Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father,
&c.] Not to any office, as to that of bishops or presbyters;
for though the apostle writes to some of them under this
character, ( 1 Peter 5:1 ) yet not
all; nor were they so called, as a nation, for they were persons
scattered about in several countries; nor as a church, for they
are not wrote to as such; nor does this character merely design
their effectual calling; though as that is a fruit and evidence
of election, it is sometimes so styled, and the saints called by
grace are said to be chosen; ( John 15:19 ) ( 1
Corinthians 1:26 ) but it intends the eternal election of
those persons both to grace and glory; which the apostle knew of,
not by divine revelation, or any particular discovery made to
him; but he concluded it in a judgment of charity, they being all
under a profession of faith in Christ, and he having reason to
believe that the greater part of them were truly partakers of
that faith which demonstrated them to be the elect of God: the
cause, spring, and source of their election was, "the
foreknowledge of God the Father": to whom election is commonly
ascribed, agreeably to the order of the divine Persons in the
Trinity, and their distinct parts in the economy of salvation,
though not to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit: and by this
his "foreknowledge" is meant, not his eternal, universal, and
infallible knowledge, and which is infinite, and reaches to all
things and persons, present, future, or possible, for this has
for its objects persons whom God never predestinated and chose:
though certain it is that he knows and foreknows all whom he does
predestinate and choose; nor does it intend the mere decree of
election, or God's eternal purpose and resolution to choose, but
the spring and source of that act of his: and much less does it
mean a bare prescience of men, and choice of them, upon a
foresight of faith, holiness, good works, and perseverance
therein; for these are all, when genuine, the fruits and effects
of election, which are included in it, and secured and brought
about by it; but the sovereign grace, good will, and pleasure of
God, or the everlasting love of God the Father, which is the
cause of, and has given birth to the act of election, is meant by
foreknowledge, joined with affection, delight, and approbation;
knowledge, and foreknowledge, as ascribed to the divine Being,
often signify such things; see ( Psalms 1:6 ) ( 2 Timothy
2:19 ) ( Romans 8:29 Romans 8:30 ) (
Romans 11:1
Romans 11:2 )
and such a knowledge God the Father had of the persons of the
elect from all eternity; and which is the ground and foundation
of his choosing them to grace and glory, and not anything in
them, or done by them, or anything out of himself; no other
reason can be given of it than his own grace, his pure love, and
sovereign good will and pleasure: the means follow, through which
they were chosen,
through sanctification of the Spirit;
as in ( 2
Thessalonians 2:13 ) . (See Gill on
2 Thessalonians 2:13). The ends to which the saints are
chosen are,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
Christ;
by "obedience" is meant either the obedience of elect men to
Christ, which lies in obeying the truth of the Gospel, called the
obedience of faith; and so is the same with the "belief of the
truth", which goes along in election with the sanctification of
the Spirit, in ( 2
Thessalonians 2:13 ) and in submission to Gospel ordinances,
and doing all good works in the name, faith, and strength of
Christ; and which also are fruits and effects, and so not causes
of divine predestination; see ( Ephesians
2:10 ) and also follow upon the sanctification of the Spirit;
or else the obedience of Christ is intended; and so the Arabic
version renders it, "unto the obedience of Jesus Christ"; which
lay in his performing the precepts of the law, and bearing the
penalty of it, death; and by which the chosen seed are justified,
or made righteous in the sight of God, and have a title to
eternal life and glory, and are safe from wrath to come; and to
the enjoyment of this grace, they are chosen of God the Father;
and between these two, predestination and justification, there is
a close and inseparable connection; so that they that are
interested in the one, are in the other; see ( Romans 8:30 ) , the
sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; does not denote a small
quantity of it, for it was shed and poured out in great
abundance; but is said in allusion to the sprinkling of the blood
of the passover lamb. ( Exodus 12:22
Exodus
12:23 ) or to the sprinkling of the blood on the book of the
covenant, and on the people at Mount Sinai, ( Exodus 24:8 ) or to
other sprinklings of blood in their legal sacrifices: the
application of the blood of Christ to the heart, by the Spirit of
God, for cleansing, pardon, and justification, is meant; which
affords true, solid, conscience peace and joy now, and entitles
to eternal happiness and glory; all which are secured by electing
grace. The salutation of these persons follows:
grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied;
which is much the same that is used by the Apostle Paul in all
his epistles; (See Gill on Romans
1:7), only Peter adds the word "multiplied"; which makes
it more express, and the sense more clear: he means an enlarged
view of interest in the love of God, an increase of grace out of
the fulness of it in Christ, and of Gospel light, and of the
several gifts of the Spirit; and also of all prosperity outward
and inward, of a conscience peace through the blood of Christ,
which passeth all understanding, and a more established and well
grounded hope of enjoying eternal peace hereafter. The phrase is
Jewish, and is used in their salutations in this form,
(ygoy Nwkmlv) , "let your
peace be multiplied" F20.