ept If we receive, &c.] St. John began his Epistle by recording what he and the Apostles had seen. But, the question would seem to have arisen, How will it be with future ages, when the Apostles have died? Will not men's assurance become less? Not so, answers St. John; God Himself will reveal His will. You will not be dependent for your faith upon the testimony of men, or the traditions of past ages. These are useful in their way; but there is a greater Teacher than these. He, by the operation of His Spirit upon your consciences, will bear a yet weightier testimony. How is this testimony to be secured by us? He that believeth on the Son of God hath it in himself. It would be of no use except" in himself." It may be presented to our eye, may even be assented to by our understandings; but, it will have no life if we have it not dwelling in us. And the witness is that the Son of God died for mankind. To deny this is to make God a liar; to cut ourselves off from life. THIS SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 1 St. Pet. ii. 19-25. HIS is thank-worthy, if a man for conscience towards2 God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently; this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: be'cause Christ also suffered for us,3 leaving us3 an example, that ye should follow his steps who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. THE passage before us is part of an exhortation addressed to servants, based, as all exhortations in the New Testament are based, upon the one great motive, namely, the relation in which we stand to Christ. The particular duty which is here enforced is that of Obedience. This duty does not depend, says the Apostle, upon the character of the master:-"If you have to serve, then do so conscientiously and faithfully." It is plain that the words are applicable to each one of us, seeing that all, both poor and rich, have duties which we are bound to fulfil. This is thankworthy, i. e. acceptable, if we for conscience toward God (i. e. because we know that God is our Father) endure grief, suffering wrongfully. The emphasis is of course on the word " wrongfully." To take patiently a punishment which is deserved is no great virtue; but, to suffer patiently wrongs which are undeserved, this will find favour with God. For even hereunto were ye called, when you became followers of Christ. "You were called to follow His steps. Now, He suffered wrongfully. He was holy, harmless, undefiled; but He suffered for you; the Lamb without blemish and without spot. By so suffering He left you an example,-He suffered, in part, to that end." For, as we say in to-day's Collect, Christ's work had a two fold object; He was "both a sacrifice for sin, and also an ensample of godly life." Both of these objects are brought out by St. Peter in the words which follow; the latter comes first. To set it forth, he quotes the prophecy of Isaiah, liii. 9. In fulfilling this prophecy, the Apostle says, in submitting to insult meekly, and leaving His cause to God, instead of avenging Himself, He taught us how to bear. But, besides setting an example, Christ died to put away sin. Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree. It has been noticed that the original word for "bare" means "carried up," and is the same word as that translated “offered” in Heb. ix. 28. The idea conveyed is that of bearing a sacrifice up to the altar. Christ carried our sins up to the tree, and there put them to death with His body. That we being dead unto sin, might live unto righteousness. This language is exactly that which we have seen in St. Paul, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God," as we read on Easter Day. Here we are taught that, since Christ carried our sins up to the altar of His Cross and slew them there, we, too, are dead with Him. Not may be, but are, as baptized Christians. We have to carry out God's will, to accept the benefit wrought for us; being dead unto sin, we are to live unto righteousness. By whose stripes ye were healed.] Another quotation from Isaiah liii. Every part of His suffering is our joy,—each particular part of His death, was part of our life. The stripes which tore His flesh were our healing. For ye were as sheep going astray.] This beautiful comparison is taken from our Lord's own parable (Luke xv. 1-7). It is well adopted into our general Confession, seeing that it expresses not merely the acts of great and heinous sinners, but the sins and shortcomings of all. Those Israelites whom St. Peter was addressing had been wandering far from home till the Good Shepherd sought them and brought them back.* But the passage applies equally to any who have ever been living in sin, and have been converted by the grace of God. 66 Ye are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.] There could be no end to the wandering, unless there were some definite point whither to return. We, by God's mercy, were not left to wander in darkness and doubt, there is a Person who calls us back, the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. To Him we have returned;" or, more literally, "have been turned." Christians may, if they will, go on from the cradle to the grave, in one uninterrupted course of growth in grace. But in how few cases is it so! No; we most of us need to be turned back to Christ; need conversion by the power of the Holy Ghost. * See a very beautiful passage from Trench, quoted in 'Notes on the Parables.' DE THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 1 St. Pet. ii. 11-17. EARLY beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles; that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may, by your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be to the King, as supreme; or unto governours, as unto them that are sent by him, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your THE First Epistle of St. Peter, it will be remembered, is addressed to the Jews who are scattered abroad. He shows them that, though they are now losing the visible unity of the Holy City and the Temple, there is a unity in the Church which no outward changes can destroy. After the Temple has vanished away, the Church will still be a home for them. In the verses immediately preceding the passage before us, he tells them that in times past they were "not a people," nothing but a number of units scattered abroad; but now they are a people, united in the Unity of the Church. This Unity is a spiritual one; its source is not on earth but in heaven. Therefore, their home is in Heaven, they have no continuing city on earth; they are strangers and pilgrims in it, journeying through it to the promised land. This is the idea which introduces the passage before us. St. Peter seems to have in his mind, in the opening of the exhortation of which the passage consists, the journeying of their fathers through the wilderness. He exhorts them as strangers and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts (cf. Num. xi. 4; Ps. cvi. 14; 1 Cor. x. 6). And he gives the reason, these lusts war against the soul. They are its deadly enemies, striving to bring it to utter destruction. Your conversation, i. e., social life, general behaviour (Gal. i. 13; Eph. iv. James iii. 13). Honest, good, honourable, comely, as opposed to the life led by the heathen (cf. i. 18, iii. 16; Rom. i. 29). 22; That, whereas they speak, &c.] The Christians by refusing to take part in many of the deeds of the heathen, incurred the charge of insubordination, and disloyalty to rulers. "Let them see," says the Apostle, "that you are not so, but on the contrary, in the day of visitation that is coming, the impending war in Judæa, let your good works bear witness that you are good, loyal, kind of heart." Dr. Wordsworth quotes an excellent illustration from the history of the Plague at Carthage, where the Christians were seen "taking care of every one but themselves," whilst the heathen drove their dearest friends from their sight when they showed signs of sickness. It would not be difficult to mention other cases, far more recent and nearer home. For the Lord's sake, Submit therefore, &c.] Cf. Rom. xiii, and notes p. 71. i. e., always in St. Peter, Christ's. He was subject to the laws of His country, leaving us an example. They are bidden to submit to the government, whatever be the form of it, under which they are placed. It may be a bad form, and it may be right for the nation to alter it; but it is not right for individual men to make a law for themselves, and refuse to acknowledge any other. The particular form of government, whether kingly or republican, is an "ordinance of man," but all power is of God. The king is the Roman emperor, who was now master of the known world; the governors, his deputies, as proconsuls, &c. For the will of God is this:-that with well-doing, &c.] The foolish men are those who have spoken against them as evil doers. "Put their ignorance and folly to silence by your well-doing." This well-doing, shewing itself in peaceful and obedient conduct, will not be the constrained good conduct of slaves. On the contrary, act as free men; men who are children of God, members of Christ, made kings and priests unto Him. Not using this freedom as a cloke to hide your evil intent, as the Jews did who boasted of their freedom as children of Abraham, and rejected all authority in consequence (John viii. 38), and as some Christians had done (cf. Gal. v. 16). But as the servants of God, bound to submit to the authority because God ordains it, and for no lower reason. Honour all men, i. e. treat each man with the respect and consideration which are his due. Love the brotherhood, all who are united together in the Christian family, children of God, and, therefore brethren one of another. Fear God. Honour the king.] The greater duty leads to the smaller. He who would be a good citizen must begin with fearing God. 1 coming down FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. VERY good gift, and every perfect gift the Father of lights, with whom is no swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to not the righteousness of God. Wherefore Every good gift, and every perfect gift.] In the original there are two words which are here both translated "gift." We may be sure that there is some distinction in the meaning of these two words. This distinction appears to be that, the first means temporal gifts, things which are given us for our use in this world; the second, the "perfect gift," which is the gift of God to our souls, faith, patience, the spirit of prayer. (In Dr. Wordsworth's Greek Testament there is a beautiful quotation from a sermon by Bishop Andrewes on this verse.) And cometh down, literally, "coming down." It is always descending in a continuous flow of love. The Father of lights.] All the helps which man receives for his guidance, the light of day and night; the sun, and moon; the light of reason and conscience; the light of Scripture; the light of good men; the light of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ;-all these are given to us by God. Nay, He is more than Giver, they are His very offspring, He is their Father. With whom is no variableness, &c.] This is supposed by some to have reference to the Pharisaic notion of the influence of the stars upon men's fates. The Apostle says, therefore, "Do not be deceived, and lose your faith in God's love. All good comes from Him, cast yourselves upon Him, and whatever betides, you will be safe. He always shines upon those who look up to Him, both in their life and in their death. How idle to imagine that the stars can affect you, seeing there is no change with Him!" Of His own will He begat us.] We did not cause ourselves to be born unto Him, for without Him we are nothing. Nor did He beget us in any caprice, but by His own unchanging, righteous will. By the Word of truth, i. e. Christ, through Whom we become sons of God (1 Pet. i. 23; John i. 13; Rom. viii. 15). It is St. John who afterwards called our Lord the WORD OF GOD. In the good providence of God, however, the Jews had been prepared for the reception of the Name by their countryman, Philo. He had already arrived, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, at the knowledge of the personality of the Word, who spoke to the Prophets of the Old Testament. That we should be a kind, &c.] The whole creation is redeemed from the power of Satan, by the blood of Christ. It was God's originally, holy and pure. The devil usurped lordship over it, but Christ redeemed it from his power. "We who believe," says the Apostle, "are the first-fruits of the new creation, a sign of the full harvest which is to follow," cf. Rom. viii. 19-22, which is the best commentary on these words; cf. also 1 Cor. xv. 20-23). The Apostle is pointing out to his countrymen (for, as we have seen elsewhere, the Epistle is written to them), that the precious promise to Abraham is now being fulfilled, that they are the first-fruits of that blessing wherewith all the nations of the earth are to be blessed. Seeing that they are so highly blessed, he exhorts them not to drown the voice of the Eternal Word with vain and empty words of their own, but to let Him work within them, and implant into them a new life. Violence in using his name would not bring forth God's righteousness; calm patience and obedience alone would do it. Superfluity of naughtiness, or, "overgrowth of malice." The idea is that of a soil which is all covered with a foul and slimy growth. The rank weeds must be cleared away before the good seed can take root and grow up. When malice and angry passions are put away, and meekness remains, -mildness and gentleness towards men, then all will be ready for the engrafted Word. The Word Who was made flesh was engrafted into humanity; in Him all men were new-created. He was the leaven which was to leaven the whole lump; the seed of a new life to man. Therefore, St. James calls Him the engrafted Word. We have to receive Him into us; we are joined to Him by baptism; we dwell in Him, and He in us, by communion. We receive Him by meekness, and gentleness and love. Then does He save our souls. BE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. ye doers of the Word, and not hear- | ers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, |