SERM ON VIII. 10 2 PETER i. I. Simon Peter a fervant and an apoftle of Jefus Chrift, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift. O long as we live in houses of clay, and take up our abode in corruptible bodies, fo long we shall have need to give diligence, to add to our faith, virtue, to virtue knowledge, &c. to the end we may be established in the truth, as it is in Jefus, and under the influences of the Holy Ghoft may grow up into a meetness for the enjoyment of the inheritance of the faints in light. Our apoftle was fo well aware of this, that he told the churches to whom he wrote this epistle, his refolution (fo long as he fhould tabernacle below,) was, to ftir up their minds by pure "putting them in remembrance," ver. 13, for the things we have been taught, and things of the greatest importance too, we are apt to let flip out of our mind; and that which is our in 66 difpenfable duty to discharge and practice, we too frequently either totally neglect, or grow remifs and careless in the performance of. It furely then deferves to be ranked amongst the foremoft of our bleffings, that we have the minifters of God's most holy word, to watch over us, warn us, and by repeated admonitions call back to our memory the truths we have been inftru&ed in concerning Jefus, and his bleffed gospel; and by warm and pathetic exhortations to awaken us to diligence and duty. The epiftles wrote by Peter, are called general, or (catholica,) being not intended for any particular church, but for the ufe of all the eftablished churches in the world, and for all that should afterwards be established in the faith as it is in Jefus, and built upon the rock of everlasting ages to the end of time. In the former of thefe letters to the churches, he encourages believers to a patient fuffering for the fake of Chrift, by the example of the captain of their falvation, who was made perfect through fuffering; and in the latter he cautions them to beware of false teachers, who should arise and bring in damnable herefies, drawing many afide to follow their pernicious ways, Ch. ii. 1, 2, and exhorts them to a ferious and steady practice of godlinefs, and to persevere therein to the end. And in order to give greater weight to his words, and support them by the authority of inspiration, he subscribes his own hand unto his writings. In the former epiftle, he calls himself by the name of Peter, the name given him by our bleffed Lord, when he openly confeffed him to be Chrift the Son of God, God, Math. xvi, 18, but in this, he joins alfo his name Simon, or Simeon; probably the name given him by his parents at his circumcifion. It is common for us in England to have two names, the one peculiar to the family of which we are born, and the other given us by our parents or friends in our dedication to God in the ordinance of baptifm. Our apostle by his name Simon, was reminded of the rock from whence he was hewn, and by his name Peter, of that rock his name imported, and on which he as a believer, and the whole chriftian church was built. Our name alfo, which denotes our family, fhould put us in mind from whom we originally fprung; and whatever fome may boaft of nobler blood, of ancient and fuperiour worth in their ancestry; all fhould remember, and be humbled at the thought, they fprung from guilty Adam, and are although of noble race, the corrupt branches of a corrupt root. Our chriftian name, (like that of Peter's) fhould call back into our minds what was tranfacted when this name was given; what thofe covenant engagements were, of which the water we were then baptized in was the feal; how far we have been mindful of, and attended to them fince, and whenever this name is called upon us, we fhould confider it as a monitor, fpeaking to our ears and hearts in words like thefe; "remember "why thy name was given, what was intended "by it, and be ashamed of thy unfaithfulness." Our apostle having fubfcribed his name, he next fubjoins his office and this is twofold, first, general, a fervant; fecond, fpecial and particular, an apoftle. 1ft, A fervant, all true believers are fer servants, and it is their greatest pleasure so to be, for the fervice of God is first an honourable fervice, I had rather, fays holy David, be a doorkeeper, in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Pf. lxxxiv. 10. 2d, This service is most profitable, for the gift of God is eternal life. Rom. vi. 23, and these are the wages Jefus will reward the labours of his fervants withal, for where I am, (faith he) there shall my fervants be alfo. John xii. 26. God's fervants are the only free men, for all that are engaged in the service of fin and fatan are wretched flaves! but Jefus has made the believer free, and be is free indeed. How honourably does the pfalmist fpeak of this, Pf. cxvi, 16, O Lord, truly I am thy fervant, thou hast loofed my bonds; and Peter in the paffage before us calls himself a fervant of Jefus Chrift. 2d, An apostle, by special miffion from the Lord Christ, to publish the glad tidings of falvation to every creature; the word apojtle means an ambaffador, a legate, one fent to tranfact the affairs of another; in the common acceptation, one of the twelve fent forth by Chrift to preach and publifh his gospel to a world of finners. Peter takes care in both his epiftles to make mention of his office, that he was an apoftle, and that alfo of Jefus Chrift; and indeed if all that pretend to preach the gospel, are not like Peter SENT of Jefus Chrift, they will be of little use to the people. He next proceeds to describe the people for whose use he was about to write, and these are fuch as bave obtained 'precious faith. The gofpel was to be preached to every creature, this was the command first given to the apostles, Mark xvi, 15, and this command is ftill in force, and to be obferved by all that go forth to preach the gofpel; yet the epiftles, whether particular or general, are limited to a church or churches. Hence, for men in a natural flate to read the apoftolic writings with appropriating ideas, as if they had a right to the things contained therein, is no lefs abfurd and difceptive, than for a man to take into his hands the writings of his neighbour's eftate, and while he reads over his revenues, claims them for his own. This is your peculiar treasure believers, meditate day and night on what is written purposely for your good; often walk abroad into the field of the fcripture, you will meet with the most desirable company, here you will meet with, and you may talk with Jefus; if ye are ignorant, here you may be taught wifdom fecretly; if you are at any time wounded, here you may find a fovereign, efficacious balm; in a word "the fcriptures are profitable for doctrine, for "reproof, for correction, for instruction in righte"oufnefs, that the man of God may be through"ly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. But that I may not detain you any longer in prefacing on the furface of my text, while marrow and fatnefs lies in abundance at the bottom, I fhall First, Lay open to you, and enlarge upon the obtain it. |