,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face 7bold74 ,small capital text has been replaced with all capitals4 ,variations in spelling1 punctuation and hyphenation have been retained except in obvious cases of typographical error4 ,in the book a dagger symbol appears before certain numbers4 ,this refers to date of death4 ,in this file the plus symbol 77 signifies a dagger symbol4 ,the cover for the e,book version of this book was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible ,,edited ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,w4 ,,robertson ,,nicoll1 ,m4,a41 ,,ll4,d4 ,editor of ,the ,expositor ,,the ,,epistles ,,of ,,st4 ,,peter ,,by ,j4 ,,rawson ,,lumby1 ,d4,d4 ,london ,,hodder ,,and ,,stoughton #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row ,,mdcccxciii ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 price #gs4 #f;d4 each vol4 ,,first ,,series1 #ahhg-h4 ,colossians4 ,by ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,st4 ,mark4 ,by ,very ,rev4 the ,dean of ,armagh4 ,genesis4 ,by ,prof4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 #a ,samuel4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d4 #b ,samuel4 ,by the same ,author4 ,hebrews4 ,by ,principal ,t4,c4 ,,edwards1 ,d4,d4 ,,second ,,series1 #ahhh-i4 ,galatians4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a4 ,the ,pastoral ,epistles4 ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,isaiah ,i4--,,xxxix4 ,by ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,m4,a4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,the ,book of ,revelation4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,,milligan1 ,d4,d4 #a ,corinthians4 ,by ,prof4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,epistles of ,st4 ,john4 ,by ,rt4 ,rev4 ,w4 ,,alexander1 ,d4,d4 ,,third ,,series1 #ahhi-ij4 ,judges and ,ruth4 ,by ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,d4,d4 ,jeremiah4 ,by ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4 ,,ball1 ,m4,a4 ,isaiah ,,xl4--,,lxvi4 ,by ,g4 ,a4 ,,smith1 ,m4,a4 ,vol4 ,,ii ,st4 ,matthew4 ,by ,rev4 ,j4 ,,monro ,,gibson1 ,d4,d4 ,exodus4 ,by ,very ,rev4 the ,dean of ,armagh4 ,st4 ,luke4 ,by ,rev4 ,h4 ,,burton1 ,m4,a4 ,,fourth ,,series1 #ahij-a4 ,ecclesiastes4 ,by ,rev4 ,,samuel ,,cox1 ,d4,d4 ,st4 ,james and ,st4 ,jude4 ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,proverbs4 ,by ,rev4 ,r4 ,f4 ,,horton1 ,m4,a4 ,leviticus4 ,by ,rev4 ,s4 ,h4 ,,kellogg1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,by ,prof4 ,m4 ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,by ,prof4 ,,stokes1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,,fifth ,,series1 #ahia-b4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,i4 #a and #b ,thessalonians4 ,by ,,james ,,denney1 ,b4,d4 ,the ,book of ,job4 ,by ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,d4,d4 ,ephesians4 ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a4 ,the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,by ,prof4 ,m4 ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,the ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,by ,prof4 ,,stokes1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,sixth ,,series1 #ahib-c4 #a ,kings4 ,by ,ven4 ,archdeacon ,,farrar4 ,philippians4 ,by ,principal ,,rainy1 ,d4,d4 ,ezra1 ,nehemiah1 ,esther4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,adeney1 ,m4,a4 ,joshua4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,the ,epistles of ,st4 ,peter4 ,by ,prof4 ,,rawson ,,lumby1 ,d4,d4 ,,seventh ,,series1 #ahic-d4 #b ,kings4 ,by ,ven4 ,archdeacon ,,farrar4 ,romans4 ,by ,h4 ,c4 ,g4 ,,moule1 ,m4,a4 #a ,chronicles4 ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,bennett1 ,m4,a4 #b ,corinthians4 ,by ,,james ,,denney1 ,b4,d4 ,numbers4 ,by ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,psalms4 ,by ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,vol4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,epistles ,,of ,,st4 ,,peter ,,by ,j4 ,,rawson ,,lumby1 ,d4,d4 ,,lady ,,margaret ,,professor ,,of ,,divinity ,,in ,,the ,,university ,,of ,,cambridge ,,london ,,hodder ,,and ,,stoughton #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row ,,mdcccxciii ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson1 ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury4 ,,preface ,the two letters which bear the name of ,st4 ,peter have from the earliest times met with very different degrees of acceptance4 ,the genuineness of the ,first ,epistle is attested by the unanimous voice of primitive ,christendom4 ,as it is addressed to ,christians dwelling in different parts of ,asia ,minor1 it is natural to look for a knowledge of it in those countries4 ,and nowhere is it earlier noticed4 ,polycarp1 ,bishop of ,smyrna1 a contemporary of the last surviving ,apostle1 and whose martyrdom took place about the middle of the second century1 has repeated quotations from this ,epistle4 ,it was known also to ,papias 7 #afc71 ,bishop of ,hierapolis1 and to ,melito 7#agj71 ,bishop of ,sardis4 ,that it was known to the ,greeks is seen from the ,epistle to ,diognetus1 which for a long time was attributed to ,justin ,martyr 7 #afe71 while the ,shepherd of ,hermas1 written at ,rome1 testifies that it was known there also at about the same date4 ,the inclusion of it in the ,peschito-,syriac ,version bears witness to its early circulation in the ,eastern ,church1 as also does its quotation in the writings of ,theophilus of ,antioch 7#agh74 ,heretics1 no less than the faithful1 regarded it as a portion of authoritative ,christian literature4 ,basilides in ,alexandria and the ,marcosians and ,theodotus in ,syria all knew of and cited this ,epistle4 ,the ,latin ,church of ,africa accepted it1 as we can see from a few quotations in ,tertullian 7 #bah7 and a greater number in the writings of ,cyprian 7 #beh74 ,in the ,alexandrian ,church it is often quoted by both ,clement 7 #bah7 and ,origen 7 #bed72 while for ,gaul we have the testimony of the ,church of ,vienne in the touching letter sent by the ,christians there to their brethren in ,asia and ,phrygia 7#agg71 and of ,irenus1 who was ,bishop of ,lyons shortly afterwards1 and who1 coming from ,asia to fill that see1 is a witness both for the ,east and the ,west4 ,from the ,christian ,church of the early centuries it is hardly possible to produce stronger attestation4 ,but although so abundantly vouched for in ancient days1 the ,epistle has not been exempt from the assaults of modern criticism4 ,primitive ,christendom regarded ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,john1 and ,st4 ,paul as heralds of one and the same ,gospel1 founded on the same promises1 strengthened by the same faith4 ,they were at one in what they taught and what they opposed4 ,but some modern thinkers1 taking as a thesis that the ,gospel as set forth by the ,apostle of the circumcision differed widely from the doctrines of ,st4 ,paul1 have proceeded to make an eclectic ,christian literature1 out of which the ,first ,epistle of ,st4 ,peter has been rejected4 ,its language is too much in harmony with accepted writings of ,st4 ,paul4 ,it can only have been compiled by some later hand to promote the opinion that there was no discord between the teachings of the first ,christian preachers4 ,moreover1 it is inconceivable1 they consider1 that a letter should be addressed by ,st4 ,peter to the ,christians in those very lands where the missionary labours of ,st4 ,paul had been specially exerted1 where the converts were in a peculiar sense his little children4 ,now in this first letter of ,st4 ,peter there is unquestionably much that corresponds in tone with the ,epistle to the ,romans1 especially with the twelfth and thirteenth chapters4 ,in both letters ,christians are exhorted to offer their bodies as spiritual sacrifices1 to shun conformity with the world1 to study to be sober in mind1 and to use duly all the gifts which they possess2 the same unfeigned love of the brethren is inculcated1 the same patience under suffering4 ,christians are not to retaliate1 but to overcome evil with good2 they are to be in subjection to all lawful authority1 and this for conscience' sake1 to avoid all excesses1 rioting1 drunkenness1 chambering1 and wantonness1 and to be ever looking forward to the coming of the ,lord4 ,in like manner there will be found numerous passages in ,st4 ,paul's ,epistle to the ,ephesians which in spirit and tone greatly resemble the words of ,st4 ,peter4 ,at the very outset ,st4 ,paul addresses his converts as chosen of ,god in ,christ before the foundation of the world1 that they should be holy and without blemish before ,him in love2 tells them that they were foreordained unto adoption as sons through ,jesus ,christ1 according to the good pleasure of ,his will1 to the praise and glory of ,his grace1 which ,he freely bestowed on them in the ,beloved 7,eph4 i4 #c-f74 ,similarly ,st4 ,peter writes to the elect 444 according to the foreknowledge of ,god the ,father1 in sanctification of the ,spirit1 unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of ,jesus ,christ1 and presently he adds that according to ,god's great mercy they were begotten again by the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ from the dead 7i4 #a-c74 ,in both epistles there is the same teaching1 the same election in love1 the same sonship1 the same progress in holiness1 the same free gift through ,jesus ,christ4 ,but in neither is there a word that can be taken to militate against independent authorship4 ,and the same remark applies to all the resemblances which exist between the two epistles in the exhortations to servants1 wives1 and husbands2 in the commendations of humility1 pity1 courtesy2 in the entreaties to the believers to gird up the loins of the mind and to lay aside all malice and hatred2 in those passages which speak of them as strangers and pilgrims1 as called from darkness to light1 as being a spiritual house1 built upon ,christ as the head corner-stone4 ,of all these exhortations undoubted parallels are to be found2 but they are only evidence of the common character which would pervade all the teaching of the apostolic missionaries where the people addressed were the same1 the times not far apart1 and the dangers and temptations known alike to all the writers4 ,hence parallels to ,st4 ,peter may be found in ,st4 ,james too1 but they are no proof that the one ,apostle 7or1 as some critics say1 some one writing under his name7 copied from the other4 ,nor is it easy to see reason why ,st4 ,peter might not be expected to write a letter to the congregations formed first by ,st4 ,paul4 ,no ,evangelist or ,apostle could publish the message of the ,gospel--that is1 the life and works--of ,christ without telling of ,his chosen followers2 and amongst them1 if our ,gospels be a true picture1 ,st4 ,peter must ever have filled a prominent place4 ,the ,churches in ,asia assuredly had heard much of him1 and in a time of persecution or impending trial nothing could be more fit than that the ,apostle who had been most prominent amid ,christ's companions should write from ,babylon or from ,rome1 it may be1 where the signs of the times would proclaim most clearly the sufferings for which the ,christian inhabitants of the provinces should be prepared1 to encourage the believers in ,asia to steadfastness and to remind them that the same afflictions were being accomplished in their brethren that were elsewhere in the world4 ,this was likely enough even had ,st4 ,peter never visited the districts to which his letter was addressed4 ,but we seem to find traces of him in ,corinth 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #e2 cf4 also xv4 #e71 and he certainly was not unknown by name to the ,christians of that city4 ,and if so1 why need we question his journeying through ,asia ,minor8 ,and he was aware of the labours of his fellow-apostle4 ,from personal intercourse and discussion1 especially in connexion with the council at ,jerusalem1 he would be sure that they were of one mind4 ,it may be that he had learnt something of ,st4 ,paul's letters to the ,churches4 ,under such circumstances it is not foreign to ,st4 ,peter's character1 nay rather quite in harmony with it1 that he should fulfil the ,lord's command to strengthen the brethren2 that he should send them an earnest assurance that1 spite of sufferings and trials1 this was the true grace of ,god1 in which they should rejoice to stand4 ,but there are internal tokens in the ,epistle which seem more powerful evidence of its genuineness than anything else4 ,the writer calls himself ,peter1 an ,apostle of ,jesus ,christ2 and he declares his personality by touches and allusions which a forger would never have fabricated4 ,thus he says1 ,all of you gird yourselves with humility1 to serve one another 7v4 #e74 ,the verb which he employs here indicates a sort of girding about with some towel or apron1 which a slave put on for doing some menial service4 ,it is almost impossible that the writer had not in his thoughts the act of ,christ when ,he gave ,his great lesson of humility3 ,if ,i have washed your feet1 ye ought also to wash one another's feet4 ,so1 too1 the ,master's exhortation1 ,feed ,my sheep1 ,feed ,my lambs1 comes to mind as we read1 ,tend the flock of ,god which is among you1 exercising the oversight1 not of constraint1 but willingly 7v4 #b74 ,and ,st4 ,peter's own words spoken in the house of ,cornelius are reproduced when the ,father is declared to be ,one who1 without respect of persons1 judgeth according to each man's work 7i4 #ag74 ,but it is in the allusions to ,christ's passion and resurrection1 those events which marked the deep fall and the rising again of ,st4 ,peter1 that the personality of the ,apostle becomes most manifest4 ,he has been himself a witness of the sufferings of ,christ 7v4 #a74 ,he can speak as an eye-witness of the ,lord's death in the flesh 7iii4 #ah2 iv4 #a7 and ,his quickening in the spirit2 can exhort men to courage because they are partakers of the sufferings of ,christ 7iv4 #ac74 ,who does not feel that the writer of the words1 ,let them also that suffer according to the will of ,god commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful ,creator 7iv4 #ai71 is thinking of the scene on the cross1 of the ,saviour's finished work1 of the dying cry1 ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend ,my spirit8 ,perhaps the most striking instance of this peculiarity1 this tendency to dwell on the events of the ,passion1 is found in ii4 #ai-bd4 ,speaking to servants1 he argues1 ,what glory is it if when ye sin and are buffeted for it ye shall take it patiently8 ,and having used the word by which the ,evangelists describe 7,matt4 xxvi4 #fg2 ,mark xiv4 #fe7 the insults heaped upon the ,lord at ,his trial1 the writer is carried away in mind to the whole scene3 ,he did no sin1 neither was guile found in ,his mouth2 when ,he was reviled1 ,he reviled not again2 when ,he suffered1 ,he threatened not1 but committed ,himself to ,him that judgeth righteously2 in ,his own self ,he bare our sins in ,his own body upon the tree1 that we1 having died unto sins1 might live unto righteousness1 by whose stripes ye were healed4 ,and in the last clause especially we see traces of one who had been present through the painful history4 ,the word rendered stripes means bruises or weals1 such as come from savage blows1 and is just the word which would occur to one who had seen the bruised body taken down from the cross1 but hardly to any one else4 ,again1 the writer makes you feel without quoting that he has the words of ,jesus constantly in his mind4 ,thus in the exhortation1 ,cast all your anxiety upon ,god1 for ,he careth for you 7v4 #g72 when he says1 ,if ye are reproached for the name of ,christ1 blessed are ye 7iv4 #ad71 or ,be sober2 be vigilant 7v4 #h71 or ,be sober unto prayer 7iv4 #g71 or commends not rendering evil for evil1 or reviling for reviling1 but contrariwise blessing 7iii4 #i71 at each of the sentences--and the letter abounds with examples--there rise in the reader's mind some similar words of ,christ1 making him feel that he is perusing a writing of one to whom the ,lord's language was abundantly familiar4 ,with the marks of personal character and associations meeting us constantly1 and with the unbroken consensus of antiquity in favour of ,st4 ,peter's authorship1 we shall not lightly allow speculations about hypothetical differences between the teaching of the ,apostles of the ,gentiles and of the circumcision to disturb our acceptance of this letter for what it proclaims itself to be3 the work of the ,apostle ,st4 ,peter1 of one who was himself a witness of the sufferings of ,christ4 99 99 99 99 99 ,of the ,second ,epistle the whole history is very different4 ,it appears to have been little known in the early ,church1 and is included by ,eusebius 7#ccj7 among the 1 books to which objection was raised as late as his day4 ,it is true that in ,clement of ,rome there is a sentence 7,ep4 i41 chap4 xi47 which many have accepted as containing a clear allusion to the passage 7#b ,peter ii4 #f1 #g7 which speaks of ,lot and the destruction of ,sodom4 ,and if this could be demonstrated with certainty1 it would be most valuable testimony4 ,it would prove the ,epistle to have been accepted at a very early date and by the important ,church in ,rome4 ,but we have so far to go before we come upon any other notice that the silence makes us doubtful of the evidence from ,clement4 ,moreover1 such other witness as we do find is not of a very direct character4 ,firmilian1 ,bishop of ,csarea1 in ,cappadocia1 about #bef ,a4,d41 in a letter of which a ,latin version is preserved among the writings of ,cyprian1 uses words which probably indicate that he knew both the epistles of ,st4 ,peter2 but he gives no quotation4 ,the ,second ,epistle was no doubt meant for the same readers as the ,first2 and that is addressed1 among others1 to the ,christians of ,cappadocia1 so that there is no improbability in supposing the letter to have been early known there4 ,theophilus of ,antioch 7#agj7 uses the comparison of the word to a lamp shining in a dark place in such a way as to give the impression that he knew the ,epistle1 and a similar possible reference is found in the writings of ,ephrem ,syrus 7 #cgh74 ,palladius 7#djj71 who was a friend of ,chrysostom1 and wrote at ,rome1 makes a clear allusion to #b ,peter2 and in the ,apology of ,melito1 ,bishop of ,sardis1 there is a passage concerning the destruction of the world by fire at the last day which is strikingly parallel to #b ,peter iii4 #e-g1 and can hardly have been written without a knowledge of the ,epistle4 ,this is a very small amount of early evidence1 and among the more voluminous writers of the first three centuries we find no mention of the ,epistle4 ,we cannot1 therefore1 be surprised that by ,eusebius it is classed among the works of less acceptance4 ,but the same fate befell larger and more important writings than this ,epistle4 ,the ,apocalypse and the ,epistle to the ,hebrews stand in the same list in ,eusebius4 ,and ,st4 ,peter's second letter has not the same general interest as the first1 and therefore is likely to have been less widely circulated2 and this is all that ,eusebius's classification means4 ,the books were not generally received because there was a less general knowledge of their existence and history4 ,but when the ,church entered on the settlement of the ,new ,testament ,canon at the ,council of ,laodica 7#cff71 the ,second ,epistle of ,st4 ,peter was accepted2 and no doubt there was evidence then before the assembled ,fathers which time has now destroyed4 ,yet in the letter itself there are points which no doubt weighed with them1 and which are patent to us as they were then4 ,the writer claims to be ,st4 ,peter1 an ,apostle and the writer of a previous epistle4 ,he speaks solemnly of his death as near at hand2 and still more solemn1 when viewed as evidence1 is the declaration that he had been one of the witnesses of ,christ's transfiguration4 ,it is almost inconceivable that a forger1 writing to warn against false teachers1 writing in the interest of truth1 should have thus deliberately assumed a name and experience to which he had no claim4 ,these statements must have influenced the opinion of the ,laodican ,council1 and we know that they did not act on light evidence2 they did not on the strength of a name accept into their canon1 but excluded1 works at the time widely circulated and passing for histories or letters of some of the ,apostles4 ,moreover1 when we consider the kind of teaching against which ,st4 ,peter's epistle is directed1 it is difficult to place it anywhere except at about the same date as ,st4 ,paul's epistles4 ,it speaks of the fables m1 i4 #af71 the groundless1 baseless fancies1 of the early heretics in the same manner which we find in ,st4 ,paul 7cf4 #a ,tim4 i4 #d2 iv4 #g74 ,the same greed and covetousness 77 is noted by both the ,apostles in the teachers against whom their voice is raised 7cf4 #b ,peter ii4 #c2 #a ,tim4 vi4 #e2 ,titus i4 #aa74 ,there are the same beguiling promises of liberty 7cf4 #b ,peter ii4 #ai2 #a ,cor4 x4 #bi2 ,gal4 v4 #ac71 a perversion of the freedom of which ,st4 ,paul speaks so much to the ,galatian converts2 and just as he warns against false brethren unawares brought in1 who came in privily to spy out our liberty 7,gal4 ii4 #d71 so does ,st4 ,peter condemn those who privily bring in heresies of destruction 7#b ,peter ii4 #a74 ,with so many common features in the two pictures1 we can scarcely be wrong in referring them to the same times4 ,no other period in early ,church history suits the language of ,st4 ,peter so well as the few years before his martyrdom4 ,the ,first ,epistle may be dated eight or ten years earlier4 ,there is another morsel of evidence from the ,new ,testament which is worth notice4 ,st4 ,peter describes the heretics against whom he writes as following the error of ,balaam the son of ,beor1 and notes this among the tokens of their covetousness4 ,in the ,apocalypse 7ii4 #ad1 #ae7 the same people are described1 and in the same terms1 but with an addition4 ,they have received a definite name1 and ,st4 ,john terms them several times over the ,nicolaitanes4 ,such a distinctive title marks a later date than ,st4 ,peter's descriptive one1 which is drawn from the ,old ,testament4 ,the ,apocalypse was assuredly written before the destruction of ,jerusalem4 ,if then we may take the mention of the ,nicolaitanes by that designation as an indication of a later date than #b ,peter1 we are again brought to the time to which we have already referred the ,epistle3 some time between #fh and #gj ,a4,d4 ,considerable discussion has arisen about the passages in #b ,peter which are like the language of ,st4 ,jude4 ,there can be no doubt that either one ,apostle copied the words of the other1 or that both drew from a common original4 ,but this point1 in whatever way it be settled1 need not militate against ,st4 ,peter's authorship4 ,it is nothing unworthy of the ,apostle1 if he find to his hand the words of a fellow-teacher which will serve his need1 to use what he finds4 ,nay1 the letter itself tells us that he was prepared to do this4 ,for he refers his readers 7iii4 #ae7 to the writings of ,st4 ,paul for support of his own exhortations4 ,st4 ,peter's seems1 however1 to be the earlier of the two epistles1 if we compare his words1 ,there shall be false teachers1 who shall bring in heresies of destruction1 etc4 7ii4 #a71 with ,st4 ,jude1 who speaks of these misleading teachers as already existent and active3 ,there are certain men crept in unawares2 ,these are spots now existing in the feasts of charity2 ,they are feasting among the brethren without fear4 ,and ,st4 ,jude seems clearly to be alluding to ,st4 ,peter's words 7#b ,peter iii4 #c7 when he says1 ,remember ye the words which were spoken before of the ,apostles of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 how that they told you there should be mockers 77 in the last time4 ,this word for mockers is found only in ,st4 ,peter's epistle4 ,it is nowhere else in the ,new ,testament2 and while ,st4 ,peter's words are a direct utterance1 ,st4 ,jude's are a quotation4 ,but there are two or three features of resemblance between the style of ,st4 ,peter's first epistle and the second which support strongly the genuineness of the latter4 ,the ,first ,epistle has a large proportion of words found nowhere else in the ,new ,testament4 ,there are a score of such words in this short composition4 ,now the ,second ,epistle presents us with the same peculiarity in rather larger abundance4 ,there are twenty-four words there which appear in no other ,new ,testament writing4 ,it seems to have been a peculiarity of the writer of both letters to use somewhat uncommon and striking words4 ,now take the ,second ,epistle to have been the work of an imitator4 ,he would be sure to notice such a characteristic1 and sure also to repeat1 for the sake of connexion1 some distinctive expressions of the first letter in the second4 ,but the case is much otherwise4 ,there is the same abundance of unusual words in both epistles1 but not a single repetition2 the same peculiarity is manifest1 but displays itself in entirely new material4 ,this is an index of authorship1 not of imitation4 ,there are one or two differences between the two epistles which in their way are of equal interest4 ,the first letter was one of encouragement and consolation2 the second is full of warning4 ,hence1 though the coming of the ,lord is dwelt on alike in the two1 in the former it is set forth as a revelation 7#a ,peter i4 #e71 as a day for which believers were looking1 and in which their hopes would be realised1 and their afflictions at an end2 in the second letter the same event is called a coming 771 an appearing1 a presence1 but one which will usher in the great and terrible day of the ,lord1 and be the prelude of judgement to them that have fallen away4 ,again1 the sufferings of ,christ are a theme much dwelt on in the ,first ,epistle1 where they are pointed to as the lot which ,christians are to expect1 and the ,lord is the pattern which they are to imitate2 in the ,second they are hardly noticed4 ,but was there not a cause for such reticence8 ,was it a time to urge on men the imitation of ,christ when the danger was great that they would deny ,him altogether8 ,no doubt many other points of evidence1 which are lost to us1 were presented to the ,fathers of the ,laodican ,council1 and with the result that the ,second ,epistle of ,st4 ,peter was received into the ,canon side by side with the first4 ,but the three centuries of want of acknowledgement have left their mark on its subsequent history1 and many earnest minds have treated it as of less authority than other more accepted portions of the ,new ,testament4 ,among these is ,luther1 who speaks of the ,first ,epistle as one of the noblest in the ,new ,testament1 but is doubtful about the claims of the ,second4 ,similar was the judgment of ,erasmus and of ,calvin4 ,we cannot1 however1 go back to the evidence produced at ,laodica4 ,time has swept that away1 but1 while doing so1 has left us the result thereof2 and the acceptance of the ,epistle by the ,fathers there assembled will be judged by most men to stand in lieu of the evidence4 ,no court of law would permit a decision so authenticated and of such standing to be disturbed or overruled4 ,and we ourselves can observe some points still which draw to the same conclusion4 ,the letter harmonises in tone with the other ,new ,testament writings1 and some of its linguistic peculiarities are strikingly in accord with the universally accepted letter of ,st4 ,peter4 ,we are therefore not unwilling1 though we have not the early testimony which we could desire1 and though the primitive ,church held its genuineness for doubtful1 to believe that ere this second letter was classed with the other ,new ,testament writings these doubts were cleared away1 and would be cleared away for us could we hear all the evidence tendered before those who fixed the contents of the ,canon4 ,the discovery last year in ,egypt of some fragments of the ,gospel and ,apocalypse once current under the name of ,st4 ,peter has drawn attention once more to the genuineness and authenticity of the ,second ,epistle in our canon4 ,but the difference in character between it and these apocryphal documents is very great4 ,the ,gospel ascribed to ,peter seems to have been written by some one who held the opinion1 current among the early heretics1 that the ,incarnation was unreal1 and that the ,divine in ,christ ,jesus had no participation in the sufferings at the ,crucifixion4 ,hence our ,lord is represented as having no sense of pain at that time4 ,he is said to have been deserted by ,his power in the moment of death4 ,the stature of the angels at the ,resurrection is represented as very great1 but that of the risen ,christ much greater4 ,to these peculiar features may be added the response made by the cross to a voice which was heard from heaven1 the cross having followed the risen ,christ from the tomb4 ,in the fragments of the ,apocalypse we have a description of the torments of the wicked utterly foreign to the character of the ,new ,testament writings1 in which the veil of the unseen world is rarely withdrawn4 ,the circumstance and detail given in the apocryphal fragment to the punishments of sinners mark it as the parent of those medival legends of which the ,visions of ,furseus and ,st4 ,patrick's ,purgatory afford well-known examples4 ,the study of these fragments1 of which the ,gospel may be dated about #agj ,a4,d41 sends us back to the contemplation of the ,second ,epistle of ,st4 ,peter more conscious than before at what a very early date errors1 both of history and doctrine1 were promulgated among the ,christian societies1 while at the same time we are impressed more strongly with the sense that the accord of the ,second ,epistle with ,gospel history1 where it is alluded to1 as well as the simplicity of ,christian doctrine which it enforces1 mark it as not unworthy of that place in the ,canon which was accorded to it in the very earliest councils which dealt with the contents of ,new ,testament ,scripture4 ,,contents ,,the ,,first ,,epistle ,,of ,,st4 ,,peter ,i ,,page ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,trinity ,,in ,,man',s ,,election ,,and ,,salvation #c ,,ii ,,the ,,heavenly ,,inheritance #ag ,,iii ,,the ,,unity ,,and ,,gloriousness ,,of ,,the ,,plan ,,of ,,redemption #bi ,,iv ,,the ,,christian',s ,,ideal1 ,,and ,,the ,,steps ,,thereunto #da ,v ,,christian ,,brotherhood3 ,,its ,,character ,,and ,,duties #ee ,,vi ,,the ,,priesthood ,,of ,,believers #fi ,,vii ,,christians ,,as ,,pilgrims ,,in ,,the ,,world #hc ,,viii ,,christian ,,service #ie ,,ix ,,christian ,,wives ,,and ,,husbands #ajg ,x ,,they ,,who ,,bless ,,are ,,blessed #aai ,,xi ,,the ,,rewards ,,of ,,suffering ,,for ,,well-,,doing #acc ,,xii ,,the ,,lessons ,,of ,,suffering #adi ,,xiii ,,christian ,,service ,,for ,,god',s ,,glory #afc ,,xiv ,,the ,,believer',s ,,double ,,joy #agg ,,xv ,,the ,,righteous ,,have ,,judgement ,,here #ahi ,,xvi ,,how ,,to ,,tend ,,the ,,flock #bja ,,xvii ,,be ,,clothed ,,with ,,humility #bac ,,xviii ,,through ,,perils ,,to ,,victory #bbc ,,the ,,second ,,epistle ,,of ,,st4 ,,peter ,,xix ,,the ,,saving ,,knowledge ,,of ,,god #bce ,,xx ,,who ,,shall ,,ascend ,,into ,,the ,,hill ,,of ,,the ,,lord8 #bde ,,xxi ,,the ,,voice ,,heard ,,in ,,the ,,holy ,,mount #beg ,,xxii ,,the ,,lamp ,,shining ,,in ,a ,,dark ,,place #bga ,,xxiii ,,the ,,lord ,,knoweth ,,how ,,to ,,deliver #bhc ,,xxiv ,,by ,,their ,,fruits ,,ye ,,shall ,,know ,,them #big ,,xxv ,,altogether ,,become ,,abominable #cac ,,xxvi ,,as ,,were ,,the ,,days ,,of ,,noah #cbe ,,xxvii ,,judgement ,,to ,,come #cce ,,xxviii ,,the ,,lord ,,is ,,not ,,slack #cde ,,xxix ,,what ,,manner ,,of ,,persons ,,ought ,,ye ,,to ,,be8 #cee ,,xxx ,,be ,,ye ,,stedfast1 ,,unmovable #cfe ,,the ,,first ,,epistle ,,of ,,st4 ,,peter ,i ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,trinity ,,in ,,man',s ,,election ,,and ,,salvation ,peter1 an ,apostle of ,jesus ,christ1 to the elect who are sojourners of the dispersion in ,pontus1 ,galatia1 ,cappadocia1 ,asia1 and ,bithynia1 according to the foreknowledge of ,god the ,father1 in sanctification of the ,spirit1 unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of ,jesus ,christ3 grace to you and peace be multiplied4--#a ,,peter i4 #a1 #b4 ,when thou art converted1 strengthen thy brethren 7,luke xxii4 #cb71 was the ,lord's injunction to ,st4 ,peter1 of which this ,epistle may be considered as a part fulfilment4 ,so richly stored is it with counsel1 warning1 and consolation that ,luther1 the conflicts of whose life will bear some comparison with the trials of these ,asian converts1 calls it one of the most precious portions of the ,new ,testament ,scriptures4 ,its value is further enhanced because in so many places the ,apostle reverts in thought or word to his own life-history1 and draws his teaching from the rich stream of personal experience4 ,even the name which he sets at the head of the letter had its lesson in connexion with ,jesus4 ,most ,jews took a second name for profaner use in their commerce with the heathen2 but to ,simon1 the son of ,jonas1 ,peter must have been a specially sacred name1 must have served as a watchword both to himself and to all others who had learnt the story of its bestowal and the meaning which was bound up with it4 ,that a letter by ,st4 ,peter should be1 as this is1 of a very practical character is no more than we might expect from what we know of the ,apostle from the ,gospels4 ,prompt in word and action1 ever the spokesman of the twelve1 he seems made for a guide and leader of men4 ,what perhaps we should not have expected is the very definite doctrinal language with which the ,epistle opens4 ,nowhere in the writings either of ,st4 ,paul or ,st4 ,john do we find more full or more instructive teaching concerning the ,holy ,trinity4 ,and herein ,st4 ,peter has been guided to choose the only order which tends to edification4 ,sound lessons for ,christian life must be grounded upon a right faith1 and a brother can afford no strength to his brethren unless first of all he point them clearly to the source whence both his strength and theirs must come4 ,of the previous intercourse between ,st4 ,peter and those to whom he writes we can only judge from the ,epistle itself4 ,the ,apostle's name disappears from ,new ,testament history after the ,council of ,jerusalem 7,acts xv471 but we feel sure his labours did not cease then2 and though the first message of ,christianity may have been brought to these ,asiatic provinces by ,st4 ,paul1 the allusions which ,st4 ,peter makes to the trials of the converts are such as seem impossible had he not himself laboured among them4 ,the frequent reminders1 the special warnings1 could come only from one who knew their circumstances very intimately4 ,allusions to the former lusts indulged in in their days of ignorance1 to the reproaches which they now have to suffer from their heathen neighbours1 to their going astray like lost sheep1 are a few of the unmistakable evidences of personal knowledge4 ,he writes to them as sojourners of the dispersion4 ,in the minds of the ,jews this name would wake up sad memories of their past history4 ,it told of that great break in the national unity which was made by the tarrying in ,babylon of so many of the people at the time of the return1 then of those painful periods in later days when their nation1 as the vassal now of ,persia1 now of ,greece1 of ,egypt1 of ,syria1 and of ,rome1 was made the sport of the world-powers as they rose and fell1 times in which ,israel could see few tokens of the ,divine favour1 could hear no voice of the prophet to encourage or to guide4 ,but now to those who had accepted the ,gospel of ,christ those dark years would be seen to have been in no wise barren of blessing and of profit4 ,the scattered ,jews had carried much of their faith abroad among the nations2 schools of religious teaching had arisen2 the chosen people in their dispersion had adopted the language best known among the other nations2 and thus the outcome of those sorrowful times had been a preparation for the ,gospel4 ,proselytes had been made in the countries of their exile1 and a wider field opened for the ,christian harvest4 ,the dispersion of ,israel had been made1 as it were1 a bridge over which the grace of ,god passed for publishing the glad tidings of the ,gospel1 and to gather ,jew and ,gentile alike into the fold of ,christ4 ,but it would be a mistake to restrict the word dispersion here to the ,jewish converts4 ,the ,apostle speaks more than once in his letter to those who had never been ,jews1 to men who 7i4 #ad7 had been fashioned according to their former lusts in ignorance2 who had in times past 7ii4 #aj7 no share with ,god's people2 who 7iv4 #ac7 had wrought the will of the ,gentiles1 walking in lasciviousness1 lusts1 and abominable idolatries4 ,to these too since their conversion the name dispersion might be fitly applied4 ,they were but a few here and there among the multitudes of heathendom4 ,and their acceptance of the faith of ,jesus must have given to their lives a different aspect4 ,it must often be so with the faithful4 ,their life is from the world apart4 ,it must have been specially thus with these ,christians in ,asia4 ,they could be verily only strangers and sojourners2 their true home could never be made among their heathen surroundings4 ,as the ,jew in old days sighed for ,jerusalem1 so their hope was centred on a ,jerusalem above4 ,yet ,god had a mission for them in the world4 ,this is a special portion of ,st4 ,peter's message4 ,as the scattered ,jews of old had opened a door for the spreading of the ,gospel1 so the ,christians of the dispersion were to be its witnesses4 ,their election had made them a peculiar people2 but it was that they might show forth the praises of ,him who had called them out of darkness into ,his marvellous light1 and that by their good works the heathen might be won to glorify ,god when in ,his own time ,he should visit them too with the day-star from on high4 ,but beside the words which speak of severance and pilgrimage1 the ,apostle uses one of a different character4 ,with that large charity and hope which is stamped upon the whole of the ,new ,testament1 he calls these scattered ,christian converts the elect of ,god4 ,just as ,st4 ,paul so often includes whole ,churches1 even though he find in them many things to blame and to reprove1 under the title of saints or called to be saints1 so it is here4 ,and the sense of their election is intended to be a mighty power4 ,it is to bind them wherever they may be scattered into one communion in ,christ ,jesus4 ,through the world they are dispersed1 but in ,christ they constitute a great unity4 ,and the sense of this is to lift their hearts above any sorrowing for their isolation in the world4 ,for through ,christ they have 7i4 #d7 an inheritance1 a home1 a claim of sonship2 and their salvation is ready to be revealed in the last time4 ,later generations have witnessed much unprofitable controversy round this word election4 ,some men have seen nothing else in the ,bible1 while others have hardly acknowledged it to be there at all4 ,then some have laboured to reconcile to their understandings the two truths of ,god's sovereignty and the freedom of the human will1 not content to believe that in ,god's economy there may be things beyond their measure4 ,st4 ,peter1 like the other ,new ,testament writers1 enters on no such discussions4 ,whether amid the full assurance of newly quickened faith the first ,christians found no room for intellectual difficulties1 or whether the spirit within them led them to feel that such questions must ever be insoluble1 we cannot know2 but it is instructive to note that the ,scripture does not raise them4 ,they are the growth of later days1 of times when ,christianity was wide-spread1 when men had lost the feeling that they were strangers and pilgrims of the dispersion1 and were no longer prepared to welcome1 with ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul1 every ,christian brother into the number of ,god's chosen ones1 counting them as those who had been called to be saints4 ,of the election of believers the ,apostle here speaks in its origin1 its progress1 and its consummation4 ,he views it as a process which must extend through the whole life1 and connects its various stages with the ,three ,persons of the ,trinity4 ,but1 with the same practical instinct which has already been noticed1 he enters on no statements about the nature of the ,godhead in itself2 he neither discusses what may be known of ,god1 nor how the knowledge is to be obtained4 ,he says no word to intimate that the mention of three ,persons may be difficult to understand in co-relation to the unity of the ,godhead4 ,such inquiries exercise the mind1 but can hardly further1 what was ,st4 ,peter's special aim1 the edification and comfort of the soul4 ,that result comes from the inward experience of what each ,person of the ,godhead is to us1 and on this the ,apostle has a lesson4 ,he makes plain for us the share which ,father1 ,son1 and ,spirit bear in the work of human salvation4 ,christians1 he teaches us1 are elect1 chosen to be saints1 according to the foreknowledge of ,god the ,father2 the election is maintained when their lives are constantly hallowed by the influence of the ,holy ,ghost2 while in ,christ they have not only an example of perfect obedience after which they must strive1 but a ,redeemer whose blood can cleanse them from all the sins from which the most earnest strivings will not set them free4 ,of these things the ,christian soul can have experience4 ,it is thus that the life of the elect believer begins1 grows1 and is perfected4 ,it begins according to the foreknowledge of ,god the ,father4 ,here ,st4 ,peter may be his own interpreter4 ,in his sermon on the day of ,pentecost he employs the same word1 foreknowledge1 and he is the only one who uses it in the ,new ,testament4 ,there 7,acts ii4 #bc7 he says that ,christ was delivered up to be crucified by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of ,god4 ,and on the same subject in this very chapter 7i4 #bj7 he speaks of ,jesus as foreknown1 as a ,lamb without spot and blemish before the foundation of the world4 ,in these passages we are carried back beyond the ages into the ,divine council-chamber1 and we find the whole course of human history naked and open before the eyes of the ,all-seeing4 ,god knew even then what the history of the human race would be1 saw that sin would find an entrance into the world1 and that a sacrifice would be needed1 if sinners were to be redeemed4 ,yet ,he called the world and its tenants into being1 and provided the ransom in the person of ,his only ,son4 ,why this was well-pleasing unto ,him it is not ours to discuss2 whether for the uplifting of humanity by providing an opportunity for moral obedience or for the greater manifestation of ,his infinite love4 ,but whatever else is mysterious1 one thing is plain3 the counsel of the ,holy ,one is seen to be a counsel of mercy and of love2 and though its operation may not seldom be perplexing to our finite powers1 the ,apostle teaches us that this determination from all eternity was made with infinite tenderness4 ,he tells us it was the ordinance of our ,father4 ,the beginning and the end thereof are hidden from us4 ,we learn only a fragment of ,his dealings during the brief period of a human life4 ,but men may rest content with the proof of their election in the sound of the ,gospel message which they hear4 ,they who are thus called may count themselves for chosen4 ,this call is the ,divine testimony that ,god is choosing them4 ,concerning ,his intention towards others who may seem to have passed away without hearing of ,his love1 or who are living as though no loving message of glad tidings had ever been proclaimed1 we must rest in ignorance1 only assured that the ,eternal ,god is as truly their ,father as we know ,him to be ours4 ,to limited human knowledge the course of the world has ever been1 must ever be1 full of darkness and perplexities4 ,men gaze upon it as they do upon the wrong side of a piece of tapestry as it is woven4 ,to such observers the pattern is always obscure1 many a time quite unintelligible4 ,for full knowledge we have to wait to the end4 ,then the web will be reversed1 ,god's designs and their working comprehended2 we shall know even as we are known1 and1 with hearts and voices tuned to praise1 shall cry1 ,he hath done all things well4 ,of such a revelation the poet 7,shelley1 ,adonais1 ,stanza lii47 sings1 a revelation of the all-seeing1 unchanging ,jehovah and of the glorious enlightenment that shall be in ,his presence3-- ,the one remains1 the many change and pass2 ,heaven's light for ever shines1 earth's shadows fly3 ,life1 like a dome of many-coloured glass1 ,stains the white radiance of eternity1 ,until death tramples it to fragments4 ,in this wise would ,st4 ,peter have us think of the grace of election4 ,it has its beginning from our ,father2 its fulfilment will also be with ,him4 ,the measure and the manner of its bestowal are according to ,his foreknowledge1 according to the same foreknowledge which provided in ,christ an atonement for sin1 which appointed ,him to die1 and that not for some sinners only1 but for the sins of the whole world4 ,but in the call according to ,god's foreknowledge the believer is not perfected4 ,he must live worthily of his calling4 ,and as his election at the first is of ,god1 so the power to hold it fast is a ,divine gift4 ,he who would rejoice over ,god's election must feel and constantly foster within himself the sanctification of the ,spirit4 ,to be made holy is his great need4 ,this demands a life of progress1 of renewal1 a daily endeavour to restore the image which was lost at the ,fall4 ,be ye holy1 for ,i am holy1 is a fundamental precept of both ,old and ,new ,testaments2 and it is a continual admonition1 speaking unto ,christians that they go forward4 ,under the ,law the lesson was enforced by external symbols4 ,holy ground1 holy days1 holy offices1 kept men alive to the need of preparation1 of purification1 before they could be fit to draw near unto ,god or for ,god to draw near unto them4 ,for us there is opened a more excellent way3 the inward1 spiritual cleansing of the heart4 ,christ has gone away where ,he was before1 and sends down to ,his servants the ,holy ,ghost1 who bestows power that the election of the ,father may be made sure4 ,hence we can understand those frequent exhortations in the epistles1 ,walk in the ,spirit2 ,live in the ,spirit2 ,quench not the ,spirit4 ,the ,christian life is a struggle4 ,the flesh is ever striving for the mastery4 ,this enemy the believer must do to death4 ,and as aforetime1 so now1 sanctification begins with purification4 ,christ sanctifies ,his ,church1 those whom ,he has called to ,him out of the world2 and the manner is by cleansing them through the washing of water with the word4 ,here we gladly think of that sacrament which ,he ordained for admission into the ,church as the beginning of this ,divine operation1 as the wonted entrance of the ,holy ,ghost for ,his work of purifying4 ,but that work must be continued4 ,he is called holy because ,he makes men holy by ,his abode with them4 ,and ,christ has described for us how this is brought to pass4 ,he shall take of ,mine1 says our ,lord1 and shall show it unto you4 ,all things that the ,father hath are ,mine 7,john xvi4 #ad1 #ae74 ,every good gift1 which the ,father who calls men hath1 the ,spirit is sent to impart4 ,the words speak of the gradual manner of its bestowal2 all things may be given1 but they are given little by little1 as men can or are fit to receive them4 ,he shall take a portion of what is ,mine1 is the literal meaning of the ,evangelist's phrase 7,john xvi4 #ae74 ,the plural phrase marks the boundless supply1 the singular u the ,spirit's choice of such a portion therefrom as best suits the receiver's needs and powers4 ,in this wise men may become gradually conformed to the image of ,christ1 grow more and more like ,him day by day4 ,more and more will they drink in of the whole truth1 and more and more will they be sanctified4 ,in this daily enlightenment must ,god's faithful ones live1 a life whose atmosphere is the hallowing influence of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but it is to be no mere life of receptivity1 with no effort of their own4 ,the ,apostle makes this clear elsewhere1 when he says1 ,sanctify the ,lord ,god in your hearts 7iii4 #ae7--make them fit abodes for ,his ,spirit to dwell in2 lead your lives in holy conversation1 that the house may be swept and garnished1 and you be vessels sanctified and meet for the ,master's use4 ,thus chosen by the ,father and led onward by the ,spirit1 the ,christian is brought ever nearer to the full purpose of his calling3 unto obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,christ-pattern which the ,spirit sets before men is in no feature more striking than in its perfect obedience4 ,the prophetic announcement of this submission sounds down to us from the ,psalms3 ,lo1 ,i come to do ,thy will1 ,o ,god2 and the incarnate ,son declares of ,himself1 ,my meat is to do the will of ,him that sent ,me1 and to finish ,his work3 and even in the hour of ,his supreme agony ,his word is still1 ,father1 not ,my will1 but ,thine1 be done4 ,specially solemn1 almost startling1 is the language of the ,apostle to the ,hebrews when he says of ,jesus that ,he learned obedience by the things which ,he suffered1 and that it became the ,father1 in bringing many sons unto glory1 to make ,christ1 the ,captain of their salvation1 perfect through suffering4 ,with the ,lord as an example1 obedience is made the noblest1 the ,new ,testament form of sacrifice4 ,but when such obedience was connected with the sprinkling of the blood of ,jesus1 the ,jews among ,st4 ,peter's converts must have been carried in thought to that scene described in ,exod4 xxiv4 ,there1 through ,moses as a mediator1 we read of ,god's law being made known to ,israel1 and the people with one voice promised obedience3 ,all the words which the ,lord hath said will we do1 and be obedient4 ,then followed a sacrifice2 and ,moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people1 saying1 ,behold the blood of the covenant which the ,lord hath made with you concerning all these words2 and the ,lord drew nigh unto ,his people1 and the sight of the glory of the ,lord on ,mount ,sinai was like devouring fire in the eyes of the children of ,israel4 ,for ,christians there is a ,mediator of a better covenant4 ,we are not come unto the mount that burned with fire1 but unto ,mount ,zion 7,heb4 xii4 #ah-bb74 ,in that other sacrament of ,his own institution1 our ,lord makes us partakers of the benefits of ,his passion4 ,with ,his own blood ,he constantly maketh ,his people pure1 fitting them to appear in the presence of the ,father4 ,there at length the purpose of their election shall be complete in fulness of joy in the sight of ,him who chose them before the foundation of the world4 ,thus does the ,apostle set forth his practical1 profitable lessons on the work of the ,trinity in man's election and salvation2 and he concludes them with a benediction part of which is very frequent in the letters of ,st4 ,paul3 ,grace to you and peace4 ,the early preachers felt that these two blessings travelled hand in hand1 and comprised everything which a believer could need3 ,god's favour and the happiness which is its fruit4 ,grace is the nurture of the ,christian life2 peace is its character4 ,these strangers of the dispersion had been made partakers of the ,divine grace4 ,this very letter was one gift more1 the consolation of which we can well conceive4 ,but ,st4 ,peter models his benediction to be a fitting sequel to his previous teaching4 ,grace1 he says1 to you and peace be multiplied4 ,the verb be multiplied is only used by him here and in the ,second ,epistle1 and by ,st4 ,jude1 whose letter has so much in common with ,st4 ,peter's4 ,in this prayer the same thought is with him as when he spake of the stages of the ,christian election4 ,there must ever be growth as the sign of life4 ,let them hold fast the grace already received1 and more would be bestowed4 ,grace for grace is ,god's rule of giving1 new store for what has been rightly used4 ,this one word of his prayer would say to them1 ,seek constantly greater sanctification1 more holiness1 from the ,spirit2 yield your will to ,god in imitation of ,jesus1 who sanctified ,himself that ,his servants might be sanctified4 ,then1 though you be strangers of the dispersion1 though the world will have none of you1 you shall be kept in perfect peace1 and feel sure that you can trust ,his words who says to ,his warfaring servants1 ,be of good cheer2 ,i have overcome the world4 ,,ii ,,the ,,heavenly ,,inheritance ,blessed be the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who according to ,his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ from the dead1 unto an inheritance incorruptible1 and undefiled1 and that fadeth not away1 reserved in heaven for you1 who by the power of ,god are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time4 ,wherein ye greatly rejoice1 though now for a little while1 if need be1 ye have been put to grief in manifold temptations1 that the proof of your faith1 being more precious than gold that perisheth1 though it is proved by fire1 might be found unto praise and glory and honour at the revelation of ,jesus ,christ3 whom not having seen ye love2 on whom1 though now ye see ,him not1 yet believing1 ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory3 receiving the end of your faith1 even the salvation of your souls4--#a ,,peter i4 #c-i4 ,out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh1 words true of all this letter1 but of no part more true than of the thanksgiving with which it opens4 ,the ,apostle recalls those dark three days in which the life he bore was worse than death4 ,his vaunted fidelity had been put to the proof1 and had failed in the trial2 his denial had barred the approach to the ,master whom he had disowned4 ,the crucifixion of ,jesus had followed close upon ,his arrest1 and ,peter's bitter tears of penitence could avail nothing4 ,he to whom they might have appealed was lying in the grave4 ,the ,apostle's repentant weeping saved him from a ,judas-like despair1 but dreary must have been the desolation of his soul until the ,easter morning's message told him that ,jesus was alive again4 ,we can understand the fervency of his thanksgiving3 ,blessed be ,god1 which hath begotten us again by the resurrection of ,christ from the dead4 ,no better image than the gift of a new life could he find to describe the restoration that came with the words of the angel from the empty tomb1 ,he is risen2 go your way3 tell ,his disciples and ,peter that ,he goeth before you into ,galilee4 ,the ,lord forgave ,his sinning1 sorrowing servant1 and through this forgiveness he lived again1 and bears printed for ever on his heart the memory of that life-giving4 ,the very form of his phrase in this verse is an echo from the resurrection morning3 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,only in a few passages resembling this in ,st4 ,paul's epistles#a is ,god called the ,god of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,but ,peter is mindful of the ,lord's own words to ,mary1 ,go unto ,my brethren and say unto them1 ,i ascend unto ,my ,father and your ,father1 and ,my ,god and your ,god 7,john xx4 #ag72 and now that he is made one of ,christ's heralds1 the feeder of ,his sheep1 he publishes the same message which was the source of his own highest joy1 and which he would make a joy for them likewise4 ,that ,god is called theirs1 even as ,he is ,christ's1 is an earnest that ,jesus has made them ,his brethren indeed4 ,to the doctrine of their election according to the foreknowledge of the ,father he now adds the further grace which couples the ,fatherhood of ,god with the brotherhood of ,christ4 #a #b ,cor4 i4 #c1 xi4 #ca2 ,eph4 i4 #c1 with which may be compared ,rom4 xvi4 #f4 ,that these gifts are purely of ,god's grace he also implies3 ,he begat us again4 ,just as in natural birth the child is utterly of the will of the parents1 so is it in the spiritual new birth4 ,according to ,god's great mercy we are born again and made heirs of all the consequent blessings4 ,this passage from death unto life is rich1 in the first place1 in immediate comfort4 ,witness the rejoicing amidst his grief which ,st4 ,peter experienced when he could cry to the ,master1 ,lord1 ,thou knowest all things3 ,thou knowest that ,i love ,thee4 ,but the new life looks for ever onward4 ,it will be unbroken through eternity4 ,here we may taste the joy of our calling1 may learn something of the ,father's love1 of the ,saviour's grace1 of the ,spirit's help2 but our best expectations centre ever in the future4 ,the ,apostle terms these expectations a lively1 or rather a living1 hope4 ,the ,christian's hope is living because ,christ is alive again from the dead4 ,it springs with ever-renewed life from that rent tomb4 ,the grave is no longer a terminus4 ,life and hope endure beyond it4 ,and more than this1 there is a fresh principle of vitality infused into the soul of the new-born child of ,god4 ,the ,spirit1 the ,life-giver1 has made ,his abode there2 and death is swallowed up of victory4 ,in continuing his description of the living hope of the believer1 the ,apostle keeps in mind his simile of ,fatherhood and sonship1 and gives to the hope the further title of an inheritance4 ,as sons of ,adam1 men are heirs from their birth1 but only to the sad consequences of the primal transgression4 ,slaves they are1 and not free men1 as that other law in their members gives them daily proof4 ,but in the resurrection of ,jesus the agonised cry of ,st4 ,paul1 ,who shall deliver me8 7,rom4 vii4 #bd71 has found its answer4 ,christians are begotten again1 not to defeat and despair1 but to a hope which is eternal1 to an inheritance which will endure beyond the grave4 ,and as in their spiritual growth they are ever aspiring to an ideal above and beyond them1 in respect of the saintly inheritance they have a like experience4 ,they begin to grasp it now in part1 and have even here a precious earnest of the larger blessedness2 they are sealed by the ,holy ,spirit of promise and marked as the redeemed of ,god's own possession 7,eph4 i4 #ac1 #ad74 ,but that which shall be is rich with an exceeding wealth of glory2 ,christ keeps the good wine of ,his grace to the last4 ,how beggared earthly speech appears when we essay by it to picture the glory that shall be revealed for us6 ,the inheritance of the ,christian's hope demands for its description those unspeakable words which ,st4 ,paul heard in paradise1 but could not utter4 ,the tongues of men are constrained to fall back upon negatives4 ,what it will be we cannot express4 ,we only know some evils from which it will be free4 ,it shall be incorruptible1 like the ,god and ,father 7,rom4 i4 #bc7 who bestows it4 ,eternal1 it shall contain within it no seed of decay1 nothing which can cause it to perish4 ,neither shall it be subject to injury from without4 ,it shall be undefiled1 for we are to share it with our elder ,brother1 our ,high-priest 7,heb4 vii4 #bf71 who is now made higher than the heavens4 ,earthly possessions are often sullied1 now by the way they are attained1 now by the way they are used4 ,neither spot nor blemish shall tarnish the beauty of the heavenly inheritance4 ,it shall never fade away4 ,it is amaranthine1 like the crown of glory 7#a ,peter v4 #d7 which the chief ,shepherd shall bestow at ,his appearing2 it is as the unwithering flowers of paradise4 ,nor are these the only things which make the heavenly to differ from the earthly inheritance4 ,in this life1 ere a son can succeed to heirship1 the parent through whom it is derived must have passed away2 while the many heirs to an earthly estate diminish1 as their number increases1 the shares of all the rest4 ,from such conditions the ,christian's future is free4 ,his ,father is the ,eternal ,god1 his inheritance the inexhaustible bounty of heaven4 ,each and all who share therein will find an increase of joy as the number grows of those who claim this eternal ,fatherhood1 and with it a place in the ,father's home4 ,st4 ,peter adds another feature which gives further assurance to the believer's hope4 ,the inheritance is reserved4 ,concerning it there can be no thought of dwindling or decay4 ,it is where neither rust nor moth can corrupt1 and where not even the archthief ,satan himself can break through to steal4 ,there needs no preservation of the incorruptible and undefiled1 but it is especially kept for those for whom it is prepared4 ,he who has gone before to make it ready said1 ,i go to prepare it for you4 ,the ,apostle has made choice of his preposition advisedly4 ,he says1 #b--on your behalf2 for your own possession4 ,the inheritance is where ,christ has gone before us1 in heaven1 of which we can best think1 as ,himself hath taught us1 as the place where ,he was before 7,john vi4 #fb71 the ,father's house1 in which are many mansions4 ,there it is in store1 till we are made ready for it4 #b ,the better reading1 looking back to the of ver4 #c1 appears to be 1 and it is well supported4 ,for the present life is only a preparation-time4 ,ere we are ready to depart we must pass through a probation4 ,god suffers ,his beloved ones to be chastened1 but ,he sends with the trial the means of rescue4 ,they are guarded4 ,the word which ,st4 ,peter here uses is one applicable to a military guard1 such as would be needed in the country of an enemy4 ,god sees what we stand in need of4 ,for we are still in the territory of the prince of this world4 ,but mark the abundant protection3 by the power of ,god through faith4 ,the ,apostle's language sets our guardianship forth under a double aspect4 ,the ,christian is in 77 the power of ,god4 ,here is the strength of our wardship4 ,under such care the believer is enabled to walk amid the trials of the world unscathed4 ,yet the ,divine shield around him is not made effective unless he do his part also4 ,through faith the shelter becomes impregnable4 ,the ,christian goes forward with full assurance1 his eyes fixed on the goal of duty which his ,master has set before him1 and1 heedless of assailants1 perseveres in the struggles which beset him4 ,then1 even in the fiercest fires of trial1 he beholds by his side the ,son of ,god1 and hears the voice1 ,it is ,i2 be not afraid4 ,thus to the faithful warfarer the victory is sure4 ,and to this certainty ,st4 ,peter points as he continues1 and calls the heavenly inheritance a salvation4 ,this will be the consummation4 ,sursum corda is the believer's constant watchword4 ,the completed bliss will not be attained here4 ,but when the veil is lifted which separates this life from the next1 it is ready to be manifested and to ravish the sight with its glory4 ,the sense of this salvation ready to be revealed nerves the heart for every conflict4 ,by faith weakness grows mighty4 ,thus comes to pass the paradox of the ,christian life1 which none but the faithful can comprehend3 ,when ,i am weak1 then ,i am strong2 ,i can do all things through ,christ1 that giveth me power4 ,hence comes the wondrous spectacle1 which ,st4 ,peter was contemplating1 and which amazed the heathen world1 exceeding joy in the midst of sufferings4 ,wherein ye greatly rejoice1 he says4 ,some have thought him to be referring to a mental realisation of the last time1 about which he has just spoken1 a realisation so vivid to the faith of these converts that they could exult in the prospect as though it had already arrived4 ,and this exposition is countenanced in some degree by words which follow 7ver4 #i71 where he describes them as now receiving the end of their faith1 even the salvation of their souls4 ,but it seems less forced to consider the ,apostle as speaking with some knowledge of the circumstances of these ,asian ,christians1 a knowledge of the trials they had to undergo1 and how hope was animating them to look onwards towards their inheritance1 which was but a little while in reversion1 towards the salvation which was so soon to be revealed4 ,full of this hope1 he says1 ye greatly rejoice1 though ye have had many things to suffer4 ,then he proceeds to dwell on some of the grounds for their consolation4 ,their trials1 they knew1 were but for a little while1 not a moment longer than the need should be4 ,their sorrow would have an end2 their joy would last for evermore4 ,the form of ,st4 ,peter's words1#c it is true1 seems to imply that there must always be the need for our chastening4 ,and what else can the children of ,adam expect8 ,but it is ,he1 the ,father in heaven1 who fixes both the nature and the duration of ,his children's discipline4 ,some men have felt within themselves the need of chastisement so keenly that they have devised systems for themselves whereby they should mortify the flesh1 and prepare themselves for the last time4 ,but of self-appointed chastenings the ,apostle does not speak4 ,of such the converts to whom he writes had no need4 ,they had been put to grief in manifold temptations4 #c --if need be1 as need there is4 ,we can gather from the ,epistle itself some notion of the troublous life these scattered ,christians had amid the crowd of their heathen neighbours4 ,they were regarded with contempt for refusing to mingle in the excesses which were so marked a feature of heathen life and heathen worship4 ,they were railed upon as evil-doers4 ,they suffered innocently1 were constantly assailed with threatenings1 and passed their time oft in such terror that ,st4 ,peter describes their life as a fiery trial4 ,yet in the word 77 which he here employs to picture the varied character of their sufferings we seem to have another hint that these did not fall out without the permission and watchful control of ,god ,himself4 ,it is a word which1 while it tells of a countless variety1 tells at the same time of fitness and order therein4 ,the trials are meted out fitly1 as men need and can profit by them4 ,the ,master's eye and hand are at work through them all2 and the faithful ,god keeps always ready a way of deliverance4 ,in this wise does ,st4 ,peter proclaim that the putting to grief may be made unto us a dispensation of mercy4 ,himself had been so put to grief by the thrice-repeated question1 ,lovest thou ,me8 7,john xxi4 #ag74 ,but a way was opened thereby for repentance of his triple denial1 and that he might thrice over be entrusted with the feeding of ,christ's flock4 ,such was the putting to grief of the ,corinthian ,church 7#b ,cor4 vii4 #i7 by ,st4 ,paul's first letter1 for it wrought in them repentance1 so that they sorrowed after a godly sort4 ,and such sorrow can exist side by side with1 yea be the source of1 exceeding joy4 ,the ,apostle of the ,gentiles is a witness when he says that he and his fellow-labourers are sorrowful1 yet alway rejoicing 7#b ,cor4 vi4 #aj74 ,the ,christian does not allow troubles to overwhelm him4 ,the very comparison which ,st4 ,peter here institutes1 speaking though it does of a furnace of trial1 bears within it somewhat of consolation4 ,gold that is proved by the fire loses all the dross which clung about it and was mingled with it before the refining4 ,it comes forth in all its purity1 all its worth2 and so shall it be with the believer after his probation4 ,the things of earth will lose their value in his eyes2 they will fall away from him1 neither will he load himself with the thick clay of the world's honours or wealth4 ,the ties of such things have been sundered by his trials1 and his heart is free to rise above the anxieties of time4 ,and better even than the most refined gold1 which1 be it never so excellent1 will yet be worn away1 the faith of the believer comes forth stronger for all trial1 and he shall hear at the last the welcome of the ,master1 ,enter thou into the joy of thy ,lord1 the joy which ,he bestows1 the joy which ,he shares with those that follow ,him4 ,this is the revelation of ,jesus ,christ of which ,st4 ,peter speaks4 ,this is the praise which through ,his atonement ,his servants shall find1 and shall become sharers of the glory and honour which the ,father has bestowed upon ,him4 ,to ,christ then turns every affection4 ,whom not having seen ye love4 ,this is the test since ,christ's ascension1 and has the promise of special blessing4 ,to ,his doubting ,apostle ,christ vouchsafed the evidence he desired1 for our teaching as well as for his2 but ,he added therewith1 ,blessed are they which have not seen and yet have believed4 ,and their joy is such as no tongue can tell4 ,not for that are they silent in their rejoicing2 their hearts overflow1 and their voices go forth in constant songs of praise4 ,but ever there remains with them the sense1 ,the half has not been told4 ,for faith anticipates the bliss which ,god hath prepared for them that love ,him1 and enters into the unseen4 ,the ,holy ,spirit within the soul is ever making fuller revelation of the deep things of ,god4 ,the believer's knowledge is ever increasing2 the eye-salve of faith clears his spiritual vision4 ,the thanksgivings of yesterday are poor when considered in the illumination of to-day4 ,his joy also is glorified4 ,as his aspirations soar heavenward1 the glory from on high comes forth1 as it were1 to meet him4 ,by gazing in faith on the coming ,lord1 the ,christian progresses1 through the power of the ,spirit1 from glory to glory2 and the ever-growing radiance is a part of that grace which no words can tell4 ,but so true1 so real1 is the sense of ,christ's presence that the ,apostle describes it as full fruition4 ,believers receive even now the end of their faith1 the salvation of their souls4 ,so assured does ,he make them of all which they have hoped for that they behold already the termination of their journey1 the close of all trial1 and are filled with the bliss which shall be fully theirs when ,christ shall come to call ,his approved servants to their inheritance of salvation4 ,,iii ,,the ,,unity ,,and ,,gloriousness ,,of ,,the ,,plan ,,of ,,redemption ,concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently1 who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you3 searching what time or what manner of time the ,spirit of ,christ which was in them did point unto1 when it testified beforehand the sufferings of ,christ and the glories that should follow them4 ,to whom it was revealed1 that not unto themselves1 but unto you1 did they minister these things1 which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the ,gospel unto you by the ,holy ,ghost sent forth from heaven2 which things angels desire to look into4--#a ,,peter i4 #aj-ab4 ,the message of the ,gospel unlocks the treasures of ,old ,testament revelation4 ,evangelists and ,apostles are the exponents of the prophets4 ,the continuity of ,divine revelation has never been broken4 ,the ,spirit which spake through ,joel of the pentecostal outpouring had spoken to men in the earlier days1 to ,abraham1 ,jacob1 ,moses1 and ,david1 and was now shed forth upon the first preachers of the ,gospel1 and bestowed abundantly for the work of the newly founded ,church of ,christ4 ,st4 ,peter1 himself a chief recipient of the gift1 here proclaims the oneness of the whole of revelation2 and more than this1 he bears witness to the oneness of the teaching of the whole body of ,christian missionaries4 ,st4 ,paul and his fellow-labourers had spread the glad tidings first of all among these ,asian converts2 but there is no thought in ,st4 ,peter's mind of a different gospel from his own4 ,those who preached the ,gospel to them in the first instance were1 even as himself1 working in and by the same ,holy ,spirit4 ,in the preceding verses of the chapter the thoughts of the ,apostle have been dwelling on the future1 on the time when the hope of the believer shall attain its fruition1 and faith shall be lost in sight4 ,he now turns his glance backward to notice how the promise of salvation has been the subject of revelation through all time4 ,to those among the converts who had studied the ,jewish ,scriptures such a retrospect would be fruitful in instruction4 ,they would comprehend with him how the truths which they now heard preached had been gradually shadowed forth in the ,divine economy4 ,that first proclamation of the seed of the woman to be born for the overthrow of the tempter1 but who yet must ,himself be a ,sufferer in the conflict1 was now become luminous1 and in outline presented the whole scheme of redemption4 ,the study of the development of that scheme would beget a full trust in their hearts for the future as they contemplated the stages of its foreshadowing in the past4 ,concerning which salvation1 he says1 the prophets sought and searched diligently4 ,the ,divine revelation could only be made as men were able to bear it1 and the sentences of old must needs be dark4 ,at first ,god's love was set forth by ,his covenants with the patriarchs4 ,then the wider scope of mercy was proclaimed in the promises given to ,abraham and repeated to his posterity4 ,in their seed1 it was declared1 not the chosen race alone1 but all the nations of the earth1 should be blessed4 ,here all through the history was ground enough for diligent searching among the faithful4 ,how could these things be1 ,abraham solitary and aged1 ,isaac's sons at feud with each other1 ,jacob and his posterity in captivity8 ,even at their best estate these seemed little fitted for the destiny which had been foretold to them4 ,but throughout the ,mosaic history some clung to their faith1 and their great leader foresaw that the promise would be fulfilled in its time through ,one of whom he was but a feeble representative4 ,but to so wide a vision only a few attained4 ,in the evil days which followed1 the hope of the people must often have dwindled down2 but yet at times1 as to ,gideon's diminished army1 it was made manifest that the ,lord could do great things for ,his people3 and the thought of the seed of the woman promised as a ,deliverer lingered in many hearts1 and enabled them to sing in thankfulness how the adversaries of the ,lord should be broken in pieces1 how out of heaven the ,lord should thunder upon them1 and prove ,himself the ,judge of all the ends of the earth1 giving strength unto ,his king and exalting the horn of ,his anointed4 ,in such wise the prophetic teaching1 which had advanced from the blessing of an individual to the choice and exaltation of a chosen family1 was expanded in the noblest spirits to the conception of a kingdom of ,god among all mankind1 and assumed a more definite form when the promise was made to the ,son of ,david that ,his throne should be established for ever4 ,but how imperfectly ,god's design was comprehended by the best among them we can see from the last words of ,david himself 7#b ,sam4 xxiii4 #a-g74 ,in them we have an instance of the searching which must have occupied other hearts beside that of the king of ,israel4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord had spoken by him1 and a promise of future glory had been made1 when all should be brightness1 every cloud dispersed4 ,but the vision tarried4 ,the house of ,david was not so with ,god4 ,yet he still held firmly to the everlasting covenant1 ordered in all things and sure1 a covenant of salvation1 though as yet ,god made it not to grow4 ,david may be numbered among those who prophesied of the grace that should come hereafter2 and his words are shaped by a power above his own1 to suggest the advent of ,him who was to be the dayspring from on high4 ,he and the other enlightened ,israelites who have left us their thoughts and aspirations in the ,psalter felt that the history of the chosen people was from first to last a grand parable 7,psalm lxxviii4 #b71 and that the present could always be learning from the leading and discipline of the past4 ,the miracles and the chastisements which they recite were all tokens of the sure promise1 tokens that the people were not forgotten1 but constantly aided by instruction1 warning1 and reproof4 ,so that another psalmist1 though still searching for the fuller meaning of the parables and dark sayings through which he was conducted1 could sing1 ,god shall redeem my soul from the hand of the grave1 for ,he shall take me 7,psalm xlix4 #ae74 ,there is a confidence in the words1 a confidence enough to sustain amid many trials4 ,to such a man the present was not all4 ,there was a life to come where ,god should be and rule1 and his heart had not seldom gone forth to the questioning at what time and in what form the promises should be fulfilled4 ,like ,abraham1 such men had seen the day of ,christ in vision and rejoiced over it1 and the ,spirit of ,christ was within them to sustain them4 ,but the things which they had heard and known1 and of which their fathers had told them1 supplied cause for deep searchings as to the time and the manner of time unto which the ,spirit pointed4 ,the strength of the ,lord and ,his wondrous works were to be rehearsed to the coming generations1 that among them the hope might live1 by them the searching be continued4 ,and as time went on the vision was widened1 for in no small number of the ,psalms we find the promised blessedness described as the portion not of ,israel only1 but through ,israel grace was to be extended to the ends of the earth4 ,make a joyful noise unto the ,lord1 all ye lands1 is no solitary invocation4 ,and when we turn to those prophets whose writings we possess1 we recognise that in them the ,spirit of ,christ was working and pointing forward to the coming redemption4 ,but long before the days of ,isaiah and ,micah the ,spirit of the ,lord had come mightily upon ,his servants1 and that picture of a glorious future which both those seers have given to us was not improbably the utterance of some earlier servant of the ,lord3 ,it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the ,lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills1 and all nations shall flow unto it 7,isa4 ii4 #b2 ,micah iv4 #a74 ,thus far had they attained1 but the search was not ended4 ,the last days6 ,when these should come was known to ,god alone2 and they spake only as they were moved by ,him1 standing on their towers of spiritual elevation1 hearkening what the ,lord would say to them1 and delivering ,his message with all the fulness they could command4 ,but they were sure of the final bliss4 ,of the same character are those words of ,joel1 which ,st4 ,peter quoted in his sermon on the day of ,pentecost1 ,it shall come to pass afterward 7ii4 #bh74 ,beyond this was not yet revealed4 ,but it was the voice of ,god which spake through the prophet3 ,in those days ,i will pour out ,my ,spirit4 ,and the ,divine voice spake of visitations of another kind4 ,it testified beforehand of the sufferings of ,christ and the glories that should follow them4 ,we feel sure that here ,st4 ,peter had in mind ,isa4 liii41 which the ,new ,testament has taught us to apply in its fullest sense to our blessed ,lord4 ,but the language of ,st4 ,peter in this clause deserves special notice4 ,he does not use the ordinary words by which the personal sufferings of ,christ would generally be expressed1 but he says rather1 the sufferings which pertain unto ,christ4 ,and here we may well consider whether the variation of phrase be not designed4 ,st4 ,paul uses the simple direct expression 7#b ,cor4 i4 #e71 and so does ,st4 ,peter himself 7#a ,peter iv4 #ac72 and in those passages the ,apostles are speaking of the sufferings of ,christ as shared by ,his people4 ,it would almost seem as if ,st4 ,peter's phrase in the verse before us were intended to convey this sense more fully4 ,the sufferings pertain unto ,christ1 were specially borne by ,him2 but they fall also upon those who are1 and have been1 ,his people1 both before and after the ,incarnation4 ,those prophecies of ,isaiah which speak of the sufferings of the servant of the ,lord had long been expounded as meant of the ,jewish nation1 and with such interpretation ,st4 ,peter was doubtless familiar4 ,hence may have come his altered phrase1 capable of being interpreted1 not only of ,christ ,himself1 but of the sufferings of those who1 like these ,asiatic converts1 were for the ,lord's sake exposed to manifold trials4 ,this double application of the words1 to ,christ and to ,his servants also1 explains1 it may be1 the unique use of the word glories in the clause which follows3 the sufferings of ,christ and the glories that should follow them4 ,for the glories may be taken to signify not only that honour and glory which the ,father has given unto ,christ1 but also the glory in which they shall share who have taken up their cross to follow ,him4 ,nowhere else in the ,new ,testament does this plural word occur4 ,to draw a sense like this from it would minister no small comfort to the ,christians in their trials2 and just before ,st4 ,peter has described the joy which they should experience as glorified1 or full of glory 7ver4 #h74 ,in like manner ,st4 ,paul speaks 7,rom4 viii4 #ah7 of the sufferings of this present time as not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us in the resurrection4 ,it would also serve as consolation to the sufferers1 who were thus pointed on to the future for ,christ's best gifts1 to know that a similar forward glance had been the lot of the prophets under the ancient dispensation4 ,one here and there had felt1 as ,malachi 7iii4 #a71 that the ,lord whom they were seeking was soon to come2 but we know of none before the aged ,simeon to whom it had been made known that they should not die till they had seen the ,lord's ,christ4 ,to the former generations it was revealed1 says the ,apostle1 that not unto themselves1 but unto you1 did they minister these things4 ,they beheld them1 and greeted them1 but it was afar off4 ,they spake often one to another of a bliss that was to come2 yet though praying1 longing1 and hoping for it1 they saw it only with the eye of faith4 ,the psalmists supply many illustrations of this forward projection of the thoughts which dwelt on the ,messianic hope4 ,thus in ,psalm xxii4 #cj1 #ca1 while rejoicing over his own rescue from suffering1 the speaker recognises that this is but a foreshadowing of another suffering and another deliverance1 even the sufferings of ,christ and the glories that should follow4 ,it shall be told of the ,lord unto the next generation4 ,they shall come2 they shall declare ,his righteousness to a people that shall be born1 that ,he hath done it1 and again in another place1 ,this shall be written for the generation to come1 and a people which shall be created shall praise the ,lord 7,psalm cii4 #ah74 ,and these anticipations are ever coupled with the thought of the wider extension of the kingdom of ,god1 with the time when all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the ,lord1 when the nations shall fear the name of the ,lord1 and all the kings of the earth ,his glory4 ,but the things which prophets and psalmists ministered have now been announced unto you through them that preached the ,gospel unto you4 ,you1 ,st4 ,peter would say1 are now not heirs expectant1 but possessors of the blessings which former ages of believers foresaw and foretold1 just as in his pentecostal address he testifies1 ,this is that which was spoken by the prophet ,joel4 ,and those who have preached these glad tidings unto you1 he continues1 have not done so without warrant4 ,they are joined by an unbroken link to the prophets who went before them4 ,in those the ,spirit of ,christ wrought at such times as ,he found fit instruments for raising a little the veil that lay over the purposes of ,god4 ,the preachers of the ,gospel have the same ,spirit1 and speak unto you by the ,holy ,ghost sent forth from heaven4 ,these 7and of ,st4 ,peter is this specially true7 had witnessed the sufferings of ,christ1 and been made partakers of the glories of the outpoured ,spirit4 ,the promise of the ,father had been fulfilled to them1 and they had received a mouth and wisdom which their adversaries were not able to resist4 ,the risen ,lord1 the assurance of a life to come1 the guidance by the ,spirit into all truth--these were now realities for them1 and were to be made real for the rest of the world by their testimony4 ,and that he may further magnify that salvation which he has been describing as published in part under the ,law and now assured by the message of the ,gospel1 he adds1 which things angels desire to look into4 ,of the whole ,divine plan for man's redemption the angels could hardly be cognisant4 ,of ,god's love for man they had been made conscious1 had been employed as ,his agents in the exhibition of that love1 both under the old and under the new covenant4 ,their ministry1 we know1 was exercised in the lives of ,abraham and ,lot2 they watched over ,jacob and over ,elijah in their solitude and weariness4 ,one of their host was sent to deliver ,daniel and to instruct the prophet ,zechariah4 ,at a later day they1 who stand above mankind in the order of creation1 and are pure enough to behold the presence of the ,most ,high1 were made messengers to announce how the ,son of ,god had deigned to assume1 not their nature1 but the nature of humanity1 and would by ,his suffering lift up the race from its slavery to sin4 ,they proclaimed the birth of the ,baptist1 and brought the message of the ,annunciation to the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,they heralded the birth of ,christ to the shepherds of ,bethlehem1 and a multitude of their glorious company sang the song of glory to ,god in the highest4 ,they tended the ,god-,man at ,his temptation1 strengthened ,him in ,his agony1 were present at ,his sepulchre1 and gave the news of the ,resurrection to the early visitants4 ,nor were their services at an end with ,christ's ascension1 though they were present on that occasion also4 ,to ,cornelius and to ,peter angels were made messengers1 and our ,lord has told us that their rejoicing is great over even one sinner that repenteth4 ,these immortal spirits whose home is before ,god's throne1 and whose great office is to sing ,his praise1 yet find in those ministrations to mankind in which they have been employed matter for admiration1 matter which kindles in them fervent desire4 ,they long to comprehend in all its fulness that grace which they are conscious ,god is shedding forth upon mankind4 ,they would scan#d all the workings of ,his love and ,his forbearance towards sinners4 ,these things are to them a subject of admiration1 even as was the empty tomb of ,jesus to the disciples after the ,resurrection2 and from their high estate the angelic host would fain stoop down to gaze their fill upon what ,god's goodness has wrought and is working out for mankind4 ,they feel that this knowledge would add a new theme to the songs around the throne1 would give them still greater cause to extol that grace which manifests its noblest features in showing mercy and pity4 #d is the word employed to describe the stooping of the disciples and ,mary that they might look into the grave of ,jesus 7,luke xxiv4 #ab2 ,john xx4 #e1 #aa74 ,and if such be the aspiration of angels1 sinless beings who feel not the need of rescue1 shall the tongues of men be dumb1 men who know1 each from the experience of his own heart1 how great is the evil of sin in which they are entangled1 how hopeless without ,christ's death was their deliverance from its thraldom2 who know how constant and how undeserved is the mercy of which they are partakers1 how true to ,himself ,god has been in their case8 ,i am ,jehovah2 ,i change not3 therefore ye children of men are not destroyed4 ,,iv ,,the ,,christian',s ,,ideal1 ,,and ,,the ,,steps ,,thereunto ,wherefore girding up the loins of your mind1 be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of ,jesus ,christ2 as children of obedience1 not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance3 but like as ,he which called you is holy1 be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living2 because it is written1 ,ye shall be holy2 for ,i am holy4 ,and if ye call on ,him as ,father1 who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's work1 pass the time of your sojourning in fear3 knowing that ye were redeemed1 not with corruptible things1 with silver or gold1 from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers2 but with precious blood1 as of a lamb without blemish and without spot1 even the blood of ,christ3 who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world1 but was manifested at the end of the times for your sake1 who through ,him are believers in ,god1 which raised ,him from the dead1 and gave ,him glory2 so that your faith and hope might be in ,god4--#a ,,peter i4 #ac-ba4 ,the ,apostle1 who has set forth the character of the ,christian's election1 who has given to the converts large assurance for the hope which he exhorts them to hold1 who has proclaimed the exceeding glory of their inheritance in the future and how its nature had been foreshadowed in type and prophecy1 now turns to those practical lessons which he would enforce from the doctrines of election and of the future glory in heaven4 ,such glorious privileges cannot be looked forward to without awakening a sense of corresponding duties1 and for these he would not have them unprepared4 ,wherefore1 he says1 because you have the assurance of what the best men of old only dimly foresaw1 girding up the loins of your mind1 be sober4 ,the ,apostle has in mind the words of his ,master1 ,let your loins be girded about1 and your lamps burning2 and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord 7,luke xii4 #ce1 #cf74 ,the advent of the bridegroom may be sudden2 those who would be of his train must be prepared for their summons4 ,to be girt in body is a token of readiness for coming duty4 ,and ,st4 ,peter's figure would speak more forcibly to ,eastern ears than it does to ours4 ,without such girding the ,oriental is helpless for active work1 the encumbrance of his flowing robes being fatal to exertion4 ,the heart of the ,christian must be untrammelled with the cares1 the affections1 the pleasures of the world4 ,he must be free to run the race which lies before him1 as was the well-girt prophet who ran before the royal chariot to the entrance of ,jezreel4 ,and the ,christian life is no light care1 as ,st4 ,peter pictures it4 ,first1 he says1 ,be sober4 ,to train the mind to exercise self-restraint is no easy duty at any time1 but specially in a season of religious excitement4 ,we know how converts in the very earliest days of ,christianity were carried into excesses both in action and in word2 and in every age of quickened activity some have been found with whom freedom degenerated into licence1 and emotion took the place of true religious feeling4 ,the ,jewish converts in the provinces of ,asia might be tempted to despise those who still clung to the ancient faith1 while some of those who had been won from heathenism might by their conduct alienate rather than win their brethren in ,christ4 ,we gather what was the nature of the peril when we find the ,apostle 7iv4 #g7 urging this sobriety as a frame of mind to be cultivated even in their prayers1 and ,st4 ,paul in his advice to ,timothy combining the exhortation to sobriety with ,suffer hardship2 do the work of an evangelist 7#b ,tim4 iv4 #e74 ,it is the frame of mind meet for the maintenance of sound doctrine1 utterly opposed to those itching ears which are only satisfied with teaching according to their own lusts4 ,fitly therefore does our ,apostle add to his first exhortation a second which will make the believers steadfast3 ,set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you4 ,in those early days this counsel was not always easy to follow4 ,there were many enticements to wavering1 many trials which made the firm hold on strong faith difficult to maintain4 ,and with the perfectly must be combined that other sense of the word to the end4 ,the hope must be perfect in its nature1 unshaken in its firmness1 persuaded of the certainty of the future grace1 and strengthened in that persuasion by the experience of the present working of the ,spirit4 ,but the language of the ,apostle almost anticipates the future4 ,he says not so much that the grace is to be brought1 but rather that it is even now being brought near and coming ever nearer2 for the revelation of ,jesus ,christ is progressive4 ,though we learn something1 it is only so much as teaches us that there is more still to learn of the boundless stores of grace4 ,but as in a former verse he spake of believers as having already by faith their salvation in possession1 even such is his language here4 ,and mark his lesson on the free gift of ,god s grace4 ,it is not a blessing to which the believer can attain of his own power4 ,he can hope for it2 he can feel assured that ,god in ,his own time will bestow it4 ,but whenever it comes1 either as present grace to help in trial1 or future grace which shall be revealed1 it is given1 brought1 bestowed2 and its full fruition will only be reached at the revelation of ,jesus ,christ4 ,but assuredly these words may be applied to this life as well as to the next4 ,he who said1 ,the ,holy ,spirit shall take of ,mine and declare it unto you1 designs to be ever more and more revealed in the hearts of ,his followers4 ,his grace is being brought to them day by day1 and trains continually unto obedience those who have been sprinkled with ,his blood4 ,and this obedience is the next precept for which they are to be made ready by the girding up of the loins of their minds1 as children of obedience1 the obedience not of slaves1 but of sons4 ,children they are become by virtue of the new birth1 and obedience it is which gives them a claim upon ,god's ,fatherhood4 ,they must seek for the docility and trustfulness of the childlike character2 they must accept a law other than their own wills1 having taken upon them the yoke of ,christ and aiming1 in the light of ,his example1 to become worthy of being reckoned among ,his true followers4 ,when they contemplate their own lives1 they must feel that a mighty change is needed from what they were aforetime4 ,st4 ,peter's words mark the completeness of the needed change3 not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts4 ,in time past they had sought no further for a guide and pattern than their own perverted desires2 now they must school themselves to say1 ,do with me as ,thou wilt1 for ,i am ,thine4 ,and ,he whose grace has begotten them again will help them to frame their lives by ,his rule1 will have them learn of ,him4 ,but while the ,apostle dwells on the difference which must come over the lives of these converts1 mark the wondrous charity with which he alludes to their former life in error4 ,in the time of your ignorance1 he says4 ,even here he follows the example of the ,lord1 who prayed in ,his agony1 ,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do4 ,sin blinds the moral and the mental vision too1 and men so blinded sink deeper and deeper into the slough1 while he who has learnt ,christ has gained another source of light4 ,but1 to raise the ignorant1 they must be taught2 and tenderness makes teaching most effective1 and charity dictates the apostolic words4 ,so ,st4 ,paul at ,athens to those who worshipped an unknown ,god offered instruction to win them from their ignorance1 and pointed them to a ,god whose offspring they were1 and to whose likeness they might be conformed4 ,just so does ,st4 ,peter2 ,like as ,he who called you is holy1 be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living4 ,this has been ,god's call from the first day until now1 but what a hopeless height is this for the sinner to aim after1 holy as ,god is holy6 ,yet it is the standard which ,christ sets before us in the ,sermon on the ,mount3 ,be ye perfect1 even as your ,father which is in heaven is perfect4 ,and why does ,he propose to us that which is impossible8 ,because with the command ,he is ready to supply the power4 ,he knows our frailty2 knows what is in man both of strength and weakness4 ,at the same time ,he proclaims to us by this command what ,god intends to make of us4 ,he will restore us again to ,his own likeness4 ,that which was ,god's at first shall be made ,god's once more4 ,the marred image1 on which not even the superscription can be traced1 shall again be revealed in full clearness1 and the believer purged from all the defilements of sin by the grace and help of ,him who says1 ,be ye perfect1 because ,he loves to make us so4 ,because it is written1 ,ye shall be holy2 for ,i am holy4 ,this command comes down to us from the earliest days of the ,law4 ,but in those old times it could not be said1 in all manner of living4 ,these words betoken the loftier standard of the ,new ,testament4 ,the patriarchs and prophets and the people among whom they lived were trained1 and could only be trained1 little by little4 ,even in the best among them we cannot hope for holiness in all manner of living4 ,it was only by the types and figures of external purification that their thoughts were directed to the inner cleansing of the heart1 and long generations passed before the lessons were learnt4 ,the full sense of the ,fatherhood of ,god was not attained under the ,law1 nor did men under it learn fully to live as children of obedience1 children of a ,father who loves and will succour every effort which they make to walk according to ,his law4 ,the ,incarnation has brought ,god nearer to man1 and on this relationship of love the ,apostle grounds his further exhortation4 ,and if ye call on ,him as ,father1 who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's work1 pass the time of your sojourning in fear4 ,but the fear which ,st4 ,peter means is a fear which grows out of love1 a fear to grieve ,one who is so abundant in mercy4 ,who can call on ,god as ,father but the children of obedience8 ,about the ,father's will and ,his power to make you holy there need be no fear4 ,he has called men and bidden them strive after holiness4 ,the way is steep1 but they will not be unattended4 ,what fear then of failing to attain the goal8 ,for the ,father will also be the ,judge4 ,and here is the ground for eternal hope and thankfulness1 which the ,apostle expresses in words akin to those which he used in the house of ,cornelius3 ,now ,i see that ,god is no respecter of persons1 but in every nation he that feareth ,god and worketh righteousness is accepted with ,him4 ,yes1 this is the fear which ,god looks for1 not a paralysing dread which checks all effort and kills out all hope4 ,our ,judge knows that our work will be full of faults1 but fear of ,him must nerve us to make the endeavour4 ,it is not what men do1 the feeble sum of their performance1 that ,he regards4 ,the way1 the spirit1 the motive1 from which it is wrought--these will be the ground of our ,father's judgement4 ,hence the ,gospel is a message for all the world alike4 ,the poor and lowly1 to whom no great deeds are possible1 may through it live a life of hope4 ,it is not great gifts poured into the treasury from an abundant store that have value in ,his eyes1 but the gifts which come with a heart's sacrifice--these are precious indications1 and receive the blessing1 ,they have done what they could4 ,and ,god's children are to look on their life as no more than a brief pilgrimage4 ,it is a time of sojourning1 in which the small occurrences are of little account4#e ,earth is to the ,christian1 what ,egypt was of old to the ,hebrews1 no home1 but a place of trial and oppression of the enemy4 ,god will bring ,his children forth1 even as ,he did of old4 ,but the dread to be most entertained is lest the many attractions should1 like the flesh-pots of the history1 win the affection of the pilgrims1 and make them not unwilling to linger in the house of bondage and to think lightly of peril which surrounds them there4 ,the great preservative from this danger is to revive constantly the thought of the great things which have been done for us4 ,be in fear of the world and its beguilements1 says ,st4 ,peter1 knowing that ye were redeemed1 not with corruptible things1 as silver and gold1 from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers4 ,the redemption price is paid1 has been paid for all men4 ,shall any then be willing to tarry in their slavery8 ,ye were redeemed4 ,the work is complete4 ,it is finished1 was the last sigh of the dying ,lord1 who before had testified that ,his true disciples might be of good cheer1 because ,he had overcome the world4 #e ,this would appeal with force to the hearts of those who were of the dispersion4 ,therein they would behold a picture of what all earthly life is as compared with the home to come4 ,but in the hearts of men the world and its allurements die very hard4 ,the men for whom ,st4 ,peter wrote would surely find this so4 ,they had many of them lived long either under ,judaism or in heathendom1 and would be surrounded still by friends and kinsmen who clung to the ancient teaching and customs4 ,prejudices were sure to abound1 and the ties of blood in such cases are very strong1 as we know ourselves from mission experience in ,india4 ,the ,apostle speaks of their manner of life as handed down from their fathers4 ,he may have had in his thought the corruption of the human race from the sin of our first parents4 ,generation after generation has been involved in the consequences of that primal transgression4 ,but he probably thought rather of the converts from idolatry and the life which they had led in their days of ignorance4 ,of ,god's covenant with the chosen people1 though now it was abolished1 ,st4 ,peter would hardly speak as a vain manner of life4 ,but to the worship of the heathen the word might fitly be applied4 ,paul and ,barnabas entreat the crowd at ,lystra1 who would have done sacrifice to them as to their gods1 to turn from these vanities to serve the living ,god 7,acts xiv4 #ae72 and to the ,ephesians ,st4 ,paul writes that they should no longer walk1 as the other ,gentiles walk1 in the vanity of their mind 7,eph4 iv4 #ag74 ,the parents of such men1 having themselves no knowledge1 could impart none to their children1 could not lift them higher1 could not make them purer2 and yet the ties of natural affection would plead strongly for what had been held right by their fathers for generations4 ,but the price which has been paid for their ransom may convince them how precious they are in the eyes of a ,father in heaven4 ,they are redeemed with precious blood1 as of a lamb without blemish and without spot1 even the blood of ,christ4 ,for ages the offering of sacrifices had kept before the minds of ,israel the need of a redemption1 but they could do no more4 ,the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer suffice only to the purifying of the flesh1 and can never take away sin4 ,but now the true fountain is opened1 and ,st4 ,peter has learnt1 and bears witness1 what was the meaning of the words of ,jesus1 ,if ,i wash thee not1 thou hast no part with ,me 7,john xiii4 #h74 ,the door of mercy is opened1 that by the knowledge of such wondrous love the hearts of men may be opened also4 ,and this counsel of ,god has been from all eternity4 ,christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world as the ,lamb to be offered for human redemption4 ,the world and its history form but a tiny fragment of ,god's mighty works1 and yet for mankind a plan so overflowing with love was included in the vision of ,jehovah before man or his home had existence except in the ,divine mind4 ,now by the ,incarnation the secret counsel is brought to light1 and the foretokenings of type and prophecy receive their interpretation4 ,he was manifested at the end of the times for your sake4 ,he was made flesh1 and tabernacled among men2 ,he showed by the signs which ,he wrought that ,he was the ,saviour drawing near to them that they might draw near unto ,him4 ,his lifting up on the cross spake of the true healing of the souls of all who would look unto ,him4 ,and when death had done its work upon the human body1 ,he was manifested more thoroughly as the beloved ,son of ,god by ,his resurrection from the grave4 ,the first ,christians felt that ,god's work was now complete1 salvation secured4 ,it is not unnatural therefore that they should expect the drama of the world's history soon to be closed4 ,for the ,master had not seldom spoken of the coming of a speedy judgement4 ,hence the age in which they lived seemed to merit the name of the end of the times4 ,we now can see that the judgement of which ,christ spake was wrought in great part by the overthrow of ,jerusalem1 though ,his words are still prospective1 and will not find their entire fulfilment till the close of human history2 and the whole ,christian era may be intended and included in the end of the times4 ,this was the goal towards which ,god's counsel had been moving since the world was made4 ,no new revelation is to be looked for1 and we who live in the light of ,christ's religion are those upon whom the ends of the world are come4 ,in this sense the words may be applied in every age and to every generation of ,christians4 ,to them1 as to ,st4 ,peter's converts1 the preacher may testify1 ,for your sakes all this was planned and wrought1 and may offer the ransom of the ,saviour to ,his people1 assured that in this speck of time ,christ is being manifested for their sake also4 ,for they through ,him are believers in ,god1 as the ,lord ,himself hath testified4 ,no man cometh unto the ,father but by ,me2 ,i am the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life4 ,the words are as true to-day as when ,christ was upon earth4 ,since the ,fall the glory and majesty of ,jehovah have been unapproachable4 ,sin rendered man both unfit and unable to have the pure communion of the days of innocence4 ,it was the vision of ,jesus by faith which brought ,abraham near to ,god and filled him with joy4 ,and so with all the saints and prophets of the first covenant4 ,they beheld ,him1 but it was afar off4 ,they greeted the maturing promises1 but only as strangers and pilgrims upon earth4 ,to the ,asian converts and to us also the testimony of ,st4 ,peter and his fellows is from those who beheld the glory of ,god as it was manifested in ,christ1 who saw ,him when raised from the dead1 and watched ,his ascent into the glory of heaven4 ,and by such witness faith in what ,god has wrought is confirmed4 ,we are sure that ,he raised ,christ from the dead2 we are sure that ,he has received ,him into glory3 and thus through all generations the faith and hope of ,christians are sustained and rest unshaken upon ,god4 ,v ,,christian ,,brotherhood3 ,,its ,,character ,,and ,,duties ,seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren1 love one another from the heart fervently3 having been begotten again1 not of corruptible seed1 but of incorruptible1 through the word of ,god1 which liveth and abideth4 ,for all flesh is as grass1 and all the glory thereof as the flower of grass4 ,the grass withereth1 and the flower falleth3 but the word of the ,lord abideth for ever4 ,and this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you4 ,putting away therefore all wickedness1 and all guile1 and hypocrisies1 and envies1 and all evil speakings1 as new-born babes long for the spiritual milk which is without guile1 that ye may grow thereby unto salvation2 if ye have tasted that the ,lord is gracious4--#a ,,peter i4 #bb-;ii4 #c4 ,that holy lives have been lived in solitude none would venture to dispute1 and that devout ,christians have found strength for themselves and given examples to the world by withdrawal from the society of their fellows is attested more than once in the history of ,christendom4 ,but with lives of such isolation and seclusion the ,new ,testament exhibits little sympathy4 ,to whatever preparation the ,christian is exhorted1 it is never with a view to himself4 ,though not of the world1 he is to be in the world1 that men may profit by his example4 ,the prayer of the ,lord for ,his disciples ere ,he left them was1 not that they might be taken out of the world1 but protected from its evils4 ,christ's intention was to found a ,church1 a communion1 a brotherhood1 and all ,his language looks that way3 ,one is your ,master1 and all ye are brethren2 ,so let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your ,father which is in heaven4 ,and of like character is the teaching of the ,epistles3 ,be kindly affectioned in love of the brethren 7,rom4 xii4 #aj72 ,let brotherly love continue 7,heb4 xiii4 #a74 ,we are in no way surprised therefore when ,st4 ,peter turns from his exhortations to personal sobriety1 obedience1 and holiness1 and addresses the converts on the application of these virtues1 that through them they may bind in closer bonds the brotherhood of ,christ3 ,seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren1 love one another from the heart fervently4 ,obedience is the sole evidence by which the believer can show that ,god's call has wrought in him effectually4 ,his election is of the ,father's foreknowledge1 his sanctification is the gift of the ,holy ,spirit1 and it is the sprinkling of the blood of ,christ which makes him fit for entry into the house of the ,father4 ,in the ,christian1 so called and so aided1 there must be a surrender of himself to the guidance of that ,spirit which deigns to guide him4 ,the law in his members must be mortified1 and another and purer law accepted as the rule of his life4 ,this law ,st4 ,peter calls the truth because it has been made manifest in its perfection in the life of ,jesus1 who is the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life4 ,of this example ,st4 ,paul testifies as the truth which is in ,jesus4 ,he therefore who would cherish the ,christian hope will purify himself even as ,christ is pure4 ,the way and means unto such purification is obedience4 ,this first and most needful step the ,apostle believes1 from his knowledge of their lives1 that these ,asian converts have taken in earnest1 and thus have attained to a love of their brethren which differs utterly from the love which the world exhibits1 which is true1 sincere1 unfeigned4 ,but the believer's life is a life of constant progress4 ,daily advance is the evidence of vitality4 ,all the language which ,scripture applies to it proclaims this to be its character4 ,it is called a walk1 a race1 a pilgrimage1 a warfare4 ,the ,christian all his life through will find himself so far from what ,christ intends to make him that he must ever be pressing forward4 ,hence1 though they have attained to a stage of purification1 have put off in some degree the old man1 the ,apostle's exhortation is1 ,press forward2 ,love one another from the heart fervently4 ,the ,english word describes a warmth and earnestness of love which is deep-seated and true1 but the original expresses more than this1 more of the sustained effort to which ,st4 ,peter is urging them4 ,it points to incessant striving1 to a constancy like that of the prayers of the ,church for the ,apostle himself when he was in prison1 a prayer made unto ,god without ceasing4 ,so steadfast must be the ,christian love2 and such love the purified1 undistracted heart alone can manifest1 a heart which has been released from the entanglements of earthly ambitions and strivings1 whose affections are fully set on the things above4 ,such souls must be filled with the ,spirit2 a steadfastness like this comes only of the new birth4 ,and of this the converts are reminded in the words which follow3 having been begotten again1 not of corruptible seed1 but of incorruptible1 through the word of ,god4 ,it is true they are but at the outset of their ,christian course2 but if any man be in ,christ1 he is made a new creature4 ,and in this connexion the word of ,god might be taken in a twofold sense4 ,first1 the ,word who was made flesh1 in whom was light2 and the light was the life of men4 ,through ,his resurrection ,god has begotten men again to a life which shall know no corruption4 ,but the figure which the ,apostle presently employs of the withering grass and the falling flower carries our mind rather to ,christ's explanation of ,his own parable4 ,the seed is the word of ,god1 which liveth and abideth4 ,and throughout the ,new ,testament the life-possessing and life-giving power of the ,gospel is made everywhere conspicuous4 ,when it was first proclaimed1 we read again and again1 ,the word of ,god grew mightily and prevailed 7,acts xii4 #bd1 xix4 #bj72 and the figurative language used to describe its character shows how potent is its might4 ,it is the sword of the ,spirit 7,eph4 vi4 #af72 ,it is quick and powerful 7,heb4 iv4 #ab74 ,by it ,christ foiled the tempter4 ,it makes those strong in whom it abides 7#a ,john ii4 #ad74 ,it is free1 and not bound 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #i74 ,st4 ,paul calls it the power of ,god unto salvation 7,rom4 i4 #af71 the word of truth1 the gospel of salvation 7,eph4 i4 #ac71 and says1 ,it comes1 not in word only1 but in power 7#a ,thess4 i4 #e74 ,this is the incorruptible seed of which ,st4 ,peter speaks4 ,and his words force on our thoughts that for such a seed a fitting ground must be prepared1 if the new life of which it is the source is to bear its due fruit4 ,this preparation it is which the ,apostle is anxious to enforce1 the purifying and cleansing of the seed-plot of men's hearts4 ,they must not be hardened so as to forbid it access1 and leave it for every chance enemy to trample on or carry away2 they must not be choked with alien thoughts and purposes3 the cares of life1 the pleasures of the world4 ,such things perish in the using1 and can have no affinity with the living and abiding word of ,god1 which1 even as ,he1 is eternal and unchanging4 ,and herewith is bound up a very solemn thought4 ,the word may be neglected1 may be choked1 in individual hearts2 but still it liveth and abideth1 and will appear to testify against the scorners3 ,he that rejecteth ,me and receiveth not ,my words hath one that judgeth him2 the word that ,i have spoken1 the same shall judge him in the last day4 ,for ,i have not spoken of ,myself 7,john xii4 #dh74 ,but for those who accept the message of the word and live thereby ,st4 ,peter's language is full of comfort1 especially to those who are in like affliction with these ,asian ,christians4 ,for them the acceptance of the faith of ,jesus must have meant the rending asunder of earthly ties2 the natural brotherhood would be theirs no longer4 ,but they are enrolled in a new family1 a family which cannot perish1 whose seed is incorruptible1 whose kinship shall stretch forward and be ever enlarging through all time and into eternity4 ,for they1 like the word by which they are begotten again1 will live and abide for evermore4 ,and confirming this lesson by the prophecy of ,isaiah 7xl4 #f-h71 the ,apostle thus links together the ancient ,scriptures and the ,new ,testament4 ,but in so doing he shows by his language how he regards the latter as more excellent and a mighty advance upon the former4 ,the margin of the ,revised ,version helpfully indicates the difference of the words4 ,in ,isaiah the teaching is styled a saying4 ,it was the word whereby ,god1 through some intermediary1 made known ,his will to the children of men4 ,but under the ,gospel the word is that living1 spiritual power which is used as synonymous with the ,lord ,himself4 ,the word of good tidings has now been spoken unto men by a ,son1 the very image of the ,divine substance1 the effulgence of ,god's glory1 and now possesses a might quick even to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,this is verily the living word of ,god 7,heb4 iv4 #ab74 ,and we of to-day can see what ground there was for the ,apostle's faith and for his teaching1 how true the prophetic word has been found in the events of history4 ,all flesh is as grass1 and all the glory thereof as the flower of grass4 ,the grass withereth1 and the flower falleth3 but the word of the ,lord abideth for ever4 ,when we cast our thoughts back to the time when ,st4 ,peter wrote1 we see the converts who had accepted the word of ,god a mere handful of people amid the throngs of heathendom1 the religion which they professed the scorn of all about them1 to the ,jews a stumbling-block1 to the ,greeks foolishness1 and its preachers in the main a few poor1 untrained1 uninfluential men1 of no rank or conspicuous ability4 ,on the other hand1 worshipping crowds proclaimed the greatness of ,diana of the ,ephesians2 and the power of the ,roman empire was at its height1 or seemed so1 with the whole of the civilised world owning its sway4 ,and now that world's wonder1 the temple at ,ephesus1 is a pile of ruins1 and over the ,roman power such changes have passed that it has utterly faded out of existence2 but the doctrines of the ,galilean1 who claimed to be the ,incarnate ,word of ,god1 are daily extending their influence1 proving their vitality to be ,divine4 ,but though in his language he has seemed to mark the superiority of the ,gospel message1 the ,apostle is deeply conscious that the office of the preacher has much1 nay its chief character1 in common with that of the prophet4 ,hence he proceeds to call the ,gospel message1 now that it is left to lips of ,evangelists and ,apostles to proclaim1 a saying like that of ,isaiah4 ,in this way he links the ,new ,testament to the ,old1 the prophet to the preacher4 ,both spake the same word of ,god2 both were moved by the same spirit2 both proclaimed the same deliverance1 the one looking onward in hope to the coming ,redeemer1 the other proclaiming that the redemption had been accomplished4 ,this is the telling 7the saying7 of good tidings which was preached unto you4 ,here ,st4 ,peter seems to allude to a preaching earlier than his own1 and to none can we attribute the evangelisation of these parts of ,asia with more probability than to ,st4 ,paul and his missionary colleagues4 ,but there was no note of disagreement between these early ambassadors of ,christ4 ,they could all say of their work1 ,whether it were ,i or they1 so we preached1 and so ye believed4 ,having spoken of the seed1 the ,apostle now turns to the seed-plot which needs its special preparation4 ,it must be cleared and broken up1 or the seed1 though scattered1 will have small chance of roothold4 ,but here ,st4 ,peter recurs to his former metaphor4 ,he has spoken 7i4 #ac7 of the ,christian's equipment1 how with girded loins he should prepare himself for the coming struggle4 ,he now speaks of what he must lay aside4 ,he has been purified1 or made to long after purification1 through his obedience to the truth1 so that he can with earnest desire seek to make known his love to the brethren2 and the word of ,god is powerful to overcome such dispositions as are destructive of brotherly love4 ,hence it is to no hopeless1 unaided conflict that the ,apostle urges his converts when he writes of their putting away therefore all wickedness1 and all guile1 and hypocrisies1 and envies1 and all evil speakings4 ,it is a formidable list of evils1 but ,st4 ,peter's words treat them as forming no part of the true man4 ,these are overgrowths1 which can be stripped away1 though the operation will many a time be painful enough2 they have enveloped and enclosed the sinner1 and cling close about him1 but the sanctification of the ,spirit can help him to be unclothed of them all4 ,they are the forces which make for discord4 ,the word of good tidings began with peace on earth1 goodwill towards men4 ,hence those who hearken to the message must put away everything contrary thereto4 ,first in the ,apostle's enumeration stands a general term1 wickedness1 those which follow it being various forms of its development4 ,we learn how utterly alien this wickedness is to the spirit of ,christ when we notice the employment of the word to describe the sin of ,simon3 ,thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter1 for thy heart is not right before ,god 7,acts viii4 #bb74 ,such a man had no comprehension of the source of the apostolic powers2 the sacred things of ,god were unknown to one who could treat such gifts as merchandise4 ,and it is full of interest in the present connexion to observe that what our ,english version there renders matter is really1 as the margin 7,r4,v47 shows1 word4 ,it was the word of ,god which was mighty in the first preachers1 which was growing and prevailing as they testified unto ,christ1 and in this word a heart like ,simon's could have no share4 ,he was no fit member of the fellowship of ,christ4 ,guile was the sin of ,jacob1 a sin which brake the bond of brotherhood between him and ,esau1 and wrought so much misery in the whole of ,jacob's family history4 ,guile was not found in ,nathanael4 ,the searching eye of ,jesus saw that the sin of the supplanter was not in him4 ,hence he is pointed out as an example of the true ,israel1 that which the race of ,jacob was intended to become4 ,that hypocrisy is a foe to brotherhood our ,lord makes evident as he reproaches the ,pharisees for this sin4 ,i thank ,thee that ,i am not as other men are1 nor even as this publican1 are words which could never rise to the lips of him whose heart was purified by the ,spirit of ,god2 and envy brings hatred in its train4 ,it was by envy that ,saul was incited to seek the death of ,david2 it was from envy that ,joseph's brethren sold him into ,egypt2 through envy a greater than ,joseph was sold to be crucified 7,matt4 xxvii4 #ah71 and this sin led to war in heaven itself4 ,from evil-speaking these ,asian converts themselves had to suffer1 and would know by experience its mischievous effects4 ,they were spoken against as evil-doers1 as the ,apostle notes twice over 7#a ,peter ii4 #ab1 iii4 #ae74 ,this evil adds cowardice to its other baneful qualities1 for it takes advantage of the absence of him against whom it is directed1 and is that vice which in #b ,cor4 xii4 #bj is described as backbiting1 a rendering which the ,revised ,version leaves undisturbed1 while those who indulge in it are called backbiters 7,rom4 i4 #cj74 ,st4 ,james has much to say in its dispraise3 ,speak not one against another1 brethren4 ,he that speaketh against a brother or judgeth his brother speaketh against the law1 and judgeth the law 7,james iv4 #aa74 ,such a one is intruding into the prerogative of ,god ,himself1 and passing sentence where he can have no sure knowledge of the acts which he judges4 ,evil-speaking1 says one of the ,apostolic ,fathers1#f is a restless demon1 never at peace4 ,so speak no evil of any1 nor take pleasure in listening thereto4 ,by good works ,st4 ,peter instructs his converts to live down such cowardly slanders1 that those who revile their good manner of life in ,christ may be put to shame thereby4 ,purity will overcome iniquity1 innocence gain the day against deceit4 #f ,hermas1 ,mand4 ii4 #b4 ,but the transformation to which the ,apostle exhorts them must be verily to become a new creation1 and so he goes on to speak of their condition as one akin to that of new-born babes4 ,these by natural instincts turn away from all that will hurt them1 and seek only what can nourish and support4 ,to such right inclinations1 to such simplicity of desire1 must the ,christian be brought4 ,he has been born again of the word of ,god4 ,from this he is to seek his constant nurture1 as instinctively as the babe turns to its mother's breast4 ,this is able to save the soul 7,james i4 #ba71 but it cannot be received unless the vices which war against it be put away1 and a spirit of meekness take their place4 ,they seek other and less pure food for their support4 ,christians are to long for the spiritual milk which is without guile4 ,this food for babes in ,christ is the word1 which is taken by the ,spirit and offered a nurture for the soul4 ,but there must be a longing for1 a readiness to accept1 what is offered4 ,for the spiritual appeals to the reason of man1 and though offered1 is not forced on him4 ,the ,spirit takes of the things of ,christ and shows them unto us4 ,and the purification1 the clearing off and putting away corrupt dispositions1 about which the ,apostle speaks so earnestly1 applies an eye-salve to the inward vision which helps us to see things in their true light1 and so to long for what is really profitable food without guile1 which does not disappoint the hope of those that seek it4 ,that ye may grow thereby unto salvation4 ,it is called the word of salvation4 ,to you1 says ,st4 ,paul to the men of ,antioch 7,acts xiii4 #bf71 is the word of this salvation sent forth2 and through it is proclaimed the remission of sins4 ,the healthy condition of the life of the soul is evidenced by these two signs3 longing for proper food and growth by partaking thereof4 ,for there is no standing still in spiritual life1 any more than in the natural life4 ,where there is no growth1 decay has already set in2 if there be no waxing of the powers1 they have already begun to wane4 ,to the natural human growth there must needs come this waning2 the body will decay3 but the spiritual increase can continue1 must continue1 until the stature of the fulness of ,christ be attained1 till we come to be made like unto ,him when we see ,him as ,he is4 ,watch1 then1 strive and pray for growth1 if ye have tasted that the ,lord is gracious4 ,the true food once found and appreciated1 the joy of this support will be such that no other will ever be desired4 ,hence ,st4 ,peter adopts1 or rather adapts1 the words of the ,psalmist 7xxxiv4 #i7 who tells of the blessedness of trusting in the ,lord4 ,the angel of the ,lord encampeth round about them that fear ,him1 and setteth them free4 ,this is the initial stage3 the deliverance from the power of evil4 ,then come the desire and longing for the true strength4 ,o taste and see that the ,lord is gracious2 blessed is the man that findeth refuge in ,him4 ,the joy of such a refuge can come even to those who are suffering after the fashion of the ,asian converts4 ,but the ,psalmist's words are full of teaching4 ,god's training is empirical4 ,spiritual experience comes before spiritual knowledge4 ,well does ,st4 ,bernard say of this lesson1 though his words pass the power of translation1 ,unless you have tasted you will not see4 ,the food is the hidden manna2 it is the new name which no one knows but he who receives it4 ,it is not external training1 but the unction of the ,spirit1 which teaches2 it is not knowledge 7scientia7 which grasps the truth1 but the conscience 7conscientia7 which attests it4 ,,vi ,,the ,,priesthood ,,of ,,believers ,unto whom coming1 a living stone1 rejected indeed of men1 but with ,god elect1 precious1 ye also1 as living stones1 are built up a spiritual house1 to be a holy priesthood1 to offer up spiritual sacrifices1 acceptable to ,god through ,jesus ,christ4 ,because it is contained in ,scripture1 ,behold1 ,i lay in ,zion a chief corner-stone1 elect1 precious3 and he that believeth on ,him shall not be put to shame4 ,for you therefore which believe is the preciousness3 but for such as disbelieve1 the stone which the builders rejected1 the same was made the head of the corner1 and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence2 for they stumble at the word1 being disobedient3 whereunto also they were appointed4 ,but ye are an elect race1 a royal priesthood1 a holy nation1 a people for ,god's own possession1 that ye may show forth the excellencies of ,him who called you out of darkness into ,his marvellous light3 which in time past were no people1 but now are the people of ,god3 which had not obtained mercy1 but now have obtained mercy4--#a ,,peter ii4 #d-aj4 ,leaving the exhortation to individual duties1 the ,apostle turns now to describe the ,christian society in relation to its ,divine ,founder1 and tells both of the privileges possessed by believers1 and of the services which they ought to render4 ,he employs for illustration a figure very common in ,holy ,scripture1 and compares the faithful to stones in the structure of some noble edifice1 built upon a sure foundation4 ,such language on his lips must have had a deep significance4 ,he was the rock-man2 his name ,peter was bestowed by ,christ in recognition of his grand confession3 and ,jesus had consecrated the simile which the ,apostle uses by ,his own words1 ,upon this rock ,i will build ,my ,church 7,matt4 xvi4 #ah71 words which were daily finding a blessed fulfilment in the growth of these ,asian ,churches4 ,a rock is no unusual figure in the ,old ,testament to represent ,god's faithfulness1 and its use is specially frequent in ,isaiah and the ,psalms4 ,in the ,lord ,jehovah is an everlasting rock 7,isa4 xxvi4 #d71 says the prophet2 again he calls ,god the rock of ,israel 7xxx4 #bi72 while the prayers of the ,psalmist are full of the same thought concerning the ,divine might and protection3 ,be ,thou my strong rock and my fortress 7,psalm xxxi4 #b72 ,lead me to the rock that is higher than ,i 7lxi4 #b72 ,o ,god1 my rock and my ,redeemer 7xix4 #ad74 ,but the language of the ,new ,testament goes farther than that of the ,old4 ,strength1 protection1 permanence--these were attributes of the rock of which ,isaiah spake and ,david sang4 ,the life-possessing and life-imparting virtue of the ,spirit of ,christ is a part of the glad tidings of the ,gospel4 ,through ,him were light and immortality brought to light4 ,the rock which lives is found in ,jesus ,christ4 ,in ,him is life without measure1 ready to be imparted to all who seek to be built up in ,him4 ,unto whom coming1 a living stone1 rejected indeed of men1 but with ,god elect1 precious4 ,by purification of thought1 and act1 and word1 that childlike frame has been sought after which fits them to draw near2 and they come with full assurance4 ,jesus they know as the ,crucified1 as the ,lord who came to ,his own1 and they received ,him not4 ,generations of preparation had not made ,jewry ready for her ,king's coming1 had failed to impress the people with the signs of ,his advent2 and so they disowned ,him1 and cried1 ,we have no king but ,csar4 ,but the converts know ,jesus also as ,him who was raised from the dead and exalted to glory4 ,this honour ,he hath with ,god4 ,no other than ,he could bring salvation4 ,therefore has ,he received a name that is above every name4 ,and with ,god here signifies that heavenly exaltation and glory4 ,the sense is#g as when ,jesus testifies1 ,i speak what ,i have seen with ,my ,father 7,john viii4 #ch7--that is1 in heaven--or when ,he prays1 ,glorify me1 ,o ,father1 with ,thine own self 7xvii4 #e74 ,from this excellent glory ,he sends down ,his ,spirit1 and gives to ,his people a share of that life which has been made manifest in ,him4 ,their part is but to come1 to seek2 and every one that seeketh is sure to find4 #g speaks of ,christ in ,his glory1 in that place where the reward of the faithful is kept in store4 ,cf4 the words of ,matt4 vi4 #a4 ,ye also1 as living stones1 are built up a spiritual house4 ,not because they are living men does the ,apostle speak of them as living stones4 ,they may be full of the vigour of natural life1 yet have no part in ,christ4 ,the life which joins men to ,him comes by the new birth4 ,and the union of believers with ,christ makes itself patent by a daily progress4 ,he is a living stone2 they are to be made more and more like ,him by a constant drawing near1 a constant drinking in from ,his fulness of the life which is the light of men4 ,in this light new graces grow within them2 old sins are cast aside4 ,by this preparation1 this shaping of the living stones1 the ,spirit fits ,christians for their place in the spiritual building1 unites them with one another and with ,christ1 fashions out of them a true communion of saints--saints1 who1 that they may advance in saintliness1 have duties to perform both directly to ,god and for ,his sake to the world around4 ,by diligence therein the upbuilding goes daily forward4 ,first1 they are to be a holy priesthood1 to offer up spiritual sacrifices1 acceptable to ,god through ,jesus ,christ4 ,from the day when ,god revealed ,his will on ,sinai1 such has been the ideal set before ,his chosen servants4 ,ye shall be unto ,me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation 7,exod4 xix4 #f7 stands in the preface of the ,divinely given law4 ,and ,god changes not4 ,hence the praise of the ,lamb's finished work when ,he has purchased unto ,god men of every tribe1 and tongue1 and people1 and nation is sung before the throne in the self-same strain3 ,thou madest them to be unto ,god a kingdom and priests 7,rev4 v4 #aj74 ,under the early dispensation ,god was leading men up from material sacrifices to pay unto ,him true spiritual worship4 ,the ,psalmist has learnt the lesson when he pleads1 ,offer the sacrifices of righteousness1 and put your trust in the ,lord 7,psalm iv4 #f72 and ,hosea's sense of what was well-pleasing to ,god is made clear in his exhortation1 ,take with you words and return unto the ,lord2 say unto ,him1 ,take away all iniquity1 and accept that which is good1 so will we render as bullocks the offering of our lips 7xiv4 #c74 ,the ,apostle to the ,romans is hardly more explicit than this when he urges1 ,present your bodies a living sacrifice 7xii4 #a71 or to the ,hebrews1 ,let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to ,god continually1 that is1 the fruit of lips which make confession to ,his name 7xiii4 #ae74 ,but the ,apostles could add to the exhortations of the prophets and psalmists a ground of blessed assurance1 could promise how these living sacrifices1 these offerings of praise1 had gained a certainty of acceptance through ,jesus ,christ3 ,through ,him we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in ,him 7,eph4 iii4 #ab72 and in another place1 ,having ,him as a great ,priest over the house of ,god1 that spiritual house into which believers are builded1 let us draw near with a true heart1 in fulness of faith1 having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water 7,heb4 x4 #bb74 ,thus do believers become priests unto ,god1 in every place lifting up holy hands in prayer1 prayer which is made acceptable through their great ,high-priest4 ,it was only from oral teaching that these ,asian ,christians knew of those lessons which we now can quote as the earliest messages to the ,church of ,christ4 ,the ,scripture was to them as yet the ,scripture of the ,old ,testament1 and to this ,st4 ,peter points them for the confirmation which it supplies4 ,and his quotation is worthy of notice both for its manner and its matter3 ,because it is contained in ,scripture1 ,behold1 ,i lay in ,zion a chief corner-stone1 elect1 precious3 and he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame4 ,the passage is from ,isaiah 7xxviii4 #af72 but a comparison with that verse shows us that the ,apostle has not quoted all the words of the prophet1 and that what he has given corresponds much more closely with the ,greek of the ,septuagint than with the ,hebrew4 ,the latter concludes1 ,he that believeth shall not make haste1 and contains some words not represented in the version of the ,seventy4 ,the variations which ,st4 ,peter accepts are such as to assure us that for him 7and the same is true for the rest of the ,apostles7 the purport1 the spiritual lessons1 of the word were all which he counted essential4 ,neither ,christ ,himself nor ,his ,apostles adhere in quotation to precise verbal exactness4#h ,they felt that there lay behind the older record so many deep meanings for which the fathers of old were not prepared1 but which ,gospel light made clear4 ,to somewhat of this fuller sense the translators of the ,septuagint seem to have been guided4#i ,they lived nearer to the rising of the day-star4 ,through their labours ,god was in part preparing the world for the message of ,christ4 ,the words which ,isaiah was guided to use express the confidence of a believer who was looking onward to ,god's promise as in the future3 ,he shall not make haste4 ,he knows that the purpose of ,god will be brought to pass2 that1 as the prophet elsewhere says1 the ,lord will hasten it in its time 7lx4 #bb74 ,man is not to step in1 ,jacob-like1 to anticipate the ,divine working4 #h ,for illustration of what is here said1 ,matt4 xxi4 #af may be compared with ,psalm viii4 #b1 ,acts xv4 #ae-ag with ,amos ix4 #aa1 #ab1 and ,eph4 iv4 #h with ,psalm lxviii4 #ah2 and the list might be largely increased4 #i ,hence the ,new ,testament writers quote from the ,,lxx4 in a very large proportion4 ,the writer of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews quotes nothing else4 ,but shall not be ashamed was a form of the promise more suited to the days of ,st4 ,peter and these infant ,churches4 ,for the name of ,christ was in many ways made a reproach2 and only men of faith1 like ,moses and the heroes celebrated with him in ,heb4 xi41 could count that reproach greater riches than the treasures of ,egypt4 ,other and weaker hearts needed encouragement1 needed to be pointed to the privileges and glories which are the inheritance of the followers of ,jesus4 ,and in this spirit he applies the prophetic words1 ,for you therefore which believe is the preciousness4 ,faith makes real all the offers of the ,gospel4 ,it opens heaven1 as to the vision of ,st4 ,stephen1 so that while they are still here believers behold the glory of ,god to which ,christ has been exalted1 are assured of the victory which has been won for them1 and that in ,his strength they may conquer also4 ,thus they receive continually the earnest of those precious and exceeding great promises 7#b ,peter i4 #d7 whereby they become partakers of the ,divine nature4 ,but all men have not faith4 ,the ,bible tells us this on every page4 ,god knows what is in man1 and in ,his revelation ,he has set forth not only invitations and blessings1 but warnings and penalties4 ,life and good1 death and evil--these have been continually proclaimed as linked together by ,god's law1 but ever with the exhortation1 ,choose life4 ,of such warning messages ,st4 ,peter gives examples from prophecy and psalm3 ,but for such as disbelieve1 the stone which the builders rejected1 the same was made the head of the corner 7,psalm cxviii4 #bb71 and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence 7,isa4 viii4 #ad72 for they stumble at the word1 being disobedient4 ,here the ,apostle touches the root of the evil4 ,the test of faith is obedience4 ,it was so in ,eden2 it must be ever so4 ,but now1 as then1 the tempter comes with his insidious questionings1 ,hath ,god said8 and sowing doubts1 he goes his way1 leaving them to work2 and work they do4 ,now it is the truth1 now the wisdom1 of the command1 that men stumble at4 ,but in each case they disobey4 ,those leave it unobserved2 these despise and set it at nought4 ,and the penalty is sure4 ,for mark the twofold aspect of ,god's dealing which is set forth in the passages chosen by ,st4 ,peter to enforce his lesson4 ,spite of man's disobedience1 ,god's purpose is not thwarted4 ,the stone which ,he laid in ,zion has been made the head of the corner4 ,though rejected by some builders1 it has lost none of its preciousness1 none of its strength4 ,those who draw near unto it find life thereby2 are made fit for their places in the ,divine building1 in the kingdom of the ,lord's house which ,he will most surely establish as the latter days draw on4 ,but they who disobey are overthrown4 ,the despised stone1 which is the sure word of ,god1 rises up in men's self-chosen path1 and makes them fall1 and at the last1 if they persist in despising it1 will appear for their condemnation4 ,whereunto also they were appointed4 ,the ,apostle has in mind the words of ,isaiah1 how the prophet1 in that place from which he has just quoted1 declares that many shall stumble and fall1 and be broken1 and be snared1 and be taken4 ,this is the lot of the disobedient4 ,these penalties dog that sin4 ,it is the unvarying law of ,god4 ,the ,bible teaches this from first to last1 by precepts as well as by examples4 ,the disobedient must stumble4 ,but the ,bible does not teach that any were appointed unto disobedience4 ,such fatalist lessons are alien to ,god's infinite love4 ,the two ways are set before all men4 ,god tries us thus because ,he has gifted us above the rest of creation1 that we may render ,him a willing service4 ,but neither prophet nor ,apostle teaches that to stumble is to be finally cast away4 ,both picture ,god's mercy in as large terms as those in which ,st4 ,paul speaks of the ,jews3 ,did ,god cast off ,his people8 ,god forbid4444 ,they1 if they continue not in their unbelief1 shall be grafted in1 for ,god is able to graft them in again 7,rom4 xi474 ,a hardening in part hath befallen ,israel1 and to the ,church of ,christ there is offered the blessedness which aforetime was to be the portion of the chosen people4 ,but the offer is made on like terms of obedient service1 and involves large duties4 ,st4 ,peter marks the likeness of the two offers by choosing the words of the ,old ,testament to describe the ,christian calling1 with its privileges and its duties4 ,believers in ,christ are a peculiar treasure unto ,god from among all people1 a kingdom of priests1 and a holy nation1 even as was said to ,israel 7,exod4 xix4 #e1 #f7 when they came out of ,egypt and received the ,law from ,sinai4 ,but among the dispersion1 for whom he writes1 there were those who had been heathens1 as well as the converts from ,judaism4 ,that he may show them also to be embraced in the new covenant1 and their calling contemplated under the old1 the ,apostle points to another of ,god's promises1 where ,hosea 7i4 #aj2 ii4 #bc7 tells of the grace that was ready to be shed forth on them which in time past were no people1 but now are the people of ,god1 which had not obtained mercy1 but now have obtained mercy4 ,thus all1 ,jew and ,gentile1 are to be made one holy fellowship1 one people for ,god's own possession4 ,and this kingdom of ,god's priests has its duty to the world as well as unto ,god4 ,israel in time past was chosen to be ,god's witness to the rest of mankind1 so that when men saw that no nation had ,god so nigh unto them as ,jehovah was whenever ,israel called upon ,him1 that no nation had statutes and judgements so righteous as all the ,law which had been given from ,sinai1 they might be constrained to say1 ,surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people1 and might themselves be won to the service of a ,god so present and so holy4 ,and now each member of the ,christian body1 while offering himself a living sacrifice to ,god1 while delighting to do ,his will1 while treasuring ,his law1 is to exercise himself in wider duties1 that ,god's glory may be displayed unto all men4 ,one of the psalmists1 whose words have been in part referred to ,christ ,himself1 testifies how this priesthood for mankind should be fulfilled3 ,i have published righteousness in the great congregation2 lo1 ,i will not refrain my lips1 ,o ,lord1 ,thou knowest4 ,i have not hid ,thy righteousness within my heart2 ,i have declared ,thy faithfulness and ,thy salvation2 ,i have not concealed ,thy loving-kindness and ,thy truth from the great congregation 7,psalm xl4 #i1 #aj74 ,these were the excellencies which the ,psalmist had found in ,god's service1 and his heart ran over with desire to impart the knowledge unto others4 ,with juster reason shall ,christ's servants be prompted to a like evangel4 ,they cannot hold their peace1 specially while they consider how great blessings those lose who as yet own no allegiance to their ,master4 ,that ye may show forth the excellencies of ,him who called you out of darkness into ,his marvellous light4 ,this theme fills the rest of the letter4 ,the ,apostle teaches that in every condition this duty has its place and its opportunities4 ,subjects may fulfil it1 as they yield obedience to their rulers1 servants in the midst of service to their masters1 wives and husbands in their family life1 each individual in the society where his lot is cast1 and specially those who preside over the ,christian congregations4 ,wherever the goodness of ,god's mercy has been tasted1 there should be hearts full of thanksgiving1 voices tuned to the praise of ,him who has done great things for them4 ,lives led with this aim will make men to be truly what ,god designs3 a holy nation2 a kingdom of priests4 ,and ever as men walk thus will the kingdom for which we daily pray be brought nearer4 ,the opportunities for winning men to ,christ differ in modern times from those which were open to the earliest ,christian converts2 but there is still no lack of adversaries1 no lack of those by whom the hope of the believer is deemed unreasonable3 and now1 as then1 the good works which the opponents behold in ,christian lives will have their efficacy4 ,these cannot for ever be spoken against4 ,a good manner of life in ,christ shall1 through ,his grace1 finally put the gainsayers to shame4 ,they shall learn1 and gain blessing with the lesson1 that the stone which they have so long been rejecting has been set up by ,god to be the foundation of ,his ,church1 the head stone of the corner1 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it4 ,,vii ,,christians ,,as ,,pilgrims ,,in ,,the ,,world ,beloved1 ,i beseech you1 as sojourners and pilgrims1 to abstain from fleshly lusts1 which war against the soul2 having your behaviour seemly among the ,gentiles2 that1 wherein they speak against you as evil-doers1 they may by your good works1 which they behold1 glorify ,god in the day of visitation4 ,be subject to every ordinance of man for the ,lord's sake3 whether it be to the king1 as supreme2 or unto governors1 as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well4 ,for so is the will of ,god1 that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men3 as free1 and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness1 but as bondservants of ,god4 ,honour all men4 ,love the brotherhood4 ,fear ,god4 ,honour the king4--#a ,,peter ii4 #aa-ag4 ,the ,apostle opens his exhortations with a word eminently ,christian3 ,beloved4 ,it is a word whose history makes us alive to and thankful for the ,septuagint ,version4 ,without that translation there would have been no channel through which the religious ideas of ,judaism could have been conveyed to the minds of the ,western peoples4 ,there are several ,greek words which signify to love1 but bound up with every one of them is some sense which renders it ill-fitted to describe true ,christian love and still less suited for expressing the love of ,god to man4 ,the word in the text has been fashioned to tell of that love which ,st4 ,paul describes in his more excellent way 7#a ,cor4 xiii474 ,in classic speech it implies more of the outward exhibition of welcome1 than of deep affection4 ,but the translators of the ,septuagint have taken it specially for themselves1 and use it first to express the love of ,abraham for ,isaac 7,gen4 xxii4 #b72 and1 thus consecrating and elevating it1 they have brought it at length to great dignity1 for they employ it to signify the love of the ,lord for ,his people and the highest love of man to ,god3 ,the ,lord preserveth all them that love ,him 7,psalm cxlv4 #bj72 ,the ,lord loveth the righteous 7cxlvi4 #h74 ,so in the ,new ,testament it can be used of the well-beloved ,son ,himself4 ,with such an expression of their union to each other in the ,lord does ,st4 ,peter preface his admonitions4 ,they are counsels of love4 ,i beseech you1 as sojourners and pilgrims4 ,the ,christian looks for a life eternal4 ,in comparison thereof the best things of this time are of little account1 while the evil of the world renders it no safe resting-place4 ,it is but as a lodging for a brief night1 and at dawn the traveller sets forward for his true home4 ,hence the argument of the apostolic entreaty4 ,you have no long time to stay1 and none to waste2 your motto is ever1 ,onward6 ,i beseech you to abstain from fleshly lusts1 which war against the soul4 ,of the perils of life's journey the ,psalmist gives us a telling sketch in the first verse of ,psalm i42 and if we may accept the words as the outcome of ,david's experience1 they teach us the subtlety of these lusts of the flesh1 as they war against the soul4 ,they had led ,david to adultery and murder4 ,the first stage of the course through which they carry you is described as walking by the counsel of the ungodly4 ,it is not being of their number1 but only being ready to accept their advice2 and though the course has begun1 it is still possible for him who walks to turn round and to turn back4 ,the next step shows captivation4 ,the man stands in the way of sinners1 not afraid of his company now1 though they have a taint of positive guilt instead of the negative character of ungodliness4 ,but the war against the soul goes on2 and the captive at the next stage sinks down willingly1 is pleased with his chains1 sits in the seat of the scorners1 as ready now as they to make a mock at sin4 ,with good reason does ,st4 ,peter use most solemn words of entreaty4 ,the peril at all times is great4 ,the flesh warreth against the spirit4 ,we cannot do the things that we would4 ,but for these men the danger was extreme4 ,some of them had lived in surroundings where such sins were counted a part of religious duty2 had the support of long prescription2 were sanctioned and indulged in by those of the convert's own blood4 ,yet the ,apostle does not counsel the new-made ,christians to run away from this battle4 ,they owe a duty to those who are out of the way1 and must not shrink from it1 be it ever so painful3 having your behaviour seemly among the ,gentiles4 ,their lives are to be led in the sight of their fellow-men1 to be so led as to have the approval of a clear conscience1 and to be void of offence in the eyes of others4 ,this outward seemliness is what ,christian love exhibits as a testimony to ,christ's grace and an attraction unto the world1 making known unto all men the unsearchable riches of ,christ3 that1 wherein they speak against you as evil-doers1 they may by your good works1 which they behold1 glorify ,god in the day of visitation4 ,the seemly conduct of believers must be continuous1 or it will fail of its effect4 ,it is not one display of ,christian conduct1 nor occasional spasmodic manifestations thereof1 which will win men to love the way of ,christ4 ,and this is the result without which ,christ's people are not to rest satisfied4 ,the evil reports of the adversaries are ill-grounded1 but they do not think so2 and the only means of removing their perverse view is by a continuous revelation of the excellence of ,christ's service4 ,they may rail1 but we must bless2 they may persecute3 we must not retaliate1 but returning good always for their evil1 make them see at length that this way which they are attacking has a character and a power to which they have been strangers4 ,this enlightenment is implied in the word behold3 ,they behold your good works4 ,it denotes initiation into a mystery4 ,and to unbelievers ,christ's religion must be a mystery4 ,the clearing of the vision leads them up to faith4 ,the word in every place where it occurs in the ,new ,testament is ,st4 ,peter's own1 and he employs it once 7#b ,peter i4 #af7 to describe the vision1 the insight1 into the glory of ,christ1 which he and his fellows gained at the ,transfiguration4 ,such a sight removes all questionings1 and constrains the enlightened soul to join in the exclamation1 ,lord1 it is good for us to be here4 ,the victory for ,christ is to be won on the very ground where the opposition was made4 ,in the very matter over which the enemy reviled1 there shall they praise ,god for that which they erewhile maligned4 ,this it is which constitutes their day of visitation4 ,some have thought the visitation intended was to be one of punishment for obstinate withstanding of the truth1 but it surely harmonises better with the glory of ,god that the dispensation should be one of instruction and light4 ,we seem to have a notable example of what is meant in the history of ,st4 ,paul4 ,he in all earnestness persecuted the ,way unto the death4 ,the day of visitation came to him1 a day which1 while darkening the bodily vision1 gave a clearness to the soul4 ,the persecutor became the ,apostle to the ,gentiles1 and the world bore him witness that now he preached the faith of which he had once made havoc 7,gal4 i4 #bc74 ,this was ,god's own conquest1 but in the same manner will believers be helped to win their victory4 ,they are to aim at nothing less1 never to rest content till the accusers of their good deeds are brought to glory in the performance of the same4 ,so was ,justin ,martyr won to the side of ,christianity3 ,when ,i heard the ,christians accused and saw them fearless of death and of everything else that is counted fearful1 ,i was sure they could not be living in wickedness and in the love of pleasures 7#b ,apol4 xii474 ,well-doing shall not fail of its reward4 ,men will testify1 as of ,isaac of old ,we saw plainly that the ,lord was with thee1 and we said1 ,let there now be an oath betwixt us 7,gen4 xxvi4 #bh74 ,the ,apostle now turns to one illustration of ,christian behaviour wherein the converts might be tempted to think themselves absolved from some portion of their duty4 ,they were living under heathen rulers4 ,did their freedom in ,christ release them from obligations to the civil powers8 ,the question was sure to arise4 ,st4 ,peter supplies both a rule and a reason3 ,be subject to every ordinance of man for the ,lord's sake4 ,christians1 just as other men1 hold their place in the commonweal4 ,all that the state requires citizens to do in aid of good government1 order1 the support of institutions and the like1 will fall upon them1 as upon others4 ,whether the demands made upon them in this wise be always for ends of which they would approve1 they are not to discuss so long as their rulers provide duly for the social order and welfare4 ,this is the apostolic rule4 ,the reason is1 ,men are to submit thus for the ,lord's sake4 ,the powers that be are ordained of ,god1 and ,he would have obedience yielded to them4 ,the ,bible knows nothing about forms of government2 these are to be ordered as men at various times and under various conditions deem most helpful4 ,but the ,bible doctrine is that ,god uses all powers of the world for ,his own purposes and to work out ,his will4 ,of ,pharaoh1 who had deliberately despised ,god's messages through ,moses1 the ,divine voice declared that he would long ago have been cut off from the earth1 but was made to stand that he might show ,god's power1 and that ,his name might be declared throughout all the earth 7,exod4 ix4 #ae1 #af72 and of the ,assyrian at a later day 7,isa4 x4 #aj1 #ab7 ,god tells how he was used as the rod of the ,divine anger1 but that the fruit of his stout heart and the glory of his high looks would surely be punished4 ,god employs for ,his ends instruments with which ,he is not always well-pleased4 ,these can inflict ,his penalties1 yea even may be made to advance ,his glory4 ,pilate was assured by ,christ ,himself that the power which he was about to exercise was only by ,divine permission3 ,thou wouldest have no power against ,me except it were given thee from above 7,john xix4 #aa72 and ,st4 ,paul enforces obedience to authorities equally with ,st4 ,peter3 ,he that resisteth the power withstandeth the ordinance of ,god 7,rom4 xiii4 #b74 ,be subject1 therefore1 whether it be to the king1 as supreme2 or unto governors1 as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well4 ,the order under which these converts were living was superintended by some officer appointed by the ,roman emperor1 and to this the form of the ,apostle's words applies4 ,the king is the ,csar2 the governor is the procurator or subordinate official by whom the imperial power was represented in the provinces4 ,when ,st4 ,peter wrote1 ,nero ruled in ,rome1 and was represented abroad by ministers often of a like character4 ,how extreme must after this be the case of those who would claim freedom to resist the rulers under whom they live4 ,god has allowed them to stand1 ,he is using them for ,his own purposes1 they may be the ministers of ,his vengeance1 and to ,him alone does vengeance belong4 ,he intends them also to recognise the merit of the doers of good4 ,it may be that they do not fulfil ,god's intent in either wise1 yet while ,he suffers them to keep their power the ,christian's duty is obedience to every civil enactment1 for anarchy would be a curse both to him and to others1 bringing in its train more hurt than help4 ,when ,christians shall be found among those who abide by the law of the lands wherein they dwell1 even should their faith not be accepted by their rulers1 their good citizenship will hardly fail to disarm hatred and abate persecution4 ,and so they are to range themselves ever on the side of order4 ,for so is the will of ,god1 that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men4 ,for this end believers are to abide in the world1 that through them the world may be renewed4 ,the opponents of their faith suffer1 says the ,apostle1 from lack of knowledge4 ,as he says in another place1 they rail in matters whereof they are ignorant 7#b ,peter ii4 #ab74 ,had men known1 they would not have crucified the ,lord of glory2 and did they know1 they would not persecute ,his followers4 ,but knowledge will not come without a preacher4 ,such preachers of the excellence of their faith shall the law-abiding ,christians in each community be made4 ,they shall publish the lessons of their own experience2 they shall win favour by their example4 ,the world will recognise that these men have a secret which others do not possess1 will find that they yield obedience to earthly rulers because they are above all things servants of ,god4 ,it was through convicting them of their ignorance that ,jesus put the ,sadducees to silence4 ,ye do err1 was ,his argument1 not knowing the ,scriptures nor the power of ,god 7,matt4 xxii4 #cd74 ,and when men are made sensible of such ignorance1 they are silenced for very shame 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #cd74 ,this word silenced is very expressive both in the ,gospel and here4 ,it implies that a bridle or muzzle is put upon the mouth of ignorance1 so that it may either be guided into a better way1 or1 if not so1 be checked from doing harm4 ,for some there are who not only will be ignorant1 but foolish also1 whom no teaching will profit4 ,but even these will in the end be silenced4 ,so1 as says the brother ,apostle1 be not overcome of evil1 but overcome evil with good 7,rom4 xii4 #ba74 ,the first part of the ,apostle's exhortation in our verse had in view1 it may be1 more especially the ,gentile converts4 ,their past life had been one of evil-doing in the sight of ,god2 those whom they had left1 and who were most likely to be their adversaries1 were still walking in the same ways1 and were to be won over and conquered for ,christ4 ,he now turns more directly to those who had been ,jews4 ,these were no longer bound to the observance of the ceremonial law1 and we know from the ,new ,testament as well as from ,church history that with this release there were exhibited in the lives of many such excesses as made them a disgrace to the ,christian name4 ,we find much about these in the ,second ,epistle4 ,st4 ,peter would not keep the ,jewish converts under the burden of the ,law1 but he warns them against their besetting danger3 as free1 and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness1 but as bondservants of ,god4 ,there were bad ,jews1 even as there have been bad ,christians4 ,these would welcome a rule which set them at liberty from the ,mosaic observances1 to which their adherence aforetime had been in outward seeming rather than in earnest zeal4 ,to these ,st4 ,peter preaches that to lay aside ,judaism is not to embrace ,christianity4 ,the ,leader of the new faith had ever taught a different lesson4 ,he came not to destroy the ,law1 but to fulfil it1 and to set forth ,god's will in a nobler aspect4 ,those who would follow ,him must take up the cross4 ,his service is a yoke which restrains from all evil4 ,those who come to ,christ come as bondservants of ,god1 free only because they are bound to the observance of the noblest law4 ,they must lay aside the flesh1 with its affections and lusts1 and not vindicate their freedom by using it as an occasion to riot and self-indulgence4 ,and the ,apostle binds together all his teaching in four closing precepts3 ,honour all men2 ,love the brotherhood2 ,fear ,god2 ,honour the king4 ,all men1 without distinction1 are to be honoured1 because in all there remains the image of ,god4 ,it may be defaced1 blurred exceedingly4 ,the more needful is it to deal considerately with such1 that we may help to restore what has been marred4 ,those who are our brethren in ,christ1 the brotherhood1 we shall own with affection1 seeking to be of one heart and one soul with them1 because they belong to ,christ4 ,for them we shall have1 if we be true to our faith1 that mighty love which passeth in excellence both faith and hope4 ,but the exhortation of ,st4 ,peter speaks in this wise3 ,ye who hold your brethren in ,christ unspeakably dear1 do not allow that love to suffice1 to swallow up all regard for other men4 ,they also need your thoughts1 your help4 ,the heathen1 the unbelievers--these have the strongest possible claim1 even their great need4 ,and so with the other pair of precepts4 ,ye who fear ,god1 which is your foremost duty1 do not let that fear lessen your willingness to do honour to your earthly rulers4 ,the feelings toward ,god and the king differ in character and in degree1 but both have their place in proper share in the heart of the true servant of ,christ4 ,,viii ,,christian ,,service ,servants1 be in subjection to your masters1 with all fear2 not only to the good and gentle1 but also to the froward4 ,for this is acceptable1 if for conscience toward ,god a man endureth griefs1 suffering wrongfully4 ,for what glory is it1 if1 when ye sin1 and are buffeted for it1 ye shall take it patiently8 but if1 when ye do well and suffer for it1 ye shall take it patiently1 this is acceptable with ,god4 ,for hereunto were ye called3 because ,christ also suffered for you1 leaving you an example1 that ye should follow ,his steps3 who did no sin1 neither was guile found in ,his mouth3 who1 when ,he was reviled1 reviled not again2 when ,he suffered1 threatened not2 but committed ,himself to ,him that judgeth righteously2 who ,his own self bare our sins in ,his body upon the tree1 that we1 having died unto sins1 might live unto righteousness2 by whose stripes ye were healed4 ,for ye were going astray like sheep1 but are now returned unto the ,shepherd and ,bishop of your souls4--#a ,,peter ii4 #ah-be4 ,the ,gospel history shows very clearly that during our ,lord's lifetime ,his followers were drawn largely from the ranks of the poor4 ,it was fitting that ,he who had been proclaimed in prophecy as the ,servant of the ,lord should enter the world in humble estate2 and1 from the lowly position of the virgin-mother and her husband1 the life of ,jesus for thirty years must have been spent in comparative poverty and amid poor surroundings4 ,the major part of ,his chosen disciples were fisherfolk and such-like4 ,and though we read of the wife of ,herod's steward among the women who ministered unto ,him and of the richer ,joseph of ,arimatha as a secret disciple1 these are marked exceptions4 ,to the poor ,his ,gospel was preached1 and among the poor it first made its way4 ,the question of the chief priests1 ,hath any of the rulers believed on ,him1 or the ,pharisees8 7,john vii4 #dh71 tells its own tale1 as does also the significant record1 ,the common people heard ,him gladly 7,mark xii4 #cg74 ,it need not therefore much surprise us if ,st4 ,peter1 now that he begins to classify his counsels1 addresses himself first to household servants3 ,servants1 be in subjection to your masters1 with all fear4 ,we have1 however1 to bear in mind1 as we consider the ,apostle's exhortation1 that most of those whom he addresses were slaves4 ,they had no power of withdrawing themselves1 though their service should prove burdensome and grievous4 ,st4 ,paul1 in writing to the same class1 nearly always employs the word which means bondservants4 ,yet his counsel agrees with ,st4 ,peter's4 ,thus he exhorts that their service be with fear and trembling 7,eph4 vi4 #e72 in ,col4 iii4 #bb1 ,obey in all things them that are your masters4 ,and to ,timothy and ,titus it is given as a part of their charge to exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters and to be well-pleasing to them in all things 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #a2 ,titus ii4 #i74 ,when ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul wrote1 this slave population was everywhere very numerous4 ,gibbon calculates that in the reign of ,claudius the slaves were at least equal in number to the free inhabitants of the ,roman world2 ,robertson places the estimate much higher4 ,these formed1 then1 a very large share of the public to which the first preachers had to appeal1 and we can understand the importance to the ,christian cause of the behaviour of these humble1 but doubtless most numerous1 members of the society4 ,their lives would be a daily sermon in the houses of their masters4 ,hence the very earnest exhortations addressed to them that by their conduct they should adorn the doctrine of ,god our ,saviour in all things2 that they should count their masters worthy of all honour2 that the name of ,god and of the doctrine be not blasphemed2 that they should be in subjection with all fear4 ,everything in the ,new ,testament concerning slaves goes to show that they were a most important factor in the early ,christian societies4 ,men wonder nowadays that there is so little said by any of the ,apostles about freeing slaves from their bondage4 ,the best men in those times and long before appear to have regarded slavery as one of the institutions with which they were bound to rest content4 ,it flourished everywhere2 it was countenanced in the ,scriptures of the older dispensation4 ,eleazar was ,abraham's slave1 and the ,law in many passages contemplates the possession by ,israelites of persons who were bought with their money4 ,hence we find no remonstrance against slave-holding in the ,new ,testament writings1 only advice to those who were in such bondage to cultivate a spirit which would render it less galling and to strive that by their behaviour the cause of ,christ might be advanced4 ,st4 ,paul represents the ideas of his age when1 writing to the ,corinthians1 he says1 ,wast thou called being a bondservant8 ,care not for it2 but if thou canst be made free1 use it rather 7#a ,cor4 vii4 #ba74 ,freedom was worth having1 but any heroic effort to get rid of the yoke is not encouraged in the ,epistles4 ,yet it must have been a lot which called for the exercise of much moral strength to make it bearable4 ,even from the house of the ,christian ,philemon the slave ,onesimus found cause to run away4 ,but ,st4 ,paul in his letter admits no right on the slave's part to take this course4 ,with the ,apostle there is no question that the first duty is to go back to his master4 ,all that he urges is that the common profession of ,christianity by slave and master ought to1 and doubtless would1 alleviate the conditions of servitude4 ,there were in ,christianity1 as time has shown1 germs which would fructify1 a spirit which some day would strike on the chains of slaves4 ,but the vision of such a time had not dawned either for ,st4 ,paul or ,st4 ,peter4 ,christ has overcome the world in many other matters beside slavery4 ,it is only that ,christians are so tardy in awaking to the fulness of ,his lessons4 ,so in apostolic days the rights and claims of slave-masters were looked upon as indisputable4 ,be subject1 not only to the good and gentle1 but also to the froward4 ,there is to be no resistance1 no lapse in duty4 ,about service rendered to good masters there might be little apprehension1 but even here ,st4 ,paul finds occasion for warning4 ,they that have believing masters1 he says1 let them not despise them because they are brethren 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #b74 ,christian freedom was not without its dangers in many forms1 especially to minds wherein liberty was a strange idea4 ,but froward masters are to be faithfully served likewise1 and care is to be taken withal to remove every occasion for their frowardness4 ,the apostolic lesson is to make suffering endurable1 noble1 acceptable to ,god1 by seeing that it be always undeserved4 ,how strange a doctrine this in the eyes of the world6 ,the rule of purely human conduct would be just the opposite4 ,if wrong be undeserved1 rebel at once4 ,christianity supplies a motive for the contrary course3 conscience toward ,god4 ,the world's spirit is not ,his spirit1 and to have praise with ,him should be the ,christian's single aim4 ,men can at times be patient when rebuke is deserved1 but the world sees that that deserves no credit4 ,what thank have ye8 they cry4 ,but they give no praise for the bearing of unmerited rebuke4 ,the world counts such conduct weakness1 and is still far from comprehending the ,divineness of the virtue of yielding patiently to wrong4 ,god has long been teaching the lesson1 but it has been slowly learnt4 ,he chose the milder1 timid ,jacob rather than the fiery ,esau4 ,both had faults in multitude4 ,with the world ,esau is oft the favourite4 ,at a later day ,he stamps with approval the noble mercy of ,david in sparing ,saul1 while round ,daniel and his companions in ,babylon there gathers something of a halo of ,new ,testament sanctity by reason of the noble confession which they made under persecution4 ,these are chapters in the ,divine lesson-book4 ,such lives marked stages in the preparation for the ,servant of the ,lord4 ,men1 if they would have hearkened1 were being trained to estimate such a character at ,god's value4 ,now ,christ's example is before us1 and we are bidden to follow it4 ,for hereunto were ye called4 ,strange invitation to be dictated by love1 a call to suffering6 ,and yet the ,master at first promises nothing else to ,his followers3 ,if any man would come after ,me1 let him deny himself1 and take up his cross1 and follow ,me 7,matt4 xvi4 #bd74 ,and what can a ,christian wish for but to be like ,christ8 ,and the very reason given ought to make us love the cross4 ,we are called unto suffering because ,jesus suffered for us1 leaving us an example that we should follow ,his steps4 ,he has trodden the hard road1 the winepress of the wrath of ,god1 alone and for men4 ,at this point the ,apostle begins to apply to ,christ ,isaiah's description of the suffering ,servant of the ,lord1 who did no sin1 neither was guile found in ,his mouth 7,isa4 liii474 ,but soon the memory of the scenes he had witnessed is present with him2 and his words1 though holding to the spirit of ,isaiah's picture1 become a description of what he himself had seen and heard when ,jesus was taken and crucified3 ,who1 when ,he was reviled1 reviled not again2 when ,he suffered1 threatened not1 but committed ,himself to ,him that judgeth righteously4 ,how the brief words sum up and recall the dark history--,caiaphas1 ,pilate1 and ,herod2 the mockery1 the scourging1 the railing crowd1 the dying ,jesus1 and the parting prayer1 ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend ,my spirit4 ,so far the ,apostle speaks of the example of ,christ1 which1 though far above and beyond us1 we are exhorted and called on to follow4 ,and there are many who will go with him thus far who value our ,lord's work only for its lofty example4 ,indeed1 it is characteristic of those who deny the mediatorial office of ,christ to be loudest in magnifying the grandeur of ,his character4 ,to ,his good works1 ,his love for men1 ,his spotless life1 ,his noble lessons1 they accord untiring praise1 as though thereby they would atone for denying ,him that office which is more glorious still4 ,but ,st4 ,peter stops at no such half-way house4 ,he knows in whom he has believed1 knows ,him for the ,son of the living ,god1 a ,teacher with whom were the words of eternal life4 ,so in pregnant words he sets forth the doctrine of the ,atonement as the end of ,christ's suffering3 ,who ,his own self bare our sins in ,his own body upon the tree1 that we1 having died unto sins1 might live unto righteousness4 ,he bare our sins4 ,the words tell of something beyond our powers to comprehend2 but some light is shed on them by a kindred passage 7,matt4 viii4 #ag71 where the ,evangelist applies to the work of ,jesus those other words from ,isa4 liii41 ,himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses4 ,the narrative in the ,gospel has just recorded how ,jesus wrought many miracles4 ,first a leper was healed1 then the centurion's servant1 next ,simon's wife's mother1 and afterwards many sick and demoniacs beside4 ,there is no record here of the effect produced on ,jesus ,himself by these exhibitions of miraculous power1 but from other passages in the ,gospels we do find that ,he was conscious in ,himself of a demand on ,his power when such cures were wrought4 ,thus we are told1 at the cure of the woman with the issue1 that ,jesus perceived in ,himself that the power proceeding from ,him had gone forth 7,mark v4 #cj72 and again when many were cured1 that power came forth from ,him and healed them all 7,luke vi4 #ai74 ,of the woman ,jesus says expressly1 ,thy faith hath made thee whole2 and the manifestation of eagerness to touch ,jesus is a sign of the faith of the others whom the ,divine power blessed with health4 ,the ,bible recognises everywhere the analogy between sin and sickness4 ,may we not trace some analogy between the ,lord's works of healing and that mightier deliverance from sin won by ,christ upon the cross1 an analogy which may help1 if but a little1 to give meaning to the bearing by ,christ of human sins8 ,a power went forth when the sick were healed2 and through that imparted power they were restored to health1 faith being the pathway which brought the ,divine virtue to their aid4 ,thus ,jesus bore their diseases and took them away4 ,look through this figure on the work of our redemption4 ,christ has borne the burden of sin4 ,he has died for sin that men may die from sin1 that sin may be slain in us1 the fell disease healed by the power of ,his suffering4 ,we cannot comprehend what was done for the sick when ,christ was on earth1 nor what is wrought for sinners by ,his grace in heaven4 ,those alone who reap the blessing know its certainty2 and they can but say1 as the blind man whose sight was restored1 ,one thing ,i know3 that1 whereas ,i was blind1 now ,i see 7,john ix4 #be74 ,to this teaching1 that ,christ's suffering wrought man's rescue1 ,st4 ,peter adds emphasis by another quotation from that chapter of ,isaiah which he has so much in mind3 by whose stripes ye were healed4 ,christ was stricken1 and ,god grants to ,his sufferings a power to heal the souls of those whom ,he loves because they strive to love ,him4 ,healing through wounds6 ,soundness through that which speaks only of injury6 ,mysterious dispensation6 ,but long ago it had been foreshadowed1 and shown also how little connexion there was to be1 except through faith1 between the remedy and the disease4 ,those who were bitten of the serpents in the wilderness gazed on the brazen serpent1 and were healed4 ,in the dead brass was no virtue1 but ,god was pleased to make of it a speaking sacrament2 so has it pleased ,him to give healing of sins to those who by faith appropriate the sacrifice on ,calvary4 ,christ has claimed the type for ,himself3 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up from the earth1 will draw all men unto ,myself 7,john xii4 #cb74 ,and now1 as is so often his wont1 ,st4 ,peter varies the figure4 ,the wounded sinner finding cure becomes the wandering sheep that has been brought back into the fold3 ,for ye were going astray like sheep1 but are now returned unto the ,shepherd and ,bishop of your souls4 ,but the message1 the teaching1 the love1 is all the same4 ,he who before was the great ,exemplar1 whose footsteps we should follow1 is now the ,shepherd1 the ,good ,shepherd1 who goes before ,his sheep4 ,this ,shepherd has been a ,sufferer1 too4 ,he has given ,himself up as a prey to the wolves that ,his flock might be saved4 ,now1 with a voice of love1 ,he calls ,his sheep by name2 and hearing1 they follow ,him4 ,but ,he is more than this4 ,brought within the fold1 the sheep still need ,his care2 and it is freely given4 ,he is the ,bishop1 the ,overseer1 the ,watchman for ,his people's safety1 who1 having gathered them within the fold1 tends them with constant watchfulness4 ,the figure passes over thus into the reality in the ,apostle's closing words4 ,the cure which the great ,healer desires to accomplish is in the souls of men4 ,for them ,his care is bestowed1 first to bring them safe out of the way of evil1 then for ever to keep them under the sheltering care of ,his abundant love4 ,,ix ,,christian ,,wives ,,and ,,husbands ,in like manner1 ye wives1 be in subjection to your own husbands2 that1 even if any obey not the word1 they may without the word be gained by the behaviour of their wives2 beholding your chaste behaviour coupled with fear4 ,whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair1 and of wearing jewels of gold1 or of putting on apparel2 but let it be the hidden man of the heart1 in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit1 which is in the sight of ,god of great price4 ,for after this manner aforetime the holy women also1 who hoped in ,god1 adorned themselves1 being in subjection to their own husbands3 as ,sarah obeyed ,abraham1 calling him lord3 whose children ye now are1 if ye do well1 and are not put in fear by any terror4 ,ye husbands1 in like manner1 dwell with your wives according to knowledge1 giving honour unto the woman1 as unto the weaker vessel1 as being also joint heirs of the grace of life2 to the end that your prayers be not hindered4--#a ,,peter iii4 #a-g4 ,the ,apostle gave at first 7ii4 #ac7 the rule of ,christian submission generally2 then proceeded to apply it to the cases of citizens and of servants4 ,in the same way he now gives injunctions concerning the behaviour of wives and husbands4 ,the precept with which he began holds good for them also4 ,in like manner1 ye wives1 be in subjection to your own husbands4 ,the life and teaching of ,jesus had wrought a great change in the position of women1 a change which can be observed from the earliest days of ,christianity4 ,we can gather in what estimation women were generally held among the ,jews at that time from the expression used in the account of our ,lord's interview with the woman of ,samaria4 ,there it is said 7,john iv4 #bg7 that the disciples marvelled that ,jesus was talking with a woman4 ,such a feeling must afterwards have been entirely dispelled1 for all through the earthly life of ,christ we find ,him attended by women who ministered unto ,him2 we read of ,his close friendship with ,mary and ,martha1 and are told1 at the time of ,his death 7,matt4 xxvii4 #ee71 that many women beheld the ,crucifixion afar off1 having followed ,him from ,galilee4 ,women were the earliest visitors to the tomb on the great ,easter morning1 and to them1 among the first 7,luke xxiv4 #bb71 was the ,lord's resurrection made known4 ,we are not surprised1 therefore1 in the history of the infant ,church1 to read 7,acts i4 #ad7 that women were present among the disciples who waited at ,jerusalem for the promise of the ,father1 nor to learn how the daughters of ,philip the evangelist 7,acts xxi4 #i7 took a share in the labours of their father for the cause of ,christ1 or that ,priscilla 7,acts xviii4 #bf71 equally with her husband1 was active in ,christian good offices4 ,other examples occur in the ,acts of the ,apostles3 ,dorcas1 ,lydia1 and the mother of ,timothy2 and the constant mention of women which we find in the salutations with which ,st4 ,paul concludes his letters makes it clear how large a part they played in the early propagation of the faith4 ,fellow-workers1 servants of the ,church1 labourers in the ,lord1 are among the terms which the ,apostle applies to them2 and we know from the ,pastoral ,epistles what help the primitive ,church derived from the labours of its deaconesses and widows4 ,to be occupied in such duties was sure to give to women an influence which they had never possessed before2 and the women converts1 in countries such as these ,asiatic provinces1 were exposed to the same sort of danger which beset the slave population at their acceptance of the ,christian faith4 ,they might begin to think meanly of others1 even of their own husbands1 if they were still content to abide in heathenism4 ,such women might incline at times to take counsel for their life's guidance with ,christian men among the various congregations to which they belonged and to set a value on their advice above any which they could obtain from their own husbands4 ,they might come to entertain doubts also whether they ought to maintain the relations of married life with their heathen partners4 ,with the knowledge that such cases might occur1 ,st4 ,peter gives his lesson4 ,and as in the case of slaves1 so here1 he gives no countenance to the idea that to become a ,christian breaks off previous relations4 ,wives1 though they have accepted the faith1 have wifely duties still4 ,like ,christian citizens living in a heathen commonwealth1 they are not by religion released from their previously contracted obligations2 they are to abide in their estate1 and use it1 if it may be done1 for the furtherance of the cause of ,christ4 ,be in subjection to your own husbands2 they have still their claim on your duty4 ,there is much gentleness in the ,apostle's next words4 ,he knows that there may arise cases where believing wives have husbands who are heathen4 ,but he speaks hopefully1 as thinking they would not be of frequent occurrence3 even if any obey not the word4 ,wives1 especially if they be of such a character as the ,apostle would have them be1 could not have been won to the faith of ,christ without much converse with their husbands on so deep a subject2 and the word which was working effectually in the one would often have its influence with the other4 ,it might not always be so4 ,but husbands1 though not obeying the word as yet1 are not to be despaired of4 ,and here we may turn aside to dwell on the tone of hope in which ,st4 ,peter speaks of these husbands who obey not4 ,for the word 1 by which they are described1 is the same that is used in ii4 #ah of those who stumble at the word1 being disobedient4 ,the lesson here given to ,christian wives1 not to despair of winning their husbands for ,christ1 gives warrant for what was said on the former passage3 that the disobedience which causes men to stumble need not last for ever1 nor imply final obduracy and rejection from ,god's grace4 ,but this by the way4 ,the ,apostle adds the strongest motive to confirm wives in holding to their married state3 ,that the husbands may without the word be gained by the behaviour of their wives3 beholding your chaste behaviour coupled with fear4 ,without the word here means that there is to be no discussion4 ,they are so to live as to make their lives a sermon without words1 to work conviction without debate2 then1 when the victory is won1 there will remain no trace of combat3 all will tell of gain1 and nothing of loss4 ,and once again ,st4 ,peter uses his special word 77 as he describes how the husbands shall be affected by the behaviour of their wives4 ,they shall gaze on it as a mystery1 the key to which they do not possess4 ,the wives in heathen homes must have been obliged to hear and see many things which were grievous and distasteful4 ,the husbands could hardly fail to know that it was so4 ,if1 then1 they still found wifely regard and respect1 wifely submission1 with no assertion of a law of their own1 no comparison of the lives of ,christian men with those of their own husbands1 if a silent1 consistent walk were all the protest which the ,christian wives offered against their heathen environments1 such a life could hardly fail of its effect4 ,there must be a powerful motive1 a mighty1 strengthening power1 that enabled women to abide uncomplainingly in their estate4 ,for this the husbands would surely search1 and in their search would learn secrets to which they were strangers1 would learn how the tongue was restrained where remonstrance might seem more natural1 how pure life was maintained in spite of temptations to laxity1 and the marriage bond exalted with religious observance even when reverence for the husband was meeting with no equal return4 ,such lives would be more powerful than oratory1 have a charm beyond resistance1 would win the husbands first to wonder1 then to praise1 and in the end to imitation4 ,and from describing the grace of such a life the ,apostle turns to contrast it with other adornments of which the world thinks highly4 ,whose adorning1 he says1 let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair1 and of wearing jewels of gold1 and of putting on apparel4 ,we can see from the catalogue in ,isaiah 7iii4 #ah-bc7 that the daughters of ,zion in old days had gone to great lengths in this outside bravery1 and provoked the ,lord to smite them4 ,these had forgotten the simplicity of ,sarah4 ,but that in the house of ,abraham there were found no such ornaments is hardly to be believed4 ,the patriarch1 who sent 7,gen4 xxiv4 #ec7 to ,rebekah jewels of silver and jewels of gold1 did not leave his own wife unadorned4 ,nor does the language of ,st4 ,peter condemn ,rebekah's bracelets1 if they be worn with ,rebekah's modesty4 ,the ,new ,testament does not teach us to neglect or despise the body4 ,a misrendering in the ,authorised ,version1 ,who shall change our vile body 7,phil4 iii4 #ba71 has long seemed to lend countenance to such a notion4 ,it is one of the gains of the ,revised ,version that we now read in that place1 ,who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation4 ,sin has robbed the body of its primal dignity1 but it is to be restored and made like unto the body of ,christ's glory4 ,and ,he did not despise the body when ,he deigned to wear it that ,he might draw nearer unto us4 ,if these things be present to our thoughts1 we shall seek to bestow on the body whatever may make it comely4 ,the mischief arises when the adornment of the outer brings neglect of the inner man1 when fine apparel has for its companions the haughtiness1 the stretched-forth necks1 and wanton eyes which ,isaiah rebukes4 ,then it is that it rightly comes under condemnation4 ,when the jewel is 7as ,rebekah's was7 the gift of some dear one--a parent1 a husband1 a near kinsman--it rouses grateful reminiscences1 and may fitly be prized1 and holily worn1 and ranked near to the rings of betrothal and of marriage4 ,let these be the feelings which regulate womanly adornment1 and it may be made a part of the culture of the heart1 the inner man1 which ,st4 ,peter urges the ,christian wives to be careful to adorn3 ,let your adorning be the hidden man of the heart1 in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit1 which is in the sight of ,god of great price4 ,all ,scripture regards man as of twofold nature1 the outward and the inward1 of which the latter is the more precious4 ,he is a ,jew who is one inwardly 7,rom4 ii4 #bi72 the inward man delighteth in the law of ,god 7,rom4 vii4 #bb72 while the outward man perishes the inward man may be renewed day by day 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #af71 being strengthened with power through ,god's ,spirit4 ,this hidden man is the centre from which all the strength of ,christian life comes4 ,let this be rightly adorned1 and the outward life will need no strict rules2 there will be no fear of excess1 least of all when the inner life is cared for because it is precious before ,god4 ,its pure array passeth gold and gems1 be they ever so beautiful4 ,this is a grace which never fades1 but will flourish through eternity4 ,the ,apostle proceeds to commend it by a noble example4 ,the ,old ,testament ,scriptures do not dwell largely on the lives of women1 but a study of what is said will oftentimes reveal deeper meaning in the record and put force into a solitary word4 ,the writer of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews couples ,sarah with ,abraham in the list of heroes and heroines of faith1 and ,st4 ,peter from a single word finds a text to extol the submission which she showed to her husband4 ,he probably refers to ,gen4 xviii4 #ab1 where she gives the title of lord to ,abraham1 as ,rachel in another place 7,gen4 xxxi4 #ce7 does to her father ,laban3 ,for after this manner aforetime the holy women also1 who hoped in ,god1 adorned themselves1 being in subjection to their own husbands3 as ,sarah obeyed ,abraham1 calling him lord4 ,a ,scripture example which has more in common with the experience of the ,asian women is the life of ,hannah4 ,her lot1 for a time at least1 was as full of grief and disappointment as theirs could be2 but her trust in ,god was unshaken4 ,her patience under provocation was exemplary1 while the picture of her home life is one full of touching affection on the part of both husband and wife2 and the mother's gratitude1 when her prayer was granted1 is set forth in her noble hymn of thanksgiving and in the devotion of her child to the service of the ,god who had bestowed him4 ,ruth is another of those holy women who must have been in ,st4 ,peter's thoughts1 who1 though not of the house of ,israel1 manifested virtues in her life which made her fit to be the ancestress of ,king ,david4 ,the ,apostle1 however1 seems to have had a purpose in his special mention of ,sarah4 ,as the sons of ,israel looked back to ,abraham and to the covenant sealed with him1 yea1 not seldom prided themselves on being his children1 so the daughters of ,israel counted themselves as ,sarah's daughters after the flesh4 ,st4 ,peter now gives them another ground for that claim4 ,god's promises to ,abraham have been fulfilled in ,christ1 and so ,christian ,jewesses are more truly than ever daughters of ,sarah4 ,whose children ye now are4 ,but to the heathen converts the same door was opened4 ,they by their faith were now made partakers of the ancient covenant4 ,they too were become ,sarah's daughters4 ,let them1 one and all1 continue in the well-doing which has been commended2 let it be seen in the daily round 77 of their lives1 led in quietness and humility4 ,the excessive love of adornment against which they are warned marks a condition of boldness and unrest4 ,but unrest may enter into the other actions of their life4 ,their behaviour is to be coupled with fear and reverence1 but it should eschew everything which partakes of flighty irregularity4 ,it should be steady and consistent1 running into no extremes either of humiliation or the contrary4 ,do well1 and be not put in fear by any terror4 ,the ,apostle now addresses ,christian husbands4 ,in his counsel to subjects and slaves he has not dwelt on the duties of rulers and masters4 ,perhaps he judged it unlikely that his letter would come to the hands of many such1 or it may be he thought the lessons which he had to give were more needed by the subject people1 if ,christ's cause were to be furthered4 ,but with husbands and wives life has of necessity a great deal in common1 and the one partner can hardly receive counsel which is not of interest to the other4 ,to the wives the ,apostle spake as though examples of unbelieving husbands might be rare4 ,christian husbands with unbelieving wives he hardly seems to contemplate4 ,we know from ,st4 ,paul 7#a ,cor4 vii4 #af7 that there were such4 ,but doubtless heathen wives hearkened to ,christian husbands more readily than heathen husbands to their ,christian wives4 ,the husbands are to use their position as heads of their wives with judgement and discretion3 ,dwell with your wives according to knowledge4 ,the knowledge of which ,st4 ,peter speaks is not religious1 godly1 ,christian knowledge1 but that foresight and thoughtfulness which the responsibility of the husband calls for4 ,he will understand what things for his wife's sake he should do or leave undone4 ,this knowledge1 which results in considerate conduct towards her1 will manifest itself in ,christian chivalry4 ,the woman is physically the feebler of the two4 ,no burden beyond her powers will be laid upon her2 and by reason of her weaker nature regard and honour will be felt to be her due4 ,for the woman is the glory of the man 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #g74 ,such observance will not degenerate into undue adulation nor foolish fondness1 apt to foster pride and conceit1 but will be inspired by the sense that in ,god's creation neither is the man without the woman1 nor the woman without the man4 ,but beyond and above these daily graces of domestic and social intercourse1 the ,apostle would have husband and wife knit together by a higher bond4 ,they are joint heirs of the grace of life4 ,both are meant to be partakers of the heavenly inheritance1 and such participation makes their chief duty here to be preparation for the life to come4 ,those who are bound together not by wedlock only1 but by the hope of a common salvation1 will find a motive in that thought to help each other in life's pilgrimage1 each to shun all that might cause the other to stumble3 ,that your prayers be not hindered4 ,they are fellow-travellers with the same needs4 ,together they can bring their requests before ,god1 and where the two join in heart and soul ,christ has promised to be present as the ,third4 ,and in praying they will know one another's necessities4 ,this is the grandest knowledge the husband can attain to for the honouring of his wife2 and using it1 he will speed their united supplications to the throne of grace1 and the union of hearts will not fail of its blessing4 ,x ,,they ,,who ,,bless ,,are ,,blessed ,finally1 be ye all like-minded1 compassionate1 loving as brethren1 tender-hearted1 humble-minded3 not rendering evil for evil1 or reviling for reviling2 but contrariwise blessing2 for hereunto were ye called1 that ye should inherit a blessing4 ,for he that would love life1 and see good days1 let him refrain his tongue from evil1 and his lips that they speak no guile3 and let him turn away from evil1 and do good2 let him seek peace1 and pursue it4 ,for the eyes of the ,lord are upon the righteous1 and ,his ears unto their supplication3 but the face of the ,lord is upon them that do evil4 ,and who is he that will harm you1 if ye be zealous of that which is good8 ,but and if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake1 blessed are ye3 and fear not their fear1 neither be troubled2 but sanctify in your hearts ,christ as ,lord3 being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you1 yet with meekness and fear3 having a good conscience2 that1 wherein ye are spoken against1 they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in ,christ4--#a ,peter iii4 #h-af4 ,the ,apostle now ceases from his special admonitions1 and enforces generally such qualities and conduct as must mark all who fear the ,lord4 ,finally1 he says--and the word may indicate the close of his counsels2 but the virtues which he inculcates are of so important a character that he may very well intend them as the apex and crown of all his previous advice--be ye all like-minded1 compassionate1 loving as brethren1 tender-hearted1 humble-minded4 ,st4 ,peter has here grouped together a number of epithets of which all but one are only used in the ,new ,testament by himself1 and they are of that graphic character which is so conspicuous in all the ,apostle's language4 ,like-minded4 ,if the word be not there1 the spirit is largely exemplified in the early history of the ,church4 ,how often we hear the phrase with one accord in the opening chapters of the ,acts4 ,thus the disciples continued in prayer 7i4 #ad72 thus they went daily to the ,temple 7ii4 #df72 thus they lifted up their voices to ,god 7iv4 #bd71 for all they that believed were of one heart and one soul 7iv4 #cb74 ,such lives exhibit harmony of thought1 the same aim and purpose4 ,the men may not1 will not1 always use the same means or follow the same methods1 but they will all be seeking one result4 ,such unity is worth more than uniformity4 ,compassionate4 ,this feeling ,st4 ,paul describes 7,rom4 xii4 #ae7 as rejoicing with them that do rejoice and weeping with them that weep4 ,for the of this life are not always sorrowful1 though the best of them are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed 7,rom4 viii4 #ah74,loving as brethren4 ,the sense of the brotherhood of ,christians is strongly marked in all the ,new ,testament ,scriptures4 ,it is the name by which our ,lord claims fellowship with men1 being not ashamed to call them brethren4 ,it is the designation of the ,christian body from the first 7,matt4 xxiii4 #h71 is constantly found in the ,acts and the ,epistles 7,acts vi4 #c1 ix4 #cj1 xi4 #bi71 and has been used of the ,church in every age1 marking how as one family we dwell in ,him4 ,next comes the word which is not ,st4 ,peter's alone3 ,tender-hearted4 ,st4 ,paul has it 7,eph4 iv4 #cb71 but it is no ,greek notion4 ,it was a ,jewish idea that deep feeling was closely connected with some of the organs of the body2 and in the ,old ,testament1 as in the story of ,joseph 7,gen4 xliii4 #cj7 and elsewhere 7#a ,kings iii4 #bf71 we come upon such phrases as ,his bowels did yearn upon his brother4 ,this ,hebrew notion the ,,lxx4 has conveyed into ,greek by the word which ,st4 ,peter here uses1 and which those translators had used and consecrated long before4 ,for them so exalted was the thought contained in it that they employ it in the prayer of ,manasses 7ver4 #g7 to express the tenderness of ,god towards the penitent1 the yearning love of the ,father1 who sees the prodigal afar off1 and has compassion4 ,humble-minded4 ,this word and those akin to it are almost a ,new ,testament creation4 ,the heathen had no admiration for the temper it expresses1 and where they do use the word it is in a bad sense as signifying cowardly and mean-spirited4 ,before ,christ none had taught1 ,he that is greatest among you shall be your servant 7,matt4 xxiii4 #aa74 ,it is manifest that if such harmony1 kind feeling1 attachment1 affection1 and humility flourished among believers1 these virtues would put discord to the rout1 and leave no occasion for rending the oneness of the ,christian body4 ,they would also be proof against evil from without1 both in deed and speech1 neither tempted to render evil for evil in their actions nor reviling for reviling in their words4 ,they have a duty to the world1 and cannot thus belie their ,christian profession4 ,they are called to adorn the doctrine of their ,saviour1 and the ,master's sermon has among its prominent precepts ,bless them that curse you4 ,this is the spirit of ,st4 ,peter's exhortation1 ,but contrariwise blessing2 that is1 ,be ye of those who bless4 ,for there is a law of recompense with ,god in good things as in evil2 the blessers shall be blessed3 ,for hereunto were ye called1 that ye should inherit a blessing4 ,it is as though he urged them thus3 ,ye were aforetime enemies of ,god2 but ye have been made partakers of ,his heavenly calling 7,heb4 iii4 #a71 that ye may come to blessing4 ,this should move you to bless your enemies4 ,and more than this1 the servant of ,god may receive no blessing from the world1 may get curses for his blessing2 but yet he knows where to flee for consolation4 ,he can pray with the ,psalmist1 ,let them curse1 but bless ,thou 7,psalm cix4 #bh71 conscious that the ,lord will stand at the right hand of the needy4 ,the psalmists knew much of such trials1 and it is from the words of one of them 7,psalm xxxiv4 #ab-af7 that ,st4 ,peter enforces his own lesson4 ,it is a psalm full of the knowledge of the trials of ,god's servants3 ,many are the afflictions of the righteous2 but it is rich also in plenitude of comfort3 ,the ,lord delivereth him out of them all4 ,the father of long ago teaches thus to his children the fear of the ,lord3 ,he that would love life1 and see good days1 let him refrain his tongue from evil1 and his lips that they speak no guile3 and let him turn away from evil1 and do good2 let him seek peace1 and pursue it4 ,for the eyes of the ,lord are upon the righteous1 and ,his ears unto their supplication3 but the face of the ,lord is upon them that do evil4 ,a glance at the ,psalm will show that the ,apostle has not quoted precisely2 and though he has much in common with the ,greek of the ,,lxx41 he does not adhere closely to that4 ,but he gives to the full the spirit both of the ,hebrew and the ,greek4 ,the life of which the ,psalmist speaks is life in this world4 ,the original explains this by making the latter clause of the verse1 and loveth many days1 that he may see good4 ,and the love is to be a noble feeling1 a desire to make his worth living4 ,such a life must exhibit watchfulness over words and actions4 ,the precepts begin at the beginning1 with control of the tongue4 ,control that1 and you are master of the rest4 ,it is a little member1 but boasteth great things4 ,the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue1 which defileth the whole body 7,james iii4 #e1 #f74 ,it needs to be kept as with a bridle1 and not only when the ungodly are in sight1 but constantly4 ,but the words of the ,psalm contemplate a further danger4 ,men may give good words with the lips while the heart is full of bitterness4 ,then the lips are lying1 and this is an evil as great as the former1 and more perilous to him who commits it1 because the sin does not come to the light that it may be reproved1 but contrives to wear the mask of virtue4 ,and the actions need watchfulness also4 ,they must not only possess the negative quality of abstinence from evil1 but the positive stamp of good deeds done4 ,by their fruits ye shall know them4 ,and the work will be no light one4 ,peace is to be sought1 and the ,apostle uses a word which implies that a chase is needful to obtain it4 ,st4 ,paul has a passage very much in the spirit of ,st4 ,peter's teaching here1 and the words of which picture distinctly the difficulties which the ,christian will have to labour against3 ,giving diligence to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace 7,eph4 iv4 #c74 ,this tells us why our ,apostle urges the pursuit of peace4 ,it is the clasp which binds the ,christian communion together4 ,from all sorts of causes men are prone to fall apart1 to break the oneness2 and peace is able to hold them fast4 ,hence the diligence in seeking it1 the earnestness of the pursuit that it may not elude us4 ,but when all is done1 when men have not been sitting with folded hands waiting and dreaming that peace would come without pursuit1 but have laboured for it1 they do not always attain to it4 ,i am for peace1 says the ,psalmist1 but when ,i speak1 they are for war 7,psalm cxx4 #g74 ,and so the disappointed struggler is directed to the sure source of consolation amid discomfiture4 ,the ,lord marks his efforts1 knows their earnest purpose in spite of their ill-success4 ,he beholds also those who have withstood them1 but with far other regard4 ,st4 ,peter has not quoted what the ,psalmist says of their fate3 ,god will root out the remembrance of them from the earth4 ,god's righteous pilgrim is not forgotten4 ,his prayer is heard1 and will be answered for good4 ,no shadow has come between him and ,god1 though his lot seem very dark4 ,neither can the wrong-doer raise a shadow to screen himself from the all-seeing eyes4 ,all things are naked and open before the eyes of ,him with whom we have to do4 ,thus far ,st4 ,peter has used the language of the ,psalmist1 and among the converts the ,jews would be sure to supply from the context those other words1 ,o fear the ,lord1 all ye ,his saints2 for they that fear ,him lack nothing4 ,the ,apostle clothes that same thought in his own words3 ,and who is he that will harm you1 if ye be zealous of that which is good8 ,he has repeatedly dwelt on the power of goodness to win unbelievers to its side 7ii4 #ab1 #ae2 iii4 #a71 and the same idea shapes his words now4 ,in those days the ,zealots were well known1 and their unbounded enthusiasm for their evil cause4 ,josephus lays the destruction of ,jerusalem at their door4 ,the ,apostle would have ,christ's disciples zealots for ,him4 ,let there be nothing half-hearted in their service1 and its power will be irresistible4 ,it will avail either to silence and confound the adversaries1 or to strengthen the faithful so that the smell of the furnace of persecution shall not pass upon them4 ,they shall be enabled to break the chains with which their foes would bind them as easily as ,samson his green withes4 ,but and if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake1 blessed are ye4 ,if ye endure chastening1 ,god is dealing with you as with sons4 ,he has called ,himself your ,father2 ,christ has claimed you for brethren4 ,he1 the righteous1 suffered2 shall we not reckon it for a blessing to be worthy to bear the cross8 ,only let us be of good courage4 ,he that endureth to the end shall find salvation4 ,and fear not their fear1 neither be troubled4 ,again ,st4 ,peter applies the promises of the ancient ,scriptures4 ,in the days of ,isaiah all ,judah was in terror1 king and people alike1 before the gathering armies of ,syria and ,israel4 ,in their dread comes the prophetic message1 and says to the confederates1 ,gird yourselves1 and ye shall be broken in pieces1 and to the tiny power of ,judah1 ,let the ,lord of hosts be your fear1 and let ,him be your dread1 and ,he shall be for a sanctuary 7,isa4 viii4 #ab1 #ac74 ,the condition of these ,asian converts was one of heaviness through manifold temptations4 ,while the believer lives here he always has his assailants1 and in those early days the rulers of the earth were not seldom among the adversaries of the ,christians4 ,hence the ,apostle's exhortation is most apposite3 ,fear not their fear--the things which they would dread1 and with which they will threaten you4 ,for what are they8 ,they may take away your property4 ,be not troubled2 you would soon have had to leave it4 ,the loss a few years sooner is no terrible affliction4 ,they may drive you from one land to another4 ,to strangers and sojourners what can that signify8 ,if they cast you into prison1 the ,lord who shut the lions' mouths for ,daniel is your ,lord also2 and ,i1 ,peter1 know how angel-hands have removed chains and opened prison doors4 ,and should they scourge and torture you1 do you shrink from thus being made like unto your ,master8 ,sanctify in your hearts ,christ as ,lord4 ,isaiah's message to disheartened ,judah was1 ,the ,lord of hosts1 ,him shall ye sanctify4 ,on ,his word shall ye rely1 assured that ,he1 the holy ,god1 will fail neither in wisdom nor power4 ,to think otherwise is not to sanctify ,him4 ,the ,lord knoweth how to deliver out of temptation4 ,st4 ,peter1 who knew ,christ as the ,son of the living ,god1 applies to the ,son the words first spoken of the ,father4 ,the ,son is one with the ,father4 ,hence he bids the afflicted converts1 suffering for righteousness' sake1 not to be afraid of the world's terror1 but to sanctify ,christ in their hearts as ,lord4 ,he is the ,emmanuel1 whom ,isaiah was sent to promise4 ,god has dwelt among men1 and will be the ,god and the ,deliverer of all ,his faithful ones4 ,this sense of ,god with us they know1 and with the knowledge comes a power not their own1 and they fear no more the fear of their adversaries4 ,it is against foes of another sort that the ,christian has now to hold fast his faith1 and sanctify ,christ as his ,lord4 ,there are those who deny ,him all that is supernatural1 all that speaks of the ,divine in ,his history2 who treat the resurrection and ascension of the ,lord as groundless legends1 due to the ignorance of ,his followers2 and who leave to the ,jesus of the ,gospels only the qualities of a better fellow-man4 ,these are the enemies of the cross of ,christ4 ,and of such dangerous teaching it would seem as if ,st4 ,peter had been thinking in the words that follow3 ,being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you4 ,the believer rests on ,christ in faith4 ,but though in his belief there must be much which he cannot fathom1 yet it is a belief for men4 ,his service is a reasonable service2 he can point to abundance of evidence as ground for his faith2 he believes because he has experienced the power of the ,spirit1 and fears not to trust the ,christ whom he has sanctified in his heart as ,lord2 he knows in whom he has believed4 ,but beside this1 he can study the ,old ,testament2 and there he learns how the coming incarnation dominates every portion of the volume1 how from the first redemption through the seed of the woman was made known2 and he follows the revelation step by step till in the evangel of ,isaiah he has predictions almost as vivid and plain as the narrative of the ,gospels4 ,those four narratives are another warrant for his faith1 their wondrous agreement amid multitudinous divergences1 divergences so marked that none could have ventured to put them forth as history except while the knowledge of those who had seen the ,lord and been witnesses of ,his actions was available to vouch for and stamp as true these varicoloured pictures of the life of ,jesus4 ,he has further vouchers in the lives and letters of those who knew and followed the ,lord1 followed ,him1 most of them1 on the road that led through persecution unto death4 ,and beside all this1 there stands and grows the ,church built upon this history1 strong with the power of this faith and in her holy worship sanctifying ,christ as her ,lord4 ,these are things to which the ,christian appeals4 ,they are not the only reasons for belief1 but they are those of which he can make other men cognisant1 and to which the world cannot continue always blind2 and they have a force against which the gates of hell have not yet been1 nor ever will be able1 to prevail4 ,these reasons he gives with meekness and fear--with meekness1 because in that spirit all the victories of the ,lord are to be won2 with fear1 lest by feeble advocacy the cause of ,christ may suffer4 ,and he does not bring words alone with him to the struggle1 but the power of a godly life2 he is prepared for the conflict by the possession of a good conscience before ,god and men2 he bears in mind the prophetic exhortation1 ,be ye clean1 ye that bear the vessels of the ,lord 7,isa4 lii4 #aa74 ,that injunction was given to those who were in their day strangers and pilgrims4 ,but with the good conscience1 pureness of heart in the service of the ,lord1 there need be no haste1 no flight4 ,the ,lord will go before them2 the ,god of ,israel will be their rearward4 ,and the good conscience has lost none of its efficacy3 ,wherein ye are spoken against1 they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in ,christ4 ,of the ,christian's faith and hope his revilers know nothing1 but his good life and his reasons for it men can see and hear4 ,and these shall gain the victory4 ,but they must go hand in hand4 ,the deeds must bear out the words4 ,when he testifies that his hope is placed where neither persecutions nor revilings avail against it1 his life must show him fearless of what the world can do4 ,his position toward it must be that which ,st4 ,peter himself took3 ,whether it be right in the sight of ,god to hearken unto you more than unto ,god1 judge ye 7,acts iv4 #ai74 ,men may marvel at what they see in him1 but they will take knowledge that he has been with ,jesus4 ,he is created1 new-created1 in ,christ ,jesus unto good works 7,eph4 ii4 #aj74 ,his revilers use him despitefully2 but1 according to ,christ's lesson1 he prays for them1 and their shafts glance pointless off4 ,well does ,st4 ,paul close his catalogue of the ,christian armour with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the ,spirit 7,eph4 vi4 #ah74 ,thus does the believer wield his weapons effectually4 ,his revilers have no reason for their words2 he is careful that they shall have none4 ,as with ,peter and ,john the council could say nothing against their good deed and let them go1 finding nothing how they might punish them1 so shall it be with others of the faithful2 and1 for very shame at the futility of their accusations and assaults1 the revilers shall be put to silence4 ,,xi ,,the ,,rewards ,,of ,,suffering ,,for ,,well-,,doing ,for it is better1 if the will of ,god should so will1 that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing4 ,because ,christ also suffered for sins once1 the righteous for the unrighteous1 that ,he might bring us to ,god2 being put to death in the flesh1 but quickened in the spirit2 in which also ,he went and preached unto the spirits in prison1 which aforetime were disobedient1 when the long-suffering of ,god waited in the days of ,noah1 while the ark was a-preparing1 wherein few1 that is1 eight souls1 were saved through water3 which also after a true likeness doth now save you1 even baptism1 not the putting away of the filth of the flesh1 but the interrogation of a good conscience toward ,god1 through the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ2 who is on the right hand of ,god1 having gone unto heaven2 angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto ,him4--#a ,,peter iii4 #ag-bb4 ,the ,apostle comes back to his solemn subject4 ,why are the righteous called to suffering8 ,the question was perplexing these ,asian ,christians when ,st4 ,peter wrote4 ,previous ages had pondered over it1 ,job and his friends among the number2 and men ponder over it still4 ,st4 ,peter has suggested several answers3 ,the faith of ,christ's servants after trial will be found praiseworthy at the appearance of their ,lord2 to bear wrong with patience is acceptable with ,god2 it is a happy lot1 ,christ has said1 to suffer in the cause of righteousness4 ,his next response to the question is more solemn than these3 ,suffering is sent to the righteous by the will of ,god4 ,it never comes otherwise1 and is meant to serve two several purposes3 it is intended to benefit the unrighteous1 and to be a blessing and glory to the righteous who endure it4 ,he shows that this is ,god's will by two examples4 ,christ1 the sinless1 suffered at the hands of sinful men1 and for their sakes1 as well as for all sinners2 and though we only can approach the subject with deep reverence and use the language of ,scripture rather than our own about the effect of suffering on ,christ ,himself1 we are taught therein that ,he was made perfect as the ,leader of salvation by the things which ,he suffered3 and the ,apostle here describes the sequel of those sufferings by the session on the right hand of ,god in heaven1 where angels and authorities and powers are made subject unto ,him4 ,but ,god's ordinance in respect of the suffering of the godly has been the same from of old4 ,in the ancient world ,noah had found grace in ,god's sight in the midst of a graceless world4 ,he was made a witness and a preacher of righteousness2 and the faithful building of the ark at ,god's command was a constant testimony to the wrong-doers1 whose sole response was mockery and a continuance in the corruption of their way4 ,but ,god had not left them without witness2 and when the ,deluge came at length1 some hearts may have gone forth to ,god in penitence1 though too late to be saved from the destruction4 ,to ,noah and those with him safety was assured2 and when the door of the ark was opened1 and the small band of the rescued came forth1 it was to have the welcome of ,god's blessing and to be pointed to a token of ,his everlasting covenant4 ,in this wise ,st4 ,peter adds once more to the consolations of those who endure grief and suffering wrongfully1 and thus does he set forth the general drift of his argument4 ,but the whole passage is so replete with helpful lessons that it merits the fullest consideration4 ,for it is better1 if the will of ,god should so will1 that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing4 ,for evil-doing suffering is certain to come4 ,it cannot be escaped4 ,god has linked the two together by an unalterable law4 ,such suffering is penal4 ,but when the righteous are afflicted their lot is not of law1 but of ,god's merciful appointment and selection1 and is ordained with a purpose of blessing both to themselves and others4 ,the words of ,st4 ,peter are very emphatic concerning ,god's ordinance3 ,if the will of ,god so will4 ,it is not always clear to men4 ,therefore ,st4 ,paul 7,eph4 i4 #i7 speaks of the mystery of the ,divine will1 but in the same place 7i4 #e7 of the good pleasure thereof4 ,it is exercised with love1 and not with anger4 ,it was the feeling#aj with which ,god looked forth upon the new-created world1 and1 behold1 it was very good 7,rev4 iv4 #aa74 ,with the same feeling ,he longs to behold it rescued and restored4 ,such is the desire1 such the aim1 with which ,god permits trial and distress to fall upon the righteous4 ,and that the sufferers may be kept in mind of ,god's remedial purpose herein1 the ,apostle adduces the example of ,christ ,himself3 ,because ,christ also suffered for sins once1 the righteous for the unrighteous1 that ,he might bring us to ,god4 ,the suffering ,christ should give pause to all questionings about the sufferings of ,his servants4 ,their lot may be hard to explain4 ,but be their lives ever so pure1 their purposes ever so lofty1 in many things we offend all1 and need not murmur if we be chastened4 ,but as we think of the sinless ,jesus and ,his unequalled sufferings1 we learn the applicability of the prophet's lamentation1 ,see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow 7,lam4 i4 #ab74 ,the burden of the unrighteous world was laid upon the righteous ,son of ,god1 and this because of ,god's love for sinners4 ,herein was the love of ,god manifested in us4 ,sinful men were the material chosen for the display of the ,divine love1 and ,god sent ,his only-begotten ,son into the world that we might live through ,him4 ,it was of ,god's ordinance and the ,son's obedience that redemption was thus purchased4 ,that we might live1 the sinless ,christ must die1 and ere ,he died must be put to grief by the opposition of those whom ,he came to save2 must lament and be hindered in ,his works of mercy by the want of faith among ,his own kindred1 by the persistent sins of those cities in which ,his mightiest works were wrought2 must shed tears of anguish over the city of ,david1 which would know nothing of the things which belonged unto her peace4 ,this was the chastisement of the innocent to gain peace for the guilty1 that ,god might thus commend ,his love to men1 and ,christ might bring them back to the ,father4 ,and this bringing back is not the mere action of a guide4 ,this ,he is1 but ,he is far more3 ,he helps those who are coming at every step1 and as they draw near they find through ,him that the ,father's house and the ,father's welcome are waiting for their return4 ,shall men complain1 nay shall they not be lost in praise1 if ,god will at all consent to use their trials to extend ,his kingdom and ,his glory1 and thus make them partakers of the sufferings of ,christ8 ,such a lot had been welcome to ,st4 ,peter3 ,they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name 7,acts v4 #da72 and here in his epistle he publishes the joy of such shame1 publishes it that others through all ages may suffer gladly1 trusting their ,god to use the pains ,he sends to magnify ,his glory4 ,the lesson is for all men at all times4 ,christ suffered for sins once2 but once here means once for all1 and proclaims to each generation of sinners that ,jesus bore ,his cross for them4 #aj ,the ,,lxx4 translators use the word very frequently to translate such expressions as to delight in1 to have pleasure in4 ,cf4 ,deut4 xxi4 #ad2 #a ,sam4 xviii4 #bb2 #a ,kings x4 #i4 ,being put to death in the flesh1 but quickened in the spirit4 ,the suffering of ,jesus went thus far1 that there might be nothing in the cup of human woe which ,he had not tasted4 ,his spirit was parted from the flesh1 as when we die4 ,the body lay in the grave2 the spirit passed to the world of the departed4 ,but the triumph of death was short4 ,after the three days' burial came the miracle of miracles4 ,the dead ,jesus returned to life1 and that resurrection is made the earnest of a future life to all believers4 ,thus began the recompense of the righteous ,sufferer1 and the power of the resurrection makes suffering endurable to the godly1 makes them rejoice to be conformed unto ,christ's death and forgetful of all things save the prize of the high calling1 which lies before them to be won4 ,nor was it with ,christ's spirit during those three days as with the souls of other departed ones4 ,he1 the sinless ,one1 had no judgement to await2 ,his stay there was that dwelling in paradise which ,he foreknew and spake of to the penitent thief4 ,in which also ,he went and preached unto the spirits in prison1 which aforetime were disobedient1 when the long-suffering of ,god waited in the days of ,noah4 ,at this point we come upon a twofold line of interpretation1 occasioned by the difficulty which constantly arises of deciding whether --spirit is to be understood of the ,divine ,spirit or of the spiritual part of man's nature as distinguished from the flesh4 ,those who have taken the words quickened in the ,spirit of the previous verse in the former of these senses explain this passage of the preaching of ,christ to the antediluvian world through ,his servant ,noah4 ,the ,divine fiat had gone forth4 ,the ,flood was to come and bring destruction to the bodies of all but ,noah and his family4 ,but within those doomed bodies souls were shut up1 and these the love of ,christ would not willingly give over4 ,they should hear1 while still in their prison of the flesh1 the offer of ,his grace2 and should they repent1 the waves which wrought destruction of the body might release them from the bondage of corruption4 ,this was the purpose of ,god's long-suffering1 which waited and appealed while the ark was a-preparing4 ,thus did the ,divine ,spirit of ,christ go forth as a herald of mercy to the impenitent1 proclaiming that for their souls the door of forgiveness was not yet closed4 ,those1 on the contrary1 who refer quickened in the spirit to the human soul of ,christ1 take this text as an additional authority for the doctrine in the ,apostles' ,creed that our ,lord's human soul after the ,crucifixion descended into hell4 ,thus1 they hold1 ,his pure spirit went beyond this world to experience all that human spirits can know before the judgement comes4 ,thither ,he came but as a ,herald4 ,death and the grave had no power to detain ,him4 ,in mercy to those who had passed away before the ,incarnation1 ,he brought the message of the mediatorial work which ,he had completed in ,his crucifixion4 ,the sinners before the ,flood are singled out for mention by ,st4 ,peter as sinners above all men1 so sunk in wickedness that but eight were found worthy to be saved from the ,deluge4 ,thus the magnitude of ,christ's mercy is glorified4 ,he who goes to seek these must long to save all men4 ,and to carry this message of glad tidings is part of the recompense for the agonies of ,gethsemane and ,calvary1 a portion of what made it a blessing to suffer for well-doing4 ,up to the sixteenth century the latter exposition and application of the words found most favour1 but at the time of the ,reformation the chief authorities#aa expounded them of the preaching of ,christ's ,spirit through the ministry of the patriarch4 ,for the main argument with which ,st4 ,peter is dealing these applications1 however interesting in themselves1 are not deeply important4 ,he wants to set before the converts a warrant for what he has said about the blessedness of suffering for righteousness4 ,if we accept the application to ,noah1 the example is a powerful one4 ,his sufferings must have been manifold4 ,the long time between the threatened judgement and its accomplishment was filled with the opposition of sinners and their mockery and taunts over his patient labour on the ark1 to say nothing of the distress of soul when he found his preaching falling ever on deaf ears4 ,but his trial had its reward at last when the little band were shut in by ,god ,himself1 and the ark bore them safely on the rising waters4 ,and if he could feel that any1 though perishing in body1 had by repentance been saved in soul1 this would make light the burden even of greater suffering than had fallen to the patriarch1 to know the joy which comes from converting a sinner from the error of his way and therein saving a soul from death4 #aa ,it marks the time of this change of opinion that in the first form of the ,english ,articles 7the forty-two of #aeec7 the text #a ,peter iii4 #ai was given as evidence for the descent into hell in ,article ,,iii41 but in the later form 7the thirty-nine of #aefc7 the allusion to ,st4 ,peter's words was omitted4 ,no doubt the divines of that time wished to do away with all that might be used to countenance the doctrine of purgatory4 ,and if we refer the words quickened in the spirit to the soul of ,christ1 parted from the body and present in the spirit-world1 they are a link to connect this passage with words of the ,apostle's sermon on the day of ,pentecost4 ,there he does speak of the ,lord's descent into hell1 and teaches how ,david of old spake thereof and of the ,resurrection that neither was ,he left in ,hades1 nor did ,his flesh see corruption 7,acts ii4 #ca74 ,in this sense the quickening in the spirit is the beginning of ,christ's victory and triumph4 ,it is the earnest of eternal life to all believers4 ,and how welcome a message to those who1 like ,abraham1 had rejoiced in faith to see the day of ,christ1 to hear from ,his own lips the tidings of the victory won6 ,of the ,herald of such a ,gospel message1 of ,him who by ,his suffering delivered those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage1 we may1 with all reverence1 speak as being made perfect by becoming the ,author of eternal salvation to all them that obey ,him 7,heb4 v4 #i74 ,wherein few1 that is1 eight souls1 were saved4 ,the building of the ark was the test of ,noah's faith1 the ark itself the means of his preservation4 ,in the patriarch's sufferings ,st4 ,peter has found an apt parallel to the life of these ,asian ,christians3 the same godless surroundings2 the same opposition and mockery2 the same need for steadfast faith4 ,but if rightly pondered1 the ,old ,testament lesson is rich in teaching4 ,noah becomes a preacher of righteousness1 not for his own generation only1 but for all time4 ,he suffered in his well-doing4 ,nothing stings more keenly than scorn and contempt4 ,these he experienced to the full4 ,he came as ,god's herald to men who had put ,god out of all their thoughts4 ,his message was full of terror3 ,behold1 ,i do bring a flood of waters upon the earth1 to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life from under heaven2 everything that is in the earth shall die 7,gen4 vi4 #ag74 ,few heeded2 fewer still believed4 ,but when the work of the messenger was over2 when the ark was prepared1 and the fountains of the great deep were broken up1 and the windows of heaven were opened2 when he and his were shut in by ,god1 then appeared the blessedness4 ,and if haply there had been any in whom he had beheld signs of repentance1 how the thought that some souls were saved1 though their bodies were drowned with the rest1 would magnify the rejoicing of the rescued2 and the overthrow of the ungodly would proclaim how little ultimate bliss there could be in evil-doing4 ,all these things would come home to the hearts of the strangers of the dispersion4 ,and were they few in number8 ,fewer still were those who stood with ,noah in the world's corruption4 ,but ,god was with him2 he walked with ,god1 and found grace in ,his eyes2 and ,god blessed him when the ,flood was gone1 and by the sign of the covenant1 the faithful witness in heaven 7,psalm lxxxix4 #cg71 has placed a memorial of the happiness of his well-doing before the eyes of mankind for ever4 ,and it would comfort the believers if they kept in mind the object which ,st4 ,peter has so often set before them1 and on which he would have them set their desire in their distress4 ,there was hope1 nay assurance1 that the heathen world around them would be won by their steadfast well-doing to the service of the ,lord4 ,christ did not send his followers on a hopeless quest when ,he said1 ,go1 baptize all nations4 ,it was no material ark they were set to fashion2 they were exalted to be builders of the ,church of ,christ4 ,and to put one stone upon another in that building was a joy worth earning by a life of sacrifice4 ,saved through water4 ,but ,god appointed the same waves to be the destruction of the disobedient4 ,with no faith-built ark in which to ride safe1 the sinners perished in the mighty waters which to ,noah were the pathway of deliverance4 ,a solemn thought this for those who have the offer of the antitype which the ,apostle turns next to mention6 ,this double use which ,god makes of ,his creatures--how to some they bring punishment1 to others preservation--is the theme of several noble chapters in the book of ,wisdom 7xi4-xvi471 expanding the lesson taught by the pillar of a cloud1 which was light to ,israel1 while it was thick darkness to the ,egyptians4 ,which also after a true likeness doth now save you1 even baptism4 ,under the new covenant also water has been chosen by ,christ to be the symbol of ,his grace4 ,his servants are baptized into the name of the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4 ,this is the door appointed for entrance into the family4 ,but the waters of the ,flood would have overwhelmed ,noah1 even as the rest1 had he not been within the ark1 and the ark would not have been made had he been lacking in faith4 ,so in baptism must no more saving office be ascribed to the water4 ,even the ,divine word1 the word of hearing1 did not profit some1 because they were not united by faith with them that heard aright 7,heb4 iv4 #b74 ,neither does the sign in baptism1 though ,divinely instituted1 profit1 being alone4 ,the ,christian1 having been cleansed by the washing of water with the word1 is sanctified by ,christ because of his faith4 ,the washing of regeneration must be joined with the renewing of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,that ,spirit does not renew1 but convicts of sin those who believe not on ,christ 7,john xvi4 #h74 ,in his salvation ,noah accepted and acted on ,god's warning about things not seen as yet1 and so his baptism became effectual4 ,in faith1 too1 ,israel marched through the ,red ,sea1 and beheld the overthrow of their heathen pursuers4 ,and baptism mixed with faith is saving now4 ,those ,old ,testament deliverances were figures only of the true1 and were but for temporal rescue4 ,christ's ordinance is that to which they testified before ,his coming1 and is coupled with the promise of ,his presence even unto the end of the world4 ,and that there may be no place for doubting1 the ,apostle subjoins a twofold explanation4 ,first he tells us what baptism is not1 then what it is and what it bestows4 ,it is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh4 ,were this all1 it would avail no more than the cardinal ordinances 7with meats and drinks and divers washings7 which were imposed of old until a time of reformation4 ,through them the way into the holy place was not made manifest1 nor could be4 ,true baptism is the interrogation of a good conscience toward ,god1 through the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is a spiritual purification1 wrought through the might of ,christ's resurrection4 ,and the ,apostle describes it by the effect which it produces in the religious condition and attitude of him who has experienced it4 ,the sinner who loves his sin dare not question his conscience4 ,that witness would pronounce for his condemnation4 ,so he finds it best to lull it to sleep1 or perhaps deaden it altogether4 ,but to him who1 being risen with ,christ in faith1 seeks those things that are above1 who strives to make himself spiritually purer day by day1 there is no such dread4 ,rather by constant questioning and self-examination he labours that his conscience may be void of offence towards ,god and man4 ,that man not only dares1 but knows it to be a most solemn duty1 thus to purge his conscience4 ,so the effect of baptism is daily felt1 and the questioned soul thankfully bears witness to the active presence of the ,spirit1 for the bestowal of which the ,sacrament was the primal pledge4 ,others have rendered an appeal1 and have joined it very closely with the words toward ,god4 ,these have found in the ,apostle's explanation the recognition of that power to draw nigh unto ,god which the purified conscience both feels1 and feels the need of4 ,there are daily stumblings1 the constant want of help2 and through ,christ's resurrection the way is opened1 a new and living way1 into the holiest1 and the power is granted of appealing unto ,god1 while the sense of baptismal grace already bestowed gives confidence and certainty that our petitions will be granted4 ,who is on the right hand of ,god1 having gone into heaven2 angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto ,him4 ,now the ,apostle turns back to his main subject4 ,the righteous who suffers for1 and in1 his righteousness1 may not only be a blessing to others1 but may himself find blessing4 ,we dare only use the words which the ,spirit has supplied when we speak of ,christ being perfected by what ,he endured4 ,but the ,apostle to the ,hebrews has a clear teaching4 ,he speaks of ,christ as being the effulgence of ,god's glory1 and the very image of ,his person 7,heb4 i4 #c74 ,yet he tells that1 though ,he was a ,son1 ,he learned obedience by the things which ,he suffered1 and became thus the ,author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey ,him 7,heb4 v4 #h74 ,and he goes further1 and teaches that this submission of ,christ to suffering was in harmony with the ,divine character and according to ,god's own purpose3 ,it became ,him for whom are all things1 and through whom are all things1 in bringing many sons unto glory1 to make the ,author of their salvation perfect through sufferings 7,heb4 ii4 #aj74 ,from all eternity ,christ was perfect as the ,son of ,god1 but ,he has suffered that ,he may be a perfect ,mediator4 ,why this was well-pleasing unto the ,father it is not ours to know1 nor can we by searching find4 ,but1 the sufferings ended1 ,he is crowned with glory2 ,he is exalted to the right hand of the ,father2 ,he is made ,lord of all4 ,this ,he taught ,his disciples ere ,he sent them to baptize3 ,all authority hath been given unto ,me in heaven and on earth 7,matt4 xxviii4 #ah74 ,having taken hold of the seed of ,abraham and consented to be made lower than the angels1 ,he has now been set far above all principality1 and power1 and might1 and dominion1 and every name that is named1 not only in this world1 but also in that which is to come 7,eph4 i4 #ba74 ,thus does ,st4 ,paul teach even as ,st4 ,peter2 and we may believe1 though we fail to grasp the manner thereof1 that through ,his humiliation our blessed ,lord has been exalted1 not only because ,he receives for ever the praises of the redeemed1 but because ,he has wrought through ,his suffering that which was well-pleasing in the sight of the ,father4 ,the whole clause before us is worthy of notice for another reason4 ,it was doubtless written before our ,gospels were in circulation1 when the life and work of ,jesus were only published by the oral teaching of the ,apostles and their fellows2 yet in a summary form it covers the whole field of the ,gospel story4 ,those to whom this ,epistle was written had been taught that ,jesus was the ,christ1 had heard of ,his righteous life among men1 of ,his sufferings1 death1 and resurrection1 had been taught that afterwards ,he was taken up into heaven4 ,they knew also that the baptism by which they had been admitted into the ,christian communion was ,his ordinance and the appointed door into the ,church which ,he lived and died to build up among men4 ,thus1 without the ,gospels1 we have the ,gospel in the ,epistles1 and a witness to the integrity of that history of ,christ's life which has come down to us in the narratives of the ,evangelists4 ,and when all the contributions of the ,apostolic ,epistles are put side by side1 we may easily gather from them that the history of ,jesus which we have now is that which the ,church has possessed from the beginning of the ,gospel4 ,,xii ,,the ,,lessons ,,of ,,suffering ,forasmuch then as ,christ suffered in the flesh1 arm ye yourselves also with the same mind2 for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin2 that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men1 but to the will of ,god4 ,for the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the ,gentiles1 and to have walked in lasciviousness1 lusts1 winebibbings1 revellings1 carousings1 and abominable idolatries3 wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot1 speaking evil of you3 who shall give account to ,him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead4 ,for unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead1 that they might be judged according to men in the flesh1 but live according to ,god in the spirit4--#a ,,peter iv4 #a-f4 ,it is always hard to swim against the stream2 and if the effort be a moral one1 the difficulty is not lessened4 ,these early ,christians were finding it so4 ,for them there must have existed hardships of which to-day we can have no experience1 and form but an imperfect estimate4 ,if they lived among a ,jewish population1 these were sure to be offended at the new faith4 ,and when we remember the zeal for persecution of a ,saul of ,tarsus1 we can see that in many cases the better the ,jew1 the more would he feel himself bound1 if possible1 to exterminate the new doctrines4 ,among the heathen the lot of the ,christians was often worse4 ,did the people listen a while to the teaching of the missionaries1 yet so unstable were they that1 as at ,lystra1 to-day might see them stoning those whom yesterday they were venerating as gods2 and they could easily1 by reason of their greater numbers1 bring the magistrates to inflict penalties even where the multitude refrained from mob violence4 ,the cry1 ,these men exceedingly trouble our city or ,these who turn the world upside down are come among us1 was sure to find a ready audience2 while the uproar and violence which raged in a city like ,ephesus1 when ,paul and his companions preached there1 shows how many temporal interests could be banded together against the ,christian cause4 ,on individual believers1 not of the number of the preachers1 the more violent attacks might not fall2 but to suffer in the flesh was the lot of most of them in ,st4 ,peter's day4 ,hence the strong figure he employs to describe the preparation they will need3 ,arm ye yourselves--make you ready1 for you are going forth to battle4 ,st4 ,paul also1 writing to ,rome and ,corinth1 uses the same figure3 ,let us put on the armour of light1 the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left4 ,forasmuch then as ,christ suffered in the flesh1 arm ye yourselves also with the same mind4 ,though some strokes of the foe will fall on the flesh1 the conflict is really a spiritual one4 ,the suffering in the body is to be sustained and surmounted by an inward power2 the armour of light and of righteousness is the equipment of the soul1 which panoply the ,apostle here calls the mind of ,christ4 ,now what is the mind of ,christ which can avail ,his struggling servants8 ,the word implies intention1 purpose1 resolution1 that on which the heart is set4 ,now the intention of ,christ's life was to oppose and overcome all that was evil1 and to consecrate ,himself to all good for the love of ,his people4 ,this latter ,he tells us in ,his parting prayer for his disciples3 ,for their sakes ,i sanctify ,myself1 that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth 7,john xvii4 #ai71 while every action of ,his life proclaims ,his determined enmity against sin4 ,this brought ,him obloquy while ,he lived in the world1 and in the end a shameful death2 but these things did not abate ,his hatred of sin1 nor lessen ,his love for sinners4 ,for still into the city where ,he reigns there shall in no wise enter anything that defileth 7,rev4 xxi4 #bg71 though to the faithful penitent the ,spirit and the bride say1 ,come1 and he that is athirst1 let him come2 he that will1 let him take the water of life freely 7,rev4 xxii4 #ag74 ,christ bare willingly all that was laid upon ,him that ,he might bring men unto ,god4 ,this is the spirit1 this the purpose1 the intent1 with which ,his followers are to be actuated3 to have the same strenuous abhorrence of sin1 the same devotion in themselves to goodness1 which shall make them inflexible1 however fiercely they may be assailed4 ,let them only make the resolve1 and power shall be bestowed to strengthen them4 ,he who says1 ,arm yourselves1 supplies the weapons when ,his servants need them4 ,jesus ,himself found them ready when the tempter came1 and drew them in all their keenness and strength from the ,divine armoury4 ,satan comes to others as he came to ,christ1 and will make them flinch and waver1 if he can4 ,at times he offers attractive baits2 at times he brings fear to his aid4 ,but1 in whatever shape he comes or sends his agents1 let them but cling to the mind of ,christ1 and they shall1 like ,him1 say triumphantly1 ,get thee behind me1 ,satan4 ,for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin4 ,god intends it to be so1 and the earnest ,christian strives with all his might that it may be so4 ,to help men ,god sends them sufferings1 and intends them to have a moral effect on the life4 ,they are not penal2 they are the discipline of perfect love desiring that men should be held back from straying4 ,men cannot always see the purposes of ,god at first1 and are prone to bewail their lot4 ,but here and there a saint of old has left his testimony4 ,one of the later psalmists had discovered the blessedness of ,god-sent trials3 ,before ,i was afflicted ,i went astray2 but now ,i observe ,thy word2 and1 in thankful acknowledgment of the love which sent the blows1 he adds1 ,it is good for me that ,i have been afflicted1 that ,i might learn ,thy statutes 7,psalm cxix4 #fg1 #ga74 ,hezekiah had learnt the lesson1 though it brought him close to the gates of the grave2 but he testifies1 ,behold1 it was for my peace that ,i had great bitterness4444 ,thou hast cast all my sins behind ,thy back 7,isa4 xxxviii4 #ag74 ,god had blotted out the evil record1 that he who had suffered in the flesh might cease from sin4 ,it is good for us thus to recognise that ,god's dispensations are for our correction and teaching1 and that without them we should have been verily desolate1 left to choose our own way1 which would surely have been evil2 and though we cannot cease from sin while we are in the flesh1 ,god's mercy places the ideal state before us--,he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin--that we may be strengthened1 nevermore to submit ourselves to the yoke of wickedness4 ,how shall he that is dead to sin live any longer therein8 ,live therein he cannot4 ,of that old man within him he will have no resurrection1 for though the motions1 the promptings to evil1 are there1 the love of evil is slain by the greater love of ,christ4 ,that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men1 but to the will of ,god4 ,christians must live out their lives till ,god calls them1 and for the rest of their time in the flesh they will be among their wonted surroundings4 ,just as ,christian slaves must abide with their masters1 and ,christian wives continue with their husbands1 so each several believer must do his duty where ,god has placed him4 ,but because he is a believer it will be done in a different spirit4 ,he is daily cutting himself away from what the world counts for life2 he has begun to live in the ,spirit1 and the natural man is weakened day by day2 he knows that what is born of the flesh is flesh1 and bears the taint of sin3 so he refuses to follow where it would lead him4 ,men often plead for evil habits that they are natural1 forgetting that natural thus used means human1 corrupt nature4 ,the birth of the ,spirit transforms this nature1 and the renewed man goes about his worldly life with a new motive1 new purposes4 ,he must follow his lawful calling like other folks1 but the sense of his pilgrimage makes him to differ2 he is longing to depart1 and holds himself in constant readiness4 ,worldly men live as though they were rooted here and would never be moved4 ,their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever1 and their dwelling-places to all generations2 they call their lands after their own names 7,psalm xlix4 #aa74 ,to the servant of ,christ life wears another aspect4 ,he is content to live on1 for ,god so wills it1 and has work for him to do4 ,to continue in the flesh may be1 as it was to ,st4 ,paul1 the fruit of his labour4 ,and he welcomes this owning of his work1 and will spend his powers in like service4 ,yet1 with the ,apostle1 he has ever the desire to depart and be with ,christ1 for it is very far better 7,phil4 i4 #bc74 ,and as he strives to fulfil ,god's intent by crucifying the old man and ceasing from sin1 the ,christian rejoices in a growing sense of freedom4 ,to follow the lusts of men was to serve many and hard taskmasters4 ,riches1 fame1 luxury1 sensual indulgences1 riotous living1 are all keen to win new slaves1 and paint their lures in the most attractive colours2 and one appetite will make itself the ally of another1 lust hard by greed1 so that the chains of him who takes service with them are riveted many times over1 and difficult1 often impossible1 to be cast off4 ,but the will of ,god is one3 ,one is your ,master2 ,love the ,lord your ,god with all your heart2 ,and all ye are brethren2 ,love your neighbour as yourself4 ,then shall you enter into life4 ,and the life of this promise is not that fragment of time which remains to men in the flesh1 but that unending after-life where the natural body shall be exchanged for a spiritual body1 and death be swallowed up in victory4 ,for the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the ,gentiles4 ,the ,apostle here seems to be addressing the ,jews who1 living among the ,gentiles1 had1 like their forefathers in ,canaan1 learned their works4 ,the nation was not so prone to fall away into heathendom after the ,captivity2 yet some of them in the dispersion1 like ,samson when he went down unto the ,philistines1 may have been captured and blinded and made to serve4 ,the proximity of evil is infectious4 ,to the ,gentile converts ,st4 ,peter speaks elsewhere as having been slaves to their lusts in ignorance 7i4 #ad74 ,but whether ,jew or ,gentile1 when they had once tasted the joy of this purer service1 this law of obedience which made them truly free1 they would be strengthened to suffer in the flesh rather than fall back upon their former life4 ,the time would seem enough1 far more than enough1 to have been thus defiled4 ,all was ,god's2 all that remained must be given to ,him with strenuous devotion4 ,st4 ,peter seems to place in contrast1 as he describes the two ways of life1 two words1 one by which he denotes the service of ,god1 by the other devotion to the world and its attractions4 ,the former 77 implies a pleasure and joy2 it is the will of ,god1 that which ,he delights in1 and which ,he makes to be a joy to those who serve ,him4 ,the other 77 has a sense of longing1 unsatisfied want1 a state which craves for something which it cannot attain4 ,st4 ,paul describes it as led away by divers lusts1 ever learning 7but in an evil school71 never able to come to the knowledge of the truth1 corrupted in mind1 reprobate 7#b ,tim4 iii4 #g74 ,such is the desire of the ,gentiles4 ,the ,apostle describes it in his next words3 ,to have walked in lasciviousness1 lusts1 winebibbings1 revellings1 carousings1 and abominable idolatries4 ,how gross heathendom can be our missionaries from time to time reveal to us4 ,all the corruptions which they describe were reigning in full power round about these converts4 ,when men change the glory of the incorruptible ,god for the likeness of corruptible man or even worse1 and worship and serve the creature1 their own animal passions1 rather than the ,creator1 there is no depth of degradation to which they may not sink4 ,st4 ,paul has painted for us some dark pictures of what such lives could be 7,rom4 i4 #bd-cb2 ,col4 iii4 #e-h74 ,but though ,christianity in our own land have forced sin to veil some of its fouler aspects1 vice has not changed its nature4 ,the same passions rule in the hearts of those who live to the lusts of men1 and not to the will of ,god4 ,the flesh warreth against the ,spirit1 even if the ,spirit be not utterly quenched1 and brings men into its slavery4 ,for the sake of ,christ1 then1 and for love of the brethren1 the faithful have need still to be proclaiming1 ,let the time past suffice1 and by their actions to testify that they are willing to suffer in the flesh1 if so be they may thereby be sustained in the battle against sin and may strengthen their brethren to walk in a new way4 ,wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot1 speaking evil of you4 ,the godless love to be a large company1 that they may keep one another in heart4 ,hence they who have been of them1 and would fain withdraw1 have no easy task2 and to win new comrades sinners are ever most solicitous4 ,their invitations at first will take a friendly tone4 ,solomon understood them well1 and described them in warning to his son3 ,come with us1 they say3 let us lay wait for blood2 let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause2 let us swallow them up alive as ,sheol1 and whole as those that go down into the pit4 ,we shall find all precious substance2 we shall fill our houses with spoil4 ,thou shalt cast thy lot among us2 we will all have one purse 7,prov4 i4 #aa-ad74 ,this is one fashion of their excess of riot1 but there are many more4 ,the ,apostle's words picture their life as an overflow1 a deluge4 ,and the figure is not strange in ,holy ,writ4 ,the floods of ungodly men made me afraid1 says the ,psalmist 7,psalm xviii4 #ad72 and ,st4 ,jude1 writing about the same time as ,st4 ,peter and of the same evil days1 calls such sinners wild waves of the sea1 foaming out their own shames 7,jude #ad74 ,shames1 he says1 because the floods of excess pour on in overwhelming abundance1 and those who escape from them do so only with much suffering in the flesh1 sent of ,god1 to set them free from sin4 ,and if there be no hope of winning recruits or alluring back those who have escaped1 the godless follow another course4 ,they hate1 and persecute1 and malign4 ,ever since the days of ,cain this has been the policy of the wicked1 though not all push it so far as did the first murderer 7#a ,john iii4 #ab74 ,for the life of the righteous is a constant reproach to them4 ,they have made their own choice1 but it yields them no comfort2 and if one means of making others as wretched as themselves fails1 they take another4 ,they point the finger of hatred and scorn at the faithful4 ,to the ,greeks ,christ's faith was foolishness4 ,the ,athenians1 full of this world's wisdom1 asked about ,paul1 ,what will this babbler say8 and mocked as they heard of the resurrection of the dead4 ,with them and such as they this life is all4 ,but the ,christian has his consolation3 he has committed his cause to another ,judge1 before whom they also who speak evil of him must appear4 ,who shall give account to ,him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead4 ,the ,christian looks on to the coming judgement4 ,he can therefore disregard the censures of men4 ,neither the penalties nor the revilings of the world trouble him4 ,they are a part of the judgement in the present life2 by them ,god is chastening him1 preparing him by the suffering in the flesh to be more ready for the coming of the ,lord4 ,in that day it will be seen how the servant has been made like unto his ,master1 how he has welcomed the purging which ,christ gives to ,his servants that they may bring forth more fruit4 ,he believes1 yea knows1 that in the ,judge who has been teaching and judging him here day by day he will find a ,mediator and a ,saviour4 ,with the unbeliever all is otherwise4 ,he has refused correction1 has chosen his own path1 and drawn away his neck from the yoke of ,christ2 his judgment is all yet to come4 ,the ,judge is ready1 but ,he is full of mercy4 ,st4 ,peter's phrase implies this4 ,it tells of readiness1 but also of holding back1 of a desire to spare4 ,he is on ,his throne1 the record is prepared1 but yet ,he waits2 ,he is ,himself the long-suffering ,vinedresser who pleads1 ,let it alone this year also4 ,such has been the mercy of ,god even from the days of ,eden4 ,in the first temptation ,eve adds one sin upon another4 ,first she listens to the insidious questioning which proclaims the speaker a foe to ,god3 then without remonstrance she hears ,god's truth declared a lie2 hearkens to an aspersion of the ,divine goodness2 then yields to the tempter1 sins1 and leads her husband into sin4 ,not till then does ,god's judgement fall1 which might have fallen at the first offence2 and when it is pronounced1 it is full of pity1 and gives more space for repentance4 ,so1 though the ,judge be ready1 ,his mercy waits4 ,for ,he will judge the dead as well as the living1 and while men live ,his compassion goes forth in its fulness to the ignorant and them that are out of the way4 ,for unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead1 that they might be judged according to men in the flesh1 but live according to ,god in the spirit4 ,unto this end--what does it signify8 ,what but that ,god has ever been true to the name under which ,he first revealed ,himself3 ,the ,lord ,god1 merciful and gracious 7,exod4 xxxiv4 #f72 that ,he has been preaching the ,gospel to sinners by ,his dispensations from the first day until now8 ,thus was the ,gospel preached unto ,abraham 7,gal4 iii4 #h7 when he was called from the home of his fathers1 and pointed forward through a life of trial to a world-wide blessing4 ,heeding the lesson1 he was gladdened by the knowledge of the day of ,christ4 ,in like manner and unto this end was the ,gospel sent to ,god's people in the wilderness 7,heb4 iv4 #b71 even as unto us2 but the word of hearing did not profit them4 ,with many of them ,god was not well pleased4 ,yet ,he showed them in signs ,his ,gospel sacraments4 ,they were all baptized unto ,moses in the cloud and in the sea1 did all eat the same spiritual meat1 and all drank the same spiritual drink 7#a ,cor4 x4 #b-d71 for ,christ was with them1 as their ,rock of refreshing1 all their journey through the desert1 preaching the ,gospel by visitations now of mercy1 now of affliction4 ,unto this end ,he brought them many a time under the yoke of their enemies2 unto this end ,he sent them into captivity4 ,thus were they being judged1 as men count judgements1 if haply they might listen in this life to the gospel of trial and pain1 and so live at last1 as ,god counts life1 in the spirit1 when the final judgement-day is over4 ,they are dead1 but to every generation of them was the ,gospel preached1 that ,god might gather ,him a great multitude to stand on ,his right hand in the day of account4 ,some have applied the words of this verse to the sinners of the days of ,noah1 connecting them closely with iii4 #ai2 and truly1 though they be but one example out of a world of mercies1 they are very notable4 ,they were doomed2 they were dead while they lived3 ,everything that is in the earth shall die 7,gen4 vi4 #ag74 ,yet to them the preacher was sent1 and unto this end3 that though they were to be drowned in the ,deluge1 and so in men's sight be judged1 their souls might be saved1 as ,god would have them saved1 in the great day of the ,lord4 ,but every visitation is a gospel1 a gospel unto this end3 that through judgement here a people may be made ready in ,god's sight to be called unto ,his rest4 ,few passages have more powerful lessons than this for every age4 ,the world is full of suffering in the flesh4 ,who has not known it in many kinds8 ,but it is in consequence1 to those who will hear1 very full of ,gospel sermons4 ,they cry aloud1 ,sin no more2 the time past may suffice to have wrought the will of the ,gentiles4 ,suffering does not mean that ,god is not full of love2 rather it is a token that1 in ,his great love1 ,he is training us1 opening our eyes to our wrong-doings that we may cast them off1 and giving us a true standard to judge between the desire of the ,gentiles and the will of ,god4 ,and though men may look on us as sore afflicted1 our ,father1 when the rest of our time in the flesh shall be ended1 will give us the true life with ,him in the spirit4 ,,xiii ,,christian ,,service ,,for ,,god',s ,,glory ,but the end of all things is at hand3 be ye therefore of sound mind1 and be sober unto prayer3 above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves2 for love covereth a multitude of sins3 using hospitality one to another without murmuring3 according as each hath received a gift1 ministering it among yourselves1 as good stewards of the manifold grace of ,god2 if any man speaketh1 speaking as it were oracles of ,god2 if any man ministereth1 ministering as of the strength which ,god supplieth3 that in all things ,god may be glorified through ,jesus ,christ1 whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever4 ,amen4--#a ,,peter iv4 #g-aa4 ,but the end of all things is at hand4 ,well-nigh two thousand years have passed away since the ,apostle wrote these words4 ,what are we to think of the teaching they convey8 ,for it is not ,st4 ,peter's teaching only4 ,those who laboured with him were all of the same mind2 all gave the same note of warning to their converts4 ,st4 ,paul exhorts the ,philippians1 ,let your moderation be known unto all men4 ,the ,lord is at hand 7,phil4 iv4 #e72 and in the first letter to the ,corinthians the last words before his benediction are to the same purport3 ,maran atha 7#a ,cor4 xvi4 #bb72 that is1 ,the ,lord cometh4 ,st4 ,james preaches1 ,stablish your hearts1 for the coming of the ,lord draweth nigh 7,james v4 #h74 ,to the ,hebrews the ,apostle writes1 ,yet a little while1 and ,he that shall come will come1 and will not tarry 7,heb4 x4 #cg74 ,while ,st4 ,john1 who lived longer than any of the rest1 conveys the warning even in more solemn tones3 ,little children1 it is the last hour 7#a ,john ii4 #ah74 ,are we to look on these admonitions as so many mistaken utterances8 ,are we to think that the disciples had misunderstood the ,lord's teaching1 or would they say the same words if they were with us to-day8 ,we may allow that those who had been present at the ,ascension1 and had heard the words of the angels declaring that this same ,jesus should so come as they had seen ,him go into heaven 7,acts i4 #aa71 might expect ,his return to judge the world to be not far distant4 ,but1 in whatever they say in reference thereto1 their main concern is that men should be ready4 ,in such an hour as ye think not the ,son of man cometh1 is the ground-text of all their exhortations4 ,now had arrived the fulness of the time 7,gal4 iv4 #d7 in which ,god had sent forth ,his ,son1 born of a woman2 and if we take the verb of ,st4 ,peter's sentence 1 has come near1 we feel that he viewed the new era on which the world had entered in this light4 ,and so did the other ,apostles4 ,one says1 ,now once in the end of the ages hath ,christ been manifested 7,heb4 ix4 #bf72 another teaches that things of old were written for our admonition1 upon whom the ends of the ages are come 7#a ,cor4 x4 #aa74 ,god has spoken aforetime in many portions and in many ways1 but in the end of these days ,he hath spoken in ,his ,son 7,heb4 i4 #b74 ,all things are now summed up in ,christ2 ,he is the end of all things4 ,prophecy1 type1 sacrifice1 all have passed away4 ,there will come no new revelation2 no word more will be added to the ,divine book4 ,its lessons will find in each generation new illustrations1 new applications1 but will admit no change of form or substance4 ,the ,christian dispensation1 be it long or short1 is the last time2 it will close with the ,second ,advent4 ,and continual preparedness is to be the ,christian's attitude4 ,and this is the purport of ,st4 ,peter's next exhortations1 which are as forceful to-day as they were eighteen hundred years ago4 ,be ye therefore of sound mind4 ,exactly the counsel which should follow the previous lesson4 ,it was misinterpreted at first1 as it has been since4 ,we know how unwisely the ,thessalonians behaved when they had been told by ,st4 ,paul1 ,the day of the ,lord so cometh as a thief in the night 7#a ,thess4 v4 #b74 ,the ,apostle learnt that they were sorely disturbed1 and wrote them a second letter1 from which we can gather how far they had wandered from soundness of mind4 ,at first the ,apostle speaks gently3 ,be not quickly shaken from your mind1 nor yet be troubled1 either by spirit1 or by word1 or by epistle as from us1 as that the day of the ,lord is now present 7#b ,thess4 ii4 #b74 ,but soon he shows us how the excitement had operated4 ,some among them had begun to walk disorderly1 apparently thinking that they might live upon the community1 working not at all1 but being busybodies4 ,these made1 no doubt1 the approach of the day of the ,lord their pretext4 ,st4 ,paul bids such men in quietness to work and eat their own bread4 ,to be found at their duty was the best way of preparing for the end4 ,how soundness of mind may serve the ,church of ,christ is seen in the settlement of that murmuring which arose 7,acts vi4 #a7 as soon as the ,christian disciples began to be multiplied in ,jerusalem4 ,it was the ,grecian ,jews who complained that their widows were neglected4 ,the ,apostles wisely withdrew from the distribution about which the complaint was made1 and more wisely still gave the oversight into the hands of ,greeks 7as the forms of all their names bear witness7 who would be fully trusted by the murmurers4 ,and the word of ,god increased4 ,the pages of ,church history supply examples in abundance of the need in religious matters for this soundness of mind4 ,we need not go back to very ancient times4 ,what sore evils led to and arose out of the peasant war in ,germany in the days of the ,reformation1 followed by those excesses which disgraced the name of ,christianity in ,mnster and other parts of ,westphalia6 ,and in our own land both at that time and subsequently the unwise enthusiasm of those who acted as though whatever had been must be wrong hindered sorely the temperate efforts of the more conservative and sober minds2 while undue prominence given to single doctrines of the ,gospel has many times warped men's minds2 and does so still1 making the cause of ,christ to be hardly spoken of4 ,a sense of proportion is a gift which the ,church may fitly pray for in her members1 and that1 while they seek to foster the sevenfold graces of the ,holy ,spirit1 they may ever keep in mind the mercy of ,him who bestows only a portion on each of us as we can receive it1 and makes no man the steward of them all4 ,and be sober unto prayer4 ,the ,apostle selects one example wherein the sound mind ought to be sought after1 and he has chosen it so as to be of general application4 ,the wisdom to which he is exhorting is needed for all men1 both those who teach and those who hear1 those who serve tables and those who are served thereby4 ,many members of the ,christian body1 however1 will not be concerned with such special duties4 ,but all will pray1 and so to prayer he applies his precept4 ,be sober4 ,a sound mind will preserve us from extravagance in our approach unto ,god4 ,for even here extravagance may intrude4 ,the ,corinthian ,church had gone very far wrong in this respect4 ,over-elated1 losing soundness of mind1 through the bestowal of certain gifts1 they had introduced such irregularities into their religious meetings that ,st4 ,paul speaks of occasions when they might have been regarded as madmen 7#a ,cor4 xiv4 #bc74 ,these were public prayers4 ,st4 ,james applies the same standard to private prayers3 ,ye ask1 and receive not1 because ye ask amiss 7,james iv4 #c74 ,there is no true prayer in your petitions4 ,you have selected in your own hearts what you would fain have and do1 and you come before ,god with these as your supplications4 ,there is no thought in them of yielding to ,god's will1 but only the sense that if your petitions were granted you would reap a present satisfaction4 ,ye ask amiss4 ,many a heart can testify to the proneness to err thus by want of sobriety4 ,above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves4 ,soundness of mind and sobriety should dominate every part of the believer's life2 but there are other virtues of pre-eminent excellence1 unto which1 though they be far above him1 he is encouraged to aspire4 ,of these ,st4 ,peter1 like ,st4 ,paul 7#a ,cor4 xiii4 #ac71 places love at the summit1 above all things4 ,the word he uses signifies that perfect love which is the attribute of ,god ,himself4 ,to frail humanity it must ever be an ideal4 ,but the ,apostle in his second epistle 7#b ,peter i4 #g7 has given a progressive list of graces to be sought after in a holy life1 a series of mountain summits each above the other1 and each made visible through the one below it4 ,here1 too1 love comes as the climax2 and the ,revised ,version marks it as far above mere human affection3 ,in your love of the brethren supply also love4 ,here is no anticlimax1 if we once appreciate the grandeur of the concluding term4 ,in the present verse1 however1 the ,apostle exhorts that this ,divine quality is to be exercised by the converts among themselves1 and exercised with much earnestness and diligence4 ,it is to be the grace which pervades all their lives1 and extends itself to every condition thereof4 ,but we understand why ,st4 ,peter has used this word for love as soon as we come to the clause which follows3 ,for love covereth a multitude of sins4 ,to cover sin is ,godlike4 ,it has been often asked1 ,whose sins are covered by this love1 those of him who loves1 or of him who is loved8 ,the question can have but one answer4 ,there is nothing in the ,new ,testament to warrant such a doctrine as that love towards one's fellow-men will hide1 atone for1 or cancel any man's sins4 ,when our ,lord says of the woman who was a sinner1 ,her sins1 which are many1 are forgiven2 for she loved much 7,luke vii4 #dg71 it is not love to the brethren of which ,he is speaking1 but love to ,god1 which she had manifested by her actions toward ,himself2 and when ,he presently adds1 ,thy faith hath saved thee1 ,he tells us the secret of her availing love4 ,but when men are animated by that love toward their neighbours which shows likest ,god's1 they are tender to their offences2 they look to the future more than to the past1 hoping all things1 believing all things2 they have tasted ,god's mercy in the pardon of their own sins1 and labour to do thus unto others1 to cast their sins out of sight1 to put them1 as ,god does when ,he forgives1 behind their back1 as though in being forgiven they were also forgotten4 ,the phrase is quoted by ,st4 ,peter from ,prov4 x4 #ab1 where ,solomon says1 ,love covereth all sins1 and our ,lord's words to ,st4 ,peter himself 7,matt4 xviii4 #bb7 about forgiving until seventy times seven times practically set no limit to the extension of pardon to the repentant4 ,thus taught1 the ,apostle uses the noble word of human tenderness to offenders1 because he would urge men to a boundless1 all-embracing1 ,godlike pity for sinners4 ,using hospitality one to another without murmuring4 ,we need only reflect on the narrative of the ,acts of the ,apostles to realise how large a part hospitality must have played in the early ,church as soon as the preachers extended their labours beyond ,jerusalem4 ,the house of ,simon the tanner1 where ,peter was entertained many days 7ix4 #dc72 the friends who at ,antioch received ,paul and ,barnabas and kept them for a whole year 7xi4 #bf72 the petition of ,lydia1 ,come into my house1 and abide there 7xvi4 #ae72 and ,jason's reception of ,paul and ,silas at ,thessalonica 7xvii4 #g71 are but illustrations of what must have been the general custom4 ,nor would such welcome be needed for the ,apostles alone4 ,the ,churches must have been very familiar with cases of brethren driven from their own country by persecution1 or severed from their own kinsfolk by the adoption of the new faith4 ,to such the kind offices of the ,christian congregations must have been constantly extended1 so that hospitality was consecrated into a blessed and righteous duty4 ,to be given to hospitality 7,rom4 xii4 #ac7 is reckoned among the marks whereby it shall be known that believers1 being many1 are one body in ,christ2 and from the salutations in the last chapter of the ,epistle to the ,romans we can frame a picture of the large work of lodging and caring for strangers as it entered into the duties of a ,christian life4 ,the brethren at ,rome are exhorted to receive and help ,phbe1 the bringer of the ,epistle1 because she had been a succourer of many1 and of ,paul himself4 ,of ,priscilla and ,aquila1 who are next named1 we know that they were friends and fellow-workers with ,st4 ,paul in ,corinth1 and that in ,ephesus they showed their ,christian love toward the stranger ,apollos2 and not only so1 but they provided a place where the brethren might assemble for their worship4 ,later on is mentioned ,mary1 who bestowed much labour on the brethren1 ,urbanus1 a helper in ,christ1 and the households of ,aristobulus and ,narcissus1 whole families made friends through the extension of hospitality4 ,of the mother of ,rufus ,st4 ,paul speaks tenderly as his own mother also4 ,the coupling together of ,philologus and ,julia suggests that they were husband and wife and had opened their doors to the brethren1 and the notice of ,nereus and his sister points to similar good offices4 ,and from whatever place the ,epistle was sent to ,rome1 there ,tertius1 ,st4 ,paul's amanuensis1 was under the hospitable roof of ,gaius1 whom he speaks of as the host of the whole ,church4 ,doubtless at times the burden might fall heavily on some of the poorer brethren4 ,hence the need for the ,apostle's addition without murmuring4 ,the word is the same which is used 7,acts vi4 #a7 of the complaints of the ,grecians4 ,and in this matter1 as in all1 a sound mind would be called for1 that loads might be placed by the ,churches only on such as were able to bear them4 ,the intimate fellowship that would grow out of such exercise of kind offices must have been a power to encourage greatly the labourers for ,christ4 ,as they dwelt together1 hours not given to public ministrations would be spent in private converse1 and would knit the members together1 and forward the common work4 ,as ,st4 ,paul writes to ,philemon1 who appears to have been eminent in good offices1 the hearts of the saints were refreshed by this godly intercourse4 ,in friendly communion the love of all would wax warmer1 zeal become more earnest1 the weak would be strengthened1 and the strong grow stronger4 ,according as each hath received a gift1 ministering it among yourselves1 as good stewards of the manifold grace of ,god4 ,the close connexion between gifts and grace is better marked in the ,greek than it can be in the ,english4 ,the are bestowed upon us by the of ,god4 ,but every word in the sentence is full of force4 ,each hath received a gift4 ,none can plead his lack of faculty2 none can claim exemption from the duty of ministering2 none is so poor but he has something that he can lay out for the brethren4 ,all have time2 all have kind words3 the least can give1 what is the best of gifts1 a good example4 ,but what we have is not our own2 it is received3 and humility would teach us to believe that ,god has bestowed on us the powers which we are best fitted1 by place and opportunities1 to use in ,his service4 ,none can say of any gift1 ,it is all my own2 ,i may do with it as ,i please4 ,god has set the world about us full of ,his exchangers4 ,the poor1 the feeble1 the doubting1 the fearful--these are ,god's bankers1 with whom we may put out our gifts to usury4 ,and ,himself is the security for all that we deposit thus3 ,inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these ,my brethren1 ye did it unto ,me4 ,hence we live under the responsibility of stewardship4 ,and every man's gift is given to profit withal 7 1 #a ,cor4 xii4 #g74 ,the ,greek implies that it must be shared with others4 ,nor can any of us make it a profit to himself till he have found the way to make it profitable to his brethren4 ,that he may give more precision to his counsel1 the ,apostle proceeds to speak of gifts under two heads into which they are naturally divided4 ,first come those which ,st4 ,paul 7,rom4 xii4 #f-h7 ranges under the head of prophecy1 embracing therein teaching and exhortation likewise3 ,if any man speaketh1 speaking as it were oracles of ,god4 ,the first ,christian preachers must have gained their knowledge of the life and teaching of ,jesus by listening to the narratives of the twelve1 and must have gone forth to give their teaching orally4 ,the training of those who were appointed to minister in the various places whither the apostolic missions penetrated must have been of the same kind4 ,in those first years there was work to be done which would seem more important than the writing of a ,gospel history4 ,when such preachers published to the congregations what they had learnt of the ,master's lessons1 their sermons would be orally given1 and though conveying the same instruction1 would be liable to constant modifications of words4 ,it was from such oral teaching that the variations found in the ,gospel narratives probably had their origin4 ,the preachers gave the spirit1 and as nearly as possible the text1 of what they had been taught4 ,perhaps by memoranda or otherwise1 they would refresh their knowledge of the apostolic words1 so as to adhere as much as might be to what they had first received4 ,the word --oracles--which the ,apostle here employs1 seems intended to remind such preachers and teachers that they now1 as the ,jews of old1 had received living oracles 7,acts vii4 #ch71 words by which spiritual life was conveyed1 to deliver to the ,church4 ,those of them who were ,jews would call to mind how ,god's prophets had constantly prefaced their message with ,thus saith the ,lord or concluded it with the ,divine accrediting1 ,i am the ,lord2 and that the ,christian prophet must bear in mind that he is only an ambassador1 and must abide by his commission1 if he would speak with authority1 that as a steward he must ever think of the account to be some day given of the oracles of ,god 7,rom4 iii4 #b7 with which he was entrusted1 and must handle aright the word of truth 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ae74 ,for all such is ,st4 ,peter's admonition1 ,if any man speaketh1 speaking as it were oracles of ,god4 ,and next he turns to those gifts which are to be exercised in deeds1 and not in words3 ,if any man ministereth1 ministering as of the strength which ,god supplieth4 ,under ministry ,st4 ,paul classes 7,rom4 xii4 #g1 #h7 giving1 ruling1 showing mercy4 ,these are duties which secure the temporal condition of the ,church and her members4 ,the ,new ,testament story suggests many offices which could be discharged by those who had not devoted themselves in a special manner to the ministry of the word4 ,how much service would be called for by those collections for the saints which ,st4 ,paul urges so frequently upon the ,churches6 ,how many houses would find employment in such labours as were exhibited in the home of ,dorcas6 ,how many a traveller1 bent on his secular work1 would carry apostolic messages or letters to the flocks of the dispersion6 ,to these may be added those offices of mercy which ,st4 ,james describes as 1 outward acts of religion1 to visit the widows and fatherless in their affliction4 ,the strength which ,god supplieth embraces every faculty or possession1 be it wealth1 administrative skill1 or special knowledge4 ,the physician and the craftsman alike may spend their powers for ,christ4 ,all may be consecrated1 ministered1 as supplied of ,god4 ,and it is a gain to the ,church when1 following the apostolic pattern1 these duties of external religion are severed from the prophecy1 the spiritual work of the teacher4 ,that in all things ,god may be glorified through ,jesus ,christ1 whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,this is to be the thought which animates all who minister3 that each man's service may be so rendered to his brethren that it will work for the glory of ,god4 ,and ,christ has led the way4 ,he testifies in ,his final prayer1 ,i glorified ,thee on the earth1 having accomplished the work which ,thou hast given ,me to do 7,john xvii4 #d74 ,of our work we can use no such words4 ,we are but unprofitable servants4 ,in many things we offend all4 ,but all may labour in the ,christlike spirit2 and thus through ,him1 through service rendered in ,his name and for ,his sake1 will ,god be glorified4 ,the thought of ,jesus humbling ,himself1 taking the form of a servant1 testifying of ,himself1 ,the ,son of man came not to be ministered unto1 but to minister1 and to give ,his life a ransom for many1 can give a dignity to lowliest labour1 and at the same time can impart consolation to the true labourers1 for whom this mighty ransom has been paid1 their inheritance won1 their salvation achieved2 while the ,conqueror of sin and death1 their ,redeemer1 has taken ,his seat at ,god's right hand1 where worshipping spirits ever praise ,him1 saying1 ,worthy art ,thou1 our ,lord and our ,god1 to receive the glory1 and the honour1 and the power 7,rev4 iv4 #aa74 ,,xiv ,,the ,,believer',s ,,double ,,joy ,beloved1 think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you1 which cometh upon you to prove you1 as though a strange thing happened unto you3 but insomuch as ye are partakers of ,christ's sufferings1 rejoice2 that at the revelation of ,his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy4 ,if ye are reproached for the name of ,christ1 blessed are ye2 because the ,spirit of glory and the ,spirit of ,god resteth upon you4--#a ,,peter iv4 #ab-ad4 ,after the benediction in ver4 #aa1 we might have supposed that the exhortations of the ,apostle were ended4 ,but he now proceeds to make general application of the lessons which above 7ii4 #ai7 he had confined to a particular class3 the ,christians who were in slavery4 ,and the times appear to have called for consolation4 ,the ,churches were in great tribulation4 ,st4 ,peter speaks here1 more than in any other passage of the ,epistle1 as if persecution were afflicting the whole ,christian body3 ,beloved--the word embraces them all--think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you1 444 as though a strange thing happened unto you4 ,his strong word implies extreme suffering4 ,st4 ,john uses it 7,rev4 xviii4 #i1 #ah7 of the burning up of the mystical ,babylon1 and it is found nowhere else in the ,new ,testament4 ,a trial meriting this description was harassing the ,asian ,christians2 but spite of the intensity of suffering1 which may be inferred from his language2 he bids the converts not to wonder at it or deem it other than their proper lot3 ,think it not strange4 ,he does not enter upon reasons for his admonition1 or he might have selected a goodly list of ,old ,testament saints who for their faith were called to suffer4 ,for the ,jewish brethren1 ,joseph and ,david1 ,elijah and ,micaiah1 ,david and his companions in exile1 ,job and ,nehemiah1 would have been forcible examples of suffering for righteousness4 ,the ,apostle1 however selects only the loftiest instance4 ,christ1 the ,master whom they were pledged to serve1 had suffered1 and had said1 besides1 that all who would follow ,him must take up the cross4 ,need they wonder1 then1 if in their case they found the ,lord's teaching coming true8 ,but1 in describing the purpose of their trials1 the ,apostle introduces some words which place their affliction in a distinct light3 ,which cometh upon you to prove you--literally1 for your proving 7 74 ,and the word is that which is constantly used of temptation1 whether sent of ,god or coming in some other way4 ,when viewed as a process of proving1 the believers would be able to find some contentment under their persecutions4 ,god was putting them to the test4 ,he would know if they are in earnest in ,his service1 and so they are cast into the furnace1 ,god's wonted discipline4 ,the prophet ,zechariah tells both of the process1 and the ,god-intended result3 ,i will refine them as silver is refined1 and will try them as gold is tried2 they shall call on ,my name1 and ,i will hear them3 ,i will say1 ,it is ,my people2 and they shall say1 ,the ,lord is my ,god 7,zech4 xii4 #i74 ,and the ,psalmist bears like testimony3 ,the ,lord trieth the righteous 7,psalm xi4 #e71 and says that for those who are found faithful the end is blessedness3 ,we went through fire and through water1 but ,thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place 7,psalm lxvi4 #ab74 ,such thoughts would yield comfort to those for whom ,st4 ,peter immediately wrote4 ,they were suffering for ,christ's sake2 their faith in ,him was being tested4 ,but the ,apostle's words are left for the edification of all generations of believers4 ,throughout all time and everywhere there has been abundance of grief and pain4 ,how may sufferers to-day participate in the apostolic consolation8 ,how may they learn to think it not strange that they are afflicted8 ,the ,apostle's words supply the answer to such questions4 ,and they are no light or infrequent questionings both for ourselves and others4 ,men are prone to lament over temporal losses or bodily sufferings1 their own or others'1 in tones which convey the idea that such trials will in the end be compensated and made efficacious for the future blessing of the sufferer4 ,the ,new ,testament has no such doctrine4 ,the trial which cometh upon you to prove you1 is ,st4 ,peter's expression4 ,there is much suffering in the world which is in no sense a participation of the sufferings of ,christ1 in no sense a ,god-sent trial for proving the faith of the sufferer4 ,here1 if honestly questioned1 the individual conscience will give the true answer2 and if that inward witness condemn the life for no excesses1 of which suffering is the appointed fruit1 if the bodily pains be not the outcome of a life lived to the flesh1 nor the sorrow and poverty the result of follies and extravagance aforetime1 then1 with the anguish and distress which ,god hath sent 7for we may then count them as of ,his sending71 the ,spirit will have bestowed light that we may discern their purpose1 light which will show us ,god's hand weaning us from the world and making us ready for going home1 or1 it may be1 giving to others through us ,his teaching in message and example4 ,then the enlightened and pacified soul will be able to rejoice amid pain1 conscious of purification2 and will out of the midst of sorrow see ,god's designs justified4 ,satan will look on such times as his opportunity1 and suggest to the ,christian that he is unduly afflicted and forgotten of ,god2 but the joy which comes from being able to look trouble in the face1 as sent by a ,father1 drives away despondency and puts the enemy to rout4 ,he is triumphant who can rest on a faithful ,god1 with an assurance that with the temptation ,he will also make the way of escape1 that he may be able to endure it 7#a ,cor4 x4 #ac74 ,but dare we then pray1 as ,christ has taught us1 ,lead us not into temptation8 ,yes1 if we ponder rightly on the purport of our petition4 ,christ does not bid us pray to ,god not to try us2 ,he ,himself made no such prayer for ,his disciples2 ,he was ,himself submitted to such trial3 ,it pleased the ,lord to bruise ,him2 ,he hath put ,him to grief 7,isa4 liii4 #aj74 ,nay1 one ,evangelist 7,mark i4 #ab7 tells us how ,he was not led1 but driven forth1 of the ,spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil4 ,yet ,he taught the prayer to ,his disciples1 and ,he did so because ,he knew both what was in man1 and what was in the world4 ,in the latter since sin entered1 the tempter has found manifold enticements to lead men astray4 ,all that belongs to the lust of the flesh1 the lust of the eyes1 or the pride of life1 riches1 influence1 beauty1 popularity1 prosperity of every kind1 may be used as tests of faith1 may be made to glorify ,god2 but they can also be perverted in the using4 ,and there dwell within man strong desires1 which he is prompted to gratify at times1 without heeding whether their gratification be right or wrong2 and when desire and opportunity meet1 there is peril to the tempted4 ,how oft the sight of means to do ill deeds ,makes deeds ill done6 ,and when desire has once gained the mastery1 the next yielding is sooner made2 the forbidden path becomes the constant walk2 the moral principle--the ,godlike in the conscience--is neglected2 men grow weaker1 are led away of their own lusts and enticed4 ,on the other hand1 if the unlawful desire be resisted from the first1 each succeeding conflict will offer less hardship1 each new victory be more easily gained1 and the virtuous act will become a holy habit2 the man will walk with ,god4 ,for this end ,god uses the evil1 of which ,satan is the father1 to be a discipline1 and turns the snares of the enemy into a means of strength for those whom he would captivate4 ,knowing all this1 ,christ has left us ,his prayer4 ,in it ,he would teach us to ask that ,god should protect us in such wise that the desire to sin which dwells within us may not be roused to activity by opportunities of indulgence1 or if we are thrown where such opportunities exist1 the desire may be killed in our hearts4 ,thus our peril will be lessened1 and we shall be helped to walk in the right way1 through ,his grace4 ,our strong passions will grow weaker1 and our weak virtues stronger1 day by day4 ,and such a petition should check all overweening confidence in our own power to withstand temptation1 all overreadiness to put ourselves in the way of danger that we may show our strength1 and that we can stand though others may fall4 ,the sin and folly of such presumption would be constantly present to ,st4 ,peter's mind4 ,he could not forget how his own faith failed when he would make a show of it by walking to meet ,jesus over the sea of ,galilee4 ,still less could he forget that utterance of self-confidence1 which thought scorn of trials to come1 ,though ,i should die with ,thee1 yet will ,i not deny ,thee4 ,it needed but the timid suggestion of a servant-maid to call forth that manifestation of feebleness for which only tears of deepest penitence could atone1 and which remained the darkest memory in the ,apostle's life4 ,he above all men knew to the full the need we have to pray1 ,lead us not into temptation4 ,and in respect of courting trial1 even when the suffering to be encountered would be allowed by all men to be suffering for righteousness' sake1 the ,new ,testament gives us many lessons that we should not offer ourselves to unnecessary danger4 ,our ,lord ,himself 7,john viii4 #ei71 when the ,jews took up stones to cast at ,him1 hid ,himself and conveyed ,himself out of harm's way4 ,at another time we are told1 ,he would not walk in ,juda because the ,jews sought to kill ,him 7,john vii4 #a74 ,st4 ,paul1 too 7#b ,cor4 xi4 #cc71 to avoid uncalled-for suffering1 was let down by the wall of ,damascus1 and afterwards made use of the dissensions of the ,pharisees and ,sadducees 7,acts xxiii4 #f7 to divert the storm which their combined animosity would have raised against him4 ,in this spirit ,st4 ,peter gives his counsel4 ,make sure1 he would say1 that the trials you bear are sent to prove you4 ,let constant self-questioning testify that they are proving you2 then wonder not that they are sent1 but rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of the sufferings of ,christ4 ,he who thus learns the blessing of trial thanks the ,lord for his troublous days4 ,he has a double joy1 rejoicing in this life1 sorrowful yet alway rejoicing2 and is assured that at the revelation of ,christ's glory his joy shall be still more abundant4 ,if ye are reproached for the name of ,christ1 blessed are ye4 ,it was a joy to the ,apostles 7,acts v4 #da7 at the beginning of their ministry that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name4 ,their offence is described as speaking in the name of ,jesus1 and filling ,jerusalem with their teaching4 ,the feeling of their persecutors was so strong that they were minded to slay them1 but upon wiser counsel they only beat them and let them go4 ,st4 ,paul's commission to ,damascus 7,acts ix4 #ad7 was to bind all that called upon the name of ,christ1 and his work after his conversion was to be to bear ,christ's name before the ,gentiles and kings and the children of ,israel4 ,what such preaching would be1 we gather from ,st4 ,peter's words 7,acts ii4 #bb74 ,they taught men that ,jesus of ,nazareth1 a ,man approved of ,god by powers1 and wonders1 and signs1 had been crucified and slain by the ,jews1 but that ,god had raised ,him from the dead2 that ,he was now exalted by the right hand of ,god and was ordained of ,god 7,acts x4 #db7 to be the ,judge of quick and dead2 that to ,him all the prophets bare witness that through ,his name every one that believeth on ,him should receive remission of sins4 ,st4 ,paul and the rest preached the same doctrine4 ,all that had happened in ,christ's life was according to the ,scriptures 7#a ,cor4 xv4 #c1 #d7 of the ,old ,testament2 ,christ and ,him crucified 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #b71 ,jesus and the resurrection 7,acts xvii4 #ah71 are the topics constant in his letters and on his lips4 ,and for their doctrine and their faith preachers and hearers suffered persecution and reproach4 ,in our land suffering such as theirs is no more laid upon us1 but for all that the reproach of ,christ has not ceased4 ,our days are specially marked by a desire for demonstration on every subject1 and it comes to pass thereby that those who are willing in spiritual things to walk by faith rank in the estimation of many as the less enlightened portion of the world1 and are pictured as such in much of our modern literature4 ,all that tells of miracle in the life of ,jesus is by many cast altogether aside1 as alien to the reign of law under which the world exists2 and the ,gospel narratives of the virgin-birth1 the wonderful works1 the ,resurrection1 and the ,ascension are treated as the invention of the fervid imaginations of the first followers of ,jesus2 while to cling to them as verities1 and to their importance and significance in the work of the world's salvation1 stamps men as laggards in the march of modern speculation4 ,to accept the ,new ,testament story as the fulfilment of predictions in the ,old is reckoned by many for ungrounded superstition2 and among the unbelieving there are keen eyes still which gladly mark the slips and stumblings of professing ,christians1 and throw the obloquy of individuals broadcast upon the whole body4 ,to hold fast faith at such a time1 to accept the ,gospels as true and their teaching as the words of eternal life1 to see in ,christ the ,redeemer appointed from eternity by the foreknowledge of ,god1 and to believe that in ,him ,his people find remission of sins1 to see and acknowledge above the reign of law the power of the almighty ,lawgiver--these things are still beset with trials for those who will live in earnest according to such faith2 and if we receive less of the blessing which ,st4 ,peter here speaks of as accompanying the reproach of ,christ1 may we not fear that we exhibit less of the zeal and fervour of the ,christians to whom he wrote8 ,because the ,spirit of glory and the ,spirit of ,god resteth upon you4 ,in the former clause the ,apostle1 speaking of the joy of believers1 exhorted the converts to a present rejoicing1 even in the midst of sufferings1 because these were borne for ,christ's sake1 that so1 when ,he shall appear in whose name they have suffered1 their rejoicing may be still more abundant4 ,in like manner he seems here to regard their blessedness in a double aspect4 ,the ,spirit of glory rests upon them4 ,a power is imparted to them whereby they accept their pains gladly1 and therein glorify ,god1 and the same ,spirit fills them with a sense of future glory4 ,like ,stephen before his persecutors1 they become filled with the ,holy ,ghost1 their spirits are lifted heavenwards1 and even now they behold the glory of ,god1 and ,jesus sitting on the right hand of ,god4 ,thus suffering is robbed of its sting1 and ,christ's reproach becomes a present blessing4 ,st4 ,paul combines the same thoughts in his appeal to the ,roman ,christians4 ,let us rejoice1 he urges1 in the hope of the glory of ,god 7,rom4 v4 #b74 ,this is the glory to be revealed in the presence of ,jesus ,christ1 that eternal weight of glory which affliction worketh for us more and more exceedingly4 ,but he continues1 ,let us rejoice also in our tribulations1 knowing that by them we may glorify ,god in our bodies1 and that they are the pledge of glory to come4 ,for tribulation worketh patience1 and patience probation1 and probation hope1 and hope putteth not to shame--it will not be disappointed2 fruition will surely come--because the love of ,god hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the ,holy ,ghost which was given unto us4 ,this is the ,spirit of ,god of which ,st4 ,peter here speaks4 ,it rests like the cloud of glory above the cherubim1 and bestows all spiritual power and blessing2 it rests on the suffering believer1 and gives him rest4 ,the ,authorised ,version has here retained a clause which appears to have been at first but an explanatory note1 written in the margin of some copy1 and then to have been incorporated with the text3 ,on their part ,he is evil-spoken of1 but on your part ,he is glorified4 ,we cannot regret the preservation of such a note4 ,it dates back to very early times4 ,the student who made it could write in the language of the ,new ,testament and in its spirit also4 ,it gives us the sense which was then felt to have most prominence and to be the most important4 ,the way of ,christ was evil-spoken of1 and it could be no strange thing in those days for ,his followers to be put to fiery trial4 ,yet the writer feels that the blessedness of the believer is most secured who1 regardless of blasphemers around him1 strives with all his powers that in his body1 whether by life or by death1 ,christ shall be magnified4 ,,xv ,,the ,,righteous ,,have ,,judgement ,,here ,for let none of you suffer as a murderer1 or a thief1 or an evil-doer1 or as a meddler in other men's matters3 but if a man suffer as a ,christian1 let him not be ashamed2 but let him glorify ,god in this name4 ,for the time is come for judgement to begin at the house of ,god3 and if it begin first at us1 what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of ,god8 ,and if the righteous is scarcely saved1 where shall the ungodly and sinner appear8 ,wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of ,god commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful ,creator4--#a ,,peter iv4 #ae-ai4 ,the ,apostle now goes one step farther in his exhortations4 ,the brethren are suffering for ,christ's cause1 and may draw comfort from ,christ's example1 and be encouraged to patience under their persecutions4 ,but these very sufferings1 he would have them see1 are ,god's judgement on ,his servants in this world1 that they may be counted worthy of the kingdom of ,god1 for which they are called to suffer4 ,they must be watchful not to deserve punishment for offences that bring disgrace on themselves and on the cause of ,christ4 ,for let none of you suffer as a murderer1 or a thief1 or an evil-doer1 or as a meddler in other men's matters4 ,he appears to divide these offences into two classes1 made distinct by the recurrence of 1 as4 ,the first three concern crimes of which the laws of any land would naturally take cognisance4 ,evil-doer was the word employed by the ,jews when they brought our ,lord to ,pilate3 ,if he were not an evil-doer1 we should not have delivered him up unto thee 7,john xviii4 #cj74 ,the last-named offence1 meddling in other men's matters1 would bring upon the ,christians social odium and render them generally unpopular2 and it was precisely the kind of conduct likely to prevail in such a time4 ,we have already found the ,apostle exhorting ,christian subjects not to think lightly of the duty of obedience to heathen rulers1 and the like counsel was given to ,christian slaves with heathen masters and to ,christian wives with heathen husbands4 ,such persons would often be tempted to step beyond their province with advice1 and perhaps remonstrance1 and to display a sense of superiority in so doing which would be galling to those who were of another mind4 ,st4 ,peter's word to describe this fault is his own1 but the idea that such fault needed checking is not wanting in the teaching of ,st4 ,paul1 and may be taken as evidence that such an interfering spirit prevailed4 ,he speaks of those who work not at all1 but are busybodies 7#b ,thess4 iii4 #aa71 and to ,timothy of those who are tattlers and busybodies 7#a ,tim4 v4 #ac74 ,st4 ,peter has ranged these offences in a descending order1 placing the least culpable last2 and their compass embraces all that rightly might come under the ban of the law or incur the just odium of society4 ,to suffer for such things would disgrace the ,christian name2 but there is no shame in suffering as a ,christian1 but rather a reason for giving glory to ,god4 ,that the name was bestowed as a reproach seems probable from ,acts xi4 #bf1 and still more from the mocking tone in which it is used by ,agrippa 7,acts xxvi4 #bh72 and in the earliest apologists we find this confirmed4 ,the accusation against us1 says ,justin ,martyr1 is that we are ,christians2 and in another place1 ,we ask that the actions of all those who are accused before you should be examined1 so that he who is convicted may be punished as a malefactor1 but not as a ,christian4 ,but if a man suffer as a ,christian1 let him not be ashamed1 but let him glorify ,god in this name4 ,that is1 let him be thankful and show his thankfulness that he has been called to bear the name of ,christ and to suffer for it4 ,the ,authorised ,version1 adopting a different reading1 has on this behalf4 ,but the sense is nothing different4 ,he is to rejoice that this lot has befallen him1 for it is of ,god's great mercy that we are purified here by trial2 he who has not been tried has not entered on the way of salvation4 ,let me fall into the hand of the ,lord1 was the petition of ,david2 and they are more blessed who feel that hand in their correction than those who are cut away from it4 ,it is a terrible lot to think of1 if we be abandoned by ,him to worldly prosperity4 ,st4 ,paul congratulates the ,philippians because to them it had been granted1 in the behalf of ,christ1 not only to believe on ,him1 but also to suffer on ,his behalf 7,phil4 i4 #bi72 and to another ,church 7,eph4 iii4 #ac7 he declares that his own tribulations1 endured for their sakes1 ought to be to them a glory1 because they made known how precious those believers were in the sight of their heavenly ,father for whose sake ,he allowed another to be afflicted that they might be drawn more effectually unto ,him4 ,and if this be so1 how much cause have they to bless and glorify ,god who may be permitted to think that ,he is using their afflictions for a like purpose4 ,for the time is come for judgement to begin at the house of ,god4 ,the time is come4 ,why does the ,apostle speak thus8 ,because the final era of ,divine revelation has begun4 ,god has spoken unto men by ,his ,son1 and ,he by ,his incarnation and death has brought life and immortality to light4 ,the new and living way is opened4 ,we live in the fulness of time1 when the faithful1 having the testimony of those who companied with ,christ1 can love ,him1 though they see ,him not1 can rejoice in ,him1 and can receive1 with full assurance1 the end of their faith1 even the salvation of their souls4 ,such souls have their judgement here4 ,with them ,god's judgement is neither postponed1 nor is it penal4 ,it is disciplinary and corrective both for themselves and others4 ,they are the house of ,god1 the pillar and ground of the truth1 and can be set forth as the salt of the earth1 the light of the world4 ,of such judgement and its purpose ,st4 ,paul also speaks to the ,corinthians3 ,when we 7the servants of ,christ7 are judged 7by suffering in this life71 we are chastened of the ,lord1 that we may not be condemned with the world 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #cb74 ,all chastening while it lasts is grievous1 yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby4 ,and by such chastisement ,god prepares ,him witnesses to the truth and preciousness of ,christianity2 and so long as this time1 which is now come1 shall continue1 so long will ,god try1 and make judgement of1 ,his servants in every generation4 ,in ,st4 ,peter's words we have an echo of prophecy4 ,when the hand of the ,lord carried ,ezekiel in vision back from ,babylon to ,jerusalem1 he heard the voice of ,god commanding the destroyers1 ,begin at ,my sanctuary 7,ezek4 ix4 #f74 ,yet in that evil age some were found who had been sighing and crying for all the abominations that were done in the midst of the city4 ,these holy ones1 living in a naughty world1 were ,god's witnesses1 feeling ,his judgements1 but receiving ,his mark on their foreheads1 that they should not be destroyed with the sinners4 ,years passed away1 and at length the ,lord of the ,temple has ,himself come4 ,he began ,his judgement at the house of ,god1 casting out all that defiled it4 ,but it then had become a mere house of merchandise2 nay1 at a later day ,he named it a den of thieves4 ,at last ,he left it for ever4 ,then it ceased to be ,god's house1 and though it was spared some forty years1 its fate was fixed when ,he went forth from it 7,matt4 xxiv4 #a1 #b7 and said that not one stone of it should be left upon another4 ,henceforth ,he will have other temples in the hearts of those who worship ,him in spirit and in truth4 ,these are now the house of ,god4 ,with them ,he exercises judgement constantly for their instruction and amendment4 ,but it shall turn unto them for a testimony in the end4 ,not a hair of their head shall perish2 in their patience they shall win their souls4 ,and if it begin first at us1 what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of ,god8 ,the ,apostle joins himself with those of the house of ,god who will feel the pressure of temporal judgement4 ,he is not forgetful of the ,lord's saying1 ,simon1 behold ,satan asked to have you that he might sift you as wheat1 but ,i made supplication for thee that thy faith fail not 7,luke xxii4 #ca74 ,he knows that he will be tried1 but the end to him and all the faithful is that they may be brought into the ,father's home4 ,to those who obey not the ,gospel the doom pronounced against the ,temple answers the ,apostle's question4 ,they have had their days of probation1 and are like to ,jerusalem at the time of the ,lord's lamentation1 ,if thou hadst known in this day the things which belong unto peace6 but now they are hid from thine eyes 7,luke xx4 #db74 ,they cannot be said to disobey a law of which they have not heard2 the glad tidings have been preached unto them1 but have found no welcome4 ,as of the doomed city1 so of them1 it may be said1 ,ye would not4 ,after their hardness and their impenitent heart1 they have treasured up for themselves wrath in the day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of ,god4 ,and if the righteous scarcely is saved1 where shall the ungodly and sinner appear8 ,the righteous is he who follows after righteousness1 but who feels that1 in the midst of his efforts of faith1 he needs to cry1 ,lord1 ,i believe2 help ,thou mine unbelief4 ,it is of ,god's mercy that ,he accepts the aim and purpose of our lives1 and counts not by their results4 ,all men are beset with temptation2 in many things we all offend4 ,works of righteousness bear the taint2 they come many a time from wrong motives4 ,the best of us need both the ,father's chastisement1 and1 like ,peter1 the ,saviour's prayers1 and the ,holy ,spirit's guidance4 ,this is what the ,apostle means by scarcely saved4 ,by ,divine help ,christ's servants are brought nearer and nearer to the ideal1 ,be ye holy4 ,but though they live not in sin1 sin lives in them2 and the warfare with evil is not ended till the burden of the flesh is laid aside4 ,and as there are degrees in the progress of the righteous up the hill of faith1 so are there in the falling away of the wicked2 and ,st4 ,peter in his language appears to have had this in mind1 for of the ungodly and sinner he uses a verb in the singular 774 ,where shall he appear8 ,the man begins as the ungodly1 a negative character3 he thinks not of ,god2 has no reverence for ,his law2 puts ,him away from all his thoughts4 ,but in this state he will not long remain4 ,there is no standing still in things spiritual4 ,he who does not advance goes backward1 and the ungodly soon becomes the wilful sinner4 ,so sure is this development that the ,apostle combines the two aspects of the wicked man's life1 and asks1 not1 ,where shall they1 but ,where shall he1 appear8 ,for the judgement which for the righteous begins at ,god's house1 and is wrought out in the trials of this life1 awaits the disobedient when life is ended4 ,the ,apostle leaves his solemn question unanswered2 but at that day there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins1 only a fearful expectation of judgement4 ,it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living ,god then4 ,hence the greater blessedness of those who are taken into ,god's hand of judgement now4 ,and thus the ,apostle comforts the sufferers4 ,wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of ,god commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful ,creator4 ,again ,st4 ,peter goes back in thought to the words of ,christ1 ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend ,my spirit 7,luke xxiii4 #df72 and on these he builds his final exhortation1 which contains within it consolation in abundance4 ,the test of the faithful is his perfect trust4 ,though ,he slay me1 yet will ,i trust in ,him 7,job xiii4 #ae71 was the confession which marked ,job as more righteous than his advisers4 ,the ,revised ,version has varied the rendering of the final words in that passage in such wise as to explain how the trust is to be exhibited3 ,i will wait for ,him--wait1 sure that the event will be for my comfort and ,his glory4 ,this is the spirit which waxes strong in trial4 ,they that wait upon the ,lord shall renew their strength 7,isa4 xl4 #ca71 says the prophet4 ,none that wait on the ,lord shall be ashamed1 is an oft-repeated testimony of the psalmists 7,psalms xxv4 #c2 xxxvii4 #cd2 lxix4 #f72 and one whose name is a synonym for suffering tells us1 ,the ,lord is good unto them that wait for ,him 7,lam4 iii4 #be74 ,to such trust ,st4 ,peter here exhorts1 bidding specially them that suffer to rest on the ,lord4 ,though they be punished in the sight of men1 yet is their hope full of immortality1 for the souls of the righteous are in the hand of ,god1 a trust which they repose in ,him while they live here1 a treasure guarded by ,him in the world to come4 ,st4 ,paul knows of the efficacy of this perfect trust1 for he writes to ,timothy1 ,we labour and strive1 counting bodily suffering as nothing1 because we have our hope set on the living ,god1 who is the ,saviour of all men1 specially of them that believe 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #aj74 ,the ,apostle links a holy life most closely with this trust in ,god4 ,in well-doing commit your souls unto ,him4 ,no otherwise can ,his guardianship and aid be hoped for4 ,but the ,lord knoweth the way of the righteous1 and with ,him to know is to watch over and help4 ,nor should men sorrow when they suffer according to ,god's will4 ,rather it is cause for gladness4 ,for conscience must tell them that they need to be purged from much earthly dross which clings about them4 ,so the fire of trial may be counted among blessings4 ,and with two words of exceeding comfort ,st4 ,peter strengthens the believers in their trust4 ,god is faithful2 ,his compassions fail not3 they are new every morning4 ,in moments of despair the sorrowing ,christian may feel tempted to cry out1 with the ,psalmist1 ,hath ,god forgotten to be gracious8 hath ,he in anger shut up ,his tender mercies8 7,psalm lxxvii4 #aj71 but as he looks back on the path where ,god has led him he is convinced of the unwisdom of his questioning1 and cries out1 ,this is my infirmity2 ,i will remember the years of the right hand of the ,most ,high4 ,and this faithful ,god is our ,creator4 ,in the council of the ,godhead it was said in the beginning1 ,let us make man in our image4 ,and ,god breathed into his nostrils the breath of life1 which made of him a living soul4 ,from ,god's hand he came forth very good1 but sin entered1 and the ,divine image has been blurred and defaced4 ,yet in mercy the same heavenly conclave planned the scheme for man's restoration to his first estate4 ,the love which spake to ,zion of old speaks through ,christ to all mankind4 ,can a woman forget her sucking child8 ,yea1 she may forget2 yet will ,i not forget thee 7,isa4 xlix4 #ae74 ,in the fulness of time ,god has sent ,his ,son to take hold upon the sons of men1 to wear their likeness1 to live on earth and die for the souls which ,he has made4 ,trust1 says the ,apostle1 in this almighty1 unchanging love2 trust ,god1 your ,father1 your ,creator4 ,he will succour you against all assaults of evil2 ,he will comfort and support you when it is ,his desire to prove you2 ,he will crown you1 with your ,lord1 when trials are no more4 ,,xvi ,,how ,,to ,,tend ,,the ,,flock ,the elders therefore among you ,i exhort1 who am a fellow-elder1 and a witness of the sufferings of ,christ1 who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed3 ,tend the flock of ,god which is among you1 exercising the oversight1 not of constraint1 but willingly1 according unto ,god2 nor yet for filthy lucre1 but of a ready mind2 neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you1 but making yourselves ensamples to the flock4 ,and when the chief ,shepherd shall be manifested1 ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away4--#a ,,peter v4 #a-d4 ,st4 ,peter's last lesson was full of consolation4 ,he showed that it was from ,god's hand that judgements were sent upon ,his people to purify them and prepare them for ,his appearing4 ,with this thought in their minds1 he would have the converts rejoice in their discipline1 confident in the faithfulness of ,him who was trying them4 ,he follows this general message to the ,churches with a solemn charge to their teachers4 ,they are specially responsible for the welfare of the brethren4 ,on them it rests by the holiness of their lives and the spirit in which they labour to win men to the faith4 ,the elders therefore among you ,i exhort1 who am a fellow-elder1 and a witness of the sufferings of ,christ1 who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed3 ,tend the flock of ,god which is among you4 ,therefore--because ,i know that the blessed purpose of trial is not always manifest1 and because the hope of the believer needs to be constantly pointed to the faithfulness of ,god--,i exhort you to tend zealously those over whom you are put in charge4 ,elders was the name given at first to the whole body of ,christian teachers4 ,no doubt they were chosen at the beginning from the older members of the community1 when the ,apostles established ,churches in their missionary journeys4 ,they appointed for them elders in every ,church 7,acts xiv4 #bc72 and it was the elders of the ,church of ,ephesus that ,paul sent for to ,miletus 7,acts xx4 #ag74 ,and ,st4 ,peter here contrasts them very pointedly with those of younger years1 whom he addresses afterwards4 ,but after it became an official title the sense of seniority would drop away from the word4 ,it is clear from this passage that in ,st4 ,peter's time they were identical with those who were afterwards named bishops4 ,for the word which follows presently in the text and is rendered exercising the oversight is literally doing the work of bishop1 or overseer4 ,and in the passage already alluded to 7,acts xx4 #ae-bh7 those who at first are called elders are subsequently named bishops3 ,the ,holy ,ghost hath made you bishops to feed the ,church of ,god 7,r4,v474 ,as the ,church grew certain places would become prominent as centres of ,christian life1 and to the elders therein the oversight of other ,churches would be given2 and thus the overseer or bishop would grow to be distinct from the other presbyters1 and his title be assigned to the more important office4 ,this had not come about when ,st4 ,peter wrote4 ,the humility1 which he is soon about to commend to the whole body1 the ,apostle manifests by placing himself on the level of those to whom he speaks3 ,i1 who am a fellow-elder1 exhort you4 ,he has strong claims to be heard1 claims which can never be theirs4 ,he has been a witness of the sufferings of ,christ4 ,he might have made mention of his apostleship2 he might have told of the thrice-repeated commission which soon supplies the matter of his exhortation4 ,he will rather be counted an equal1 a fellow-labourer with themselves4 ,some have thought that even when he calls himself a witness of ,christ's sufferings he is not so much referring to what he saw of the life and death of ,jesus1 as to the testimony which he has borne to his ,master since the pentecostal outpouring and the share which he has had of sufferings for ,christ's sake4 ,if this be so1 he would here too be reckoning himself even as they1 as he clearly intends to do in the words which follow1 where he calls himself a sharer1 as they all are1 in the glory to which they look forward4 ,thus in all things they are his brethren3 in the ministry1 in their affliction1 and in their hope of glory to be revealed4 ,he opens his solemn charge with words which are the echo of ,christ's own3 ,feed ,my sheep2 ,feed ,my lambs4 ,every word pictures the responsibility of those to whom the trust is committed4 ,these brethren are ,god's flock4 ,psalmists and prophets had been guided of old to use the figure2 they speak of ,god's people as the sheep of ,his pasture4 ,but our ,lord consecrated it still more when ,he called ,himself the good ,shepherd1 that giveth ,his life for the sheep4 ,the word tells much of the character of those to whom it is applied4 ,how prone they are to wander and stray1 how helpless1 how ill furnished with means of defence against perils4 ,it tells1 too1 that they are easy to be led4 ,but that is not all a blessing1 for though docile1 they are often heedless1 ready to follow any leader without thought of consequences4 ,but they are ,god's flock4 ,this adds to the dignity of the elder's office1 but adds also to the gravity of the trust1 a trust to be entered on with fear and trembling4 ,for the flock is precious to ,christ1 and should be precious to ,his shepherds4 ,to let them perish for want of tending is treachery to the ,master who has sent men to ,his work4 ,and how much that tending means4 ,to feed them is not all1 though that is much4 ,to provide such nurture as will help their growth in grace4 ,there is a food store in ,god's word1 but not every lesson there suits every several need4 ,there must be thoughtful choice of lessons4 ,the elders of old were1 and ,god's shepherds now are1 called to give much care how they minister1 lest by their oversight or neglect-- ,the hungry sheep look up1 but are not fed4 ,but tending speaks of watchfulness4 ,the shepherd must yield his account when the chief ,shepherd shall appear4 ,those who are watchmen over ,god's flock must have an eye to quarters whence dangers may come1 must mark the signs of them and be ready with safeguards4 ,and the sheep themselves must be strengthened to endure and conquer when they are assailed2 they cannot be kept out of harm's way always4 ,christ did not pray for ,his own little flock of disciples that they should be taken out of the world1 only kept from the evil4 ,then all that betokens good must be cherished among them4 ,for even tiny germs of goodness the ,spirit will sanctify1 and help the watchful elder1 by his tending1 to rear till they flourish and abound4 ,to his general precept ,st4 ,peter adds three defining clauses1 which tell us how the elder's duty may be rightly discharged1 and against what perils and temptations he will need to strive3 exercising the oversight1 not of constraint1 but willingly1 according unto ,god4 ,how would the oversight of an elder come to be exercised of constraint in the time of ,st4 ,peter8 ,those to whom he writes had been appointed to their office by apostolic authority1 it may have been by ,st4 ,paul himself2 and while an ,apostle was present to inspire them enthusiasm for the new teaching would be at its height3 many would be drawn to the service of ,christ who would appear to the missionaries well fitted to be entrusted with such solemn charge and ministry4 ,but even an ,apostle cannot read men's hearts1 and it was when the ,apostles departed that the ,churches would enter on their trial4 ,then the fitness of the elders would be put to the test4 ,could they maintain in the ,churches the earnestness which had been awakened8 ,could they in their daily walk sustain the apostolic character1 and help forward the cause both by word and life8 ,christianity would be unlike every other movement whose officers are human if there were not many failures and much weakness here and there2 and if the ministrations of elders grew less accepted and less fruitful1 they would be offered with ever-diminishing earnestness1 and the services1 full of life at the outset1 would prove irksome from disappointment1 and in the end be discharged only as a work of necessity4 ,and every subsequent age of the ,church has endorsed the wisdom of ,st4 ,paul's caution1 ,lay hands hastily on no man4 ,fervid zeal may grow cool1 and inaptitude for the work become apparent4 ,nor are those in whom it is found always solely responsible for a mistaken vocation4 ,as ,st4 ,paul's words should make those vigilant whose office it is to send forth men to sacred ministries1 so ,st4 ,peter's warning should check any undue urging of men to offer themselves4 ,it is a sight to move men to sorrow1 and ,god to displeasure1 when the shepherd's work is perfunctory1 not done willingly1 according to ,god4 ,in some texts the last three words are not represented1 nor are they found in our ,authorised ,version4 ,but they have abundant authority1 and so fully declare the spirit in which all pastoral work should be done that they might well be repeated emphatically with each of these three clauses4 ,to labour according to ,god1 as ever in the great ,taskmaster's eye1 is so needful that the words may be commended to the elders as a constant motto4 ,and not only as in ,his sight should the work be done1 but with an endeavour after the standard which is set before us in ,christ4 ,we are to stoop as ,he stooped that we may raise those who cannot raise themselves2 to be compassionate to the penitent1 breaking no bruised reed1 quenching no spark in the smoking flax4 ,the pastor's words should be ,st4 ,paul's1 ,we are your servants for ,jesus's sake1 his action that of the shepherd in the parable3 ,when he findeth it1 he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing4 ,such joy comes only to willing workers4 ,nor yet for filthy lucre1 but of a ready mind4 ,we do not usually think of the ,church in the apostolic age as offering any temptation to the covetous4 ,the disciples were poor men1 and there is little trace of riches in the opening chapters of the ,acts4 ,st4 ,paul1 too1 constantly declined to be a burden to the flock1 as though he felt it right to spare the brethren4 ,the lessons of the ,new ,testament on this subject are very plain4 ,when our ,lord sent forth ,his seventy disciples1 ,he sent them as labourers worthy of their hire 7,luke x4 #g72 and ,st4 ,paul declares it to be the ,lord's ordinance that they which proclaim the ,gospel should live of the ,gospel 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #ad74 ,to serve with a ready mind is to seek nothing beyond this4 ,but it is clear both from ,st4 ,paul's language 7#a ,tim4 iii4 #c2 ,titus i4 #g7 and from this verse that there existed temptations to greed1 and that some were overcome thereby4 ,it is worthy of note1 however1 that those who are given up to this covetousness are constantly branded with false teaching4 ,they are thus described by both the ,apostles4 ,they teach things which they ought not 7,titus i4 #aa71 and with feigned words make merchandise of the flock 7#b ,peter ii4 #c74 ,the spurt of self-seeking and base gain 7which is the literal sense of ,st4 ,peter's word7 is so alien to the spirit of the ,gospel that we cannot conceive a faithful and true shepherd using other language than that of ,st4 ,paul3 ,we seek not yours1 but you4 ,neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you1 but making yourselves ensamples to the flock4 ,this1 too1 is a special peril at all times for those who are called to preside in spiritual offices4 ,the interests committed to their trust are so surpassingly momentous that they must often speak with authority1 and the ,church's history furnishes examples of men who would make themselves lords where ,christ alone should be ,lord4 ,against this temptation ,he has supplied the safeguard for all who will use it4 ,my sheep1 ,he says1 hear ,my voice4 ,and the faithful tenders of ,his flock must ever ask themselves in their service1 ,is this the voice of ,christ8 ,the question will be in their hearts as they give counsel to those who need and seek it1 ,what would ,christ have said to this man or to that8 ,the same sort of question will bring to the test their public ministrations1 and will make that most prominent in them which ,he intended to be so4 ,thus will be introduced into all they do a due proportion and subordination1 and many a subject of disquiet in the ,churches will thereby sink almost into insignificance4 ,at the same time the constant reference to their own ,lord will keep them in mind that they are ,his servants for the flock of ,god4 ,while he warns the elders against the assumption of lordship over their charges1 the ,apostle adds a precept which1 if it be followed1 will abate all tendency to seek such lordship4 ,for it brings to the mind of those set over the flock that they too are but sheep1 like the rest1 and are appointed not to dominate1 but to help their brethren4 ,making yourselves ensamples to the flock4 ,christ's rule for the good shepherd is1 ,he goeth before them1 and the sheep follow him 7,john x4 #d74 ,the weak take in teaching rather from what they see than from what they hear4 ,the teacher must be a living witness to the word1 a proof of its truth and power4 ,if he be not this1 all his teaching is of little value4 ,the simplest teacher who lives out his lessons in his life becomes a mighty power2 he gains the true1 the lawful lordship1 and-- ,truth from his lips prevails with double sway4 ,the ,apostles knew well the weight and influence of holy examples4 ,hence ,st4 ,paul appeals continually to the lives of himself and his fellow-workers4 ,we labour1 he says1 to make ourselves an ensample unto you that ye should imitate us 7#b ,thess4 iii4 #i72 ,timothy he exhorts1 ,be thou an ensample to them that believe 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #ab71 and ,titus1 ,in all things showing thyself an ensample of good works 7,titus ii4 #g74 ,nothing can withstand the eloquence of him who can dare to appeal to his brethren1 as the ,apostle does1 ,be ye imitators together of me1 and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample 7,phil4 iii4 #g71 and ,be ye imitators of me1 even as ,i also am of ,christ 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #a74 ,such pattern shepherds have been the admiration of every age4 ,chaucer1 among his pilgrims1 describes the good parson thus3-- ,the lore of ,christ and ,his ,apostles twelve ,he taught1 and first he followed it himself4 ,such are the lives of shepherds who remember that they are even as their flocks3 frail and full of evil tendencies1 and needing to come continually1 in humble supplication1 to the source of strength and light1 and to be ever watchful over their own lives4 ,these men seek no lordship2 there comes to them a nobler power1 and the allegiance they win is self-tendered4 ,and when the chief ,shepherd shall be manifested1 ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away4 ,for their consolation the ,apostle sets before the elders their ,judge in ,his self-chosen character4 ,he is the chief ,shepherd4 ,judge ,he must also be when ,he is manifested2 but while ,he must pass sentence on their work1 ,he will understand and weigh the many hindrances1 both within and without1 against which they have had to fight4 ,of human weakness1 error1 sin1 such as besets us1 ,he had no share2 but ,he knows whereof we are made1 and will not ask from any of us a service beyond our powers4 ,nay1 ,his ,spirit chooses for us1 would we but mark it1 the work in which we can serve ,him most fitly4 ,and ,he has borne the contradiction of sinners against ,himself4 ,in judging ,his servants1 then1 ,he will take account of the wilfulness of ears that would not hear and of eyes that would not see1 of the waywardness that chose darkness rather than light1 ignorance rather than ,divine knowledge1 death rather than life4 ,therefore ,his feeble but faithful servants may with humble minds welcome ,his appearing4 ,he comes as ,judge4 ,ye shall receive4 ,it is a word descriptive of the ,divine award at the last4 ,here it marks the bestowal of a reward1 but elsewhere 7#b ,peter ii4 #ac7 the ,apostle uses it for the payment to sinners of the hire of wrong-doing4 ,but the ,judge is full of mercy4 ,of one sinner's feeble efforts ,he said1 ,she hath done what she could4 ,her sins are forgiven4 ,and another who had laboured to be faithful ,he welcomed to ,his presence3 ,enter into the joy of thy ,lord4 ,to share that joy1 to partake of ,his glory1 to be made like ,him by beholding ,his presence--this will be the faithful servant's prize1 a crown of amaranth1 unwithering1 eternal4 ,,xvii ,,be ,,clothed ,,with ,,humility ,likewise1 ye younger1 be subject unto the elder4 ,yea1 all of you gird yourselves with humility1 to serve one another3 for ,god resisteth the proud1 but giveth grace to the humble4 ,humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of ,god1 that ,he may exalt you in due time2 casting all your anxiety upon ,him1 because ,he careth for you4--#a ,,peter v4 #e-g4 ,having admonished the shepherds1 the ,apostle now turns to the flock1 and his words recall the exhortations which he has given several times before4 ,in ii4 #ac he taught ,christian subjects the duty of submission1 even should it be their lot to live under heathen rulers4 ,a few verses further on in the same chapter he repeated this teaching to ,christian slaves with heathen masters1 and the third chapter opens with advice of the same character to the wives who were married to heathen husbands4 ,and now once more1 with his favourite verb be subject1 he opens his counsel to the ,churches on their duty to those set over them4 ,the relation between the elders and their flock will not be as strained1 or not strained after the same manner1 as between ,christians and heathens in the other cases1 but the same principle is to govern the behaviour of those who hold the subject position4 ,the duly appointed teachers are to be accepted as powers ordained of ,god1 and their rule and guidance followed with submission4 ,likewise1 ye younger1 be subject unto the elder4 ,he teaches that as there is a duty of the elders to the younger1 so there is a reciprocal duty which1 in like manner and with the same thoroughness1 must be discharged by the younger to the elders4 ,in those early days the congregation could fitly be spoken of as the younger4 ,naturally the teachers would be chosen from those who had been the first converts4 ,the rest of the body would consist not only of those younger in years1 but younger in the acceptance of the faith1 younger in the knowledge of the doctrines of ,christ1 younger in ,christian experience4 ,and if the ,churches were to be a power among their heathen surroundings1 it must be by their unity in spirit and faith2 and this could only be secured by a loyal and ready following of those who were chosen to instruct them4 ,but lest there may be any undue straining of the claim to submission1 there follows immediately a precept to make it general3 ,yea1 all of you gird yourselves with humility1 to serve one another4 ,thus will be realised the true idea of the ,christian body1 where each member should help all1 and be helped of all1 the rest1 eye and hand1 head and feet1 each having their office1 and each ministering therein as parts of the one body4 ,this idea of general humility was altogether unknown to the world before ,christ's coming4 ,the word1 therefore1 is one coined for ,christian use3 lowliness of mind1 a frame wherein each deems others better than himself4 ,and with it the ,apostle has coupled another word for gird yourselves1 which is well fitted to be so placed4 ,it is found nowhere else1 and is full of that graphic character of which he is so fond4 ,the noun from which it is derived signifies an outer garment1 mainly used by household servants and slaves1 to cover their other clothing and keep it from being spoiled4 ,it appears to have been bound round the waist by a girdle4 ,the word is a complete picture4 ,st4 ,peter sees in humility a robe which shall encompass the whole life of the believer1 keeping off all that might sully or defile it2 and into the sense of the word comes the lowly estate of those by whom the garment in question was worn4 ,it was connected entirely with the humblest duties4 ,hence its appropriateness when joined with serve one another4 ,and one cannot in studying this striking word of the ,apostle but be carried in thought to that scene described by ,st4 ,john where ,jesus took a towel and girded ,himself 7,john xiii4 #d7 to wash the feet of ,his disciples4 ,st4 ,peter gained much instruction from that washing1 and he has not forgotten the lesson when he desires to confirm the brethren in ,christian humility4 ,i have given you an example1 that ye also should do as ,i have done to you1 was the ,lord's injunction2 and this the ,apostle delivers to the ,churches4 ,and verily ,christ spake of ,himself more truly than of any other when ,he described the master's treatment of his watchful servants3 ,he shall gird himself1 and make them sit down to meat1 and shall come and serve them 7,luke xii4 #cg74 ,such has been the ,lord's humiliation1 who took upon ,him our flesh1 and now bids us to ,his banquet1 where1 through ,his ,spirit1 ,he is ever waiting to bless those who draw near4 ,how this exhortation to humility in dealing with one another is connected with the verse 7,prov4 iii4 #cd7 by which the ,apostle supports it does not perhaps immediately appear4 ,for ,god resisteth the proud1 but giveth grace to the humble4 ,but a little reflection on the characteristics of pride towards men soon makes us conscious that it is very closely united with pride towards ,god4 ,the ,pharisee who despises the publican1 and thanks ,god in words that he is not such a one1 feels in his heart no thankfulness nor care for ,god at all4 ,his own acts have made him the pattern of goodness which he conceives himself to be4 ,and we discover the like in every other exhibition of this spirit4 ,the term 77 by which these haughty ones are described indicates a desire to be conspicuous1 to stand apart from and above their fellows4 ,they are self-centred1 and look down upon the rest of the world1 and forget their dependence upon ,god4 ,st4 ,peter in his quotation has followed the ,septuagint4 ,in the ,hebrew the first half of the verse is1 ,he scorneth the scorners4 ,and this is the manner of ,god's dealing4 ,he pays men with their own coin4 ,jacob's deceit was punished in kind by the frequent deceptions of his children1 so that at last he could hardly credit their report that ,joseph is still alive4 ,david was scourged for his offences exactly according to his own sin4 ,but the word which the ,apostle has drawn from the ,septuagint is also of solemn import4 ,it declares a state of war between ,god and man4 ,god resisteth the proud2 literally1 ,he setteth ,himself in array against them4 ,and their overthrow is sure4 ,they that strive with the ,lord shall be broken to pieces4 ,the ,psalmist rejoices over the contrary lot3 ,the ,lord is on my side2 ,i will not fear4 ,what can man do unto me8 7,psalm cxviii4 #f74 ,he had realised the feebleness of human strength1 even for man to rely on1 much more if it stand in opposition to ,god4 ,it is better to trust in the ,lord than to put any confidence in man1 be it in ourselves or in others4 ,so out of his distress he called upon the ,lord4 ,it is the sense of need which makes men humble2 and to humbled souls ,god's blessing comes3 ,he answered me1 and set me in a large place4 ,and as though ,he would mark humility as the chief grace to prepare men for ,his kingdom1 the ,lord's first words in ,his sermon on the mount are a blessing on the lowly-minded3 ,blessed are the poor in spirit1 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven--not shall be1 but is theirs even now4 ,god's favour to the humble is a present gift4 ,how the sense of this swells the thanksgivings of ,hannah and the ,virgin ,mary6 ,and to teach the lesson to ,his disciples1 when they were far from humility and were anxious only to know which of them should be above the rest in what they still dreamt of as an earthly kingdom1 ,he took a little child and set him before them1 as the pattern to which ,his true followers must conform4 ,this childlike virtue gives admission to the kingdom of heaven2 its possessors have the kingdom of ,god within them4 ,and ,st4 ,peter feeds the flock as he himself was fed4 ,humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of ,god1 that ,he may exalt you in due time4 ,the ,apostle may be referring in these words to the trials which were upon the converts when he wrote to them4 ,these he would have them look upon as ,god's discipline1 as a cause for joy rather than sorrow4 ,christian humility will not rebel against fatherly1 merciful correction4 ,how the good man bows before the hand of ,god we see in ,moses when ,god refused to let him go over into ,canaan3 ,i besought the ,lord1 saying1 ,o ,lord ,god1 ,thou hast begun to show ,thy servant ,thy greatness and ,thy strong hand4444 ,let me go over1 ,i pray ,thee1 and see the good land that is beyond ,jordan4 ,but the ,lord was wroth with me for your sakes1 and hearkened not unto me 7,deut4 iii4 #bc74 ,and so the meek prophet1 who knew that his withdrawal was for the people's sake1 having sung1 ,happy art thou1 ,o ,israel2 who is like unto thee1 a people saved by the ,lord8 7,deut4 xxxiii4 #bi71 went up unto ,mount ,nebo and died there1 when his eye was not dim1 nor his natural force abated4 ,hence his praise3 ,there hath not arisen a prophet since in ,israel like unto ,moses4 ,humility was his dying lesson4 ,but as the ,apostle has just been speaking of the duty owed to the elders as teachers1 it is perhaps better to apply the words of the exhortation in that sense4 ,those who were set over the ,churches were so set in the ,lord4 ,for the time they represented ,his hand1 the hand of care and guidance to those who were submissive4 ,in honouring them1 the younger were honouring ,god4 ,thus the lesson would be1 ,bend your hearts to the instruction which ,he imparts through their words2 yield your will to ,his will1 and order your life to be in harmony with ,his providence2 live thus that ,he may exalt you4 ,for the hand which may seem heavy now will be mighty to raise you in due time4 ,and that time ,he knows4 ,it is ,his time1 not yours4 ,if it tarry1 wait for it4 ,it will surely come2 it will not tarry1 when the ,divine discipline has done its work4 ,casting all your anxiety upon ,him1 because ,he careth for you4 ,when men do this the due time has come4 ,till this stage is reached there can be no true humility4 ,but how slow men are in reaching it6 ,we are willing to bring to ,god a little here and there of our sorrow and our feebleness1 but would fain still carry a part of the load ourselves4 ,human pride it is which cannot stoop to owe everything to ,god2 want of faith1 too1 both in the ,divine power and the ,divine love1 though our tongues may not confess it4 ,what a powerful homily on this verse is the conduct of the youthful ,david when he went forth against the ,philistine6 ,the ,lord1 he says to ,saul1 that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear1 ,he will deliver me out of the hand of this ,philistine4 ,and when the king offered his own coat of mail1 though tempted thereby1 he put the armour away1 saying1 ,i cannot go with these1 for ,i have not proved them4 ,he knew that ,god had given him skill with the humbler weapons1 and it was ,god's battle in which he was to engage4 ,so with his stones and his sling he went forth1 telling the defiant challenger1 ,i come to thee in the name of the ,lord of hosts4 ,the action is a comment on the ,psalmist's words1 ,commit thy way unto the ,lord1 trust also in ,him1 and ,he shall bring it to pass 7,psalm xxxviii4 #e74 ,but neither the young hero by his example1 nor the ,apostle in his exhortation1 teaches a spirit of careless indifference and neglect of means4 ,david chose him five smooth stones out of the brook4 ,these he could use4 ,with these ,god had delivered him aforetime4 ,and in every condition men are bound to use the best means they know to ensure success1 and the ,christian will pour out his prayers for guidance and foresight in temporal concerns4 ,that done1 the counsel of ,christ1 on which ,st4 ,peter's exhortation is grounded1 is1 ,be not overanxious2 your heavenly ,father knoweth your needs4 ,and he who has grown humble under the mighty hand of ,god in trials has learnt that the same hand is mighty to save3 ,he careth for you4 ,when this perfect trust is placed in ,god1 the load is lifted4 ,it is1 as the ,psalmist says literally1 rolled upon the ,lord 7,psalm xxxviii4 #e74 ,how salutary this teaching for both the elders and the congregations among these ,christians of the dispersion1 and how full the promise of help and blessing4 ,the teachers had been placed in the midst of difficulties and charged with a mighty responsibility2 but robed in the garment of humility1 casting aside all self-trust1 coming only in the name of the ,lord1 the burden would be raised by the almighty arms and made convenient to their powers4 ,and to the younger the same lowly spirit1 loving thoughts toward those who cared for their souls1 would be fruitful in blessing4 ,for the same ,god who resisteth the proud showers ,his grace upon the humble4 ,it falls on them as the dew of ,hermon1 which cometh down upon the mountains of ,zion4 ,unto them ,christ has proclaimed ,his foremost blessing2 has promised1 and is giving1 the kingdom of heaven to humble souls1 and will give them life for evermore4 ,,xviii ,,through ,,perils ,,to ,,victory ,be sober1 be watchful3 your adversary the devil1 as a roaring lion1 walketh about1 seeking whom he may devour3 whom withstand steadfast in your faith1 knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world4 ,and the ,god of all grace1 who called you unto ,his eternal glory in ,christ1 after that ye have suffered a little while1 shall ,himself perfect1 stablish1 strengthen you4 ,to ,him be the dominion for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,by ,silvanus1 our faithful brother1 as ,i account him1 ,i have written unto you briefly1 exhorting1 and testifying that this is the true grace of ,god3 stand ye fast therein4 ,she that is in ,babylon1 elect together with you1 saluteth you2 and so doth ,mark my son4 ,salute one another with a kiss of love4 ,peace be unto you all that are in ,christ4--#a ,,peter v4 #h-ad4 ,not only had these ,asian ,christians to suffer from the opposition and calumnies of the heathen and from the estrangement of former friends3 there were perils within the ,churches themselves4 ,there were weak brethren1 who fell away when trials came1 and infected others with their despondency2 there were false brethren1 with whom faith was a mere consent of the understanding1 and not the spring of a holy1 spiritual life4 ,these spake of the liberty of ,christ as though it were an emancipation from all moral restraints4 ,such dangers asked for firmness both in the elders and their hearers4 ,to withstand them there must be a constant growth in ,christian experience1 whereby the faithful might wax steadfast1 and attain to the strength and stature of the fulness of ,christ4 ,these dangers became more manifest before ,st4 ,peter wrote his second letter1 where we find them described in dark colours4 ,here to the converts1 exposed to the assaults of these temptations1 he enjoins the same well-ordered frame of mind which before 7i4 #ac7 he commended to them as they looked forward to the hope in store for them1 and also 7iv4 #g7 in their prayers1 that their petitions might be such as suited with the approaching end of all things4 ,be sober1 he says again1 and combines therewith an exhortation which without sobriety is impossible3 ,be watchful4 ,if the mind be unbalanced1 there can be no keeping of a true guard against such dangers as were around these struggling believers4 ,and it is impossible not to connect such an exhortation from his lips with those words of ,christ1 which one ,evangelist says were expressly addressed to ,st4 ,peter1 ,watch and pray1 that ye enter not into temptation 7,mark xiv4 #cg1 #ch74 ,he who had received this admonition was conscious that1 as in his own case1 so with these his converts1 the spirit might be willing1 but the flesh was weak1 and the enemy mighty4 ,your adversary the devil1 as a roaring lion1 walketh about1 seeking whom he may devour4 ,in the days of ,job1 when ,god asked of ,satan1 ,whence comest thou8 his answer was1 ,from going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it 7,job i4 #g74 ,of this ,old ,testament language the ,apostle here makes partial use in his description of the enemy of mankind4 ,he walketh about in the earth1 which is his province1 for he is called the prince of this world 7,john xii4 #ca7 and the god of this world 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #d74 ,and the ,greek word 1 adversary1 which ,st4 ,peter uses as a translation of the ,hebrew ,satan1 is well chosen1 for it describes not an ordinary enemy1 but one who acts as an opponent would in a court of law4 ,such was ,satan from the first1 an accuser4 ,in ,job's case he accused the ,patriarch to his ,god3 ,doth ,job serve ,god for nought8 ,put forth ,thine hand now1 and touch all that he hath1 or touch his bone and his flesh1 and he will curse ,thee to ,thy face4 ,in earlier days he appears as the accuser of ,god ,himself3 ,ye shall not surely die1 for ,god doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened1 and ye shall be as ,god1 knowing good and evil 7,gen4 iii4 #d1 #e74 ,and with such-like suggestions he assails the faithful continually1 speaking either to their unguarded hearts1 or by the words of his servants1 of whom he has no lack4 ,st4 ,paul dreaded his power for the ,thessalonian converts3 ,i sent that ,i might know your faith1 lest by any means the tempter had tempted you1 and our labour should be in vain 7#a ,thess4 iii4 #e74 ,and ,st4 ,peter's words are dictated by the same fear2 he has the same wish to keep the flock steadfast in their faith4 ,to them ,satan's whisperings would be after this sort3 ,you are forgotten of ,god2 ,love could never leave you so long in trial4 ,or his agents would say in scorn1 ,how can you talk of freedom1 when your life is one long torment8 ,what is the profit of faith1 when it gives you no liberty8 ,and such questions are perilous to feeble minds4 ,the ,apostle marks the great danger by a comparison which ,ezekiel 7xxii4 #be7 had used before him1 speaking of the tempter as a roaring lion1 ever hungry for his prey4 ,there is but one weapon which can vanquish him4 ,this is the victory that hath overcome the world1 even our faith 7#a ,john v4 #d74 ,st4 ,peter's lesson is the same as ,st4 ,john's4 ,whom withstand steadfast in your faith1 knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world4 ,the steadfast faith must be the firm foundation of ,god2 and the same thoughts1 which ,st4 ,paul commends as a correction of those who have erred concerning the truth1 are those most fit to be urged upon ,st4 ,peter's converts to render them steadfast4 ,the ,lord knoweth them that are ,his 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #ai71 and with the ,lord to know is to care for and to save4 ,and let every one that nameth the name of the ,lord depart from unrighteousness4 ,this is the perfect law1 the law of true liberty1 and he who continueth therein1 being not a hearer that forgetteth1 but a doer that worketh1 shall be blessed in his doing4 ,thus resting on ,god and thus ruling himself1 he shall be kept from the snares of the enemy1 and having withstood in the evil day1 shall still be made able to stand4 ,and to such steadfastness the brethren are to be moved by the knowledge that others are in the same affliction4 ,how shall such knowledge minister support8 ,the mere knowledge that others bear a like burden does not strengthen our own shoulders2 to hear of others' pains will not relieve our own4 ,not so4 ,but just as it is a power in warfare when men see their leader before them1 facing the same perils1 hear his voice cheering them by his courage1 inspiring them with his hope2 just as it is a support to brave men to find brave brethren at their side in the conflict1 animated by the same spirit1 marching forward to the same victory1 so is it in the ,christian struggle4 ,all ,christians are to be steadfast1 the elders like the leaders of an army1 the younger like the soldiers who follow1 that1 moving with one spirit against the foe1 feeling that each is like-minded with all the rest1 while all are equally conscious of the importance of victory1 they may grasp hands as they go forward1 and be heartened thereby1 being sure that in the danger they will have helpers at their side4 ,and that he may give the more emphasis to this idea of unity1 in which1 though the suffering is common to all1 yet the hope is also common1 and the victory is promised to all1 the ,apostle does not speak of the converts as a multitude of brethren1 but uses a noun in the singular number1 naming them 7as the margin of the ,revised ,version indicates7 a brotherhood 774 ,and when they regarded themselves as a brotherhood in the world1 the thought would have its comforting as well as its painful aspect4 ,the world1 as ,scripture speaks of it1 is void of faith4 ,hence the believer1 while he lives in it1 is amid jarring surroundings1 and is sure to suffer4 ,in the world ye shall have tribulation4 ,but it is not to last for ever1 nor for long4 ,the world passeth away1 but he that doeth the will of ,god abideth for ever4 ,and though the brotherhood in the world must suffer1 yet there is that other brotherhood beyond2 and there the suffering will not be remembered for the glory that shall be revealed in us4 ,and the ,god of all grace1 who called you unto ,his eternal glory in ,christ1 after that ye have suffered a little while1 shall ,himself perfect1 stablish1 strengthen you4 ,being now about to sum up the great work of ,christian advancement1 in which from first to last the power is bestowed by ,god1 ,st4 ,peter finds no title more fitting to express the ,divine love than the ,god of all grace4 ,the invitation to become partakers of the glory which ,christ has won by ,his sufferings1 won that ,he may bestow it upon men1 was ,god's free call4 ,our sufferings1 the discipline which the ,father employs to purge and purify us1 are to last but a little while4 ,then those whom ,he has called ,he will also justify1 and those whom ,he justifies ,he will in the end glorify4 ,thus ,st4 ,paul 7,rom4 viii4 #cj7 describes the operations of ,divine grace4 ,st4 ,peter1 with the same lesson1 uses words more after his own graphic manner4 ,he gives us a picture of ,god's work in its several stages4 ,first ,god will complete in all its parts the work which ,he has begun4 ,he will make it so that ,he can pronounce it very good1 as ,he did when the worlds were perfected in the first creation 7,heb4 xi4 #c71 making ,his people to be so perfected that they may be as their ,master 7,luke vi4 #dj74 ,then ,he will sustain and support that which ,he has brought to its best estate4 ,there shall not be1 as in the first creation1 any falling away4 ,new gifts shall be bestowed by the ,holy ,spirit1 through the ministration of the word4 ,it was for such a purpose that ,st4 ,paul longed to visit the ,roman ,church1 that he might impart unto them some spiritual gift1 to the end that they might be established4 ,and what has been perfected and established shall also by the same grace be made strong1 that it may endure and withstand all assaults4 ,in many ancient texts a fourth verb is given1 which the ,authorised ,version renders settle4 ,it signifies to set on a firm foundation1 and it is of the figurative character which marks ,st4 ,peter's language1 and1 beside this1 is not uncommon in the ,new ,testament 7,matt4 vii4 #be2 ,luke vi4 #dh2 ,heb4 i4 #aj1 etc474 ,but the verbs immediately preceding have no direct reference to a building1 and the addition arises probably from a marginal note1 made to illustrate the text and by some later scribe incorporated with it4 ,the whole passage brings to mind ,christ's injunction to the ,apostle1 ,when thou art converted1 strengthen thy brethren4 ,to ,him be the dominion for ever and ever4 ,amen4 ,a fitting doxology to follow the ,apostle's enumeration of the riches of ,divine grace4 ,he who feels that every gift he has is from above will with ready thankfulness welcome ,god's rule1 and seek to submit himself thereto1 making it the law of his life here1 as he hopes it will be hereafter4 ,by ,silvanus1 our faithful brother1 as ,i account him1 ,i have written unto you briefly4 ,silvanus was that ,silas who accompanied ,st4 ,paul in his second missionary journey through the districts of ,phrygia and ,galatia 7,acts xvi4 #f71 to which ,st4 ,peter addresses his letter4 ,to send it by the hand of one known and esteemed among these ,churches for his former labours and for his friendship with the great ,apostle of the ,gentiles would secure acceptance for it1 while the bearer would testify to the unity of the doctrine preached by the two ,apostles4 ,he who had been a faithful brother to ,st4 ,paul was so also to ,st4 ,peter1 and was by him commended to the ,churches4 ,for the expression1 ,i account him1 implies no doubt or question in the ,apostle's own mind4 ,it is the utterance of a matured opinion4 ,the verb 77 is that which ,st4 ,paul uses3 ,i reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us 7,rom4 viii4 #ah74 ,to ,st4 ,paul something of the future glory had been shown1 and he had felt abundance of present suffering4 ,he had taken account of both sides1 and could speak with certainty4 ,the brevity of ,st4 ,peter's letter could be supplemented by the words of his messenger4 ,for ,silas himself was a prophet 7,acts xv4 #cb71 and fitted to exhort and confirm the brethren4 ,exhorting1 and testifying that this is the true grace of ,god3 stand ye fast therein4 ,the grace in its several stages has just been summarised3 the calling1 the perfecting1 stablishing1 strengthening2 and the whole letter is occupied in showing that at every advance ,god puts ,his servants to the test4 ,but the ,apostle knows that agents of the adversary are busily scattering the tares of doubt and disbelief where ,god had sown ,his good seed4 ,the wrestling is not against flesh and blood alone1 but against the world-rulers of this darkness1 against the spiritual host of wickedness4 ,hence the form of his exhortation3 ,stand fast4 ,she that is in ,babylon1 elect together with you1 saluteth you2 and so doth ,mark my son4 ,salute one another with a kiss of love4 ,it is most natural to refer these words to a ,church1 and not to any individual4 ,some have interpreted them as an allusion to ,st4 ,peter's wife1 whom1 as we know from ,st4 ,paul 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #e71 he sometimes had as a companion in his travels4 ,but there is a degree of inappropriateness in speaking of a single person as elect along with these various ,churches of ,asia1 whereas the ,church in ,babylon might fitly have such a distinction4 ,it is unnecessary1 too1 to explain ,babylon 7as some have done7 as intended for ,rome4 ,there was no conceivable reason in ,st4 ,peter's day why1 when he was writing to lands under ,roman dominion1 if he meant to speak of the city in ,italy1 he should not call it by its real name4 ,the ,mark here named was most probably the ,john whose surname was ,mark 7,acts xii4 #ab71 whose mother was a friend of ,st4 ,peter's from the earliest days of his apostolic labours4 ,he1 too1 had been a companion of ,st4 ,paul for a time1 and made another link between the two great ,apostles4 ,st4 ,peter calls him son because it is likely that both the mother and her son were won to the new teaching by him1 and he employs the term of affection just as ,st4 ,paul does of ,timothy1 his convert 7#a ,tim4 i4 #b1 #ah2 #b ,tim4 i4 #b74 ,the salutation by a kiss is frequently mentioned4 ,it is called a holy kiss 7,rom4 xvi4 #af2 #a ,cor4 xvi4 #bj2 #b ,cor4 xiii4 #ab2 #a ,thess4 v4 #bf7 in ,st4 ,paul's language4 ,we find from ,justin ,martyr#ab that it had come to be used in his day as part of the ceremonial preceding the ,holy ,communion4 ,it was to be a token of perfect love1 according to the name which ,st4 ,peter here gives it4 ,an evil construction was soon put upon it by the enemies of the faith2 and after a long history it fell into disuse1 even in the ,east1 where such manner of salutation is more common than in the ,west4 ,in his final words the ,apostle has embodied the benediction of which the kiss was meant to be the symbol4 #ab ,apol4 i4 #fe4 ,peace be unto you all that are in ,christ4 ,this is the bond which unites believers into one fellowship4 ,to be in ,christ is to be of the brotherhood which has been so significantly marked just before for its unity4 ,and in these last clauses we have examples of the force of the tie4 ,individuals are brought by it into close communion1 as ,peter himself with ,silas and with ,mark1 whom he speaks of in terms of family love4 ,to the ,churches ,silas is commended as a brother in the faith1 which faith establishes a bond of strength between the distant ,churches which have been called into it together4 ,well might the heathen1 wonderstruck1 exclaim1 ,see how these ,christians love one another6 ,and the ,apostle's own words mark the all-embracing character of the love3 all that are in ,christ4 ,they are all brethren1 children of the common ,father1 inheritors of the same promises1 pilgrims on the same journey1 sustained by the same hope1 servants of the same ,lord1 and strengthened1 guided1 and enlightened by the one ,spirit1 who is promised to abide with ,christ's ,church for ever4 ,,the ,,second ,,epistle ,,of ,,st4 ,,peter ,,xix ,,the ,,saving ,,knowledge ,,of ,,god ,simon ,peter1 a servant and apostle of ,jesus ,christ1 to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our ,god and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ3 ,grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of ,god and of ,jesus our ,lord2 seeing that ,his ,divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness1 through the knowledge of ,him that called us by ,his own glory and virtue2 whereby ,he hath granted unto us ,his precious and exceeding great promises2 that through these ye may become partakers of the ,divine nature1 having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust4--#b ,,peter i4 #a-d4 ,in the salutation of this second letter the ,apostle describes himself in fuller form than in the first3 ,simon ,peter1 a servant and apostle of ,jesus ,christ4 ,some have seen in this description a testamentary character1 as though the ,epistle contained his parting counsels4 ,the words form an epitome of his whole life4 ,as ,simon1 son of ,jonas1 he lived his life in ,judaism until ,christ's call summoned him to be a fisher of men4 ,peter is the ,christ-given name1 which marked an advance in spiritual illumination1 an advance that fitted him to be one of the chief heralds of ,god manifest in the flesh4 ,as a servant 7or rather1 bondservant7 of ,jesus ,christ1 he stands on the same level with those to whom he writes1 though the service to which he has been called may be in character different from theirs4 ,jesus had said to the twelve1 and through them to the whole body of believers1 ,one is your ,master1 even the ,christ4 ,but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant 7,matt4 xxiii4 #aj74 ,and here comes forward that other aspect of ,christian service4 ,the servants of ,christ are1 for ,his sake1 servants to all the brotherhood 7#b ,cor4 iv4 #e74 ,as an apostle he speaks with authority1 an authority greater than can be possessed by any future age4 ,the solemn character of the office is stamped by ,christ's words1 ,as ,my ,father sent ,me1 even so send ,i you2 and the ,churches are reminded1 as they think of the apostolic office1 that the ,lord who commissioned the twelve to be ,his servants said1 ,he that heareth you heareth ,me1 and ,he that despiseth you despiseth ,me4 ,st4 ,peter does not1 as in his former letter1 name the ,churches to which he is writing2 but afterwards 7iii4 #a7 he states that this is his second letter to them4 ,we may therefore conclude that the same persons are addressed as before4 ,here he speaks of them as them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our ,god and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,some have thought that here the ,apostle's words are specially addressed to those among the converts who had been won from heathendom1 and now were made partakers of the same faith with himself and others who1 like him1 had been born ,jews1 and so heirs in part to ,god's precious promises4 ,but1 as he has just made mention of his apostolic office1 it seems easier to refer us to the ,apostles4 ,if this be the sense1 then--though in the allusion to his office and authority they must have recognised the points wherein his communing with ,christ had made him to differ from them--these words set forward that aspect of the ,christian life wherein all the faithful are equal4 ,the graces1 gifts1 and opportunities which ,god bestows are according to men's power to improve them2 but faith1 in its saving efficacy and preciousness1 is the same for every believer4 ,and when he speaks of this faith as being in the righteousness of our ,god and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 we see that he is thinking of righteousness in that sense in which he uses the word afterwards in this ,epistle 7iii4 #ac73 as that perfect righteousness which belongs to the new heavens and the new earth1 and hence to ,god ,himself4 ,to this righteousness each stranger and sojourner in the world is striving to attain by faith1 and by each exercise thereof he is raised nearer to his lofty aim4 ,his faith1 like the patriarch's of old1 is counted unto him for righteousness4 ,the fruit of each man's faith will be --alike precious--when the journey is ended4 ,for it will be salvation in the presence of the perfect righteousness4 ,as in the ,saviour's parable the welcome was the same to him who had rightly used his two talents as to him who had done the like with five1 so each faithful servant of ,christ1 working righteousness according to his power here1 shall be called up into the joy of his ,lord4 ,for the joys of heaven all will not have the same capacity2 but for each1 according to his power to receive it1 there will be fulness of joy4 ,nor should the word obtained pass unnoticed4 ,it is the word used of ,judas 7,acts i4 #ag71 who obtained part of the apostolic ministry on the call of ,jesus4 ,so here1 too1 the call into the faith is of ,god2 and it is when men obey it that they progress in ,divine graces and go forward unto righteousness4 ,grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of ,god and of ,jesus our ,lord4 ,the first words are the same with the ,apostle's prayer in the opening of the ,first ,epistle4 ,and to no stage of the ,christian life can such a wish be inappropriate4 ,to grow in grace1 and so in peace1 is the ,christian's daily bread2 and the thought of this seems to be uppermost in ,st4 ,peter's mind in this letter1 that thus the falling away1 to which he sees the converts are likely to be exposed1 may be counteracted4 ,the danger was arising from the boastful parade of a knowledge 77 falsely so called 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #bj74 ,before this letter was written teachers had risen within the ,church who professed to have a deeper and more mysterious interpretation of the doctrines of the ,gospel4 ,this esoteric enlightenment they specially named knowledge1 and led men astray by profitless inquiries concerning the absolute nature of ,god and the manner of ,his communication with the world4 ,to this teaching ,st4 ,paul is referring when he speaks of foolish questions and endless genealogies1 and it is this which ,st4 ,peter rebukes so vehemently in the next chapter of this letter4 ,as an antidote for the poison1 he urges the converts to seek after a true and full knowledge 77 of the ,father and the ,son4 ,no single word can adequately represent this term1 which became the watchword of all the ,christian teachers4 ,it is that knowledge of the truth which ,st4 ,paul so often commends to ,timothy 7#a ,tim4 ii4 #d2 #b ,tim4 iii4 #g7 and speaks of as that acknowledging of the truth1 allowing it to be effective on the life1 which follows repentance 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #be72 it is specially the knowledge of ,god and of things ,divine2 it is that knowledge which must temper religious zeal 7,rom4 x4 #b7 that it may be effective2 it is the knowledge against which if a man sin 7,heb4 x4 #bf7 he is verily reprobate4 ,and this true knowledge can only come of faithful service4 ,he shall know the ,lord who loves to do ,his will4 ,do the works1 and ye shall know of the doctrine4 ,seeing that ,his ,divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness4 ,the work1 though great1 becomes not impossible2 the dangers and difficulties1 though abundant1 are not insurmountable4 ,for it is not on us that the victory depends4 ,god hath begotten us again unto a lively hope through ,christ's resurrection2 and ,christ has promised to be with ,his servants all the days1 even unto the end of the world4 ,there is a free gift of ,divine power for all our needs1 everything to foster the spiritual life and to guide into the way of holiness4 ,wisdom will be given that we may understand ,god's will and choose aright1 strength to persevere in the midst of trial1 boldness to make confession of the ,lord before men1 and watchfulness lest we1 as did the teachers of error1 wax overconfident4 ,all things are granted2 all things may be ours4 ,through the knowledge of ,him that called us by ,his own glory and virtue4 ,here the same full knowledge 77 of which the ,apostle has just been speaking is to become the channel of all our blessings3 to know ,god1 who has made ,himself to be known through ,christ ,jesus4 ,god's glory and virtue--that is1 ,his ,divine power--have been manifested in ,him4 ,the disciples beheld them in ,christ's miracles4 ,this beginning of ,his signs did ,jesus1 444 and manifested ,his glory2 and ,his disciples believed on ,him 7,john ii4 #aa71 and of ,his whole life ,st4 ,john says1 ,we beheld ,his glory1 glory as of the only-begotten from the ,father4 ,he dwelt among us full of grace and truth 7,john i4 #ad74 ,this is what ,st4 ,peter means by virtue4 ,and still in the hearts of men through the ,spirit the same manifestation is given4 ,he illumines them1 to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of ,god in the face of ,jesus ,christ4 ,whereby ,he hath granted unto us ,his precious and exceeding great promises4 ,in ,christ ,god has offered men all the blessings of the new covenant3 repentance2 faith2 justification2 eternal life4 ,he1 with the ,son and the ,spirit1 comes unto the faithful and makes ,his abode with them4 ,thus they are made members of ,christ's mystical body4 ,he dwells in their hearts by faith2 ,he gives them power to become sons of ,god3 they are adopted of ,god1 who sent ,his only-begotten ,son into the world that they might live through ,him4 ,these are the precious promises granted1 but not forced upon men1 set forth in all their greatness in the life and love of ,jesus2 and men are invited to choose them4 ,and the choice is made by patiently doing the will of ,god so far as it is revealed to each man2 after that we shall receive the promises 7,heb4 x4 #cf74 ,that through these ye may become partakers of the ,divine nature4 ,this is the ,divine scheme for man's restoration2 this is the change of which ,st4 ,paul speaks to the ,corinthians 7#b ,cor4 ii4 #ah71 and which he illustrates by the glorified face of ,moses4 ,the prophet was called up into ,mount ,horeb1 and drew near to the presence of ,jehovah2 the ,lord spake with him face to face out of the midst of the fire1 and his countenance was illumined by the eternal glory4 ,but the radiance was bestowed on ,moses alone2 the people might not draw near3 and the glory shed on him was transient1 so that he veiled his face lest the people should mark its passing away4 ,but since the manifestation of ,god in ,christ all men may draw near1 and be made partakers of unfading glory4 ,it is not with ,zion as with ,sinai4 ,the way is open to all1 nor will the glory pass away from those who have been blessed with it4 ,for now we all1 with unveiled face1 reflect as a mirror the glory of the ,lord1 and1 with progress in holiness1 are transformed into the same image1 as from the ,lord the ,spirit4 ,thus men become--for it is a gradual process--partakers of the ,divine nature1 and being drawn more near to ,god while they live here1 are fitted through ,his mercy1 when the last call comes1 to go up higher and sit down at the marriage-supper of the ,lamb1 their life having been a constant putting on of the wedding garment4 ,having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust4 ,this is the victory that overcometh the world1 but it is a conquest which men cannot win unaided1 nay1 where the truest bravery1 the surest hope1 is in speedy flight4 ,like ,lot from ,sodom must the ,christian hasten away from the lusts of the world1 casting no look behind him1 nor tarrying to dally with them for a moment4 ,for the flesh is weak1 and the prince of this world is mighty in his evil domain1 and1 that he may lead men astray1 will ofttimes transform himself into an angel of light2 and within the soul of man he has his confederate powers1 the cravings of this human nature1 which thinks the baits of the enemy are pleasant to the eyes1 and it may be they look fit to make one wise4 ,and so in the eyes of the tempted ones1 as in the eyes of the senseless bird of the ,proverbs1 the net seems spread in vain2 in their own fancy they seem able to go on without being entangled1 and ,satan encourages the delusion4 ,after that the stages are easy1 but they are all downhill4 ,men first walk after their own lusts2 then they are led by them1 then obey them1 and at last become their slaves4 ,this is the corruption1 the ruin1 from which the ,christian is aided to flee through seeking the glory of ,god as it is set before him in the ,saviour's works and words4 ,drawn by these1 he turns away his gaze from the world and its lusts2 his eyes no longer behold vanity to love it4 ,he has begun to learn of ,jesus1 and every new lesson makes him stronger in the faith2 and by degrees he is enabled to bring forth into light1 and bear witness to1 the knowledge which he has gained of the glory of ,god as it shines in the face of ,jesus ,christ4 ,so not he alone1 but those who behold his escape and mark his growth in grace1 may give ,god the praise1 saying1 ,this hath ,god wrought1 for they shall perceive that it is ,his work4 ,,xx ,,who ,,shall ,,ascend ,,into ,,the ,,hill ,,of ,,the ,,lord8 ,yea1 and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence1 in your faith supply virtue2 and in your virtue knowledge2 and in your knowledge temperance2 and in your temperance patience2 and in your patience godliness2 and in your godliness love of the brethren2 and in your love of the brethren love4 ,for if these things are yours and abound1 they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,for he that lacketh these things is blind1 seeing only what is near1 having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins4 ,wherefore1 brethren1 give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure3 for if ye do these things1 ye shall never stumble3 for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4--#b ,,peter i4 #e-aa4 ,the ,apostle has just set forth in all their fulness the riches of ,divine grace3 the precious faith1 followed by the bestowal of all helps toward life and godliness1 and with the large promises of ,god to rely on for the future1 promises whereby those who seek to renounce the things which are not of the ,father1 but of the world1 may become partakers of the ,divine nature4 ,these blessings are assured1 are in store1 but only for those who manifest a desire to receive them4 ,how this desire shall be shown1 how it shall constantly grow stronger and be ever fulfilling1 until it attain perfect fruition in ,christ's eternal kingdom1 is the next instruction4 ,yea1 and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence1 in your faith supply virtue4 ,the plenteousness of the ,divine bounty is proclaimed that it may evoke an earnest response from all who receive it4 ,what shall ,i render unto the ,lord for all the benefits which ,he hath done1 and is doing1 unto me8 is to be the heart's cry of the feeblest of ,god's saints4 ,for the boundless ocean of grace asks that there should be mingled with it some drops of human duty4 ,god will heal the bite of the serpents in the wilderness1 but to gain the blessing the wounded ones1 even in their suffering1 must turn their eyes to the appointed symbol of healing4 ,christ's power will cure ten lepers1 but ,he first sends them away to do their little in the path of obedience3 ,go1 show yourselves to the priest4 ,thus the ,apostle's exhortation here1 ,adding on your part all diligence4 ,the diligence of which he speaks is that sort of endeavour which springs from a sense of duty3 an earnest zeal and will to accomplish whatever it finds to do2 that does not linger till some great work offers1 but hastens to labour in the immediate present4 ,this is the spirit in which ,christian advance will be made4 ,and the lines on which such progress will go he now describes as though each new step were evolved from1 and were a natural development of1 that which preceded it4 ,the faith which the ,christian holds fast is the gift of ,god1 and it contains the germs of every grace that can follow4 ,these the believer is to foster with diligence4 ,st4 ,peter begins his scale of graces thus3 ,in your faith supply virtue4 ,here virtue means the best development of such power as a man possesses4 ,it may be little or great1 but in its kind it is to be made excellent4 ,and here it is that the ,christian workers in every sphere must surpass others4 ,they work from a higher motive4 ,what they do is a constant attestation of their faith1 is done as in ,god's sight1 and in the confidence that in every act it is possible to give ,him glory4 ,there can be no carelessness in such lives1 for they are filled with a sense of responsibility1 which is the first-fruit of a living faith4 ,and in ,st4 ,peter's figurative word the believer is said to supply each grace in turn because he contributes by his careful walk to wake it into life1 to make it active1 and let it shine as a light before men4 ,and in your virtue knowledge1 he continues4 ,for1 with duty rightly done1 there comes illumination over the path of life3 men understand more of ,god's dealings1 and hence bring their lives into closer harmony with ,his will4 ,and we have ,christ's own assurance1 ,if any man willeth to do ,his will1 he shall know of the teaching 7,john vii4 #ag74 ,and the same is true not only of the ,lord's own lessons1 but of all the promptings of the ,spirit in men's hearts4 ,if they hearken to the voice which whispers1 ,this is the way1 it will become at every stage plainer1 and there will be shown to them not only the how1 but the wherefore4 ,and in your knowledge temperance4 ,there is a knowledge which puffeth up1 giving not humility1 which is the fruit of true knowledge1 but self-conceit4 ,of the evil effects thereof the ,apostle knew much4 ,out of it grew extravagance in thought1 and word1 and action2 and its mischief was threatening the infant ,churches4 ,against it the temperance which he commends is to be the safeguard1 and it is a virtue which can be manifested in all things4 ,he who possesses it has conquered himself1 and has won his way thus to stability of mind and consistency of conduct4 ,his heart is fixed1 trusting in the ,lord1 and so he can go forward to the ,apostle's next stage of the heavenward journey3 ,and in your temperance patience4 ,this is the true sequence of spiritual self-control4 ,life is sure to supply for the godly man trials in abundance4 ,but he is daily striving to die unto the world4 ,the effort fixes his mind firmly on the ,divine purposes1 and lifts him above the circumstances of time4 ,he is a pilgrim and sojourner amidst them1 but is in no bondage to them1 nor will he be moved1 even by great afflictions1 to waver in his trust4 ,he can look on1 as seeing ,him that is invisible1 and can persevere without being unduly cast down4 ,and in your patience godliness4 ,the mystery of godliness--that is1 ,godlikeness--was made known by the ,incarnation4 ,the ,son of ,god became man1 that men might through ,him be made sons of ,god4 ,and godliness in the present world is ,christ made manifest in the lives of ,his servants4 ,toward this imitation of ,christ the believer will aspire through his patience4 ,he takes up the cross and bears it after his ,master1 and thus begins his discipleship1 of which the communion with ,christ waxes more intimate day by day4 ,such was the godliness of ,st4 ,paul4 ,it was because he had followed the ,lord in all that ,he would have him to do that the ,apostle was bold to exhort the ,corinthians1 ,be ye imitators of me2 but he adds at once1 as ,i am of ,christ 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #a74 ,and when he sends ,timothy to recall his teaching to their minds he says1 ,he shall put you in remembrance of my ways which are in ,christ4 ,by such a walk with ,christ ,his servants are helped forward towards the fulfilment of the two tables of the moral law1 to which ,st4 ,peter alludes in his next words3 ,and in your godliness love of the brethren2 and in your love of the brethren love4 ,the last-named love 77 is that highest love1 the love of ,god to men1 which is set up as the grand ideal towards which ,his servants are constantly to press forward2 but from this the love of the brethren cannot be severed1 nay it must be made the stepping-stone unto it4 ,for1 as another ,apostle says1 he that loveth not his brother1 whom he hath seen1 cannot love ,god1 whom he hath not seen 7#a ,john iv4 #bj74 ,but love of the brethren is not to be narrowed in the verse before us or elsewhere to love of those who are already known to the ,churches as brethren in the ,lord4 ,the ,gospel of ,christ knows no such limits4 ,the commission of the ,master was1 ,go ye forth into all the world4 ,all mankind are to be won for ,him2 all are embraced in the name of brethren4 ,for if they be not so now1 it is our bounden duty to endeavour that they shall be so4 ,and in thus interpreting we have the mind of ,christ with us1 who came to seek and to save them that were lost1 to die for the sins of the whole world1 and who found ,his brethren among every class who would hear ,his words and obey them4 ,we have with us1 too1 the acts of ,god ,himself1 who would have all men come to the knowledge of the truth1 and who1 with impartial love1 maketh ,his sun to rise on the evil and on the good1 and sendeth ,his rain upon the just and the unjust1 that thus even the evil and unjust may be won to own ,his ,fatherhood4 ,such ,divine love is the end of the commandment 7#a ,tim4 i4 #e71 and terminates the list of those graces the steps whereto ,st4 ,paul has more briefly indicated when he says the love which is most like ,god's springs from a pure heart1 a good conscience1 and faith unfeigned4 ,in this way shall men be borne upward into the hill of the ,lord4 ,the knowledge of ,christ is a lesson in which we cannot be perfected till we behold ,him as ,he is1 but yet through it from the first we receive the earnest and pledge of all that is meant by life and godliness1 and the culture of the ,divine gifts will yield a rich increase of the same knowledge4 ,for if these things are yours and abound1 they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,men in this life can draw nearer unto this full knowledge1 and the bliss of each new gain prompts to more zealous exertion4 ,there can be no relaxation of effort1 no remissness1 in such a quest4 ,for hope is fostered by the constant experience of a deepening knowledge1 and receives continual pledges that the glory to be revealed is far above what is already known4 ,the enlightened vision grows wider and ampler2 and the path1 which began in faith1 shineth more and more unto the perfect day4 ,the world offers other lights to its votaries1 but they lead only into darkness4 ,for he that lacketh these things is blind1 seeing only what is near1 having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins4 ,he who has taken no heed to foster within him the light which is kindled by faith1 and which can only be kept alive by the grace of the ,divine ,spirit1 is blind1 yea blind indeed1 for he is self-blinded4 ,he has quenched the inward light which was of ,god's free gift1 and made the light within him to be darkness1 a darkness1 like ,egypt's1 which may be felt4 ,such a man has no insight into the glories of the celestial vision1 no joy of the widening prospect which captivates the gaze of the spiritual man4 ,he can see only things close at hand1 and is as one bowed downward to the earth1 groping a dreary way1 with neither hope nor exaltation at the end4 ,for he has forgotten--nay1 ,st4 ,peter's words are stronger and very striking-- --he has taken hold upon forgetfulness1 made a deliberate choice of that course which obliterates all remembrance of ,god's initial gift of grace to cleanse him from his old sins4 ,unmindful of this purification1 he has admitted into the dwelling where the ,spirit of ,god would have made a home other spirits more wicked than those first cast out4 ,they have entered in1 and dwell there4 ,there is a marked contrast between this expression and the word used for ,god's gift of faith 7ver4 #a74 ,that a man receives 77 as the bounty of his ,lord's love2 and if treasured and used1 it proves itself the light of life for this world and the next4 ,the wrong path he chooses for himself 771 and its close is the blackness of the dark4 ,wherefore1 brethren1 give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure4 ,wherefore1 brethren--because such terrible blindness as this has fallen upon some1 who left their first grace unimproved and allowed even the memory of it to fade away--do you give the more diligence in your religious life4 ,the true way to banish evil is to multiply good1 leaving neither room nor time for bad things to spread themselves4 ,when the peril of such things is round about you1 it is no time for relaxed effort4 ,your enemy never relaxes his4 ,he is always active1 seeking whom he may devour1 and employs not the day only1 but the night1 when men sleep1 to sow his tares4 ,let him find you ever watchful1 ever diligent to hold fast and make abundant the gifts which ,god has already bestowed upon you4 ,in the foreknowledge of the ,father1 you are elect from the foundation of the world2 and your call is attested by the injunction laid upon you1 ,ye shall be holy1 for ,i am holy4 ,your inheritance is in store where nothing can assail it4 ,god only asks that you should manifest a wish1 a longing1 for ,his blessings2 and ,he will pour them richly upon you4 ,he has made you of a loftier mould than the inanimate and irrational creation4 ,the flower turns to the sun by a law which it cannot resist4 ,from the ,sun of righteousness men can turn away4 ,but the ,father's will is that your eyes should be set on the hope which ,he offers4 ,then of a certainty it will be realised4 ,lift up your eyes to the eternal hills1 for from thence your help will come4 ,the promise is sure4 ,strive to keep your hope equally steadfast4 ,for now you belong to the household of ,christ2 now you are through ,him children of the heavenly ,father3 to this sonship you are elect and have been called1 and to it you shall attain if you hold fast your boldness and the glorying of your hope unto the end4 ,for if ye do these things1 ye shall never stumble4 ,the way will be hard1 and may be long1 the obstacles in your path many and rugged1 heaped up by the prince of this world to bar you from advancing and make you faint-hearted2 but down into the midst of the danger there shall shine from the ,father of lights a ray which shall illumine the darkness and make clear for you the steps in which you ought to tread1 and the rod and staff of ,god's might will support and comfort you4 ,for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,in his first words in this passage the ,apostle exhorted the believers to supply something1 as it were1 of their own towards their spiritual advancement2 but when the demand was fully understood1 behold ,god had made ready the means for doing everything which was asked for6 ,within the precious faith which ,he bestowed was enfolded the potentiality of every other grace4 ,there they lay1 as seeds in a seed-plot4 ,all that men were bidden to do was to give them culture4 ,then ,god's ,spirit would operate as the generous sunshine1 and cause each hidden power to unfold itself in its time and bloom into beauty and strength4 ,in this verse the ,divine assistance is more clearly promised4 ,what men bestow shall be returned unto them manifold4 ,do your diligence1 says the ,apostle1 and there shall be supplied unto you from the rich stores of ,god all that can help you forward in your heavenward journey4 ,the kingdom of ,god shall begin for you while you are passing through this present life4 ,for it can be set up within you4 ,it has been prepared from all eternity in heaven1 and will be enjoyed in full fruition when this life is ended4 ,but it is a state1 and not a place4 ,the entrance thereto is opened here4 ,the believer is beckoned into it2 and with enraptured soul he enjoys through faith a foretaste of the things which eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 nor heart of man conceived1 the things which ,god has prepared for them that love ,him4 ,over those joys ,christ is ,king1 but ,he is also the door2 and those who enter through ,him shall go in and out1 and shall surely find pasture1 even life for evermore4 ,,xxi ,,the ,,voice ,,heard ,,in ,,the ,,holy ,,mount ,wherefore ,i shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things1 though ye know them1 and are established in the truth which is with you4 ,and ,i think it right1 as long as ,i am in this tabernacle1 to stir you up by putting you in remembrance2 knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly1 even as our ,lord ,jesus ,christ signified unto me4 ,yea1 ,i will give diligence that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance4 ,for we did not follow cunningly devised fables1 when we made known unto you the power and coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 but we were eye-witnesses of ,his majesty4 ,for ,he received from ,god the ,father honour and glory1 when there came such a voice to ,him from the excellent glory1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased3 and this voice we ourselves heard come out of heaven1 when we were with ,him in the holy mount4--#b ,,peter i4 #ab-ah4 ,up to this point the ,apostle has spoken of ,god's abundant grace and the consequent duties of believers4 ,and he has set forth these duties in the most encouraging language4 ,he has pictured first the gift of ,divine power1 and the precious promises of ,god1 whereby men may be helped to walk onward and upward2 and when the labour is ended he has pointed to the door of ,christ's eternal kingdom1 open to admit the saint to ,his everlasting rest4 ,now he turns to describe the duty which he feels to be laid upon himself1 and faithful is he in the discharge thereof4 ,strengthen thy brethren1 is constantly ringing in his ears4 ,wherefore1 he says1 ,i shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things4 ,he dreads that taking hold of forgetfulness--that --of which he has spoken before1 and against which constant diligence is needed4 ,so far as in him lies1 the perilous condition shall come upon none of them4 ,the verb in the best texts expresses far more than that which is rendered in the ,authorised ,version1 ,i will not be negligent4 ,it implies a sense of duty and the intention of fulfilling it2 it bears within it1 too1 the thought 7which is strengthened by the word always7 that there may be need for such reminding1 if not from internal weakness1 yet by reason of external dangers4 ,and to bring to the mind of the ,churches the gracious bounty of ,god in ,christ1 and to set down the steps whereby the graces bestowed should be fostered and increased1 is a subject worthy of an ,apostle1 a theme which no amount of exhortation can exhaust1 and one which ought to prompt the hearers to gratitude and obedience4 ,though ye know them1 and are established in the truth which is with you4 ,knowledge of things that pertain unto godliness is barren unless it be wrought out in the life4 ,yet knowledge and practice do not always go hand in hand4 ,this was one of the lessons taught by ,jesus as ,he washed the disciples' feet3 ,if ye know these things1 blessed are ye if ye do them 7,john xiii4 #ag74 ,st4 ,peter longs that the converts should make this blessedness their own4 ,his life's work is to watch for them1 that they be not remiss in doing4 ,to none can such a duty more peculiarly belong than to him who holds ,christ's special commission to feed the flock4 ,by the truth which is with you the ,apostle appears to be alluding to the varying degrees of advancement which there must be among the members of the ,churches4 ,all have travelled some way along the road which he has shown them2 all have some of the truth within their grasp4 ,they have set their feet on the path1 though they be planted with different degrees of firmness4 ,what is needed for each and all is to press forward1 not to rest in the present1 but to hasten to what lies beyond4 ,for the truth of ,god is inexhaustible4 ,perhaps1 too1 he thought1 as he spake of the truth present with them1 that he was of necessity absent and would soon be removed altogether1 and the only way by which he could serve them was by his epistle4 ,he could never forget that among those to whom he was writing were the ,galatians1 over whose falling back from the truth ,st4 ,paul had so greatly lamented3 who had run well1 but had fainted ere the course was over2 who had received some truth to be present with them1 even the faith of the crucified ,jesus1 but had been beguiled into letting it slip4 ,thought of these things shapes his words as he writes1 ,i shall be ready always to put you in remembrance4 ,he rejoices that they are established1 but yet sends them an admonition4 ,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall4 ,and ,i think it right4 ,the word marks the solemn estimate which the ,apostle takes of his duty4 ,it is a just and righteous work4 ,danger is abroad1 and he has been made one of ,christ's shepherds4 ,many motives prompt him to write his words of counsel and warning4 ,first1 his love for them as his brethren1 some of them1 perhaps1 his children in ,christ4 ,like ,st4 ,paul1 he has them in his heart4 ,then1 he will fulfil to the utmost the charge which the ,lord gave him4 ,he is conscious1 too1 that opportunities for the fulfilment of his trust will soon come to an end4 ,as long as ,i am in this tabernacle1 he says4 ,it is but a frail home1 the body2 and with ,st4 ,peter age was drawing on4 ,he saw that the time of his departure could not be far off1 and this left no excuse for remitting his admonitions4 ,he must be urgent so long as he can4 ,to stir you up by putting you in remembrance4 ,the work of the ,apostle will be thoroughly done 771 and be of that nature for which the ,holy ,ghost was promised to himself and his fellows4 ,he shall bring to your remembrance all that ,i said unto you 7,john xiv4 #bf74 ,thus would ,st4 ,peter1 like ,st4 ,paul1 impart unto the converts some spiritual gift1 that he1 with them1 may be comforted1 strengthened1 each by the other's faith4 ,so he proceeds to dwell on that ,divine manifestation by which his own belief had been confirmed4 ,and there would be memories of ,st4 ,paul's lessons also to call to their minds1 and many of these would be awakened by an appeal like this4 ,the falling away of the ,galatians had been from a different cause1 but the memory of the past would warn1 and might strengthen1 them all in the future against their new dangers4 ,knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly1 even as our ,lord ,jesus ,christ signified unto me4 ,such a motive makes the appeal most touching4 ,he will soon be removed4 ,to this he looks forward without alarm4 ,his concern is for them1 not for himself4 ,he regards his death as the stripping off of a dress3 when its use is past it is parted with without regret4 ,to him1 as to his brother ,apostle1 to die would be gain4 ,but he must have had constantly in mind the ,master's prophecy1 ,when thou art old1 thou shalt stretch forth thine hands1 and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not 7,john xxi4 #ah74 ,and in the word swiftly he no doubt alludes1 not only to the old age in which the end would naturally come1 but also to some sharp stroke by which his departure would be brought to pass4 ,the stretching out of his hands would be a preliminary to the prison and the cross4 ,in the ,gospel it is said that ,christ's words give the sign 771 the indication1 by what death he should die4 ,the ,apostle employs a stronger word 77 here3 made it evident4 ,the ,english version renders both verbs by signify1 but ,st4 ,peter's own expression marks how growing age had made clearer to him the manner in which his death should be accomplished4 ,and the mention of ,jesus brings vividly before him the thought of the scene he is about to describe1 so vividly that some of the language of the ,transfiguration scene is reproduced by him4 ,yea1 ,i will give diligence that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance4 ,jesus is related 7,luke ix4 #ca7 to have conversed with ,moses and ,elias of ,his decease 77 which ,he should accomplish at ,jerusalem4 ,the word is rare in this sense1 being commonly used1 as in ,heb4 xi4 #bb1 of the departing of the children of ,israel from ,egypt4 ,but it is deeply printed in ,st4 ,peter's mind2 and he1 who looks forward to drinking of his ,master's cup and dying somewhere as ,he died1 employs the same word concerning his own end4 ,and the word is another indication of the calm with which he can look forward to his death4 ,as with ,christ1 there is no reluctance1 no shrinking4 ,the change will be but a departure1 a passing from one stage to another1 the putting off the worn garment of mortality to be clothed upon by the robe which is from heaven4 ,his letters are the only means whereby he can speak after he has been taken from them4 ,hence his earnestness in writing4 ,i will give diligence4 ,i have urged diligence on you2 ,i will apply the lesson to myself1 and make it possible that afterwards on every occasion you may have it before you4 ,when dead1 he will yet speak to them2 so that in each new trial1 in each time of need1 they may strengthen their faith or be warned of their danger4 ,at every time1 he says2 and thus his strengthening words of admonition are a legacy through the ages to the ,church for evermore4 ,for we did not follow cunningly devised fables4 ,here the ,apostle speaks in the plural number1 and it may well be that he means to include ,st4 ,paul with himself and ,james and ,john4 ,for the evidence which converted that ,apostle1 though not the same as that vouchsafed to ,st4 ,peter1 was of the same kind4 ,the ,lord had appeared unto him in the way1 had made ,his glory seen and felt1 and fixed for ever in the ,apostle's heart the reality of ,his power and presence4 ,his cry1 ,lord1 what wilt ,thou have me to do8 came from a heart conquered and convinced4 ,he too followed no cunningly devised fable4 ,by the word 77 which is rendered cunningly devised we are reminded of the 77 wisdom which ,st4 ,paul so earnestly disclaims in his first letter to the ,corinthians4 ,i came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom1 he says2 my preaching was not in persuasive words of wisdom1 that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men1 but in the power of ,god4 ,the wisdmom which he speaks is not of this world1 but ,god's wisdom in a mystery 7#a ,cor4 ii4 #a-g74 ,st4 ,paul also warns against giving heed to fables1 which minister questionings rather than a dispensation of ,god which is in faith 7#a ,tim4 i4 #d2 cf4 also iv4 #g and #b ,tim4 iv4 #d74 ,in another place 7,titus i4 #ad7 he calls them ,jewish fables1 a name which is of the same import as the ,jewish vanities of ,ignatius1#ac a name by which he intimates that they darken and confuse the mind4 ,the legends of the ,talmud1 the subtleties of the rabbinical teaching1 and the allegorising interpretations of ,philo are the delusions to which both the ,apostles refer4 ,the evidence on which they ask credence for their teaching is of another kind4 ,that which was from the beginning1 is the testimony of another ,apostle1 that which we heard1 that which we have seen with our eyes1 that which we beheld1 and our hands handled1 concerning the word of life1 444 that declare we unto you also1 that ye also may have fellowship with us 7#a ,john i4 #a-c74 ,st4 ,peter had seen1 and so had ,st4 ,paul2 and they constantly appealed to1 and rested their teaching on1 facts and the historic reality of ,christ's life and work4 #ac ,ep4 ad ,magn4 #h4 ,when we made known unto you the power and coming of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is the contrast to that mythic and allegorical teaching to which he has just alluded4 ,from it men could derive neither help in the present1 nor hope for the future4 ,it generated superstition1 and its followers believed a lie4 ,often it denied the continuity of revelation1 and cast aside all the records thereof4 ,like theosophic dreams in every age1 it was always unprofitable1 nearly always pernicious4 ,on the other hand1 the teaching of ,christ's ,apostles proclaimed a power which could save men from their sins1 and imparted a hope that stretched out beyond the present1 looking for the time when the ,lord would reappear4 ,all power is given unto ,christ4 ,he is made ,redeemer and ,lord1 and is to be at last the ,judge of men4 ,the assurance of ,his coming had been proclaimed by ,st4 ,peter in his former letter as a consolation under affliction4 ,faith1 tried by suffering1 will be found unto praise1 and glory1 and honour at the revelation of ,jesus ,christ 7#a ,peter i4 #g74 ,this is the climax of the glad tidings of the ,gospel4 ,but ,christ comes to ,his people through all the days2 and they are conscious of ,his coming1 and inspired thereby and enabled for their work4 ,but we were eye-witnesses of ,his majesty4 ,he has already 7#a ,peter iii4 #bb7 spoken of the fact of ,christ's ascension2 he is now about to describe what was seen on the holy mount4 ,these things are facts and verities1 and not fables4 ,but yet there was more revealed in them than either eye could grasp1 or tongue could tell4 ,they were ,god's truth in a mystery1 which supplied new thought for a whole life-time4 ,so for eye-witnesses the ,apostle uses a word akin to that which twice over he employs in the former ,epistle 7ii4 #ab2 iii4 #b7 to describe the effect which ,christian lives1 when fully scanned1 shall have upon the unbeliever4 ,they shall have power to stop the mouths of opponents and to win them to the faith which before they maligned4 ,such deep insight into the power1 and work1 and glory of ,jesus was imparted to the ,apostles at the ,transfiguration4 ,they were initiated into the wisdom of ,god1 and henceforth became prophets of the ,incarnation2 they were convinced that the ,jesus with whom they companied was very ,god manifest in the flesh4 ,the voice from heaven proclaimed it2 it was attested by the glorified presence of ,moses and ,elijah1 and by the majesty which for a moment broke through the veil of ,christ's flesh4 ,later on they saw ,him risen from the dead1 beheld ,his ascension into glory1 and heard from the angels the promise of ,his return4 ,not without much meaning does the ,apostle use a special pronoun 77 as he dwells on this scene of ,his majesty4 ,for he would impress on his converts the identity of that ,jesus whom he had known in the flesh with the very ,son of ,god sent down from heaven4 ,for ,he received from ,god the ,father honour and glory4 ,for the bright cloud which overshadowed them on the mountain-top was the visible token of the presence of ,god1 as of old the cloud of glory had been1 where ,god dwelt above the cherubim2 while the honour and glory of ,jesus were manifested when ,he was proclaimed to be the very ,son of ,god4 ,when there came such a voice to ,him from the excellent glory1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,to express the magnificence of the glory which he beheld1 the ,apostle uses a word not found elsewhere in the ,new ,testament4 ,the ,septuagint has it to describe the splendour of ,jeshurun's ,god1 who rideth in ,his excellency on the skies 7,deut4 xxxiii4 #bf74 ,and it is this outward brightness of the shroud of the ,godhead which tells all that human powers can receive of the majesty which it hides1 just as ,his palace1 the heavens1 declares constantly the glory of ,god4 ,the words spoken by the heavenly voice vary here from the records of each of the three ,gospels4 ,in one case the variation is slight1 but there is no precise agreement4 ,had the ,epistle been the work of some forger of a later age than ,st4 ,peter's1 we may rest assured that there would have been complete accord with one ,evangelist or the other4 ,there is a like diversity in the records of the words of the inscription above ,christ's cross4 ,substantial truth1 not verbal preciseness1 is what the ,evangelists sought to leave to the ,church2 and their fidelity is proved by nothing more powerfully than by the diverse features of the ,gospel narratives4 ,and this voice we ourselves heard come out of heaven1 when we were with ,him in the holy mount4 ,we learn here why the ,apostles were taken with ,jesus to witness ,his transfiguration4 ,just before that event we find 7,matt4 xvi4 #ba2 ,mark viii4 #ca2 ,luke ix4 #bb7 it recorded by each of the ,synoptists that ,jesus had begun to show unto ,his disciples how ,he must suffer and die at ,jerusalem4 ,to ,peter1 who1 as at other times1 was the mouthpiece of the rest1 such a declaration was unacceptable2 but at his expression of displeasure he met the rebuke1 ,get thee behind ,me1 ,satan4 ,he1 and the rest with him1 felt no doubt that such a death as ,jesus had spoken of would be1 humanly speaking1 the ruin of their hopes4 ,what these hopes were they did not formulate1 but we can learn their character from some of their questionings4 ,now1 on the top of ,tabor1 these three representatives of the apostolic band behold ,moses and ,elias appearing in glory1 and ,christ glorified more than they2 and the subject of which they spake was the very death of which they had so disliked to hear3 the decease which ,he was about to accomplish 77 in ,jerusalem 7,luke ix4 #ca74 ,the verb which the ,evangelist uses tells of the fulfilment of a prescribed course1 and thus ,st4 ,peter was taught1 and the rest with him1 to speak of that death afterwards as he does in his former letter4 ,christ was verily foreordained to this redeeming work before the foundation of the world4 ,they heard that ,he who was to die was the very ,son of ,god4 ,the voice came from the glory of heaven2 and from henceforth their hearts were still1 even ,peter's voice being less heard than before4 ,down from the mountain they brought much illumination1 much solemn pondering4 ,we can feel why it was that they held their peace1 and told no man in those days any of the things which they had seen2 we can feel1 too1 that from henceforth the scene of this vision would be the holy mount4 ,god's voice had been heard there attesting the ,divinity of their ,lord and ,master2 the place whereon they had thus stood was for evermore holy ground4 ,,xxii ,,the ,,lamp ,,shining ,,in ,a ,,dark ,,place ,and we have the word of prophecy made more sure2 whereunto ye do well that ye take heed1 as unto a lamp shining in a dark place1 until the day dawn1 and the day-star arise in your hearts3 knowing this first1 that no prophecy of ,scripture is of private interpretation4 ,for no prophecy ever came by the will of man3 but men spake from ,god1 being moved by the ,holy ,ghost4--#b ,,peter i4 #ai-ba4 ,the rendering of the first words in this passage must be reckoned among the distinct improvements of the ,revised ,version4 ,as the translation stands in the ,authorised ,version1 ,we have also a more sure word of prophecy1 it conveys a sense which many must have found perplexing4 ,the ,apostle had just dwelt on the confirmation of faith1 both for himself and those to whom he preached1 which was ministered by the vision of the glory of ,jesus and by the proclamation of ,his ,divinity by ,god's voice from heaven4 ,could any prophetic message vie in his estimate with the assurance of such a revelation8 ,now what ,st4 ,peter meant is made clear4 ,and we have the word of prophecy made more sure--more sure because we have received the confirmation of all that the prophets spake dimly and in figure4 ,the ,apostle and the rest of the ,jewish people had been trained in the ancient ,scriptures1 and gathered from them1 some more and some less1 light concerning ,god's scheme of salvation4 ,there were1 however1 but few who had attained a true insight into what was revealed4 ,they had dwelt1 as a rule1 too exclusively on all that spake of the glory of the promised ,redeemer and of ,his coming to reign and to conquer4 ,that there should be suffering in ,his life1 they had put out of sight1 though the prophets had foretold it2 and so when ,christ spake of ,his crucifixion1 soon to come to pass in ,jerusalem1 ,st4 ,peter exclaimed--and he had the feelings of his nation with him--,that be far from ,thee4 ,the voice on the holy mount and the words of ,moses and ,elias had opened their eyes to the full drift of prophetic revelation2 and by the illumination of that scene of glory1 where yet the lot of suffering was contemplated as near at hand1 there had been given to them a grasp of the whole scope of prophecy1 and their partial and distorted conception of the work of ,christ was banished for ever4 ,whereunto ye do well that ye take heed4 ,the idea of a volume of ,new ,testament ,scriptures had not entered ,st4 ,peter's mind4 ,he knows that ,st4 ,paul's letters 7iii4 #ae1 #af7 are read by some1 who do not all profit by the privilege2 and his own letters he intends to be an abiding admonition to the ,churches4 ,the need1 too1 of a record of ,christ's life and works1 a gospel1 must have begun to be felt4 ,but yet he points the converts to the ancient records of ,israel as a guide to direct their lives4 ,they had heard the ,gospel story from the lips of himself and others4 ,thus they had the key to unlock what hitherto had seemed hard to understand1 and could study their prophetic volume with a new and perfect light4 ,this he means by ye do well4 ,ye go to the true source of guidance1 drink of the fountain of true wisdom1 and gain strength and refreshment when it is much needed4 ,duly to take heed of these records is to search out their lessons and labour after that deeper sense which is enshrined beneath the word4 ,given as they were at various times and in various fashions1 and given to point on to ,god's purposes in the future1 these ,scriptures must needs have been dark to those who first received them1 nor could the men whom ,god chose to deliver them have been fully conscious of all they were meant to declare as the ages rolled on and brought their fulfilment nearer4 ,nor are they all luminous even yet1 but they grow ever more so to those who take heed4 ,as unto a lamp shining in a dark place4 ,spite of all the light we can compass1 the world will always be in one sense a dark place4 ,it is a world of beauty1 full of the tokens of ,god's handiwork1 the indications of ,his love4 ,but evil has also made an entrance2 and the trail of the serpent is evident in the sorrow1 the disease1 the wickedness1 that abound on every side4 ,and problems continually present themselves which even to the saints are hard to be solved4 ,many a psalm records the conflict which has to be passed through ere ,god's ways can be reconciled to men4 ,we must go into ,his house1 draw near to ,him1 feel to the full ,his ,fatherhood1 ere our hearts can be contented4 ,nay1 the disquiet breaks out again and again4 ,so ,god1 in ,his mercy1 has provided ,his lamp for those who will use it2 and to those who take heed it furnishes ever new light4 ,the history1 the prophecy1 the devotion1 the allegory1 of the holy volume are all full of illustrations of the firm purpose of redemption1 of the eternal1 unchanging love of ,jehovah1 thwarted only by the perverseness of those whom ,he is longing to save from their sins4 ,and to call ,god's revelation in ,his word a lamp is a striking and instructive figure4 ,it is something which you can take with you1 and carry into the dark places whither your lot may send you1 and use its light just where and when you need it4 ,but its light must be fed by the constant oil of diligent study1 or its usefulness will not be found to the full4 ,and the truth is the same if we apply the lesson to nations and ,churches as it is for individuals4 ,the records were given to a nation chosen to keep the knowledge of ,god alive in the world4 ,the word spoken did not profit1 as it was meant to do1 because it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it4 ,and there is the same faith needed still4 ,the light of a lamp in a dark place shines but a little way2 but by the rays of the ,divine lamp men are to walk1 in faith that the steps beyond will become clear in their turn4 ,and thus alone will the problems of life be really solved1 the religious contentions1 the social difficulties1 the trials of family life1 the individual doubts and fears3 all are elements of darkness2 all need to be illumined by the lamp which ,god has provided4 ,oh that men would burnish it by diligent heed1 and keep its radiance at the full by constant seeking thereunto6 ,until the day dawn1 and the day-star arise in your hearts4 ,the day has begun to dawn for those who will lift up their heads to its breaking4 ,the day-star from on high hath visited the earth in the person of ,christ1 but the full day will not be till ,he returns again4 ,yet ,his coming into the world was meant to lighten every man1 and to win all men to walk in ,his light4 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up1 will draw all men unto ,me1 is ,his own promise4 ,and in that decease of which ,he spake with ,moses and ,elijah ,he has been lifted up4 ,but ,he has left it to them that love ,him to lift ,him up constantly before the eyes of men1 to exalt ,him by their lives2 and our lax performances make the progress of ,his drawing all men1 to halt4 ,we fail to make due use of the lamp which ,he has put ready to our hand1 and which only needs to be grasped4 ,the perfect day will not come to us in this life1 but ,he gives to ,his faithful ones glimpses of the dawn4 ,they learn the presence of the ,sun of righteousness1 though as yet they see ,him only through the mists and darkness of life2 and they are cheered with the certainty of the coming day4 ,and the daystar of the ,spirit is kindled in the hearts of those who ask ,him to dwell there2 and they are led forward into greater and greater truth1 into richer and fuller light4 ,and for the same end the ,spirit is promised to the ,church of ,christ3 that she may be enabled having used the lamp first given with all faithfulness1 to open to men the ways of ,god more fully1 and1 amid the changes of times and varying vicissitudes and needs of men and nations1 to prove that the only satisfaction to the soul is the increasing knowledge of the oneness of ,god's purpose and eternity of ,his love4 ,to such a power she will be helped by giving heed to the lamp in every dark place and seeking in its light the elucidation of all hard questions4 ,knowing this first1 that no prophecy of ,scripture is of private interpretation4 ,the ,greek words need to be taken account of before we can gather the true meaning of this clause4 ,that which is translated is is much more frequently rendered comes to pass1 and bears the sense of arises1 has its origin4 ,interpretation is the translation of a word which occurs here only in the ,new ,testament1 and implies the loosing of what is complicated1 the clearing of what is obscure4 ,the lesson which the ,apostle would give relates to the right appreciation of the ,old ,testament ,scriptures1 which contain the prophecy which he has called above the lamp in a dark place4 ,he intends to say something which may incline men to follow its guidance4 ,the prophetic writings furnish us with illustrations how the problems which arose in the lives of the men of old time1 both about events around them and also about the dispensations of ,divine providence1 found their solution4 ,thus they furnish rules and principles for time to come2 and that men may be induced to confide in their guidance is the object of ,st4 ,peter's words4 ,he bids the converts know that these unravellings and clearings of the ways of ,god are not men's private interpretation of what they beheld4 ,this was not the manner in which they came to be known4 ,they are not evolved out of human consciousness1 pondering on the facts of life and the ways of ,god1 nor are they the individual exposition of those whom ,god employed as ,his prophets4 ,they are messages and lessons which came from one and the same impelling power1 from one and the same illuminating influence1 even from ,god ,himself1 and so are uniform in spirit and teaching from first to last2 and ,he from whom and through whom they are given can say by the mouth of the last of the prophetic body1 ,i am ,jehovah2 ,i change not 7,mal4 iii4 #f74 ,although the ,apostle uses in this ,epistle the word ,scriptures 7iii4 #af7 for the writings of ,new ,testament teachers1 it is not likely that he in mind included them among the prophetic ,scriptures of which he here speaks4 ,we1 knowing the flood of light which the ,gospels and ,epistles pour upon the ,old ,testament1 can now apply his words to them1 fully perceiving that they are a true continuation of the ,divine enlightenment1 another spring from the same heavenly fountain4 ,those who would explain interpretation as the judgement which men now exercise in the study and application of the words of ,scripture forget the force of the verb 77 comes to pass1 and that the ,apostle is exalting the source and origin of the words of prophecy1 that he may the more enforce his lesson1 ,ye do well to take heed to them4 ,for no prophecy ever came by the will of man4 ,prophecy makes known what never could have entered into the mind or understanding of men1 nor were the prophetic words that have come down to us written because men wished to publish views and imaginations of their own4 ,man is not the source of prophecy4 ,that lay above and beyond the human penmen4 ,nay1 men could not1 had they so willed1 have spoken of the things there written for the enlightenment of the ages4 ,these are deep things1 belonging to the foreknowledge of ,god alone1 by whom ,his ,son was foreknown as the ,lamb without spot before the foundation of the world4 ,of this the book of prophecy tells from first to last3 of the seed of the woman to bruise the serpent's head2 of the family from which a seed should come in whom all the earth should be blessed2 of the rod to spring from the stem of ,jesse2 of the king who was to rule in righteousness2 of the time when the kingdom of the ,lord's house should be established on the top of the mountains1 and all nations should flow into it2 of the day when all men should know the ,lord from the least to the greatest1 when the earth should be full of the knowledge of the ,lord as the waters cover the sea4 ,such tidings came not into the thoughts of men except as they were put there from the ,lord2 and they tell of things yet to come that are beyond the grasp of men unless they be spiritually-minded and enlightened4 ,for not only are the prophetic ,scriptures ,god's special gift3 the insight into their full meaning comes also from ,him4 ,beyond the physical sense it is true1 ,the hearing ear and the seeing eye1 the ,lord is the ,maker of them both 7,prov4 xx4 #ab74 ,but men spake from ,god1 being moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the ,authorised ,version translates a text which had1 ,holy men of ,god spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and this repetition of an adjective is after ,st4 ,peter's manner1 though the oldest manuscripts do not support it here4 ,compare the thrice-repeated righteous in the notice of ,lot in the next chapter 7ii4 #g1 #h74 ,and the ,authorised ,version describes most truly the agents whom ,god chooses4 ,he will have none but holy men to be the heralds of ,his truth4 ,a ,caiaphas may be constrained to utter ,his counsels1 but as ,his prophets ,god takes the holy among men4 ,these can grasp more of ,his teaching1 and we receive more than we should through other channels4 ,by their zeal for holiness they are brought nearer unto ,god1 and made more receptive of the teaching of the ,spirit1 who ,himself is holy4 ,but men spake from ,god conveys a true idea of prophecy4 ,even one who was not holy could feel that the power given to him was not his own1 nor could he speak after his own will4 ,what the ,lord saith unto me1 that must ,i speak1 was the confession of ,balaam1 though his greed for gain prompted him to the opposite4 ,and there are many expressions in the ,old ,testament which bear witness to the effective operation of ,god's power1 as when we read of the ,spirit of the ,lord coming mightily upon those whom ,he had chosen to do ,his bidding4 ,and the same lesson is to be found in ,st4 ,peter's words here4 ,being moved is literally being carried4 ,an impulse was given to them1 and a power which was above their own4 ,this is betokened1 too1 when the ,old ,testament prophets tell how the ,spirit of the ,lord carried them to this place or that1 where a revelation was to be imparted which they should publish in ,his name4 ,thus were they moved by the ,holy ,ghost1 and thus were they able to speak from ,god4 ,such is ,st4 ,peter's lesson on the nature and office of prophecy4 ,it is an illumination to which men could not have attained by any wisdom of their own1 nay could not have framed the wish to attain unto it4 ,for it lay hid among ,god's mysteries4 ,it is imparted from the holy ,god to holy men1 as ,his mediators to the less spiritual in the world2 it has received abundant confirmation through the incarnation of the ,son of ,god1 but yet it has many a lesson for mankind to ponder and seek to comprehend4 ,it is their wisdom who follow its guidance and bear it with them as a lamp amid the dispensations of ,providence1 which still are not all clear1 and amid the darkness which will often surround them while they live here4 ,that men may be prompted to its use1 ,god is a ,god that hideth ,himself1 yet through it ,he will lead those who follow its light along the road to immortality4 ,,xxiii ,,the ,,lord ,,knoweth ,,how ,,to ,,deliver ,but there arose false prophets also among the people1 as among you also there shall be false teachers1 who shall privily bring in destructive heresies1 denying even the ,master that bought them1 bringing upon themselves swift destruction4 ,and many shall follow their lascivious doings2 by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of4 ,and in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you3 whose sentence now from of old lingereth not1 and their destruction slumbereth not4 ,for if ,god spared not angels when they sinned1 but cast them down to hell1 and committed them to pits of darkness1 to be reserved unto judgement2 and spared not the ancient world1 but preserved ,noah with seven others1 a preacher of righteousness1 when ,he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly2 and turning the cities of ,sodom and ,gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow1 having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly2 and delivered righteous ,lot1 sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked 7for that righteous man dwelling among them1 in seeing and hearing1 vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds73 the ,lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation1 and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgement4--#b ,,peter ii4 #a-i4 ,this second chapter contains much more of a direct description of the heretical teaching and practices from which the converts were in danger1 and is full of warning and comfort1 both alike drawn from that ,old ,testament prophecy to the light of which ,st4 ,peter has just been urging them to take heed4 ,the chapter has many features and much of its language in common with the ,epistle of ,st4 ,jude4 ,but the opening of the chapter seems a suitable place to call attention to a difference of motive which is manifested in this ,epistle and in that4 ,they resemble one another greatly in the illustrations which they have in common1 but ,st4 ,peter makes a twofold use of them3 while showing that the ungodly will assuredly be punished1 he comforts the righteous with the lesson that1 be they ever so few1 even as the eight who were saved at the ,deluge1 or as ,lot1 with his diminished family1 at the overthrow of ,sodom1 the ,lord knows how to deliver ,his servants out of trials4 ,of this latter side of the prophetic picture ,st4 ,jude shows us nothing4 ,the evil-doings of the tempters must have waxed grosser in his day1 and he is only concerned to preach the certainty of their condemnation4 ,the unbelievers in the wilderness1 the angels who sinned1 the ,cities of the ,plain1 the error of ,balaam1 and the overthrow of ,korah are all cited in proof that the wicked shall not escape2 but he has no word about the deliverance of those whose souls are tortured by the wicked doings of the sinners among whom it is their lot to live4 ,but there arose false prophets also among the people1 as among you also there shall be false teachers1 who shall privily bring in destructive heresies1 denying even the ,master that bought them1 bringing upon themselves swift destruction4 ,it is as though the ,apostle would say1 ,be not unduly dismayed4 ,the lamp of ,old ,testament prophecy shows that yours is a lot which has befallen others4 ,as ,israel of old was ,god's people1 so the ,church of ,christ is now4 ,and among them again and again false prophets arose1 not only those of ,baal and ,asherah1 not only those who served the calves at ,dan and ,bethel1 but those who called themselves by ,jehovah's name1 and of whom ,he says to ,jeremiah1 ,the prophets prophesy lies in ,my name2 ,i sent them not1 neither have ,i commanded them1 neither spake ,i unto them3 they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination1 and a thing of nought1 and the deceit of their heart 7,jer4 xiv4 #ad74 ,the picture is exactly repeated for these ,asian ,churches4 ,false teaching had attached itself to the true1 used its language1 and professed to be at one with it1 except in so far as it was superior4 ,for the history of corruptions in the faith repeats itself1 and-- ,wherever ,god erects a house of prayer1 ,the devil always builds a chapel there4 ,it is the most perilous aspect of error when it parades itself as the truest truth4 ,hence the name by which ,st4 ,peter calls this dangerous teaching3 destructive heresies4 ,they beguile unstable souls to their ruin4 ,their exponents choose the name of ,christ to call themselves by1 but cast aside the doctrine of the ,cross both in its discipline for their lives1 and as the altar of human redemption4 ,and the men to whom ,st4 ,peter alludes were either among the teachers1 or put themselves forward to teach2 and there was a danger lest their authority should be recognised4 ,they accepted ,christ1 but not as ,he loves to be accepted4 ,he has called ,himself ,lord and ,master1 and has paid the price which makes ,him so2 but by their interpretations both of ,his nature and ,his office these men in very deed renounced and deserted ,his service1 ignored their relation as ,his bondservants1 and in this way denied the ,master that bought them4 ,soon they chose other masters and became the slaves of the world and the flesh4 ,thus they entered on the path that leads to destruction1 and soon it will come upon them4 ,they who destroyed others shall themselves be destroyed4 ,the lords whom they serve have all their empire in this life2 and when the end thereof comes1 it comes all too soon1 and is a dread overthrow of everything they have set store by4 ,on their lot the lamp of prophecy sheds its light3 ,how suddenly do they perish and come to a fearful end4 ,and many shall follow their lascivious doings2 by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of4 ,st4 ,jude1 who had seen the results of such teaching1 says these men turned the very grace of ,god into lasciviousness2 they perverted the teachings of the ,gospel concerning the freedom which is in ,christ1 and their phraseology they made to have a ,pauline ring about it4 ,did he not teach how ,christ had made men free8 ,had they not heard from him that men should cast off trust in the bondage of the ,law8 ,in this wise they taught a doctrine of lawless self-indulgence1 which they extolled as the token of entire emancipation and of a loftier nature on which the taint of sins could leave no defilement4 ,in the blindness of their hearts1 self-chosen blindness1 of which they boasted as knowledge1 they gave themselves over to the flesh1 to work all uncleanness with greediness4 ,st4 ,peter knows that baits of this sort appeal to the natural man2 that there is within the citadel of the heart a traitorous weakness which is ready to betray it to the enemy4 ,so1 with prophetic foresight1 he laments1 ,many shall follow after them4 ,and such sinners do not sin unto themselves3 their falling away brings calamity on the whole ,church of ,christ4 ,it did so then2 it does so still4 ,the faithful cannot escape from the obloquy which is due to the faithless2 and the world1 which cares little for ,christ1 will readily point to the evil lives which it sees in the renegade brethren1 and draw the conclusion that in secret the rest run to the same excess of riot4 ,evil-speaking of this kind became abundantly common in the first ,christian centuries1 and furnishes the object of many ,christian apologies4 ,and in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you4 ,st4 ,paul in writing to ,timothy gives a comment which throws much light on these words4 ,he tells of men who consent not to sound words1 even the words of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 thus denying the ,master that bought them4 ,he speaks of them as bereft of the truth1 supposing that godliness is a way of gain2 and he adds1 ,they that desire to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare1 and many foolish and hurtful lusts1 such as drown men in destruction and perdition4 ,for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil1 which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith1 and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows 7#a ,tim4 vi4 #c-aj74 ,from the first days of the ,church's history we see1 from the instances of ,ananias and ,sapphira1 and of ,simon1 with his offer of money to the ,apostles1 that both among the disciples and the would-be teachers covetousness made itself very apparent4 ,the communistic basis on which the society was constituted lent itself to the schemes of those who desired to make a gain of their ,christian profession4 ,in the time when ,st4 ,peter wrote the evil had spread4 ,teachers were discovering that1 by a modification or adaptation of the ,christian language and doctrines1 they could draw after them many followers4 ,these were the feigned words to which the ,apostle alludes1 and the contributions of their satisfied hearers were proving a gainful merchandise4 ,the ,gnostic teachers were of various sorts1 but of all alike the language was boastful as coming of superior insight2 great1 swelling words they spake1 having men's persons in regard because of the prospects of advantage4 ,the evil was a sore one1 and is so wherever it finds entry4 ,and later ages have also known somewhat of its mischief4 ,it is the wisdom of all ,christian communities so to order themselves that their teachers and guides may be safe from this temptation4 ,for such teachers do not stop at small beginnings of error1 but prophesy smooth things1 and close their eyes at evil2 nay1 in this case they seem to have encouraged sensual living1 as though it were an indication of the freedom of which they boasted4 ,whose sentence now from of old lingereth not1 and their destruction slumbereth not4 ,in thought the ,apostle reads the book of prophecy4 ,it is as if he said1 ,it is written in the prophetic word4 ,and when the overthrow of the sinners comes to pass1 those who behold it may say1 ,thus is the prophecy fulfilled4 ,the doom of such sinners is sure4 ,they may seem to live their lives with impunity for a while1 as though ,god's eternal law were inoperative2 but the issue is certain4 ,none such escape4 ,god's mills grind slowly1 but they grind exceeding small4 ,and the lot of such men is destruction4 ,of illustrations the ,apostle chooses three1 applying each to a different vice of these teachers of error4 ,these men were proud2 so were the angels that sinned1 but their pride was only a prelude to their fall4 ,these men were disobedient2 so were the antediluvian sinners1 and would neither hearken nor turn1 and so the ,flood came and swept them all away4 ,these men were sensual2 so were the dwellers in the ,cities of the ,plain1 and their overthrow remains still a memorial of ,god's wrath against such sinners4 ,verily the sentence of all such men is written from of old4 ,for if ,god spared not angels when they sinned1 but cast them down to hell1 and committed them to pits of darkness1 to be reserved unto judgement4 ,to each of the three instances which ,st4 ,peter adduces the reader is left to supply the unmistakable conclusion1 ,neither will ,he spare the sinners of to-day4 ,the sentences are all the more solemn from their incompleteness4 ,some have thought that the reference in this verse is to the narrative found in ,gen4 vi4 #c2 but that account is very full of difficulties1 and there is no mention of a judgement upon those who offended4 ,it seems more sound exposition to take the ,apostle's words as spoken of him concerning whom ,christ has told us 7,john viii4 #dd7 that he was a murderer from the beginning and stood not in the truth1 and of the condemnation of whose pride ,st4 ,paul speaks to ,timothy 7#a ,tim4 iii4 #f74 ,for him and for his fellow-sinners the ,gospel teaches us 7,matt4 xxv4 #da7 that eternal fire was prepared1 and an apostle 7,james ii4 #ai7 says that the devils believe and shudder1 it must be in apprehension of a coming judgement4 ,all that ,st4 ,peter here says is implied in these ,scriptural allusions to ,satan and his fall2 and it is more prudent to apply to them the highly figurative language of the ,apostle here1 which is exactly after his manner1 than to seek for fanciful interpretations of the ,mosaic story4 ,we may rest assured by the way in which these things are spoken of1 though but dimly1 by ,christ and ,his ,apostles1 that they formed a portion of ,jewish religious teaching and constituted part of the faith of ,st4 ,peter and his contemporaries1 though there is but little mention of the fallen angels in the ,old ,testament4 ,and spared not the ancient world1 but preserved ,noah with seven others1 a preacher of righteousness1 when ,he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly4 ,here the ,apostle points to a consolation for the converts amid their trials4 ,the ungodly do not escape1 be their multitude ever so great4 ,a world full of sinners is involved in one common overthrow4 ,nor are the righteous forgotten1 though their number be but few4 ,the lamp of prophecy sheds much light here4 ,amid all ,god's dispensations toward ,israel1 ,his faithful ones were the remnant only2 but these were saved by the grace of the ,lord1 they were brought out from the destruction1 and not forsaken1 and had a promise that they should take root downward and bear fruit upward4 ,the words in which ,st4 ,peter describes the chief person of the few saved in the ,deluge appear intended to point out that feature in ,noah's history which most resembled the lot of the ,asian ,churches4 ,they were now1 as he was of old1 ,god's heralds in the midst of a naughty world2 and to bring to their minds the thought of his long-sustained opposition and mockery could hardly fail to nerve them to stand fast4 ,what lot could be more desperate than the ,patriarch's8 ,for a hundred and twenty years by action and by word he published his message1 and it fell on deaf ears2 yet ,god was guarding him 77 through it all1 and words could not express more complete safety than when the early record tells us1 ere the ,flood came1 ,the ,lord shut him in4 ,and turning the cities of ,sodom and ,gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow1 having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly4 ,these cities stood in a land fair enough to be likened to the garden of the ,lord4 ,to ,lot himself their fertile fields had been a temptation1 and by yielding thereto he brought on himself a plenitude of sorrow2 and the sacred record counts his deliverance rather to the faith and righteousness of ,abraham than to himself4 ,god remembered ,abraham1 and brought ,lot out of the overthrow4 ,one of the fairest parts of ,his world ,god condemned for the wickedness of them that inhabited it4 ,nature was defaced for man's sin1 and still lies desolate as a perpetual homily against such ungodly living as often comes of wealth and fulness of bread4 ,after such a state were these false teachers seeking while they made their gain of their disciples2 and in the later times of which ,st4 ,jude speaks1 having fostered all that was carnal within and around them1 in those things which they understood naturally1 there they cast themselves away4 ,and delivered righteous ,lot1 sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked 7for that righteous man dwelling among them1 in seeing and hearing1 vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds74 ,the thrice-named righteousness of ,lot is perhaps thus set down because of the struggle which it must have been to maintain the fear of ,abraham's ,god among such sinful surroundings4 ,lot was in the land of the enemy1 and his deliverance is pictured as a very rescue3 he was saved1 yet so as by fire4 ,he had gone down into the plain with thoughts of a life of abundance1 and it may be of ease1 a contrast to the wandering life which he had hitherto shared with ,abraham4 ,instead of this he found anguish and distress of mind1 which no amount of temporal prosperity could alleviate2 and to this would be added self-reproach4 ,it was of his own choice that he was dwelling among them4 ,the ,apostle paints his misery in the strongest terms4 ,he was distressed2 and of the sights and sounds on every side1 and never ceasing1 he made a torture to his soul4 ,it was no mere offence to him that these things were so3 it was very anguish to see men setting at defiance every law human and ,divine4 ,to behold the evils of a lascivious life waxing rampant in the midst of the ,christian ,churches1 and countenanced by those who assumed the office of teachers1 must have been an agony to the faithful akin to that with which ,lot tortured himself4 ,st4 ,peter would strengthen the drooping hearts of the brethren2 and no greater comfort could there be found than this which he offers1 taking the lamp of prophecy and shedding its rays of hope into the dark places of their lives4 ,the ,lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation4 ,already he has given the lesson 7i4 #f7 that true godliness must have its root in patience4 ,it is a perfect trust1 which rests securely on the ,father's love1 and willingly waits ,his time4 ,the hearts of the faithful ones must have found solace in the thought which he here joins to his former teaching4 ,the trials they endure are grievous1 but ,the ,lord knows is an unfailing support4 ,the floods of ungodliness make ,his servants many a time afraid2 but when they feel that there1 as amid the raging ocean1 the ,lord ruleth1 they are not overwhelmed4 ,they are protected by ,omnipotence2 and the tiny grains of sand1 which check the fierce tide1 are an emblem of how out of weakness ,he can ordain strength4 ,hence there comes a knowledge to the struggling saint which makes him full of courage1 whatever trials threaten4 ,the world has its wrathful ,nebuchadnezzars1 whose threats at times are as a fiery furnace2 but he is proof against them all who can say and feel1 ,the ,lord knows4 ,i am not careful nor disturbed2 my ,god1 in whom ,i trust1 is able to deliver me1 and ,he will deliver me4 ,the ,lord knoweth the way of the godly1 and ,his knowledge means safety and eternal deliverance4 ,and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgement4 ,the unrighteous--yes1 over them too ,god keeps ward4 ,they cannot hide themselves from ,him1 and through their conscience ,he makes life a continuous chastisement4 ,they may seem to men to walk on heedlessly1 but they have hidden tortures of which their fellows can take no count4 ,even the offender against human laws1 who dreads that his sin will be found out1 carries in his bosom a constant scourge4 ,fear hath torment 7 71 and this it is of which the ,apostle speaks4 ,and if the dread of man's judgement can work terror1 how much sorer must their alarm be who have the fiery indignation of the wrath of ,god in their thoughts and stinging their soul4 ,such men are kept all their life long under punishment4 ,yet in this constant anguish we trace ,god's mercy3 ,he sends it that men may turn in time4 ,his blows on the sinful heart are meant to be remedial2 and those who disregard ,his chastisements to the last will go away1 self-condemned1 self-destroyed1 despisers of ,divine love1 to a doom prepared1 not for them1 but for the devil and his angels4 ,,xxiv ,,by ,,their ,,fruits ,,ye ,,shall ,,know ,,them ,but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement1 and despise dominion4 ,daring1 self-willed1 they tremble not to rail at dignities3 whereas angels1 though greater in might and power1 bring not a railing judgement against them before the ,lord4 ,but these1 as creatures without reason1 born mere animals to be taken and destroyed1 railing in matters whereof they are ignorant1 shall in their destroying surely be destroyed1 suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing2 men that count it pleasure to revel in the daytime1 spots and blemishes1 revelling in their lovefeasts while they feast with you2 having eyes full of adultery1 and that cannot cease from sin2 enticing unsteadfast souls2 having a heart exercised in covetousness2 children of cursing2 forsaking the right way1 they went astray having followed the way of ,balaam the son of ,beor1 who loved the hire of wrong-doing2 but he was rebuked for his own transgression3 a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet4--#b ,,peter ii4 #aj-af4 ,the ,apostle now pictures in the darkest colours the evil-doing and evil character of those who are bringing into the ,churches their sects of perdition1 those wolves in sheep's clothing who are mixing themselves1 and are likely to make havoc1 among the flock of ,christ4 ,he hopes that thus the brethren1 being forewarned1 will also be forearmed4 ,and not only does he describe these bold offenders3 he also reiterates in many forms the certainty of their evil fate4 ,they aim at destroying others1 and shall themselves meet destruction2 their wrong-doing shall bring a recompense in kind upon their own heads4 ,they are a curse among the people1 but the curse will also fall on themselves2 they are agents of ruin1 and shall perish in the overthrow which they are devising4 ,but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement1 and despise dominion4 ,these chiefly--that is1 above other sinners--does ,god keep under punishment4 ,it cannot be otherwise1 for on them ,his chastisements have little effect4 ,they have entered on a road from which return is rare1 neither do they take hold on the paths of life2 their whole bent is for that which defileth1 not only defiling them1 but spreading defilement on every side4 ,they are renegades1 too1 from the service of ,christ2 and having cast off their allegiance to ,him1 they make their lust their law4 ,the verse describes the same character in two aspects3 those who walk after the flesh follow no prompting but appetite1 have no lord but self4 ,daring1 self-willed1 they tremble not to rail at dignities4 ,the ,apostle passes on to describe another and more terrible manifestation of the lawlessness of these false teachers4 ,they have so sunk themselves in the grossness of material self-indulgence that they revile and set at nought the spiritual world and the powers that exist therein4 ,in the term dignities the ,apostle's thoughts are of the angels1 against whom these sinners scruple not to utter their blasphemies4 ,the good angels1 the messengers from heaven to earth1 the ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation1 they are bold to deny2 while concerning the evil angels1 to whose temptations they have surrendered themselves1 they scoff1 representing their lives as free and self-chosen1 and at their own disposal4 ,the two terms daring1 self-willed1 seem to point respectively to these two forms of blasphemy4 ,they tremble not1 they dare to deny the existence of the good1 and they shrink not to mock at the influence of the powers of evil4 ,thus in mind and thought they are as debased as in their bodies1 and by their lessons they corrupt as much as by their acts4 ,whereas angels1 though greater in might and power1 bring not a railing judgement against them before the ,lord4 ,the explanation of this passage is not without difficulty1 because of the indefiniteness of the words against them4 ,to whom is reference here made8 ,it can hardly be questioned that by 1 dignities1 literally glories1 in the previous verse the ,apostle meant angels1 the dignities of the spirit-world1 in contradistinction to 1 dominion1 in which he before referred to those earthly authorities whom these false teachers set at nought4 ,the verbs used in the two clauses support this view4 ,the dominion they venture to despise1 at the dignities they rail1 whereas they ought to be afraid of them4 ,now even to the fallen angels there attaches a dignity by reason of their first estate4 ,in the ,new ,testament the chief of them is called by ,christ ,himself the prince of this world 7,john xiv4 #cj71 and by ,st4 ,paul the prince of the power of the air 7,eph4 ii4 #b72 and he has a sovereignty over those who shared his rebellion and his fall4 ,having described the railing of the false teachers in the previous verse as directed alike against the evil angels and the good1 it seems preferable here to take against them as applying to the evil angels4 ,even against them1 though they must be conscious of their sin and rebellion against ,god1 the good angels1 who still abide in the presence of the ,lord1 bring no railing judgement1 utter no reproach or upbraiding4 ,there may have been in ,st4 ,peter's thought that solemn scene depicted in ,zech4 iii41 where1 in the presence of the angel of the ,lord1 that highest angel who is ,jehovah's special representative1 ,joshua the high-priest appears1 and at his right hand ,satan standing to be his adversary1 and to charge him1 and the nation through him1 with their remissness in the work of the restoration of ,god's temple4 ,there the angel of the ,lord1 full of mercy1 as ,satan was full of hate1 checked the adversary's accusation1 saying1 ,the ,lord rebuke thee1 ,satan4 ,the same application of the words against them is suggested by the apocryphal illustration in ,st4 ,jude 7ver4 #i71 where in the contention about the body of ,moses no greater rebuke is administered to the devil by the archangel ,michael4 ,this exposition does not remove all difficulty4 ,for as the angels in the verse appear to be spoken of as superior in might and power to these corrupt teachers1 it seems natural at first sight to refer to them the indefinite expression1 and to explain that the angels1 though they be so exalted1 bring no railing judgement before ,god against these teachers and their evil doings4 ,but from what ,scripture tells us of the angels1 it is not easy to understand how or why they should bring such a judgement4 ,nowhere is such an office assigned to1 or exercised by1 these spiritual beings1 nor are we anywhere told that the observance of the deeds of the wicked is in their province4 ,they rejoice over one sinner that repenteth2 they stand in ,god's presence as the representatives of spotless innocence2 they are sent forth by ,god as ,his messengers of judgement and of love2 but we never find them as accusers of the wicked4 ,that office ,satan has taken for his own4 ,but the words which the ,apostle uses seem hardly to make it necessary that the comparison should be between angels and these teachers of destruction4 ,in the passage of ,zechariah which we judge to have been in ,st4 ,peter's mind when he wrote1 the angel is that mightiest spirit among the angelic host who is identified in the language of the prophet with ,jehovah ,himself2 and the angel in ,st4 ,jude's illustration is the archangel ,michael4 ,conceiving that by angels ,st4 ,peter intends these chief members of the celestial powers1 the sentence may be taken to mean that the most glorious beings among the angelic throng1 those who are greater in might and power than the dignities of whom he has spoken1 bring no railing judgement even against the fallen angels1 whereas these men presume to blaspheme beings of an order far above themselves4 ,such a conception of subordination in the spirit-world as is here suggested is not foreign to ,new ,testament thought4 ,st4 ,paul speaks of the angels in heaven as representing principality1 power1 might1 and dominion 7,eph4 i4 #ba72 and in the same ,epistle the evil angels are mentioned in like terms3 the principalities1 the powers1 the world-rulers of this darkness 7vi4 #ab74 ,similar language is found also in ,col4 i4 #af4 ,taking this view of ,st4 ,peter's meaning1 the daring and presumption of these false teachers are set in a stronger contrast4 ,whereas the highest angels1 those who stand first among the heavenly host and dwell in the immediate presence of the ,lord1 though they might accuse ,satan and his angels of rebellion1 yet refrain2 these bold transgressors among the race of men cast forth their blasphemy against the whole spiritual world4 ,but these1 as creatures without reason1 born mere animals to be taken and destroyed1 railing in matters whereof they are ignorant1 shall in their destroying surely be destroyed4 ,the glory of man in creation is his reason4 ,it is bestowed that he may freely1 and not by constraint1 consent unto the will of ,god1 and also may by it discipline the body and hinder it from becoming his master4 ,for the soul tabernacling in the flesh there is ever this peril1 and by it these false teachers in the ,asian ,churches had been ensnared4 ,thus they were degraded1 and were frustrating the end for which the light of reason was given4 ,they were become like the horse and mule1 which have no understanding4 ,when the serpent tempted ,eve1 he set before her his own elevation through the fruit which to her was forbidden4 ,i of brute human1 ye of human gods1 was his tempting speech4 ,these men had given themselves up for a less noble bribe4 ,the bait of sensual indulgence was offered1 and their acceptance of it had brought them down to the level of creatures without reason4 ,their conduct and their lessons merited such a comparison1 and showed how their nobler part had been warped by excess4 ,to blaspheme against the powers of the spirit-world is conduct which can only be paralleled by that of the senseless animals1 which1 with utter ignorance of consequences1 will rush upon objects whose strength they know not1 and perish in their blind onslaught4 ,but the beasts were born to be taken and destroyed2 no higher fate was in their power4 ,men were meant for a nobler end1 and it is only when the rein is given to appetite that they become from human brutish in their knowledge1 more brutish than to know4 ,thus in their ignorance they rail at all loftier thought1 and of their railing make a show of knowledge4 ,here they are more noxious than the unreasoning brutes4 ,their blinding lessons gain a hearing2 and those who listen are drawn on by the same lust1 and willingly follow after ignorance4 ,but the work of all carries condemnation with it4 ,man1 whose gaze was meant ever to be upward1 is bowed down to earth like the beasts of the field1 which are meant only for capture and destruction4 ,on such perversion ,god will surely visit4 ,they shall reap the fruit of their bold self-will1 and in the time of their visitation they shall perish4 ,suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing4 ,the ,authorised ,version translates a somewhat different text 771 and shall receive the reward of wrong-doing4 ,this is the easier sentence1 and connects itself well with what precedes2 but it has not the strongest support4 ,by the text which the ,revised ,version has adopted 77 the ,apostle does not mean that these sinners meet a punishment which they have not deserved1 and in that sense suffer wrong2 but that they are themselves brought under the penalties of the wrong into which they are leading others4 ,as the ,psalmist says1 their wickedness comes down on their own pate1 and in the net which they hid privily is their own foot taken4 ,they differ from ,balaam1 whose example ,st4 ,peter is soon about to instance4 ,these men secure the reward they seek1 larger resources to squander on their lust2 yet this1 their success1 as they would call it1 proves their overthrow4 ,men that count it pleasure to revel in the daytime4 ,they that are drunken are drunken in the night1 and the same holds ordinarily of other excesses4 ,they come not to the light because their deeds are evil4 ,but these men have cast aside all such timorousness4 ,they find a zest in outrage and in going beyond others1 so as to add the daytime to the night for their indulgences4 ,the sense of luxury that lasts but for a day1 that is ephemeral1 and perishes in the using1 is hardly to be extracted from the ,greek2 but with ,st4 ,james 7v4 #e7 in mind1 where the verb is connected with the noun of this verse1 ,ye have lived delicately on the earth and taken your pleasure1 it may perhaps be allowable1 as some have done1 to interpret as signifying the time of this present life4 ,the men live as though life were bestowed for no other object than their revelry4 ,spots and blemishes4 ,st4 ,peter must have had in his thought the epithets which he applied to ,christ3 a lamb without blemish and without spot 7#a ,peter i4 #i74 ,utterly alien to the spirit and life of ,jesus is these men's wantonness4 ,they belong rather to him who is described as a roaring lion1 walking about to find whom he may devour4 ,revelling in their lovefeasts while they feast with you4 ,here also the ,revised ,version accepts a text different from that rendered by the ,authorised1 which for the first clause has sporting themselves with their own deceivings 774 ,this refers to the feigned words with which they have been pictured as making a gain of the unstable souls whom they lead astray4 ,they find a sport in their delusion1 a pleasure1 which is devilish1 in the evil they are working4 ,the other reading1 1 which is also found in ,jude #ab1 refers to those gatherings of the faithful in the earliest period of the ,church's history where the brethren by partaking in common of a simple meal gave a symbol of ,christian equality and love4 ,it may be that this in its origin was the assembling of the congregation for the breaking of bread1 but we soon find the social meal had become a distinct observance4 ,and we know from ,st4 ,paul's letter to the ,church of ,corinth that disorder was introduced into these meetings1 and that luxury and disparity ofttimes took the place of simplicity and equality4 ,in your eating1 says the ,apostle1 each one taketh before other his own supper1 and one is hungry1 and another is drunken4444 ,when ye come together tarry one for another 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #ba74 ,in these ,asian congregations the evil had gone to a greater length4 ,instead of a sober assembly1 where friendly converse might form a fitting accompaniment to the more solemn breaking of bread in remembrance of their ,lord1 these lovefeasts were converted into a revel by the luxurious additions which the false teachers took care to have supplied4 ,the ,apostle calls them their lovefeasts1 because it was from their conduct that the gathering took its character4 ,the members of the ,church were indeed invited1 but these men made themselves leaders of the meal1 and turned what was meant to be a simple repast into a scene of riot and indulgence4 ,but such excess only opens the floodgates for more4 ,having eyes full of adultery1 and that cannot cease from sin4 ,these preachers of freedom from the restraints of the ,law must make their evil liberty known1 and so they shamelessly parade it even in the meetings of the brethren4 ,they cast about them their licentious glances1 and their lustful gaze is unchecked4 ,nay1 they have so given it rein that now it is beyond their control4 ,their eyes cannot cease from sin4 ,the original speaks of eyes full of an adulteress4 ,by this unusual expression the ,apostle seems to point to the danger that such conduct would meet with a response1 that the sisters in the ,church would be beguiled and led to join hands with these teachers of licence4 ,with this we may compare the language addressed to the ,church of ,thyatira concerning the woman ,jezebel1 which calleth herself a prophetess1 and teacheth and seduceth ,my servants to commit fornication 7,rev4 ii4 #bj74 ,enticing unstedfast souls2 having a heart exercised in covetousness2 children of cursing4 ,a very pestilence must such men have been to the ,churches4 ,for there are always many to be found who are not established in the truth1 though it be present with them1 men whom the bait of a promised freedom1 with its assumption of superiority1 will always catch4 ,there is in it a witchery worse even than that which1 in another direction1 had once before led the ,galatians astray4 ,satan himself offers the temptation1 and finds allies within men's hearts to help his cause4 ,it is only by those stedfast in the faith that he can be withstood 7#a ,peter v4 #i74 ,they look beyond to-day1 and to a brighter1 purer joy than any which he can offer4 ,so they are safe4 ,but1 alas6 in the ,churches such men are often but the remnant1 and the trade of the beguiler makes its gain in every age4 ,and it was for material gain these men were laying themselves out2 and1 that they might be perfect in their craft1 they had put themselves1 as it were1 to school1 gone through a training4 ,as was said of ,israel in old time 7,jer4 xxii4 #ag71 their eyes and their heart are but for their covetousness1 greed of defilement1 and greed of gain4 ,children of cursing are they in a double sense3 they are a curse to those whom they lead astray2 and in spite of the popularity which for a time they will seem to enjoy1 there is no blessing upon them4 ,their doom is foretold from of old4 ,the lamp of ,god's prophecy makes it clear that such men are the children of ,cain4 ,forsaking the right way1 they went astray1 having followed the way of ,balaam the son of ,beor1 who loved the hire of wrong-doing4 ,it is an aggravation of wrong-doing when those who know the good willingly choose the evil4 ,of such men there is little hope4 ,to wander is their choice2 and as wrong paths are many1 and the right but one1 they become wanderers to the end4 ,that the closing of their eyes was in these teachers a self-chosen course we see from the example which ,st4 ,peter has chosen to illustrate their character4 ,balaam1 however he gained his knowledge and however unworthy he was to possess it1 certainly knew much of ,jehovah1 and had been used to keep alive the knowledge of ,god among the heathen round about him2 but his heart was not whole with ,god4 ,to be known as the prophet of the ,lord was a reputation which he prized1 but mainly1 as it seems1 for the credit it gave him among his fellows4 ,when the chance came1 he would fain endeavour to serve two masters4 ,it has been for ever true1 ,ye cannot serve ,god and mammon2 but ,balaam resolved to try4 ,he thought by importunity to prevail with ,god for so much liberty of speech as would gain ,balak's silver and gold4 ,when his intention was thwarted1 and his mouth was filled with blessings instead of curses1 he still hankered after ,balak's honours and money1 and wrought for ,israel by his counsel the curse which his lips were hindered from uttering4 ,and these teachers of licence in the name of freedom moved among the ,christian ,churches as though they were true brethren4 ,they used ,christian phrases in their feigned words1 yet were ready to lead their followers in a way as dissolute as that which the son of ,beor suggested to the ,midianites 7,num4 xxxi4 #af7 that the children of ,israel might trespass against the ,lord4 ,for these men's hearts were set on the hire of wrong-doing4 ,yet their offence was even fouler than ,balaam's1 for to their lust and covetousness they added hypocrisy4 ,but he was rebuked for his own transgression3 a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet4 ,the word which ,st4 ,peter here uses for rebuke1 and which is found nowhere else in the ,new ,testament1 implies a rebuke administered by argument1 a refutation such as reasonable persons will yield to4 ,the dumb ass 7,st4 ,peter's word is literally beast of burden7 appealed to her conduct all her life through4 ,was ,i ever wont to do this unto thee8 ,should ,i do so now without good reason8 ,the reason was made plain at the sight of the angel4 ,that presence made the rider bow his head and fall on his face4 ,but what excuse was there for his lawlessness8 ,for that is the sense which the ,apostle puts on ,balaam's transgression4 ,and the word which he adds makes the rebuke more strong4 ,it was his own transgression4 ,the swerving of the dumb beast was not of herself4 ,she would have held to the right way had it been possible1 but her master's lawlessness was very madness2 and he was the prophet1 she the speechless brute4 ,it has been said1 ,quem ,deus vult perdere prius dementat4 ,but the proverb is not true4 ,the destruction is not of ,god's will2 the madness comes of a self-chosen course of rebellion4 ,ever ,god's voice is1 as it was of old1 ,it is thy destruction1 ,o ,israel1 that thou art against ,me1 against thy help 7,hos4 xiii4 #i74 ,the ruin is self-destruction1 an infatuation which will accept no remonstrance1 brook no check4 ,for the warning voice of the dumb beast only hindered ,balaam's evil project for a brief moment2 and though the ,divine power which loosed the tongue of the ass kept her master's in check1 the maddening greed for ,balak's gold was in his heart1 and at all costs would be satisfied1 and led him to destruction4 ,such is the penalty of those who willingly desert the right way through love of the hire of wrong-doing4 ,in forsaking ,god1 they forsake the fountain of wisdom4 ,then their lawlessness degrades their human endowments to the level of the brutish1 and the obedient drudging of the dumb beasts of burden speaks loud--for ,god gives it a tongue--against the mad errors of rebellious men4 ,,xxv ,,altogether ,,become ,,abominable ,these are springs without water1 and mists driven by a storm2 for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved4 ,for1 uttering great swelling words of vanity1 they entice in the lusts of the flesh1 by lasciviousness1 those who are just escaping from them that live in error2 promising them liberty1 while they themselves are bondservants of corruption2 for of whom a man is overcome1 of the same is he also brought into bondage4 ,for if1 after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 they are again entangled therein and overcome1 the last state is become worse with them than the first4 ,for it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness1 than1 after knowing it1 to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them4 ,it has happened unto them according to the true proverb1 ,the dog turning to his own vomit again1 and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire4--#b ,,peter ii4 #ag-bb4 ,the ,apostle now describes these traitors to the cause of ,christ under another aspect4 ,they proffer themselves as guides and teachers4 ,as such they should be sources of refreshment and help4 ,but in every respect they belie the character which they have assumed4 ,these are springs without water4 ,the blessing of a spring is only known to the full in ,eastern lands4 ,hence it is that in ,bible language wells and fountains are constantly used as emblematic of happiness4 ,when ,israel is brought out of ,egypt1 their destination is described as a land of fountains4 ,mental and spiritual blessings are pictured by this figure3 ,the mouth of a righteous man is a well of life 7,prov4 x4 #aa72 ,the wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook 7,prov4 xviii4 #d74 ,the invitation which the prophet publishes in ,god's name runs1 ,ho1 every one that thirsteth1 come ye to the waters 7,isa4 lv4 #a72 and the gracious promise is1 ,with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation 7,isa4 xii4 #c74 ,to those who had been accustomed to language of this sort ,st4 ,peter's words convey a picture of utter disappointment4 ,where men had a right to expect that they would find brightness and refreshment1 where they were promised an oasis in the world's desert1 there proved to be only a delusive mirage2 and for this the brethren were beguiled to forsake the living waters which ,christ has promised to ,his faithful ones4 ,and mists driven by a storm4 ,here the same thought is put into another shape4 ,mists1 resting above the ground1 play a part like that of the watersprings beneath4 ,they protect from scorching heat1 and drop down blessing on the thirsty land4 ,but when they are chased away by the whirlwind1 they can furnish neither protection nor nourishment4 ,and so helpless for those who followed them were these apostles of licence4 ,like mists they were1 it is true1 but only in their blinding influence4 ,they brought with them blasts of vain doctrine1 in their craftiness1 after the wiles of error1 and so created a desolation for those who sought unto them4 ,we cannot help comparing this description with the ever-increasing illumination that flows from the lamp of prophecy1 making the world's dark places light4 ,for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved4 ,yes1 for these also ,god has a destiny in store4 ,it is reserved1 as is the incorruptible inheritance 7#a ,peter i4 #d7 which awaits ,his faithful ones4 ,but it is in those pits of darkness to which the rebellious angels were committed4 ,yet even in the ,apostle's language there shines out somewhat of ,god's mercy4 ,the sinner's doom is certain1 but the blow has not yet fallen2 the blackness of darkness is prepared1 but was not prepared for men4 ,only those fall into it who persist in their rebellion4 ,for them1 in the words of ,christ1 it will be the outer darkness1 where is the weeping and the gnashing of teeth4 ,for1 uttering great swelling words of vanity1 they entice in the lusts of the flesh1 by lasciviousness1 those who are just escaping from them that live in error4 ,st4 ,peter's words are here very aptly chosen to contrast the boastful pretensions of these corrupters with the hollowness and delusion of all they promise4 ,st4 ,jude 7#af7 tells of the great swelling words1 but does not add that further touch which proclaims their emptiness2 ,st4 ,paul 7#a ,tim4 i4 #f7 says that such men fall to their vain and boastful talking because they have swerved from purity of heart1 from a good conscience1 and from faith unfeigned4 ,from such there is nothing to be expected but falseness and unreality2 they arrogate to themselves a penetration which others have not4 ,theirs it is to have found a deeper meaning in revelation1 to have worked their way to a freedom beyond the rest1 a freedom in the midst of sin1 which imparts to those who attain to it a freedom to sin with impunity4 ,thus do they entice in the lusts of the flesh by lasciviousness4 ,such a liberty suits the natural man2 such guides find many to follow them4 ,true ,christian freedom1 the freedom of ,st4 ,paul1 calls for constant watchfulness1 earnest anxiety at every step1 for life is full of treacherous roads4 ,but forethought and carefulness are lacking for the most part in those who have just escaped from the entanglements of error4 ,i buffet my body1 was the ,apostle's rule1 and bring it into bondage 7#a ,cor4 ix4 #bg74 ,this was the discipline to free the soul4 ,and to others he preaches in his letter to ,timothy that the grace of ,god hath appeared1 bringing salvation to all men 7#b ,tim4 ii4 #aa74 ,but mark the pathway which leads to this life3 ,instructing us to the intent that1 denying ungodliness and worldly lusts1 we should live soberly1 righteously1 and godly in this present world4 ,such precepts these men mocked at4 ,there was a nobler knowledge1 they said1 a higher initiation4 ,to this they had attained2 to this they beguiled their followers4 ,such men are unspeakably dangerous to those who have made but little progress in spiritual life4 ,it is only those who1 like ,nehemiah of old1 have become firm of purpose through prayer to the ,god of heaven1 and know the dangers that everywhere beset them1 that can withstand such temptation4 ,as he laboured amid the ruins of ,jerusalem1 which he was so zealous to restore1 there came to him the invitation of the ,samaritans1 ,come1 let us meet together2 444 let us take counsel together 7,neh4 vi474 ,no doubt the village in the plain of ,ono1 to which they asked him to come1 was a pleasanter place just then than the bare hill-top of ,zion1 with its desolation and ruins4 ,but his heart misgave him at the words of such counsellors4 ,they thought to do me mischief4 ,and his sturdy answer to the tempters is a pattern and a lesson for all time3 ,i am doing a great work1 so that ,i cannot come down4 ,for it is always to come down that such counsellors invite us1 not to be afraid of putting ourselves on their level4 ,they may cloke it under the name of elevation1 as these ,asian tempters did4 ,they talk of this as liberty and power1 just as the archfiend himself spake to the ,saviour1 tempting ,him to a boastful display of ,his trust in ,his ,father3 ,cast ,thyself down4 ,those who fall fall in this way1 by a too ready yielding to some acceptable bait2 and then they find themselves1 not free1 but prisoners4 ,and the weak in the faith1 those who are only just escaped from error1 are those from among whom the deluders seek and find their victims4 ,promising them liberty1 while they themselves are bondservants of corruption2 for of whom a man is overcome1 of the same is he also brought into bondage4 ,here we have two views of the same persons4 ,first their own picture4 ,they proclaim their superiority in lofty terms4 ,satan and his servants have always been liberal with promises4 ,ye shall be as gods1 knowing good and evil1 ,all these things will ,i give ,thee1 if ,thou wilt fall down and worship me1 are sample speeches of the arch-tempter4 ,and these men follow their master2 but1 says the ,apostle1 they are themselves in the grossest slavery4 ,he personifies ,destruction as a power who holds them in her chains4 ,and the idea sets sin before us in a terrible light4 ,it begins in the single act1 over which men fancy they have entire control2 but the acts become a habit1 and this1 like a mighty1 living power within men1 but beyond their sway1 overmasters their whole being1 and drives them at its will4 ,in the case of these men1 no faculty was free2 their very eyes could not cease from sin4 ,for if1 after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 they are again entangled therein and overcome1 the last state is become worse with them than the first4 ,corruptio optimi pessima is a well-known and very true dictum1 and the ,apostle sets these false teachers before us as a notable illustration of it4 ,the backsliders1 the renegades who desert a good cause1 are sure to exhibit intense hostility to the position from which they have fallen away4 ,they are constrained to do so that men may think they have a warrant for their conduct2 and often they have an uneasy conscience1 which they must try to silence by large assertion of the rectitude and wisdom of what they do4 ,satan himself is the great instance4 ,the state from which by rebellion he fell was unspeakably glorious1 a life in the presence of perfect holiness4 ,now he takes his pleasure in marring everything that is holy1 in defiling ,god's world and filling it with pollution through the sin which he has introduced4 ,these ,asian backsliders had tasted the good grace of ,god4 ,the ,apostle speaks of their knowledge of ,christ as that true comprehension of ,his love and mercy which draws men away from the world and its allurements4 ,they had escaped and found a camp of refuge4 ,but to take service under ,christ means to bear the cross1 and to bear it patiently4 ,jesus puts ,his servants to the proof1 and not all who have set their hands to the plough continue stedfast in their work till the harvest comes4 ,they halt in the process of that growth of grace which ,st4 ,peter describes in the first chapter of this letter4 ,in their temperance they should provide patience1 endurance in well-doing4 ,many1 however1 persevere but for a little time2 and the world seizes the opportunity of their doubt and hesitation1 comes forward with its allurements1 and captures the weak in faith4 ,and such were these men1 and their capture was fatal4 ,they were now in the toils of a net from which there was little chance of escape2 they were overcome and made very slaves4 ,in their first efforts to walk with ,christ they had been enabled to wrest themselves away from their evil life2 but now they were sunk down1 overpowered1 and blind1 with a blindness the more terrible because they had known what it was to have sight4 ,their last state was unspeakably worse than the first4 ,st4 ,peter has in mind the parable of his ,master 7,matt4 xii42 ,luke xi47 which was spoken prophetically of the ,jewish people4 ,there ,christ tells of the evil spirit which has been cast out1 but no attempt made to fill his place with a better tenant4 ,soon finding no rest1 he returns1 and beholds his former home swept1 and garnished1 and unoccupied4 ,then he goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than himself1 who enter with him and dwell there4 ,with what solemn meaning come those words which follow the parable1 ,blessed are they that hear the word of ,god and keep it6 7,luke xi4 #bh74 ,to have heard1 and not to have kept1 indeed makes the last state worse than the first4 ,for it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness1 than1 after knowing it1 to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them4 ,these words of the ,apostle point out the fear and care which should possess the hearts of those whom ,god blesses with large opportunities3 fear lest they receive them amiss and fail to value them2 care lest they pervert them to a wrong use4 ,our ,lord's own words form the mightiest homily thereon when ,he spake to those cities of ,galilee upon whom a great light was shining as ,he dwelt in their midst1 but ,he could not do ,his mighty works there because of their unbelief4 ,he came unto ,his own1 and ,his own received ,him not4 ,hence the solemn denunciations of woe upon them3 ,it shall be more tolerable in the judgement for ,tyre and ,sidon1 for ,sodom and ,gomorrah1 than for them2 ,the queen of the south shall rise up in the judgement against them and condemn4 ,and more sorrowfully still ,he speaks to ,jerusalem3 ,if thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace1 but now they are hid from thine eyes4 ,christ went away unto the ,father1 but ,he left the ,apostles their commission to teach the way of righteousness as ,he had taught it4 ,teach them1 ,he says1 to observe all things whatsoever ,i have told you2 and lo1 ,i am with you always4 ,by the ministrations of ,st4 ,paul and his fellow-labourers the feet of these ,asian converts had been set in the right way4 ,they had made a profession of faith in ,christ's sacrifice1 and thus had been reckoned among the righteous1 among those called to be saints4 ,but the journey unto righteousness is made by daily steps in keeping ,god's law2 and if these be not taken1 the road may lie open1 the traveller may see it1 but he comes no nearer to the goal4 ,nay1 in this road there is no standing still4 ,they who fail to press forward inevitably slide back4 ,it was here that these false teachers had failed4 ,the command of ,god checked their evil appetites and greed2 and so they set it at defiance and turned aside1 and taught their deluded followers that ,god's freedom in its highest sense meant a licence to sin4 ,here one of the ,apostle's words is very significant4 ,he says1 not holy commandments1 but holy commandment1 telling us thus that the ,divine law is all comprehended in the right ordering of the heart4 ,in principle all ,god's laws are one4 ,if that inward source of all our right and wrong be kept pure1 from it are the issues of life2 and every action flowing from it will then have a righteous aim4 ,thus men lead holy lives2 thus they keep ,god's commandments in every relation4 ,they do not in this life become free from offence2 they stumble1 because they are compassed by infirmity4 ,but they act from a right motive2 and this1 and not the sum-total of results1 is what the loving ,father of men regards4 ,thus the ,divine law is the law of true freedom1 supplying a principle1 but leaving the particular actions to develop according to the circumstances of each man's life4 ,this is the freedom of which the ,psalmist sings3 ,i will walk at liberty1 for ,i seek ,thy precepts 7,psalm cxix4 #de72 and one of our own poets extols a life so ordered by ,divine law as the truest1 grandest freedom3-- ,obedience is greater than freedom4 ,what's free8 ,the vexed straw on the wind1 the tossed foam on the sea2 ,the great ocean itself1 as it rolls and it swells1 ,in the bonds of a boundless obedience dwells4 ,it has happened unto them according to the true proverb1 ,the dog turning to his own vomit again1 and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire4 ,to describe in all its horror the abysmal depth to which these false teachers have sunk1 the ,apostle makes use of two proverbs1 one of which he adapts from the ,old ,testament 7,prov4 xxvi4 #aa71 while the other is one which would impress the ,jewish mind with a feeling of utter abomination4 ,the dogs of the ,east are the pariahs of the animal world1 while everything pertaining to swine was detestable in the eyes of the ,israelite4 ,but all the loathing which attached to these outcasts of the brute creation did not suffice to portray the defilement of these teachers of lies and their apostate lives4 ,it needed those other grosser features--the return to the disgorged meal2 the greed for filth1 where a temporary cleansing serves1 as it were1 to give a relish for fresh wallowing--these traits were needed ere the full vileness of those sinners could be expressed4 ,solomon spake his proverb of the fool who goes back to his folly2 but of how much grosser lapse is he guilty who1 having known the mercy of ,christ1 having tasted the ,father's grace1 having been illumined by the ,holy ,spirit1 turns again to the world and its pollutions1 goes back into the far country1 far away from ,god1 and chooses again for his food the husks that the swine did eat6 ,,xxvi ,,as ,,were ,,the ,,days ,,of ,,noah ,this is now1 beloved1 the second epistle that ,i write unto you2 and in both of them ,i stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance2 that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets1 and the commandment of the ,lord and ,saviour through your apostles2 knowing this first1 that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery1 walking after their own lusts1 and saying1 ,where is the promise of ,his coming8 for1 from the day that the fathers fell asleep1 all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation4--#b ,,peter iii4 #a-d4 ,in the previous chapter the ,apostle showed how the renegade false teachers had published among the brethren their seductive doctrine1 declaring that ,god's fatherly discipline was something which they need not undergo1 that the trials which ,he sent them might be escaped1 and the natural bent of man's heart indulged as fully as they pleased4 ,the foul results of such lessons both to the flock and to the teachers he also depicted in such wise as to render them abhorrent4 ,now he tells of a further lesson which these guides on the downward road added to the former4 ,those who do not accept ,god's judgements here soon go on to deny the coming of judgement hereafter4 ,it could hardly be otherwise4 ,the wish is father to the thought as truly in matters of faith as of practice4 ,men whose lives are all centred on this world must try and convince themselves1 if possible1 that the day of the ,lord1 of which ,god's word speaks so often1 is a delusion1 and may be cast out of their thoughts4 ,this these men did1 and it is against this scoffing of theirs that ,st4 ,peter directs his exhortation in this chapter4 ,this is now1 beloved1 the second epistle that ,i write unto you4 ,judging from the adverb which he uses 71 now1 already71 we should conclude that no long time had elapsed between the ,apostle's first letter and the second4 ,and by calling this the second1 he shows that it is intended for the same congregations as the former1 though he has not named them in the salutation with which the letter opens4 ,aforetime they had been tried by inward questionings1 and he sent them his exhortation and testimony that1 spite of all their trials1 this was the true grace of ,god which they had received1 and therein they should stand fast 7#a ,peter v4 #ab74 ,now the danger is from without3 false doctrine and evil living as its consequence4 ,so1 though he may have written but a little while ago1 he will neither spare himself1 nor neglect them4 ,for the danger is of the utmost gravity4 ,it threatens the overthrow of all true ,christian life4 ,and in both of them ,i stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance4 ,mark how trustfully he appeals to the sincerity of the minds of the brethren1 just as before 7i4 #ab7 he said they knew the things of which he was putting them in remembrance1 and were established in the truth which they had received4 ,and what he means by the mind we may see from #a ,peter i4 #ac1 where he uses the same word3 ,gird up the loins of your mind--do not indulge vain1 lax1 and speculative opinions1 as though these would forward you in your travel through the world--be sober1 and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you4 ,a mind so braced looks onward to the revelation of ,jesus ,christ1 looks for every token of its drawing nigh4 ,and because it is sincere1 the man dare look into its inmost recesses1 and by self-examination and discipline maintain its purity4 ,he can think soberly of the ,lord's coming because he is preparing for it4 ,but he whose mind is dark1 within whom the light has been turned into darkness1 dare not think on these things1 but with all his might endeavours to forget1 ignore1 and deny them4 ,all that ,st4 ,peter thinks needful for these ,asian brethren is that he should remind them4 ,he knows that men's minds are prone to slumber1 especially about the things unseen as yet2 and his aim is to rouse them to thorough vigilance4 ,but he has no new lesson to give them4 ,that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets4 ,on few themes do the prophets dwell more earnestly than on those visitations of ,jehovah which they publish as the coming of the day of the ,lord4 ,with ,joel 7ii4 #aa1 #cb7 it is to be a time great and terrible1 the prospect of which is to move men to repentance1 for whosoever shall call upon the name of the ,lord shall be delivered4 ,and ,israel were taught in many ways that this great day was constantly at hand4 ,they were pointed to it by ,isaiah 7xiii4 #f7 when the overthrow of ,babylon was foretold4 ,for that nation the day of the ,lord was coming as destruction from the ,almighty4 ,jeremiah 7xlvi4 #aj7 and ,ezekiel 7xxx4 #c7 preach the same lesson1 with the ruin of ,egypt for their text4 ,it is a day of vengeance1 when the ,lord ,god of hosts will avenge ,him of ,his adversaries1 a day of clouds1 in which a sword shall come upon ,egypt1 and her foundations shall be broken down4 ,by what they beheld around them ,god's people were to learn that a like day would come upon them also1 upon everything that was high and lifted up against ,god2 and for those who were unprepared another prophet 7,amos v4 #ah7 declared that it would be darkness1 and not light4 ,before its coming1 therefore1 they were urged 7,zeph4 ii4 #c7 to turn to the ,lord1 that they might be hid in the day of ,his anger4 ,for ,god designed by it to make ,himself ,king of all the earth 7,zech4 xiv4 #i71 wherefore it would be great and terrible4 ,for though ,elijah should first be sent 7,mal4 iv4 #e7 to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers1 in its manifestation that day should still be like a refiner's fire to purge the evil from among the good4 ,not without solemn purpose were all these words written aforetime1 and the ,christian preachers who felt that ,god was faithful were sure that such a day would come upon all the earth4 ,how it would be manifested was for ,god1 and not for them4 ,some of those who lived when ,st4 ,peter wrote beheld part of its accomplishment in the overthrow of the ,holy ,city4 ,but they felt--and their lesson is one for all time--that it is presumptuous in men to compute ,god's days1 and that it is rebellious blindness not to acknowledge the coming of ,his day continually in the great crises of history4 ,how many a time since ,st4 ,peter spoke has the ,lord proclaimed by partial judgements the certainty of that which shall come at the last4 ,the day of the ,lord is attested when empires fall1 when hordes of barbarians break in upon the civilised world that has grown careless of ,god1 when convulsions rage like those which preceded the ,reformation and which shook ,europe at the ,french ,revolution1 and we may add to these the troubles which harass our own land to-day4 ,all these things preach the same doctrine2 all proclaim that verily there is a ,god that judgeth the earth4 ,not yet is the voice of prophecy silent4 ,oh that men would but remember how long and how surely it has been speaking6 ,and the commandment of the ,lord and ,saviour through your apostles4 ,in connexion with the subject on which he is writing1 the commandment of ,jesus to which ,st4 ,peter alludes can hardly be other than that which occurs in the address of our ,lord to ,his disciples after ,his last visit to the ,temple3 ,watch therefore1 for ye know not on what day your ,lord cometh2 444 therefore be ready1 for in an hour that ye think not the ,son of man cometh 7,matt4 xxiv4 #db74 ,and with the last judgement in his thoughts1 we cannot fail to be struck with the frequency with which the ,apostle in this letter repeats as the title of ,christ the ,lord and ,saviour 7i4 #aa2 ii4 #bj2 iii4 #b1 #ah74 ,this precise form occurs in no other part of the ,new testament4 ,and it seems from the ,apostle's use of it as though1 while speaking of the certainty of the coming of the day of the ,lord1 he desired to give special prominence to the thought that to such as were looking for ,him ,he would manifest ,himself as the ,saviour and ,redeemer4 ,the words your apostles also appear to be used with design4 ,they contain a direct acknowledgment of the mission of ,st4 ,paul as an apostle4 ,by him more than by any other had these regions been brought to the knowledge of ,christ1 and we may rest confident that the gospel which he preached elsewhere he preached to them also4 ,the lesson of watchfulness is oft repeated in his letters4 ,to the ,corinthians he writes1 ,watch ye2 stand fast in the faith2 quit you like men2 be strong 7#a ,cor4 xvi4 #ac71 while1 in connexion with this subject of the day of the ,lord1 his words to the ,thessalonians are1 ,ye yourselves know perfectly that the day of the ,lord so cometh as a thief in the night4444 ,but ye are not in darkness1 that that day should overtake you as a thief4 ,let us watch and be sober 7#a ,thess4 v4 #b-f74 ,st4 ,peter's letter was to be read in those ,galatian ,churches whose members in past days had doubted about the apostolate of ,st4 ,paul4 ,its warnings would sink the deeper because enforced by the authority of him who even in his rebukes had spoken to them as his little children 7,gal4 iv4 #ai74 ,knowing this first1 that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery4 ,st4 ,peter says the mockers will come2 ,polycarp#ad says in his day they had come4 ,he terms them the first-born of ,satan1 and tells how they pervert the oracles of the ,lord to their own lusts and deny that there is either resurrection or judgement4 ,the signs of the times were not difficult to read2 and the ,apostle would have the brethren know what to look for1 know in such wise that they should not be shaken in mind by what they saw or heard4 ,for this the first need was ,christian sobriety4 ,thus settled1 they could ponder on the words of ancient prophecy and recall the lessons of those who had spoken to them in the name of ,christ2 and therewith their hearts might take comfort1 and their heads be lifted up with expectation1 knowing the last days were bringing their redemption nearer4 ,the mockery of the sinners would keep no bounds4 ,this he expresses by his emphatic words1 just as largeness of blessing is described3 ,in blessing ,i will bless thee4 #ad ,ad ,phil4 vii4 ,walking after their own lusts1 and saying1 ,where is the promise of ,his coming8 ,they would be a law unto themselves1 and so they followed an evil law4 ,as sinners before them had said1 ,our lips are our own 7,psalm xii4 #d71 so these men by act and word alike proclaimed1 ,our lives are our own1 to use as we please4 ,we have no account to give4 ,thus they made themselves bondslaves to the lust of the flesh1 the lust of the eye1 and the pride of life1 and1 with these fetters heavy about them1 boasted of their liberty4 ,they strengthened themselves in their evil way by jeering at the thought of ,christ's return to judgement4 ,we have heard of the promise1 they said1 but we see no signs of its fulfilment4 ,the angels1 you say1 spake of ,his return when ,he was taken away from you4 ,let ,him make speed and hasten ,his coming1 that we may see it4 ,you are for ever speaking of it as sure and pointing us back to the ancient ,scriptures1 as though they were a warrant for what you preach4 ',where is the word of the ,lord8 ,let it come now' 7,jer4 xvii4 #ae74 ,for1 from the day that the fathers fell asleep1 all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation4 ,here the mockers pass from the promise of ,christ's return1 and fall back upon the more distant records as supplying a stronger argument4 ,the fathers of whom they speak cannot be the ,christian preachers4 ,not many of them could as yet have fallen asleep in death4 ,but the ancient prophets of the ,jewish ,scriptures had long ago passed away1 and against them the scorners direct their shafts4 ,centuries ago1 they urge1 the prophetic record was closed2 and its final utterance was of the day of the ,lord1 which has not yet come4 ,their word1 fell asleep may have also been used as part of their mockery1 classing the words of prophecy among baseless dreams4 ,it may be they intended a special allusion to that one among the prophets who dates the time of the ,lord's coming4 ,daniel 7xii4 #ab7 speaks of a waiting which shall last a thousand three hundred and five-and-thirty days4 ,but say these scorners1 ,when his word was complete1 he was bidden1 ',go thou thy way till the end be4 ,for thou shalt rest1 and shalt stand in thy lot at the end of the days4' ,he has fallen asleep1 and the other fathers also4 ,they all are at rest1 and the end of the days is no nearer4 ,the world stands fast1 and will stand4 ,it has seen no change since it was brought into existence4 ,those who in faith clung to ,christ could not fail1 as they heard these scorners1 to think of the ,master's question1 ,when the ,son of man cometh1 shall ,he find faith in the earth8 7,luke xviii4 #h71 and of those other words of ,his which told them that the last days should be a parallel to the days of the ,deluge3 ,as were the days of ,noah1 so shall be the coming of the ,son of man4 ,for as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking1 marrying and giving in marriage1 until the day that ,noah entered into the ark1 and they knew not until the flood came and took them all away1 so shall be the coming of the ,son of man 7,matt4 xxiv4 #cg-ci74 ,the strong earth was under the feet of those antediluvian mockers1 the firmament above their heads4 ,so in ignorance they jeered at what they would call the folly of ,noah4 ,but the ,flood came1 and then they knew4 ,yet the last days have seen1 and will see1 men as blind and as full of satire and scoffing as they4 ,,xxvii ,,judgement ,,to ,,come ,for this they wilfully forget1 that there were heavens from of old1 and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water1 by the word of ,god2 by which means the world that then was1 being overflowed with water1 perished3 but the heavens that now are1 and the earth1 by the same word have been stored up for fire1 being reserved against the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men4--#b ,,peter iii4 #e-g4 ,the world lasts on 7,greek3 diam_/enei7 through all times1 say the scoffers1 just as it was at the ,creation4 ,there has been no change2 there will be none4 ,but out of their own mouth their folly is rebuked4 ,how can these men speak of a creation8 ,if there is to be no ,judge1 why believe that there has been a ,creator8 ,that must be included in the general denial4 ,for this they wilfully forget4 ,yes1 here is the reason of their conduct1 the root of all the evil4 ,they forget because they wish to forget2 they speak of the fathers1 but of set purpose ignore the history of ,noah2 they are casting ,god out of all their thoughts3 and so even to the things that are made1 and by which ,he testifies to all men alike ,his eternal power and ,godhead1 they close their eyes1 and refuse to read ,his wide-open lesson-book4 ,and still less do they regard all that ,his written word records of the world's past history and ,god's discipline for men therein4 ,that there were heavens from of old1 and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water1 by the word of ,god4 ,they close their ears as well as their eyes4 ,in the beginning ,god created the heavens and the earth4 ,as the study of nature progresses men are learning to comprehend more of the vastness of that phrase in the beginning1 and in the light of science to read a larger meaning into ,st4 ,peter's words1 ,there were heavens from of old4 ,but even in that generation to which the ,apostle soon alludes the unchanging character of the skies spake of duration and permanence4 ,the antediluvian world had run a long course2 from ,adam to ,noah men had beheld the sun rise and set daily in the skies1 just as it rose on the morning of the ,deluge4 ,and the mockers then living could say1 and doubtless did say1 to the preacher in their midst1 ,these things have always been as they are1 and will be so for evermore4 ,the later scorners had their prototypes of old1 who pointed to the existence of an eternal law1 and wilfully forgot that law implies a lawgiver1 and that ,he who made must have the power to unmake4 ,st4 ,peter takes their text1 but reads from it a very different lesson4 ,there were heavens from of old1 yea1 long before there was an earth fit for man to dwell in4 ,this world in that old time was formless and void1 and the waters covered its face like a garment4 ,the word of the ,lord went forth1 and the waters were gathered together as a heap1 and the depth was laid up in ,god's storehouses4 ,then the dry land appeared2 then there was an earth4 ,the streams took their appointed place down the mountain-sides and in the valleys1 and rivers began to roll onward to the sea2 the waters of ocean learnt their bounds1 neither turned again to cover the earth4 ,the ,divine word clothed in all the glory of vegetation the hitherto barren land1 making it a fit home for man1 who was not yet2 and the water ministered sustenance to everything that grew out of the ground4 ,birds1 beasts1 and fishes were made1 and the waters were the birthplace of most of these4 ,for ,god said1 ,let the water bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life1 not its own tenants only1 but fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven4 ,so there was an earth1 not the bare ground only1 but the whole wealth of vegetable and animal life2 and this was all existent1 compacted1 supported out of water and by means of water 7' 74 ,for without it nothing could have flourished4 ,god had laid up water above the firmament and water below the earth1 and by means of watery vapour refreshed and blessed everything that grew4 ,this was the reign of ,god's law1 and ere the ,flood came men could point to it and say1 ,what mean you to talk of a deluge8 ,the sand is made the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree1 that it cannot pass it2 the earth is set high above the waters1 and has been so from old time4 ,but that long duration did not hinder the same productive1 nurturing water being turned1 by the word of the ,lord1 into an agency of destruction4 ,by which means the world that then was1 being overflowed with water1 perished4 ,every word in the ,apostle's sentence is meant to tell4 ,god employed as means of overthrow the very powers which at first ,he ordained for blessing4 ,his word makes things what they are4 ,the reign of law endures until ,he1 who is before all law and the source of all law1 gives another direction to those forces which ,his law has always been controlling4 ,in this way the world that then was1 the world which had endured and been stedfast from the ,creation to the ,flood1 perished4 ,the world was full of order1 full of glory4 ,the name 77 expresses all this4 ,yet1 for the sin of man1 it repented ,god that ,he had made this glorious order2 and this it was which perished4 ,the earth was not destroyed2 it only received again that covering of primeval waters which1 at ,god's word1 had retired and let the dry land appear4 ,at the same word both earth and heaven combined to destroy the goodliness with which creation was adorned4 ,for1 on the day of the ,deluge 7,gen4 vii4 #aa71 all the fountains of the great deep were broken up1 and the windows of heaven were opened1 and the waters came again to cover the earth4 ,they prevailed exceedingly1 and all flesh died that moved upon the earth2 even the fowls and the moving creatures1 which had been brought forth from the teeming waters1 perished1 and all things were destroyed from off the earth4 ,thus does ,st4 ,peter lay bare the unwisdom of those who will not listen to1 who are wilfully forgetful of1 the parables of ,god's word1 who close their eyes to ,his judgements1 sent that by them men may learn righteousness4 ,but the heavens that now are1 and the earth1 by the same word have been stored up for fire4 ,the ,apostle now turns away from what the ,old ,testament ,scriptures relate as history of the past to what the same records teach us concerning the future2 and he deals partly with promise1 partly with prophecy4 ,the earth will not be destroyed again by a deluge4 ,god hath made ,his covenant3 ,i will establish ,my covenant with you1 neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood1 neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth 7,gen4 ix4 #aa74 ,but there will be a judgement2 and then not1 as in the days of ,noah1 will the 1 the beautiful order of nature1 alone be destroyed1 but heaven and earth alike shall be involved in the common overthrow4 ,here the ,apostle is but the expositor of the words of psalmists and prophets of the older times4 ,he who sang1 ,of old ,thou hast laid the foundation of the earth1 and the heavens are the work of ,thy hands1 was inspired to add1 ,they shall perish1 but ,thou shalt endure2 yea1 all of them shall wax old like a garment3 as a vesture shalt ,thou change them1 and they shall be changed 7,psalm cii4 #be74 ,isaiah1 the evangelist among the prophets1 saw more1 and connects this mighty change with the day of the ,lord's vengeance3 ,then shall all the host of heaven be dissolved1 and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll 7,isa4 xxxiv4 #d72 and in another place he foresees how the heavens shall vanish away like smoke1 and the earth shall wax old like a garment1 and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner1 444 for ,mine arms shall judge the people 7,isa4 li4 #f72 and yet again in more solemn wise1 ,the ,lord will come with fire1 and with ,his chariots like a whirlwind1 to render ,his anger with fury and ,his rebuke with names of fire1 for by fire and by ,his sword will the ,lord plead with all flesh 7,isa4 lxvi4 #ae74 ,and this he proclaims as the preparation for the new heavens and the new earth which ,he will make4 ,daniel also tells us of ,god's throne of judgement to be set1 which is like the fiery flame1 and ,his wheels as burning fire 7,dan4 vii4 #i74 ,with such light from the lamp of prophecy1 the ,apostle in his exegesis proclaims the nature of the final judgement4 ,like other ,new ,testament writers1 he has attained1 since the day of ,pentecost1 a deeper insight and a firmer grasp of the purport of what ,moses in the ,law and the prophets did write4 ,we can see how on that very day thoughts like these which he expresses in his letter were borne in upon his mind4 ,for not only does he apply the prophecy of ,joel to the events which then struck the multitude with wonder1 but he carries on the lesson further to the coming of the great and notable day of the ,lord1 and reminds his hearers that then ,god will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath1 blood and fire and vapour of smoke1 when the sun shall be turned into darkness1 and the moon into blood 7,acts ii4 #ai74 ,and the like illumination had been bestowed on ,st4 ,paul4 ,for he too tells 7#a ,cor4 iii4 #ac7 of a day when each man's work shall be proved by fire2 and more definitely he assures the ,thessalonians1 to whom he wrote much concerning the day of the ,lord1 that there will come a revelation of the ,lord ,jesus from heaven with the angels of ,his power in flaming fire1 rendering vengeance to them that know not ,god1 and to them that obey not the gospel of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ 7#b ,thess4 i4 #h74 ,in such wise did the ,apostles read the utterances of prophecy2 and thus did they apply them as lessons for their own and all future times4 ,they felt that not unto themselves1 but unto us1 did the prophets minister4 ,and ,st4 ,peter does but put their message into his own words when in his bold figure he says that the heavens that now are and the earth are stored up for fire4 ,the ,revised ,version on its margin renders the last words stored with fire4 ,and when we reflect on the storing of the waters at the ,creation1 afterwards to be let forth to destroy the world which hitherto they had made fruitful and lovely1 the parallelism is very suggestive4 ,god has stored the earth within with fire1 which from time to time makes its mighty presence and power for destruction known4 ,the visitations of earthquakes may therefore well remind us that ,he who used the treasures of waters in the ,deluge for ,his ministers may in like manner hereafter employ this treasury of fire4 ,being reserved against the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men4 ,when ,god no longer waits for sinners to repent1 then will come the judgement and destruction of the ungodly4 ,at that day the heavens that now are and the earth shall be exchanged or transformed4 ,god will prepare a new heaven and a new earth wherein the righteous may find a congenial home with their ,lord4 ,here they can never be other than pilgrims and sojourners1 seeking to be clothed upon with their house which is from heaven4 ,what the destruction of the ungodly shall be we can only judge and speak of in the terms of ,scripture4 ,the language of ,st4 ,paul to the ,thessalonians seems to teach us that the very advent of the ,judge shall bring their penalty3 ,they shall suffer punishment1 even eternal destruction 7the word is not the same which ,st4 ,peter uses7 from the face of the ,lord and from the glory of ,his might 7#b ,thess4 i4 #i71 in the presence of which nothing that is defiled can dwell4 ,so ,god1 of ,his mercy1 still reserves the heavens and the earth1 and thus to every new generation offers ,his mercy1 saying continually through their silent witness1 in the spirit in which ,he spake to ,israel at the close of the volume of prophecy1 ,i am ,jehovah--that is1 the merciful and gracious1 long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth1 keeping mercy for thousands1 forgiving iniquity1 transgression1 and sin--,i change not2 therefore ye sinners are not destroyed4 ,,xxviii ,,the ,,lord ,,is ,,not ,,slack ,but forget not this one thing1 beloved1 that one day is with the ,lord as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day4 ,the ,lord is not slack concerning ,his promise1 as some count slackness2 but is long-suffering to youward1 not wishing that any should perish1 but that all should come to repentance4--#b ,,peter iii4 #h1 #i4 ,all things continue as they were from the from the beginning of the creation1 said the mockers4 ,it was foolish therefore to believe in1 or to think of1 a judgement to come4 ,in the words before us the ,apostle not only supplies an answer to the scorners1 but gives a precious lesson to ,christians for all time on the nature of ,god and ,his government of the world4 ,it is but a single thought1 but when the mind of the believer has grasped its significance1 he will look out upon the world untroubled4 ,no mockery will disturb his faith4 ,but forget not this one thing1 beloved1 that one day is with the ,lord as a thousand years1 and a thousand years as one day4 ,here the ,apostle quotes some words from that psalm 7xc47 which is entitled ,a ,prayer of ,moses1 the ,man of ,god4 ,in it the ,psalmist is contrasting ,god's eternity with the frailty of man and the shortness of human life4 ,a thousand years in ,thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past4 ,but ,st4 ,peter not only adopts1 but adapts1 the words for his own purpose4 ,he wants to teach the ,christians in their trials that1 while what is long in man's estimation may in ,god's providence be counted but little1 yet through ,god's decree what to man appears little may be big with mightiest consequences4 ,he therefore first inverts the words of the ,psalmist4 ,one day is with the ,lord as a thousand years1 while a thousand years may be as one day4 ,one day of ,his deluge swept a whole generation out of the world1 while ,his day of ,pentecost remains potent in the history of ,his grace for all the ages which are yet to come4 ,through a mistaken literalness1 men have sometimes expounded the lesson as if ,jehovah's dealings were a question of arithmetic4 ,nothing could be farther from the ,apostle's thought1 who would have us know that of great and little ,god's work makes no account4 ,with ,him there is no short or long in time4 ,what ,he does is not to be measured by the petty standards of humanity4 ,men must take note of time1 for they feel its lapse and its loss4 ,they are ever conscious that a period is coming after which what is undone must continue undone4 ,again1 the length of time is known to them by the recurrence of the various acts of life1 and by the weariness which comes of continued labour1 and by the grief of protracted waiting4 ,these things force them to speak of short and long1 but with ,god it is not so4 ,for ,him all time is one4 ,he knows nothing of toil4 ,whatsoever ,he pleaseth1 that doeth ,he in heaven and in earth1 in the sea and in all deep places 7,psalm cxxxv4 #f74 ,the ,psalmist had attained a true conception4 ,the whole world and all worlds were in ,his control1 and their order the working of ,his eternal will4 ,he needs no rest2 ,he slumbereth not1 nor sleepeth4 ,to ,him there is no waiting1 no weariness4 ,hence the past1 the present1 and the future are for ,him one unbroken now4 ,this is the one thing which the ,apostle offers to the ,christian brethren for their support and consolation against the scoffers4 ,and the knowledge is mighty for those who grasp it4 ,it helps them to cast themselves securely upon the almighty arms1 convinced that ,god's working is not to be estimated according to man's days and years1 but is certain in its effect4 ,one generation passeth away1 and another cometh2 but death1 they learn1 does not take men out of the knowledge or the hand of ,god1 be it for mercy they are reserved1 or for judgement4 ,god does not defer ,his action because ,he lacks power to perform1 neither does ,he tarry because ,he is unmindful of ,his servants or insensible to what they endure4 ,such thoughts can minister to the faithful abundant consolation1 and this was the desire of the ,apostle4 ,but they raise for all time large questions which can find no answer here1 questions concerning the lot of those who pass from this brief day of life into the eternal world and have not known ,god's will1 that they might do it2 questions concerning a discipline which may yet be reserved for some who have not bent themselves to it here1 perhaps from want of light2 questions of how far hope may extend itself beyond the veil which divides this world from the next4 ,such questions rise within many earnest souls1 often rather for the sake of others than themselves2 but ,god has vouchsafed us no answer1 lest men should wax presumptuous4 ,the ,lord is not slack concerning ,his promise1 as some count slackness4 ,many things conspire to make the doings of men to tarry4 ,at one time pledges are given beyond what foresight would warrant2 and when the day of performance arrives1 they are forced to plead that events have falsified their expectation1 and they cannot do the things that they would4 ,again1 men1 with the most earnest zeal1 attempt a work beyond their powers1 and of necessity have to delay the fulfilment of their promises2 while some are taken away untimely from the midst of their fellows1 ere life has enabled them to achieve what they counted on once as certain4 ,want of knowledge1 of time1 and of power is the heritage of the sons of men2 and therewith conspires not seldom a change of mind and consequent want of will4 ,but ,he with whom is no variableness1 the omnipotent1 omniscient1 eternal ,lord of all1 is subject to no hindrance4 ,whether events appear to men to linger or to be sudden1 all move under the control of the same unchanging will4 ,he is not slack1 as men are slack1 either to rescue the righteous or to punish the ungodly4 ,of this the son of ,sirach spake3 ,the ,lord will not be slack1 neither will the ,almighty be patient1 444 till ,he have taken away the multitude of the proud and broken the sceptre of the unrighteous1 444 till ,he have judged the cause of ,his people and made them to rejoice in ,his mercy 7,ecclus4 xxxv4 #ah74 ,here is a medicine for fainting souls1 of whom there must have been many among these ,asian ,christians4 ,and it is a solace furnished1 too1 by the teachings of prophecy4 ,the vision1 says one1 is yet for an appointed time 7,hab4 iii4 #c74 ,god's will has ordered when and how it shall be accomplished2 all moves by ,his decree4 ,at the end it shall speak1 and not lie4 ,there is no disappointment to those who wait upon the purposes of ,god4 ,though it tarry1 wait for it1 even though the waiting may last beyond this life1 because it will surely come2 it will not tarry4 ,the just shall live by his faith4 ,the order of the words in the original 7 7 and the unwonted construction of the verb1 of which no other example is forthcoming1 have suggested to some to render thus3 ,the ,lord of the promise is not slack4 ,even so the words give a powerful sense4 ,god1 who makes the promise to men1 is supreme over all on which its faithfulness depends1 supreme both as ,maker and ,fulfiller of ,his word4 ,he sees and controls the end from the beginning4 ,blessed are all they that put their trust in ,him4 ,but is long-suffering to youward4 ,the ,authorised ,version heads to usward4 ,and some have thought it more in accord with the ,apostle's manner and humility to include himself with the brethren4 ,the other reading is better supported1 and none will doubt on that account ,st4 ,peter's sense of ,god's long-suffering towards himself4 ,the term which he here employs to describe the ,divine character implies the holding back of wrath4 ,god might justly punish1 but ,he stays ,his blow4 ,men have sinned1 and still sin2 but ,his love prevails above ,his anger4 ,the word is formed by the ,,lxx4 translators to render one expression in that passage 7,exod4 xxxiv4 #f7 where ,god proclaims unto ,moses the attributes by which ,he would be known unto men4 ,through all the list mercy is the dominant feature4 ,term upon term seems devised to magnify the tenderness of ,jehovah towards ,his people1 though at last1 if the continual offers of mercy are despised1 ,he will by no means clear the guilty4 ,no other language furnishes such a word1 for no other people had such a knowledge of the ,god of all grace4 ,not wishing that any should perish1 but that all should come to repentance4 ,we are wont to connect statements like this with the gracious messages of the ,new ,testament4 ,yet some saints of earlier time felt all that ,st4 ,peter here teaches4 ,the writer of ,ecclesiasticus has some striking words4 ,he is connecting ,god's mercy with the shortness of man's life1 and his language anticipates in the main this teaching of the ,apostle3 ,the number of a man's days at the most are a hundred years4 ,as a drop of water unto the sea1 so are a thousand years to the days of eternity4 ,therefore is ,god patient with them1 and poureth forth ,his mercy upon them4 ,the mercy of man is toward his neighbour1 but the mercy of ,god is upon all flesh2 ,he reproveth1 and nurtureth1 and teacheth1 and bringeth again as a shepherd his flock 7,ecclus4 xviii4 #i-ad74 ,in such wise had some who waited for the consolation of ,israel grasped ,god's promises by anticipation1 seeing them afar off and being persuaded of them4 ,such men owned themselves1 equally with the ,apostle1 to be strangers and pilgrims1 and sought for that inheritance which ,christ sent him to preach4 ,the word wishing 77 implies deliberate consent4 ,this ,god does not give to the death of any sinner4 ,if any perish1 it is not because ,god so desired or designed4 ,but some will ask1 ,why1 then1 should any perish8 ,st4 ,peter in this sentence1 full of grace1 supplies the answer4 ,they continue in sin1 and repent not4 ,even offers of mercy are of no avail4 ,but why does not the ,almighty ,father drive them to repentance by ,his judgements8 ,because ,he has made ,his children free1 and asks from them a willing service4 ,they are to come to repentance4 ,the invitation is full and free4 ,christ says1 ,come unto ,me1 all ye that labour4 ,nay1 ,god makes at times a less demand3 ,look unto ,me and be ye saved1 all ye ends of the earth4 ,could words breathe more of mercy8 ,to come1 to look--that is the sole demand4 ,god bestows all besides4 ,let men but manifest a desire1 and ,his grace is poured forth4 ,he wisheth not that any should perish4 ,and ,christ1 too1 when ,he speaks of the gifts of the ,holy ,spirit1 has the same lesson4 ,the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost all conspire to further the work of man's salvation4 ,all things1 said our ,lord1 whatsoever the ,father hath1 are ,mine4 ,therefore said ,i1 ,he shall take of ,mine1 and shall show 7,r4,v4 declare7 it unto you4 ,but the eye to see what ,he shows1 the ear to hear ,his declarations--these ,he asks from men4 ,he willeth that they should come to repentance1 and through that gate should come to ,him4 ,,xxix ,,what ,,manner ,,of ,,persons ,,ought ,,ye ,,to ,,be8 ,but the day of the ,lord will come as a thief2 in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise1 and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat1 and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up4 ,seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved1 what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness1 looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of ,god1 by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat8 ,but1 according to ,his promise1 we look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4--#b ,,peter iii4 #aj-ac4 ,the ,apostle1 ever earnest to put the brethren in mind of the things they had heard or read1 never fails to follow his own precept4 ,his thoughts perpetually go back to the words of ,jesus1 of which the passage before us is but one example out of many4 ,if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming1 he would have watched 7,luke xii4 #ci74 ,so spake ,christ to the disciples when urging them to be like unto servants that look for the coming of their lord4 ,to the ,master's parable ,st4 ,peter now gives its application3 ,but the day of the ,lord will come as a thief4 ,he means first to mark the unexpected advent1 which steals upon men when they least think of it4 ,sinners will have lulled themselves into security1 and the thought farthest from their minds will be the all-important preparation4 ,st4 ,paul uses the same figure in speaking of the same subject 7#a ,thess4 v4 #b71 from which passage the words in the night have found their way into the text of ,st4 ,peter1 to which1 as the ,revised ,version indicates1 they do not belong4 ,and in the ,epistle to the ,hebrews the ,apostle has defined the preparation which1 joined with patience1 should keep men in readiness for the certain advent3 ,exhorting one another1 and so much the more as ye see the day approaching 7,heb4 x4 #be74 ,st4 ,peter passes on to tell of the terrors which shall attend on that day4 ,here also he has in mind the words of his ,master1 who1 after a prophecy of the destruction of ,jerusalem1 spake of that greater coming of the ,son of man of which the overthrow of the ,holy ,city was to be but a partial type3 ,there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars1 and upon the earth distress of nations1 in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows1 men fainting for fear and for expectation of the things that are coming on the world1 for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken 7,luke xxi4 #be2 ,matt4 xxiv4 #bi74 ,with the ,lord's language for his warrant1 he paints1 largely in the words of the prophets of old1 the things which shall befall the world in that great and notable day3 ,in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise1 and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat1 and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up4 ,isaiah had used like words of old3 ,all the host of heaven shall be dissolved1 and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll 7,isa4 xxxiv4 #d72 and in another place he speaks 7xxiv4 #ai7 of the earth as utterly broken1 clean dissolved1 moved exceedingly2 ,micah has to proclaim the coming of the ,lord1 and he pictures it thus3 ,the mountains shall be molten under ,him1 and the valleys shall be cleft as wax before the fire 7,micah i4 #d72 and ,nahum1 describing the day of the ,lord which he foresaw was coming upon ,nineveh1 says1 ,the mountains quake at ,him1 and the hills melt2 and the earth is upheaved at ,his presence1 yea the world and all that dwell therein4 ,it is ,st4 ,peter's1 by the light of the words of ,jesus1 to read their full purport into these prophetic messages1 and to teach those upon whom the ends of the ages are come that all these things will have their consummation in that coming of the ,lord which shall be the close of these latter days4 ,when thus considered his description contains many striking details4 ,the heavens will pass away4 ,christ ,himself had so spoken1 not of heaven only1 but of the earth also4 ,his word was the same which ,peter employs1 but ,he used it in the same sentence thus3 ,my word will not pass away 7,matt4 xxiv4 #ce74 ,that is the one thing to which we may trust4 ,all else will be destroyed or changed4 ,only those who are in ,christ will be fit for the new order4 ,for them old things are passed away2 behold1 they are become new 7#b ,cor4 v4 #ag74 ,they have been purified by the fire of the ,holy ,spirit1 and so can abide the day of ,christ's coming4 ,to describe the dread process he has a striking word1 which1 like so many of the ,apostle's expressions1 is used nowhere else in the ,new ,testament3 ,with a great noise 774 ,it is applied to many sounds of terror3 to the hurtling of weapons as they fly through the air2 to the sound of a lash as it is brought down for the blow2 to the rushing of waters2 to the hissing of serpents4 ,he has chosen it as if by it he would unite many horrors in one4 ,then the thought of nature's dissolution4 ,all that was bound together at the ,creation1 and then received a law of cohesion which sustained it thenceforth1 will be cast loose1 the compacted world dissolved4 ,these things have been thought of as emblems of stability4 ,god hath made the round world so fast that it cannot be moved 7,psalm civ4 #e71 but ,he who made can also unmake4 ,how foolish then must they be who bound their thoughts and aims by what the world can give1 making themselves thereby of the earth1 earthy1 and so sure to fail when that is destroyed4 ,and what are those works that are in the earth of which the ,apostle speaks8 ,do the words mean no more than the world and all that therein is1 a phrase so common in ,scripture8 ,at first sight it appears so4 ,but some most ancient manuscripts1 instead of shall be burned up1 read shall be discovered4 ,of this the ,revised ,version takes note on its margin4 ,from this reading the mind goes to the words of the ,preacher1 ,god shall bring every work into judgement1 with every hidden thing1 whether it be good or whether it be evil 7,eccles4 xii4 #ad74 ,the sense is thus bound closer with the coming of the day of the ,lord4 ,seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved1 what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness8 ,the ,apostle says more than are to be dissolved4 ,his word signifies are being dissolved4 ,the event is so sure1 and the interests involved so weighty1 that he speaks of it as present1 that thus he may more forcibly urge his lesson of preparation4 ,what manner of persons ought ye to be8 ,christ had supplied the answer1 and so ,st4 ,peter gives none3 ,let your loins be girded about1 and your lamps burning1 and ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord 7,luke xii4 #be74 ,the figures imply readiness for any service1 most of all1 to an ,eastern mind1 readiness to set forth on a journey4 ,such should ever be the attitude of those who are but sojourners and pilgrims4 ,and by his words the ,apostle intimates how this preparedness should enter into every relation of the ,christian life4 ,the translation says1 in all holy living and godliness2 but in the ,greek there is no word for all4 ,literally the words are in holy conversations and godlinesses4 ,in ,english we could not use words thus4 ,hence the device of the translators to come as near to the sense as is possible4 ,but if we carry with us the thought contained in these plural words1 we see how ,st4 ,peter teaches by them that in our daily life and work as well as in our religious exercises we should be ever watchful1 ever ready4 ,our life with men and with ,god should be stamped as ,holiness unto the ,lord4 ,by such a walk we shall keep ourselves apart from sinners1 and be helped thus far to keep away from sin4 ,and the godliness of which he speaks springs1 as he has already taught 7i4 #f7 in this ,epistle1 from a patient waiting on the ,lord4 ,thus the whole attitude of the ,christian becomes one of wakeful readiness4 ,he is of those of whom it is said1 ,blessed are those servants whom their lord when he cometh shall find watching4 ,looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of ,god1 by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved1 and the elements shall melt with fervent heat4 ,the question of the mockers1 ,where is the promise of ,his coming8 will not disturb those whose lives are thus made ready4 ,that coming fills their every thought1 moulds every desire1 controls and chastens every action4 ,for not only do they look for it3 they long for it1 and earnestly desire it4 ,for to be with ,christ is far better4 ,hence they hear of the melting elements and the fires of heaven without alarm4 ,with them it is as with the ,hebrew children in the days of ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,the fires which others dread1 and by reason of which the heavens dissolve and the elements melt1 will have no power over them save to loose their bonds1 to free them from the burden of the flesh1 to further that change from the natural to the spiritual which ,st4 ,paul teaches we must all undergo2 while with them there will be the ,son of ,god4 ,and thus they will attain to their desire1 and become partakers of the ,divine nature4 ,but the translation earnestly desiring by no means exhausts the significance and solemnity of ,st4 ,peter's word4 ,the ,authorised ,version rendered it hasting unto the coming of the day of ,god2 but the word unto is not in the ,greek1 though the verb means hastening4 ,the word is found in the ,,lxx4 of ,isa4 xvi4 #e1 where the ,authorised ,version translates the ,hebrew by hasting righteousness and the ,revised by swift to do righteousness4 ,but though a king1 as in that passage1 may be said to hasten righteousness by being swift to do it1 is there any sense in which men could be said to hasten the coming of the day of ,god8 ,it seems as though ,christ intended to set such an aim before ,his servants4 ,before ,he was crucified ,he spake that prophetic promise1 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up1 will draw all men unto ,me4 ,when ,he had been lifted up on the cross and as a testimony to ,his ,godhead1 lifted up from the grave1 ,he gave ,his commission to the ,apostles3 ,go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations4444 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world4 ,he promised ,his ,spirit also to be their ,guide into all truth4 ,thus were they sent to be heralds of and labourers for his kingdom2 and one of them has testified to the abundance of the aid bestowed3 ,i can do all things through ,christ that giveth me power4 ,but he who thus spake could say to his converts1 ,be ye imitators of me1 even as ,i also am of ,christ 7#a ,cor4 xi4 #a74 ,in this way men can lift up ,christ2 in this way can they draw men to ,him4 ,and to do this by examples of holy living and godliness is the work which ,he has committed to ,his ,church1 to let the light of ,christian lives shine before men in such wise that they may be won for ,him4 ,and when we see ,his kingdom's slow advance1 ,st4 ,peter's question is turned into a reproach1 ,what manner of men ought ye to be8 ,but1 according to ,his promise1 we look for new heavens and a new earth1 wherein dwelleth righteousness4 ,all creation was marred at the ,fall4 ,it groaneth and travaileth until now in pain along with the sons of men4 ,it was made subject unto vanity1 but that was by reason of ,god1 who made it thus subject in hope that it shall be delivered1 along with man1 from the bondage of corruption4 ,and that victory was promised from the first4 ,the seed of the woman shall not always be the spoil of the serpent4 ,the world was in many ways kept alive to this thought4 ,a race was promised from whom all nations should be blessed4 ,god established a kingdom to represent ,his rule in the world1 and at length ,isaiah was inspired to tell of new heavens and a new earth 7,isa4 lxv4 #ag74 ,he too foresaw that this was for a reign of righteousness1 that it pointed to a time when the wickedness of the wicked had come to an end3 ,the sun shall be no more thy light by day1 neither the moon by night2 for the ,lord shall be thy everlasting light1 and as for thy people1 they shall all be righteous4 ,and ,christ while on earth endorsed the prophetic word3 ,i go to prepare a place for you4 ,i will come again and receive you unto ,myself1 that where ,i am1 there shall ,my servant be4 ,hence ,st4 ,peter says1 ,according to ,his promise we look forward4 ,and by using the same he identifies the new heavens and the new earth with the coming of the day of ,god4 ,the believer heeds no more the mockers who ask1 ,where is the promise of ,his coming8 ,he can look and lift up his head1 assured that his redemption draweth nigh4 ,for his expectation has been fostered through a life of holy conversation and godliness1 and the assurance of the day of ,god is firm1 for the kingdom of ,god is set up within him4 ,and the consolation of the promise consists largely in the thought that in the new creation righteousness will dwell1 will make its home4 ,first1 there will be ,christ the righteous1 who is also our righteousness2 and all the hindrances and stumbling-blocks of this life will be removed4 ,here the sojourners and pilgrims abide for the time amid many foes and countless perils2 then they will be delivered even from their own frailties4 ,as their home is new-created1 so they shall become new creatures4 ,so their thought1 their prayer1 their struggle1 is ever1 ,sursum corda2 and day by day they are bound less to earth and realise more of heaven4 ,the distant landscape draws not nigh ,for all our gazing1 but the soul ,that upward looks may still descry ,nearer each day the brightening goal4 ,,xxx ,,be ,,ye ,,stedfast1 ,,unmovable4 ,wherefore1 beloved1 seeing that ye look for these things1 give diligence that ye may be found in peace1 without spot and blameless in ,his sight4 ,and account that the long-suffering of our ,lord is salvation2 even as our beloved brother ,paul also1 according to the wisdom given to him1 wrote unto you2 as also in all his epistles1 speaking in them of these things2 wherein are some things hard to be understood1 which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest1 as they do also the other ,scriptures1 unto their own destruction4 ,ye therefore1 beloved1 knowing these things beforehand1 beware lest1 being carried away with the error of the wicked1 ye fall from your own stedfastness4 ,but grow in the grace and knowledge of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,to ,him be the glory both now and for ever4 ,amen4--#b ,,peter iii4 #ad-ah4 ,in these solemn closing words the ,apostle sums up his exhortations and warnings4 ,his admonition is of a twofold character4 ,first1 he urges the brethren to strive after stedfastness1 but to beware of sinking into a careless security which may make them an easy prey to false guides4 ,stand fast1 he would say1 and be ever watchful against falling4 ,then1 let your ,christian life be one of steady1 constant1 temperate progress2 let it imitate ,god's works in nature1 which wax1 man sees not how or when1 by drawing constantly from the hidden sources which minister life and increase4 ,let believers seek thus that in their lives there may grow from ,god's seed of faith first the blade1 then the ear1 then the full corn in the ear1 to yield some thirty1 some sixty1 some a hundredfold1 to the praise and glory of the ,lord of the harvest4 ,wherefore1 beloved1 seeing that ye look for these things1 give diligence that ye may be found in peace1 without spot and blameless in ,his sight4 ,the whole passage runs over with ,christian affection2 a very working out it is in a believer's life of ,christ's teaching1 ,by this shall all men know that ye are ,my disciples1 if ye love one another4 ,love to the brethren1 love to his fellow-apostle1 breathes in every line of these final sentences4 ,beloved are the ,churches1 beloved his fellow-labourer4 ,and he is never weary of repeating that word looking for1 which marks the true attitude of the ,christian pilgrim3 ,seeing that ye look for the coming of the day of ,god4 ,before he had said1 ,we look for it2 now he brings the lesson nearer home to every one of them3 ,ye are looking for these things4 ,be ye therefore ready4 ,give diligence that ye may be found in peace by ,christ when ,he appears4 ,peace is the bond which clasps together the brotherhood of ,christ4 ,but things which need a bond are prone to break asunder1 and ,st4 ,paul marks the care which is needed in this matter by using the same word 77 which ,st4 ,peter employs here4 ,and his list of the virtues which make for peace shows how much anxiety is needed3 ,with all lowliness and meekness1 with long-suffering forbearing one another in love1 giving diligence to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace 7,eph4 iv4 #b74 ,such are the graces to be fostered by those who look for the ,lord's coming4 ,the ,hebrew knew no nobler word to use for blessing than ,peace be with you4 ,christ at ,his parting says to ,his disciples1 ,my peace ,i leave with you2 ,my peace ,i give unto you4 ,it embraces reconciliation with ,god and union with the brethren2 it is a treasure worthy of all striving for1 and when attained it passeth all understanding4 ,they who are looking for ,christ will strive to become like ,him4 ,christ came down from heaven and assumed humanity that ,his brethren might take courage for this lofty aim4 ,the ,apostle 7#a ,peter i4 #ai7 has spoken of ,him as a lamb without spot and blemish1 and this ideal purity he now sets before the brethren4 ,for he knows that to strive after it will sunder them from the corruptions of those false teachers whom he has called spots and blemishes 7ii4 #ac7 in the ,christian society4 ,instead of denying the ,master that bought them1 they will be hearkening constantly for ,his voice4 ,thus will they become clean through the word which ,he speaks unto them 7,john xv4 #c74 ,for ,his voice is ever helpful2 and abiding in ,him1 they will bring forth much fruit4 ,and account that the long-suffering of our ,lord is salvation4 ,the mockers had made the delay of ,god's day the subject of their scoffing4 ,it tarries1 said they1 because it is never coming4 ,their speech was1 in fact1 a challenge3 ,if it is to come1 let it come now4 ,the ,christian is of another mind4 ,his heart is full of thankfulness for the mercy which allows time for that diligence which his preparation demands4 ,st4 ,paul expresses this feeling concerning ,god's dealings with himself3 ,for this cause ,i obtained mercy1 that in me as chief might ,jesus ,christ show forth all ,his long-suffering1 for an example of them which should hereafter believe on ,him unto eternal life 7#a ,tim4 i4 #af74 ,and the opportunity thus granted him that ,apostle used to the full2 yet ever mindful was he not only from whom was the mercy1 but also from whom came the power which was with him in his diligence3 ,i laboured more abundantly than they all1 yet not ,i1 but the grace of ,god which was with me4 ,and in another place 7,phil4 i4 #bb71 though he longs to be released from life and to be with ,christ1 he recognises that there may be a ,divine purpose in delaying that day of ,god also1 that to live in the flesh may be the fruit of his labour2 and if this be so1 he is content4 ,for the believer thinks not only of his own salvation and his own opportunities4 ,the ,christian's faith is not selfish4 ,he beholds how large a part of the world is not yet subject unto ,christ1 and owns in the delay of the day of the ,lord a wealth of abundant grace1 offering salvation still to all who will accept it4 ,even as our beloved brother ,paul also1 according to the wisdom given to him1 wrote unto you4 ,some1 who have restricted the allusion of ,st4 ,peter here to the long-suffering of ,god1 have thought that the ,epistle to the ,romans is intended4 ,that letter is the only one in which ,st4 ,paul speaks generally on this subject4 ,in ii4 #d he asks1 ,despisest thou the riches of ,god's goodness1 and forbearance1 and long-suffering1 not knowing that the goodness of ,god leadeth thee to repentance8 and1 again1 asks another question3 ,what if ,god1 willing to show ,his wrath and to make ,his power known1 endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction1 and that ,he might make known the riches of ,his glory upon vessels of mercy8 7ix4 #bb74 ,others1 considering the great subject of the day of ,god to be specially present to ,st4 ,peter's mind1 have found parallels in the two epistles to the ,thessalonians4 ,it has also been pointed out that ,silvanus was with ,st4 ,paul when these letters were written1 and that through him 7#a ,peter v4 #ab7 their import might have been brought to the knowledge of the ,asiatic congregations4 ,but we know too little of the intercommunication of the ,churches of ,europe and ,asia to arrive at a conclusion1 while the definite statement wrote unto you seems certainly to refer to some letter addressed to the ,churches of ,asia4 ,among these1 beside the ,galatians1 were the ,ephesians and the ,colossians4 ,reference has already been made to the way in which ,st4 ,paul speaks in his first epistle to ,timothy of the long-suffering of ,god towards himself4 ,would the letter to the bishop of ,ephesus be held too personal for its contents in some form to be imparted to the whole ,church8 ,then in the ,ephesian epistle such a passage as ii4 #d-g may well have been in ,st4 ,peter's thoughts3 ,god1 being rich in mercy1 444 quickened us together with ,christ1 444 that in the ages to come ,he might show the exceeding riches of ,his grace in kindness towards us in ,jesus ,christ1 or ,col4 i4 #ai1 #bj3 ,it was the good pleasure of the ,father that in ,him should all the fulness dwell1 and through ,him to reconcile all things unto ,himself1 having made peace through the blood of ,his cross4 ,but there is no reason from ,st4 ,peter's words to assume that he is referring to an extant epistle4 ,he may have known of a letter to the brethren in ,asia of which we have no trace4 ,of one thing we may be sure3 that his words had a definite sense for those to whom they were written4 ,but his reference to ,st4 ,paul has much interest for other reasons4 ,among these brethren there would be current many memories of the great ,apostle to whose labour the formation of these ,churches was chiefly due4 ,his name would for them add weight to ,st4 ,peter's admonitions4 ,the mention of the wisdom ,divinely given to him would remind the ,galatians at least how foolish had been their doubts and waverings in bygone days4 ,while1 as they knew how one apostle had withstood the other when he saw that he was to be blamed1 such words as these from ,st4 ,peter would come with double force4 ,most of all1 while the teachers of error were perverting ,st4 ,paul's language for an occasion to the flesh1 it was good that the ,churches should be reminded that he ever taught men to strive after lives without spot and blemish and had given no licence to the excesses for which his words were offered as a warrant4 ,as also in all his epistles1 speaking in them of these things4 ,from this it appears that it is the whole drift of ,st4 ,peter's letter1 its warnings as well as its counsels1 which is in harmony with the words of ,st4 ,paul4 ,but we need not assume that ,st4 ,peter's readers were acquainted with all the fellow-,apostle's writings4 ,he is telling them what his own experience has proved4 ,wherein are some things hard to be understood1 which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest1 as they do also the other ,scriptures1 unto their own destruction4 ,this passage is noteworthy as the only place in the ,new ,testament in which the writings of the ,apostles are regarded as ranking with the ,scriptures of the old covenant4 ,everywhere else ,scripture means the ,old ,testament4 ,yet1 as the ,apostles were passing away1 it must have begun to be felt that a time was coming when great authority would attach to their words1 as of persons who had seen the ,lord4 ,st4 ,peter has just spoken of the wisdom which was given to ,st4 ,paul4 ,that wisdom came from the same source as the illumination of the prophets2 and it is not unnatural1 after such an allusion1 that his writings should be classed with those of old time4 ,both were subjected to the same treatment4 ,so perversely had the ,old ,testament been read that when ,he came of whom it spake--came to those who held the volume in their hands1 and who regarded it with much show of reverence--,he was not recognised4 ,his people had blinded their eyes4 ,just so was it faring with that freedom of which ,st4 ,paul had said so much to the ,galatian ,church4 ,wrested from its true meaning1 it was put forward as if it gave warranty and encouragement for the life of the libertine4 ,that many things in the writings of ,st4 ,paul are difficult to comprehend is beyond question4 ,he more than any of the ,new ,testament writers works out the principles of ,christ's teaching in their consequences4 ,he deals most fully with the great questions which circle round the doctrine of redemption2 with election and justification2 with the casting off of ,god's ancient people and the certainty of their restoration2 with the objects of faith1 the things hoped for1 but as yet unseen2 with the resurrection of the body and the changes which shall pass upon it2 and with the nature of the life to come4 ,he of all men realised to the full the length1 and breadth1 and depth1 and height of the love of ,god1 and spake in his letters of much which passeth knowledge4 ,but in ,st4 ,peter's word 77 hard to be understood there appears to be the thought that men's difficulties arise in part because they look on these subjects as studies for the intellect 77 alone1 and fail for this reason to attain to the best knowledge which is given to man4 ,it is of ,god's order that for the lessons which come from ,him ,he also imparts the power of true discernment4 ,those who approach the study of ,christian truth as a cold intellectual exercise1 in the comprehension of which heart and soul bear no part1 will go away empty1 and as dark almost as they come4 ,the wresting of which ,st4 ,peter here speaks may come either of the misuse of single terms1 just as the apostles of licence put a wrong sense1 for their own ends1 on ,st4 ,paul's liberty1 or it may be the effect of severing a lesson from its occasion and its context4 ,such perversion also happened to ,st4 ,paul's doctrine4 ,to those who1 like the ,galatians1 had been drawn back to an undue estimate of the legal ordinances of ,judaism1 the ,apostle1 as a corrective1 had exalted faith far above outward observances2 and there soon arose those who under his language sheltered themselves in a dissolute ,antinomianism4 ,the same befell in later days when ,agricola and the ,solifidians perverted ,luther's teaching of justification by faith4 ,and when such misleading guides find hearers who are ignorant and unstedfast1 the false lessons1 which always have the frailties of humanity to back them1 gain many adherents4 ,to the thoughtless such teaching is seductive1 and is unsuspected because it puts on a semblance of affinity with truth4 ,hence grow those ruptures of the ,christian body1 those heresies which lead to destruction 7ii4 #a74 ,ye therefore1 beloved1 knowing these things beforehand1 beware lest1 being carried away with the error of the wicked1 ye fall from your own stedfastness4 ,in the first chapter the ,apostle has already 7ver4 #ab7 addressed the converts as those who knew the things of which he wrote and needed only to be put in mind1 who were established in the truth1 and not to be classed with the ignorant and unstedfast4 ,yet for all there is need of watchfulness4 ,the lies which are abroad clothe themselves in the garb of truth1 wresting the ,scriptures4 ,therefore1 says he1 guard yourselves 774 ,the word is not only a notice against dangers from without1 but an admonition to watchfulness within4 ,the wandering of the lawless may beguile2 to many it has attractions4 ,but if they join that company and follow with them1 the end will be a shipwreck of the whole ,christian life4 ,the verb 77 is that which we find 7,acts xxvii4 #bf1 #bi7 in the description of the wreck at ,melita1 when the sailors feared lest they should be cast ashore on rocky ground4 ,it is against a moral peril of even more terrible character that ,st4 ,peter warns the ,churches2 and the contrast is most instructive which is pictured in the two words by which he defines error and stedfastness4 ,the former 77 betokens a ceaseless wandering1 a life without a plan1 a voyage without rudder or compass1 every stage made in doubt1 uncertainty1 and peril2 the other word 7 tells of firmness1 fixity1 and strength1 and comes fitly into the exhortation of that ,apostle whose charge was1 ,when thou art converted1 strengthen 77 thy brethren 7,luke xxii4 #cb74 ,this stedfastness1 he says1 is now your own 772 barter it not away for any illusions of wayward error4 ,but grow in the grace and knowledge of our ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,as if to attest his own stedfastness2 he ends as he had begun4 ,grace unto you and peace be multiplied1 was the opening greeting of his first letter1 to which in his second he adds1 through the knowledge of ,god and of ,jesus our ,lord4 ,but there is great significance in the way in which ,st4 ,peter's words hang together in this verse4 ,the structure of the sentence shows that he intends to say not only that grace is the gift of ,jesus ,christ1 but that from ,him comes also all knowledge that is worthy of the name1 a lesson most fitting and most necessary in those days1 when teachers1 who claimed to be possessors of a special higher knowledge1 were denying ,jesus altogether both as ,master and as ,judge4 ,root yourselves in ,christ1 is the apostolic charge2 seek ,his help2 walk by ,his light4 ,thus only can your power increase2 thus only can your way be safe4 ,to ,him be the glory both now and for ever4 ,amen4 ,this is the end of the ,apostles labour3 that ,christ may be glorified in ,his servants2 that they may know ,him here as the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life1 hereafter as the ,high-priest of ,his people1 but deigning to become the ,first-born among many brethren4 ,for those who find ,him here and there also eternity will be too short to show forth all ,his praise4 ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson1 ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury4 ,,seventh ,,series--#ahic-d4 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 ,edited by the ,rev4 ,w4 ,,robertson ,,nicoll1 ,m4,a41 ,,ll4,d41 ,editor of ,the ,expositor4 ,,six ,,volumes4 ,in large crown #hvo1 cloth4 ,,price to ,,subscribers in ,,advance1 ,,twenty-,,four ,,shillings4 ,,separate ,,vols4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,each4 ,the following volumes will be issued1 if practicable1 within one year1 commencing in ,january4 ,should it not be possible to include all the volumes named1 they will be replaced by others from the list already announced4 ,i4 ,,principal ,,moule1 ,m4,a4 ,the ,epistle to the ,romans ,by the ,rev4 ,,handley ,c4 ,g4 ,,moule1 ,m4,a41 ,principal of ,ridley ,hall1 ,cambridge4 ,,ii4 ,,archdeacon ,,farrar1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,second ,book of ,kings ,by the ,venerable ,f4 ,w4 ,,farrar1 ,d4,d41 ,archdeacon of ,westminster4 ,,iii4 ,,professor ,,bennett1 ,m4,a4 ,the ,first ,book of ,chronicles ,by the ,rev4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,bennett1 ,m4,a41 ,professor of ,old and ,new ,testament ,history1 ,hackney ,college4 ,,iv4 ,,rev4 ,,james ,,denney1 ,b4,d4 ,the ,second ,epistle to the ,corinthians ,by the ,rev4 ,,james ,,denney1 ,b4,d41 ,author of ,the ,epistles to the ,thessalonians1 etc4 ,v4 ,,dr4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson ,the ,book of ,numbers ,by the ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4 ,,watson1 ,d4,d41 ,author of ,judges and ,ruth1 etc4 ,,vi4 ,,dr4 ,,alexander ,,maclaren4 ,the ,psalms4 ,vol4 ,,iii4 ,by the ,rev4 ,,alexander ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,,london3 ,,hodder ,,stoughton1 #bg1 ,,paternoster ,,row4 ,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 99 99 ,subscriptions to each of the series1 #bds42 separate vols41 #gs4 #f;d4 each ,,first ,,series1 #ahhg-h4 ,,colossians ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,,maclaren1 ,d4,d4 ,,st4 ,,mark ,by ,very ,rev4 the ,,dean ,,of ,,armagh4 ,,genesis ,by ,prof4 ,,marcus ,,dods1 ,d4,d4 #a ,,samuel ,by ,prof4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,blaikie1 ,d4,d4 #b ,,samuel ,by the same ,author4 ,,hebrews ,by ,principal ,t4 ,c4 ,,edwards1 ,d4,d4 ,,second ,,series1 #ahhh-i4 ,,galatians ,by ,prof4 ,g4 ,g4 ,,findlay1 ,b4,a4 ,,the ,,pastoral ,,epistle ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,,plummer1 ,d4,d4 ,,isaiah 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