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218

1 Pet.

And rejoice in partaking of Christ's sufferings.

13 But rejoice, in as much as ve are

partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when

py are ye; for the

SECT. and bitter persecutions which is to try you, as if trial, which is to try some strange and unexampled thing, beyond all you, as though some reasonable expectation, had befallen you: But strange thing happened unto you: iv. 13 rather rejoice in these trials, as being therein partakers of the sufferings of Christ, the memory of which should ever be dear and precious to you; that when his final glory shall be revealed, his glory shall be reye, in the participation of it, may be even trans- vealed, ye may be ported with joy far beyond what can now be de- glad also with exceeding joy. 14 scribed, or conceived. In the mean time, 14 If ye be rewhile you are in this present world, and ob- proached for the noxious to persecutions and injuries, if you are name of Christ, hapreproached for the name of Christ, [ye are] hap- Spirit of glory, and py, and ought to reckon yourselves so, because of God, resteth upon the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you; you on their part which will support you under it, and spread a but on your part he he is evil spoken of, lustre around you; and [though] he, in whose glorified. cause ye suffer so unjustly, is blasphemed on their part, yet on yours, he is glorified: it shews the excellence and sublime spirit of true religion, that it can support you under the opprobrious and cruel treatment which you endure, 15 for adhering to it and defending it. But let not any of you, who have the honour to bear you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, the Christian name, by any means suffer as a or as an evil doer, or murderer, or a thief, or a malefactor, of any as a busy body in other kind, or even as over busy and assuming other men's matters. in the affairs of others, aspiring to direct,

a When his glory shall be revealed] There is no occasion with Mr. Fleming to interpret this of the glory of the Shechinah, appearing at the millenium to excite the exceeding joy of the saints after the first resurrection Flem Christol. Vol. III. p. 868. It probably refers to the great and glorious day of Christ's second appearance, which is so often spoken of as the grand jubilee of Christians, though not inconsistent with great joy to be received by the spirit of every good man, immediately on its entrance into the intermediate state.

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15 But let none of

you may be treated in the most infamous manner, as the vilest of malefactors, which we know many of the primitive Christians were.

As over busy in the affairs of others.] Axxo?pioemionon, says the learned Dr. Lardner, cannot here signify merely a prying into the concerns of private families; which could not be ranked with such crimes as are here mentioned, nor expose a man to the punishment of the civil magistrate: but it may signify a man that affects to inspect or direct the affairs of others; perhaps that aspires to public authority, a temper which appeared much among the Jews, particularly at Alexandria, and Cesarea, and which would naturally give great offence to the Romans, and make them very dangerous enemies. If therefore any thing of this kind might appear among Christians, it would be of particular bad consequence in those times. Lard. Cred. Vol. I. p. 426. I have para

For judgment would begin at the house of God.

let him not be a

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overrule and determine them in a manner not SECT. suiting your station in life; in consequence of viii. which you may bring any degree of ill will 1 Pet. 16 Yet if any man upon yourselves. But if it please Providence iv. 16 suffer as a Christian, to appoint, that [any of you] should [suffer] as shamed; but let him a Christian, let him not be ashamed, though the glorify God on this punishment, like that inflicted upon his Divine behalf. Master himself, should be ever so infamous; but rather let him glorify God in this respect, despising the shame, as well as resolutely enduring the 17 For the time agony that may attend it; Because the time 17 is come that judg. [is coming,] and just at hand, when judgment ment must begin at the house of God is to begin at the house of God; for he hath and if it first begin at determined to exercise his own people with us, what shall the very severe trials, giving them up for a while obey not the gospel to the malice of their enemies; that by this means their characters may be approved, and those who are hypocrites, may be separated from those who are sincere in their Christian profession; and if [it begin] first with us, what [shall be] the end of those, who are obstinately and presumptuously disobedient to the gospel of God, and who not only reject it, but persecute its professors, and endeavour to root it 18 And if the out of the world? And if the righteous him- 18 righteous scarcely be saved, where self be saved with difficulty, how miserable

end be of them that

of God?

phrased the words so as to suggest this, yet so as to take in the most that could be imagined to be intended.

& Time is coming when judgment is to begin at the house of God. As if he had said, "Do not think this a matter of unconcerning speculation. No, the time fore. told by Christ (John xvi. 2, &c.) is coming." I doubt not there is an allusion to that passage in Ezek. ix. 6, where it is said the slaughter to be made was to begin at the sanctuary; but this cannot be interpreted as of the Temple of Jerusalem, because it answers to beginning with us, that is, Christians, immediately after. So that Grotius's criticism upon the word TEX in the latter clause of this verse, as answering to ha, Dan. ix. 27, and to TEA in Matt. xxiv. 6, seems quite foreign to the purpose.

If the righteous be saved with difficulty.] The apostle seems to quote Prov. xi. 31, according to the Seventy, which in sense, though not exactly in words, agrees with the Hebrew. He cannot intend deliverance from the Roman invasion, in which VOL. 6. 29

h

so very few of those Christians were concerned; nor merely deliverance from any of their persecutors, because he takes it for granted, that in this sense the righteous would be saved, though with difficulty ; whereas multitudes fell by persecution, even of these Christians in Bithynia, as appears by Pliny's letter. It is necessary therefore to understand it more generally, of the difficulty with which good men get to heaven, through this dangerous and ensnaring world. Compare Acts xiv. 18; xxvii. 7, 8, 16, where Mons signifies with difficulty; in which sense it is also used by Philo. (See Wolfii Cura Philolog. Vol. V. p. 161) The turn of the latter clause of the verse in the original, which I have endeavoured to preserve, is very lively; it seems as if the apostle were solicitous to lead the sinner to consider, where he should hide his head; since wherever he was, he would find God immediately appearing against him as an irresistible enemy. This he might say by way of warning to persecutors, and to encourage Christians to hope that God would vindi

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1 Pet.

Reflections on

SECT. Must the ungodly and the sinner be? where shall shall the ungodly and viii he appear in the day of Divine vengeance, when the sinner appear? all nature, shall be, as it were, armed with teriv. 18 ror by the God of nature, for his destruction; and when all impious transgressors shall be brought forth in his awful presence, that his just, though dreadful sentence of condemnation, may be executed in its rigour?

faithful Creator.

their

a

19 Therefore let them also, who now suffer this 19 Wherefore let temporary punishment, which according to the them that suffer acwill of God so permitting, their enemies have cording to the will at present a power of inflicting, acknowledge keeping of of God, commit the the Providence of God in this mysterious souls to him in well event, and commit their souls [to him] as to a doing, as unto faithful Creator, in well doing; assured that while they continue to act as under a sense of his presence, and endeavour to approve themselves to him, he will regard them as his creatures, and even his children, and will render their immortal interests secure, whatever injuries of a temporal nature he may suffer them.

to sustain.

IMPROVEMENT.

verse

LET us continually bear in mind the approaching end of all 7 things; and then we shall neither omit the exercises of devotion, nor grow supine and careless in the discharge of them. Then 8 shall we be engaged through a sense of our need of the Divine clemency and indulgence, to exercise forbearance and candour, and maintain the most fervent charity to all without distinction; and we shall then be more disposed to consider ourselves as 10 stewards, and as such, be concerned to behave with all good fidelity, both in the use and enjoyment of our possessions, and in the exercise of those gifts and endowments with which God hath been pleased to intrust us. To this they should especially attend, who are called to speak in God's name; they should consider, that his oracles are committed to them; and though they cannot pretend, that the instructions they deliver from thence, are revealed to and impressed upon their minds by immediate inspiration, yet a reflection on the general nature of the glorious gospel, and on its important and everlasting consequences, may well dispose and form them to an humble awe and reverence in their manner of handling and dispensing it; and may remind them, that on the whole, in every ministration of the word of life, in every dis

11

cate their cause, and preserve them from this the connection with the following verse turning aside to crooked paths. And favours.

our partaking of Christ's sufferings.

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tribution of charity, and office of kindness, the main end to be SECT. pursued is, That God may be glorified.

viii.

If, in the cause of Christ, Providence should call us out to verse encounter the severest persecutions, and even fiery trials, let us 12 not be astonished, as if some strange thing had happened to us; let us not be discouraged, nor think ourselves hardly dealt with in such Divine appointments; remembering that in this case we are only partakers in the sufferings of Christ, that we only tread in the same rough and thorny path in which he walk- 13 ed before us; and that in due time, if we continue faithful to him, we shall also be made partakers of his glory. In the mean 14 while, the Spirit of God and of glory will rest upon us; only let us be jealous of his honour with a godly jealousy, and be great- 15,16 ly concerned, that our sins and indiscretions may not throw a blemish on a profession which derives its appellation from him. Glorious are the privileges indeed which belong to the disciples of Christ; but they, notwithstanding, draw very awful consequences after them. For judgment begins at the house of God, 17 and even his dearest children are exercised with trials of their fidelity and patience. Let us prepare for them before they come, that when they do come, we may bear them honourably, committing the keeping of our souls to him, as to a faithful Crea- 19 tor, in well doing. But let the wicked and the ungodly meditate terror; for the vengeance of God will find them out; the great 18 day of wrath will come; and who can be able to stand? May Divine grace reclaim those who are now exposed to so terrible a condemnation ; lest they know by experience, what no words can describe, no thought conceive, the end of those who obey not the gospel of God.

SECT. IX.

The apostle concludes this epistle with particular cautions to ministers and private Christians; urging on the former humility, diligence and watchfulness; and exhorting the latter to a steadfast and faithful discharge of their several duties, animated by this consideration, that the God of all grace had called them to his eternal glory, and would, after they had suffered a while, make them perfect, according to his earnest prayer for them. 1 Pet. V. 1, to the end.

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1 PETER V. 1.

WOULD now in the most affectionate SECT. manner address myself to those who are the ix. elders among you, or any other Christian societies into whose hands this epistle may come ; and I would exhort them with the greater

1 Pet.

v. 1

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1 Pet.

The elders should feed the flock of God.

ness of the suffer

SECT. warmth and freedom, [us I also am] an elder exhort, who am also ix. with them, and an eye witness of the sufferings an elder, and a witof Christ, and as I also hope, through Divine ings of Christ, and v.1 grace, that I shall be a partaker of the glory, also a partaker of which shall hereafter be revealed, when he shall the glory that shall be revealed: appear the second time, in circumstances so different from those in which we have seen and 2 conversed with him on earth. By all the 2 Feed the flock engagements of love and duty to him, and by of God which is ataking all the regard you owe to your own honour and mong you, the oversight therehappiness in that important day, let me beseech of; not by conyou to feed the flock of God that is among you, straint, but willingthe churches of Christ which you are called to 1y: not for filthy lucre, but of a read y preside over; discharge the episcopal office mind; with that due inspection which its very name imports not by constraint, as if it were an ungrateful burthen, but willingly and cheerfully; not for the sake of dishonourable gain, but of a ready mind, and because you love the flock, and really desire its edifica

3 tion and welfare. Not assuming to yourselves 3 Neither as being dominion over those who fall to your lot,d lords over God's her

Discharge the episcopal office.] This idea is so plainly suggested by the word Tino@les, that I thought it matter of duty to translate it as I have done; that every reader might observe, what all candid people seem to confess, that those who are styled bishops, from their having the oversight of others, and also presbyters, or elders, are spoken of as the same persons. Compare ver. 1. And I hope the time will come, when good men will join their efforts to remove that very hard imposition, by which the ministers of some churches are obliged, in order to their entering into the ministry, to declare, not only that they are different orders, but that it is evident unto all men diligently reading the holy scripture, that they are so.

b Not by constraint.] It is true, that in the primitive church some were almost against their will forced into the episcopal office by dint of importunity. And one would hope, it was not an affected modesty with which they declined the office, especially as it was then attended with no temporal emoluments, but exposed them to distinguished labours and sufferings. It is difficult to see how any could in the strictest sense be constrained; but perhaps the apostle saw some good men too unwilling to accept the office, when the churches chose them to it, and when inspired teach

ers urged it upon them. And though little gain could have been made of it, and the temptation to lord it over God's heritage was not so great, as when ecclesiastical persons were invested with civil power, (in which most of the honour and influence of their ecclesiastical characters, as such, has been generally lost,) yet foreseeing what would happen in the church, and observing perhaps some discoveries of such a temper beginning to prevail, the caution was exceedingly just, proper, and important. Compare Luke x. 2, and the note there.

Dishonourable gain.] See the note on 1 Tim. iii. 3

Those who fall to your lot.] The word, God's, is not in the original. I think therefore it is with abundant reason, that the learned Mr. Boyse refers this to their not domineering over the particular congregations, or bishoprics, which were by Providence committed to their care; alluding to the division of Canaan by lots. Boyse's Serm. Vol. II. p. 413. An interpretation much preferable to Dr. Whitby's, who explains it of the possessions of the church. (Compare Col. i. 12, note k.) And yet after proposing this interpreta. tion at large, he admits at the close of his note, that what is here styled xλnpos, being in the same sentence expressed by

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