and on this account, as well as higher ones, Peter's letter, like Paul's, is "weighty and powerful." In our illustrations of the Epistle, we have had abundant opportunities of observing in how few words Peter wraps up pregnant thoughts, exhibits far-reaching views.

What the Apostle represents as the characteristics of his Epistle, are equally those of the apostolic epistles generally. They are occupied with brief, condensed testimonies and exhortations respecting the grace of God, and the duty of Christians in reference to that grace. And as the Apostles' discourses, recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, are the models which Christian ministers should follow in preaching the gospel to the world lying under the wicked one; so their epistles are the models which they should follow in teaching the doctrine and the law of Christ to the churches of the saints, to "them who have believed through grace." Every Christian teacher's system of instruction should embrace in it a clear, distinct statement of the true grace of God, of the exceeding great and precious blessings of the Christian salvation; he should conduct his people throughout the length and breadth of the goodly heritage assigned them even here below; and he should often take them up as it were into an exceeding high mountain, and teaching them to apply the prospective glass of the gospel to the eye of faith, show them the glories of the kingdom which awaits them in the land that is far off; if he does not do this, he is not a minister of the gospel at all; and it should equally embrace in it a clear statement and a powerful enforcement of the duties which lie on Christians, as partakers of the grace of God in truth. And his doctrinal preaching must all wear the form of "a testimony;" a declaration of what God the Lord says of what is the mind of Christ, of what the Holy Ghost has declared,-not of human conjectures and reasonings, but of Divine revelations; and his practical preaching must all have the form of exhortation,—not occupying the mind with ethical disquisitions and questions, but pressing home clearly announced Divine injunctions on the conscience

and the heart. The testimony and the exhortation must go together, and be presented as closely connected, the one the foundation, the other the building. The grace, the true grace, must be declared, in order that they who believe in Christ be careful to maintain good works. It is also very desirable that all this should be done briefly, "in few words;" that is, that the teaching, though plain, should be condensed. The time afforded for Christian teaching is necessarily very limited, and many Christians have few means of Christian instruction besides public teaching. It is therefore a matter of great importance that the discourses of a Christian minister should contain as much matter as, without overtasking the minds of the hearers, can be brought into them.

CHAP. III. THE MODE OF THE WRITING OR TRANSMISSION OF THE EPISTLE.

The only other thing in the recapitulatory part of the postscript that requires attention, is the mode of the writing or of the transmission of the letter, "By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written." In the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles of Paul, we read of a person of this name. In the Epistles he is always termed Silvanus, in the Acts his name is always contracted into Silas. Some have supposed from the last name and Tertius, the one a Hebrew the other a Latin word, having the same signification, that he is the person who performed the office of amanuensis to Paul when writing to the Romans.1 All that we know of him with certainty is, that he was a distinguished "teacher and prophet" in the church of Jerusalem, a chief man among the brethren;" that he was associated along with Barsabas, surnamed Judas, and sent with Paul and Barnabas to the Gentile churches in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, to carry those letters of the apostles,

1 Acts xv. 22, 27, 34, 40; xvi. 25; xvii. 7, 10, 15. 2 Cor. ii. 19. 1 Thess. i. 1. Rom. xvi. 22.

elders, and brethren, containing their decision of the question respecting the obligation of the law on Christian Gentiles which had been referred to them; that on the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, he accompanied the former on his journey through Asia Minor to Macedonia; that he remained behind at Berea for a short time, when Paul was obliged to flee from that place, but rejoined the Apostle at Corinth; and that he is mentioned along with Timothy by the Apostle in the inscription of the Epistles to the Thessalonians. It would appear that he had gone into the Parthian empire, it may be sent by Paul, where Peter seems to have been when he wrote this Epistle; for the tradition that this is another person of the same name has no foundation.

It has been made a question whether Silvanus was Peter's amanuensis in writing the Epistle, or his messenger in carrying it into Asia Minor and the adjacent regions. The expressions are applicable to either case, and it is quite possible he might be both. Had he meant to remain with Peter, it is likely his salutation would have been given as well as Mark's, and the phraseology is that commonly used in reference to the bearers of the Apostolic letters.

Peter describes Silvanus as a "brother." All men are brothers. "Have we not one Father? hath not one God created us?" "for we are all his offspring." All Christians are brothers. "One is your Father, and ye are all brethren,” says our Lord: "holy brethren," as the Apostle has it, "partakers of the heavenly calling." All Christian officebearers are brothers. Thus Peter speaks of his beloved brother Paul. It is in this last sense probably that Peter here uses the appellation. We know that Silas was a teacher and a prophet, and we know that, when the whole church are called "saints," the office-bearers are distinguished by being called "brethren." The word "faithful," the epithet given to Silvanus, sometimes signifies believing, sometimes trustworthy, sometimes distinguished by fidelity. I have no

1 Mal. ii. 10. Acts xvii. 28.

2 Matt. xxiii. 8. Heb. iii. 1. 2 Pet. iii. 15.

3 Phil. iv. 21, 22.

doubt it was applicable to Silvanus in all these shades of meaning. As the word is connected with "to you," for it is not "I wrote to you," but "a faithful brother to you," I think it likely that it was meant to convey the two last ideas, a minister of Christ who has proved himself trustworthy by his faithful discharge of duty to you.

The parenthetical words rendered "as I suppose," do not imply the idea of uncertainty, as our English word suppose does. It is the word the Apostle uses when he says, "We conclude that a man is justified by faith, and not by works of the law," "I reckon the sufferings of the present time not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed," "Abraham accounted that God was able to raise the dead."1 There was no doubt in any of these cases, and we have no cause to think there was any doubt here either. It is, "I have sent my letter by Silvanus, and the reason why I have done so is, that I have perfect confidence in his fidelity, and know that he has approved himself a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf." The apostles were accustomed to send their letters, not by ordinary messengers, but by individuals of known and accredited character. Paul sent the Epistle to the Ephesians and Colossians by Tychicus; the first Epistle to the Corinthians and Thessalonians by Timothy; the second to the Corinthians by Titus; the Epistle to Philemon by Onesimus; the Epistle to the Romans by Phebe, a deaconess. Thus two objects were gained; the apostles were assured that the epistles would be delivered, and the churches assured that the epistles were not surreptitious. It is a piece of Christian wisdom to employ men in engagements for which they are peculiarly fitted. Silvanus, intimately acquainted with the churches to whom the Apostle wrote, was far better fitted to be his messenger, than an equally good and gifted man who was a stranger to them. Silvanus bringing the letter would be to them abundant proof of its authenticity. And it is

'Ως λογίζομαι.

Rom. iii. 28; viii. 18. Heb. xi. 19.

exceedingly becoming in men who, like Peter, are pillars in the church, men of long standing and high influence, to comfort the hearts and increase the usefulness of their younger brethren, by, on proper occasions, proclaiming the confidence they have in them, and the esteem with which they regard them: and, on the other hand, nothing is more unworthy than for one of Christ's servants, through little jealousies, to withhold from another all the support which the called for expression of merited good opinion is calculated to communicate. So much for the recapitulation.

II. THE SALUTATION.

The salutation contained in the 13th verse is in these words: "The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.' То salute is to kiss or embrace; here it plainly means to cherish and express cordial affection, of which a salute is the token.

§ 1. The salutation of the Church in Babylon.

You will notice that the words "church that is," are printed in italics, intimating that there is nothing in the original to answer to them. The text literally rendered is, "She at Babylon, co-elect, saluteth you." It has been a question among interpreters, whether the person here mentioned is a real or figurative person, an individual or a society. Some have supposed that it refers to some Christian woman, perhaps of the name of Suneclecta, the Greek word rendered elected together with you, probably of great worth and usefulness, and perhaps rank and wealth, resident at Babylon, well known for her good works-one like John's "elect lady;" though some have supposed that she and her elect sister were sister churches, and their children the church members. Others have supposed that it was Peter's "sister-wife," that is, Christian wife, whom we know from the Apostle Paul he was accustomed "to lead about "

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