Exposition of the Two Epistles of Peter, Epistle and exposition 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse and commentary 9
Verſ. 9. But ye are a choſen Generation, a royal Prieſthood; an holy Nation, a peculiar People, that ye ſhould ſhew forth the praiſes of him, who hath called you out of darkneſs into his marvellous light.
After the deſcription of the wofull eſtate of them that ſlight Chriſt, the Apoſtle returneth again to illuſtrate further the excellency of the ſtate of true Believers, to whom theſe honourable titles, which the Lord vouchſafed of old upon the viſible Church of the Jews, Exod. 19.6. and Deut. 7.6, 7. (and ſo may yet in ſome ſenſe be ſafely applied to all viſible Profeſſors) do moſt fully and truly agree: for, ſpeaking to all the Hebrews, who were Profeſſors of Chriſtianity, he affirmeth, firſt, That they were wailed out from among the reſt of the world: which is true of all of them, in ſo far as they were made Members of the chriſtian Church; and of ſome of them, in a more ſpecial way, in ſo far as they were made objects of his ſpecial grace and love; and ſo they were a choſen Generation. Secondly, That they did partake of the benefits of Chriſt's Kingly and Prieſtly Office, and did, in ſome reſpects, reſemble him in the exerciſe of both, in ſo far as all of them, were profeſſed, and ſome of them, true ſubjects of Chriſt, the King of the Church: all of them were by profeſſion, and ſome of them in effectual calling, ſeparated from the world for his ſervice: and had ſpiritual priviledges, anſwerable to theſe of Kings and Prieſts; and ſo were a Royal Prieſthood. Thirdly, That they were all of them federally holy, and ſome of them endued with true ſanctification; and ſo were a holy Nation. Fourthly, That all of them, who did externally ſubject themſelves to Chriſt, were owned by him, as his propriety and prime intereſt, in compariſon of the reſt of the world; and true Believers among them, as his Elect and Redeemed Ones; and ſo were a peculiar People. And all for this end, that they might in their practice commend and expreſs his properties, to his praiſe, who had called all of them externally, and ſome of them effectually, out of the ſtate of ſin and wrath, to a ſtate of favour and happineſs. Which purpoſe, containeth two further arguments to preſs a hearty receiving of the Goſpel, and daily uſe-making of Chriſt offered in it, in order to their ſpiritual growth; The one, taken from the excellency of their preſent eſtate, in the ſeveral fore-mentioned particulars; The other, from that wonderful change, which God had made upon them, from ſo wofull, to ſo bleſſed a condition. Hence Learn, 1. It is very ſafe, and ſuitable to Scripture-language, to give unto the whole viſible Church, and all the Profeſſours within the ſame, theſe ſtiles and compellations, which do only agree in their full and beſt ſignification to true Believers: Suppoſe the moſt part within the viſible Church, void of ſaving grace; yet, in reſpect of the reſt of the world, and by vertue of that Covenant which is betwixt the Lord and her, and all her Members, Deut. 26.17, &c. and 29.10, &c. all Profeſſors may, in ſome ſenſe, have all the ſtiles that are here in the Text, and others like them: for, though theſe ſtiles be moſt truly verified in Believers; Yet, did the Lord of old give them unto the whole Church of the Jews: and the Apoſtle here, giveth them indefinitly to all the nation of the Jews, who were profeſſours of Chriſt, to whom he writeth, though with a ſpecial eye to thoſe who were true Believers among them; Ye are a choſen Generation, &c. 2. So excellent is that ſtate, whereunto ſinners are advanced, by believing in Jeſus Chriſt, that the ſharpeſt ſighted in the world, the longer they look upon it, will ſtill ſee more and more of the excellency and priviledges thereof: The diſcovery whereof to the Lord's People, eſpecially while they are under affliction, ſhould much take up the heart and pains of all the Miniſters of Chriſt, it being his peoples prime comfort under all their croſſes, and their chief motive to all their duties, that they are in ſo excellent a ſpiritual ſtate: for, after the Apoſtle hath largely deſcribed it in the former Chapter, and ſpoken much of it in the former part of this, he cometh yet again upon the branching out of it here; But ye are a choſen Generation, a royal Prieſthood, &c. All which ſtiles, do moſt truly agree to true Believers. 3. They who do by Faith chooſe Jeſus Chriſt for their portion, who entertain in their hearts a high eſteem of him, and do make uſe of him daily for growth in grace and holineſs, They have the characters and marks of ſuch as have been from eternity elected of God, and in time effectually called, there being no other ordinary way to evidence the latter to us but by the former, 2 Pet. 1.10. for, of Election and effectual calling in reference to true Believers, may this be underſtood, which here the Apoſtle affirmeth of thoſe to whom he ſaid before, that Chriſt was precious; But ye are a choſen Generation. 4. As that dignity whereunto ſinners are advanced by flying to Jeſus Chriſt, doth, in a ſpiritual ſenſe, reſemble that of the Prieſts under the Law (as was cleared in the tenth Doctrine upon the fifth Verſe;) So are they alſo thereby brought unto a kingly dignity; and in a ſpiritual ſenſe, they only are truly royal, having a new nature in ſome meaſure reſembling the divine, 2 Pet. 1.4. being co-heirs with Jeſus Chriſt, (Rom. 8.17.) of a Kingdom that cannot be ſhaken, Heb. 12.28. and more than conquerors over all their ſpiritual enemies, Rom. 8.37. In all which, and the like reſpects, they are a Royal Prieſthood. 5. Our union with Jeſus doth not only oblige us to keep a diſtance from the diſpoſition and profane faſhions of the men, whoſe portion is in this earth, and to conſecrate our ſelves wholly for the Lords uſe in the ſtudy of holineſs; but likewiſe it doth really make Believers a holy People: In ſo far as he is daily made uſe of by Faith, their hearts are purged from the love of their luſts, Act. 15.9. and they are made to exerciſe other graces and duties of holineſſe wherein he is honoured, Gal. 5.6. for, this third branch of the commendation of their excellent ſtate, includeth both their duty and their priviledge, They are a holy Nation. 6. As all the people on earth are the Lords, they being all the works of his hand, and under the diſpoſal of his providence, Act. 17.26. and all the Members of the Church viſible, are His in a more peculiar way than others, Amos 3.2. So Believers in Jeſus Chriſt, are in a moſt ſpecial way his propriety and peculiar intereſt, whom he hath purchaſed to himſelf at a dear rate, Act. 20 28. and made new again by a ſecond creation, Eph. 2.10. in whom he doth delight, Zeph. 3.17. and whom alſo he will maintain and never forſake, Pſal. 94.14. for▪ this is the fourth branch of the dignity of his People, which doth in ſome ſenſe agree to the whole company of Profeſſours, and moſt truly to true Believers, that they are a peculiar People. 7. That which is the Lords end in beſtowing all theſe priviledges upon Believers, and which they ſhould make the great end and buſineſs of their life, is, That they may ſhew forth the praiſes of the Lord, by numbering out (as the Hebrew word, Iſa. 43: 21. which the Apoſtle here tranſlateth, doth ſignifie) to the Lord himſelf his bleſſed perfections, or vertues (as the word here, rendred praiſes, is in the original) or rather by their prudent and ſeaſonable commending to others his properties, ſuch as his Wiſdom, Power, Terror, Sweetneſs, Faithfulneſs, manifeſted in his dealing, Pſal. 145.4, &c. 10, &c. that ſo others may be ſtirred up to ſerve him, and praiſe him; but eſpecially by their expreſſing and holding forth in their practiſe ſome reſemblance of his properties to his praiſe, Philip. 2.15, 16. by their prudent and wiſe carriage, declaring to on-lookers, that he is moſt wiſe, by whoſe counſel they are guided; by their hazarding upon affliction, rather than ſin; demonſtrating his terror, to be above the terror of fleſh; and by their patience, and chearfulneſs under croſſes and trials, proclaming to diſcerning beholders that his power is great, that ſuſtains them; and his conſolations ſweet, that do refreſh their hearts under ſuch afflictions, and make up the bitterneſs of them: for, this is here ſet down as the end of all the fore-mentioned priviledges, and the compend of Believers duty, that they ſhould ſhew forth the praiſes of him. 8. Even the Elect, before converſion, are living in groſſe ignorance of their own miſerable condition, and the remedy thereof, Eph. 5.8. in the ſlavery of their luſts, Rom. 13.12. They are under a ſta…e of wrath as well as others, Eph. 2.3. and ſo without any true comfort, Eph. 2.12. All which, in Scripture, is frequently ſet out by this word darkneſs, whereby the Apoſtle expreſſeth the ſtate of the Elect before converſion. 9. Converſion brings ſinners into a ſtate of light, which comprehends ſome clear knowledge of their own miſery, Rev. 3.18. and the remedy thereof, 2 Cor. 4.6. a new and ſpiritual life communicated to them, whereby they are enabled to cloſe with Chriſt and cleave unto him, Joh, 18.12. to walk in holineſs of life, Mat. 5.16. their living in his favour, Pſal. 89.15. their having a right to glory, Col. 1.12. and his allowance to rejoyce and comfort themſelves in their bleſſed eſtate, Rom. 5.2. All which are ſet forth in Scripture by this word, whereby the Apoſtle expreſſeth the excellent ſtate of Converted Ones, Who are called out of darkneſs into his light. 10. The bleſſed eſtate of true Converts, is much to be admired by them, conſidering the Lords wonderful condeſcendency in plucking them out of ſo woful a condition as they were in before; his marvellous loving kindneſs, in poſſeſſing them in ſuch excellent priviledges, as they have in their new ſtate; and giving them an undoubted right to ſo matchleſs an inheritance, as cannot but ſurpaſs the power of their underſtanding to comprehend, and ſo make them wonder at their own happineſs, which is here called marvellous light. 11. The way how the Lord brings his own out of the ſtate of nature, which is here called darkneſs, into the ſtate of grace, which is called light, is, by his calling of them by the Goſpel, 2 Theſſ. 2.14. opening their hearts to receive it, by the power of his Spirit comming along with it, Act. 16.14. and ſo powerfully changing them into his own Image, 2 Cor. 3.18. Who hath called us out of darkneſs into his marvellous light. 12. Theſe upon whom the Lord hath wrought this bleſſed change, ought frequently to reflect upon their former woful ſtate, that they may be kept humble, 1 Cor. 15.9. and compaſſionate to others, who are yet in the like, Tit. 3.2, 3. and likewiſe upon their preſent bleſſed condition, that they may be provoked to praiſe, and to the ſtudy of holineſs, 1 Tim. 1.16, 17. for which, and the like cauſes, the change of Believers from the one ſtate to the other, is here repreſented to their thoughts, that they might ſhew forth the praiſes of him, who hath called them out of darkneſs into his marvellous light.