Who was appointed before the world began. fore-ordained before for you; 21 Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. 265 1 Peter of moral pollution, and therefore properly repre- SECT. sented by those lambs, free from all corporeal ii. spots and blemishes, which the Jews were required to offer as an expiation for their souls. I. 19. 20 Who verily was And as the paschal lamb was chosen, and set 20 the foundation of the apart some time before it was sacrificed, so the world, but was mani- Lord Jesus Christ, who was indeed typified by fest in these last times it, was known, approved, and 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 by him; Even ye 21 all, who by him, and the manifestations of the Divine grace and mercy in him, are brought to repose your trust and confidence in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him, such exalted glory and majesty in the celestial world; that so your faith and hope might be in God, and ye might be encouraged to commit all your concerns to him with chearful confidence, when he has appointed you such a Saviour; and to expect all blessings from that friendship with him. which is founded upon the incarnation, atone22 Seeing ye have ment, and blood of his own Son. Let it be 22 purified your souls in obeying the truth your care, therefore, that having purified your through the Spirit unto souls by an application to this fountain which unfeigned love of the God has opened, and by that obedience to the brethren; see that ye truth which will through the assistance of the a pure heart fervently. Spirit be the result of such an application; and since the whole genius and design of this religion, which you have imbibed and professed, leads to an undissembled brotherly love; let it be your care, I say, to enter affectionately into its design and tendency; and to love one another out of a pure heart; operating fervently and intensely, and not to rest merely in those deceitful 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 Being born again, reality and sincerity. The temper and conduct 23 not of corruptible seed which I recommend, may justly be expected love one another with but c 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 from 266 11. Reflections on the stability of the Divine word, &c. which liveth and SECT. from you, considering your relation to God, and but of incorruptible, to each other, as having been regenerated, not by the word of God by corruptible seed, not by virtue of any descent abideth for ever. 1. 23. from uuman parents, but by incorruptible; not 1 Peter 24 For all flesh is as laying the stress of your confidence 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 24 to these glorious evangelical privileges. For as the prophet Isaiah testifies, (Isaiah xl. 6,) all grass, and all the glory flesh [is] as grass, and all the glory of man as the grass. The grass wiflower of the grass, which is yet frailer than thereth, and the flower that; the grass withereth, and the flower thereof thereof falleth away: falleth; quickly deprived of its blooming honours, it drops, blasted and dying, to the ground. And thus precarious and uncertain are all the dependencies which we can have on perishing of man as the flower of word which by the 25 creatures; But the word of the Lord abideth for 25 But the word of ever in undiminished force and vigour, nor can the Lord endureth for ten thousand succeeding ages prevent or abate ever. And this is the its efficacy. Now this, which the prophet refers gospel is preached unto in the oracle I have just been quoting, is the to you. word which is preached to you in the gospel : shew therefore your regard to it by such a temper and behaviour, both towards God and man, as it was intended to inculcate and produce. IMPROVEMENT. LET it be matter of our daily delightful meditation, that Ver. while we clearly discern the uncertainty of all human depend24 encies, which wither like the grass, and fall like the flower of 25 the field, the word of God is permanent and immutable. Let us cheerfully 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 23 as his own infallible word, and to make that word the incorruptible seed of our regeneration. If we have indeed experimentally known e 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 its Wolfius imagines to the order of the original words) to refer this clause to the word of God, which is here stiled incorruptible seed. They should lay aside all malice and guile, 267 its efficacy and power, so that our souls are purified by obeying the SECT. truth, let us carefully express our obedience to it, by undissembled, fervent brotherly love; and animated by our glorious and exalted Ver. hopes as Christians, even that Divine and illustrious hope of the 22 grace to be brought unto us at the revelation of Jesus Christ, let 13 us set ourselves to the vigorous discharge of every duty, as knowing that we should be children of obedience, having the excuse 14 of 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 17 here in fear, from the consideration of our being redeemed by the 18, 19 blood 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 circumstance 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 bis mercy, and cheerful and humble submission to his authority, (Psal. ii. 12.) SECT. III. 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. WHEREFORE, lay lice, and all guile, and 1 PETER II. 1. iii. ing aside all ma- I HAVE been reminding you of the everlasting SECT. VOL. X, LI all 1 Peter 11. 1. 268 iii. And should desire that rational unmingled milk: desire the sincere milk may grow thereby ; 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. deed of men, but SECT. all malignity, and all deceit, and hypocrisies and hypocrisies, and envies, envies, and all evil speakings, which are so con- and all evil-speakings, 1 Peter trary to its benevolent design, With all sim- 2 As new-born babes 11.2. plicity, as new-born infants, who are regene- of the word, that ye rated by Divine grace, desire that spiritual nourishment, that rational and unmingled milk, if I may so call it; that so ye may grow thereby to a 3 state of adult Christianity. And this 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 awakened sinner; 4 To whom coming [as to] a living stone, who is 4 To whom comcapable of diffusing spiritual life into those who ing, as unto a living are united to him, though disallowed indeed and stone, disallowed inrejected of men, yet chosen of God, [and] inex- chosen of God, and 5 pressibly precious and valuable ; Ye also as precious, living stones, united to him, and deriving life stones, are built up a 5 Ye also as lively from him, are built up as a spiritual house, con- spiritual house, secrated to his service; and in another view, ye holy priesthood to of may be considered as a holy priesthood, destined crifices, acceptable to fer up spiritual sato offer up the spiritual sacrifices of prayer, praise God by Jesus Christ. and obedience, which are all acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, who is the great High Priest over the house of God, whose intercession alone can recommend to the Father such imperfect ser6 vices as ours. Therefore it is contained in a well-known passage of the scripture, (Isaiah xxviii. 16,) Behold I lay in Sion a stone, even a chief corner stone, chosen, precious; and he that confideth in it, shall not be ashamed: which words undoubtedly refer to the Messiah, as the great an 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious; and he that believeth confounded. on him shall not be fore which believe, he which 7 hope and confidence of his church. To you 7 Unto you there- which a New-born infants.] This expression b Since you have tasted, &c.] This is the very emphatically denotes those who are proper rendering of ung, and not, accordnewly converted or regenerated.-Wolfusing to our translation, if so be. See Black observes, (Cure Philol. Vol. V. p. 105,) wall's Sacred Class. Vol. II. p. 203. that the Jewish rabbies were wont to stile clt is precious.], Preciousness itnew proselytes to their religion, little chil- self. dren and new-born babes. d They which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner: of offence, even to them ent: whereunto also they were appointed. Unto them who believe Christ is precious. 111. 269 which the builders rejected, is become the head of SECT. the corner, all their opposition to it is in vain: they can never pretend to prevent the honour to 1 Peter which it is destined in the Divine purpose; II. 7. 8 And a stone of And to themselves, it is also, as Isaiah expresses 8 stumbling, and a rock it in the preceding context, a stone of stumbling, which stumble at the and a rock of offence; they who would attempt, word, being disobedi- as it were, to remove it out of the way, find it an over-match for their strength, and are dashed in pieces by it. They being disobedient to the Divine revelation, stumble at the word 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 church. 9 But ye are a cho- But you, on the contrary, who unfeignedly be- 9 sen generation, a royal lieve in him, [are] a chosen generation, a royal tion, a peculiar people; priesthood, who bear at once the dignity of that ye should shew kings, and sanctity of priests: a holy nation, set forth the praises of him apart in a special manner for the service of God; who hath called you and a peculiar people. When these titles were given to Israel of old, it was in an inferior sense; and it is in a much nobler signification, that these words may be applied to you. sider it therefore as the wise intention of Divine Providence, that you should declare and proclaim all abroad, the virtues of him who has called 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 illustrious scenes of Divine won priesthood, an holy na out of darkness into his marvellous light: d 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 cur translation. The truth is, the apostie runs a double antithesis between believers and unbelievers: -, saith he, To you who believe, it is precious? eucid, but to them who are disobedient, and unbelievers, a stone of stumbling: a nale, they stumble: vpis di, but you are a chosen people, &c. See Taylor's Key to the Romans, § 71. Con ders. when applied to Christians just to the idea, f The virtues.] We render it praises; A, g Marvellous and glorious light.] e Ye are a chosen generation.] Dr. 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 h Were |