manifesting itself not only in direct quotations, but in numerous natural allusions, which have all the appearance of having been unconscious, as might be expected in the composition of a pious, though, when compared with Paul, an unlettered Jew.'

This epistle is distinguished for great tenderness of manner, and for bringing forward prominently the most consolatory parts of the Gospel. The apostle " wrote to those who were in affliction. He was himself an old man. He expected soon to be with the Saviour. He had nearly done with the conflicts and toils of life. It was natural that he should direct his eye onward and upward, and dwell on those things in the Gospel which were adapted to support and comfort the soul. There is, therefore, scarcely any part of the New Testament where the ripe and mellow Christian will find more that is adapted to his matured feelings, or to which he will more naturally turn."

There is great compactness of thought and terseness of expression in this epistle. It seems to be composed of a succession of texts, each one fitted to constitute the subject of a discourse. There is more that a pastor would like to preach on in a course of expository lectures, and less that he would be disposed to pass over as not so well adapted to the purposes of religious instruction, than in almost any other book of the New Testament. There is almost nothing that is of merely local or temporary interest. There are no discussions about points pertaining to Jewish customs, such as we meet in (most of) Paul's epistles. There is little that pertains particularly to one city or country. Almost all is of universal applicability to Christians, and may be read with as much interest and profit now by us, as by those to whom the epistle was addressed.2

There are plain traces in the epistle of an intimate acquaintance with the modes of thought and expression characteristic of the writings of Paul, which, even without the references in the second epistle (ch. iii. 14, 15), would have led to the conclusion that the writer had read that apostle's epistles. Peter's mode of writing is much less than Paul's that of a scholar; but he has much of the same natural ease of diction, tendency to digression, and use of figurative language.

This epistle holds an intermediate place between those of the great apostle of the Gentiles, and that of James the apostle of the Circumcision. It resembles both in a greater degree than they resemble each other.'

With respect to the time when this epistle was written, we have not the means of arriving at absolute certainty. The probability seems to be, that its true date is about A.D. 65, the eleventh year of Nero's reign, two or three years before the apostle's martyrdom, which is generally supposed to have taken place A.D. 67.

It may be proper here to say a word as to the meaning of the epithet General or Catholic, which, since the fourth century, has been given to this epistle, as well as to the second epistle of Peter, and the epistles of James, John, and Jude. This is not a question of vital importance

5

2 Barnes.

• See note B.

1 See note A. • See note C. Hug's Introduction, sect. clxiii.; Steiger's Exposition, i. 33; Kitto's Cyclopædia; Michaelis' Introduction, iv. 325.

(for the appellation has no claim to divine authority), and it is well it is so, for there seems no means of determining it with anything like certainty. The term appears originally to have meant an epistle, directed not to one church, but to all, or at any rate to many churches, -a description which belongs to five of the seven epistles so distinguished; the other two being addressed to individuals. In the time of Eusebius, with this sense seems to have been connected the somewhat cognate one, of epistles publicly read in many, or all, the churches, on account of the excellence and usefulness of their contents; and, till the writings of the New Testament were collected into one volume, it appears to have been the technical name by which this collection of epistles was distinguished from the Pauline Epistles.1 The object of the apostle in this epistle is plainly to confirm the disciples in the faith, profession, and obedience of the Gospel; by deepening their conviction that the source of happiness, and the foundation of the everlasting kingdom of God, were contained in that faith of the Redeemer which had been announced to them, and received by them into their hearts; that that doctrine was indeed the everlasting unchangeable word of God, and that, therefore, they ought to aim at appropriating it with childlike simplicity, that so they might continually advance towards "the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;" and to exhort them to maintain their steadfastness in the faith under all persecutions, and a corresponding course of conduct, by which they would shine as lights in the world," and refute the false accusations against Christianity and Christians.2

It is my intention, " if the Lord will," to lay before you, at irregular intervals, a series of expository discourses on this "weighty and powerful" epistle, and the passage which I have read shall form the subject of the first of these discourses.

These verses contain the inscription and the salutation, according to the ordinary usage of the apostolical epistles; and naturally lead us to speak, I. Of the writer of the epistle-" Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ;" II. Of those to whom the epistle is addressed—“ The elect strangers of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia-elect according to the foreknowledge of God, by a spiritual sanctification, to obedience and to the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ;" and, III. Of the benevolent wish which he expresses, or the solemn prayer which he presents for them-" Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

I. OF THE WRITER OF THE EPISTLE

The writer of this epistle, whose original name was Simon, was a native of Bethsaida, at that time an inconsiderable village on the western shore of the sea of Galilee. He was bred to the occupation

Euseb. H. E. ii. 23; Nässelti Opuscula, fasc. ii.; Michaelis; Hug; Schott; De Wette. 2 Neander.

of a fisherman, which seems to have been the family profession; and at the time of his becoming acquainted with Jesus Christ, he was married, and had removed with his family to Capernaum. His brother Andrew, who was a disciple of John the Baptist, having heard his master pronounce Jesus, whom he had lately baptized, "the Lamb of God," solicited an interview with him, which ended in his conviction that he was indeed the great deliverer, concerning whom the ancient prophets had uttered so many glorious predictions, and whose appearance, without delay, was at this period generally expected by the Jews. He communicated the joyful intelligence to his brother Šimon, whom he introduced to Jesus. He also appears to have become from that day a believer; and, in the exercise of that knowledge of the secrets of the heart and of futurity by which he was distinguished, Jesus, in reference to the dispositions he should discover, and the services he should perform, surnamed him Cephas, or Petros-the one a Chaldæo-Syriac, the other a Greek word-both signifying a stone or rock.

For some time after this, these two brothers continued to follow their profession as fishermen. But one day Jesus, after having confirmed their faith by a miraculous draught of fishes, which he intimated was emblematical of the vast multitudes who, through their instrumentality, were to become his followers, required their constant attendance on him; and when he soon afterwards selected twelve of his disciples, whom he termed apostles, and intrusted with miraculous powers, we find Peter's name holding the first place in the list. He obviously from the beginning was "among the chief of the apostles," and occupied a high place, comparatively as well as really, in his Master's esteem and affection. Of this we have satisfactory evidence in his being, along with John and James, the sons of Zebedee, chosen to witness his Lord's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, and his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

None of the apostles was more firmly persuaded of the divinity of Jesus' mission, more affectionately attached to his person, or more zealously devoted to his cause. When many of his disciples who had expected from the Messiah a worldly kingdom, became offended with a discourse in which he had intimated that the blessings he came to procure and bestow were of a heavenly kind, and "went back, and walked no more with him," Jesus turned to his little chosen band, and asked them the touching question, "Will ye also go away?" Peter exclaimed, "To whom can we go but to thee? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we know and art sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." On another occasion, when our Lord, having inquired of his disciples what were the opinions generally entertained of him by his countrymen, put the question to them, "Who say ye that I am?" Peter immediately replied, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." His warm attachment to his Lord was as strongly, though not so wisely, manifested, in his dissuading him from submitting to suffering and death, in his refusing to allow him to wash his feet, im his declaration that, though he should die with him, he would never deny him, in his singly drawing his sword against a numerous body of armed men in his defence, and

in his persisting to follow him when the rest of the disciples had forsaken him and fled.

To teach Peter his own weakness, he was permitted to fall before the temptations to which he had rashly exposed himself. Thrice in the course of a very short period he denied, with execrations, that he knew Him for whom he had so lately, both by words and deeds, shown that he was then ready to lay down his life. The fact is recorded, not for Peter's shame, but for our instruction; and it proclaims-" Let him who thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall;" "be not high-minded, but fear;" "without Christ ye can do nothing."

When our Lord, in the midst of his sufferings, cast on his recreant disciple a look of wounded but unchanging affection, he "came to himself," and, stung to the heart at the thought of his base ingratitude, hastened into solitude, and "wept bitterly.

It is a striking proof of Jesus' peculiar affection to our apostle, that in the message he sent by the angel to his disciples by Mary Magdalene, to whom he first appeared after his resurrection, Peter is particularly mentioned. "Go tell the disciples, and Peter." This token of kindness was not lost on him. He ran immediately to the sepulchre, and went into it to ascertain that the body was indeed not there; and he had the high honor of being the first among the apostles who saw his risen Redeemer, though we have no particular account of the interview.

Some time after the resurrection, our Lord gave Peter a most overwhelming proof of his regard, and afforded him an honorable opportunity of manifesting, in the presence of his brethren, his unabated love for his Master, and his increased distrust of himself. It would be injustice to tell the story in other words than those of the inspired historian, John xxi. 15–19. "So, when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me."

Peter was present with his brethren on that memorable day, when Jesus "led them out as far as to Bethany, and lifted up his hands and blessed them; and while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven." Not one of them gazed with a more eager eye upward till the form of the Saviour vanished in the cloud of glory, or with a heart more full of solemn gladness returned to Jerusalem.

Immediately after the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, Peter was honored to open the gates of the kingdom of heaven to the Jews, by preaching the first Gospel sermon properly so called, and that sermon was blessed to the conversion of three thousand souls.

After having, along with John, performed a miracle of healing, he delivered an eloquent and convincing discourse, by means of which multitudes were induced to embrace the Gospel; and when brought before the council, he showed how completely our Lord's promise had been performed, that he would give to his apostles "a spirit and a wisdom which all their adversaries would be unable to resist."

At his reproof Ananias and Sapphira, who had attempted to impose on the apostles, were struck with instantaneous death.

Many of the Samaritans having embraced Christianity in consequence of the preaching of Philip, Peter visited them, and by the laying on of his hands they received the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. We find him afterwards at Lydda, healing Eneas, who had been eight years confined to his bed by palsy; and at Joppa raising Tabitha from the dead.

He who had opened the gate of the kingdom of heaven to the Jews, was called on also, in the case of the centurion Cornelius and his family, to open the same gate to the Gentiles. In consequence of a divine mission he preached to them the Gospel, and while he was preaching it, "the Lord gave testimony to the word of his grace," and shed forth on them abundantly the Holy Ghost.

On his return to Jerusalem, Herod Agrippa cast him into prison with the intention of putting him to death by public execution, but he was miraculously delivered by an angel, and restored to liberty.

At the meeting of what is ordinarily termed the council or synod of Jerusalem, Peter strongly asserted the freedom of believing Gentiles from all obligation to observe the law of Moses, and urged the circumstances of the conversion of Cornelius and his family, as an irrefragable proof of the doctrine which he taught on that subject. Some time after this, being at Antioch, he acted on this liberal principle, by maintaining an unrestricted freedom of intercourse with the converted Gentiles, till a fear of offending some Jewish Christians, zealous for the law, induced him, from a mistaken notion of expediency, to "withdraw himself." This inconsistent, rather than unprincipled, conduct drew on him the honest reproof of the apostle Paul, who in a very convincing manner showed that his fellow-apostle was now contradicting by action what he had asserted in words, and building up again what he had destroyed.

We have no further account of the apostle Peter in the New Tes tament. A careful attention to the hints met with in authentic church history, has led the best informed writers to believe, that, having re