14 * If ye be reproached tor the name of Chriſt, I. happy arc ye 0: for rhe ſpirit of glory and of God Chap: 3 þ reſteth q upon you : On their part he 71 evil ſpo- bs "7 ken of /, but on your part he is glorified 7. _
2 V:z. Becauſe of the Spirit's dwelling 1n you, which 1s both the means and evidence of your Happinels, - p 7. 2. The glorious Spirit of God, or that Spirit of God which is likewiſe a Spirit of Glory ; as heins not only glorious in himſelf, but a glory to them in whom he dwellz, and the cauſe of their future Glorifcation. This he adds in counter ballance to the reproaches they ſuffered tor the Name of Chriſt, 4. d. it isa greater Glory to you to have the Spirit of Chriſt divelling in you (whereof your patient bearing Reproaches and Per- ſ:cutions is an Arzument) then all the Calumnies and Obioquics wherewith your Enemies load you, can be a ſhame to you, 9 In al- lufion to Ju. 11, 2. dwells in you, and fhall abide with you for ever. John 14. 15. Not leaving you in your ſufferings. r Either Chrift, or rather the Spirit, {The Reproaches your Enemies cait upon you, reach that Spirit himſelf . that dwells in you, when they revile that £04 Confeſſion into which the Spirit led you, deride the Conloia- t12n5 he gives you, and ſpeak evil of your perſons, who are the Tem- ples in which he dwells. # Viz. by your patience and conſtancy 1n your Suffcrings, which ſhews forth the power of that Spirit which reſt- cth upon you, in that he works ſo mightily in you, as to enable you to bear what without the aſſiſtance of his Grace were intolcrable.
* Chap. 22 15 But * let none of you ſuffer « as a murderer, or 29, 2s 4 thict; or as an evil doer x, or as 4 buly body 1n other mens matters y.
u Keep clear of thoſe Crimes which may expoſe you to ſuffering »y the hand of Juſtice, and carry your ſelves fo innocently, that you may never ſuffer from men but unjuſtly. x Either this 1s a general term, denoting them that offend againſt any publick Law ; or, it may ſignify thoſe that are guilty of any offence againſt the Laws, tho lefs than Murder or Thett. y Either a covetous Perfon that looks with an evil eye upon what others have, and is ready to catch it as he can; or, rather, one that goes beyond the bounds of is own Calling, and invades the Callings of others, pragmarically intrudins into their buſineſs, and making himſelt a Judge of thoſe things which belong not to him. Some Nations are ſaid to have puniſhed thoſe that were buſy through Idleneſs, impertinently d1li- gent in other mens matters, and negligent of their own. Howe- ver, if this pragmaticalneſs did not expoſe the Chriſtians to the
Laws of the Gentiles, yet it might make them odious, and expole them to their reproaches, ; :
16 Yer if any man ſuffer 2s a Chriſtian 2, let him
not be aſhamed a, but let him glorify God on this behalt b. - If his Chriſtianity be his only Crime ; and the cauſe of his Sut!:rings. a See 2: Tim. 2. 12, b j.e. On the account of his Sufferinss ; let him bleſs God for keeping him from ſuffering as an Evi!-docr, and for counting him worthy to ſuffer for Chriſt's ſake, AF; 5.41. as well as for giving him Patience and Courage under Sufferi1n”s. * Mal. 2.5. 17 For the time © zs come * that judgment d muſt +Luke 23. begin ar the houſe of God e; and Þ if zz firſt begin at 31. us, || what ſhall the end he f of them that obey not | Luke 19. the goſpel of God ? yo c Or Seaſn; viz. that which is fixed by God : The AfiiQtions that befals God's People, come in the time appointed, and ſo are never unſe:ſonable. Or, this may imply, that what the Prophets ſpoke in their time, Ta. 10. 12. Jer. 25. 29. doth eſpecially agree to Goſpel-times, viz. that Judgment begins at the Houſe of Gog. 4 Viz. Temporary, and for £o0d, in oppoſition to the deſtrutive Judgment he implies in the latter part of the Verſe. He means all thoſe Affffiictions God brings upon his Children for their Corre&ion, Trial. Inſtruction, Martification, 1 Cor. 11.31, 32. & The Church of God, and the Members of it, called here his Houſe, as 1 Tm. 3.
»T,++! y 4 aH%SY
15. leh. 3. 5. and typified by the material Houſe or Temple ot
God under the Old Teſtament. f How miſerable ? how dreadful will be the end of all thoſe that would not obey the Goſpel ? 1m- p!yinz, that they ſhall be in a much worſe condition if God take th-im in hand. If he ſpare not his Children, much leſs will he his Encmics, If the one tip of the Cup of God's Wrath, the other ſhall wring out the Dregs and drink them, Plal. 75.8.
*Prov ic, 15 * And if the righteous ſcarcely g be ſaved,
Y wher: fall rhe ungodly and the finner þ appear z ©
g Vith inuch Jaboui and difficulty, through many Tribulations, AT. 14. 22. a3 going in the Narrow way, and entring 1n at the Strait Gate, Matth. 7.i3, 14. þ Unbelicvers and 1mpenitent S1n- ners of all ſorts ; both words fiznity the ſme, in oppoſition to the R-btons betore mentioned. 7 He ſhall not be able to ſtand in God's tndvimnent acainft the S-ntence of Condemnation then to be pro- nounced, Pſal. x. <. 4.4, If the Righteous ſcarcely be ſaved, the Wicked ſhall certainly periſh.
ro Wherefore let them that ſuffer & according to thumill of God /,* commit m2 the keeping of rheir fouls 210 biz in well-doing o, as unto a fairhul Creator p.
L | ;-, An manner of Afffition or Perſecution for Righteouſneſs (ils, | accoriing to that Will of God, whereby he hath appoint- ed them to forer ſuch things, chap. 3. 17. and 1 Treſſ. 3. 3. mM ©mmond info his hands, or lay up, or entruſt with him as a De fofitum, Pal. 31. 5. and Tim. i. 12, #n As the moſt precious
*7 . >. = * $-£. « *pY 2 ay” _ li. inz5 while they live, 21:4 mall to be cared lor when they die; fiat
— e— __ of tm. p R — c [? Va > Y H =4 f: = NTFfYy oY % * *a LA #2 We
[1 m4 4 _—— Tr ' » 1-5 OI” > Ga e ES A . = — . ney may OC FepcArom 591 unter AffrtiGtions, ha trom per: ing in
Death ; or, rather their S27s hege inciudes thur Bod; -. and fo committing their Souls, 15 committing their whole telves to God 0 Not betng deterred trom weii-doing by the ev1i:- ther, {ter but by pertevering in flolinels notwithftanding their Affiictions, makin: