ADVICE TO SUFFERERS.
"WHEREFORE LET THEM THAT SUFFER ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD, COMMIT THE KEEPING OF THEIR SOULS TO HIM IN WELL DOING, AS UNTO A FAITHFUL CREATOR"—1 PETER 4:19.
This epistle was written to saints in affliction, especially those of the circumcision, for whom this Peter was an apostle. And it was written to them to counsel and comfort them in their affliction. To counsel them as to the cause, for which they were in affliction, and as to the right management of themselves, and their cause, under their affliction. To comfort them also both with respect to their present help from God, and also with reference to the reward that (they faithfully continuing to the end) should be bestowed upon them: all which we shall have occasion, more distinctly, to handle in the following discourse. The text is a conclusion, drawn from the counsel and comfort which the apostle had afore given them in their suffering state. As who should say, my brethren, as you are now afflicted, so sufferings are needful for you, and therefore profitable and advantageous: wherefore be content to bear them. And that you may indeed bear them with such Christian contentedness, and patience as becomes you; commit the keeping of your souls to your God as unto a faithful Creator. "Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him [in well doing,] as unto a faithful Creator."
In this conclusion, therefore, we have three things very fit for sufferers to concern themselves with. FIRST, A direction to a duty of absolute necessity. SECOND, A description of the persons who are unto this, so necessary a duty, is directed. THIRD, An insinuation of the good effect that will certainly follow to those who, after a due manner, shall take this blessed advice.
The duty so absolutely necessary is that sufferers "commit the keeping of their souls to God." The sufferers here intended are those "that suffer according to the will of God." The good insinuated that the effect of our true doing of this is that we shall find God "a faithful Creator." [FIRST—THE DUTY TO WHICH SUFFERERS ARE DIRECTED.] We will first begin with the duty that sufferers are here directed to, namely, the committing of their souls to God. "Let them—commit the keeping of their souls to him, in well doing."
And I find two things in it that first call for explaining before I proceed. 1. What we must here understand by "the soul." What is meant by "committing" the soul to God?
1. For the first: "The soul," here, is to be taken for that most excellent part of man, that dwelleth in the body; that immortal, spiritual substance, that is, and will be capable of life, and motion, of sense and reason; yea, that will abide a rational being, when the body is returned to the dust as it was. This is that great thing that our Lord Jesus intends, when he bids his disciples in a day of trial, fear him that can destroy both body and soul in hell (Luke 12:5). That great thing, I say, that he there cautions them to take care of. According to Peter here, "Let them commit the keeping of their soul to him in well doing."
2. Now to "commit" this soul to God is to carry it to him, to lift it to him, upon my bended knees, and to pray him for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, to take it into his holy care, and to let it be under his keeping. Also, that he will please to deliver it from all those snares that are laid for it, betwixt this and the next world, and that he will see that it be forthcoming, safe and sound, at the great and terrible judgment, notwithstanding so many have engaged themselves against it. Thus David committed his soul to God, when he said "Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul, O Lord, from the wicked, which is thy sword" (Psa 17:13). And again, "Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make hast to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it" (Psa 40:13,14).
Thus, I have shown you what the soul is, and what it is to commit the soul to God. This then is the duty that the apostle here exhorteth the sufferers to, namely, to carry their souls to God, and leave it with him while they engage for his name in the world. Now, from the apostle's exhortation to this great duty, I will draw the following conclusions.
Conclusion First, that when persecution is raised against a people, there is a design laid for the ruin of those people's souls. This, I say, doth naturally follow from the exhortation. Why else do they need to commit to keeping their souls to God? For by this word, "Unto God to keep them," is suggested; there is that which would destroy them, and that, therefore, persecution is raised against them. I am not so uncharitable as to think that persecuting men designed this. But I verily believe that the devil doth design this, when he stirs them up to so sorry a work. In times of trial, says Peter, "your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Alas! men in their acts of this nature have designs that are lower and of a more inferior rank. Some of them look no higher than revenge upon the carcass; than the spoiling of their neighbour of his estate, liberty, or life; than the greatening of themselves in this world, by the ruins of those that they have power to spoil. Their "possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich" (Zech 11:5).
Ay! But Satan will not be put off thus: it is not a bag of money, or the punishing of the carcass of such a people, that will please or satisfy him. It is the soul that he aims at; the ruin of the precious soul that he hath bent himself to bring to pass. It is this, therefore, that Peter here hath his heart concerned with. As who should say, My brethren, are you troubled and persecuted for your faith? Look to it, the hand of Satan is in this thing, and whatever men drive at by doing as they do, the devil designs no less than the damnation of your souls. Ware hawk, saith the falconer, when the dogs are coming near her, especially if she be too much minding of her belly, and too forgetful of what the nature of the dog is. Beware, Christian, take heed, Christian; the devil is desirous to have thee. And who could better give this exhortation than Peter himself?
Who, for not taking heed as to this very thing, had, like by the devil, to have been swallowed up alive: as is manifest to them that heedfully read, and consider how far he was gone, when that persecution was raised against his Master (Luke 22). When a tyrant goes to dispossess a neighbouring prince of what is lawfully his own, the men that he employeth at arms to overcome, and get the land, they fight for half-crowns, and the like, and are content with their wages: But the tyrant is for the kingdom, nothing will serve him but the kingdom. This is the case: Men, when they persecute, are for the stuff, but the devil is for the soul, nor will anything less than that satisfy him. Let him then, that is a sufferer, commit the keeping of his soul to God: lest stuff, and soul, and all be lost at once.
