dowment of divine power, by means of that knowledge of Christ into which faith, as soon as it exists, brings. The moment we believe on Christ, we are said "to know" Him, and receive as a consequence every blessing that God has made dependent on such knowledge. Compare Is. liii. 11. "By acquaintance with himself shall my righteous servant justify many." Not only justification, but the blessings mentioned in this passage, and many like blessings, flow from this primary knowledge of faith.

Επιγιγνωσκω and επιγνωσις, are continually used to denote the recognition or acknowledgement of a doctrine, fact, person, or place, without any reference to the completeness or degree of such recognition or acknowledgment. See Acts iii. 10; iv. 13; xxvii. 30.

Who called us by his own glory and virtue.] Idia dožŋ kaι apeтy. Such is the right reading. Christ founds His title to call His people unto blessing, not on that which they are or shall be, but on His own perfectness" his own glory and virtue." For δοξη and δοξάζω used similarly in a moral sense, see 1 Peter iv. 15. Apern is used in the plural in a similar sense as implying all moral excellency in 1 Peter ii. 9" that ye should show forth the excellencies of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvellous light."

It is impossible to understand the words "who called us by his own glory and virtue" of any but Christ. The excellency and perfectness of God, simply as God, could never be made to us, as sinners, the ground either of hope or blessing. His holiness, apart from propitiation, must be to such as we, destruction not blessing.

Some have felt a difficulty in applying these words to Christ, because they say that "calling," "election," and "appointment," are commonly referred to the Father and not to Christ. But this, although generally true, is not always so. In Matt. ix. 13, we find "I came not to call righteous persons but sinners." And in John xv. 16, "Ye chose not me, but I chose you, and ordained you," &c. Thus too, although the resurrection of Christ is generally referred to the power and glory of the Father, we also find the Lord Jesus saying, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The attributes and powers of God did not cease to attach to the Son when He had humbled Himself, and "made himself of no reputation." Voluntarily to forbear the putting forth of one's power is a different thing from being devoid of it. One of the objects of the passage before us, evidently is, to assign to Christ, Divine characteristics, in accordance

with the name given Him in the first verse Saviour."

The "calling" here spoken of, is evidently that which reaches us through the word of the gospel, whereby Christ directeth unto Himself. Peter was thus called, when, after having heard the report of Andrew, he believed, and followed Jesus. Lydia was thus called, when her heart was openod to receive the things spoken of by Paul.

[I have translated Tov KaλɛσavToç, "who called," to mark it as the aorist. The aorist and the perfect are both past tenses; but the aorist directs the mind to the moment when the past action spoken first becomes an accomplished fact: the perfect directs to the past action as continuing in its effects and consequences. We must not however infer from this, that no abiding consequences flow from actions denoted by aorists: it is merely a question as to whether the mind is directed to the moment when the fact referred to became an accomplished fact, or to the consequences thence resulting. In our version, the aorists are, for the most part, not distinguished from the perfect, nor do I think it would be possible in a translation satisfactorily to mark the difference. In the first verse rois λaxovou directs the mind to the moment when those spoken of became possessed of their allotment-faith.]

4. "Whereby, promises exceeding great and precious have been given unto us that by means of these ye might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

Whereby.] Or, by means of which, i.e. by means of Christ's "glory and virtue," through the meritoriousness of which, these "great and precious promises" which say "all things are yours, things present and things to come," are given us. Hence too their perpetuity. Our hopes, and all our expected joys hang upon a nail driven in a sure place. And what is the practical effect intended to be produced on us by these sure promises? It is, that the light and warmth thereof, like the bright shining of the summer sun, should so act upon our hearts as to cause us to develop habits and traits of character, which are not of man but of God-that by means of these (viz. the exceeding great and precious promises) ye might become partakers of the divine nature. "Nature" is to be understood here not in its essential sense (as when we speak of there being two "natures" in Christ, the Divine and the human) but as meaning developed nature,

habit, or character, as when we say, it is the nature, i.e. habit, of the bear to devour-of the dove to be timorous, and the like.* The promises, therefore, act upon "the new man" in us, and bring forth its developments. The earth would never render its flowers and its fruits if the bright shining of the orbs of Heaven were quenched in darkness just so the heart of a believer would pine in fruitlessness, if the sure promises of grace had not been given to bear upon it, with a perpetuity as fixed as the order of the firmament above. One of the great objects, therefore, of those who minister in the Church, should be, to bring the light of these promises to bear fully on the hearts of God's people; and also to lead them away from such things as tend to engender mists and clouds and darkness: for such things, even if they do not quench, nullify and, as it were, deaden the light of Heaven. They take from it its vivifying power.

It is very obvious that the expressions in this clause are to be understood practically-"that ye might become partakers," that is, manifestly become by practical development. It is not a question of being quickened. It is assumed that those here addressed had heard and received the Gospel, and therefore that they were quickened. 1 Pet. i. 23. The subject of the passage is the bearing of the promises on the hearts of believers and the effects thence resulting. Ίνα γενησθε αποφυγοντες—that ye might be in the condition of persons who have become partakers, &c.-that ye might be in the condition of persons who have escaped. "Having escaped, not a conditional participial clause, but like oλıyoν τalovτas in 1 Pet. v. 10, merely a note of matter of fact, bringing out in this case the negative

* Quois often signifies "the inborn quality, property, or constitution of a person or thing,” as φαρμακου φυσις φυσις του Αιγυπτου—as applied to the mind, “ one's natural inborn powers, parts, temper, disposition," &c.: as applied physically “the outward form, shape," &c. See Scott and Liddell. Ovos is used by physicians in the sense of natural habit of body, or temperament—“ avτɩ тηs ¿ews as when Hippocrates writes, "they chiefly died whose nature or habit (pvos) tended to consumption." See Stephens. "Kind," or "Kynde," is used in English to signify natural habit or tendency. Thus Dryden :

"Some of you on pure instinct of nature

Are led by kind (natural tendency) to admire your fellow-creature."

It is in this sense that Wickliff appears to have used the word "kynde" in this passage-" made felowes of goddis kynde."

of the Christian life as the former clause did the positive." Alford. Αποφυγοντες is in time identical with γενησθε. The same thought of practical manifestation of condition attained, is seen in Matt. v. 45. Love your enemies, &c., that ye might become, (i.e., practically become, and in the way of development), the children, &c. We do not attain acceptance and sonship by loving our enemies, but by the free gift of God's grace in Christ.

Having escaped the corruption, &c.] This is a connected and concomitant blessing, necessarily attaching to those who have become partakers of the divine nature, in the sense referred to. They who exhibit heavenly traits of character cease to be servants of the world's evil.

5-7. "But to this end, do ye, rendering moreover all diligence, supply with (εv, in connexion with) your faith, virtue; and with virtue, knowledge; and with knowledge, self-restraint; and with self-restraint, patient endurance; and with patient endurance, godliness; and with godliness, brotherly kindness; and with brotherly kindness, love."

The former verses having detailed the endowments which God hath bestowed upon His people, they are next exhorted to contribute, on their part, all diligence in putting forth their new energies so as to "furnish," or "supply" (the word is used of those who set forth a banquet or furnish a public entertainment or show) not one grace merely, but a sequence or connexion of practical graces. "Supply in connexion with your faith, virtue." "Virtue" (the opposite to vice, kakia) is employed in Scripture as a general term, to denote such displays of moral rectitude in the conduct of life, as commend themselves to the consciences of men as good and praiseworthy. As I have already observed it is a word once employed in the plural to denote the moral "excellencies" of God. Although, "to supply with our faith, virtue," is so obvious and so necessary a duty, yet how often do believers fail in respect of "virtue." Satisfied with believing, they seem to think the ordinary duties of life to be beneath their care: and to look down upon them as if they belonged to a sphere, from the toils and irksome responsibilities of which they were delivered. Servants, masters; children, parents; husbands, wives; buyers, sellers, appear to forget that the right fulfilment of their mutual duties is one especial way in which the doctrine of their Heavenly Master may be adorned, and His name glorified: and that, on the other hand, the

neglect of these things stumbles the world and disgusts them with the profession of Truth. Yet even if with our "faith" we have supplied "virtue," we may yet shrink from "knowledge." Many, sound in the great essentials of faith and scrupulous in the fulfilment of their relative duties, shun increase of light and instruction in the Word of God. The heart soon apprehends that, in a world like this, if we wish to secure for ourselves present ease, it is not well to be "righteous overmuch or wise overmuch. In medio tutissimus ibis. We soon discover that even in the school of true wisdom, "he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow: " because, by knowledge, new paths of service, involving new responsibilities, are opened to us, and those paths lack not thorns. The eye of nature is quick to discern the thorns; whereas the eye of faith may be dim so as feebly, or perhaps not at all, to discern the compensating joys. Whenever the people of God have departed from the principles and paths marked in His Word, they are very slow to seek after "knowledge."

Και αυτο τουτο δε. Supply προς— with reference to this very thing" or "to this very end"-kat being emphatic, Tyndale, Cranmer, and the Geneva version, all render it, "hereunto." "And hereunto give all diligence: in your faith minister virtue," &c. (T. & C.) The Genev. vers. is" And hereunto give all diligence, and join moreover virtue with your faith."

χορηγός

Παρεισενέγκαντες, “ introducing by the way” Bengel — εισενεγκειν to bring in or contribute: Tapa besides—over and above. ErixonYew is frequently used in the sense of "to supply," "to minister." Thus Clement, ὁ πλουσιος επιχορηγειτω τῳ πτωχῳ “Let the rich minister to the poor." "The xoonyos was a person who in ancient times used to furnish the expenses of the players, &c., at the public festivals. Indeed such was the primitive sense of the word xoonyos, which afterwards came to denote generally one who supplies any expense. So in a passage of Plutarch, it is said of Pericles, δαψιλης ην χορηγος ταις γυναιξιν. Hence in like manner the verb χορηγειν has often the sense simply "to supply or furnish," and accordingly Exop. must signify, insuper suppeditate, exhibete, præstate. (Go on to supply.) Blomfield.

Ev does not here answer, as some have thought, to the Hebrew a in the instrumental sense of "by means of." One grace is not here regarded as the cause of the other, but as the concomitant. In a bountifully supplied feast there are many and various viands—many "fat things full of marrow, many wines well refined ": and these