1 Peter 5

If the Saints' glory in Heaven were but for a time, and they were in fear of losing it, it would eclipse and embitter the joys of Heaven, but eternity is written upon their joys. The garland made of flowers of Paradise fades not (1 Peter 5:4). I have read of a river which they c…

When all worldly honor shall lie in the dust, the mace, the star, the robe of ermine, the imperial diadem, then shall the saints' honor remain; not one jewel shall be plucked out of their crown; they shall gain at Death a blessed eternity. If the saints could have but the least…

The eagle that flies high cannot be stung with the serpent: death gives the soul the wing of the eagle, that it flies above all these venomous serpents here below. 5. Temptation: though Satan be a conquered enemy — yet he is a restless enemy (1 Peter 5:8). He walks about; the de…

Second, The best way for Christians to be settled, is to be well grounded. Doctrine 1. That it is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith: It is the Apostle's prayer, (1 Peter 5:10). The God of all grace stablish, strengthen, settle you. That they might not…

Christ makes all his subjects kings (Revelation 2:10): I'll give you a crown of life. This crown will be full of jewels, and it will never fade (1 Peter 5:5). 2. Christ is a King in reference to his enemies, in subduing and conquering them: he pulls down their pride, befools the…

Use 3. of Comfort. As God is a Spirit, so the reward that he gives is spiritual; that is the excellency of it; as the chief blessings he gives us in this life are spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), not gold and silver; he gives Christ, his love; he fills us with grace; so the…

Secondly, if you would be growing Christians, be humble Christians. It is observed in some countries (as in France,) the best and largest grapes which they make their wine of, grow on the lower sort of vines; the humble saints grow most in grace (1 Peter 5:5). God gives grace to…

He is the ancient of days (Daniel 7:9), yet never decays, or waxes old. The joy he gives is eternal, the crown he gives fades not away (1 Peter 5:4). The glorified soul shall be ever solacing itself in God; it shall be feasting on his love, and sunning itself in the light of his…

Christ has sanctified the trouble, and removed the curse. Or rather, he has not only freed believers from misery, but purchased for them a crown of glory and immortality (1 Peter 5:4). When the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.

God lets a poor humble Christian stand, when others of higher parts, and who have higher thoughts of themselves, fall off by apostasy. They are most likely to persevere who God will give most grace to; but he gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). They are most likely to perse…

1. He will give us peace in trouble: when a storm without, he will make music within: the world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble: He will send the Comforter, who as a dove brings an olive branch of peace in his mouth (John 14:16). 2. God will give…

Christian, what does trouble you? You have a God to pardon your sins, to supply your wants: therefore roll your burden on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7). Casting all your care on him.

3. Serving the true God is beneficial; they have great vails here, the hidden manna, inward peace, and a great reward to come. They that serve God, shall have a kingdom when they die (Luke 12:32), and shall wear a crown made of the flowers of paradise (1 Peter 5:4). To serve the…

A crown is the highest ensign of worldly glory; and God has promised a crown of life to them that love him (James 1:12). And it is a never-fading crown (1 Peter 5:4). 4. By our loving God we may know that he loves us (1 John 4:19).

There are three characters. 1. God's covenant people are a humble people (1 Peter 5:5): be clothed with humility. God's people esteem others better than themselves; they shrink into nothing in their own thoughts (Philippians 2:3).

The Roman Emperors have three crowns set upon their heads: the first of iron, the second of silver, the third of gold. So the Lord sets three crowns on his children — grace, comfort, and glory; and this crown is eternal (1 Peter 5:4). You shall receive a crown of glory that fade…

2. The mixing wisdom and innocency, is seen in this; to be humble, but not base: humility is part of the dove's innocency. 1 Peter 5:5: "Be clothed with humility." Saint Paul, though the chief of the apostles, calls himself the least of saints.

Why what shall we be? Every son of God shall have his crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4), and white robes (Revelation 6:11). Robes signify dignity, and white signifies sanctity.

(1.) That starve souls. (1 Peter 5:2) Feed the flock of God which is among you. These feed themselves, and starve the flock: either through non-residing they do not preach, or through insufficiency they cannot.

How does he shoot fiery darts! The Devil is never idle: the Devil is a busy bishop in his diocese, he walks up and down seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Now is not this a reasonable request, to take but as much care for the saving of your souls as the Devil does for the…

When the Devil tempted our Saviour, he fetched armor and weapons from Scripture: It is written (Matthew 4:4, 7). 3. The Holy Scripture is a panacea, or universal medicine for the soul; it gives a receipt to cure deadness of heart (Psalm 119:50), pride (1 Peter 5:5), infidelity (…

Now that the sea, which is higher than the earth, should not drown the earth, is a wonder of Providence; and the prophet Jonah saw the wonders of God in the deep, when the very fish which did devour him and swallow him, did bring him safe to shore. 2. God's Providence reaches to…

3. The blessed promise annexed to perseverance; the promise is a crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Death is a worm that feeds in the crowns of princes, but behold here a living crown, and a never-fading crown (1 Peter 5:4 and Revelation 2:28). He that overcomes, and keeps my work…

Christ was sensible when he sweated great drops of blood, but there was submission to God's will (Matthew 26:39): Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will. We are told to humble ourselves under God's hand (1 Peter 5:6), which we cannot do unless we are sensible of it. 2. A C…

Acts 20:17: he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the Church, and said to them; verse 28: take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers, to feed the Church of God which he has purchased with his own blood. 1 Peter…

Quest. 23. Who are the ordinary officers or ministers of Christ in the Church to be always continued therein? Answ. Those whom the Scripture calls, pastors and teachers, bishops, elders, and guides (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17, 18; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; Philippians 1:1…

(2) Titus 1:7, 8, 9; 2 Timothy 3:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. (3) 1 Peter 5:2, 3. (4) Acts 14:23.

Qu. 26. May a person be called to, or be employed in a part only of the office or work of the ministry, or may he hold the relation and exercise the duty of an Elder or Minister to more Churches than one at the same time? Answ. Neither of these have either warrant or president i…

And therefore (2) Whatever they do as Elders in the Church according to rule, they do it not in the name or authority of the Church by which their power is derived to them, nor as members only of the Church by their own consent or covenant, but in the name and authority of Jesus…

For first, they object against them, that they are lay Elders; when those with whom they have to do, deny that distinction of the Church into the Clergy and Laity. For although they allow the distribution of [illegible], into Officers, and the multitude of the Brethren, yet they…

Nor is it a two-fold power or authority that the Elders of the Church have committed to them; one to teach and another to rule, commonly called the power of order, and of jurisdiction; but it is one power of Office, the duties whereof are of several kinds, referred to the two ge…

And for this end was that buffeting by Satan we have so often mentioned (2 Corinthians 12:7): 'to keep him from being exalted above measure.' So also, 'Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God' (1 Peter 5:6) — and if in any other affliction his mighty hand lays hardest on,…

But herein believers wrestle not alone with flesh and blood and the darkness thereof, but do further conflict also with those spiritual wickednesses, the princes of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), about their interest in those heavenly privileges (as the phrase there used may be well…

Thus that Corinthian was in danger of being swallowed up — as the word signifies — with excessive sorrow, when Satan had to do with him (2 Corinthians 2:7). And the same word is again used of the devil: 'seeking whom to swallow up' (1 Peter 5:8). So as Satan inflames other membe…

For faith in God is the greatest enemy to Satan — it quenches all his darts (Ephesians 6:16). By standing steadfast in which, we resist him so that he flees from us (1 Peter 5:9). As therefore faith is that chief work of God and the master-grace (John 6), so despair and doubting…

Nay, rather take Saint Peter's holy counsel. 1 Peter 5:5. Humble yourself under this so mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.

To them therefore here is matter of good advice. Let such a man learn but one promise of God out of the holy Scripture, as this; Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all things else shall be given unto you, Matthew 6:33: or this; Cast all your care on him, for he careth for you, 1…

God has in the Covenant of Grace promised to preserve the faith and love of his people, that they should not perish nor be lost. Therefore having begun a good work, and you having made some good progress in compliance with his grace, he is not unrighteous so as to forget his cov…

And it cannot be denied but that the abuse hereof laid the foundation of all that swelling secular pride, and cursed domination or lordly rule which afterwards pestered the Church. The two things which the Apostle Peter in one place cautions and charges the elders and guides of…

So is our election (Ephesians 1:4, 5), our vocation (1 Corinthians 1:26, 27), our regeneration (John 1:13; James 1:18), our recovery from sin (Hosea 14:4). So is our peace and all our consolation, from where he is called the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10), and the God of patien…

This the Lord Christ every where warned his disciples of, affirming that those who are not willing to renounce the world, and to take up the Cross, did not belong to him. (2.) For the trial of their faith (1 Peter 5:6, 7). (3.) For the glory and propagation of the Gospel.

As for the opinion of Erasmus, who thinks that in this so heavenly a prayer made to God the father, there should be no mention made of bread, that is, of earthly things, which even the gentiles bestow on their children; it is vain and frivolous. For it is God's will, that we sho…

Let them not debase themselves with earth: An earthly saint, is as great a contradiction as an orthodox heretic. It is called filthy lucre (1 Peter 5:2), because it does so befilthy a person. Earthliness is an enemy to grace.

True grace has an inward propensity to comply with the will of God; there is a law upon their bowels: by-ends work by constraint, and carry the soul contrary to its native inclination; a man would not do such a thing, were it not for such ends. Therefore the Apostle says (1 Pete…

In history therefore are three Babylons mentioned: one is, Babylon of Assyria standing on the river Euphrates, where was the confusion of languages, and where the Jews were in captivity: which Babylon is in Scripture reproached for idolatry and other iniquities. The second Babyl…

If he cannot work without this or that means you did expect your mercy by, it supposes that God has made the creature greater than himself, and more necessary to your well-being than himself is; or else we imagine him false or foolish, as if he had undertaken a task of governmen…

It has four different significations: 1. It notes age; 2. antiquity; 3. venerability; 4. an office. In the first signification, Elder is opposed to younger, as (1 Timothy 5:1) Rebuke not an Elder, but entreat him as a father, and the younger men as brethren, (1 Peter 5:5) Likewi…

Here if [acting in its whole body] denote any power again of the [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] or whole body of the people, or any more than their regular obedience to the lawful commands of the Bishop over them, I shall be able to demonstrate that the words of Ignatius sound noth…

Here is forbidden to walk according to our own judgement and wisdom (Numbers 15:39; Genesis 11:4); also a distrustful care (Matthew 6:25; Luke 12:26). To this, last of all is adjoined humility, when emptying ourselves of all, we give God the whole glory of all good things, which…

And as you gain nothing by your striving with him, so you lose nothing but gain much by your soft stooping and silent submitting to him. If you humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, he shall lift you up (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6). Humble yourselves therefore under the might…