are not fountains of living water, but wells with"out water ......clouds that are carried with a tempest, &c. Thus does the author of this Epistle spend all the second chapter in describing the qualities of the Apocalyptic beasts. " and false prophet: and then, in the third he goes on to describe their destruction more

66

fully, and the future kingdom. He saith, that "because the coming of CHRIST should be long "deferred, they should scoff, saying, where is the promise of his coming? Then he describes the "sudden coming of the day of the Lord upon them, as a thief in the night, which is the Apocalyptic phrase; and the millenium or thousand years, which are with GOD but as a day; the 'passing away of the old heavens and earth, by a conflagration in the lake of fire, and our looking 'for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.".

66

PETER seems also to call Rome Babylon, as well with respect to the war made upon Judea, "and the approaching captivity, like that under "old Babylon, as with respect to that name in "the Apocalypse: and in writing to the strangers "scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, "Asia and Bithynia, he seems to intimate that they were the strangers newly scattered by "the Roman wars; for those were the only "strangers there belonging to his care."

66

"By the companions of Peter, mentioned in "his first Epistle, we may know that he wrote "from Rome; and the antients generally agree, "that in this Epistle he understood Rome by Babylon."

The reader will have noticed, that Sir Isaac, in reference to the allusions to the Apocalypse, found in the first Epistle of Peter, says, "These "indeed are obscure allusions." To me they appear far otherwise, and I hope I shall make them appear very obvious to the reader; for the apostle, immediately after the benediction with which he begins the Epistle, (Ch. i.) blesses GOD, even the father of our Lord JESUS CHRIST,

who, according to his great mercy, hath begotten "us again to a lively hope through the resurrection "of JESUS CHRIST from the dead, to an inherit"ance incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading, "reserved in heaven for us, who are guarded by "the power of GOD, through faith unto salvation, "prepared to be revealed in the last time." The inheritance here spoken of is said to be incorruptible-for "there shall be no more death" in that inheritance which is described in Rev. xxi.; and those who are made partakers of life, through the resurrection of CHRIST, are "raised "in incorruption" (1 Cor. xv. 42), having part "in the first resurrection" (Rev. xx. 6.).—The Apostle having brought to their recollection the

“abundant mercy" of God in giving them this lively, or living, hope, respecting the salvation to be fully consummated "in the last time," proceeds to exhort them to rejoice in the prospect before them, in spite of the afflictions brought on them by their profession; to love the Lord, and, believing in him, to rejoice, with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls. The exhortation which he gives them deserves particular attention, in our present inquiry, because of the basis on which he makes it to rest. The sixth and seventh verses are thus rendered in the common version: "Wherein ye greatly re'joice, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; "that the trial of your faith, being much more

66

66

precious than of gold which perisheth, though it "be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, "and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus "Christ." This version fails, however, in giving the true sense of the original. The passage should be thus rendered,-" In which" [last time, viz., for the pronoun is masculine, as is the time, but the salvation is feminine]—“ in which

[last time] exult ye (though for a short time, "since it is necessary, suffering sorrow by divers "trials, that the proving of your faith, more precious "than of gold which perisheth, though proved by fire,

E

66

"may be found unto praise, and honor, and glory) v “ ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, through the Apocalypse 'of JESUS CHRIST:"that is, the Apocalypse being the cause of, or furnishing the cause for the exultation, by what is therein stated respecting the last time; for all the intermediate words are evidently a parenthesis, as I have marked them. The sense is:-though now suffering sorrow by divers trials, this being necessary for the trial of your faith, &c., rejoice greatly in the things brought to your knowlege, respecting the last time, in (by or through) the Apocalypse of JESUS CHRIST. Here then we have the book of the Revelation referred to by the very title which John himself has given it in Rev. i. 1. !!!!

That the foregoing presents the real sense of the passage will appear still more manifestly by attending to the remaining part of the Apostle's exhortation in the same chapter. Having reminded those whom he addresses of the hope of life to which they were begotten by the resurrection of Christ, and of the incorruptible, unfading inheritance connected with the future life, and which was prepared to be revealed in the last time; and having exhorted them in reference to the hope afforded them respecting the salvation to be consummated in the last time, to exult through the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ--he proceeds thus: "Whom having not seen, ye love;" or

rather (for the orthography of the second person plural of the present indicative and imperative is the same) "Whom not having seen, love ye [that is, continue to love, notwithstanding the many trials to which your faith exposes you]; in whom, though not now seeing him, yet believing, rejoice ye "with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving "the end of your faith-the salvation of your souls. "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired "and searched diligently," &c. Considering the circumstances in which these believers were placed, "suffering sorrow by divers trials," it certainly appears more natural to view the Apostle as exhorting them not to be moved away from their hope, but to continue to love the Lord and to rejoice in him, than as predicating these qualities respecting those whom he addresses. Dr. Macknight has, as I have done, rendered ayaλiãobe, in verse 6, in the imperative; and he has and he has-as indeed have all the Translators with the common version, also rendered the verbs in ver. 13. in the imperative, "Gird up"-" be sober"-" hope (ye) :" why then should the intermediate verbs" Love ye”- re"joice ye," which have the orthography proper to the imperative, have been rendered in a different mood, when the whole is one exhortation, only momentarily suspended, to inform those who are addressed, of the desire which the Prophets

66

66