to your spiritual condition, not glutting yourselves with fleshly, and perishing delights of any kind, for the more you take in of these, the less you shall have of spiritual comfort, and of this perfect hope. They that pour out themselves upon present delights look not like strangers, and hopeful expectants of another life, and better pleasures.
And certainly the Captain of our Salvation will not own them for his followers, that lie down to drink of these waters, but only such as in passant take of them with their hand. As excessive eating or drinking makes the body sickly, and lazy, fit for nothing, but sleep, and besots the mind, cloys up the way with filthy crudities through which the spirits should pass, bemires them, and makes them move heavily as a coach in a deep way; thus does all immoderate use of the world, and its delights wrong the soul in its spiritual condition, makes it sickly and feeble, full of spiritual distempers, and inactivity; benumbs the graces of the spirit, and fills the soul with sleepy vapors, makes it grow secure, and heavy in spiritual exercises, and obstructs the way and motion of the spirit of God in the soul: therefore if you would be spiritual, healthful, and vigorous, and enjoy much of the consolation of heaven, be sparing, and sober in those of the earth, and what you abate of the one shall be certainly made up in the other. Health, and a good constitution of body is a more constant remaining pleasure than that of excess and momentary pleasing of the palate, thus the comfort of this hope is a more refined, and more abiding contentment than any is in the passing enjoyments of this world, and it is a foolish bargain to exchange a drachma of the one for many pounds of the other. Consider how pressingly the Apostle Saint Paul reasons (1 Corinthians 9:25). And take withal our Savior's exhortation: Be sober and watch, for you know not at what hour your Lord will come.
The double minded man (says Saint James) is unstable in all his ways; although the word signifies usually deceitfulness and dissimulation of mind, answering to the Hebrew phrase of a heart and a heart: Yet here I conceive it has another sense agreeable to the Apostle's present discourse and scope; it is doubtfulness, and unsettled wavering of mind.
It is impossible that the course of life can be any other but uneven, and uncomposed, if the spring of it, the heart, from where are the issues of life, be so, a man that is not agreed within, not of one mind with himself, although there were nothing to trouble, nor alter him from without, that inward commotion is a sufficient principle, and cause of inconstancy: How much more then must he waver, when he is assaulted, and beat upon by outward oppositions he is like the waves of the Sea, of himself ever fluctuating to and fro according to the natural instability of that element: and then being exposed to the tossings of all the waves that arise.
It is therefore in Religion a main thing to have the heart established, and fixed in the belief, and hope of the great things we look for, this will beget strength of resolution, and constancy in action, and in suffering too. And this is here our Apostle's great intent to ballast the souls of his brethren with this firm belief, that they might sail even, and steady in those seas of trouble. Therefore (says he) if these things we have spoken be thus, if there [reconstructed: is] indeed truth in them, and you believe it so, what remains then, but to resolve for it upon any terms, to fit for the journey whatever be the difficulties, and in them all to keep up the soul by that certain hope that will not disappoint us.
What he has said before, is as it were showing them some fruits, some clusters of grapes of that promised Land, and this exhortation is answerable to Caleb's word there (Numbers 13). Seeing it is so good a land, let us go up and possess it, though there be fleshly objects, Sons of Anak, giants of temptations and afflictions, and sins to be overcome ere it be ours, yet it is well worth all our labor, and our God has ascertained us of the victory, and given us by his own word undoubted hope of possessing it.
That which he principally exhorts in this verse, is the right placing and firm continuing of our hope. When we consider, how much of our life is taken up this way, in hoping for things we have not, and that even they who have most of what others are desiring and pursuing; yet are still hoping for somewhat further, and when men have attained one thing, though it be something they promised themselves to rest contented with it, yet presently upon obtaining it, hope begins to find out some new matter for itself. I say considering the incessant working of this passion throughout our life, it is of very much concern for us to give it a right object, and not still to be living in vanity, and uncertainty. Here is then that for our hope to apply itself to, after which it needs not change, nor can change without the greatest loss. Hope for the grace that is coming at the Revelation of Jesus Christ, bestow all your hope on this, and recall it not. Hope perfectly and to the end.
The other part of the exhortation relates to this as the main end, and in the original runs in this form, therefore girding up the loins of your mind being sober, hope, and, to the end hope may be the more perfect, and endure to the end, and more like itself heavenly, your minds must be freed from the earth, that they may set for heaven, and this is expressed in two several words but both meaning much the same thing; that temper of sobriety, and posture of being girt, are no other, but the same removal of earthly mindedness, and encumbering cares and desires of earthly things.
Gird up the loins] The custom of those countries was, that wearing long garments they trussed them up for work or journey. Chastity is indeed a Christian grace, and a great part of the soul's freedom and spiritualness, and fits it much for divine things, yet I think it is not so particularly, and only intended in this expression, as Saint Jerome and others take it, for, though the girding of the loins seem to them to favor that sense, it is only in allusion to the manner of girding up used, and besides the Apostle here makes it clear, he meant somewhat else; for he says, the loins of your minds, gather up your affections that they hang not down to hinder you in your race, and so in your hopes of obtaining, and do not only gather them up, but tie them up, that they fall not down again, or if they do, be sure to gird them tighter than before, thus be still as men for your journey, tending to another place. This is not our home, nor the place of our rest, therefore our loins must be still girt up, our affections kept from trailing and dragging down upon the earth.
Men that are altogether earthly and profane, are so far from girding up the loins of their mind, that they set them whole downwards, the very highest part of their soul is glued to the earth, and they are daily partakers of the serpent's curse, they go on their belly, and eat the dust they mind earthly things. Now this disposition is inconsistent with grace; but they that are in some measure truly godly, though they grovel not so, yet may be somewhat guilty of suffering their affections to fall too low, that is, too much conversant with vanity, and further engaged than is meet to some things that are worldly, and by this means abate of their heavenly hopes, and make them less perfect, less clear and sensible to their souls.
And because they are most subject to take this liberty in the fair and calm weather of prosperity, God does often, and wisely, and mercifully cause rough blasts of affliction to arise upon them to make them gather their loose garments nearer to them and gird them closer.
Let us then remember our way, and where we are, and keep our garments girt up, for we walk amidst thorns and briers, that, if we let them down, will entangle and stop us, and possibly tear our garments, we walk through a world where there is much mire of sinful pollutions, and therefore cannot but defile them, and the crowd we are among will be ready to tread on them, yea our own feet may be entangled in them, and so make us stumble, and possibly fall. Our only safest way is to gird up our affections wholly.
This perfect hope is enforced by the whole strain of it: for well may we fix our hope on that happiness to which we are appointed in the eternal election of God (verse 2), and born to it by our new birth (verses 3, 4), and preserved to it by his almighty power (verse 5), and cannot be cut short of it by all the afflictions and oppositions in the way, no nor so much as deprived by them of our present joy, and comfort in the assurance of it (verses 6, 7, 8, 9). And then being taught the greatness and excellency of that blessed salvation by the doctrine of the prophets, and Apostles, and the admiration of angels, all these conspire to confirm our hope, to make it perfect, and persevering to the end.
And we may also learn by the foregoing doctrine that this is the place of our trial and conflict, but the place of our rest is above, we must here have our loins girt, but when we come there, we may wear our long white robes at their full length without disturbance, for there is nothing there, but peace and without danger of defilement, for no unclean thing is there, yea the streets of that new Jerusalem are paved with pure gold, to him then that has prepared that city for us let us ever give praise.
