260 9 Believing in Christ, whom, though unseen, they love: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; whom though now you see him not, yet be lieving,ye rejoice with full of glory; 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the SECT. trial of your faith, which is far more precious more precious than of and valuable than that of gold which perishes and gold that perisheth, though it be tried with 1 Peter wears out in time, though it be tried with fire,and fire, might be found 1.7. purified to the highest degree; may be found to unto praise, and hopraise and honour and glory, in the great day of pour, and glory at the appearing of Jesus the revelation of Jesus Christ, the Divine Au- Christ; thor and Finisher of our faith, who having endured yet sorer trials, will rejoice to applaud and reward the fidelity of his servants in his 8 cause: I say, in the revelation of Jesus Christ, that glorious Redeemer, whom not having seene with your bodily eyes, nor personally conversed with him, ye nevertheless love, and in whom, though now you see [him] not, yet assuredly be- joy unspeakable and lieving, ye rejoice, as your almighty Saviour, Friend and Protector, with unutterable and even glorified joy, with such a joy as seems to anticipate that of the Saints in glory; Receiving with unspeakable delight, as a full equivalent salvation of your souls. of all your trials, the great end of your faith, even the complete salvation of [your] souls, s; a prize of infinitely greater importance, than all 10 you can be called to sacrifice for its sake! Concerning which salvation, the prophets, who pre- enquired, and searched dicted the grace of the gospel [which was ap- diligently, who prophepointed] to you, sought and diligently enquired; sied of the grace that Searching with the deepest and most attentive should come unto you: 11 reflection, to what period or to what manner of or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them, did time the Spirit of refer when he testified long before they came to them did signify, when pass, the various sufferings which were to come it testified before-band upon Christ, and the exalted and permanent glory the sufferings of Christ which was to succeed them, and render him and the glory that 12 and his kingdom so perpetually illustrious, and his servants so completely happy. To the memorable testimony of these prophets it be- was revealed, that not e Not having seen.] It is very possible Spirit of Christ which was in them, &c.] comes 10 Of which salvation the prophets have 11 Searching what, Christ which was in should follow. 12 Unto whom it unto Spirit which dictated to the prophets, is called the Spirit of Christ; which (as Mr. Fleming observes, Christol. Vol. I. p. 185) both proves his existence before his incarnation, and illustrates the full view he himself had of all he was to do and suffer under the character of our Redeemer; the particulars of which therefore must have been comprehended in the stipulations between him and the Father.-The apostle in discoursing so largely concerning the prophets, seems to have a special reference to the converted Jews, who would enter more thoroughly into this part of his reasouing than the converted Gentiles. g To To whom the prophets, and the Holy Ghost bore witness. unto themselves, but comes us to pay a sincere and profound regard, unto us they did minis to whom such extraordinary discoveries were ter the things which 261 SECT. i. are now reported unto made, as no attentive reader can view without Peter you by them that have conviction and astonishment; and it was reveal- 1. 12. preached the gospel ed to them among other things, that [it was] unto you, with the things the angels desire to look into. Holy Ghost sent down not to themselves, but to us, that they ministered from heaven; which these things: they knew that we, when the events arose, should have a more complete understanding of these oracles, than any who declared them, had. Consider then, how happy you are in that dispensation under which you now live, when those Divine mysteries, which were only in a more obscure manner hinted at by the prophets, are most clearly and expressly declared to you, by those who have published the glad tidings of the gospel among you, by the evident authority and attestation, as well as by the assistances of the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, with such visible glory, and testifying his continued residence amongst us by such wonderful effects. And indeed, the doctrines which they preach, are things of so great excellence and importance, as to be well worthy the regard of angels, as well as men; and accordingly, (as the images of the cherubim on the mercy-seat, seemed to bow down, to look upon the tables of the law laid up in the ark,) so those celestial spirits do, from their heavenly abode, desire to bend down to [contemplate] such glorious displays of Divine wisdom and goodness, and attentively to survey those important scenes that are opening upon us here on earth; which is become so much more considerable than it would otherwise be, as it is honoured with being the theatre of such glori ous events. To whom it was revealed, &c] I think this text plainly proves, that the prophets had some general intimation, that their prophecies referred to the Messiah; but that they did not understand every clause of them in their full force, nor so well as the understand them, who are capable of comparing them with the event. h Angels desire to bend down, &c.] Thus it is in the original wagana, desire to stoop down to, in allusion no doubt, (as Mr. Saurin, Diss. Vol. II. p. 266, has IMPROVE beautifully illustrated it, and many others 262 Reflections on the happiness of the elect of God. SECT. i. IMPROVEMENT. ARE we desirous of rendering it apparent to ourselves, and all around us, that we are indeed the elect of God? Let it be, by Ver. 2 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. 3 4 5 6 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 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 we are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Our faith, and our other graces, are as it were thrown into the furnace, not to be consumed, but refined; that they may be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearance of Jesus Christ. Even at pre8 sent, 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, may we all receive the end of our faith, even the everlasting salvation of our souls! 7 9 10 12 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 excellent advantages for more distinctly and clearly understanding, than even they themselves did. What exalted ideas should we 11 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; how much more worthy then, the attention of the children of men ; 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 They should gird up the loins of their mind; 263 i. and meet together in the presence of our dear and condescending SECT. 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 sobriety, to love, and to obedience, by an affecting representation of our relation to God, our redemption by the invaluable blood of Christ, the vanity of all worldly enjoyments, and the excellence and perpetuity of the gospel-dispensation. 1 Pet. I. 13, to the end. 1 PETER I. 13. WHEREFORE, gird up the loins of I your mind, be sober, the revelation of Jesus Christ. ii. 1 Peter HAVE been endeavouring to give you some general ideas of the excellence and importand hope to the end, ance of the gospel-dispensation; reminding you 1. 13. for the grace that is to of the wonderful manner in which it was introbe brought unto you at duced by the united labours of the 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 prospect of felicity in that im14 As obedient chil- portant day. You have now the honour to be 14 dren, not fashioning adopted into the family of God; conduct youryourselves according selves therefore as his obedient children, not fashto the former lusts, in your ignorance: ioning yourselves according to the former lusts, which you indulged in the time of your ignorance, when you knew not this gospel, and were many of you in heathen darkness, and others under 15 But as he which the imperfect dispensation of Moses: But as he 15 kath called you is ho- that has called you to this glorious light, and participation of such invaluable blessings, is holy, ly, be 264 Being redeemed from their vain conversation by Christ; SECT. be ye yourselves also holy in the whole of [your] ly, so be ye holy in all conversation, in every thing you say and do; ii. manner of conversation; 16 Because it is writ am holy. out respect of persons in redeemed with cor 1 Peter aspiring after this as your greatest honour, to 1. 15. bear the image of God in the moral perfections 16 of his nature; For it is written in several passages of the Mosaic scriptures, (Lev. xi. 44; ten, Be ye holy, for I xix. 2; xx. 7,) Be ye holy, for I 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 illustriously dis17 played; And accordingly let me exhort you, if 17 And if ye call on ye call upon the God and Father of all, who with the Father, who without respect of persons, or any kind of partiality, judgeth according to whether to Jews or Gentiles, judges every one every man's work, according to [his] works, to converse during the pass the time of your time of your sojourning here, with all becoming fear: sojourning here reverence and humility, in the religious fear of 18 God; And so much the rather, knowing, the 18 Forasmuch as ye price of your redemption to have been so rich know that ye were not and invaluable. This is an important article of ruptible things as silDivine knowledge, of which no Christian can ver and gold, from be ignorant, that you were not redeemed with cor- your vain conversation ruptible things, as with silver and gold, which received by tradition from your fathers; however 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 superstitions, follies, and vices, which had in succeeding generations assumed the name and the garb of religion, and from the guilt which they had brought upon your souls. Ineffectual had all the treasures of the earth been to purchase help for us under so sad and deplorable a circum19 stance. But God was pleased to find out the only ransom, and has redeemed us with the precious blood of Christ his Son, as of a lamb unblemished and unspotted, free from the least degree spot: a Redeemed with corruptible things, with silver and gold, &c.] Some think here is an allusion to the lamb, which made an atonement, and was bought at the common expence furnished by the contribution of the half-shekel, as an atonement for their souls. Compare Exod. xxx. 11, &c. As for those that think here is a reference to the stamp of a lamb on the Jewish coin, I am neither sure of the truth of the fact, of 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without blemish and without |