1 Peter 2:4-5
4. To whom coming to a living Stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. 5. You also, as living 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 motives of all his duties, is his near relation to Jesus Christ. From 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, 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 is a spiritual building. Time and place (we know) received their being from God, and he was eternally before both, therefore styled by the prophet, the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity: 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 called his holy place and the habitation of his holiness and glory. 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 excellency, he has a house wherein 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 therefore will be worshipped in spirit and in truth. 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 for ever, to have a number of his reasonable creatures to enjoy him and glorify him in eternity; and from eternity he knew what the dimensions and frame and materials of it should be. The continuance of this present world, as now it 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 designing 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 — as 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 — temples of the Holy Spirit — though taking the temple, or building in a more complete sense, they are but each one a part, or a stone of it, as here it is expressed.
The whole excellency of this building is comprised in this, that it is called spiritual, differencing it from all other buildings, and preserving it to them. And because he speaks immediately after of a priesthood and sacrifices, it seems to be called a spiritual building particularly in opposition to that material temple wherein the Jews gloried, which was now null in regard of its former use, and was wholly after destroyed. But when it stood, and the legal use of it stood in fullest vigor, yet in this still it was inferior, that it was not a spiritual house made up of living stones as this, but of a like matter with other earthly buildings.
The spiritual house is the palace of the great King, 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 that wishes so many prosperities, one is that their daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace — thus is the Church, that is called the King's daughter (Psalm 45); but her comeliness is invisible to the world. She is all glorious within; through sorrows and persecutions she may be smoky and black to the world's eye, as the tents of Kedar, but in regard of spiritual beauty she is comely as the curtains of Solomon. And in this the Jews' 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 is 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 spiritualness, and so to be more like itself, and 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, but abated sensibly in spiritual excellencies. But the spiritualness of this building will better appear in considering particularly the materials of it as here expressed.
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 (John 6), 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, 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, Ephesians 2) all the building is fitly framed together. 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 in chapter 4 for the church under the similitude of a body. Now that it is there said (chapter 2, verse 20) to be built upon the foundation of the prophets and apostles is no other but 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, and therefore is out of the reach of all enemies, and above the power of the gates of hell. Fear not then when you see the storms arise and the winds blow against this spiritual building, for it shall stand; it is built upon an invisible, immovable rock, and great Babylon, Rome itself, that under the false title and pretense of supporting this building is working to overthrow it, shall be utterly overthrown and laid equal with the ground, and never be rebuilt again. But this foundation stone, as it is commended by its quality — that it is a living and enlivening stone, having life and giving life to those that are built on it — is further described by God's choosing it, and its own worth, both opposed to men's disesteem, and therefore said here to be chosen of God. God did indeed from eternity contrive this building and choose this same foundation, and accordingly in the fullness of time did perform his purpose, so the thing being one, we may take it either for his purpose, or performance, or both. Yet it seems most suitable to the strain of the words and the place after alleged, for laying him in Zion and opposing the rejection of men, that we take it for God's actually employing of Jesus Christ in the work of our redemption — he only fit for that work, impossible utterly that any other should bear the weight of that service [and so of this building] but he who was Almighty. Therefore the spouse calls him the select, or choice of ten thousand, yet rejected of men. There is that antipathy (so to speak) between the mind of God and corrupt nature; the things that are highly esteemed with men are abomination to God; and thus we see here that which is highly esteemed with God is cast and disallowed by men. But sure there is no comparison: the choosing and esteem of God stands, and by that (judge men of Christ as they will) he is the foundation of this building. And he is in true value answerable to this esteem — precious, which seems to signify a kind of inward worth, hidden from the eyes of men, blind unbelieving men, but well known to God and to those to whom he reveals him. And this is the very cause of his rejection by the most: the ignorance of his worth and excellence. As a precious stone that the skillful lapidary esteems much worth, an ignorant beholder makes little or no account of.
These things hold likewise in the other stones of this building, chosen before time — all that should be of this building foreordained in God's purpose, all written in that book beforehand, and then in due time they are chosen by actual calling according to that purpose. Hewn out and severed by God's own hand out of the quarry of corrupt nature, dead stones in themselves as the rest, but made living by his bringing them to Christ, and so made truly precious and accounted precious by him that has made them so. All the stones in this building are called God's jewels (Malachi 3), though they be vilified and scoffed and despised by men. Though they pass for fools and the refuse of the world, yet they may easily digest all that in the comfort of this: if chosen of God and precious in his eyes, this is the very lot of Christ, and therefore by that the more welcome that it conforms them to him, suits these stones to their foundation.
And if we look rightly at it, what a poor despicable thing is the esteem of men? How soon is it past — it is a small thing for me, says the Apostle, to be judged of men. Now that God often chooses for this building such stones as men cast away as good for nothing, see (1 Corinthians 1). And where he says (Isaiah 51) that he dwells in the high and holy place, what is his other dwelling? His habitation on earth — is it in great palaces and courts? No, but with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit. Now these are the basest in men's account, yet he chooses them and prefers them to all other palaces and temples (Isaiah 66:1-2): you cannot gratify me with any dwelling, for I myself have made all, and a surer house than any you can make me — the heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool — but I, that am so high, am pleased to regard the lowly.
3. To whom coming] First: coming, then built up. They that come to Christ, come not only from the world, that lies in wickedness, but out of themselves. Of a great many that seem to come to Christ, it may be said, that they are not come to him, because they have not left themselves. This is believing on him, which is the very resigning the soul to Christ, and living by him. You will not come to me that you may have life, says Christ (John 5:40). He complains of it as a wrong done to him: but the loss is ours, it is his glory to give us life, that were dead: but it is our happiness to receive that life from him. Now these stones come to their foundation, which imports the moving of the soul to Christ, being moved by his Spirit, and that the will acts, and willingly, for it cannot act otherwise: but as being acted, and drawn by the Father. John 6: No man can come to me except the Father draw him. And the outward means of drawing, is by the word, it is the sound of that harp, that brings the stones of this spiritual building together, and then being united to Christ they are built up. That is as Saint Paul expresses it (Ephesians 2:21): they grow up to a holy temple in the Lord.
In times of peace, the Church may dilate more, and build as it were into breadth: but in trouble, it arises more in height, is built upwards, as in cities, where men are constrained, they build usually higher than in the country. Notwithstanding the Church's afflictions, yet still the building is going forward, it is built (as Daniel speaks of Jerusalem) in troublous times. And it is this which the Apostle intends as suiting with his foregoing exhortation — this may be read exhortatively too, but taking it rather as asserting their condition, it is for this end, that they may remember to be like it, and grow up. For this end he expressly calls them living stones, an adjunct not usual for stones, but here inseparable. And therefore though the Apostle changes the similitude from infants, to stones; yet he will not let go this quality of living, as making chiefly for his purpose.
To teach us the necessity of growth in believers, they are therefore much compared to things that grow — to trees planted in fruitful growing places, as by the river of waters; to cedars in Lebanon where they are tallest. To the morning light, to infants on the breast, and here where the word seems to refuse it, to stones, yet (it must and well does admit this unusual epithet) they are called living and growing stones.
If then you would have the comfortable persuasion of that union with Christ, see whether you find your souls established upon Jesus Christ, finding him as your strong foundation, not resting on yourselves, nor on any other thing either within you, or without you, but supported by him alone, drawing life from him by virtue of that union as from a living foundation, so as to say, with the Apostle, I live by faith in the Son of God, who both loved me, and given himself for me.
As these stones are built on Christ by faith, so they are cemented one to another by love, and therefore, where that is not, it is but a delusion to think themselves parts of this building. As it is knit to him, it is knit together in itself through him, and if dead stones in a building support and strengthen mutually one another, how much more ought living stones in an active lively way to do so. The stones of this building keep their place, the lower rise not up to be in the place of the higher, as the Apostle speaks of the parts of the body, so the stones of this building in humility and love, keep their station, and grow up in it, edifying in love (Ephesians 4:16). The Apostle importing, that the want of this, much prejudges edification.
These stones because living, therefore they grow in the life of grace, and spiritualness; being a spiritual building, so that if we find not this, but our hearts are still carnal, and glued to the earth — minding earthly things, wiser in those, than in spiritual things — this evidences strongly against us, that we are not of this building. How few of us have that spiritualness that becomes the temples of the Holy Ghost or the stones of it, base lusts, and those still lodging, and ruling within us, and so hearts as cages of unclean birds, and filthy spirits.
Consider this as our happiness, and the unsolidness of other comforts, and privileges, if some have called those stones happy, that were taken for the building of temples, or altars, beyond those in common houses, how true is it here — happy indeed the stones, that God chooses to be living stones in this spiritual temple, though they be hammered, and hewed to be polished for it, by afflictions and the inward work of mortification, and repentance, it is worth the enduring all, to be fitted for this building. Happy they, beyond all the rest of men, though they be set in never so great honors, as prime parts of political buildings, states, and kingdoms in the courts of kings — yes, or kings themselves: for all other buildings and all the parts of them shall be demolished and come to nothing from the foundation, to the capstone, all your houses both cottages, and palaces — the elements shall melt away; and the earth with all the works in it shall be consumed, as our Apostle has it. But this spiritual building, shall grow up to Heaven, and being come to perfection, shall abide for ever in perfection of beauty, and glory, in it shall be found no unclean thing, nor unclean person: but only they that are written in the Lamb's book of Life.
An holy priesthood] As the worship, and ceremonies of the Jewish Church were all shadows of Jesus Christ, and have their accomplishment in him not only after a singular manner in his own Person; but in a derived way, in his mystical body, his Church. The Priesthood of the Law represented him, as the great high priest, that offered up himself for our sins, and that is altogether incommunicable; neither is there any peculiar office of priesthood for offering sacrifice in the Christian Church, but his alone who is head of it. But this dignity that is here mentioned of a spiritual priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifice, is common to all those, that are in Christ — as they are living stones built on him into a spiritual temple, so they are priests of that same temple, made by him (Revelation 1:6). As he was after a transcendent manner, temple, and priest, and sacrifice; so in their kind, are Christians all these three through him; and by his Spirit, that is in them, their offerings through him are made acceptable.
We have here, 1. The Office. 2. The service of that Office. 3. The success of that Service.
The death of Jesus Christ, as being every way powerful for reconcilement, and union, did not only break the partition wall of guiltiness that stood between God and Man, but the wall of ceremonies that stood between the Jews, and Gentiles, made all that believe one with God, and made of both one as the Apostle speaks, united them one to another, the way of salvation made known, not to one nation only, but to all people, that whereas the knowledge of God was confined to one little corner, it is now diffused through the nations, and whereas the dignity of their priesthood stayed in a few persons, all they that believe are now thus dignified to be priests to God the Father, and this was signified by the rending the veil of the Temple at his death, not only that those ceremonies, and sacrifices were to cease, as being all fulfilled in him: But that the people of God, that were before by that veil held out in the outer court, were to be admitted into the holy place, as being all of them priests and fitted to offer sacrifices.
The priesthood of the Law was holy, and its holiness was signified by many outward things suitable to their manner, by anointings, and washings, and vestments; but in this spiritual priesthood of the Gospel, holiness itself is in stead of all those, as being the substance of all, the Children of God are all anointed, and purified, and clothed with holiness. But then.
2 There is here the service of this office namely to offer, There is no priesthood without sacrifice, for these are relative, and this was the chief employment of the legal priests, now because the priesthood here spoken of, is altogether spiritual, therefore the sacrifices must be so too, as the Apostle here expresses it.
We are saved the pains, and cost of bringing bullocks, and rams, and other such sacrifices, and these are in their stead; as the Apostle speaks in Hebrews 7 of the high priesthood of Christ, that the priesthood being changed there followed of necessity a change of the Law, so in this priesthood of Christians, there is a change of the kind of sacrifice, from the other. All sacrifice is not taken away, but it is changed from the offering of those things formerly in use, to spiritual sacrifices.
Now these are every way preferable, they are easier, and cheaper to us, and yet more precious, and acceptable to God. As here follows in the text, even in the time when the other sacrifices were in request, yet those spiritual offerings, had ever the precedence in God's account, and without them, he hated, and despised all burnt offerings, and the largest sacrifices, though they were then conformed to his own appointment; how much more should we abound in spiritual sacrifice, that are eased of the other? How much more holds that answer now, that was given even in those times (Micah 6:6), With what shall I come before the Lord, etc. you need not all that trouble and expense, it is at hand that God requires most of all, namely, to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. So (Psalm 50:23). That which is peculiarly spoken of Christ holds in Christians by conformity with him.
But though the spiritual sacrificing is easier in its own nature, yet to the corrupt nature of Man it is by far the harder. He would rather choose still all the toil, and cost of the former way, if it were in his option; this was the sin of the Jews, in those times, that they leaned the soul upon the bodies service too much, and would have done enough of that to be dispensed from this spiritual service. Hence are the Lord's frequent reproofs and complaints in this, Psalm 50, Isaiah 1, etc. Hence the willingness in Popery for outward work, for penances, and satisfactions of bodies, and purses, any thing of that kind, if it might serve, rather than the inward work of repentance, and mortification, the spiritual service, and sacrifices of the soul, but the answer of all those from God is that of the Prophet who required these things at your hands.
Indeed the works of charity they press, if they be done with a right hand, and the left hand not so much as acquainted with the business, as our Saviour speaks, Let not your left hand know what your right hand does. They must be done with a right, and singular intention, and from a right principle moving to them, without any vain opinion of meriting by them with God, or any vain desire of gaining applause with Men; but merely, out of love to God, and to Man for his sake, thus they are one of these spiritual sacrifices. And therefore ought by no means to be neglected by Christian priests, that is by any that are Christians.
Another spiritual sacrifice is, The Prayers of the Saints (Revelation 5:8) (Psalm 141:2). Let my Prayer be set forth before you as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as an Evening Sacrifice. It is not the composure of Prayer, or the eloquence of expression that is the sweetness of it in God's account, and makes it a sacrifice of a pleasing smell or sweet odor to him: But the breathing forth the desire of the heart, that is it, that makes it a spiritual sacrifice, otherwise it is as carnal, and dead, and worthless in God's account, as the carcasses of beasts. Incense can neither smell, nor ascend without fire, no more does Prayer unless it arise from a bent of spiritual affection, it is that both makes it smell, and sends it heavenward, makes it never leave moving upward till it come before God, and smell sweet in his nostrils, which few, too few of our Prayers do.
Praise also is a sacrifice, to make respectful and honourable mention of the Name of God, and of his goodness, to bless him humbly and heartily (Hebrews 13:15) (Psalm 50:14, 23). Offer to God thanksgiving — whoever offers praise glorifies me. And this is that sacrifice that shall never end, but continues in Heaven to Eternity. Then a holy course of life is called the Sacrifice of Righteousness (Psalm 4:6) (Philippians 4:18) (Hebrews 13:16), where he shows what sacrifices succeed to those, that thus he has taught, so much are abolished. Christ sacrificed for us, and that only powerful to take away sin; but our gratulatory sacrifices, praise and alms are as incense burnt to God, of which as the bystanders find the sweet smell so the holy life of a Christian, smell sweet to those with whom they live, but the wicked as putrefied carcasses are of a noisome smell to God, and Man. (Psalm 14:4) They are corrupt, they have done abominable works.
In a word, that our sacrifice, that includes all these, and without which, none of these, can be rightly offered, is ourselves, our whole selves, our bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1), and they are not that, without our souls; it is our heart given, that gives all the rest, for that commands all. My Son give me your heart, and then the other will follow. Your eyes will delight in my ways — this makes the eyes, and ears, and tongue, and hands, and all to be holy, as God's peculiar, being once given, and consecrated to him, and therefore sacrilege to turn them to any unholy use. This makes a man delight to hear, and speak of things that concern God, and to think on him frequently, to be holy in his secret thoughts, and all his ways; in everything we bring him, every thanksgiving and prayer we offer, his eye is upon the heart, he looks if it be in together with our offering, and if he misses it, cares not for all the rest, but throws it back again.
The heart must be offered withal and the whole heart, all of it entirely given to him: se totum obtulit Christus pro nobis. In another sense, which crosses not this, it must not be whole but broken (Psalm 51). But if you find it unbroken, yet give it him, with a desire that it may be broken; and if it be broken, and when you have given it him, he break it more, indeed and melt it too, yet you will not regret your gift, for he breaks, and melts it, that he may refine it, and make it up in a new and excellent frame, and may impress his own image on it, make it holy, and so like to himself.
Let us then give him ourselves, or nothing, and to give ourselves to him, is not his advantage but ours, as the philosopher said to his poor scholar, that when others gave him great gifts told him, he had nothing but himself to give. It is well, said he, and I will endeavour to give you back to yourself, better than I received you. Thus does God with us, and a Christian makes himself his daily sacrifice, he renews this gift of himself every day to God, and receiving it every day bettered again, still he has the more light to give it, as being fitter for God, the more it is sanctified by former sacrificing.
Now that, whereby we offer all other spiritual sacrifices, and ourselves withal, is love — that is the holy fire that burns up all, sends up our prayers, and our hearts, and our whole selves a whole burnt offering to God, and as the fire of the altar, it is originally from heaven, being kindled by God's own love to us, and by this the Church and each believer ascends like a straight pillar of smoke, as the word is (Song of Solomon 3:6), going even up to God perfumed with aloes, and all the spices, all the graces of the Spirit, received from Christ, but above all with his own merits.
How far from this is the common multitude of us though professing to be Christians? Who considers his holy calling: as the peculiar holiness of the ministry should be much in their eye and thoughts that are called to it, to study to be answerably eminent in holiness, so all that are Christians consider you are priests to God, being called a holy priesthood; thus you ought to be, but if we speak what we are indeed, we must say rather we are an unholy priesthood, a shame to that name and holy profession, instead of the sacrifices of a godly life, and the incense of prayer, and praise in families, and alone, what is with many, but the filthy vapors of profane speaking, and a profane life, as a noisome smell arising out of a dunghill.
But you that have once offered up yourselves to God, and are still doing so, with all the services you can reach, continue so, and be assured, that however unworthy yourselves, and all your offerings be, yet they shall not be rejected.
The third thing here observable is the success of that service, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:16). The children of God do delight in offering sacrifices to him: but if they might not know that they were well taken at their hands, this would discourage them much; therefore this is added; how often do the godly find it in their sweet experience? That when they come to pray, he welcomes them, and gives them such evidences of his love, as they would not exchange for all worldly pleasures, and when this does not so immediately appear at other times, yet they ought to believe it, he accepts themselves and their ways offered in sincerity, though never so mean, though they sometimes have no more, but a sigh or groan — it is most properly a spiritual sacrifice.
Stay not away because you, and your gifts you offer, are below others; no, none are excluded for that, only give what you have, and act with affection, for that he regards most: under the law they that had not a lamb, were welcome with a pair of pigeons, so that the Christian may say, What I am, Lord, I offer myself to you, to be wholly yours, and had I a thousand times more of outward, or inward gifts, all should be yours, had I more estate, or wit, or learning, or power, I would endeavour to serve you with all. What I have I offer you, and it is most truly yours, it is but of your own that I give you. None needs forbear sacrifice for poverty, for that he desires is the heart, and there is none so poor but has a heart to give him.
But meanness is not all, there is a guiltiness on ourselves, and on all we offer, our prayers and services are all polluted: but this hinders not neither; for our acceptance, is not for ourselves; but for one, who has no guiltiness at all. Acceptable by Jesus Christ] In him our persons are clothed with righteousness, and in his clothing, we are as Isaac said of Jacob in his brother's garments, as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed. And all our other sacrifices, our prayers, and services if we offer them by him, and put them into his hand to offer to the Father, then doubt not they will be accepted in him, for this by Jesus Christ, is relative both to our offering and acceptance, we ought not to offer anything, but by him (Hebrews 13:15). And so we are well pleasing, for he is his well-beloved Son, in whom his soul is delighted, not only delighted, and pleased with himself, but in him, with all things and persons that appear in him, and are presented by him.
And this alone answers all our doubts, for we ourselves, for as little as we see that way, yet may see so much in our best services, so many wanderings in prayer, so much deadness, etc. as would make us still doubtful of acceptance, and might say with Job, although he had answered me, yet would I not believe that he had hearkened to me, were it not this, that our prayers, and all our sacrifices pass through Christ's hand, he is that Angel that has much sweet odors, to mingle with the prayers of the saints, he purifies them with his own merits, and intercession, and so makes them pleasing to the Father. How ought our hearts to be knit to him? By whom we are brought into favor with God, and kept in favor with him, in whom we obtain all the good we receive, and in whom all we offer is accepted. In him are all our supplies of grace, and our hopes of glory.
