[Christ had before given to Peter the name of " Cephas," which in the Syriac language is of the same import with " Peter" in the Greek: they both mean, " a Rock™." ' Now,' says our Lord, ' thou hast acknowledged me to be the Christ ; and I acknowledge thee to be justly and deservedly named " Peter:" nay, in reference to thy name, I declare that I will build my Church on this confession which thou hast made"; and though the power and policy of hell" will be exerted to
i» John i. 42.
" As far as we suppose Peter himself to be that rock, we must un- derstand it as relating, not to himself personally, but to the truth he had uttered. Christ, personally considered, is the only true founda- tion on which the Church is built : (1 Cor. iii. 11.) Prophets and Apostles were such, only as proclaiming his word, on which mankind were to found their hopes. (Eph. ii. 20.) It is possible that Christ might point to himself as that rock ; (just as he did on another occa- sion, John ii. 19, 21.) but still this truth, that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, is the one foundation of all our hopes.
0 By " the gates of hell" some understand " death; '.' and consider the expression as intimating, that though death cuts off individual believers, it shall never extirpate them from the earth : there shall always be a holy seed to serve the Lord. And even the persons who are removed by death shall rise again, and, having triumphed over death, shall reign with Christ in glory for evermore. But we prefer