Of covetousness. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. James. of intemperance. sisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 7 Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh unto you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up. 11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save, and to destroy; who art thou that judgest another? a Saith in vain, speaketh falsely. b But be, that is, the Spirit, giveth more grace; wherefore the Spirit saith, &c. Prov. iii. 34. 13 Go to now,c ye that say, To-day, or to-morrow, we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell and get gain; 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow; for what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say,d c Go to now, come now. For that ye, &c. Instead of which ye ought to say. Chap. v. CHAP. V. 1 Of wicked rich men,7 Of patience, 12 To forbear swearing, 13 To pray in adversity. GO to now,a ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped, are enter ed into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.b 5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. in affliction. 7 Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. a Go to norv, come now. b The Lord of sabaoth, the Lord of hosts. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lorde draweth nigh. 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned; behold the judge standeth before the door. 10 Take, my brethren the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender merey. 12 But, above all things, my brethren, swear not ; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath; but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders The coming of the Lord, to destroy Jerusalem and to break the power of the unbelieving part of the Jewish nation, draweth nigh. SIMON, whose surname was Peter, was a native of the town of Bethsaida, which was situated on the western shore of the lake Gennesareth. He was by occupation a fisherman, which business he left for the more important work, to which he was appointed by Jesus Christ, who, foreseeing the fortitude he would exercise in preaching the Gospel, honoured him with the name of Cephas or Peter, which signifies a rock or stone. Peter being made an apostle, shewed the strongest faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and the most extraordinary zeal in his service. He was one of the three apostles whom Jesus admitted to witness the resurrection of Jairus' daughter, before whom he was transfigured on the holy mount, and with whom he retired to pray in the garden the night before he suffered. It was he who in the fervour of his zeal for his master cut off the ear of the high priest's servant, when the multitude came out against Jesus, as against a thief, with swords and staves to take him. Yet this same Peter, a few hours after thrice denied Prefatory Chap. i. remarks, his master, even with oaths, in the palace of the high priest. But being stung with remorse for the baseness of his conduct, Jesus forgave him. From this time Peter never faultered in his faith, nor shrunk from his master's service. He ever after acted a conspicuous part among the apostles, and devoted the remainder of his life to the defence and support of the Gospel. After having preached to the Jews, who were dispersed through Asia Minor, it is said, he went to Rome, where he was crucified with his head downward, having himself requested this particular mode of execution. In proportion as the Christians of the first age multiplied, their sufferings became more general and severe; in consequence of which the apostles considered themselves, as especially called upon to comfort and encourage them. With this view Peter wrote this first Epistle to the Christians in Pontus, and the neighbouring provinces in Asia, in which he shews, it is the duty of Christians to be willing to suffer for their religion, and suggests a variety of motives to induce them to suffer cheerfully. In order to enrage both the magistrates and the people against the Christians, their enemies represented them every where, as atheists and enemies to mankind, as seditious and addicted to every species of wickedness, because they would not comply with the common idolatry; nor obey the Heathen magistrates in things contrary to their religion. Peter therefore besought the brethren to behave both towards magistrates, and towards their Heathen neighbours in a harmless manner, and to be exemplary in every virtue; and, that they might know how to conduct themselves on every occasion, he gave them a particular account of the most important duties both in civil and social life. It is generally thought, that Peter wrote this Epistle about A. D. 66 or 67, at Rome, which place he, as well as the apostle John, figuratively calls Babylon, to signify that Rome would resemble Babylon in its idolatry, in its opposition to true religion, and its persecution of the church of God, and that like Babylon, it would be utterly destroyed. THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. CHAP. I 1 He blesseth God, for his man- the prophets of old; 13 and exhorteth them to a godly conversation, forasmuch as they are now born again by the word of God. |