either altogether slight them and account them foolishness, or misconceive and pervert them. Whereunto also they were appointed. This the apostle adds, for the further satisfaction of believers in this point, how it is that so many reject Christ, and stumble at him; telling them plainly, that the secret purpose of God is accomplished in this, God having determined to glorify his justice on impenitent sinners, as he shows his rich mercy in them that believe. Here it were easier to lead you into a deep, than to lead you forth again. I will rather stand on the shore, and silently admire it, than enter into it. This is certain, that all the thoughts of God are not less just in themselves, than deep and unfathomable by us. His justice appears clear, in that man's destruction is always the fruit of his own sin. But to give causes of God's decrees without himself, is nei ther agreeable with the primitive being of the nature of God, nor with the doctrine of the Scriptures. This is sure; that God is not bound to give us further account of these things, and we are bound not to ask it. Let these two words, as St. Augustine says, answer all, What art thou, O man? and, O the depth !

He is precious, or, your honor. The difference is small. You account him your glory and your gain. He is not only precious to you, but preciousness itself. He is the thing that you make account of, your jewel, which if you keep, though you be robbed of all besides, you know yourselves to be rich enough.

To you that believe. Faith is absolutely necessary to

make this due estimate of Christ.

1. The most excellent things, while their worth is undiscerned and unknown, affect us not. Now faith is the proper seeing faculty of the soul, in relation to Christ. By it we are enabled to see him who is fairer than the children of men, yea, to see in him, the glory as of the only begotten Son of God; and then it is not possible but to account him precious, and to bestow the entire affection of our hearts upon him. And if any one say to the soul, What is thy beloved more than another? it willingly lays hold on the question, and is glad of an opportunity to extol him.

2. Faith, as it is that which discerns Christ, so it alone appropriates him, makes him our own. And these are the two reasons of our esteeming and affecting any thing-its own worth and our interest in it. Faith begets this esteem of Christ by both: first it discovers to us his excellencies, which we could not see before; and then it makes him ours, gives us possession of whole Christ, all that he hath and is. And these together make him most precious to the soul. Having once possession of him, then it looks upon all his sufferings as endured particularly for it, and the benefit of them all as belonging to itself. Surely, it will say, can I choose but account him precious, who suffered shame that I might not be ashamed, and suffered death that I might not die? who took the bitter cup of the Father's wrath and drank it out, that I might be free from it?

Think not that you believe, if your hearts be not taken up with Christ; if his love do not possess your soul, so that nothing is precious to you in comparison of him; if you cannot despise and trample upon all advantages that either you have or would have for Christ, and count them, with the great apostle, loss and dung in comparison of him. And if you do esteem him, labor for increase of faith, that you may esteem him more; for as faith grows, so will be still be more precious to you. And if you would have it grow, turn that spiritual eye frequently to him who is the proper object of it; for even they who are believers may possibly abate of their love and esteem of Christ, by suffering faith to lie dead within them, and not using it in beholding and applying of Christ; and the world, or some particular vanities, may insensibly creep in and get into the heart, and cost them much pains ere they can be thrust out again. But when they are daily reviewing those excellencies that are in Christ, which first persuaded their hearts to love him; and are discovering still more and more of them, his love will certainly grow, and will chase away those follies that the world doats upon, as unworthy to be taken notice of.

Ver. 9. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

It is a matter of very great consolation and instruction to Christians, to know their own estate, what they are as they are Christians. This epistle is much and often upon this point for these two ends-that the reflecting upon their dignities in Christ may uphold them with comfort under suffering for him, and also that it may lead them in doing and walking as becomes such a condition. Here it bath been represented to us by a building, a spiritual temple, and by a priesthood conformable to it. The former is confirmed and illustrated by testimonies of scripture in the preceding verses; the latter in this verse, in which, though it is not expressly cited, yet it is clear that the apostle hath reference to Exod. xix, 5, 6, where this dignity of priesthood, together with the other titles here expressed, is ascribed to all the chosen people of God. It is there a promise made to the nation of the Jews, but under the condition of obedience, and therefore is most fitly here applied by the apostle to the believing Jews, to whom particularly he writes.

It is true, that the external priesthood of the law, is abolished by the coming of this great High Priest, Jesus Christ being the body of all those shadows; but this promised dignity of spiritual priesthood is so far from being annulled by Christ, that it is altogether dependent on him, and therefore fails in those that reject Christ, although they be of that nation to which this promise was made. But it holds good in all, of all nations, that believe, and particularly, says the apostle, it is verified in you. You that are believing Jews, by receiving Christ, receive withal this dignity.

We have here to consider, I. the estate of Christians in the words that here describe it; II. the opposition of it to the state of unbelievers; III. the end of it.

I. The state of Christians, A chosen generation; so in Psalm xxiv. The psalmist there speaks first of God's universal sovereignty, then of his peculiar choice. The earth is the Lord's; but there is a select company appointed for his holy mountain there described; and the description is closed thus, This is the generation of them that seek him. As men who have great variety of possessions, have yet usually their special delight in some one beyond all the rest, and choose to reside most in it, and bestow most expense on it to make it pleasant; so doth the Lord of the whole earth choose out to himself from the rest of the world, a number that are a chosen generation.

Generation. This imports them to be of one race or stock. As the Israelites, who were by outward calling the children of God, were all the seed of Abraham according to the flesh, so they that believe in the Lord Jesus, are children of the promise, Gal. iv, 28; and all of them are, by their new birth, one people or generation, They are of one nation, belonging to the same blessed land of promise, all citizens of the New Jerusalem, yea, all children of the same family, whereof Jesus Christ, the root of Jesse, is the stock, who is the great King and the great High Priest. And thus they are a royal priesthood. There is no devolving of his royalty or priesthood on any other, as it is in himself; for his proper dignity is supreme and incommunicable, and there is no succession in his order; He lives for ever, and is Priest for ever, and King for ever too. But they that are descended from him, do derive from him this double dignity, to be likewise kings and priests, as he is both. They are of the seedroyal, and of the holy seed of the priesthood, inasmuch as they partake of a new life from Christ. Thus in Rev. i, 5, 6, there is first his own dignity expressed, then his dignifying us; Who is the first begotten of the dead, and Prince of the kings of the earth; and then it follows, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his

Father.

A royal priesthood. That the dignity of believers is expressed by these two together, by priesthood and royalty, teaches us the worth and excellency of that holy

function taken properly, and so, by analogy, the dignity of the ministry of the gospel, which God hath placed in his church, instead of the priesthood of the Law; for therefore doth this title of spiritual priesthood fitly signify a great privilege and honor that Christians are promoted to, and it is joined with that of kings, because the proper office of priesthood was so honorable. Before it was established in one family, the chief, the first-born of each family, had a right to this, as a special honor; and amongst the heathens, in some places, their princes and greatest men, yea, their kings were their priests; and universally the performing of their holy things was an employment of great honor and esteem amongst them. So then they mistake much, who think it a disparagement to men that have some advantages of birth or wit more than ordinary, to bestow them thus, and who judge the meanest persons and things good enough for this high calling. Surely this conceit cannot have place but in an unholy, irreligious mind, that hath either no thoughts or very mean thoughts of God. If they who are called to this holy service would themselves consider this aright, it would not puff them up, but humble them. Comparing their own worthlessness with this great work, they would wonder at God's dispensation, that should thus have honored them. As St. Paul speaks of himself, Unto me who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given; so the more a man rightly extols this his calling, the more he humbles himself under the weight of it; and this should make him very careful to walk more suitably to it in eminency of holiness, for in that consists its true diguity.

There is no doubt that this kingly priesthood is the common dignity of all believers: this honor have all the saints. They are kings, have victory and dominion given them over the powers of darkness and the lusts of their own hearts, that held them captive and domineered over them before. Base slavish lusts, not born to command, yet are the hard taskmasters of unrenewed minds; and there is no true subduing of them, but by the power and Spirit of Christ. They may be quiet for a while in a natural man, but they are then but asleep; as soon as they awake again, they return to hurry and drive him