Exposition of the Two Epistles of Peter, Epistle and exposition 1 · Chapter 2 · Verse and commentary 10
Verſ. 10. Which in time paſt were not a people, but are now the people of God: which bad not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Here is a further deſcription of that happy change wrought upon theſe Chriſtian Hebrews, to whom he writeth, to wit, that they, who before their imbracing of the Goſpel, had not been owned, nor dealt with by the Lord as his peculiar People in Covenant with him, neither yet had enjoyed any of his ſpecial mercies, were how made his in a more ſpecial way than others; and had ſaving and ſpecial mercies offered to all of them, and beſtowed upon ſome of them, So that Hoſea's Prophecy, (chap. 2.23.) concerning the reſtoring of the Jewiſh Nation, after their rejection for a time, had now a begun accompliſhment in them; eſpecially, in thoſe of them who had felt the fore-mentioned remarkable change, whereby they ſhould be moved to live▪ to the praiſe of him that made it. Hence Learn, 1. When the Lord ſpeaks to his Church in one age, or to ſome particular perſons in it, he doth often ſpeak alſo to his Church in after-ages, and to all the reſt of his People who are to live afterward. See Mark 13.37. and Heb. 13.4. compared with Joſh. 1.6. and therefore it is the duty of all his People, to mark how far promiſes, made long ſince to the Church, o… particular Believers in it, have their accompliſhment toward themſelves; that ſo, they finding what was long ſince ſpoken to others, made good to them, they may be the more affected with that ancient and conſtant love of God, whoſe thoughts hath been upon them for good, while he was ſpeaking to others, who lived many ages before them: for, the Apoſtle cites and applies this Scripture, ſpoken by Hoſea, to the People in his time, as now verified upon theſe Chriſtian Hebrews to whom he writeth, Which in time paſt were not a people, &c. 2. They that would delight in ſhewing forth the praiſes of God, and have their hearts engaged to the ſtudy of holineſs, muſt learn to dwell upon the thoughts of their wofull caſe, wherein they were before converſion; and upon the bleſſed ſtate whereunto, through Gods mercy, they are advanced: and often to compare the one with the other, that ſo they may be the more affected with the change, and engaged to ſtudy his honour that made it: for, after the Apoſtle had in the former Verſe repreſented this to their thoughts, as a motive to holineſs, he doth here inſiſt upon, and repreſent the ſame again by a new enlargement of it, (which is mainly verified in true Converts) Who in time paſt were not a people, but are now the people of God, &c. Although the elect be the Lord's People from eternity in regard of his purpoſe of grace toward them, Pſal. 90.1. 2 Tim. 1.9. Yet, in regard of any actual manifeſtation of ſpecial love to them, or of his complacency in them as carrying his Image, they are not his People; but remain ſlaves to Satan, Eph. 2.2. and to their own luſts, Tit. 3.3. until ſuch time as by his power, put forth with the preaching of the Law, their wofull caſe be diſcovered to them, Luke 1.17. and by the ſame power, coming along with the preaching of the Goſpel, they be made willing to accept the offer of Reconciliation through Jeſus Chriſt, Pſal. 110.3. and thereby alſo be fitted for the duties of new obedience for the honour of Chriſt, Iſa. 43.21. All which, as the places cited prove, are marks of them whom he doth in a ſpecial way own for his People: for, of the choſen Generation the Apoſtle thus ſpeaketh, in reference to their ſtate before and after converſion; VVhichWhich in time paſt were not a people, but are now the people of God. 4. Though there be not a ſinner in the world, who hath not many mercies of God freely beſtowed upon him, Pſal. 145.9. and many deſerved ſtrokes kept off him, Rom. 2.3. Yet, even the Elect before their converſion, have not obtained that ſpecial mercy, whereby their ſins are actually pardoned, Act. 3.19. and whereby the Lord hath complacency in them, Ezek. 16.8. and ſo they cannot be juſtified actually from eternity: for, only of true Converts, is the Apoſtle's ſpeech here principally to be underſtood, while he ſaith, That in time paſt (to wit, before their converſion) they had not obtained mercy. 5. The cloſing of ſinners by Faith with Jeſus Chriſt, as the Goſpel offers him to them, doth bring them to a moſt ſweet and excellent ſtate, namely, to be owned and dealt with by the Lord as his People, in a moſt ſpecial manner, whom he will never forſake, Pſal. 94.14. and to obtain mercy of him for pardoning their daily ſinfulneſs, Mica. 7.18. for pitying, and ſupplying, as is fitting, all their neceſſities, as the word here tranſlated, to obtain mercy ſignifies; and for bearing them through all the ſtraits of their life, Pſal. 23, 6. and at laſt crowning them with glory, 2 Tim. 1.18. All which is comprehended under this, That they are now the people of God, and have now obtained mercy. 6. Of all miſeries that can be expreſt, to live in an unconverted ſtate under unpardoned ſin, is the greateſt; And of all priviledges in this world, to be brought out of that ſtate, and to obtain mercy, is the greateſt, and the moſt engaging to the ſtudy of holineſs: for, the one is here held forth, as the depth of miſery; and the other, as the height of happineſs; and the change from the one to the other, as one of the ſtrongeſt engagements to duty, lying upon thoſe, who in time paſt were not a people, but are now the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.