The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 95

cbnrncter-a correspondence of the outward to the inward never to be disturbed. It is said in Isa. !xvi. 22, "For ns the new heavens and the new earth, which I shall make, shall remain before me, snith the Lord, so shall your ,eed and your name remain." 'l'be expression oftbe idea here is," wherein dwelleth righteousness "-has its permanent abode,.from which it will never take flight. It will be a world wberetbere is no super- stition or infidelity, where there is a corred, bright conception of what God is, and a due appreciation of the work of Christ. It will be a world where there is not11in" to interJere with social well-being, where jealousies and antipathies are unknown. ''The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in ail my holy mountain, saith the Lord!" Is not, then, the institution of this order of thincrs to be much thought of by us, and to be earnestly desired? We may regret that much that is beautiful in the present order of things is to vanish. Shall we never again look upon that beautiful sky, those beautiful landscapes, the beautiful flowers'! But there is ample compensation in the higher beauty to which the present is to give place. When we.have got the glorious resurrection-body, there will be no regret that we have left the present body behind. So when we see the new heavens and the new earth, there will be Iio regret that the former things have passed away. In their higher forms they will have a greater power of lifting the soul to God. The teaching of Peter regarding the heavens and earth agrees with what Paul teaches in the eighth of Romans, " For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, bnt by reason of him who sub- jected it, in hope that the creation itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corrup-• tion into the lil;mrty of the glory of the children of God." Peter emphasizes fire as the liberating element; Paul simply notes the liberation. Peter, again, thinks of a fit abode for righteonsness; Paul thinks of an abode that shadows forth the liberty of the glory of the children of God. There is use in looking forward to new heavens and a new earth. We feel that the present arrangement is not independent of God. He made it, and he can alter'it. • He can make a world suitable to a probationary state, and a world suit- able to a state of attained righteousness. He can make a. world suitable for his people in their present imperfect state, and a world suitable to them when he puts glory on them. V. PERSONAL CONCERN AT THE SECO:t-.'D COMING. "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in pesce, without spot and blameless in his sight." We look for a great catastrophe at the end oftime as that which has been certainly foretold. We do not look for that alone, but for that as introducing a great reconstruction in the production of new heavens and earth. This is connected with our seeing God on the clay formerly referred to. Our personal anxiety must be to be found in peace on that occasion-to have God as our Friend, so that the catastrophe shall not reach us, and so that the new heavens and new earth shall be for our blessed and eternal abode. We can only expect this consummation by our being without spot and blameless. Spots and blemishes attract the fire of Divine judgment. 'l'his very earth and even the heavens have h, be subjected to fire because they have been connected with man's sin. Let us not think, then, that we can stand in God's sight with hearts defiled. We must give diligence to have all spots and blemishes removed from us, in the U8e of the means of grace, in a constant recourse to the blood of Christ, in a constant endeavour to conform our life to the Divine will. VI. lNTEUPIIETATION OF PRESENT DELAY. "And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation." In explanation of the delay of the second coming, it was said formerly that "the Lorcl is not slack concerning bis promise, but is long-snffering." Here long-suffering is asserted of our Lord, apparently the Lord Jesus Christ, as the absolute Manifestation of the disposition of the Father. Here also there is connected with long-suffering its end, viz. salvation. Christ makes to us the offer of salvation ; but he does not reject us so soon as we refuse his offer. He would teach us even from our experience of the bitterness of sin, he would disabuse our minds of false ideas of life, he would make us tired of a lifo of sin, he would make us turn in desire to a life of holiness. He has no quarter for sin; but he has patience for tho sinner, he heaps meroies upon him; there is the continual mercy that be is not treated accordin_g to his desert. 'l'hus by his continual goodness would he lead us to repentance, by his long- suffering be would compass our salvation, by his gentleness he would make us great.  90 THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PET~R. [en. iu.1--18,