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Practical Commentary Upon the First Epistle General of Saint Peter

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Practical Commentary Upon the First Epistle General of Saint Peter By the Grace of God I am what I am." 1 Cor. XV. 10. Chosen, not for good in me, Waken 'd up from wrath to flee. Hidden in the Saviour's side, By the Spirit sanctitied. Teach me, Lord on earth to show, By my love, how much I owe. 1 Sydney W. White, .H Pastor. 1...... Jiana -c ;?.v ^' i 7 ^ it A ;*.^c rj John M. Kelly LfbRORy Donated by Williara Klassen and Dona HarzoGy Tbe UoioeRSit^ 04: St. MicbaeJ's College Totzonto, Oncorzio 7'/^ '^^f/" /(^M^^ PRACTICAL COMMENTARY THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL SAINT PETER. BY ROBERT LEIGHTON, D.D. ARCHBISHOP OF GLASGOW. VOL. I. LONDON: RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, Instituted 1799. BOLD AT THE DEPOSITORY. 56, PATERNOSTER ROWj AND BY THE BOOKSELLERS. LON DON : i-aiNTEn BY WILLIAM CLOWES, STAMFORD-STHEET. EXTRACT Dr. DODDRIDGE'S PREFACE TO THE EDITION OF A.D. 1748. After referring to some other publications of Leigh- ton's, edited by liim, Dr. Doddridge says, * I was insensibly, by an ambiguitv of expression in the printed proposals, led into another labour, much greater than I at first imagined it would have proved, I mean that of correcting the quarto edition of the in- " comparable Commentary upon the First Epistle of Peter," which I may venture to pronounce the most faulty piece of printing I ever remember to have seen in any language. At first, I intended only to have noted those gross mistakes wliich quite pervert that which any person of common penetration must see to have been the original sense, and yet are taken no notice of in an erroneous table of errata. But a2 4 EXTRACT FROM DR. DODDRIDGE S PREFACE. afterwards, considering what an embarrassment it is to common readers, to see commas, colons, and periods placed almost in a promiscuous disorder, without any regard to their proper signification, which is the case here, at least in every ten lines, I determined to go over the whole, pen in hand, and correct every page as I would have done a proof from the press. While I was thus employed, I observed that the confusion which many have complained of in the archbishop's method, and which I myself really thought matter of- some just complaint too, was fre- quently the consequence of omitting the numeral marks, which should denote the subordination of heads, and this where some of them are inserted, as if on purpose to increase the perplexity. And it also very frequently results from the neglect of giving a proper view at first of the method proposed, and which was worst of all, in not a few places, from placing the number of the head, instead of the head itself. This, perhaps, was done with design in the first copy, to save the trouble of writing it over but it is inconvenient to the again ; extremely reader, as it most naturally leads him to mistake the first sentence of the enlargement, for the head it is in- tended to illustrate. This is a remark wluch is appHcable to many of I it our author's sermons ; and wish had been more constantly attended to in that valuable edition of them pubHshed by Mr. Wilson at Edinburgh two EXTRACT FROM DR. DODDRIDGE S PREFACE. D years ago, in comparison of which, nevertheless, it is certain that neither of the former are to be named. I thought it no unwarrantable liberty at all, but a high point of justice, to supply with my pen what is so evidently deficient, and I hope I shall not be con- demned for venturing, as I was expressly desired to do, here and there to exchange a Scotch word or phrase for an Enghsh one, certainly of the same signification, and more generally understood. I thought that to have distinguished all these correc- tions by different characters, crotchets, or inverted commas, would have injured the beauty of the im- pressions, and might have looked like a httle affecta- tion of making a vain parade of what I have done. If any are curious enough to desire exactly to know it, they may get surer information by comparing this edition with the former, by wliich they may judge of the Uttle, but, as I thought, very necessary freedoms taken with the manuscript pieces. And if any per- ceive, as I suppose most observant readers that make the comparison will, that the Commentary upon Peter now reads in a much rounder, clearer, and pleasanter manner than it before did, they will only reflect how much a multitude of Utile negUgences and errors, each of them seeming in itself minutely and inconsiderably small, may affect the beauty, character, and use of a work in which they are found. On the whole, the preparing these volumes for the press hath generally taken up a little of my time in A3 b EXTRACT FROM DR. DODDRIDGE S PREFACE. tlie intervals of other business, daily for several months but I far from the labour I ; am repenting have bestowed upon it. The dehght and edification wliich 1 have found in the writings of this wonderful man, for such I must deliberately call him, would have been a full equivalent for my pains, separate from all prospect of that effect which they might have upon others. For truly 1 know not that 1 have ever spent a quarter of an hour in reviewing any of them, but even amidst that interruption wliich a cri tical examination of the copy would naturally give, I have felt some impressions which I could wish I always to retain. I can hardly forbear saying, as a considerable philosopher and eminent divine, with whom I have the honour of an intimate correspond- ence and friendship, said to me in a letter long ago,* and when my acquaintance with our author's works " was but beginning, There is a spirit in archbishop I in human Leighton never met with any writings ; nor can I read many lines in them without being moved." Indeed it would be difficult for me to say where, but in the sacred oracles, I have ever found such heart-affecting lessons of simpHcity and humility, candour and benevolence, exalted piety, without the least tincture of enthusiasm, and an entire mortifica tion to every earthly interest, without any mixture of splenetic resentment. Nor can I ever sufficiently April 1.0, 1 740. The Rev. Dr. Henry Miles, F. R. S. EXTRACT FROM DR. DODDRIDGE S PREFACE. 7 admire that artless manner in whicli he lays open, as it were, his whole breast to the reader, and shows, without seeming to be at all conscious of it himself, all the various graces that can adorn and ennoble the christian, running Hke so many veins of precious ore in the rich mine where they grew. And hence, if I mistake not, is that wonderfid energy of his dis- courses, obvious as they seem, unadorned as they really are, which I have obsen^ed to be owned by persons of eminent piety, in the most different ranks, and amidst all the variety of education and capacity that can be imagined. As every eye is struck by consummate beauty, though in the plainest dress, and the sight of such an object impresses much more than any laboured description of complexion, fea- tures, or air, or any harangue on the nicest rules of which could come into consideration proportion ; so, in the works of this great adept in true Christianity, we do not so much hear of goodness, as see it in its most traces see him a of Ids genuine ; living image Divine Master, for such indeed Ids writings show, I had almost said demonstrate liim to have been, by such internal characters as surely a bad man could not counterfeit, and no good man can so much as suspect. Where the matter is so remarkably excellent, a wise and pious reader will not be over-solicitous I think will find in about the st)le ; yet he it, these compositions, far above any reasonable contempt or 8 EXTRACT FROM DR. DODDRIDGE S PREFACE. censure. When I consider what the prevailing taste was a century ago in this respect, I have often won- dered at the many true beauties of expression that occur in these pieces, and the general freedom from those false and fanciful ornaments, if they are to be called ornaments, which occur in contemporary authors. On the whole, the style wonderfully suits the sentiments and however destitute of the ; flights of oratory, has such a dignity and force mingled with that simplicity, which is to be sure its chief it characteristic ; so that on the whole has often re- minded me of that soft and sweet eloquence of Ulysses, which Homer* describes as falling Hke flakes of snow and if I be allowed to ; might pursue the simiUtude, I could add, lilce that, it penetrates deep into the mind too, and tends to enrich and fructify it. It is chiefly the practical preacher that shines in these lectures it seems to that the ; yet me, judicious expositor will also appear, and appear most to the most competent judges. There is a sort of criticism on the sacred writings, which none but an eminently attain and if 1 at all of good man can ; am capable judging concerning it, it remarkably reigns here. We find indeed little of that laborious sifting of words and syllables, in which some have worn out so much time and pains, if not to no purpose at all, (for I will not assert that,) at least to purposes very * Ka) loiKora, //.
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