Reflections on the stability of the Divine word, &c. 193 and behaviour, both towards God and man, as it was intended SECT. to inculcate and produce. IMPROVEMENT. 24 ii. LET it be matter of our daily delightful meditation, that while verse we clearly discern the uncertainty of all human dependencies, which wither like the grass, and fall like the flower of the field, the word of God is permanent and immutable. Let us cheerfully 25 repose our souls on this stable, unfailing security; gratefully acknowledging the goodness of God, that he hath condescended to lay a foundation for our hope, so firm and durable as his own infallible word, and to make that word the incorruptible seed of 23 our regeneration. If we have indeed experimentally known its efficacy and power, so that our souls are purified by obeying the 22 truth, let us carefully express our obedience to it, by undissembled, fervent brotherly love; and animated by our glorious and exalted hopes as Christians, even that Divine and illustrious hope of the grace to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ, let us 13 set ourselves to the vigorous discharge of every duty, as knowing that we should be children of obedience, having the excuse of 14 ignorance no longer to plead for the indulgence of our lusts, but by a holy God being called with a holy calling, and instructed to invoke him, at once, as our gracious Father and impartial Judge. It is worthy of our special remark, that the blessed apostle urges us to pass the transitory and limited time of our sojourning here 17 in fear, from the consideration of our being redeemed by the blood 18, 19 of the Son of God, which is a price of infinitely more value than all the treasures of the universe. And certainly there is a mighty energy in the argument; for as it is a very amiable, so it is also a very awful consideration. What heart so hardened, as not to tremble at trampling on the blood of the Son of God, and frustrating, as far as in him lies, the important design of his death? Frustrating the design of a scheme, projected from eternity in the 20 councils of heaven, and at length made manifest with every cir cumstance to convince our judgments, and engage our affections. And while we are reflecting on the resurrection and exaltation of 21 our Redeemer, as the great foundation of our eternal hopes, let us dread to be found opposing him, whom God hath established on his own exalted throne; and with the utmost reverence let us kiss the Son, in token of our grateful acceptance of his mercy, and cheerful and humble submission to his authority. (Psal. ii. 12.) 1-94 They should desire that rational unmingled milk; SECT. III. SECT. iii. 1 Pet. The apostle urges them, by a representation of their Christian privileges, to receive the word of God with meekness, to continue in the exercise of faith in Christ, as the great foundation of their eternal hopes, and to maintain such a behaviour as might adorn his gospel, among the unconverted Gentiles. 1 Pet. II. 1-12. 1 PETER II. 1. 1 PETER II. 1. HAVE been reminding you of the ever-HEREFORE, been be lasting permanency and invariable certainty of the word of God; let this, therefore, engage and hypocrisies, and malice, and all guile, you to pay it a becoming regard; and laying envies, and all evil aside all malignity, and all deceit, and hypocrisies speakings, and envies, and all evil speakings, which are so And this 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 2 contrary to its benevolent design, With all 2 As new born simplicity, as new born infants, who are re- babes desire the singenerated by Divine grace, desire that spiritual cere milk of the word, that ye may nourishment, that rational and unmingled milk, grow thereby ; if I may so call it; that so ye may grow thereby 3 to a state of adult Christianity. may reasonably be expected of you, since you have so experimentally felt and tasted that the Lord [is] gracious, since you have known the sweetness there is in Christ, and how suitable he is to the necessities and desires of an awak4 ened sinner; To whom coming [as to] a living 4 To whom comstone, who is capable of diffusing spiritual life ing, as unto a living into those who are united to him, though disal stone, disallowed indeed of men, but lowed indeed and rejected of men, yet chosen of chosen of God, and God, [and] inexpressibly precious and valuable; precious, 5 Ye also as living stones, united to him, and de- 5 Ye also as lively riving life from him, are built up as a spiritual stones are built up a spiritual house, an house, consecrated to his service; and in an- holy priesthood to other view, ye may be considered as a holy offer up spiritual priesthood, destined to offer up the spiritual sacrifices, acceptasacrifices of prayer, praise and obedience, ble to God by Jesus which are all acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, who is the great High Priest over the house of Christ. a New born infants.] This expression little children and new born babes. very emphatically denotes those who are Since you have tasted, &c] This is newly converted, or regenerated. Wolfius the proper rendering of reg, and not, observes, (Cura Philolog. Vol V. p 105,) according to our translation, if so be. that the Jewish rabbies, were wont to See Blackwall's Sacred Class. Vol. II. p. style new proselytes to their religion, 203. founded. Unto them who believe he is precious. pas 195 1 Pet. 1.6 God, whose intercession alone can recommend SECT. to the Father such imperfect services as ours. iii. 6 Wherefore also Therefore it is contained in a well known it is contained in the scripture, Behold I sage of the scripture, (Isaiah xxviii. 16,) Behold lay in Sion a chief I lay in Sion a stone, even a chief corner stone, corner stone, elect, chosen, precious; and he that confideth in it, precious: and he shall not be ashamed: which words undoubtedthat believeth on him shall not be con- ly refer to the Messiah, as the great hope and confidence of his church. To you therefore 7 7 Unto you there who believe, [it is] precious: you, who rest fore which believe, he is precious: but your salvation on this corner stone, know by unto them which blessed experience its value, as infinitely be be disobedient, the yond all that can be compared with it. But as stone which the for those who are disobedient, these words of the the same is made Psalmist are accomplished with regard to them, the head of the cor- and may well be recollected in the present connection, (Psalm cxviii. 22,) The stone which the builders rejected, is become the head of the corner; all their opposition to it is in vain : they can never pretend to prevent the honour to which it is destined in the Divine purpose; 8 And a stone of And to themselves, it is also, as Isaiah express- 8 stumbling, and a es it in the preceding context, a stone of stumrock of offence, even bling, and a rock of offence; they who would atble at the word, tempt, as it were, to remove it out of the way, being disobedient: find it an over match for their strength, and are whereunto also they dashed in pieces by it. They being disobedient were appointed. builders disallowed, ner: to them which stum to the Divine revelation, stumble at the word d of the gospel, which contains this awful testimony, and bring inevitable ruin upon themselves; to which also they were appointed by the righteous sentence of God long before, even as early as in his first purpose and decree he ordained his Son to be the great Foundation of his 9 But ye are a cho- church. But you, on the contrary, who un- 9 sen generation, a feignedly believe in him, [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, who bear at once It is precious.] run, Preciousness itself They being disobedient, stumble, &c] A learned writer, I think, very well observes, that it is doing violence to the text, to read it as one continued sentence, as it is in our translation. The truth is, the apostle runs a double antithesis between believers and unbelievers: vμ, saith he, To you who believe, it is precious: an Froide, but to them who are disobedient, and unbelievers, a stone of stumbling @goononisos, they stumble: vuus d, but VOL. 6. 26 you are a chosen people, &c. See Taylor's Key to the Romans, $71. Dr. Ye are a chosen generation.] Whitby shews at large that the phrase of God's chosen is applied to the whole nation of the Jews, good and bad, and not to those among them who might be supposed elected to eternal life. But it seems very unreasonable to limit such phrases as these when applied to Christians just to the idea, which the like phrases had, when applied to the Jews. 196 iii. 1 Pet. ii. 9 They should abstain from fleshly lusts. SECT. the dignity of kings, and sanctity of priests: royal priesthood, an a holy nation, set apart in a special manner for holy nation, a pecuthe service of God; and a peculiar people. should shew forth liar people; that ye When these titles were given to Israel of old, the praises of him it was in an inferior sense; and it is in a much who hath called you nobler signification, that these words may be out of darkness into his marvellous light: applied to you. Consider it therefore as the wise intention of Divine Providence, that you should declare and proclaim all abroad, the vir tues of him who has culled you out of that darkness, in which you originally were, into his marvellous and glorious light that clear light of the gospel, which opens so many illus10 trious scenes of Divine wonders. f mercy. To this, 10 Which in time are you, my brethren called, who once [were] past were not a peonot a people, but [are] now the people of God, ple, but are now the who had not obtained mercy, who, many of you, which had not ob people of God: lay in the ruins of the Gentile world, but have tained mercy, but now obtained mercy, and are gathered into the now have obtained church of God, and by his favour entitled to 11 all its privileges. My beloved brethren, let 11 Dearly beloved, it be your special care to walk worthy of these I beseech you as privileges; and that you may, I beseech [you] strangers and pilgrims, abstain from as strangers in this world, and sojourners in Heshly lusts, which the body, who are to be here but for a very lit. war against the soul: tle space of time, and must soon quit this state of mortality to dwell in another world, that ye abstain from carnal lusts, in the gratification of which, only a very mean and transient pleasure is to be found for these are appetites which are suited only to that part of our nature, which so soon is to be laid down, and which do indeed make war against the nobler powers of the immortal soul, and have a tendency, not only to injure, but for ever to ruin it, if they The virtues.] We render it praises; but the word apelas, is well known commonly to have the signification here as signed it. the gate from their state of heathen idolatry, and then being brought into the marvellous light of the Christian religion, Miscell. Sacra. Vol. II. p. 85. & Marvellous and glorious light] A b Were not a people.] I think it plain most beautiful expression of the wonders that Hosea ii. 23, (to which there seems the gospel opens on the enlightened eye. here to be a reference) relates to the IsBut perhaps no interpretation was ever raelites after their rejection. But it may more unnatural and survile to an hypothe with so much propriety be accommodated sis than that which the author of Miscel- to the Gentiles, that I thought it much lanea Sacra gives to these words, when better to give it such a turn, than to sup. he explains their being called out of dark pose it here spoken only of Jewish conness, by their being first made proselytes of verts. Reflections on our dignity as a peculiar people ; which they shall be 197 1 Pet. 12 Having your are suffered to prevail and govern ; Having SECT. conversation honest your conversation honest, fair, and honourable iii. among the Gentiles: that whereas they among the Gentiles, particularly in an exemplary speak against you as discharge of all social and relative duties; evil doers, they may that whereas they speak against you, as evil doers, by your good works, in separating from the worship of their gods, hold, glorify God in and joining yourselves with what they prethe day of visitation. sumptuously call the impious sect of Christians, they, being eye witnesses continually of [your] good works, may not only lay aside these blasphemous reproaches, but exchange them for commendations and praises; and so may glorify God in the day of [their] visitation, during the season in which the gospel is preached among them, whereby they are visited with the offers of pardon and salvation. IMPROVEMENT. LET us examine our own hearts seriously and impartially, verse with respect to those branches of the Christian temper, and those views of the Christian life, which are exhibited in this excellent portion of holy writ. Let us, especially, inquire, in what manner, and to what purposes we receive the word of God. Is it with the simplicity of babes, or children? do we desire it, as they 2 desire the breast? do we lay aside those evil affections of mind, 1 which would incapacitate us for receiving it in a becoming manner? And does it conduce to our spiritual nourishment, and 3 growth in grace? have we indeed tasted that the Lord is gracious? do we experimentally know, that to the true believer the Redeemer is inestimably precious? have we indeed come to him, as to a liv- 4 ing stone; and notwithstanding all the neglect and contempt with which he may be treated by many infatuated and miserable men, by wretches who are bent on their own destruction, do we regard, and build on him as our great and only foundation? and do we feel that spiritual life diffused through our souls, which is the genuine consequence of a real and vital union with him? If these be our happy circumstances, we shall never be ashamed or confounded: for this is that foundation which God hath laid 6 8 in Zion; and the united efforts of earth and hell to raze or overturn it, will be scattered as chaff and stubble, and by the breath of God be rendered utterly vain and ineffectual. Are we conscious of our high dignity, as we are a chosen gen- 9 10 eration, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people? are our hearts suitably affected with a sense of the Divine goodness, in calling us to be a people, who once were not a people; and us beloved, who were not beloved; in leading us from the deplorable |