270 They should abstain from fleshly lusts. SECT. ders. To this, are you, my brethren called, iii. 10 Which in time have obtained 11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, ab stain from fleshly lusts, which war against the who once [were] not a people, but [are] now the past were not a people, but are now the people 1 Peter people of God; who had not obtained mercy; of God: which had not II. 10. who, many of you, lay in the ruins of the Gen- obtained mercy, but tile world, but have now obtained mercy, and now are gathered into the church of God, and by his mercy. 11 favour entitled to all its privileges. My beloved brethren, let it be your special care to walk worthy of these privileges; and that you may, I beseech [you] as strangers in this world, and sojourners in the body, who are to be here soul: but for a very little 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 are suffered to prevail and go12 vern; Having your conversation honest, fair, and honourable among the Gentiles, particularly among the Gentiles: in an exemplary discharge of all social and rela- that whereas they tive duties; that whereas they speak against you, evil-doers, they may speak against you as as evil doers, in separating from the worship of by your good works, their gods, and joining yourselves with what which they shall bethey presumptuously call the impious sect of hold, glorify God in Christians, they, being eye-witnesses continually the day of visitation. of [your] good works, may not only lay aside these blasphemous reproaches, but exchange 12 Having your conversation honest IMPROVEMENT. LET us examine our own hearts seriously and impartially, 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, enquire, in what manner, and h Were not' a people.] I think it plain that Hosea ii. 23, (to which there seems here to be a reference) relates to the Israelites after their rejection. But it may with so much propriety be accommodated to to the Gentiles, that I thought it much better to give it such a turn, than to suppose it here spoken only of Jewish converts. Reflections on our dignity as a peculiar people. 3 271 iii. to what purposes we receive the word of God? Is it with the sim- SECT. plicity of babes, or children? do we desire it, as they desire the breast? do we lay aside those evil affections of mind, which would Ver. incapicitate us for receiving it in a becoming manner? And does 2 it conduce to our spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace? have 1 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 the living stone; and not- 4 withstanding 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 in Zion; and the united ef-6 8, forts 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 gene-9, LO ration, 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 darkness of ignorance and vice, in which our ancestors were involved, into the marvellous light of the gospel; yea, in dissipating those thick clouds of prejudice and error, which once veiled this sacred light from our eyes, that its enlivening beams might break in upon our souls! And are we now shewing forth his praises? are we now offering to him spiritual sacrifice, in humble dependence on Christ, our great High Priest, who continually intercedes for our acceptance with God? Then shall we indeed make our calling and our election sure, and shall ere long appear in his heavenly temple, both as kings and priests unto God to participate of our Redeemer's glory, to reign with him, and minister to him for ever. 5 Let us be careful, in the mean time, to remember, that we are strangers and sojourners on earth, as all our fathers were; and 11 that our days in this transitory life are but as a shadow that declineth; and let us learn to regard the appetites of our animal nature, and the interest of this mortal life, with a noble superiority; reflecting for how little a space of time they will solicit our attention. And as for fleshly lusts, let us consider them as making war against the soul; arming ourselves with that resolution and fortitude which is necessary to prevent their gaining a victory over us; which would be, at once, our disgrace and our ruin. There is 272 iii. They should submit themselves to their governors; SECT. is an additional argument to be derived, for a strenuous opposition to them, for our circumstances and situations in the present Ver. world, where there are so many enemies to our holy religion, 12 who cannot be more effectually silenced than by our good conversation. Let it be, therefore, our principal care to cut off from them the occasion of speaking against us as evil-doers; and by exhibiting a clear and unexceptionable pattern of good works in our daily conversation, let us invite and allure them to improve the day of their visitation, and glorify their father who is in heaven. SECT. iv. II. 13. SECT. IV. In order to adorn the gospel, the Apostle urges upon them the exercise of a due care as to relative duties; and particularly a subjection to civil governors, and to masters, even where their dispositions or injunctions might be harsh and severe; enforcing all by the consideration of that patience with which our Lord Jesus Christ endured his most grievous sufferings. 1 Pet. II. 13, to the end. 1 PETER II. 13. 1 PETER II. 13. SUBMIT yourselves of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to every ordinance to the king as supreme; HA AVING been already urging you to set a good example before those who are with1 Peter out; for the further illustration of that general precept, let me exhort you to be particularly careful to be subject to every human constitution of government, under which you are providentially placed, for the Lord's sake, and that ye may not bring any reflection upon the religion of Jesus; whether it be to the king or emperor, 14 as supreme : Or whether it be to governors and presidents, as sent and commissioned by him nors, as unto them that from Rome, in order to the punishment of evil- punishment of evildoers but to the praise of them who do well: doers, and for the for this is indeed the true intent of magistracy, praise of them that do and this will be the care of them who rightly understand the nature and honour of their office. b a Every human constitution.] The whole course of the apostle's reasoning in this place so plainly shows how very impertinent it is to apply this to the injunctions of men in matters of religion, that one cannot but wonder that any rational writer should ever have mentioned the argument which has been drawn from it. For 14 Or unto gover are sent by him for the well. b In order to the punishment of evil-doers.] The Roman governors had the power of life and death in such conquered provinces as those mentioned, chap. i. 1. There is therefore, the exactest propriety in the stile, as Dr. Larduer hath observed, Credib. Vol. I. p. 167. c The And obey their masters, though they were severe; doing ye may put to of foolish men. using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the ser vants of God. 17 Honour all men, Love the brotherhood. Fear God. the king. tions upon you. your 273 SEC1. 16 iv. 15 For so is the will For so is the will of God in this respect, that by of God, that with well- doing good ye should bridle in the ignorance of foolsilence the ignorance ish men, which might be ready to cast reflec-1 Peter As those who are indeed in II. 15. 16 As free, and not the noblest sense free, in consequence of relation to Christ, and your share in the purchase of his blood, yet not using your liberty as a veil and covering for the practice of wickedness, as the Jews too often do ; but behaving continually as becomes the servants of God, as those who are now more than ever his property in consequence of your having been bought with such a price. Honour all men; maintain an 17 esteem for human nature in general, and obHonour serve with pleasure whatever is truly honourable in the meanest and most undeserving of mankind. Love the Christian brotherhood with a peculiar and distinguishing affection, suitable to that fraternal relation into which you are brought by your joint adoption into the family of God, and insertion into the body of Christ. Reverence God at all times with the sincerest and profoundest humility; and let a sense of the honour and favour he has conferred upon you increase, rather than diminish that reverence. Honour the king whom God hath set over you, and all the subordinate governors who derive their authority from him; paying obedience to all their just commands, and taking heed that there be nothing rebellious or factious in your behaviour, which would turn to the hurt of society, and bring a reflection upon 18 Servants, be sub- your holy profession. Ye who are domestic 18 ject to your masters servants and slaves be in subjection to [your own] ly to the good and masters in all things lawful, with all reverence gentle, but also to the and submission; and remember to pay this re with all fear; not on froward. gard not only to the good and the gentle, whose 19 For this is thank- c The ignorance of foolish men.] By the foolish men here spoken of, Dr. Whitby understands the heathens, who might be ready foolishly to judge of Christians by the behaviour of the turbulent Jews, and so might represent them as a people naturally averse from subjection to kings, as Josephus says of his own nation, science d Reverence God, &c.] Perhaps no finer and stronger instances of the Laconic stile, are to be found any where than in this place. It is remarkable that they are required to honour the emperor, though so great a persecutor, and of so abandoned a character, as Nero himself. e If 274 In imitation of Christ, who suffered patiently. conscience toward SECT. Science towards God, and a desire of performing worthy, if a man for iv. his duty to him, patiently endures grief and sor- God endure grief, suf1 Peter row, though he suffer unjustly : For after all, fering wrongfully. 11. 20. what glory [is it,] or what can you possibly va- 20 For what glory lue yourselves upon, if when you have committed is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults an offence, and are buffeted and corrected for it, ye shall take it patientye endure [it ?] How can you indeed do other- ly but if when ye wise? or if you could, how shameful were it in do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, such a case, to rise against the hand of your in- this is acceptable with jured masters? But if when you have done good and yet suffer through their tyranny and perverseness, ye endure [it] meekly and patiently, this [is] acceptable and graceful before God; his eye, which always judges of the true beauty of characters aright, is even delighted with such a spectacle, though exhibited in the lowest rank 21 of human life. God. 21 For even here. also ye should follow his And I would particularly urge unto were ye called; this meek and patient temper upon you; for to because Christ this you were called, when you were brought in- suffered for us, leaving to the profession of the Christian faith; because us an example, that Christ himself, pure and spotless as he was, steps: suffered not only buffetings and stripes, but deep and mortal wounds, for you, leaving you &, an example and copy, that you might with certainty trace, and with constancy and diligence follow his footsteps, and by observing them as his, be charmed to an imitation, even where it was most 22 difficult and painful. We cannot expect indeed to arrive at a perfect resemblance of it; but let us endeavour to approach as near as possible, even to the amiable character of him, who did no sin, neither was any degree of deceit found in his mouth; Who being reviled, reviled not again, and suffering the most grievous insults again; when he suf and injuries, threatened not the vengeance fered, he threatened which he had it in his power to have executed; not; but committed but committed [himself] to him who judgeth eth righteously: himself to him that judg righteously, and who in his own most proper time will make the righteous and innocent 24 triumphant over all their enemies. 23 neither 22 Who did no sin, was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who when he was reviled, reviled not Yet we 24 Who his own self know this spotless and Holy Person, was as bare our sins in his own much distinguished by the grievousness of his body on the tree, that sufferings, as by the integrity of his character. we noble and animated digression of several verses, to the end of the chapter; afterwards he continues to pursue his exhortation to relative duties. Suffered for you, leaving you, &c.] I here prefer the reading of the Alexandrian and other MSS as most agreeable to the seuse and connection. h That |