The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 78

he had dwelt upon the subject of prophetical inspiration in both Epistles; he wa& const.antly referring to the prophets both in his speeches and letters. Christians 011ght to study the writings of the prophets; they ought to give heed to the Word of prophecy. So also they Bh0uld be always mindful of the Lord's commandment given through the apostles. "God who in times past Bpoke by the prophets, hath in the latter days spoken unto us by his Son." The writings of prophets and apostles come from the same source-the inspiration of God ; both have a message for us. It becomes us to be mindful of that message; to forget it is to be wanting in reverence and gratitude to him from whom the message comes. The commandment, delivered to us by the apostles, is in truth the commandment of our Lord and Saviour, who, as our Lord, has a right to our obedience, and, as our Saviour, has a claim upon our tenderest feelings of love and gratitude. 2. Scoffers will come. It has always been so; there have always been men who mocked at those who trusted in God. It was so with Lot in Sodom, with Isaac the heir of the promise, with the psalmist, with the Lord Jesus himself. Those of whom St. Peter speaks were men of sensual habits, walking after their own lusts. There is such a thing as honest doubt, like that of St. Thomas ; there are men who would give the world to believe, if they could; their temperament, their education, their habits of thought, throw immense difficulties in their way; such men, we hope and trust, will be guided, sooner or later, to the truth. But in all ages a very large proportion of the prevalent scepticism has issued out of an ungodly life. Men have rejected the faith because they were unwilling to believe. The pure morality of the gospel offends the self-indulgent ; it is a constant reproach to them; the teaching of Scripture concerning the judgment is repulsive to them; they try to keep such thoughts out of their minds. And, besides this, sin hardens the heart; a sensual life blinds the eye of the soul, and makes men incapable of appre- ciating spiritual trnth. "The natural man [the 1/,vxucls, in whom the animal soul is predominant] receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God : for they a.re foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (l,Cor. ii. 14). Such men come with their mockery, saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? The fathers have fa.lien asleep; generation after generation has passed a.way. Christians have lived in expectation of the Lord's coming according to his promise ; they have waited for him, but he came not; they are in their graves. Are men still to pass their lives in waiting for an advent which seems to be continually receding? All things continue thus, as they are, and as they have been; the laws of nature work on in their changeless uniformity. Where is the promise?" 'l'hese men took the Epicurean view of the Deity. God might have created the world; he might have called into being the forces which a.re working in the universe. But now, they thought, he leaves those forces to their mutual action: and reaction upon one another; he does not interpose either in the natural world or in the affairs of men; he leaves all to the silent rule of law. The teaching of Holy Scripture is directly opposed to this form of agnosticism. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work," said the Lord Jesus to the Jews. "In him we live, and move, and have our being," said St. Paul to the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, as well a.s to the men of Athens generally. God sustains the universe from day to day, from hour to hour, with his continued agency. Without his support the world would fall into ruin; without his providence the order of society would collapse. The la.we of nature are but observed uniformities, sequences of cause and effect; they are not forces; they have no life, no power; they are the expression of the Divine wi!L God changeth not; and those laws which he has impressed upon the material universe exhibit the hand of the Crea.tor, they too a~e changeless within the sphere of the all-controlling will of God. He can suspend their operation, for he is the Lord God omnipotent; but as a rule his working is uniform, continuous. If it were not so, the world would be a. ecene of disorder-all its re.re beauty would be lost, life in its present conditions could not be sustained, society would be impossible. That uniformity which is the result of the wisdom of God must not be made an argument against the providence of God. He works in the uniformities of the laws of nature a.s certainly as in disturbances of those uniformities. 'l'here have been such disturbances· the uniform course of nature has been broken by Divine interpositions on a. great sca.ie. 3. TM <llTUJWer to tM scoffers. All things have not alwa.ys continued as they are. For: (1) Creation itself was the introduction of a err. rn. 1-18.J 'fHE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. '73