Mark faith , chap. 8. 29, Tho art the Chris. Luke faith, ch.1p.g. 20. Peter anſwered and ſaid, The ChriSt of God; that 15, rhe Meiji; Yourhatare myDilciples and Apoſtles, what 15 your Opi- nion of me? Our Lord expetts nor only Faith 1n our Hearts, bu: the Confeſſin of our Lips, Rom. 10. 10. { And Simm mo ſwered, \ ner becauſe he had any Priority amongſt che Apolties, bur he was of a more quick and fervid Temper than the — and ſo ſpeaketh firſt ; they ſilently agreed ro what he 1aid, Whar he faith, is bur lictle, but of that nature, thar 1c is the very Foundation of the Goſpel : | [ Thou art Chrif, \ che Anointed; the Perſon of Old promifed ro the World under the Name of the Meſh, Dan. 9. 24, 25. | The Son, ) nor by Adoption, but by Nature; for they believed Fohn the Bapti$, Elias, and the O!d Prophets, the Sons of God by Grace. Ir 15 plain , Peter means more than thar. [Of the Living God :] Our Lord had asked, Whom a Men ſay that I, the Son of Man,am 2And in the ſame ſenile, he ſpeaks to the Diſciples, Whom do ye ſay, thar Ihe Son of Man, am? Lord, faich Peter, we believe, that thou , the Son of Man, art the Chri$t, the Son of the Living God, God 1s often, 1n Scripture, call'd the Living God, in oppoſition to 1dols, which had Eyes and fav not, Ears and heard nor, nor had any Life in them, Ger. 15. 14. Heb. 3. 12. and 9. 14, (oc. So as here we have 2 full and in Confeſſion of that Dofrine, which 1s the Foun- dation of tize Toipel.
17 And Jeſus anfirered and ſaid unto him. Bicf- fed art thou , Simon Bar-Jona : for fleth and blood hath nor revealed 7t unto thee, * but my Father which is in heaven. |
Our Lerd aprearech here to be mightily pleaſed wich this Corfejjim of Peter, and the reſt of his Ditciples, ( tor we ſhall obterve in rhe G3jpe!, har Peter was uſually the firſt in ſpeaking, 2, 5. 63.) He pronourceth him " f" , and giveth the Reaivn cf ic alterwaid. | Simon Bar-jma : | that is, Simon Son of T-1ia; or, as lome would have it, Son of John, ( they think 7ona i* ; c:nrraftion of 75hamma.) Our Lord gives him the tame Name, 755. 21. 15. (Er Figh and Blood hath nit revealed it unto thee, but iy Either which 4s in Heaven, ] By Fleſh and Blood, our Sa- viour meaacch Han, and the Reſon and Wiſdom of Man, Thus 1t 1s otten ufed in Scripture, 1/z. 40. 5. Gal. 1.16. Eph.6.12. Some note, it always fignifieth fo, when it 1s in Scripture oppoſed to God. Thou haſt nor learned this by Tradition, or any Di&ates from Man, nor yer by any Humane Rativcination , bur from my Father which is in Heaven. This confirmeth what we have, Eph.2.8. that Fzith 3s th: Gift of God : Joh.6.44. No Man cometh to the Son, but he whom the Father draweth. Men may aſſent ro things from the Reports of Men, or, from the Evidence of Reaſon ; but ne1- ther of theſe is Faith, Faith muſt be an Afffent to a Propoſition upon the Authority of God revealing ir. Nor doth any Man truly and favingly believe, that Jeſus Chriſt is the Eternal Son of God, and rhe Saviour of the World, but he in whom God hath wrought ſuch a Perſwafion : yer is not the Miniſtry of the Word needleſs in the caſe : becauſe, as the Apoſtle fairh, Faith comes by Hearing ;, and Miniſters are God's Inſtruments by whom Men be- lieve. No Faich makes a Soul bleſſed, bur that which is of the Operation of God.
18 And I fay alſo unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church : and the gates of hell ſhall not prevail againſt it.
[ And I ſay alſo unto thee, That thou art Peter.) Chriſt gave him this Name, 7». 1. 42. when his Brother Andrew firſt brougiit him co Chriſt ; I did nor give thee the Name of Cephas, or 7crer, tor nothing, ( tor whar Cephas ſignifierh 1n che Syriack, Peter ſ1sniacth in che Greck,) I called thee Cephas, and thou arc Peter, a Rick. Thou ſhale be a Rock. This our Lord made good afterward; when he told him, That Satan had deſired to winnow him like Wheat ; but he had prayed that his Faith might not fail, Luk. 22, 32. Thou haſt made a Confeſſion of Faich, which 1s a Rock, even ſuch a Rock as was mention'd in chp.7. 25. and thou thy ſelf art a Rock, a ſteady, firm Believer. [ And upon this Rock T will build my Church.) Here is a Queſtion amonuft Interpreters, What, or whom our Saviour here meaneth by ths Rick ? Some think rhart he meaneth himſelf, as he ſaich,
3%. 2. 19, Deſtroy thu Temple, (meaning his own Body.) God 1s often calied a Rick : Dent. 32.18. Pſal. 18. 2. and 31.3. and 11 certain, Caritt js che Foundation of the Church, Iſa. 28.16. 1 Cor. 3.11. 1 Fet. 2.6, But this Senſe ſeemeth a little hard, char our Saviovr ſpeaking to Peter , and telling him he was a Sione, or a Rock, ſhould with the ſame Breath paſs ro himſelf, and not iay, Upon my Self, bur, Vpor; this Rock T will build my Ce). 2. Tae generality of Proteſtant Writers, not without the Suffrage of divers of c1e Ancients, fay, Peter's Confeſſimn which ie had made, 1s the Rack here ſpoken cf. And indeed, the Do- trine conrained 11 his Confeifion, 1s the Foundation of the G-{jp2! : The whole Chriſtian Church is built upon ir. 3. Ochers rhiok, 17 regard tar our Saviour direfterh his Speech not to all che Apoſtles, bur to Peter; and doth nor ſay, Bleſſed are you, bur, Blejſed art th , Simon Bar-jma, that here is ſomerhing promiſed 9 Peter in. ſpecial; bur they do nor think this is any Priority, much leis any 7uriſur&ion more than the reſt had
>: chat Chriſt would make a more eminent and ſpecial uſe of |
S MATTHE VV.