The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 183

Vers. 7-11.-Exlwrtations based on the impending judgment. I. THE NllED OP' PREPARATlO~. 1. The nearness of the end. The end seemed near when St. Peter wrote, more than eighteen hundred years ago; by that great interval it is the nearer now. That long-expected end will be the end of all things-of sorrows, trials, suffer- ing; of pleasures, pomps, and vanities; of all the pursuits of this life, the restless struggle after wealth, or fame, or earthly comforts. The end is at hand-how near, we cannot tell; but we know that to the Lord "a thousand years are as one day;" and to ourselves, when we look back, the years that are passed are as a watch in the night. All will be over then, all that men have toiled to build up-the empires, the civiliz~.- tions, the philosophies; all will be over, save only the results of human action, the moral and spiritual consequences of human lives. Who can tell what will be the grand result of the many millions of lives that will then have been lived? Now c1ch generation, as it passes, ]eaves its mark upon its successors: what will be the character uf the great society, the vast multitude of souls, that will live on when the end of the world is come? 'l'o each iudividual the hour of death is the end, and that end is very near; each day, as it comes, ushers in the end of many lives. The time of that end, like the time of the end of all things, is unknown. God has hidden both from ue in his wisdom and love. But certainly it is near; the end of this busy, toiling life, with all its hopes and fears, all its schemes and ambitions, all its disappointments ancl successes; the end, and yet not the end ; for, if it were the end of our being, there would be no need of that careful preparation which St. Peter urges. 'fhe motto of the worldling would be sufficient for us all, "Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die." The nearness of !he end gives the Christian a motive, not for self-indulgence, but for self-denial, not for neglect of duty, but for increasing zeal; for he has a work to do for his Master, and oh I whatever is left uodone, whatever calls of earthly pleasure or ambition are disrecrarded, that work must at all costs be done. For he trusts in hi~ v•or humble way,"by the help cf God's Holy Spirit, to he able at the lust to echo in some sense his :Saviour's words," I have finished the work which thou gavest. me to do;" lle hopes through the Lord's atonement to hear at last tLe joyful welcome," Well done, good a'ld faithful servant!" Therefore the thought of the nearness of the end must stimulate him continually to new energy, to active work for Christ. 2. How the Christian slwuld prepare himself. (1) He must exercise self-restraint. 'fhe etymology )f the Greek word poiuts to the safeguard of the mind; the mind, with all its thought~, must be kept safe, restrained within due limits. The fancies~'aspirations, desires, must not be allowed to wander uurestraiDed. For "the end of all things is at ha.ml," and the Christian must schoul himself into thoughtful preparation for that solemn hour •. llil! mind should be filled, not with castles in the air, not with visions of earthly prosperity (a mischievous nud enPrvating habit), but with thoughts of death, judgmcnt, etcrliity, (JH. 1v. 1-l!l.J THE FIHS'l' EPISTLE GENERAL 01'' PETER. 179