16 * Having a good conſcience - that whereas they Tu ſpeak evil of you, as of cvil-doers, they mav beathamed 1» * / that falſely accuſe your good converſation it; Chritl 1 7 This may be read either, 1. Indicative/y, and joined (as b, ſome it is) to the former Verſe; and then the ſence is, it ve v1 always ready to anſiver every one that asketh vou a rexhn of the hope that is in you, ye ſhall have 2 good Conſcience : Or, rather. 2. Imperatively (which our Tranilation favours) g. d. not only he ready to make Confeifion of your Faith ; but let vour Life and Practice be correſpondent to it, in keeping your telves pure trom $iy. and exercifting your ſelves unto Godlineſs, from whence a 90099 Conſcience proceeds; here therefore the effect is put for the cauſe. ' a good Conſcience for a good Life, 4&4. 23. 1. / The ſence ic, that whereas they ſpeak evil of you, -as of evil-doers, your 00d Converſation may - bear Witneſs for you, confute their Calumnice. and make them aſhamed, when it appears that thcir accuſations arc falſe, and that they have nothing to charge upon you but you h+- ing followers of Chriſt. * 7. e. That good Converſatton, whic! vr lead as being in Chriſt; wiz. according to his Doctrine and Exam: and by the influence of his Spirit. 17 For zt zs better, if the will of God be fo 7, i}; ye ſufter for well-doing than for evil-doing. t Viz. That ye muſt ſuffer ; intimating that this js av argun'c: for their patience and ſubmiſſion in their Sufferings, and a eruun: of Comfort to them, that they are led into them by the Providence of God { not by their own folly or raſhneſs ) and have him fc: 2 Witneſs and Judge both of their Cauſe and beportment. 18 For Chriſt alſo hath * once # ſuffered for fins: . x, the juſt for the unjuſt y, thar he might bring us 5, to God £; Þ being put to death in the fleſh @, but ties; quickned by the Spirit 6. 4 u In oppoſition to the legal Sacritices which were offered from da: today, and from year to year, Heb. 5.27. and 9.25. and 10.1 2, and tl: Ed ſhews, as the perfettion of Chriſt's Sufferings, (in that they need- * YE ed not to be repeated) ſo our Conformity to him in deliverance *' from ours ; that as Chrift underwent Death (the principal part of his Sufferings) not often, but once only, and then his Glory #c!- lowed ; fo likewiſe it in this Life we ſuffer for righteouſneis ſake, according to Chriit's example, there remains no more ſuffering tor us, but we ſhall be glorified with him, 2 Tim. 2. 12. x2.e, For the expiation of Sin. This 15 another argument for Patience under Sufferings, that Chriſt by His Sufferings hath taken away the Gui!r, and freed us from the Puniſhment of Sin; ſo that our Sufferiny:, though they may be not only by way of Trial, but of Corre@ion; yct are nof properly Penal or Vindiive. y And therefore well may we who are in our ſelves unrighteous, be content to ſuffer, efpectully 10: His Cauſe and Truth. 77. e. Reconcile us to God, and procure for us acceſs to Him with freedom and boldneſs, Rom. 5. 2. Eph. 3. 12. a Hts human Nature, frequently in Scripture called Fleſh, as ch. 4. 1. Joh: I. 14. and though His Soul, as being Immortal did not die, yet He ſaffered moſt grievous Torments in it, and His Body died, by *1 real Separation of His Soul from it. 6 7.e. His own Godhead, o”:: 2. 19, and 10. 17, 18, The former Member of this Sentcnc« ſpeaks of the Subjet of His Death, His Fleſh which was JIikew!ic the Subje& of His Death, His Fleſh, which was likewiſe the Subj. of his Life in His Reſurre&ion : this latter ſpeaks of the efticten! Cauſe of His Life, His own eternal Spirit. 19 By which c alſo he d went & and * preached / * ©. unts the ſpirits g in priſon h. | c By which Spirit mentioned in the end of the former Verte. 7, e., by, or in His Divine Nature, the ſame by which He was quic%- ned. d Chriſt. This notes the Perſon that went and preached, 45 the former doth the Nature in which, and fo ſheivs that what 1s here ſpoken of the Perſon of Chriſt, is to be underſtood of Him accord- ing to His Divine Nature, e Or, came, viz. from Heaven, by \'t- thropopathy, by which Figure God is often in Scripture 1aid 10 £5 forth, Iſa. 26. 21. to come down, Micah 1, 3. and go down, Gen. 1” 21. Exod. 3. 8. which two latter places arc beſt underftood of ©: Second Perſon. This therefore here notes in Chrift not 4 £11408. of Place, but a ſpecial Operation, and Teſtification of His Pretetive- f Viz. By Noah inſpired by Him, that he nught be a Precianny £2 Righteouſneſs to warn a wicked Generation of approdchins, } got-(f ment, and exhort them to Repentance. g Souls of Men Qepartes which are frequentiy' called Spirits, Fce/e/. 12. 7. 4
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glorious Perfettions, For, Wiſdom, GoodnefF, Faithfulneſs, 77c.
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'f Fo $9. FI6 2. 23 #hc HL TERS taken, 7. £7 5 CmY
. [I], Chap. NI: I.
with Matth, 5. 25. Luke 12. 58, where Priſon is mentioned as a |
Type, or Repreſentation of Hell; and the Syriach renders the word by Sheol, which fignifies ſometimes the Grave, and ſometimes Hell. Sce the like expreſſion, 2 Pet. 2. 4, 5. and 7ude 6.
20 * Which 7 ſometime 4+ were diſobedient /, when once m7 the long ſuftering of God x waited 9 in the days ot Noah p, while the ark was a preparing, F wherein tew. that 1s, eight ſouls q were ſaved by water 7.