r Here the Apoſtle begins his Exhortation, that ſince God had done ſo much for them, ver. 3, 4. they would likewiſe do their Du- ty ; and that their care and diligence in improving the Grace they had received, might be added to his Bounty in- giving 1t them. ſ Or, Miniſter unto ; or it may be a Metaphor taken from the an- cient wav of Dancing, in which they joined Hands one with ano- ther, thereby helping, and holding up one another. Fa/th 1s here ſet forth as the firit Grace, and which {as 1t were) leads up the reſt following it and attendiag upon it, yet all in Conjundtion one with another. # Faith is ſet in the firſt place as the prime Grace of a Chriſtian, the Foundation and Root of all other, as being that without which nothing elſe can be pleaſing to God, Zeb. 11.6. u By Vertue he ſeems to underſtand Univerſal Righteouſneſs, or a Complication of all thoſe Graces' by which Faith is wont to work ; and this being more general, he proceeds from it to others that are more ſpecial. x By this may be meant ſpiritual Prudence, which governs and direGts other Vertues in their Actings, and it is called Knowledge, becauſe it conſiſts in the praftical Knowledge of the W1ll of God. See 2 Cor. 6.6. and 1 Pet. 3. 7.
6 And to knowledge, temperance y ; and to tem-
perance, patience = ; and to patience, godlinels 2 ;
y A Grace which reprefleth, and curbs in, not only ſenſual Luſts, but all inordinate Appetites, Gal. 5. 22. Tit. 1.8. x7 That Chriſtian Fortitude whereby we bear Afffittions and Injuries, fo as to perſe- vere in our Duty without being moved by the Evils that attend us in the doing of it. a4 Which reſpe&s our immediate Duty to God, and comprehends all the Duties of the firſt Table. This is joined to Pati- ence, as being that which teacheth us, in all we ſuffer, to acknow- ledge God's Providence,and Promiſes of Deliverance,and Recompence.
7 And to godlineſs, brotherly kindneſs b; and to
brotherly kindneſs, charity c.
b A Love to thoſe that are of the Houſhold of Faith. This is joined to Godlineſs, to ſhew that it is in vain to pretend to true Re- ligion, and yet be deſtitute of Brotherly- Love. c This is more ge- neral than the former, and relates to all Men, even our Enemies themſelves.
$ For it theſe things be in you and abound dq,
+cr. idle, they make e you that ye ſhall neither be + barren ,
+*J:l.3.I4,
* xJoha 2, 9,LT.
* nor unfruitful g in the knowledge þ of our Lord Jeſus Chrilt.
d If ye not only have theſe Graces in you, but abound, or grow in them, both as to the inward degree, and outward exerciſe of them. Either, they make you, or declare you not to be barren, or both; they will be both the Cauſes and Evidences of your not being barren. f Or, ſlothful, idle, unaFive. g Void of Good Works, which are frequently compared to Fruits, Matth. 3. 10. and 7. 17,18, 19. Gal. 5. 22. þ 7.e. The Faith of Chriſt. But more is imp:ic4 here, than exprefled, g. d. They will make you be ative and fruitful in the Knowledge of Chriſt, and declare you to be ſo, and thereby make it appear, that ye have not in vain learned Chritt.
9 But he that lacketh theſe things z, * is blind #,
ll PETER.
4 Whereby 7 are given unto us exceeding great |
was purged from his old fins m:.
7 He that doth not live in the Exerciſe of the fore-mentioned Graces. k Spiritually Blind, as bing deſtitute of ſaving Know- ledge. 1 The Greek word is varſoully tranſlated ; the moſt proba- ble Account of it is, either, 1. That it ſignifies to feel the way, or grop? as blind Men do; and then the meaning is, He that lacketh theſe things is blind, and as a blind Man, gropes, not knowing which way to go ; he is really deſtitute of the Knowledge he pre- tends to : Or, 2ly, To be pore-blind, or ſhort-ſighted, ſo as to ſee things near hand, but not afar off, as our Tranſlation hath it ; and then the Senſe is, That ſuch a one ſees only the things of the World, but cannot look ſo far as Heaven, to diſcern things there, which if he did, he would walk in the way that leads thither, viz. in the Prattice of the Duties before preſcribed. m He is judged in the ſight of God, to forget a Benefit received, that is not effeQually mindtul of it, in living ſuitably to it. And ſo here, he that pro- feſleth himſelf to have been purged from his old Sins, in Juſtifica- tion and SanRification, by the Blood and Spirit of Chriſt, 1 Cor.6.17. Epheſ. 5. 25,26, 27, and yet ſtill lives in Sin, and in the negle& of the Duty he is engaged to, praQtically declares his Forgetfulneſs of the Mercy he profeſſeth to have been vouchſafed him ; and ac- cordingly may be interpreted, to have forgotten it, in that he ads like one that had. Or, if this be underſtood of one that is really purged from his old Sins, yet he may be ſaid to forget that ſo far as he returns again to them, or lives not up to the ends of his Pur- gation, Luke 1. 74, 75. ;
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence 7
Chap. I
and cannot ice afar off /, and hath forgotten that he -
to * make your calling o, and eleQion p ſure q : tor if * John 3.
ye do theſe things 7, ye ſhall never fall /.
n Viz. In the Exerciſe of the forementioned Graces. o Your effefual Calling to the Faith of Chriſt. p Your eternal EleQion to Grace and Glory. q Not in reſpe& of God, whoſe Counſel is 1A it ſelf ſure and ſtable, Rom, 11. 29. 2 Tim. 2. 19. but in reſpe& of your ſelves, who may beſt diſcern the Cauſe by its Effe&ts, and ſo your Ele&ion by your good Works, to which you were choſen, Epheſ. 1. 4. and which prove your Calling, (as being the proper ge- nuine Fruits of it, Epheſ. 4. 1, 2, Q9c.) as that doth Election from whence it proceeds, As 13.48. Rom. 8. 30. r The things pre- ſcribed, v. 5,6,7. { Not wholly apoſtatize from God's ways, nor fo tall through Temptation into any Sin, as not to recover out of it.
11 For fo anentrance ſhall be miniſtred to you a bundantly 7 into the everlaſting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
t Or, richly ; while ye miniſter, or add one Grace to another, one good Work to another, ver. 5, &c. God likewiſe will miniſter (the ſame word is here uſed, as v. 5.) or add largely, or richly the Sup- plies of the Spirit, in Grace, and Strength, and Conſolation, and whatſoever is needful for you in the way, whereby your Faith may be increaſed, your Joy promoted, and your Perſeverance ſecured till ye come into the Poſſeffion of the everlaſting Kingdom.