An expositon of all St. Pauls epistles together with an explanation of those other epistles of the apostles St. James, Peter, John & Jude : wherein the sense of every chapter and verse is analytically unfolded and the text enlightened. / David Dickson ...

CHAP. I.

THere are three parts of the Chapter. In the first there is the Exordium of the Epistle, to vers. 5. In the second an exhortation to proficiency in Faith and Holi∣ness, to vers. 19. In the third hee digresses in the com∣mendation of prophetical Scripture, to the end.

Vers. 1. Simon Peter, a Servant and an Apostle of Ie∣sus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious Faith with us, through the Righteousness of God and our Saviour Iesus Christ,

The inscription of the Epistle contains three things. (1.) The description of the Writer, from his common name Simon, and from his Sirname Peter, given him by Christ, together with his office in the Church, Servant, and from his special office, An Apostle of Iesus Christ, whence hee had authority to write. (2.) The description of the faithful to whom it is written from the excellency of Faith, which was bestowed upon them: The excellen∣cy whereof is propounded by way of distinction from histo∣rical Faith. 1. That it is precious. 2. That it is proper to the Elect, not hypocritical. 3. That it is equally precious with the Faith of the Apostles; he doth not compare the de∣gree and quantity, but the quality and nature of the gift, because it was given by the same Holy Spirit for the same merits of Christ, and to the same good purposes, viz. the apprehending of Christ and his benefits. 4. That it flows from Gods Righteousness or Faithfulness, faithfully per∣forming the free promises made to our Fathers, and is de∣rived to us together with all other benefits through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Vers. 2. Grace and Peace bee multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Iesus our Lord,

The third thing in the inscription of the Epistle is a sa∣lutation, wherein is his prayer and confirmation of it; In his prayer hee wishes to all the faithful Hebrews a fuller manifestation, multiplication, and encrease of all saving gifts of the Holy Ghost, and multiplication of peace, or of all benefits which conduce to the promoting and per∣fecting of their present and future felicity, and that by the encrease of saving Faith, or acknowledgement of God and Christ, as they are revealed in the Gospel.

Vers. 3. According as his divine power hath given un∣to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue,

Hee confirms the hope of his desires, viz. that God will multiply grace and peace towards them by Faith, in five Arguments.

Divine Power] Argum. 1. The power or effectual grace working powerfully, hath bestowed upon you all expedients, which belong to holiness or grace, to life or peace, by the knowledge or Faith of him both in respect of the right to, as also the admission of you into the pro∣fession: Therefore God will encrease and multiply those gifts, until yee obtain perfection of life and holiness: For there is the like reason for the beginning and progress, as touching the favour of God.

Hath called] Argum. 2. God hath called you to virtue or Grace, and to Glory or Peace: Therefore hee will perfect those things in you to which hee hath called you.

Vers. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you might be parta∣kers

of the Divine Nature, having escaped the cor∣ruption that is in the world through lust.

Argum. 3. Confirming the former, God hath given you the promises of the Gospel, which as they are very great (because of the greatest things, viz. of Righteous∣ness and eternal life) So also they are precious, and main∣ly necessary to you for the obtaining of life: Therefore hee will perform those promises, by multiplying even un∣to perfection those things which hee hath promised.

That by these] Argum. 4. For this end hee hath given both the promises, and beginnings of these things promi∣sed to you, that yee might be partakers of the Divine Nature; not as to the essence, but as to the virtues and perfections, which represent the Nature of God in hea∣venly wisdome, holiness and happiness, as in a lively Image: Therefore hee will multiply to you grace and peace, that hee may attain his end in perfecting of you.

Having escaped] Argum. 5. Now you have escaped from the Kingdome of death, and the Covenant of sin, be∣ing freed from destruction, wherein the world lies through lust or concupiscenc•••• Therefore the same gracious good pleasure of God 〈◊〉〈◊〉 multiply to you grace, which is opposed to sin, and peace, which is opposed to destruction.

Vers. 5. And besides this, giving all diligence, adde to your Faith, Virtue; and to Virtue, Knowledge;

After the Preface hee exhorts them to a serious endea∣vour of growing in Faith and Godliness, reckoning up by degrees the chief Christian virtues; whereof the first is Faith, which opens unto us the first entrance to God, to this is adjoyned virtue, or following after Righteous∣ness in general, because without Faith it is dead and inef∣fectual. Prudence or Knowledge follows, which consists in a fuller knowledge of heavenly mysteries, and the ap∣plication of them to practice.

Vers. 6. And to Knowledge, Temperance, and to Temperance, Patience; and to Patience, Godli∣ness:

After this hee requires Temperance, whereby every one keeps himself from those enticements, whereby hee might be taken off from his duty. Hee would have Patience or Fortitude (which consists in bearing adversity, and not in ceasing from our duty, for the evils which pursue us) an∣nexed to Temperance, and these virtues are four, which are commonly called Cardinals, to these hee would have three other joyned. (1.) Godliness, which chiefly con∣sists in the very worship of God.

Vers. 7. And to Godliness, Brotherly Kindness; and to Brotherly Kindness, Charity:

The other virtue which hee would have added, is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Brotherly love, whereby wee embrace our Bre∣thren, or the houshold of Faith. The last virtue is Chari∣ty, or common love, which is to be extended to all men, even to enemies.

Vers. 8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you, that yee shall neither be barren, nor unfruit∣ful in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ.

The Arguments of the Exhortation are fourteen, all which prove, that wee ought to endeavour after these virtues joyntly.

Argum. 1. If you have obeyed the Exhortation, en∣deavouring both to have these virtues, and to abou••d in them, yee will prove that your Faith, or the knowledge of Christ in you, is not idle, or unfruitful, but efficacious, which makes you ready to every good work: Therefore yee ought to obey.

Vers. 9. But hee that lacketh these things, is blind, and cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that hee was purged from his old sins.

Argum. 2. If yee were destitute of these virtues, you will declare that you see nothing afarre off, but that you are onely intent upon the things of this world, but blind in divine and spiritual things, and unthankful towards God, by whom yee confess your former sins are pardon∣ed: Therefore yee ought to endeavour after these vir∣tues.

Vers. 10. Wherefore the rather, Brethren, give dili∣gence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, yee shall never fall.

Argum. 3. With the Exhortation repeated. By en∣deavouring after these virtues, yee will prove your selves to be effectually called and elected, and will solidly con∣firm your selves in this perswasion: Therefore follow af∣ter these virtues.

For these] Argum. 4. If you follow after these virtues, yee shall be preserved from Apostacy, or falling back, neither will yee yeeld to temptations: Therefore yee ought to follow after these.

Vers. 11. For so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly, into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ.

Argum. 5. So a more abundant entrance into the e∣ternal Kingdome of Christ shall be administred unto you, i. e. happiness, and that life eternal shall more largely open and unfold it self to you, that yee may more freely and abundantly peirce into the inward parts of his King∣dome, and enjoy the sense of that life in a more abun∣dant measure: Therefore follow after these virtues.

Vers. 12. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things, though yee know them, and be stablished in the present Truth.

Argum. 6. Preventing an Objection; Although yee are established in the present Truth: yet I being an A∣postle, have now thought, out of a desire of your profici∣ency, it necessary to exhort you, which yee should in no wise reject: Therefore, &c.

Vers. 13. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this Tabernacle, to stir you up, by putting you in remem∣brance:

Argum. 7. Justice it self, by reason of my Apostolical office, requires that I excite you to holiness, by exhor∣tations and admonitions of this sort, so long as I live: Therefore be yee obedient.

Vers. 14. Knowing, that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle, even as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed mee.

Argum. 8. As the Lord hath foretold, I expect after a short time to end my life by a glorious Martyrdome: Therefore, as it lyes upon mee to exhort you to these vir∣tues, so it lies upon you to hearken to my Exhortation.

Vers. 15. Moreover, I will indeavour, that you may be able after my decease, to have these things alwaies in remembrance.

Argum. 9. This Exhortation which I have written to you, will be profitable to minde you of your duties, even after my death: Therefore hearken you to my admoni∣tions.

Vers. 16. For wee have not followed cunningly devised fables, when wee made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ, but were eye-wit∣nesses of his Majesty.

Argum. 10. Those things which I have taught you as touching Christs incarnation, or his first coming to exe∣cute the office of a Redeemer, and as touching his divine nature, power, sufficiency, and efficacy to save the people of God, are not fables artificially feigned, which may be despised, or negligently without use and benefit past by: but they are serious and certain things: Therefore yee ought to hearken to these my admonitions.

But as those] Argum. 11. Yee have been taught by us Apostles, both eye and ear-witnesses of the Truth of Christ already demonstrated, so that the certainty of this Gospel was so much as were possible to be concerning things done and past. For wee Apostles have perceived by our senses the Majesty of Christ to be so great, that wee cannot chuse but at the sight bee rap•• up in an extasie, as it is in the history, Matthew 17. con∣concerning

Christs transfiguration: Therefore obey my Exhortations.

Vers. 17. For hee received from God the Father, ho∣nour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.

Argum. 12. Christ, in whose Faith and Obedience wee exhort you to persevere, hath by the audible voice of his Father speaking from Heaven, received a glorious te∣stimony from the excellent glory of the Father, that hee is the Son of God, wherein, as in a Mediatour and Surety for his redeemed people, God is well pleased, satisfying himself abundantly in his Mediation and purchase: Therefore obey yee diligently this Exhortation.

Vers. 18. And this voice which came from Heaven, we heard, when we were with him in the holy Mount,

Argum. 13. Those things are so holy, which appertain to the Kingdome of Christ, that the place it self wherein those things were declared (which are preached by us) was after a manner made holy, viz. Because of Gods ex∣traordinary voice, and the divine glory of Christ there ma∣nifested: Therefore with greater reverence yee ought to hearken to our Exhortations.

Vers. 19. Wee have also a more sure word of Prophecie, whereunto yee do well that yee take heed, us unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:

Argum. 14. The Doctrine concerning Christ, in whose Faith and Obedience wee exhort you to persevere, is confirmed by the testimony of Scripture, or a most firm prophetical word: Therefore yee ought studiously to o∣bey my Exhortations. Hee staies upon this Exhortation, confirming the certainty of prophetical Scripture, by seven Reasons.

More sure] Reas. 1. Because compared with other waies of revelation it is a most firm medium without and above exceptions, whereto other means of revelation, no less clear and true, are obnoxious: But this reason most especially did prevail with the Hebrews, who examined visions and revelations made to the Apostles by the Scripture of the Old Testament. For the divine authority of the old Scrip∣ture was confirmed in their minds some ages before.

Of Prophecie] Reas. 2. That the testimony of fore∣seeing future Truth, hath more evidence in it self of di∣vine operation, than the testimony of him, who testifies that which hee hath seen or heard being present. For no man could foresee this Truth, but a Prophet, every Be∣leever could see the Truth fulfilled.

Which] Reas. 3. Because the word of Prophecy is wor∣thy to be attended to by Beleevers, into the sense whereof they might enquire, to which truth and authority they might subject their consciences, and which they might apply to the ends and uses whereunto it serves.

As] Reas. 4. Because yee should abide in darkness, unless yee attended to the Scriptures, which are in them∣selves, and in the faithful, as light that shineth in a dark place, to direct in all things what, and how to be done.

Until] Reas. 5. Because the Sun of Righteousness, Je∣sus Christ, will appear at length to those that religiously attend to the Scripture, viz. in the glory of the life to come, hee will bring with him the perf••ct day, which shall never have night, and the light of the holy Ghost, as a morning-star shall arise in their hearts, now manife∣sting one Article of Faith, and confirming it as with a seal in the inward senses, at another time confirming ano∣ther Article, and so by degrees will illuminate the faith∣ful attenders to the Scripture, which illumination of the Spirit, because it cannot be perfected in this life, and be∣cause the day of Christs full presence (our Sun) will not be, but in the life to come: Therefore yee ought in all things, in the whole course of your lives, to attend to the Scripture.

Vers. 20. Knowing this first, that no Prophecie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.

Reas. 6. Because wee must firmly hold, for a Principle of Faith, and for a thing first of all to be beleeved, that the Scriptures are not of humane invention, but of divine re∣velation, not derived from the mind of the Writer, sense or explication, but out of the mind, sense, and explica∣tion of God, which therefore is not from the explication which men whether few or many invent, but from the ex∣plication, whereof the Spirit of God it self is the Author.

Vers. 21. For the Prophecie came not in old time by the wil of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Reas. 7. Confirming the former. Because in the Scriptures there are Prophecies, which cannot be set forth by the wil of man, or from the humane sense or affection of the Prophet: but of necessity those holy men spake by the instinct of the Holy Ghost, who have left to us the di∣vine Oracles sealed in their Writings: Therefore it is meer that the Holy Ghost should be interpreter of their words by other places of his Scripture, and that the faith∣ful should attend to the Scriptures, and compare them with themselves, that they may understand the mind of the Holy Ghost.