The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 67

if we are much exercised on whe.t God is or has done, it is a relief and delight to us. It is not the Go<l of Christ (as the language might seem to imply) that is here prnised, but Gc1d generally. It is the exalted Name that is fitte,l. to call forth all sacred feel- i1,gs. But there is added the Christian interpretation. 'We praise" the Father of our Lord J~sus Christ." We praise _Jes~ Christ, who, according to Divine appointment, dtd sa,mg work for us. 'Ne praise 1nm as ollr Lord who receives our service for God and dispenses _to us !he Divi_ne blessings of salvation. We praise not only him, but his Father, who, m the mcarnat10n of the Son and atonement made by Jt.im in his death, has shown us Fatherly love. 2. God pmised for his mercy. " Who accordin"' to his great mercy." The Pauline expression is " God who is rich in mercy" (Eph. ii. 4). Mercy has been called the internal impulsive cause of salvation. It was mercy which moved God to come to our help in our misery. Mercy up to the measure of the human would have been insufficient as a cause. For we rose up before his mind as those who had rebelled against his authority and brought on our own misery. But " let us fall now into the band of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the band of man." It was mercy. up to the measure of the Divine-gree.t beyond all measurement-that led to our being rescued. 3. God praised for his 'l'Mrcy in begetting us again unto a life of hope. "Begat us a.gain unto e. living hope." Peter appears here as the apostle of hope, a.s Paul is the aposUe of faith and John the apostle of love. Regeneration has been called the formal cause of salvation. The mercy of God moved him to put forth creative power upon us so as to bring ns into a new relation to himself, and give us the commencement of e. new life (Eph. ii. 5). This life is meantime e. life of hope. What we were born out of was e. state of hope- lessness (Eph. ii. 12); what we are born into is a state of hope, and a state in which hope is "living," i.e. instinct with life, full of energy, e.ble to bear up the spirit, able to resist decay. 4. God praised for his thus begetting us by means of the resurrection of Christ. "By the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." Peter goes beyond the meritorious cause of our salvation in Christ's death, e.nd sees the power which can regenerate in his resurrection (efficient cause). Because he rose again e.fter being dead, therefore God can put forth power upon dead hearts, and upon dead bodies too, t.o raise them to newness of life. It is not only in the power of Christ's resurrection the.t we live, but also that our life is e. life of hope. We see, in the fact that our Head lives with a full a.ad glorious life, what can make our life full e.nd glorious too. 5. God praised for his thus begetting us with a view to an inheritance. (1) The inheritance in its peculiar nature. "Unto an inheritance incorruptible, e.nd undefiled, and that fadeth not away." The inheritance is the final cause of salvation. It is the objective appointment corresponding to the subjective hope. "As long a.s we journey we he.ve the living hope; when the journey is finished the living hope becomes the promised inheritance." Here again the Jewish colouring of Pater's thought appears. As the elect people, we have an inheritance (an apportioned possession), such as the land of Canaan was to look forward to. The Canaan condition represented res~, satisfe.ction, in comparison with the wilderness condition. In describing the antitype of the le.nd of Canaan, Peter proceeds not positively, but by negation. It is an inheritance not subject to corruption. The fruits of the earthly Canaan, however good, perished with the using; not so the fruits of the heavenly Canaan. It is an inheritance not suscep- tible of defilement. The earthly Canaan, though sacred, could be defiled (Jer. ii. 7); not so the heavenly Canaan. It is e.n inheritance that fadeth not away. The flowers of the earthly Canaan soon faded away; not so the beauty of the heavenly Canaan. 'Ibus by three negatives does he magnify the inheritance. (2) The inheritance in its present relation to us. The inheritance reserved for the heirs. " Reserved in heaven for you." Far separated from us, it is beyond the perils of earth, and is inalienable from us. The heirs guarded for the inheritance. " Who by the power of God are guarded through fe.ith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." We are safe guarded a.s in a citadel. 'l'bat which guards us is the power of God, so that it is active toward us. That by means of which the power of God guards us is our faith, so that we are not to be inactive toward God. That toward which the power of God guards us is our salvation in its completion, which is not the inheritance, but rather the condition of the inheritance (to be interpreted by reference to the Israelites, who, when their se.lvation was coillplcted, enjoyed the possession of the le.nd of Canae.n). OH. 1. 1-25.] 'rl-IE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. P.l