wns at tllis time writing from Babylon. He WM attracted to this city (changed from what it hnd once been) by the number of Jews that were resident there. Cbristianity had found II congenial soil among them; and now, on the occasion of Peter writin" to the elect Churches of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, ancl Dithynia, the co-elect Babylonian Church sends greeting to them. 2. Marie. "And so doth Mark my son." As 'l'imothy to Paul, so was Mark to Peter, his son, i.e. convert, companion, helper. It was to the house of Mary the mother of Mark that Peter went when he was miraculously delivered from prison; it is pleasing to see the old friendship kept up. Thus associated, we can scarcely think of Mark writing his Gospel without consulting with Peter. 3. Mutual salutation. "Salute one imother with a kiss of love." What Paul calls the l,oly kiss, Peter calls the lciss of love, i.e. Christian brotherly love. When this Epistle was read aloud in open asser,nbly, at the close of the reading, the men were to kiss each other, and the women, sitting apart, were also to kiss each other. "The fraternal kiss, with which every one, after being baptized, was received into the particular community -which the members bestowed on each other just before the celebration of the com- munion, and with which every Christian saluted his brother, though he never saw him before-was not an empty form, but the expression of Christian feeling; a token of the relation in which Christians conceived themselves to Etand to each other. It was this, indeed, which in a cold and selfish age struck the pagans with wonder; to behold men of different countries, ranks, stages of culture, so intimately bound together; to see the stranger who came into a city, and by his letter of recogoition made himself known to the Christians of the place as a brother beyond suspicion, finding at once among them, to whom he was personally unknown, all manner of brotherly sympathy and protection" (Neander). III. BENED\'::'l'ION. "Peace be unto you all that are in Christ." Christ said, "Peace be unto you." The addition made by Peter to the l\Iaster's words defines the range within which he invokes pence. Let none that are in Christ want the peace of the Divine forgiveness, of the Divine keeping.-R. F, HOMILETICAL INDEX TO TllE
FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER.
CHAPTER L THEME rA.Gll
TRKUB rAGB Christian Love the Test of tho Posses- Tho Address 12 sion of Salvation 51 Thanksgiving 15 The Introductory Greeting ... 53 Practical Exhortations 18 An Outbnrst of P1·aise 53 The Threefold Condition of a Christi1m 22 The Testing of Religious Faith 55 'l'he Inheritance reserved for the Heirs 2-l: Love-Trust-Joy 56 The Heirs kept for the Inheritance ... 25 Soul-Salvation 5G Tho Parndox of the Christian Life- The Call to Holiness 56 Joy subsisting wit.Ji Sorrow ... 26 The Awe of the Redeemed 58 The Unique Love to an Unseen Saviour 28 The Lifo of the True, o.ncl the Word of Christian Joy 29 Trutll ... 58 'rhe Work of Christ the ce-ntral Fact Introduction 5~ of the Universe ... 30 Salvation in its Completion 59 The Christian's Hope 32 Tile Pilgrim-Life ... 6-l: Christians Goel-like l\Ien 34 The Father and Judge 35 CHAPTER IL The Scope, l\Ienns, and Purpose of Re- demption 37 The Regenerate Life 77 Faith, Love, and Joy 39 Various Exhortations 81 Salvation 111\fotterof Universal Interest 40 Special Address to Serv11uts 83 Sufferings and Glory 40 Infant~• Food 86 P1·11ctical Chl'istianity 41 Living Stones 87 Christian Fear 42 Temple, Priest, Sncrifico 89 'l'he Diviue l\Icans to Faith and Hope 42 The Head of the Corner; or, the Stone The Elect of God ... 43 of Stumbliug 90 The Key-note of the Epistle-tho Bo- What the Church is for 92 licver's Hope 41 Christ's PC1ssion our Peace o.nd Pattern 9-l: The Saints' Joy notwithstanding The Shepherd and Bishop of Souls ... 96 Heavmeas 45 The Spiritual Temple, Priesthood, uuu. The Certainty o.ncl Greatness of Divine Sacrifices 97 Salvation 47 Elect and Prccic,u3 D~ Salvation by Obrist issuing in Holinc,s ,rn 'l'he Christian Citizen 99 The Holinoee in which S,1lvation con- '.rrue Freedom 100 ~ists II Reason for Christi11n Fear .,. 50 "Honour all l\len" 100 ii INDEX.