1 Peter 4

Chap. IV. Ver. 1—19. Christians exhorted to patience in suffering, and tocare and fidelity in the improvement of their talents.—It was the doctrine of Paul, repeatedly and earnestly inculcated, that believers being “ crucified with Christ,” have “crucified the flesh, with the lusts thereof;’? which is also the doctrine inculcated in the opening of this chapter: “‘ Christ having suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves (says St. Peter) with the same mind, for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from [the practise of] sin.” And here it appears that he is addressing himself to Gentiles, for he says, “ the time past of our life may suffice us, to have wrought the will of the Gen- Ver.

12. The fiery trial—Namely, of affliction, or rather persecution; alluding to the trial of gold in a furnace. See (1 Peter 1:7). Ver. 13. When his glory shail be revealed—Namely, at the last day. Ver. 14. Spirit of glory and of God.—Alluding to (Isaiah 11:2). és ot Ver. 15. Anevil-doer.—Doddridge and Macknight, “ a malefactor.” —A busybody.—An inspector of another; meddling with other people’s concerns. Lardner, ere and others, have remarked, that this character, from tts being associated with the worst criminals, must here intend something more than “‘a ta‘tler.”” It properly means one that pries into affairs, with which he has, in fact, no concern; and must here refer to public or state affairs, and, as we conceive, properly describes a patos busybody—a factious or seditious person.

The Jews were remarkable for this cnme. Ver. 16. Suffer as a Christian.—The only passages in which this term “Christian” occurs are this verse, and (Acts 11:26); xxvi. 28.——Let him glorify God on this behalf—i. e. as sufiering for Christ’s sake. Ver. 18. Scarcely be saved.—Doddridge and Macknight, difficulty.” Be saved with This marc to be quoted from the LXX. of (Proverbs 11:31). The

Notes on the verses

Chap. IV. Ver. 1. He that hath suffered in_the flesh—That is, as St. Paul expresses it, ‘‘ hath crucified the flesh.” See Gal, 1. 20; v. 24; vi. 14.—Hath ceased from sin—i. e. according to Doddridge, ‘‘ from its habitual practice.” Ver. 3. Abominable idolatries.—The adjective here used implies what is both unlawful and detestable; and is applied by Josephus to the unnatural lusts indulged in the Pagan worship. See Parkiurst’s (Leviticus 10)in Athemitos. ‘Ver. 6. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead.— Doddridge, Macknight, and others, explain this figuratively, in reference to the Gentiles, who are said, (Ephesians 2:1), “ to be dead in trespasses and sins.” Ver. 8. Above all things have fervent charity.—(Greek, agape) i.

e. love, intense love. — Multitude of sins.—Solomon ((Proverbs 10:12).) says, “all sins’ — evidently meaning the sins, or faults, of those we love; for it is put in opposition to ‘‘ Hatred (which) stirreth up strifes.” vt ’ Ver. 10. As every man hath received the gift-~i. o. a spiritual gift, as of teaching, translating, healing, &c.; é “ Ver. ii. The oracles of God.—The Greeks used this term in reference to tha responses received from their deities; or rather from their priests, in thea names. Stephen applies this term to the laws given to Moses, calling them | lively, or living oracles, because delivered by the voice of God. (Acts 7:38) Ver. 12. By Silvanus.—Probably that Silvanus (or Silas) who was Paul’s companion; (2 Corinthians 1:19), &c.——As I Bap pose Rather, “asI reckon,” or con- — as (Romans 3:28); viii. 18. ‘‘ The phrase does not imply doubt.”—Dodd- Ver. 13. The church that is at Babylon.—Literally, ‘‘ She at Babylon,” which some explain of Peter’s wife. The word church is, however, supplied in the Syriac, Vulgate, and other ancient versions; and by eumenius.——At Babylon.—There were two Babylons; one in Egypt, the other in Syria: but Lardner says, there is no mention of either pis or bishop at the former place, by any of the writers of tlie four first centuries. Many commentators, therefore, (among whom ure Beza, Lightfoot, and Benson,) refer to the great Babylon of Assyria: Lardner, however, objects, that this city was ‘‘ almost {As the design of this Epistle is excellent, remarks Macknight, so its execution, in.

the judzmeut of the best critics, does not fall short of its design. _Ostervald says of the first Epistle of Peter, “ it is one of the finest books of the New Testament;”- and of the second, ‘that it is a most excellent Epistle, and is written with great strength and majesty.”’ Erasmus pronounces the first pistie to be ‘* worthy the prince of the Apostles, and full of apostolical digpity and authority;” and adds, “ it is sparing in words, but full of sense.” “ St. Peter’s style,” as Dr. Blackwall justly observes, ‘‘ expresses the noble vehemence and fervour of his spirit, the full knowledge he had of Christianity, and the strong assurance he had of the truth and certainty of his doctrine; and he writes with the authority of the first man ia the college of the Apostles.

He writes with that quickness and rapidity of style, with that noble neglect of some of the formal consequences and niceties of grammar, still preserving its true reason, and natural analogy, (which are always marks of a sublime genius,) that you can scarcely perceive the pauses of his discourse, and distinction of his periods. he great Joseph Scaliger calls Peter’s first Epistle majestic; and I hope he was more judicious than to exclude the second, though e did not name it. A noble majesty and becoming freedom are what distinguish Peter; a devout and judicious person cannot read him without solemn attention and awful concern. ‘The conflagration of this world, and future judgment of angels and men, in the third chapter of the second Epistle, is described in such strong and terrible terms, such awful circumstances, that in the description we see the planetary heavens and this our earth wrapped up with devouring flames; hear the groans of an expiring world, and the crashes THE SECOND EPISTLE [THe writer of this Epistle calls himself “ Simon Peter,”

(ch. i. 1. Ac. xy. 14. Gr.) “an apostle of Jesus Christ;” alludes to circumstances and facts which agree with none but Peter, (ch. i. 14—16. (John 21:19);) calls it his second Bpistle, (ch. iii. 1;) and speaks of his “‘ beloved brother Paul,” (ch. iii. 15.) It must, therefore, either be the work of the Apostle Peter, or of one who personated him; but this latter a tag ne that of forging the name of an apostle, and persoaating him, is wholly inconsistent with the remarkable enerzy with which the writer inculcates holiness, and the solemn yet affectionate manner in which he testifies against the delusions of those by whom it was that Peter wrote from some part of the Roman Empire, which at that time did not include Babylon, then under the dominion of the Parthians.

These difficulties have led to a third opinion, which, indeed we have adopted from Mr. Horne, in our table of Catholic Epistles. This is, that by Babylon, Peter ment Rome; as it is evident John did in the Apocalypse, on account of its being the metropolis of idolatry. This opinion has the general testimony of antiquity. Eusebius, who adopts it, quotes the authorities of Clement of Alexandria, and Papias, Bishop of Jerusalem, both of the second century. It was adopted by Jerome; by all writers of the church of Rome; and, ar0ne Protestants, by Grotius, Whitby, Hammond, Lardner, Macknight, anc many ak a hacer y the Evangelist. See Introduction to his of nature tumbling into universal ruin. And what a solemn and moving Eptphonema, or practical inference, is that!

‘Since, therefore, all these things must be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness’—in all parts of holy and Christian life,—in all instances of justice and charity? ‘The meanest soul, and lowest imagination,’ says an ingenious man, ‘ cannot think of that time, and the awful descriptions we meet with of it in this place, and several others of Holy Writ, without the greatest emotion and deepest impressions.’” ‘* As the true Church of Christ,” says Dr. Clarke, “has generally been in a state of sufferitg, the Epistles of St Peter have ever been most highly prized by all believers. That which we have just finished is an admirable letter, containing some of the most important maxims and consolations for the church in the wilderness.

No Christian can read it without deriving from it both light and life. Ministers, especially, should study it well, that they may know how to comfort their flocks when in persecution or adversity. He never speaks to good in any, spiritual case who is not furnished out of thé Divine treasury. _God’s words invite, solicit, and command assent: on them a man: may confidently rely. The words of man may be ¢rue, but they are not infallible. This is the character of God’s To these valuable remarks on the varied excellences and uses of this inimitable Epistle, it may be only necessary to add, that it is uot only important in these respects, but is a rich treasury of Christian ductrines and duties, from which the mind may be enriched, and the heart improved, with the most ennobling sentiments.

]—Bagster.. GENERAL OF PETER. neglected. Some doubts, however, of its genuineness and divine authority were entertained in the primitive church, which Jerome ascribes to the supposed dissimilarity of style between it and the first Epistle. But, being written only a short time before the Apostle’s martyrdom, (eh. i. 14.) though apparently but u short time after the first, (ch. i. 13, 15,) and, not having been publicly avowed by him, and clearly known to be his, during his lifetime, t = scrupulous caution of the church hesitated about admitting it into the sacre: canon, till internal evidence fully qonvinced the most competent judges that it was entitled to that high distinction.]—Bagster. aR