280 V. The Apostle exhorts them to be unanimous. SECT. from God! Let the hidden man of the heart be more our care; and when that is rightly governed, the proper conduct of our external behaviour will be natural and easy. Ver. 7 Let us labour to walk according to knowledge, to behave as those who have been well instructed in the science of the gospel, in comparison of which all other sciences are ignorance and vanity. Let us be ready to make allowance for the natural infirmities of those about us. Especially, let husbands consider those of their wives, (not as an encouragement to oppression, than which nothing could be more ungenerous, but) as an engagement in all honour and conscience, to a tender and respectful behaviour. How becoming and amiable is such conduct in those who through Divine grace are heirs of eternal life! And if a due care be not maintained on this head, there will be an indisposition for social and for secret prayer; and when the pleasures of devotion are destroyed or embittered, it is not to be expected any other kind of pleasure, worth the regard of a rational creature, can long continue. SECT. vi. SECT. VI. The Apostle urges various arguments on the Christian converts, to engage them to an inoffensive, benevolent, and useful life and conversation, and to a steady courageous adherence to their religion amidst all opposition. 1 Pet. III. 8—17. 1 PETER III. 8. To conclude this head; my brethren, [be] all 1 PETER III. 8. FINALLY, be ye all compassion one of another; love as brethren, of one mind, having 1 Peter full of brotherly love to all Christians, compassion- be pitiful, be courteous: III. 8. ate to those that are in distress, and friendly to 9 all those that need your assistance; Not re- 9 Not rendering evil evil, or railing for turning evil for evil, nor reproach for reproach; for ev: but contrarirailing: but on the contrary, rather blessing, even to those wise, blessing; knowthat curse you, according to our Lord's precept; ing that ye are thereknowing that to this purpose ye were called to the unto called, that ye profession of Christianity, that ye might inherit should inherit a blessa blessing immense and eternal; the expectation of which, (considering its infinite importance,) may well keep your spirits calm and composed, whatever be the injury and ill-usage you may 10 meet with from your fellow-men. ing. For this 10 For he that will you know is the language of the Psalmist, and love life, and see good it ought never to be forgotten, (Psal. xxxiv. 12, days, speak no guile. They should be ready to give a reason of their hopes: 281 1 Peter days, let him refrain 13,) What man is he that would love life, in SECT. his tongue from evil, the truest sense of loving and enjoying it, and vi. and his lips that they would see good, prosperous, and happy days? let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips III. 10. 11 Let him eschew from speaking deceit: Let him turn away from 11 evil, and do good; let the practice of all that is evil, and do good to the him seek peace, and ensue it. utmost extent of his power; let him seek after peace, and resolutely pursue it, even though it 12 For the eyes of may appear to fly away from him. For the the Lord are over the favourable eyes of the Lord [are] continually set are open unto their upon the righteous, to watch over and protect prayers: but the face them; and his ears [are] ever [open] to listen of the Lord is against to the voice of their supplications; but the face righteous, and his ears them that do evil, 13 And who is he if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be of the Lord, his countenance full of wrath and re- 12 And now reflect with yourselves, who shall 13 that will harm you, hurt you? who shall have the ability, or inclination to hurt you, if ye imitate him who is supremely good, if you copy after the benevolence of the Divine Being, and of your great Master, whose whole life was so illustrious an example of the most diffusive generosity and goodness to his followers? But if you should suffer on ac- 14 count of righteousness, [ye are] still happy in spite of all the malicious and outrageous efforts of your enemies to render you miserable: therefore fear not their terror, neither be troubled, as they are, under the various calamities of life, who are, alas! utterly destitute of your support. 15 But sanctify the But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; behave 15 Lord God in your towards him continually with that reverence, hearts; and be ready with that dutiful and obedient regard, which always his unrivalled perfections and glories demand; and [be] always prepared, by a ready and familiar acquaintance with the contents and evidences of your holy religion, and by that cheerfulness troubled; and b Fear not their terror.] Mr. Joseph Mede understands it, as if he had said, Fear not the Jew, nor the Gentile; but sanctify, reverence, and worship the one living God. Diater. on Luke xi. 2. But I think the interpretation given in the pharaphrase is much more natural. c That 282 vi. And should live so as to shame their accusers. swer to every man that fear; science; that whereas your SECT. and presence of mind which arises from a always to give an anconsciousness of your practical regard to it, to asketh you a reason of 1 Peter [offer] [offer] an apology to every one that demands of the hope that is in you, III. 15. you an account of the exalted hope which is in with meekness and you, and which enabled seto maintain such you renity and composure, under those troubles and persecutions to which the profession of Christianity may expose you. And that this noble defence may be rendered the more effectual, let it be made with meekness and reverence; the good fruit of your religious principles appearing in the piety and gentleness of your minds. 16 Let it be your constant endeavour, that, having 16 Having a good cona good conscience, you be always bold and coura- they speak evil of you geous in the defence of that system of religion as of evil-doers, they which gives to such a conscience so mighty and may be ashamed that stable a support; that wherein they, who bitter- falsely accuse good conversation in ly oppose your religion, speak against you as Christ. evil-doers, and lay to your charge crimes of the most detestable nature, they may be ashamed; they, I say, who revile your good, inoffensive, and useful conversation in the profession of that religion which brings you into such an intimate 17 relation to Christ. For [it is] certainly better to suffer, (if it be the will of God, that you should that ye suffer for wellsuffer,) for doing good, than for doing evil; the doing, than for evil-dotestimony of a good conscience, and the sense ing. of the Divine favour, affording the noblest supports in the former case; whereas in the latter, the severest torments that can be endured, are those which the guilty mind inflicts upon itself: to which we may add, that while we suffer for the truth, we have the pleasure of reflecting, that we follow our blessed Redeemer; and this is another most powerful source of consolation, of which I shall presently have occasion to discourse more particularly and largely. 17 For it is better if the will of God be so, IMPROVEMENT, How very astonishing, and lamentable is it, that when the way to happiness is so plainly delineated, so few should find c That wherein they speak against you, they may be ashamed.] I think this remarkably illustrated by the strain of that epistle of Pliny, in which he gives an account of his own conduct, in persecuting the Chris it! tians; by which it plainly appears that he was ashamed of what the laws required, when he considered how inoffensive their behaviour was. Reflections on our obligations to sincerity and candour 283 SECT. vi. it! What man is there, who does not desire life, and love many days, in which he may see good? Yet how few tongues are kept, from evil, how few lips from speaking guile? How few decline Ver10 from evil, and do good! How few seek peace, and pursue it ! On the contrary, how much low cunning and artifice, and what dis- 11 cords and contentions reign among mankind! And they often issue in those bloody wars and fightings, which arise from those lusts that war in our members. How detestable, and how miserable, do these perverse and ungovernable passions render us! How sadly do they prevent the ascent of our prayers to God, and the descent of his mercies upon us! Mercies, which he is ever ready to impart to those who are meet and disposed to receive them. 13 14, 15 There is notwithstanding a little remnant, who are righteous before him; and of them his gracious eye is continually directed for their good; to their cry, yea to the soft whispers of their supplications, his ears are ever open. Honoured and happy above all the children of men are they who have the favour and the 12 attention of the great Sovereign of the universe. Who will be able to hurt or injure them, should they have malignity enough to wish and attempt it? And as this loving-kindness of the Lord is thus productive of security and happiness to his people, let it engage us to be followers and imitators of him, who is supremely good. We may then face all the menaces of a frowning world with an holy intrepidity, and sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts, making him our fear, and our dread, we need not have any terrible apprehensions of what men or devils can do unto us. Yea, we shall in that case, not only have nothing to fear, but every thing to hope, which can conduce to our real and everlasting felicity. Encouraged by these important considerations, let it be our care in the fear of God, to study and endeavour clearly to understand the foundations of our religion, and of our glorious hope, that we may be able to defend it against every attack, however formidable, and to give an account of our hope to all who shall demand it, in sweet harmony and complacency of soul, undisturbed with the disquietude, and untainted with the example, of those who render for evil for evil, and railing for railing. Ong the contrary, let us greatly triumph over all ill usage, by repay. it with good; and may a sense of that important blessing, which by the gospel we are called to inherit, diffuse that pleasure and happiness, through our whole souls, which may carry them above the resentment of the little injuries we receive from the 8 unkindness of men, and dispose us to every genuine expression of that unlimited benevolence, which should fill and expand the VOL. X. hearts N n 284 Christ dying in the flesh, was quickened by the Spirit: hearts of those who are thus feasted with the Divinest hopes and consolations. SECT. vii. SECT. VII. The Apostle Peter urges on the Christian converts the atonement, resurrection, aud exaltation of their Divine Saviour, the obligation of their baptismal covenant, and the awful solemnity of the last judgment, to engage them to a life of Christian mortification and holiness, whatever opposition they might be called to encoun ter. 1 Pet. III. 18-IV. 6. 1 PETER III. 18. 1 PETER III. 18. once suffered for just for the unjust, (that he might bring us to God) being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: I HAVE already observed, that if it be the will FOR Christ also hath of God should suffer, it is better it should sins the you 1 Peter be for doing well than for doing evil; and it is III. 18. very evidently so, because hereby we are made conformable to Christ our Head and Leader, whom it cannot but be our glory and happiness to resemble; for he also once suffered for sins, he, who was so eminently, and perfectly the just, suffered for the unjust, for our benefit, and in our stead, that he might introduce us to God, and fix us in a state of acceptance and favourable intercourse with him, being indeed put to death in the flesh, by those enemies whom God permitted for a while to triumph over him; but quickened by the spirit of God', which soon re-animated his body, and 19 raised it to an immortal life: Even that Spirit, by the inspiration of which granted to his he went and preached faithful servant Noah, going forth, as it were in that progress in which he employed him, he preached to those notorious sinners, who for their disobedience, have since experienced the just severity of the Divine vengeance, and are now in the condition of separate spirits, reserved, as it were, in prison, to the severer judgment at the a Because Christ also once suffered, &c.] The following section, though it seems a kind of digression occasioned by the apostle's mentioning the name of his blessed Master, yet is, in the main, properly connected with his purpose of animating them under their sufferings. b Quickened by the Spirit.] Dr. More renders it, remaining alive in the spirit, and urges it as an 19 By which also unto the spirits in prison; argument against the More's Theol. Works, c The spirits in prison.] Hardly any text has been more differently interpreted than this. Some understand it of souls who were in some lower place in paradise, εν φυλακή, or in a watch-tower, where they were waiting the Redeemer's coming; others |