1 Peter 2:17

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the King.

This is a precious cluster of divine precepts; the whole face of the heavens is adorned with stars, but of different greatness, and in some parts they are thicker set than in the rest — thus is it likewise in the holy Scriptures, and these are the two books that the Psalmist sets open before us (Psalm 19). The heavens are a choice piece of the works of God instructing us, and the word of God is more full and clear than they. Here is a constellation of very bright stars near together. These words have — very briefly, and yet not obscured by brevity, but also very plainly — the sum of our duty toward God and men: to men both in general, "Honor all men," and in special relations, in their Christian or religious relation, "Love the brotherhood," and a chief civil relation, "Honor the King." And our whole duty to God, comprised under the name of his fear, is set in the middle between these, as the common spring of all duty to men and of all due observance of it, and the sovereign rule by which it is to be regulated.

I shall speak of them as they lie in the text; we need not labor about the connection, for in such variety of brief practical directions it has not such place as in doctrinal discourses. The Apostle having spoken of one particular wherein he would have his brethren clear and commend their Christian profession, now accumulates these directions as most necessary, and after goes on to particular duties of servants, etc. But first observe in general how plain, and easy, and how few these things are that are the rule of our life — no dark sentences to puzzle the understanding, nor large discourses and long periods to burden the memory; they are all plain. There is nothing twisted nor distorted in them, as wisdom speaks of her instructions (Proverbs 8).

And this gives check to a double folly among men, contrary the one to the other, but both agreeing in mistaking and wronging the word of God. The one is of those that despise the word, and that doctrine and preaching that is conformed to it, for its plainness and simplicity. These certainly do not take the true end for which the word is designed — that it is the law of our life, and it is mainly requisite in laws that they be both brief and clear — that it is our guide and light to happiness, and if that which ought to be our light be darkness, how great will that darkness be?

It is true (but I am not now to insist on this point) that there are dark and deep passages in Scripture for the exercise, yes for the humbling, yes for the amazing and astonishing of the sharpest-sighted readers. But this argues much the pride and vanity of men's minds when they busy themselves only in those, and throw aside altogether the most necessary — which are therefore the easiest and plainest truths in it. As in nature, those commodities that are of greatest necessity God has made most common and easiest to be had, so in religion, such as these now in our hands, that are given us to live and walk by. And in the search of things that are more obscure and less useful, men evidence that they would rather be learned than holy, and have still more mind to the tree of knowledge than the tree of life. And in hearing of the word, they that are any bit more knowing than ordinary — are they not still gaping after new notions? Something to add to the stock of their speculative and discoursing knowledge, loathing this daily manna, these profitable exhortations, and requiring meat for their lust. There is an intemperance of the mind as well as of the mouth. You would think it, and may be not spare to call it a poor cold sermon, that were made up of such plain precepts as these: Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the King. And yet this is the language of God — it is his way, this foolish, despicable way by which he guides and brings to heaven them that believe.

Again we have others that are still complaining of the difficulty and darkness of the word of God and divine truths. To say nothing of Rome's doctrine, that talk thus to excuse their sacrilege of stealing away the word from the people of God — a senseless pretext, though it were true, because the word is dark of itself, that therefore they should make it darker, locking it up under an unknown tongue. But we speak of the common vulgar excuse that the gross ignorance and profaneness of many seeks to shelter under: that they are not learned and cannot reach the doctrine of the Scriptures. There are deep mysteries there indeed, but what do you say to these things — such rules as these: Honor all men, etc. Are such as these riddles that you cannot know their meaning? For do not all understand them, and all neglect them? Why do you not set yourself to do these? And then you should understand more. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments, says the Psalmist. And as one said well, the best way to understand the mysterious and high discourse in the beginning of Saint Paul's epistles is to begin at the practice of these rules and precepts that are in the latter end of them. The way to [reconstructed: attain] to know more were to receive the truth in the love of it and obey what you know. The truth is, such truths as these will leave you inexcusable, even the most ignorant of you — you could not but know, you heard often that you ought to love one another and to fear God, etc. And yet never apply yourselves in earnest to the practice of these things, as will appear to your own consciences if they deal honestly with you in the particulars.

"Honor all men." Honor in a narrower sense is not a universal due to all, but peculiar to some kind of persons. Of this the Apostle says: honor to whom honor, and that in different degrees — to parents and masters and other superiors there is an honor that has, as it were, Caesar's image and superscription on it, and is particularly due to him. And as here it follows, "Honor the King." But there is something that goes not unfittingly under the name of honor, generally due from every man without exception, and it consists — as all honor does — partly in inward esteem of them, partly in outward behavior toward them, and the former must be the ground and cause of the latter.

We owe not the same measure of esteem to all; we may, indeed we ought to take notice of the different outward quality, or inward graces and gifts of men, nor is it a fault to perceive the shallowness and weakness of men with whom we converse, and to esteem more of those on whom God has conferred more of such things as are truly worthy of esteem: But to the meanest we do owe some measure of esteem. 1. Negatively, we are not to entertain despising, disdainful thoughts of any, however worthless and mean, as the admiring of men, the very best is a foolish excess that way, so the total contemning of any, the very poorest, is against this rule, for that contemning of vile persons, the Psalmist speaks of, and commends, is the dislike and hatred of their sin, which is their vileness, and not to account them for outward respects worthy of such esteem, as their wickedness denudes them of. 2. We are to observe and respect the smallest good that is in any, although a Christian be never so base in his outward condition, in body, or mind, of very mean intellectuals, and natural endowments; yet they that know the worth of spiritual things, will esteem the grace of God that is in him in the midst of all those disadvantages, as of a pearl in a rough shell. Grace carries still its own worth, though under a deformed body, and ragged garments; indeed, though they have but a small measure of that neither, the very lowest degree of grace, as a pearl of the least size or a small piece of gold, yet men will not throw it away: But as they say the least shavings of gold are worth the keeping. The Jews would not willingly tread upon the smallest piece of paper in their way, but took it up, for possibly (said they) the name of God may be on it, though there was a little superstition in that, yet truly there is nothing but good religion in it, if we apply it to men, trample not on any. There may be some work of grace there, that you know not of. The name of God may be written upon that soul you tread on, it may be a soul that Christ thought so much of, as to give his precious blood for it, therefore despise it not, much more, I say, if you can perceive any appearance that it is such a one, you ought to esteem wherever you find the least trait of Christ's image: If you love him, you will honor it; or if there be nothing of this to be found in him you look at, yet observe what common gift of any kind God has bestowed on him, judgment, or memory, or faculty in his calling, or any such thing, and these in their degree are to be esteemed, and the person for them. And as there is no man so complete as to have the advantage in every thing; so there is no man so low, and unworthy, but he has some thing wherein he is preferable even to these that in other respects are much more excellent; or imagine, you can find nothing else in some men, yet honor your own nature, esteem humanity in them, especially since humanity is exalted in Christ to be one with the deity, account of him as a man, and with this esteem thirdly goes that general good will and affection due to men. Whereas there be that do not only outwardly express, but inwardly bear more regard to some dog or horse that they love than to poor distressed men, and in so doing do reflect dishonor upon themselves and upon mankind.

The outward behavior wherein we owe honor to all, is nothing but a conformity to this inward temper of mind, for he that inwardly despises none, but esteems the good that is in the lowest, at least that they are men, and loves them as such, will accordingly use no outward sign of disdain of any, will not have a scornful eye, nor a reproachful tongue to move at any, not the meanest of his servants, nor the worst of his enemies; but on the contrary will acknowledge the good of every man, and give to all that outward respect that is convenient for them, and that they are capable of, and be ready to do them good as he has opportunity and ability.

But instead of walking by this rule of honoring all men. What is there almost to be found among men, but a perverse proneness to dishonor one another, and every man ready to dishonor all men, that he may honor himself, reckoning that what he gives to others abates of himself, and taking what he detracts from others as good booty to make up himself. Set men's own interest aside, and that common civility that for their own credit they use one with another, and truly there will be found very little of this real respect to others out of their obedience to God, and love to men, tendering their esteem, and good name, and their welfare as our own: For so the rule is, but mutual disesteem and defaming filling almost all societies.

And the bitter root of this iniquity is, that wicked accursed self love that dwells in us, every man is naturally his own grand idol, would be esteemed and honored by any means, and to magnify that idol self, kills the good name and esteem of others in sacrifice to it. Hence is the narrow observing eye, and broad speaking tongue upon any thing that tends to the dishonor of others, and where other things fail, the disdainful upbraiding of their birth or calling, or any thing that comes next to hand, that serves for a reproach. And hence arises a great part of the jars and strifes among men, the most being drunk with an overweening opinion of themselves, and the worthlessest most. A fool (says Solomon) is wiser in his own conceit than ten men that can render a reason, and not finding others of their mind, this frets and troubles them, they take the ready course to deceive themselves; for they look with both eyes on the failings and defects of others, and scarce give their good, half an eye, on the contrary in themselves, they study to the full their own advantages, and their weaknesses and defects (as he says) they skip over, as children do the hard words in their lesson, that are troublesome to read, and making this uneven parallel, what wonder the result be a gross mistake of themselves. Men miscount themselves at home, they reckoning that they ought to be regarded, and their mind should carry it, and when they come abroad, and are crossed in this, this puts them all out of frame.

But the humble man as he is more conforming to this divine rule, so he has more peace by it, for he sets so low a rate upon himself in his own thoughts, that it is scarce possible for any to go lower in judging of him, and therefore as he pays due respect to others to the full, and so gives no ground of quarrel that way, so he challenges no such debt to himself, and thus avoids the usual contests that arise in this. Only by pride comes contention, says Solomon, a man that will walk abroad in a crowded street cannot choose but be often jostled, but he that contracts himself, passes through more easily.

Study therefore this excellent grace of humility, not the personated acting of it in appearance, which may be a chief agent for pride; but true lowliness of mind, to be nothing in your own eyes, and content to be so in the eyes of others: then will you obey this word, you will esteem as is meet of all men, and not to be troubled though all men disesteem you. As this humility is a precious grace, it is the preserver of all other graces, and without it (if they could be without it) they were but as a box of precious powder carried in the wind without a cover, in danger to be scattered and blown away. If you would have honor, there is an ambition both allowed you, and worthy of you, whoever you are (Romans 2:7; 2 Corinthians 4) other honor, though it have the Hebrew name from weight, is all too light, and weighs only with cares and troubles.

Love the Brotherhood] There is a love as we said due to all included under that word of honoring all, but a peculiar love to our Christian brethren, which the Apostle Paul calls by a like word the household of faith.

Christian brethren are united by a threefold cord two of them common to other men, but the third, the strongest, and theirs peculiarly, their bodies descended of the same man, and their souls of the same God, but their new life by which they are most entirely brethren, is derived from the same God-Man Jesus Christ; indeed in him they are all one body, receiving life from him their glorious head, who is called the firstborn among many brethren and as his unspeakable love was the source of this new being, and fraternity, so out of question it cannot but produce indissoluble love among them that are partakers of it. The Spirit of love and concord is that precious ointment that runs down from the head our great High Priest to the skirts of his garment. The life of Christ, and this law of love is combined and cannot be severed. Can there be enmity between those hearts that meet in him? Why do you pretend yourselves Christians, and yet remain not only strangers to this love, but most contrary to it, biters and devourers one of another, and will not be convinced of the great guiltiness and uncomeliness of strifes and envyings among you, is this the badge that Christ has left his brethren, to wrangle and malign one another? Do you not know on the contrary that they are to be known by mutual love? By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. How often does that Beloved Disciple press this, he drank deep of that wellspring of love that was in the breast on which he leaned, and (if they relate right) he died exhorting this, Love one another. Oh that there were more of this love of Christ in our hearts, arising from the sense of his love to us, and that would teach this mutual love more effectually, which the preaching of it may set before us, but without that, the other cannot work it within us. Why do we still hear these things in vain? Do we believe what the love of Christ did to us, and suffered for us? And will we do nothing for him, not forgive a shadow, a fancy of injury much less a real one, for his sake? And love him that wronged us whoever it is, but especially being one of our brethren in this spiritual sense.

Many are the duties of this peculiar fraternal love, that mutual converse and admonition, and reproof, and comforting, and other duties which are in neglect, not only among formal, but even among real Christians. Let us entreat more of his Spirit, who is Love, and that will mend this.

Fear God] All the rules of equity and charity among men flow from a higher principle and depend upon it, and there is no right observing of them without due regard to that; therefore this word that expresses that principle of obedience is fitly inserted among these. The first [reconstructed: obligation] of man being to the Sovereign Majesty of God that made him, and all their mutual duties one to another derived from that. A man may indeed from moral principles be of a mild inoffensive carriage, and do civil right to all men: but this answers not the divine rule even in these same things after the way that it requires them. The spiritual and religious observance of these duties towards men springs from a respect to God, and terminates there too, begins and ends in him, and generally all obedience to his commands, both such as regulate our behavior towards himself immediately, and such as relate to men, does arise from a holy fear of his name. Therefore this fear of God upon which follows necessarily the keeping of his commandments is given us by Solomon as the total sum of man's business and duty, and so this way to solid happiness — 'tis totum hominis — after he had made his discoveries of all things besides under the sun, gone the whole circuit, and made an exact valuation, and found all to amount to nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit. The account he gives of it, it was all for this purpose, to illustrate and establish this truth the more, and to make it the more acceptable, to be a repose after so much weariness, and such a tedious journey, and so as he speaks there (verse 10), a word of delight as well as a word of truth, that the mind might sit down and quiet itself in this from the turmoil and pursuit of vanity that keeps it busy to no purpose in all other things. But whereas there was emptiness and vanity — that's just nothing — in all other things, there was not only something to be found, but all in this one: this fear of God, and that's the keeping of his commandments, which is the proper fruit of that fear. All the repeated declaring of vanity in other things, both severally and altogether in that book, are but so many strokes to drive and fasten this nail (as it is there, verse 11), this word of wisdom which is the sum of all, and contains all the rest. So Job, after a large inquest for wisdom, searching for its vein as men do for mines of silver and gold, has the return of a Non inventum est from all the creatures — the sea says it is not in me, etc. But in the close finds it in this: the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil, that is understanding.

Under this fear is comprehended all religion, the inward and outward of it, all his worship and service, and all the observance of his commandments which is there (Ecclesiastes 12) and elsewhere expressly joined with it, and therefore is included in it when it is not expressed. So Job 28, to depart from evil, that is understanding, repeating the former words by that. So Psalms 111, verse 10. It has in it all holiness and obedience; they grow all out of it. It is the beginning, and it is the top or consummation of wisdom, for the word signifies both.

Think it not then a trivial common matter to speak or hear of this subject; but take it as our great lesson and business here on earth, that the best proficients in it have yet need to learn it better, and that it requires our unceasing diligence and study all our days.

This fear has chiefly these things. 1. A reverent esteem of the Majesty of God, which is a main fundamental thing in religion, and that molds the heart most powerfully to the obedience of his will. 2. A firm belief of the purity of God, and of his power and justice, that he loves holiness and hates all sin, and can and will punish it. 3. A right apprehension of the bitterness of his wrath and the sweetness of his love, that his incensed anger is the most terrible and intolerable thing in the world, absolutely the most fearful of all evils, and on the other side his love, of all good things the best, the most blessed and delightful, indeed only blessedness. Life is the name of the sweetest good we know, and yet this loving kindness is better than life, says David. 4. It supposes likewise sovereign love to God for his own infinite excellency and goodness. 5. From all these things springs a most earnest desire to please him in all things, and unwillingness to offend him in the least, and because of our danger through the multitude and strength of temptations, and our own weakness, a continual self-suspicion, a holy fear lest we should sin, and a care and watchfulness that we sin not, and deep sorrow and speedy returning, and humbling before him, when we have sinned.

There is indeed a base kind of fear that in the usual distinction they call servile fear: but to account all fear of the judgments and wrath of God a servile fear (or not to stand upon words) — to account such a fear improper to the children of God — I conceive is a wide mistake. Indeed to fear the punishment of sin, without regard to God and his justice as the inflicter of them, or to forbear to sin only because of those punishments, so as if a man can be secured from those he has no other respect to God that would make him fear to offend — this is the character of a slavish and base mind.

Again, for a man so to apprehend wrath in relation to himself as to be still under the horror of it in that notion, and not to apprehend redemption and deliverance by Jesus Christ, is to be under that spirit of bondage which the Apostle speaks of (Romans 8). And such fear, though a child of God may for a time be under it, yet the lively actings of faith and persuasion of God's love, and the feeling of reflective love to him in the soul, does cast it out, according to that of the Apostle (1 John 4:18): true love casts out fear. But to apprehend the punishments the Lord threatens against sin as certain and true, and to consider the greatness and fearfulness of them, but especially the terror of the Lord's anger and hot displeasure above all punishments, and (though not only, no nor chiefly for these) yet in contemplation of those, as very great and weighty, to be afraid to offend that God who has threatened such things as the just reward of sin — this I say is not incongruous with the estate of the sons of God, indeed it is their duty, and their property even thus to fear.

1. This is the very end for which God has published these intimations of his justice, and has threatened to punish men if they transgress, to the end they may fear and not transgress, so that not to look upon them thus, and to be affected with them answerably to their intent were a very grievous sin, a slight and disregard put upon the words of the great God.

2. Of all others the children of God have the rightest and clearest knowledge of God, and the deepest belief of his word, and therefore they cannot choose but be afraid, and more afraid than all others to fall under the stroke of his hand. They know more of the greatness and truth and justice of God than others, and therefore they fear when he threatens. My flesh trembles for fear of you (says David) and I am afraid of your judgments. Indeed, they tremble when they hear the sentence against others, or see the execution on them; it minds them when they see public executions, and knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men, says Paul — they cry out with Moses (Psalm 90) Who knows the power of your anger? Even according to your fear, so is your wrath. It is not an imagination nor invention that makes men fear more than they need — his wrath is as terrible as any that fears it most can apprehend, and beyond. So that this does not only consist with the estate of the saints, but is their very character to tremble at the word of their Lord; the rest neglect what he says till death and judgment seize on them. But the godly know and believe that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

And though they have firm promises, and a kingdom that cannot be shaken, yet they have still this grace by which they serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, even in this consideration, that our God, even he that is ours by peculiar covenant, is a [reconstructed: consuming] fire (Hebrews 12:28-29).

But indeed together with this, indeed more than with these, they are persuaded to fear the Lord by the sense of his great love to them, and the power of that love that works in them towards him, and is wrought in them by his. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days (Hosea 3:5). In those days his goodness shall manifest itself more than before, the beams of his love shall break forth more abundantly in the days of the Gospel, and shall bear more direct and hotter on the hearts of men, and then they shall fear him more, because they shall love him more.

This fear agrees well both with faith and love; indeed, they work it — compare (Psalm 31:23) with (Psalm 34:9) and that same (Psalm 34:8-9) and (Psalm 112:1, 7). The heart touched with the lodestone of divine love trembles still with this godly fear, and yet looks fixedly by faith to that star of Jacob, Jesus Christ, who guides it to the haven of happiness.

The looking upon God in the face of Jesus Christ takes off that terror of his countenance that drives men from him, and in the smiles of his love that appear through Christ, there is such a power as unites their hearts to him, but unites them so as to fear his name, as the Psalmist's prayer is. He puts such a fear in their hearts as will not cause them to depart from him — indeed, causes that they shall not depart from him.

And this is the purest and highest kind of godly fear that springs from love, and though it excludes not the consideration of wrath as terrible in itself, and some fear of it, yet it may surmount it, and doubtless where much of that love possesses the heart, it will sometimes drown the other consideration, so that it shall scarcely be sensible at all, and will constantly set it aside, and persuade a man purely for the goodness and loveliness of God to fear to offend him, though there were no interest at all in it of a man's own personal misery or happiness.

But do we thus fear the Lord our God? What mean then our oaths, and excesses, and uncleanness? Our covetousness, and generally our unholy and unchristian conversation? This fear would make men tremble so as to shake them out of their profane customs, and to shake their beloved sins out of their bosoms; the knowledge of the holy one causes fear of him (Proverbs 9:18).

But alas, we know him not, and therefore we fear him not. Knew we but a little of the great majesty of God, how holy he is, and how powerful a punisher of unholiness, we would not dare to provoke him thus. He that can kill both body and soul, and cast them into hell (as our Saviour tells us) — and he will do so with both, if we will not fear him, because he can do so — and it is told us that we may fear, and so not feel this heavy wrath. A little lively spiritual knowledge would go far and work much, that a great deal, such as ours is, does not. Some such word as that of Joseph would do much, being engraved on the heart: shall I do this evil and sin against God? It would make a man be at no more liberty to sin in secret than in public, not even to dispense with the sin of his thoughts more than of most open words or actions. If some grave wise man did see our secret behavior and our thoughts, would we not look more narrowly to them? And not suffer such rovings and follies in ourselves — sure therefore we forget God's eye, which we could not, if we thought right on it, but respect more than if all men did see within us.

Nor is this only the main point to be pressed upon the ungodly, but the Children of God themselves have much need to be put in mind of it, and to increase in it, how often do they abuse the indulgence of so loving a father, and have not their thoughts so constantly full of him, are not in his fear (as Solomon advises) all the day long, but many times slip out of his directing hand, and wander from him, and do not so deeply fear his displeasure, and so watch over all their ways as becomes them, and keep close by him, and wait on his voice, and obey it constantly, and are not so humbled and afflicted in their repentings for sin as this fear requires, but slight and superficial. They offer much lip labour which is but dead service to the living God. These are things, My beloved, that concerns us much, and that we ought seriously to lay to heart, for even they that are freed from condemnation, yet if they will walk fearlessly and carelessly at any time, he has ways enough to make them smart for't, and if there were no more, should it not wound them deeply, to think how they requite so great, so unspeakable love.

Honour the King,] This was the particular that the Apostle pressed, and insisted on before, and here repeats, as a special duty of the Second Table, and a vindication of Religion wrongfully blamed in this point, but of this before.

This is out of question in the general, only in the measure and rule of it, is the difference, and sure they cannot possibly be satisfied that are so drunk with power, as to admit of none at all, no measure nor rate for it, no banks nor channel for those rivers the hearts and wills of Kings to run in, but if they like to run over all, they may.

This is such a wild conceit as destroys both all law of reason in human societies, and all religious obligation to the Laws of God. For the qualification and measure, I shall mention no other, but that in the Text, that it be always regulated by this, that here goes before it, the fear of God, that we never think of any such obedience, and honor due to Kings as crosses that fear that is due to God, Let Kings, and Subjects, and all know, that they are absolutely bound to this, it is spoke to Kings (Psalm 2) serve the Lord in fear, and (Psalm 9:6) to all men fear before him all the earth, for he is great and greatly to be praised, He is to be feared above all Gods. What is Man in respect of him? Shall a worm whose breath is in his nostrils stand in competition with the ever-living God? Shall an earthen potsherd strive with his maker? Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth, Let them work one against another and try which is hardest, and so they shall often break each other, but woe to him that strives with his maker. There's nothing there, but certain perishing. As we conclude in the question with Rome of the honor due to Saints, and Angels, honor let them have good reason, but not Divine Honor, not God's peculiar, so in this, give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's but still give to God the things that are God's.

But it is a miserable estate of a Kingdom when debates arise, and increase in this, and their happiness is, when Kings, and People concur to honor God: For those that honor him, he will honor. And whoever despises him shall be despised.