_HE BLESSETH GOD FOR HIS MANIFOLD SPIRITUAL GRACES, SHEWING THAT THE SALVATION IN CHRIST IS NO NEWS, BUT A THING PROPHESIED OF OLD; AND EXHORTETH THEM ACCORDINGLY TO A GODLY CONVERSATION, FORASMUCH AS THEY ARE NOW BORN ANEW BY THE WORD OF GOD._ _Anno Domini 65._ TO comfort the brethren of Pontus,... [ Continue Reading ]
TO THE STRANGERS SCATTERED, &C.— "To those Christians whom Providence has dispersed through various countries, and whom divine grace has taught to consider themselves, wherever they dwell, as strangers and sojourners on earth." By _Asia,_ in this verse, is not to be understood what is nowcommonly me... [ Continue Reading ]
ELECT ACCORDING TO THE FOREKNOWLEDGE, &C.— Dr. Heylin reads this verse, _Whom God the Father, according to his foreknowledge, has elected and sanctified by the Spirit, that they should obey Jesus Christ, and be sprinkled with his blood._ And he observes, that as the Christian church succeeded to the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH—HATH BEGOTTEN US AGAIN, &C.— "Who—hath regenerated us as his children to the hope of life and immortality; of which he hath given us a remarkable pledge and confirmation by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." The law of Moses condemned all offenders to death without mercy: the gos... [ Continue Reading ]
TO AN INHERITANCE— St. Peter had spoken of the _hope of life,_ 1 Peter 1:3. He now explains what he meant by that_life;_ even the greatest felicity that canbe enjoyed, which he compares to an inheritance, or large estate, a thing most generally esteemed here upon earth. But there is also a further a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO ARE KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD— The word φρουρουμενους, which we translate _kept,_ is very strong and expressive: it does not mean being kept after any manner, but with the most constant and vigilant care; as a tower or a city is watched by a military garrison, which keeps guard day and night, and... [ Continue Reading ]
_1 PETER 1:6_.— St. Peter here begins to speak of their persecutions and sufferings, which he enters upon with great tenderness and address; and endeavours to reconcile their minds to them by many and various arguments. _First,_ he intimates that such afflictions would soon be over. _Secondly,_ that... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH, &C.— "Though _gold_ loses nothing in the furnace, yet will it by length of time wear away, or be affected with rust, though not so soon as some other metals; and it will at farthest perish in the general conflagration: but _faith_ will then stand the trial, and come out... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOM HAVING NOT SEEN,— It is very possible that, among these dispersed Christians, there might have been some who had visited Jerusalem while Christ was there, and might have _seen_ or conversed with him. However, St. Peter speaks according to the usual apostolical manner, as if they all had not. Se... [ Continue Reading ]
RECEIVING THE END OF YOUR FAITH, &C.— _Because you shall attain the salvation of your souls, as the recompence of your faith._ The word Κομιζομαι signifies, "To receive as a recompence." See Parkhurst,... [ Continue Reading ]
OF WHICH SALVATION THE PROPHETS— The gospel was not fully revealed to the Jews before the coming of Christ. Something of the nature of the gospel in general, and of that grand event, the conversion of the Gentiles, was revealed to them; upon which they were very desirous to have found out all that c... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST— It is well worthy of our notice, that the _Spirit_ which dictated to the prophets is called _the Spirit of Christ;_ which both proves his existence before his incarnation, and his supreme Godhead; and illustrates the full view that he himself had of all he was to do and suffer... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO WHOM IT WAS REVEALED,— Many of the things foretold by the ancient prophets, did evidently relate to distant times, and many of them to the coming of Christ, and the numerous conversions of the Jews and Gentiles to his holy religion. St. Peter very properly mentions it, to the honour of Christia... [ Continue Reading ]
GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND,— The apostle seems here to allude to the precept which he had heard from our Lord, Luke 12:35; Luke 12:59 which is the more probable, from his immediately adding the words, νηφοντες τελιως,— _being constantly upon the watch._ The meaning is, that Christians are to end... [ Continue Reading ]
AS OBEDIENT CHILDREN,— _As children of obedience;_ an usual Hebraism, by which persons are called the _children_ of that, to which they are addicted or devoted. "Obedience (says Dr. Heylin,) is a sure ground of hope: to expect salvation without it, is not hope, but presumption." What the _former lus... [ Continue Reading ]
AS HE WHICH HATH CALLED YOU, &C.— The gods which the Heathens worshipped had a very bad moral character, and the imitation of them rendered their worshippers worse than they would otherwise have been. But nothing can lead to higher degrees of holiness and virtue, than imitating the true God, who hat... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF YE CALL ON THE FATHER,— _And since you invoke him as your Father, who impartially judges every man according to his actions, Live in a continual awe of him, while you sojourn here below;_ 1 Peter 1:18. _Considering that you were redeemed from the vain manner of life which you learned of your... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO VERILY WAS FORE-ORDAINED— All the former dispensations, from the beginning of the world, were carried on with a view to the coming of Christ, under whom was to be the concluding dispensation; and in this view, the Bible takes in a large and extensive plan. What our translation has rendered _fore... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO BY HIM DO BELIEVE— _Who by him,_—by his means,—or on his account,—_do trust in God._ The expression is remarkable; and the meaning seems to be, that Christians, who before their conversion were ignorant of the true God, learnt his Being and Providence, through grace, from the great fact of Chris... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING YE HAVE PURIFIED YOUR SOULS, &C.— _When through the Spirit ye have purged your hearts by obeying the truth, so that you are become capable of fraternal affection without disguise, See that you love one another with a clean heart fervently,_ or _intensely;_ 1 Peter 1:23. _As persons who are re... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR ALL FLESH IS AS GRASS, &C.— _Flesh_ is often, by a common figure, put for _man:_ but perhaps the apostle here used the word to intimate that he meant the _body_ of man, frail and short-lived like the tender herb; by way of opposition to the soul, which he considered as incorruptible. _All the gl... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURETH FOR EVER.— The _word_ of God is said to be _incorruptible,_ to be _alive,_ and to _endure for ever,_ because it teaches men the way to life; or, if complied with, begins a life of happiness, which will, to the faithful, never end; which is the seed or principle of a spi... [ Continue Reading ]