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A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first Epistle general of St.…A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first Epistle generall of St.…

Name: A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first Epistle general of St.…
Author: Nicholas Byfield

A commentary upon the three first chapters of the first Epistle general of St. Peter Wherein are most judiciously and profitably handled such points of doctrine as naturally flow from the text. Together with a very useful application thereof: and many good rules for a godly life. By Nicholas Byfield preacher of Gods Word at Isleworth in Middlesex. To which is now newly added an alphabetical table, not formerly published.

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Now there are four Preservatives to keep us from the power of these lusts.¹

Now there are foure Preservatives to keepe us from the power of these lusts.¹

1Four preservatives against lust.Foure preservatives against lust.

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1. The sound knowledge of Gods Word. For as it is Ignorance that first bred them, so is it knowledge that both drives them out, and keeps them out, Prov. 2.1, 3, 4. &c. Psal. 119.9. especially the promises, 2 Cor. 7.1. 2 Pet. 1.3.

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2. Meditation of our short continuance in this world, 1 Pet. 2.12. 1 Joh. 2.17.

2. Meditation of our short continuance in this world, 1 Pet. 2.12. 1 Ioh. 2.17.

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3. To walk before God, and to keep our selves in the way of the righteous, conversing with the wise and mortified, shunning the company of the wicked and dissolute.

3. To walke before God, and to keep our selves in the way of the righteous, conversing with the wise and mortified, shunning the company of the wicked and dissolute.

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4. By confession and godly sorrow to beat down, and crucify our flesh, and the lusts thereof, when they begin to rise.

4. By confession and godly sorrow to beat downe, and crucifie our flesh, and the lusts thereof, when they begin to rise.

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Thus of the matter to be avoided, viz. The lusts of their former ignorance. The manner follows, viz. not to be fashioned unto them; which imports,¹ that they should not give themselves over out of the liking of sin to the service and obedience of it. For to fashion our selves to evil hath in it divers things.

Thus of the matter to be avoided, viz. The lusts of their former ignorance. The manner followes, viz. not to be fashioned unto them; which imports,¹ that they should not give themselves over out of the liking of sin to the service and obedience of it. For to fashion our selves to evill hath in it divers things.

1Fashioning of our selves to sin hath 7. things in it.Fashioning of our selves to sinne hath 7. things in it.

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1. The imagining of mischief: praeconsideration, deliberation: the frame of evil. 2. An admiration of the beauty of sin, a liking of it, a secret inward high estimation of it, a kind of adoring of the felicity contained in it, a contemplative delight in it. 3. A taking care to perform it, and accomplish it. 4. A framing and ordering of our affairs, that they may be obeyed, and the inward frame effected. 5. A constancy in all this to be every day striving about it. 6. A pursuing of sin, though we be disappointed or cloyed in the enjoying of it. 7. A laying down of all our armour, and not resisting it.

1. The imagining of mischiefe: praeconsideration, deliberation: the frame of evill. 2. An admiration of the beauty of sin, a liking of it, a secret inward high estimation of it, a kind of adoring of the felicity contained in it, a contemplative delight in it. 3. A taking care to performe it, and accomplish it. 4. A framing and ordering of our affaires, that they may be obeyed, and the inward frame effected. 5. A constancy in all this to be every day striving about it. 6. A pursuing of sinne, though we be disappointed or cloyed in the enjoying of it. 7. A laying downe of all our armour, and not resisting it.

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The Use of this is:¹

1Use.Vse.

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1. For information: we may here note impliedly, that Gods servants have their frailties after calling, in that he doth only exhort from fashioning our selves to sin.

1. For information: wee may here note implyedly, that Gods servants have their frailties after calling, in that he doth only exhort from fashioning our selves to sinne.

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2. For trial: Art thou grieved for thy daily sins and wants,¹ and dost thou fear thou dost sin presumptuously? here thou mayest try thy self by 1. inquiring, whether thou fall to thy old sins or no. 2. whether thou sin with study and deliberation. 3. whether thou admire sin, and accordingly favour it, and delight in it. 4. whether thou take care for it, being vexed if thou be crossed in it, & casting about for all ways to accomplish it. 5. whether thou yield thy self to it, as a servant to obey it, or rather as a child of disobedience to be framed according to it. 6. whether thou refuse to bear arms against it. 7. and lastly, continue in the love of it, though thou be disappointed. For if thou bear arms against it, and art thankful when thou art disappointed, and dost not by covenants yield thy self to it, nor place thy happiness in it, or not sin by deliberation; it is certain thy sins are but of infirmity. But contrariwise, if these things be in thee before condemned, thou sinnest presumptuously. Here also men may try, whether they decline or no after calling.

2. For tryall: Art thou grieved for thy daily sinnes and wants,¹ and dost thou foare thou dost sinne presumptuously? here thou mayest try thy selfe by 1. inquiring, whether thou fall to thy old sinnes or no. 2. whether thou sin with study and deliberation. 3. whether thou admire sin, and accordingly favour it, and delight in it. 4. whether thou take care for it, being vexed if thou be crossed in it, & casting about for all waies to accomplish it. 5. whether thou yeeld thy selfe to it, as a servant to obey it, or rather as a childe of disobedience to be framed according to it. 6. whether thou refuse to beare armes against it. 7. and lastly, continue in the love of it, though thou be disappointed. For if thou beare armes against it, and art thankfull when thou art disappointed, and dost not by covenants yeeld thy selfe to it, nor place thy happinesse in it, or not sinne by deliberation; it is certaine thy sinnes are but of infirmity. But contrariwise, if these things be in thee before condemned, thou sinnest presumptuously. Here also men may try, whether they decline or no after calling.

1How to know whether one sin presumptuousty or no.

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3. We should be here informed to take heed of any of these degrees of sin, and by a daily watch to look to our selves, that we be not overcome of ⟨p. 116⟩the deceitfulness of sin, and be thankful to God, if thy sins get not this head in thee; or if they have, dally no longer, but repent: For certainly thou art fallen away, inquire no further into it, but repent and amend.

3. We should be here informed to take heed of any of these degrees of sin, and by a daily watch to looke to our selves, that wee be not overcome of ⟨p. 116⟩the deceitfulnesse of sinne, and be thankfull to God, if thy sins get not this head in thee; or if they have, dally no longer, but repent: For certainly thou art fallen away, inquire no further into it, but repent and amend.

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4. Lastly, here is implied, wherein the holiness of a Christian doth consist, viz. 1. To be free from the power of his old corruptions. 2. To fashion himself to the law of God, and the law of his mind: It doth not consist in the perfect resembling of the holiness of Gods law, but in a desire and daily endeavour to fit and frame himself more and more to the holiness set before him, and that daily striving still to come nearer and nearer to the pattern.

4. Lastly, here is implyed, wherein the holinesse of a Christian doth consist, viz. 1. To be free from the power of his old corruptions. 2. To fashion himselfe to the law of God, and the law of his minde: It doth not consist in the perfect resembling of the holinesse of Gods law, but in a desire and daily endevour to fit and frame himselfe more and more to the holinesse set before him, and that daily striving still to come neerer and neerer to the patterne.

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Ignorance.]

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There are three sorts of ignorance. 1. There is a profitable ignorance. 2. There is an ignorance of mere negation, that is no sin. 3. There is a ignorance of corrupt disposition. There is a profitable ignorance, viz. not to know evil: so it had been good for Adam never to have known evil by experience: so had it been good for the Jews, if they had never known the fashions of the Gentiles: and in some respect for Apostates, if they had never known the truth, 2 Pet. 2.21. There is also an ignorance of mere negation, as Christ knew not the day of Judgement, and husbandmen know not Physic, or Astronomy, &c. and yet sin not. But most usually ignorance is taken in the third sense, to note, that want of knowledge is joined with evil disposition also: and so it is taken here. Now this ignorance is either of frailty, or of wilfulness and presumption: The one is in the godly after calling, and they pray against it, and confess it, and mourn for it; and the other is in wicked men, and they like themselves well enough notwithstanding; yea they refuse the knowledge of Gods ways, and willingly live without knowledge; and this latter is here meant.

There are three sorts of ignorance. 1. There is a profitable ignorance. 2. There is an ignorance of meere negation, that is no sinne. 3. There is a ignorance of corrupt disposition. There is a profitable ignorance, viz. not to know evill: so it had beene good for Adam never to have known evill by experience: so had it beene good for the Iewes, if they had never known the fashions of the Gentiles: and in some respect for Apostates, if they had never knowne the truth, 2 Pet. 2.21. There is also an ignorance of meere negation, as Christ knew not the day of Judgement, and husbandmen know not Physick, or Astronomie, &c. and yet sinne not. But most usually ignorance is taken in the third sense, to note, that want of knowledge is joyned with evill disposition also: and so it is taken here. Now this ignorance is either of frailty, or of wilfulnesse and presumption: The one is in the godly after calling, and they pray against it, and confesse it, and mourne for it; and the other is in wicked men, and they like themselves well enough notwithstanding; yea they refuse the knowledge of Gods waies, and willingly live without knowledge; and this latter is here meant.

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¹But why is ignorance named as the special sin to set out their unregenerate estate, seeing they were guilty of many other sins?

¹But why is ignorance named as the speciall sin to set out their unregenerate estate, seeing they were guilty of many other sins?

1Quest.

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¹Not because men sin only by ignorance, as the Platonists think; but 1. It may be the holy Ghost doth of purpose do it to aggravate the hatefulness of the sin, because men use to excuse it, and make light of it. 2. Because it is a sin none are free from: If he had named whoredom, or drunkenness, &c. many unregenerate men would have pleaded not-guilty. 3. This sin serves more to taunt and reproach the rebellious nature of man: It was the knowledge of good and evil that Adam so much aspired unto, and lo now he and all his were set in gross ignorance, as the just fruit of aspiring after forbidden knowledge. 4. Because ignorance is the mother and nurse of all sorts of sins, as these places show, Eph. 4.18, 19. 2 Pet. 2.12. Psal. 36.2, 3, 4.

¹Not because men sinne onely by ignorance, as the Platonists thinke; but 1. It may be the holy Ghost doth of purpose doe it to aggravate the hatefulnesse of the sinne, because men use to excuse it, and make light of it. 2. Because it is a sinne none are free from: If he had named whoredome, or drunkennesse, &c. many unregenerate men would have pleaded not-guilty. 3. This sinne serves more to taunt and reproch the rebellious nature of man: It was the knowledge of good and evill that Adam so much aspired unto, and loe now he and all his were set in grosse ignorance, as the just fruit of aspiring after forbidden knowledge. 4. Because ignorance is the mother and nurse of all sorts of sinnes, as these places shew, Eph. 4.18, 19. 2 Pet. 2.12. Psal. 36.2, 3, 4.

1Answ. Why ignorance of all the sins of unregenerate men is rather named.

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