The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 74

somo lnstnnceA, upon men's bodies. In redemption reaching iu its operation ':.hrough preceding times far back into the etern11,l counsels r;,f Goel, is there not reason for fear- the fear that we do not sufficiently endeavour to appreciate wh'l.t haa ~ntered so lon,g; 11nd so deeply into the thought of God? Manifested in time. "But was manifested ut the end of tbo times." The He<leemer was prnvided from eternity; he wa~ also the subject of prophecy from a very early time (Gt:n. iii. 15)-be wa,1 manifeste0., we aro told here, "at the end of the times." Time, according to the idea, is divided into various times. At the beginning of the last of the times Christ wag manifested. It was then mado clear what the thought of God was. The Incarnation burst forth (not to th~ carnal eye) in all its wonderfulness. Ar:d when we think of the "strong Son of God, immortal Love," dwelling in our nature n.ncl in it redeeming, have we not reason to fear -to fear lest by our sin we clishonour the nature upon which so much love and honour have been bestowed? Persons bewfiting by the manifestation. "For your sake, who through him are believers in God, which raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God." Pder's readers were many of them benefited to a very great extent in relation to the time of the manifest.ation. From being idolaters, by one bound they had got into the position of (Jhristian believers. We are also greatly benefited, as having our lifetime on earth connected with the last of the times. Now that Christ has bern manifested, we have presented to us what in its essential elements is the highest conception of God. This conception embraces not only God providing the precious blood of Christ for redemption, but, beyond that, showing Christ triumphant in raising him from the dead and giving him glory, Thereby God compels, not only our faith, but our hope--onr faith in the proof that is given of the redeeming virtue of the blood, ancl our hope in the pledge that is given of our full redemption, which is a being raised and glorified with our Heacl. When we think of our having been brought into a position in which our prospects are so great, have we not reason for fear-fear lest we should prove unworthy of what redeeming love has in store for us? IV. RULE BF.TWEEN FELLOW-PILGnIMS. 1. Prerequisite to brotherly love. "Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren." What we are to aim at is love of the brethren, i.e. Christian brethren; and, since love is so often and so easily feigned, we are to see to it that it is love not in appearance, but in reality (1 John iii. 18). With a Yiew to this, we are to purify our souls, i.e. ourselves in our individual life. We cannot do this from ourselves; it is only the truth that has the power to sanctify (John xvii. 17). 'l'he way in which we are to bring !)Ur~elves within the sanctifyini influence of the truth is by our living in the element of obedience to the truth, i.e. believing what the truth proclaims, and realiziug what the truth requires. We are to think especially of the trutu of the gospel. When we grasp what God is in redemption, and allow ourselves to be swayed by the love of redemption, we are prepared for loving the brethren. 2. Statement of the duty of brotherly love. "Love one another from the heart fervently." Cremer remarks on the expression, "loving from the heart," that it denotes "the love of conscious resolve." It is love which is here viewed as depending on ourselves. We are to see to it that it comes from the depths of our being. "Fervently," which should be translated "intently," points to the energetic way in which we are to give our hrart's affections free play. V/e a.re to allow nothing to come between them and their object. We are to allow notliing to stop them in the steadines11 of their course. We must not think that we only require to be passive to love; to love rightly, our energies, ns we are hern taught, must be on the stretch. 3. Ground of brotherly love in regeneration. (1) Connect-ion of the Word with regeneratio1,. "Having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptiblA, through the Word of God, which livcth and abideth." As regenerate<l, we are capable of attending to the duty ot' loving one another. Stress is laid on the way in which we have been regenerated. \Ve have been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible. By the seed we are to understand the Word which, lodged in the soul (" implanted Word," Jas. i. 21), is the beginning of a ne~ and incorruptible life. '!'his Word is also viewed as the outward means by which regeneration is effected. And, as thti seed which is the beginning of the new life is said to be incorruptible, so the Wonl of the Lord by which the new Jifq is effected is rnitl to live and abide. 'l'µo~gh its earthly form is not tu remain, it has  (18 THE FIRST EPIS'l'LE GENERAL OF PETER. [on, n. 1-25,