4 To whom 9 coming 7 as wnto a living / ftone 7 * diſallowed indeed of men , bur choſen » of G: xl, "5.7 and precious y. $0
q To which Chriſt. r By Faith, 9.4. in whom believins, 7/1 6. 35, 44,45. The word 1s in the Preſent Tenſe, the Apottle Qe- {cribing. here not their firſt Converſion to Chriſt, but their preicnt te, that they being in Chriſt, were daily coming to him in the ntinued Exerciſe of their Faith. / Not only having Life in himſelf, but cnlivening thoſe that by Faith adhere to him. : iz, A Corner-ſtone, as v. 6. Being about to ſect forth the Church, as ; ſpiritual Building, he firſt mentions Chriſt as tne Foundation, and Corner-ſtone. u Kejefted, not only by the unbelieving Jews, and their Rulers formerly, bur ſtill by the unbelicving VYortd. x Either choſen to be the Foundation of the Building, and then ir 15 the ſame as tore-ordained, ch. 1. 20. Or, choſen 1s the ſame a; choice, excellent, y A different Expreffion of the ſame thing. tiere ſeems to be an Allufion to thoſe Stones which Men count precious, and have in great Eſteem ; and Chriſt's being precious in the tis ht of God, 1s ſet in Oppotition to his being diſallowed of Men ; to j1- timate, that their Unbelict, and rejeQting Chriſt, doth not m:ke him leſs valuable in himfelf, when his Father fo much honours him,
5 Ye allo as lively - ſtones a, || are built up 6 4% tx {pirirual * houſe c, an holy + prietthood d, to otter UP » 11... || ſpirirual ſacrifices e acceptable unto God by Jeſus + jr,.?; Chriſt /. and 5,2,
z Viz. as being enlivened by Chriſt. The word here tranſlated, V- 5. lively, and living, in the former Verſe, 1s the ſame, but being tiicre | Hol ty, ſpoken of Chriff, it is to be underſtood actively, and here being Ml. 11, applicd to Believers, who receive their Spiritual Life from Ckriit, 1800.12, it muſt be taken paſfively. a Each particular Believer is here calicd a Stone, as altogether an Houſe or Temple, 2 Cor. 6. 16. Ephe!, 2, 21. and in reſpect of their Union among themſelves, and with their Foundation ; tho' elſewhere in reſpe&t of God's Inhabitation ; even particular Believers are-called his Temple, 1 cor. 3. 16, 17. and 6, I9, b Viz, Upon Chriſt the priacipal Corner-ſtone, Ephef. 2. 2c. This may be underſtood, either, 1. Imperatively, q. d. Be ye built up, and then it is an Exhortation, and relates not only to thc continuing in Chriſt, but their being further built up on him by Faith, and is of the ſame Import, as v. 2. that ye may grow : Or ra- ther, 2. Indicatively ;, the Apoſtle as yet being engaged in ſhewing the Dignity and Priviledges of Believers, and not entring upon his Exhortation, till v. 11. The words being in the Preſent Tenſe, implies the Building to be ſtill but going on, and not yet finiſhed, c In diftinton from the material one, relating to thoſe Scriptures where the Tabernacle or Temple is called God's Houſe, Exod. 23. 15. and 34. 26. Deut. 23.18, The material Houſe built of dead Stones, was but a Type of the ſpiritual Houſe made up of lively Stones, and built upon Chriſt the living Stone ; and this he brings (the Truth being always more excellent than the Type) to heighten the Privi- ledges of the Goſpel-Church. d Either the Abſtra& is put tor the Concrete, an holy Prieſthood for holy Prieſts; or it may note the whole Colledge or Society of Evangelical Prieſts, conſiſting of all particular Saints, to whom, in the New-Teſtament, this Title 1s given, but never appropriated to Goſpel-Miniſters : Chriſt being a Prieſt for ever after the Order of Melchiſedec, had no Partner with him in his Prieſthood, but was himſelf only to offer a Propitiatory Sacrifice to God for Sin. e The immediate end of Goſpel-Prieits, to offer, not bodily, but ſpiritual Sacrifices; in general themſelves, whom they are to conſecrate to God, Rom. 12. 1. particularly Priv- er, Thankſgivings, Alms, and other Duties of Religion, Phyl. 4. 12. Heb. 13. 15, 16, f By, and through whom alone, as the Perſons, io the Performances of Believers (tho' in themſelves 1mperfett) are plea- ſing to God, Chriſt preſenting themto his Father by his Interceiſion, and covering their Defetts by his own moſt perfe& Righteoutnct:, Some refer this clauſe, by Jeſs Chriſt, to the foregoing Verb, fo offer up, and then the words run thus, To offer up Spiritual Sacrt- fices by Feſius Chriſt, acceptable to God; but the former ſeems moſt proper, and includes this latter : we are therefore to offer up ſpir1- tual Sacrifices to God by Chriſt, becauſe they are acceptable only >y him, Heb. 13.21. compared with 15, 16.
6 Wherefore alſo it is contained g in the ſcripture. * Behold I þ lay 7 in Sion # a chief corner-itone 7, elect, precious x + and he that believerh on him, thall j* . not be confounded 7. £
£ The Greek word being of an ative form, makes great difle- rence among Expoſitors about theſe words ; not to troubic tt Reader with variety, the plaineſt way of underſtanding thei,
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| ſeems to be, either, 1. That God be underſtood here, and ſupplied
out of the former Verſe, Wherefore God contains it in the Scriptur? Or, 2ly. That the word, tho' of an ative Termination, be yet ta- ken in a paſſive ſignification, contains, for 5s contained, ſo our Tran- flators do; and this way of ſpeaking is not unuſual with other VVriters. h I the Lord, not Man, Pſalm 118. 23. # Viz. By the Preaching of the Goſpel, wherein Chriſt was declared to be the oN- ly Foundation of the Church, and whereby Faith was wrought 10 the Hearts of Men, who were thereby aQually built «on Chriſt as their Foundation, and ſo the ſpiritual Houſe, v. 5. erected, +k E1- ther by Synechdoche, Feryſalem, (whereof Sim was 4 PUT) where by the preaching of Chriſt firſt, and the Apoſiles after h13 Aſcenſion, and ſending the Spirit, this Foundation-ſtone Was 7: laid, and God's Temple begun to be built, Pja/m 110, 2. 1/4 2. 3: Mich. 4. 2. Like 24. 47. Or rather Sion here is to be underſiooa ©: the Goſpel-Church, whereof Zi was a Typc. / OF. Fead of F-.f
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