17. Honour all men, page 4; love the brotherhood, 20; fear God, 40; honour. 18. the king, 48. Servants be subject to your own masters, 66; with all fear, 19. 70; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward, 72. For this is thankworthy if a man for conscience toward God, endure grief, suffering wrongfully, 74. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently, 76; but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God, 75. For even hereunto were ye called, 80, 88, 94; because Christ also suffered for us, 81; leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps, 87. 22, 23. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, 82. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered, he threatened not, 84; but committed himself to him who judgeth righteously, 85. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, 95; that we, being dead to sins, 101; should live to righteousness, 101; by whose stripes ye were healed, 103. For ye were as sheep going astray, 104; but ye are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls, 105. CHAPTER III. 1. Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, 113; that, if any conversation of the wives, 129; when they behold your chaste con- versation coupled with fear, 116. Whose adorning, let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of put- ting on of apparel, 118. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, 120; even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price, 122. For after this manner, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands, 130. Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, 133; whose daughters ye are as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement, 134. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, 140, 143; giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, 144; and as being heirs together of the grace of life, 145; that your prayers be not hin- dered, 148. Finally, 156; be ye all of one mind, 158; having compassion should inherit a blessing, 213. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile, 211. Let him eschew evil, and do good, 212; let him seek peace, and 8. 9. 11. 15. 2. ensue it, 212. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers, 213; but the face of the Lord is against them who do evil, 213. And who is he that will harm you, 215; if ye be followers of that which is good? 214. But and if ye suffer for righteous- ness sake, happy are ye, 216; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be ye troubled, 219. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, 220, meekness, 246; and fear, 247. Having a good conscience, 251; that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil-doers, they may be ashamed, 262; that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ, 258. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than evil- doing, 264. For Christ, 278; also hath once, 277; suffered, 285; for sins, 292, 298; the just, 280; for the unjust, 295; that he might bring us to God, 304; being put to death in the flesh, 349; but quickened by the Spirit, 350. By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, 352; which sometime were disobedient, 354; when once the long- suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a pre- paring, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water, 389, 395. The like figure whereunto even baptism does now save us, 399; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, 400; but the answer of a good conscience towards God, 401; by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 404. Who is gone into heaven, 369; and is on the right hand of God, 372; angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject to him, 375. 1. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, 419; arm of God, 425. For the time past of our life may suffice us, 459; to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, 453; when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries, 454; same excess of riot, speaking evil of you, 455; who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead, 456. For for this cause was the gospel also preached to them that are dead, 461; that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, 464; but live ERRATA IN VOL. II. Page 47, line 4 from the bottom-for power, read fear 233, 16-for. That, read; that 421, 13 from bottom-for particular, read practical EXPOSITORY DISCOURSES. DISCOURSE XII. A FOURFOLD VIEW OF THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS AS FREE, YET THE SERVANTS OF GOD. 1 PET. ii. 17.-Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. IN our last discourse, our attention was turned to the view which the preceding verse gives us of the condition and character of true Christians. Their condition is one both of liberty and of subjection: they are "free," yet "the servants of God." They are "free;" free in reference to God, both as to state and disposition; free in reference to man; free in reference to the powers and principles of evil: they are "the servants of God," redeemed by the blood of his Son; formed by his Spirit to the character of servants, being made acquainted with his will, and disposed to do it; devoted by their own most free choice to his service; and actually engaged in that service, obeying his law, and promoting his cause. Their duty, when viewed generally, consists in acting in a manner suited to their condition, as equally a condition of freedom and subjection. They are to act "as free" in all the varied senses in which they enjoy the privilege of liberty, guarding against abusing that privilege in VOL. II. A any of its forms, "as a cloak," pretext, apology, or excuse for sin; and they are to act "as the servants of God," to cultivate the principle of obedience, habitually keeping in view those perfections of the Divine character, and those relations which they bear to God, in which the obligation to serve God originates, and the belief of which is the grand means which the Holy Spirit employs to fit and dispose us to recognise and discharge that obligation; to make themselves acquainted with the rule of obedience, carefully studying the word of God, observing the providence of God, and seeking the guidance of the Spirit of God; and to exercise this principle, and apply this rule in actual obedience, both inward and outward, both active and passive. To this general view of the Christian's duty, as an acting in conformity to his condition, the Apostle adds a somewhat more detailed and particular account, for the purpose of illustration. In the words before us, he specifies four different ways in which Christians are to conduct themselves "as free," and yet "as the servants of God." They are to "honour all men," they are to "love the brotherhood," they are to "fear God," they are to "honour the king." Let us now proceed to inquire into the meaning of these Divine injunctions, and into the motives which urge to a cheerful compliance with them. And while we do so, may God give us the understanding mind and the obedient heart! May He "open our understandings," to understand this portion of "Scripture given by inspiration of God," that we may become wiser; and open our hearts to love it, that it may be the effectual means of making us better as well as wiser; giving us clearer views of what is our duty, and a deeper impression of our obligations to discharge it! "Here," as the good Archbishop remarks, "are no dark sentences to puzzle the understanding, nor large discourses, and long periods, to burden the memory. As the Divine Wisdom says of her instructions in the book of Proverbs, These precepts are all 'plain;' there is nothing 'froward or perverse,' nothing wreathed,' as it is in the margin, |