Kather nad but 4 taite, and which the rett of the Jews hid loft by thei: Undelitef. xz A People choſen of God, not onlv out of t*% World, but from among tie reſt of your own Nation, and nc 9 ly toan External Adoption, and outward Privileges, {as the who's Body of the Nation was) but to eternal Salvation, a Or, Kingd mn of Priefls. He cailed them an holy Prieſih»:d, wv. 5, now he calls them a Ryjal Prietthi:d, to ſkew that they were /made nvt only ſpiritual Pricfts, but fpiritua! Kings; which Priviledze they hid not as 7ews, but as Belicyers, who are all of them as Priefts in tc ſpe&t of God to whom thev .are conſecrated, and to whom titcy offer up ſpiritual Sacrinces , fo Kings in reſpett both of their En- mies over them they are victorious, and of the Kingdom they arc hereafter to inherit, + W/,05 calls your Fathers an holy Nation, Deut. 7.6. in repeat of the'r Separation from the lnpurittes of the Gentiles, their Dedication to God, and the muny Laws God gave them, ohitziag them to external avid ceremonial Purity, whereby they were admoniſhed of internal or coal Holinefs ; but ye are a! holy Nation in reipe&t of that true and inward Holinets it felt, whereof that ceremoti1al Holineſs was but 4 $t2nifoation, He ſeem: particularly to allude to 1/4. 62. 12, © Zaod, 19. 5. it 15 4 feckltur Treaſure; and fo the ſame word 1s rendred, Fc/*7 2, 2. and a /fo- cial People, Deut. 7. 5. a peculizy People, and 14. 2, The word uſcd by the LXX implying as much: but al. 3. it. where we rende: it, Jewels ; the LXX utcd the fame word which Peter doth here which 1s as much as a i-ople of Acquiſition, or Which God hath acau red to himſelf for his pecultir Potieffion or Treafure, God had r.t- cued the I/rae!//tes from their Fyyptian Bondage, and taken them 12 be his peculiar People above 411 others, and claimed x Rizlit 5 them, and counted them prectous, as hiving redeemed them with 4 ſtrong Hand, and got Pofletſion ot them at the expence of fc much Power, and to many Miracles. This Peliverance of their-, was the Type of Chriſt's delivering the Church trom the Tyransy of Satan, the ſpiritual Ph.:ru9h, and the-World, the ſpiritual £zre, and a ſtate of Sin, the wort] Bondage; upon tic account where- of, God's People are called a +eculiar P2opiz, or a Pcople thus ac- quired, Tf. 2. 1. and a prchated Pyſeſſioon, Ephel. 1, 14. where the ſame word ts Iikewite uſed. d This notes the end of all the; Priviledges vouchtifed them, wiz. That they ſhould gloritie God 11 the enjoyment of them. He ſeems to refer to ].2. 43. 7, 21, Th», People h.vve I f 1me.t for my (e!f, Cor acquired, as the LXX hath it; they ſhall frew forth my Prate, e Publiſh, and declare bot Words and Dceds, th.t others may be excited to gloritie God m thc like manner. f Or, I'irtues, that Wildom, Power, Goodnet:, Ric!:- tcouſnets, Truth, gc. which God hatit -manifelted 1h his Vouctt- ſafements to you, and in the Acknowledgment of which he may
be glorified. g By an eff:*tuz} Callins, accordins to his purpoſe, Rem. 8. 28, h The Darknets of Ignorance, Unhelief, Sin, and Miſery. The time before the Publication of the Gotpel, was 4
time of Darkneſs, faith. 4. 15. Lube 1. 55. i The Light of Know- ledge, Faith, Holineſs, Comtort. See Ephe/. 5. 8. - It 1s called marvellous, becauſe Men ſce what they never ſaw before ; wonderful Things out of God's Law, Pſulm 119. 18, and becauſe it is a marye* lous thing that they who ſite in fo groſs Darkne!s, ſhould be trantla- ted into ſo glorious a Light. |
10 * Which in time paſt were not a people 4, bur are now the people of God /, which hai not obtained mercy, bur now hare obtained mercy ;-.
þ Either were not a People, i. ce. a Formed State, or Common wealth, being diſperſed in teveral Countries ainong other People, and not worth the Name of a People : Or, were nat the Feople ot God (ſupplying G14 out of the oppotite claute) tince he had given them a Eill of Divorce, and faid, /o 4rmmz, and 1 Rubuman to them, Mof. 2. Theſe were the Fews of the Diſperſion, and ſuch as had not returned out of the 8«53{aniſh Captivity, together with many of other Trives mixed with them, who, before their Conver- fon to Chriſt, ſeemed to cut of trom tie Body of that People, had no folemn Worfhip of God among them, and were tainted with the Corruptions of tlie Reathen, with whom they converted [ Really Gods People reſtored to their ol4 Covenant-State, and Church-Priviledges, by their betteving in Chritt, » The Mercy of being God's People and enjoving their Priviiedses, being juftified, at peace with God, gc. Left they might anv way abuſe what he had faid in the former Verite concerning their great Dignity and Priviledges, fo as to aſcribe any thing to theintelves, the Apoſtle 1n- timates here, that all they entoved was mecrly oat of God's Mercy.
11 Dearly beloved | beſeect or as ſtrangers and pilgrims z, * abſtain trom tlethly lutts » which war # againſt rhe ſoul q ;
n Not only Strangers in the tevera! Countries where. ve inhabit, (being out of your own Land) but Strangers in the World, as ail Believers are, 7. 39. 12. and 119. 19. and 1 Chron, 25. 15. Heb, IT. 13, 14. 0 Not only ſenſual Dctires, but all the Works of the Fleſh, Gal. 5. 19, 20, 21. the carnal Mind it ſclt being Ermity againſt God, Rem. 8. 7. þ As Enemies oppoſe, and tight againſt, Rom. 7. 23. Jumes 4. i. 4 The inner Man, or rczenerate part, or Spirit, which is oppoſed to tlefhly Lufts. See Gl, 5, 17,
12 * Having your converfation honeſt » among the Gentiles /- that || wheicas they ipeak againſt you as evil doers, * they may by your good works which they {hall behold, glorihe God 7 in the day of vititation x.
r Irreprehenſible, fruitful, fuch as may gain Mens Love, and commend the kel1z1on you protels, { Who, by reaton of their dif- fering from your kelipion, are the more like to oblerve You. This proves this Epiſtle to be written to the Fews. t Not only think more favourable of you, but of your Religion ; acknowledge the Grace of Gcd in you, and more readily ſubject themſelves to him, (the beſt way of glorifying hem) it being uſual with God to make way for the Converſion of Sinners by the Poly Converſation of Saints,
uViz.a gracious Viſitation when God calls them by the Gotpel to the knowledge of Chriſt, Luke 1. 67, 78. and 7. 16. and 19. 44- 6G } 13 * Sub+
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