18 pass the time of your sojourning in fear: Seeing ye know ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation delivered by tradi19 tion from your fathers, But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, 20 Who verily was foreknown before the foundation of the 21 world, but was manifested in the last times for you, Who through him believe in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. 22 Having purified your souls by obeying the truth, thro' the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one 23 another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not by corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of 24 God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For * all flesh is grass, and all the glory of it as the flower of grass: 25 The grass is withered, and the flower is fallen off: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which is preached to you in the gospel. CHAP. II. 1. Wherefore laying aside all wickedness, and all guile, and dissimulation, and envies, and all evil-speakings, 2 As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that 3 ye may grow thereby: Since ye have tasted that the Lord is 4 gracious: To whom coming as unto a living stone, rejected * Isa. xl. 6, &c. V. 18. Your vain conversation-Your foolish, sinful way of life. V. 21. Who through him believe-For all our faith and hope proceed from the power of his resurrection; in God-that raised Jesus, and gave him glory -At his ascension; without Christ we should only dread God: whereas thro' him we believe, hope, and love. V. 22. Having purified your souls, by obeying the truth through the SpiritWho bestows upon you freely, both obedience and purity of heart, and unfeigned love of the brethren go on to still higher degrees of love; love one another fervently-With the most strong and tender affection, and yet with a pure heart-Pure from any spot of unholy desire or inordinate passion. V. 23. Which liveth-Is full of divine virtue, and abideth the same for ever. V. 24. All flesh-Every human creature is transient and withering as grass; and all the glory of it-His wisdom, strength, wealth, righteousness; as the Mower-The most short lived part of it. The grass-That is, man: the flower -That is, his glory, is fallen off—As it were, while we are speaking. CHAP. 11. Ver. 1. Wherefore laying aside-As inconsistent with that purelove, all dissimulation-Which is the outward expression of guile in the heart. V. 2. Desire-Always, as earnestly as new born babes do, ch. i. 3, the milk of the word-That word of God which nourishes the soul as milk does the body, and which is sincere-Pure from all guile, so that none are deceived who cleave to it; that ye may grow thereby—In faith, love, holiness, unto the full stature of Christ. V. 3. Since ye have tasted-Sweetly and experimentally known. V. 4. To whom coming-By faith, as unto a living stone-Living from eter * 5 indeed by men, but chosen of God and precious, Ye also, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God 6 through Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be con7 founded. Therefore to you who believe, he is precious; but as to them who believe not, + The stone which the builders 8 rejected is become the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, to them who stumble, not believing the word, whereunto also they were ap9 pointed. But ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people, that ye may shew forth the virtues of him who hath called you out of darkness 10 into his marvellous light: Who in time past were not a people, but now are the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. * Isa. xxviii. 16. † Psalm cxviii. 22. nity, alive from the dead. There is a wonderful beauty and energy in these expressions, which describe Christ as a spiritual foundation, solid, firm, durable; and believers as a building erected upon it, in preference to that temple which the Jews accounted their highest glory. And St. Peter, speaking of him thus, shews he did not judge himself, but Christ to be the Rock on which the church was built: rejected indeed by men-Even at this day, not only by Jews, Turks, Heathens, Infidels; but by all Christians, so called, who live in sin, or who hope to be saved by their own works: but chosen of God-From all eternity, to be the foundation of his church: and precious-In himself, in the sight of God, and in the eyes of all believers. V. 5. Ye-Believers, as living stones-Alive to God through him, are built up-In union with each other, a spiritual house-Being spiritual yourselves, and a habitation of God through the Spirit: a holy priesthood-Consecrated to God, and holy as he is holy to offer up-Your souls and bodies, with all your thoughts, words, and actions, spiritual sacrifices to God. V. 6. He that believeth, shall not be confounded-In time or in eternity. V. 7. To them who believe, he is become the head of the corner-The chief corner stone, on which the whole building rests. Unbelievers too will at length find him such to their sorrow, Matt. xxi. 44. V. 8. Who stumble, whereunto also they were appointed-They who believe not, stumble, and fall, and perish for ever: God having appointed from all eternity, He that believeth not, shall be damned. V. 9. But ye-Who believe in Christ, are-In a higher sense than ever the Jews were, a chosen or elect race, a royal priesthood-Kings and priests unto God, (Rev. i. 6.) As princes, ye have power with God, and victory over sin, the world, and the devil: as priests, ye are consecrated to God, for offering spiritual sacrifices. Ye Christians are as one holy nation—Under Christ your King, a purchased people-Who are his peculiar property: that ye may shew forth-By your whole behaviour, to all mankind: the virtues-The excellent glory, the mercy, wisdom, and power of him-Christ, who hath called you out of the darkness-Of ignorance, error, sin, and misery. V. 10. Who in time past were not a people (Much less the people of God) but scattered individuals of many nations. The former part of the verse particularly respects the Gentiles; the latter the Jews. 11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly desires, which war against the soul; 12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorify 13 God in the day of visitation. Be subject to every ordi nance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the 14 king as supreme, Or to governors, as sent by him, for the punishment of evil-doers, and the praise of them that do 15 well. For so is the will of God, that by well doing ye 16 put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, yet not having your liberty for a cloke of wickedness, but 17 as the servants of God. Honour all men, Love the 18 brotherhood, Fear God, Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good 19 and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure 20 grief, though he suffer wrongfully. For what glory is it, if when ye commit faults and are buffetted, ye take it patiently? But if when ye do well and yet suffer, ye 21 take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto are ye called; for Christ also suffered for us, V. 11. Here begins the exhortation drawn from the second motive. Sojourners: pilgrims-The first word properly means, those who are in a strange house; the second, those who are in a strange country. You sojourn in the body; you are pilgrims in this world: Abstain from desires of any thing in this house, or in this country. V. 12. Honest-Not barely unblamable, but virtuous in every respect. But our language sinks under the force, beauty, and copiousness of the original expressions: that they by your good works which they shall behold-See with their own eyes, may glorify God-By owning his grace in you, and following your example: in the day of visitation-The time when he shall give them fresh offers of his mercy. V. 13. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man-To every secular power. Instrumentally these are ordained by men; but originally all their power is from God. V. 14. Or to subordinate governors, or magistrates. V. 15. The ignorance Of them who blame you, because they do not know you: a strong motive to pity them. V. 16. As free-Yet obeying governors, for God's sake. V. 17. Honour all men-As being made in the image of God, bought by his Son, and designed for his kingdom: Honour the king-Pay him all that regard both in affection and action, which the laws of God and man require. V. 18. Servants-Literally, household servants: with all fear of offending them or God: Not only to the good—Tender, kind; and gentle—Mid, easy, forgiving. V. 19. For conscience toward God-From a pure desire of pleasing him: grief-Severe treatment. V. 21. Hereunto are ye-Christians, called-To suffer wrongfully, leaving you an example-When he went to God, that ye might follow his steps-Of innocence and patience. leaving you an example, that ye might follow his steps: 22 * Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, be threatened not, but committed himself to 24 him that judgeth_righteously: Who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin might live to righteousness: by whose stripes ye are 25 healed. For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. CHAP. III. 1. In like manner, ye wives, be subject to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may, without the word, be won by the deport2 ment of the wives, Beholding your chaste deportment 3 joined with fear: Whose adorning, let it not be the out ward adorning of curling the hair, and of wearing gold, 4 or of putting on apparel, But the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great price. Isa. liii. 4, &c. V. 22, 23. In all these instances the example of Christ is peculiarly adapted to the state of servants, who easily slide either into sin or guile, reviling their fellow-servants, or threatening them, the natural result of anger without power. He committed himself to him that judgeth righteously-The only solid ground of patience in affliction. V. 24. Who himself bore our sins-That is, the punishment due to them, in his afflicted, torn, dying body on the tree-The cross, whereon chiefly slaves or servants were wont to suffer: that we being dead to sin-Wholly delivered both from the guilt and power of it: (Indeed without an atonement first made for the guilt, we could never have been delivered from the power) might live to righteousness-Which is one only. The sins we had committed and he bore, were manifold. V..25. The bishop-The kind observer, inspector or overseer of your souls. CHAP. III. Ver. 1. If any-He speaks tenderly: Won-Gained over to Christ. V. 2. Joined with a loving fear of displeasing them. V. 3. Three things are here expressly forbidden, curling the hair, wearing gold, (by way of ornament,) and putting on costly or gay apparel. These therefore ought never to be allowed, much less defended by Christians. V. 4. The hidden man of the heart-Complete inward holiness, which implies meek and quiet spirit. A meek spirit gives no trouble willingly to any: quiet spirit bears all wrongs without being troubled: in the sight of God— Who looks at the heart. All superfluity of dress, contributes more to pride and anger than is generally supposed. The apostle seems to have his eye to this, by substituting meekness and quietness, in the room of the ornaments he forbids. "I do not regard these things," often said by those whose hearts are wrapped up in them. But offer to take them away, and you touch the very idol of their soul. Some, indeed, only dress elegantly that they may be looked on: that is, they squander away their Lord's talent to gain applause; thus making sin to beget sin, and then plead one in excuse of the other. 5 For thus the holy women also of old time, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being subject to their own 6 husbands, As Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord,* whose children ye are while ye do well, and are not 7 afraid with any amazement. In like manner, ye husbands, dwell according to knowledge with the woman, as the weaker vessel; giving them honour, as being also jointheirs of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. 8 Finally, Be ye all of one mind, sympathizing with each 9 other, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing: knowing that ye are called to this, to 10 inherit a blessing. For + let him that desireth to love life, and to see good days, refrain his tongue from evil, 11 and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him turn from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is 13 against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm V. 5. The adorning of those holy women, who trusted in God-And therefore did not act thus from servile fear, was, 1. Their meek subjection to their husbands; 2. Their quiet spirit, not afraid, or amazed; and, 3. Their unblamable behaviour, doing all things well. V. 6. Whose children ye are-In a spiritual as well as natural sense, and intitled to the same inheritance, while ye discharge your conjugal duties, not out of fear, but for conscience' sake. V. 7. Dwell with the woman according to knowledge-Knowing they are weak, and therefore to be used with all tenderness: yet do not despise them for this, but give them honour-Both in heart, in word, and in action, as those who are called to be joint-heirs of that eternal life, which ye and they hope to receive by the free grace of God: that your prayers be not hindered-On the one part or the other. All sin hinders prayer, particularly anger. Any thing at which we are angry, is never more apt to come into our mind, than when we are at prayer. And those who do not forgive, will find no forgiveness from God. V. 8. Finally-This part of the epistle reaches to chap. iv. 11. The apostle seems to have added the rest afterwards. Sympathizing-Rejoicing and sorrowing together: love—All believers, as brethren: be pitiful—Toward the afflicted: be courteous-To all men. Courtesy is, such a behaviour toward equals and inferiors, as shews respect mixed with love. V. 9. Ye are called to inherit a blessing-Therefore their railing cannot hurt you. And by blessing them you imitate God, who blesses you. V. 10. For he that desireth to love life, and to see good days-That would make life amiable and desirable. V. 11. Let him seek-To live peaceably with all men, and pursue it-Even when it seems to flee from him. V. 12. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous—For good: anger appears in the whole face; love chiefly in the eyes. V. 13. Who is he that will harm you-None can. |