1 Peter 1:22
Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, to unfeigned love of the brethren; see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.
Jesus Christ is made to us of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). 'Tis a known truth, and yet very needful to be often represented to us, that redemption and holiness are undivided companions, indeed, that we are redeemed on purpose for this end, that we should be holy. The pressing of this, we see is here the apostle's scope, and having by that reason enforced it in the general, he now takes that as concluded, and confessed, and so makes use of it particularly to exhort that main Christian grace of brotherly love.
The obedience, and holiness mentioned in the foregoing verses, comprehends the whole duties, and frame of a Christian life towards God, and men and having urged that in the general, he specifies this grace of mutual Christian love, as the great evidence of their sincerity, and the truth of their love to God: for men are subject to much hypocrisy this way, and deceive themselves if they find themselves diligent in religious exercises, they scarce once ask their hearts, how they stand affected this way, namely, in love to their brethren. They can come constantly to the church, and pray, it may be, at home too, and yet cannot find in their hearts to forgive an injury.
As forgiving injuries argues the truth of piety, so 'tis that which makes all converse both sweet and profitable, and besides it graces, and commends men, and their holy profession to such as are without and strangers to it, indeed, even to their enemies.
Therefore is it, that our Savior does so much recommend this to his disciples, and they to others as we see in all their epistles. He gives it them as the very badge and livery by which they should be known for his followers, by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. And Saint Paul is frequent in exhorting and extolling this grace (Romans 12:10; Romans 13:8) (1 Corinthians 1:13) (Galatians 5:13) (Ephesians 4:2) and in many other places. In (Colossians 3:14) he calls it the bond of perfectness, that grace which unites, and binds all together. Our apostle here, and often in this and the other epistle, and that beloved disciple Saint John who leaned on our Savior's breast, drunk deep of that spring of love that was here, and therefore it streams forth so abundantly in his writings, they contain nothing so much as this divine doctrine of love.
We have here 1. The due qualifications of it. 2. A Christian's obligation to it.
The qualifications are three: namely, sincerity, purity and fervency. The sincerity expressed in the former clause of the verse, unfeigned love and repeated again in the latter part, that it be with a pure heart, as the purity is in fervency.
It appears that this dissimulation is a disease that is very incident in this particular. The apostle Saint Paul has the same word (Romans 12:9), and the apostle Saint John to the same sense (1 John 3:18). That it have that double reality, which is opposed to double dissembled love, that it be cordial, and effectual that the professing of it arise from truth of affection, and as much as may be, be seconded with action; that both the heart, and the hand may be more the seal of it than the tongue. Not court-holy water, an empty noise of service, and affection, that fears nothing more than to be put upon trial. Although your brother with whom you converse cannot, it may be, see through your false appearances, he that commands this love looks most within, seeks it there, and if he find it not there, hates them most that most pretend it; so that art of dissembling, never so well studied, cannot pass in this King's court, to whom all hearts are open, and all desires known. When after variances men are brought to an agreement, they are much subject to this, rather to cover their remaining malices with superficial verbal forgiveness, than to dislodge them, and free the heart of them, this is a poor self-deceit, as the philosopher said to him that being ashamed that he was espied by him in a tavern in the outer room withdrew himself to the inner, he called after him, that's not the way out, the more you go that way you will be the further within it. When hatreds upon admonition are not thrown out, but retire inward to hide themselves, they grow deeper, and stronger than before, and those constrained semblances of reconcilement are but a false healing, do but skin it over, and therefore usually it breaks forth worse again.
How few are there that have truly maliceless hearts, and find this entire upright affection towards their brethren meeting them in their whole conversation, this law of love deeply impressed on their hearts, and from there expressed in their words, and actions, and that is unfeigned love as real to their brethren as to themselves.
2. It must be pure, from a pure heart, this is not all one with the former as some take it: 'Tis true doubleness, and hypocrisy is an impurity, and a great one, but all impurity is not doubleness, one may really mean that friendship, and affection he expresses and yet it may be most contrary to that which is here required, because impure; such a brotherly love, as that of Simeon and Levi brethren in iniquity as the expressing them brethren (Genesis 49) is taken to mean. When hearts are cemented together by impurity itself, by ungodly conversation and society in sin, as in uncleanness, or drunkenness, etc. This is a swinish fraternity, and friendship that is contracted as it were by wallowing in the same mire, call it good fellowship or what you will, all the fruit that in the end can be expected out of unholy friendliness, and fellowship in sinning together, is to be tormented together, and add each to the torment of another.
The mutual love of Christians must be pure, arising from such causes as are pure and spiritual, from the sense of our Saviour's command, and of his example: for he himself joins that with it. A new commandment give I you, says he, that as I have loved you so you also love one another. They that are indeed lovers of God are united, by that their hearts meet in him, as in one center. They cannot but love one another; where a godly man sees his Father's image, he is forced to love it, he loves those he perceives godly, so as to delight in them, because that image is in them, and those that appear destitute of it, he loves them so, as to wish them partakers of that image. And this is all for God, he loves Amicum in Deo & inimicum propter Deum. That is, he loves a friend in God, and an enemy for God. And as the Christian's love is pure in its cause, so in its effects, and exercise, his society, and converse with any, tends mainly to this, that he may mutually help, and be helped in the knowledge, and love of God, desires most, that he and his brethren may jointly mind their journey heavenwards, and further one another in their way to the full enjoyment of God. And this is truly the love of a pure heart, that both begins and ends in God.
Fervently] Not after a cold indifferent manner. Let the love of your brethren be as a fire within you, consuming that selfishness that is so contrary to it, and is so natural to men, let it set your thoughts on work to study how to do others good, let your love be an active love, intense within you, and extending itself in doing good to the souls, and bodies of your brethren as they need, and you are able, Alium re, alium concilio, alium gratia. as Sen. de benef. Lib. 1. cap. 2.
It is self-love that contracts the heart, and shuts out all other love both of God and men, save only so far as our own interest carries, and that is still self-love: but the love of God dilates the heart, purifies love, and extends it to all men, but after a special manner directs it to those that are more peculiarly beloved of him, and that is here the particular love required.
Love of the brethren] In this is implied our obligation to it after a special manner, to love those of the household of faith, because they are our brethren. This concludes not only, as Abraham said that there ought to be no strife; but it binds most strongly to this sincere and pure and fervent love; and therefore the Apostle in the next verse repeats expressly the doctrine of the mysterious new birth, and explains it more fully, which he had mentioned in the entrance of the Epistle and again referred to it, verse 14, 17.
There is in this fervent love, sympathy with the griefs of our brethren, desire and endeavour to help them, bearing their infirmities, and recovering them too, if it may be; raising them when they fall, admonishing and reproving them as is needful, sometimes sharply, and yet still in love, rejoicing in their good, in their gifts, and graces, so far from envying them, that we be glad as if they were our own, there is the same blood running in their veins, you have the same Father, and the same spirit within you, and the same Jesus Christ the head of that glorious fraternity, the first born among many brethren, of which the Apostle says (Ephesians 1:10) that he has recollected into one, all things in heaven and in earth. The word is, gathered them into one head. And so suits very fitly to express that our union in him, in whom, says he, in that same Epistle (chapter 4:16) the whole body is fitly compacted together, and adds that which agrees to our purpose, that this body grows up and edifies itself in love. All the members receive spirits from the same head and are useful and serviceable one to another, and to the whole body. Thus these brethren receiving of the same spirit from their head Christ, are most strongly bent to the good one of another. If there be but a thorn in the foot, the back bows, the head stoops down, the eyes look, the hands reach to it, and endeavor its help, and ease. In a word, all the members partake of the good, and evil one of another. Now by how much this body is more spiritual, and lively, so much the stronger must the union and love of the parts of it be each to other. You are brethren by the same new birth, and born to the same inheritance, and such an one as shall not be an apple of strife among you, to beget debates and contentions. No, 'tis enough for all, and none shall prejudge another, but you shall have joy in the happiness one of another, seeing you shall then be perfect in love, all harmony, no difference in judgment, nor affection, all your harps tuned to the same new song, which you shall sing for ever, let that love begin here which shall never end.
And this same union (I conceive) is likewise pressed in the first words of the verse, seeing you are partakers of that work of sanctification by the same word, and the same spirit that works it in all the faithful, and by that are called, and incorporate into that fraternity; therefore live in it and like it. You are purified to it, therefore love one another after that same manner purely, let the profane world scoff that name of brethren, you will not be so foolish as to be scorned out of it, being so honorable, and happy, and the day is at hand wherein those that scoff you, would give much more than all that the best of them ever possessed in the world to be admitted into your number.
Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit] Here is: 1. The chief seat, or subject of the work of sanctification, the soul. 2. The subordinate means, truth. 3. The nature of it, obeying of truth. 4. The chief worker of it, the Holy Spirit.
For the first,] It is no doubt a work that goes through the whole man, renews and purifies all (Hebrews 10:22; 2 Corinthians 7:1). But because it purifies the soul, therefore it is that which does purify all. There begins impurity (Matthew 15): not only evil thoughts, but all evil actions come forth from the heart, which is there all one with the soul, and therefore this purifying begins there, makes the tree good that the fruit may be good. It is not so much external performances that are the difference of men, as their inward temper; we meet here in the same place, and all partake of the same word, and prayer. But how wide a difference is there in God's eye, between an unwashed profane heart, in the same exercise, and a soul purified in some measure in obeying the truth, and desirous to be further purified by further obeying it.
2. That which is the subordinate means of this purity is the truth, or the word of God. It is truth, and pure in itself, and begets truth, and purity in the heart, by teaching it concerning the holy and pure nature of God, showing it, and his holy will, which is to us the rule of purity. And by representing Jesus Christ to us as the fountain of our purity, and renovation, from whose fullness we may receive grace for grace.
3. The nature of this work, that wherein the very being of this purifying consists, is the receiving, or obeying of this truth — so (Galatians 3:1), where it is put for right believing. The chief point of obedience is believing; the proper obedience to truth is to give credit to it; and this divine belief does necessarily bring the whole soul into obedience, and conformity to that pure truth, which is in the word, and so the very purifying, and renewing of the soul is this obedience of faith, as unbelief is its chief impurity and disobedience. Therefore (Acts 15:9), faith is said to purify the heart.
4. The chief worker of this sanctification is the Holy Spirit of God; they are said here to purify themselves. For it is certain, and undeniable that the soul itself does act in believing, or obeying the truth, but not of itself — it is not the first principle of motion. They purify their souls, but it is by the Spirit. They do it by his enlivening power, and a purifying virtue received from him. Faith, or obeying the truth works this purity: but the Holy Ghost works that faith, as in the aforecited place, God is said to purify their hearts by faith (verse 8). He does that by giving them the Holy Ghost. The truth is pure, and purifying, yet can it not of itself purify the soul, but by the obeying or believing it, and the soul cannot obey, or believe, but by the Spirit, which works in it that faith, and by that faith purifies it, and works love in it. It is the impurity and earthliness of men's minds that is the great cause of [reconstructed: disunion], and disaffection among them, and of all their [reconstructed: strifes] (James 4:1).
This Spirit is that fire that refines, and purifies the soul from the dross of earthly desires that possess it, and sublimates it to the love of God, and of his saints because they are his, and are purified by the same Spirit. It is the property of fire to draw together things of the same kind. The outward fire of enmities, and persecution that are kindled against the godly by the world, does somewhat, and if it were more considered by them would do more in this knitting their hearts closer one to another, but it is this inward pure and purifying fire of the Holy Ghost that does most powerfully unite them.
The true reason why there is so little truth of this Christian mutual love among those that are called Christians, is because there is so little of this purifying obedience to the truth from where it flows. Faith unfeigned would beget this love unfeigned; men may exhort to them both, but they require the hand of God to work them in the heart.
