The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 31

supernatural revelation, acknowledge the debt of humanity to the representation of monotheism given by the Hebrew prophets and apostles. 2. The righteous government and the holy character of the Eternal are set forth in the Bible, not only by means of st:i.tements, but by means of lessons conveyed in the form of history. His hatred of sin, in both private and public life, is effectively declared in his righteous judgments. His moral government is a great reality. In the Scriptures, the Divine Ruler is never exhibited as either indifferent to moral distinctions or capricious in his treatment of moral agents. None who acknowledges the authority of the Bible can expect to escape the eye or to evade the judgment of the righteous Governor. 3. God's interest in man, and bis design for man's welfare, are portrayed in the Bible, as in no other professedly sacred and inspired book, and indeed as nowhere else in literature. From the opening pages of Genesis, where God is re?resented as walking and as speaking with men in the garden, down to the epoch of redemption, when "the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us," the Scriptures are full of evidence of the Divine interest in man's welfare. Whilst exhibiting the majestic dignity of the Eternal, in such a way as to call forth our reverence, the sacred volume beyond anything else makes God near to us, and leads us to feel that he is round about us in all our ways. 4. Especially does the Bible impress upon the mind of the reader the redemptive purposes of the Supreme; it shows him to be man's Saviour. His character is set forth as compassionate and merciful, and he is represented as using the means to give effect to his gracious h1ten- tions towards sinful man. (1) In the Old Testament history we have proofs of this, especially in the deliverance of Israel from the bondage in Egypt, and in the restoration of Israel from the captivity in the East. These great events were both manifestations of God's mercy towards a nation, and prophetic anticipations of the greater deliverance in the futnre. (2) For the New Testament is undoubtedly the fulfilment of the Old. What was done politically for a people was in Christ done morally and actually for the race. The Gospels and Epistles set forth before us Jesus as the Son of God and as the Saviour of mankind. "He that hath seen me," said Christ, " bath seen the Father;" and this has respect, not simply to his peerless character, but also to the mighty power and to the gracious purposes to which the world is indebted for the temporal deliver- ance and for the eternal hope.-J. R. T. Vers. 2, 3.-Increase of spiritual life tlependent on the knowledge of God. Our text strikes the key-note of the Epistle-the need of watchfulness against error. Scripture demands a clear knowledge of revealed truth. On this the maintenance of spiritual life depends; to swerve from Divine truth is to suffer spiritual loss. L A GREAT INCREASE OF SPIRITUAL DLEBSING IS POSSIBLE TO THE BELIEVER. " Grace and peace " we may take as including all spiritual good. Grace is God's part therein ; peace is man's. God's attitude towards us is grace; our attitude towards him, for that is the end of righteousness, is to be peace. Between these two lies all that pertains to life and godliness. And the apostle says this may be multiplied to the Christian. I. Because of the great capacity of his nature. The life imparted in regeneration has almost unlimited possibilities; it is Heaven's germ, from which will be developed the pure and perfect spirit which will gaze on the face of God, and reflect his glory. The believer is joint-heir with Christ; where Christ is, he is to be. Heaven will be a constant advance into the character of God; that is the capacity of spiritual life in the soul, "filled with all the fulness of God." 2. Because God has already given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. The power which G.:id is prepared to manifest towards his people is equal to that which raised Christ from the helplessness of the grave to the supreme dominion of the universe. And in what way, but in giving us all things that pertain to life and godliness? Who can enumerate what ie included in that " all things"? We do not al ways realize that with Christ God bas already "freely given us all things." True, he holds them still, but it is on our behalf. 3. Because what we receive is through the Divine glory and virtue. In the Revised Version the third verse reads thus: "He bath called us by his own glory and virtue;" and that is the ground of our hopes, and triumphs over our sense of ill desert. God's glory is his mercy, and it is set free to exercise itself by Christ in the atone• ment; and be finds there the reason why he should enrich us. II. Tw:a lNOB.EASE OF BLEl>l>ING PEPENDS ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF Go;p. God doe, 611, r, 1-21.] TH~ SECOND EPIS'fLE GENERAL OF PETER. 25