The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 217

Those who would tea?h and exllC\rt like St. Peter, mu8t luwe St. Peter'e faith and hopA: we mu~t know, not w1tb the cold knowledge which may be gleaned from books, but with the wann, real knowledge of the heart, what is the deep value of religion-its precious- ness, the sweetn~ss of its peac~, the _gl~dness of its hope; wo must share that holy hope ourseh-es, 1f we are to kmdle it m others; our words must have that reality that energy, which only a living hope can give. ' II. THEm DUTY. 1. Th~y must tend thefloclc. That touching figure of the relations between II shepherd and his flock covers all the duties of the ministerial office. The shepherd feeds, guides, protects, his flock. The presbyters of the Uhurch must do the like; they must be faithful dispensers of God's holy Word and sacraments• they must preach zealously, diligently, as dying men to dying men; they must' teacl:. privately, from house to house; they must care for the little ones, the lambs of Christ• they must do all that lieth in them to bring their people to the holy table of the Lora' there to feed on him in ~heir hearts by faith with thanksgiving. They must guid; the flock, themsel,~s leadmg the way, setting a holy example, an example of humility, holy love, self-denymg zeal. They must do all they can to protect their flock from the evil one, the lion who goeth about seeking whom he may devow·; they must do their best by constant prayer for their people, by affectionate warnings, sometimes by faithful rebukes, to save the souls committed to their charge. And in all this they roust set constantly before their eyes the Lord Jesus Christ, the good Shepherd, as the bi"h Pattern for all under-shepherds to follow; they must seek daily to learn of him lesso~s of self-sacrificing love and lowliness and ardent zeal for the salvation of souls. '.!.'hey must remember always that the flock is his, the flock of God, "the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." And they must watch for souls, as they who must give account; for the souls for which the precious Blood was shed are very dear in the sight of God. The care of his flock is a most solemn, a most sacred charge; those to whom that charge is entrusted must strive so to labour now that they may render their account with joy in the great day. 2. The spirit in which they muse work. (1) Willingly. The central thought here, the figure of the shepherd, implies loving care; those who care for the sheep will take the oversight of them willingly. They will need no constraint ; they will not need to be urged to diligence by those set over them, for they will work, not for fear of censure, but for the love of souls. They will need no external constraint; for they have within them a constraint stronger thnn any worldly incentive, the strong compulsion of the constraining love of Christ. (2) Zealously. The hireling cares not for the sheep, but only for his hire; he fleeth when there is danger, when there is need of hard w01k, of self-sacrifice. Filthy lucre must not enter into the motives which actuate the minister of Christ; he must work for the love of the work, for the love of him whose work it is, and that zealously, with a holy enthusiasm, knowing the priceless value of immortal souls. (3) Humbly. The Lord had once said to Peter," I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatso- ever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." He did not pride himself on the greatness of his charge; he did not make it a means of self-exaltation; he had subdued his natural forwardness and impetuosity, and had learned of 1he Lord Jesus Christ the blessed o-race of humility. Those who have succeeded him in the work of the ministry must learn the same holy lesson; they must crush out of their hearts worldly ambitions, the lust of power and pre-eminence. They must not lord it over those committed to their charge, but must t1y to lead them by the power of holy example. 'l'he,r should ever study to imitate in all things the one great Example, aud so reflec!mg m their lives something of the glory of bis holiness, they should become themselves examples to the flock. E1·en in the apostles' times there were presbyters-there was once an apostle- whose motives were unholy, who were covetous, self-seeking, proud. Example is better than precept; a holy life bas more power over men than holy words; for a holy life proves with convincing evidence the presence and the energy of the good Spirit of God. III. THEIR REWARD. 1. From whom it cmn.eB. Not from men. They must not look for it here; they must wait in patient expectation for the manifestation of the ohief Shepherd. He is the Centre of all pastoral work ; the pastoral office comes from him. He first discharged it as the chief Shepherd, the good Shepherd; he cared for the sheep; ell, v. 1-14.J THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERA.L OF PETER. 213