fo an immortal Lite. 1 The fame which he called incorruptidle \ Secd, Winch is the Inftrument in Regencration, as 1s implied in the Prepultion, ly, going butore it, þ This, and the following: Verb may be joiacd, cither, 1. To God, the Word of God, who liveth, G73. or rather, 2, To the Wd, fo our Tranilition reads it, whics WXad {tth, and abideth, gyc. and this a>recs beſt with the Tetti- mony of {a1 15 the next Veric. ihe Word of God is ſaid to be a living Word, owuſe it cnliveneth the Hearts of thoſe that enter- Ln 17,
24 For * all tefh / 52s grais, and all the glory 17 Of Man as the Rower of grats : The graſs withereth, and the flower thereot tallerh away 7.
1 A!] Men as born of the Fleſh, and in thcir natural ſtate, in op- potition fo regenerate Men, v.23. m Whatever 15 moſt excellent
in Man naturally, and which they are moſt apt to glory in. n See4
James 1, 10,
25 Bur the word of the Lord endureth for ever o : And this p is the word, which by the Goſpel 1s preached anto Vvou. |
2 Not only abſolately in it ſelf, and in reſpe& of its perpetual Verity, Pſal. 119. 16c. Matth, 2.4. 25. but relatively, as received by, and dwelling in Believers, (1 70/n 3.9.) who always expert- ence the ctfes of it in themſelves, 19 their Regeneration recelving a ſolid, and laſting Being from it (the New Nature) which is Iike- wiſe preſerved by 1t, in oppoſition to that tlux and mutable Being they had by their firſt Birth. p This or, of which Iſaiah ſpeaks, and which he to much magmnes, 1s the very ſame Word ot the Goſpel, winch is preached unto you by us Apoltles,
CHAP.| 1. |
I'ice muſt be thrown 37, that we may deſire the Word, and by it grow in
Lirtue, and taſte God's govaneſs, I=——3. And as living Members 0
Chrift, hu prieſts, and chiſen of God live Holily : And Glorify God,
4—— 12. in obedience to Magiltyates, 13 -— 16. Servants, to their
Maſlers though hard ones : Remembring the ſuſfeings of Chniſt and his patience, 147 —25.
Herefore a * laying afide þ all malice c, and all ouile 4, and hypocrifies ce, and envies f, and all evil 1peakings g.
a Having in the former Chapter mentioned the new Birth, v. 23- and exhorted to brotherly Love, as agreeable to it, v. 22, he be- ins this Chapter with a Dehortation, wherein he diflwades them trom thoſe Vices which are contrary to the ſtate of regenerate Men in the general, and brotherly Love in particular. 6 Or, putting off ; a Metaphor from an old over-worn Garment, fit only to be thrown away ; ſee Epheſ. 4.22. Col. 3. 8, 9. Fames 1. 21. c Malignity, when Men do evil to others voluntarily, and induſtriouſly, or delight in other Mens harms ; ſee Rom. 1. 29. Epheſ, 4.31. d All Fraudu- lence and Impoſtures, and circumventing ot others in any kind. e All flatterring and counterfeiting Friendthip, and ſhewing love in words, and outward Carriage, when the Heart is otherwiſe at- feed. So Matth. 22. Chriſt calls them Hypocritcs that flattered him, v. 16, 18, f Grieving at other Mens Welfare. g All kind ot DetraQion.
2 As new-born babes þ defire 7 the fincere milk of
tne word &, that ye may grow thereby /.
h Purſuant to his Diſcourſe, chap. 1. 23. where he ſpeaks of their new Birth, he here calls them new-born Babes; but that not in op- poſition to thoſe that are adult, or of full Age, as Heb. 5.14. and I Cor. 3. x. butin oppoſition to their former corrupt and unrege- nerate ſtate, in which they were deſtitute of all ſpiritual Life ; and ſo this agrees, not only to young Converts, but generally to all re- generate Perſons. 71 Being new-born Babes, a& as ſuch in carneſtly denrins, aad longing for that ſpiritual Nouriſhment, which 1s ſo needrul tor you, even as Children as foon as they come into the World, are lingring atter the Breaſt. þ The Greek may be rendred (aud 1s by ſome) re.zſonable Mk, viz. ſach as is for the. Soul, not for the Body ; that whereby the Mind is nouriſhed and ſtrengthened, or wody Miik, the Subſtantive from which it 1s derived properly, and firft 1i4mtying rd, or Specch, and bcing uſed for the Word of God, Heb. 4. 12. But this not being proper Engliſh, our Tranſlation renders it beſt, the M1h of the Word, i. e. the Word which is Milk. The Apoitle uſcth an Adjcfive for a Subſtantive, but that AdjeRtive duth not f13nife the quality of the Subjett 7.1þ) as the other (Sin- 6&0) doth, but the Subje& of it felt, The like Phraſe we have, ch.3. 7. Gr. Female, of winſh weeker Veſſe!, which we turn by the Sub- Stantive, [#rfe, who 15 ſaid there to he the weaker Veilel, So that the Dottrine of the Goſpel is here to be underſtood, as 1/z.55.1. and Beitovers arc to he nouriſhed by the ſame Word, as their Food, by which, as the Secd, they are ſaid ro be begotten, ch.1.23. This Milk ot the Word is faid to be fircere, 1. 6. pure, without mixture, or adulteration, not blended, or diluted (as Vintners do by their Wine, fo whoſe Prattice P.wi! alludes, when he ſpeaks of Mens corrupting tte Word, 2 C7. 2. 17. and 4. 2.) with Humane Fittions or Tradi- tions. Intants love the ſweetneſs of their Mother's Milk, and defire 2t pure, as 1t 1S ; Belicvers ſhould defire the Word pure, as it is in 1t {elf not mixed with any thing that may Iefſen its focetneſs, and Innder its efficacy. { That by the Word, as your ſpiriteal nouriſh- ment, ye may grow more 1n ſpiritual Life and Strength, till ye come to be pertet Men, Fpheſ. 4.12.
3 it fo bem ye have taſted », that the Lord o zs Pracious
m This doth not unply a doubting, but a ſuppoſition, as was be- iore obterved, c<.1. 17, n Not lightly tailed by a bare incffeRtual Kn>wicdge, as Heb. 5, 4. but experienced and perceived by the taſte &f xour tpiritual Prelate ? your ſpiritual ſenſe, and ability to judge vi {piritual things being reſtored to you, with your new Nature in your new Pirth, He refers to Pſalm 34. 8. and potfibly to Iſa. 66. I « Tre Lord Joſus Chriſt, as appears by the next Verſe. p Good,
EY &
. ba Cliap. 1 kind, or rather ſweet ; The fame word is applied to VVine Itkeo s 35. The fenſe ot the whole is, If ye have by Faith received the Goulpel as glad Tidings, and worthy of all Acceptation, 1 Tim. 1.1% and therein perceived, and experienced the lweetneſs of thoſe co. folations which are in Chriſt Jeſus, Phil. 2. 1. Or, {which is the ſame) how ſweet he.is, who, in the preaching of tiic Goſpel,exkibit. himſelt to your ſpiritual ſenſes, to be ted upon, and tatted by YOu.