The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 25

Yers. 13-25.-Practical exhortations. I. To PROGRESS m HOLlNEBB. 1. The necessity of earnest effort. Christians are pilgrims and strangers; they must not loiter 0n their way, they must press toward the mark. The journey is long and laborious; they must gather up their robes, for there are many miry places, there is much pollution in the world, and "blessed a.re they that have not defiled their garments; they shall walk with the Lord in white." They must gird them up round their loins lest they hang down and impede their progress. They must lay aside the sin which doth so easily beset them, and keep their affections and desires closely girt in, that they become not loose and hinder them. They must not allow their mind to be listless and apathetic; they must keep their thoughts active, fixed on their journey and on its end. (1) 'l'o do this they must be sober. Excess of meat and _drink weighs down the soul and sinks it into a deadly lethargy. The intemperate use of any of this world's good things or enjoyments interferes with spiritual exert.ion,,- and· lowers the tone of the spirit. The Christian must be temperate in- all things,-in all his habits and modes of thought; he must be calm, quiet, thoughtful, zealous, but collected, full of high enthusiasm but wise and free from excitement._ (2) And they- must hope, and that perfectly. Hope urges the traveller onward; he heeds not the discomforts of the way while the hope of the joy that is set before him is fresh and bright in his heart. 'l'he Christian's hope is sometimes mixed'wHh doubts and fears; but this, the psalmist says, is "mine own infirmity" (Ps. lxxvii. 10). He mnst lift up bis eyes to the hills whence cometh his help; for the grace which is the object of his hope (" grace," says Leighton, "is glory begun, and glory is grace com- pleted") is being brought to him. Grace comes from God; it is his free favour; he gave the first gift of grace; "he giveth more grace." It is bis bounty, not deserved by any merits of ours: "dona sua coronat Deus, non merita.tua," says St. Augustine. That grace is being brought .now; as men gird up their loins and ha~ten towards it, it is brought nearer to them; when the prodigal arose and came, bis father, while• he was yet a great way off, ran and came to meet him. So God's grace is being brought in con- tinually increasing measure as the Lord Jesus Christ reveals himself in nearer vision to the believing soul; it will be brought in perfect glory when his saints shall see :him as he is in his kio"dom. 2. Old lusts must be forsalcen. 'l'he assured hope of salvation wil( urge the Chri;tian to follow airer holiness: "He that bath this hope in him puri- fieth himself." Holiness is separation from all that defileth. Christians must, as obedient children, forsake the world, the flesh, and the devil; they must not fashion themselves after the likeness of the lusts of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and tlie pride of life; for the image of Christ cannot be traced upon the soul that bears the impress of these evil things. The heathen had the excuse of ignorance; we Christians han: the light; let us beware lest any of us incur the awful condemnation of those who Jove darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. 3. The pattern to be set icjote U6, It is the all-holy God himself. "Summa religionis est imitari quern colis, ou. 1, 1-25.] THE FIRST EPIS'rLE m:NERAL OF PETER.