188 i. 1 Pet. Reflections on the happiness of the elect of God. SECT. Such glorious displays of Divine wisdom and goodness, and attentively to survey those important scenes that are opening upon us here on i. 12 earth; which is become so much more considerable than it would otherwise be, as it is honoured with being the theatre of such glorious events. verse IMPROVEMENT. ARE we desirous of rendering it apparent to ourselves, and all 2 around us, that we are indeed the elect of God? Let it be, by an humble application to the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, on the one hand, and by the evident fruits of the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, on the other. 4 The abundant mercy of God, hath begotten real Christians to the lively hope of an incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance, reserved in heaven for them: let us keep it steadily in view, and earnestly pray that God would preserve us by his 5 mighty power through faith unto salvation. Whilst we are waiting for this salvation, it is very possible, yea probable, affliction may be our portion; but let us remember, it is, if need be, that 6 we are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Our faith, and our other graces, are as it were thrown into the furnace, not 7 to be consumed, but refined; that they may be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearance of Jesus Christ. Even 8 at present, may this divine faith produce that love to an unseen Jesus, which is here so naturally expressed by the apostle; and though now we see him not, yet may that love be eminently productive of joy, even that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory; and in the lively and vigorous exercise of these graces, 9 may we all receive the end of our faith, even the everlasting salvation of our souls! 10 Let what we are here told of the prophetic writers be improved as it ought, to confirm our faith in that glorious gospel, of which these holy men have given in their writings such wonderful intimations and predictions; writings which we have such ex11 cellent advantages for more distinctly and clearly understanding, 12 than even they themselves did. What exalted ideas should we entertain of a dispensation introduced by such a series of wonders, preached by the inspired prophets, and by the Holy Ghost in his miraculous gifts and salutary influence sent down from heaven: a dispensation into the glories of which the angels desire to pry; which they were represented on the mercy seat. And Mr Blackwall observes, (Sacred Classics, Vol. I. p. 431,) that it may denote, not only the attentive curiosity with which they may inquire into the gas. pel, but the humility of their adoration, whereas it is very probable that their apostate brethren refused to stoop to such a scheme. They should therefore gird up the loins of their mind.” 189 i. verse how much more worthy then, the attention of the children of men, SECT. who are so nearly concerned in it, who were redeemed from everlasting destruction by the blood of the Son of God? O! let us review it with the closest application, and improve it to the infinitely gracious and important purposes for which it was intended. Then will grace and peace be multiplied to us; and however we may now be dispersed and afflicted, pilgrims and strangers, we shall ere long be brought to our everlasting home, 2 and meet together in the presence of our dear and condescending Saviour; where having a more lively sense of our obligations to him, and beholding his glory, we shall love him infinitely better than at this distance we have been capable of, and feel our joy in him increased in a proportionable degree. SECT. II. The apostle enforces his general exhortations to watchfulness, to end. 1 PETER I. 13. WHEREFORE, gird up the loins of your mind, Christ. be sober, and hope to importance of the gospel dispensation; re- 1 Pet. the end, for the grace minding you of the wonderful manner in which 1.13 that is to be brought it was introduced by the united labours of the unto you at the revelation of Jesus prophets and apostles, and of the regard paid to it by the native inhabitants of the heavenly world. Regard it therefore as worthy the closest attention; and let the blessings of it be most vigorously pursued; and girding up the loins of your mind, that you may be capable of the most strenuous action, and being continually sober, and temperate, and watchful against every thing that would ensnare and pollute you, hope unto the end for the grace and mercy which shall be brought unto you, in the great and glorious day of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Live in the view of his second appearance, and think every labour, and every self denial, happily bestowed, which may subserve your pros14 As obedient pect of felicity in that important day. You 14 have now the honour to be adopted into the 190 Being redeemed from their vain conversation by Christ; SECT. family of God; conduct yourselves therefore children, not fash ii. as his obedient children, not fashioning your- ioning yourselves acselves according to the former lusts, which you lusts, in your ignocording to the former i. 14 indulged in the time of your ignorance, when rance: 1 Pet. you knew not this gospel, and were many of you in heathen darkness, and others under the 15 imperfect dispensation of Moses : But as he 16 But as he which that has called you to this glorious light, and hath called you is participation of such invaluable blessings, is in all manner of conholy, so be ye holy holy, be ye yourselves also holy in the whole of versation ; [your] conversation, in every thing you say and do; aspiring after this as your greatest hon our, to bear the image of God in the moral 17 And if ye call 16 perfections of his nature; For it is written 16 Because it is in several passages of the Mosaic scriptures, written, Be ye holy, (Lev. xi. 44; xix. 2; xx. 7,) Be ye holy, for I for I am holy. am holy. There is the same force in the argument now, respecting us Christians, which there was with regard to the Jews; yea, greater force, in proportion to the degree in which the sanctity of the Divine Being is now more illus17 triously displayed; And accordingly let me exhort you, if ye call upon the God and Father on the Father, who of all, who without respect of persons, or any persons judgeth acwithout respect of kind of partiality, whether to Jews or Gentiles, cording to every judges every one according to [his] works, to man's work, pass converse during the time of your sojourning sojourning here in the time of your here, with all becoming reverence, and humil- fear: 18 ity, in the religious fear of God; And so 18 Forasmuch as much the rather, knowing the price of your not redeemed with ye know that ye were redemption to have been so rich and invaluable. corruptible things, as This is an important article of Divine knowl- silver and gold, from edge, of which no Christian can be ignorant, tion received by trayour vain conversathat you were not redeemed with corruptible dition from your fathings, as with silver and gold, which however thers; regarded by men, have no value in the sight of God; this, I say, was not the price which bought you from your vain, trifling, and unprofitable conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, from those hereditary super • Redeemed with corruptible things, with here is a reference to the stamp of a lamb silver and gold, &c.] Some think here on the Jewish coin, I am neither sure of is an allusion to the lamb, which made the truth of the fact, nor can I perceive an atonement, and was bought at the the elegance of the supposed allusion. common expense furnished by the con- Compare Wells's Geog. of the Old Tes tribution of the half shekel, as an atone- tament, Vol. I. p. 275. ment for their souls. Compare Exod. xxx. 11, &c. As for those that think think this refers, to the Jewish traditions; Received by tradition, &c.] Some without spot: who was appointed before the world began: 191 ii. stitions, follies, and vices, which had in suc- SECT. help for us under so sad and deplorable a cir19 But with the cumstance. But God was pleased to find out 19 precious blood of the only ransom, and has redeemed us with the Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and precious blood of Christ his Son, as of a lamb unblemished and unspotted, free from the least degree of moral pollution, and therefore properly represented by those lambs, free from all corporeal spots and blemishes, which the Jews were required to offer as an expiation for their 20 Who verily souls, And as the paschal lamb was chosen, 20 was fore ordained and set apart some time before it was sacribefore the founda- ficed, so the Lord Jesus Christ, who was intion of the world, but was manifest in deed typified by it, was known, approved, and these last times for fore appointed from the foundation of the world, but made manifest in these latter times, by the clear preaching of the gospel, for your sakes, that ye might obtain redemption and salvation 21 Who by him by him; Even ye all, who by him, and the 21 do believe in God manifestations of the Divine grace and mercy that raised him up in him, are brought to repose your trust from the dead, and gave him glory, that and confidence in God, who raised him from your faith and hope the dead, and gave him such exalted glory and might be in God. you; majesty in the celestial world; that so your 22 Seeing ye have and blood of his own Son. but perhaps it may express those vain rites of worship which for successive ages had been delivered down from parents to their children in the Gentile world. Who by him trust in God.] This phrase is remarkable, and I think with Mr. Hallet, (see his Notes and Discourses, Vol. I. p. 58,) that the meaning is, that Christians, who before their conversion were ignorant of the true God, learnt his Being and Providence from the great fact of Christ's resurrection, and the power with which God invested him on his ascension into heaven. 192 SECT. ii. 1Pet. And being born by the incorruptible seed of the word. of the brethren; see which you have imbibed and professed, leads unto unfeigned love to an undissembled brotherly love; let it be your that ye love one ancare, I say, to enter affectionately into its de- other with a pure 22 sign and tendency; and to love one another heart fervently: out of a pure heart, operating fervently and intensely, and not to rest merely in those de ceitful forms and professions of affection, with which the men of the world amuse themselves and each other; or in those trifling instances of friendship which can do little to approve its 23 reality and sincerity. The temper and con- 23 Being born duct which I recommended, may justly be ex- again, not of corpected from you, considering your relation to ruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the God, and to each other; as having been regen word of God which erated, not by corruptible seed, not by virtue of liveth and abideth any descent from human parents, but by incor- for ever. ruptible; not laying the stress of your confi. dence on your pedigree from Abraham, if you had the honour to descend from that illustrious patriarch; for that descent could not entitle you to the important blessings of the gospel. It is by means of the efficacy of the word of God upon your hearts, even that powerful word which lives and endures for ever, that you are become entitled to these glorious evangelical 24 privileges. For as the prophet Isaiah testifies, 24 For all flesh is (Isaiah xl. 6,) all flesh [is] as grass, and all the as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass, which glory of man as the Hower of grass. The is yet frailer than that; the grass withereth, grass withereth, and and the flower thereof falleth; quickly deprived the flower thereof of its blooming honours, it drops, blasted and falleth away: dying, to the ground. And thus precarious and uncertain are all the dependencies which 25 we can have on perishing creatures; But the 25 But the word word of the Lord abideth for ever in undimin. of the Lord endureth Intensely. So I think the word SRTVS properly signifies; according to the sense in which it is used by Polybius and Herodotus. See Raphelius, Annot. in loc. The word of God, which lives and endures for ever.] This is rendered by some, Who lives and endures for ever, referring it to God himself. But it is more agreeable to the design of the apostle, and (as Wolfius imagines to the order of the orig inal words) to refer this clause 10 the word of God, which is here styled incorruptible seed. |
