The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 193

Ver. 8.-Fervent love. Because St. John was emphatically the apostle of love, it must not be supposed that the inculcation of this virtue was left to him alone. The eloquent panegyric of charity in St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians is a proof of that apostle's sense of the importance of this virtue. And this passage in St. Peter's Epistle shows that the Lord's companionship had not failed to produce upon the mind of" the prince of the apostles" e.n impression of the Divine beauty and of the supreme excellence of love. I. THE Drvn."'E FOUNDATION OF LOVE AS A CHRISTIAN VIRTUE. 1. The Divine nature is love; this is the pre-eminent attribute of the Eternal Father. 2. '.rhe spirit and example of our Lord Jesus are the supreme revelation cf this grace; and such a revelation was only possible because Jesus was the Son of God. 11 THE PEERLESS EXCELLENCE OF LOVE AS A CHRISTIAN VIRTUE. St. Paul tells us, "the greatest of these is charity." A.nd Peter here enjoins Christians to be "above all things fervent in their love." Ill. THE socIAL BENEFITS OF LOVE. In the Christian society there is no place for those lower principles of union which have force in some :::elations of human life, as e.g. a common interest. But where love is, there joy and peace, fellowship and sympathy and material helpfulness, will assuredly prevail. Love covers sins; it hides those that exist, prevents those that in its absence might make their appearance, and secures by intercession the pardon of those which have been co=itted. IV. THE FERVOUR OF CHRISTIAN LOVE. Love may be in name only; it may exist in a state of feebleness. But in such cases it is of little service. The love which Christ approves is that which" many waters cannot quench," and which is "stronger than death. "-J. R. T. Ver. 10.-Stewardship. It is too common for men to pride themselves upon their advantages, the strength of body, the gifts of intellect, the bestowments of fortune, which they ca.11 their own. But the spirit of Christianity is altogether opposed to such a habit of mind. Peter as well as Paul took occasion to remind Christians that their advantages should be estimated and employed in a very different manner. l. THE CHRISTIAN'S ENDOWMENTS, ACQUISITIONS, AND POSSESSIONS ARE THE FREE GIFT OF GoD's KINDNESS, Those who do not believe in a Divine Giver cannot regard their possessior:s as a gift. But many who do not deny that they are the creatures of God's power and the deptndents upon God's bounty, nevertheless think and act as if they had only themselves t-0 thar.k for their advantages. We are therefore again and again reminded that we owe all that we have to the unmerited favour of Heaven. " What hast thou that thou didst not receive?" II. THE CHRISTIAN'S ENDOWMENTS, ACQUISITIONS, AND POSSESSIONS ARE A TRUST WHICH HE HOLDS FROM GoD, AND FOR WHICH HE MUST GIVE ACCOUNT. we are called ~-0 be "good stewards." Now, a steward is not an owner of the property; he is the responsible administrator of a trlll!t. Why have our various advantages been con- ferred? Certainly not that we may use them for our personal pleasure or emolument or aggrandizememt, but that by their means we may be serviceable to others. The former course would be an abuse of the trust reposed in us. The conferring of such a trust is a personal probation. He who has five talents is expected so to use them as to increase his means and powers of usefulness, and to offer to the Judge the interest which accrues to him who faithfully employs his deposit. Ill. THE CHBIBTIA.N's ENDOWMENTS, AOQUISITIONB1 AND l'OSBl!HSlCNS ARE DESIGNED cu. 1v. 1-19.] THE ~'IRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 189