(1 Pet. 1:1-12; 2 Pet. 1:1.) an address at Montrose conference by A. E. booth

I purpose to trace out for a little the Holy Spirit's testimony concerning the Lord Jesus as it is recorded in Peter's epistles.

In these epistles there are many things that enlighten and edify, and also much of practical value, and we see in them the apostle fulfilling the last commission given him by the Lord before He returned to heaven:"Feed my lambs;" "Shepherd my sheep;" "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17), even as in the book of Acts he fulfils his first commission:"From henceforth thou shalt catch men" (Luke 5:10).

Both these ministries are as necessary to-day, that a proper testimony may be borne to the world and the Church. First, the gospel to all the world; then, the truth that edifies and sanctifies the Church. In the Jewish tabernacle in the wilderness there were four pillars at the gate of the court, and each one fulfilled its service in holding up to view the beautiful curtain with its different colors-the blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. Those pillars illustrate the special ministry of the four Evangelists – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who present our Lord in His various glories and perfections for our contemplation and admiration. Then passing by the brazen altar, and the laver in the court, we have five pillars at the door of the tabernacle, whose service was to hold up to view, for the priestly family inside, the same beautiful colors. This illustrates the writers of the five epistles in the New Testament-Paul, James, Peter, John, and Jude. All this when rightly understood is truth that ministers Christ to the soul. In searching Scripture there is ever a danger of gathering simply knowledge-historical, prophetic, positional, or ecclesiastical-without placing all in proper relation to the Lord Jesus. Knowledge by itself may puff up, but truth that makes Christ the center, and that brings heart and mind close to Him, is ministry by the Holy Spirit. This sanctifies and produces Christ-likeness in us. The apostle Paul, towards the close of his life, wrote from the prison in Rome those precious words which furnish us with an index for a proper desire and pursuit in Christian life, "That I may know Him."

First:My first point from these epistles will be the Deity of the Lord Jesus. "Our God and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:1). Observe carefully the change in the reading of this verse. The marginal reading gives us this correction, as also the best translations of the original text. The passage is intended to confirm to the reader, with the uniform teaching of all previous Scriptures, that Israel's Messiah who came down from heaven was none less than one Person of the Godhead. According to John we read, "The Word was God." According to Paul we read, "God was manifest in the flesh;" "God was in Christ." And our text is, "Our God and Saviour Jesus Christ." So that we gather a uniform testimony from the pens of Peter, John, and Paul concerning the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. For four thousand years the need of men was so great that a Saviour could not be found on earth, one able to save men from their guilt and depravity. Hence the cry arose again and again, "Bow Thy heavens, O Lord, and come down" (Ps. 144:5; Ps. 18:9). This cry had a partial answer in the land of Egypt when Jehovah bowed the heavens and came down and saved them. Next, in the incarnation of the Son of God, He bowed the heavens and came down. Great is the mystery that the Babe in Bethlehem, the Child born, the Son given, involves. He was also Emmanuel, God with us. Then again at the second coming of the Lord from heaven according to the various prophecies, He will bow the heavens once more and come down. This truth of our Lord's Deity is most important for us to recognize, for it lies at the foundation of our most holy faith. Men sometimes tell us they believe in the Lord's Divinity, but they will also state that they believe in St. John the Divine. But this will not satisfy Spirit-taught men. We must not bring down the glory and honor of God's eternal Son to the level of John, a fisherman. Nothing short of the eternal Deity of the Lord Jesus will satisfy the reverent student of Holy Scripture. He was, and is, and ever shall be co-equal and co-eternal with the Father.

Second:The next passage which I will read is:"Foreknown before the foundation of the world" (1 Pet. 1 20, R. V.). Note again carefully, not foreordained, as in the A. V. Foreknown is the correct reading of the text, and carries us back in thought to the distant and past eternity. In that unmeasured past we learn that He was known, fully known in tender and hallowed association, by the Father. In that ever memorable prayer in John 17, He refers to this when addressing the Father:"The glory I had with Thee before the world was," and again, "For Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world." As we touch in thought the sacred precincts of that past eternity it is most blessed for us to contemplate that there was a divine eternal glory, a divine knowledge, and a divine love, that ever existed between the Father and the Son. And we gather further unfoldings concerning these things in Prov. 8:22-30, where with spiritual and tender touches are revealed the nearness, intimacy, and eternal affections that entwined that hallowed relationship and association of both the Father and the Son. "I was by Him as one brought up with Him" (literally, the nursling of His love). Further we read, "I was daily His delight;" again, "Rejoicing always before Him." Thus we see both Old and New Testaments unite in one testimony concerning the Godhead glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Third:"Was manifest in these last times" (1 Pet. 1:20). This presents our Lord as having come to earth. "God was manifest in the flesh." As before we have sought to emphasize His eternal Deity, so now we express our faith in the record of the inspired Book concerning His true and perfect Manhood. He was the true Seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15), miraculously conceived in the womb of the virgin by the Holy Spirit (Luke 2:35), and born of Mary; and the declaration of the Father reads, "This day have I begotten Thee" (Ps. 2:7). This whole testimony presents our Lord's perfect manhood, spirit, soul, and body (apart from sin). In this we get His manifestation on the earth, covering a space of thirty-three years. As we trace the God-given testimony at every step we discern both the glories of His absolute Deity and His perfect manhood glories, and both in closest association. Every miracle bore witness to His Deity (John 2:11). Every part of His life rose up to God as the sweet savor of the meal-offering (Lev. 2), so that over His head the heavens opened more than once with satisfaction and delight, and the Father's voice was heard saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" ("have found my delight").

Fourth:We have mentioned His eternal Deity, and His perfect Manhood, fundamental themes of prime importance, and that both Deity and Manhood were fully expressed in His lifetime. Now we pass on and give two quotations of great importance concerning His sufferings and death:"Who bare our sins in His own body on the tree;" "Suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18). In the atoning sacrifice and His vicarious sufferings we learn that He was a divine Substitute for others, and all the penalty due to them He took in their stead. This is a theme that fills the gospel message that we preach worldwide to-day. The Cross of Christ was the basis enabling God in perfect righteousness to declare His love, grace, goodness, and salvation to a needy, guilty world. In this, every evangelical preacher finds all his supplies in declaring the gospel to men everywhere regardless of race. The Cross of Christ is the only hope of salvation for a dying world. We preach Christ crucified now, and the marvelous perfection and fulness of that atoning sacrifice fills our gospel, as well as our hymns of worship. Mark Guy Pearse well said, "The birthplace of heaven's music is found at the foot of the cross."

Fifth:Now we pass on to "the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 3:21). In the great fact of Christ's resurrection we have another strong link in the golden chain – a chain of marvelous events that all connect directly with the Lord, and fill a fundamental place in the gospel message which we bear before men to-day. The divine record is that "He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:4). The Cross of Christ is the basis, and the resurrection of Christ the full declaration of our justification. Christ now risen from the dead is God's receipt in full that the whole
penalty of sin has been borne by the divine Substitute, for every man who has repented and received Christ by faith as his Saviour. The death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus are two mighty pillars that bear up and sustain the whole fabric of the gospel of Christ. They are also a declaration of His Sonship and Deity (Rom. 1:4). Then to crown all, His resurrection is the first-fruits of a golden harvest to be gathered in and up by and by, and that for all the saints who have ever died.

Sixth:His ascension-"Who has gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God" (1 Pet. 3:22). As we contemplate this great truth we take our place beside the disciples at the base of Mount Olivet, and see Him with uplifted hands bestowing His parting blessing upon those that He so dearly loved. Then He was "taken up" from them. Here we behold also the royal chariot coming down to receive Him (the cloud). Then He, who came down from heaven in love and grace to bless and save, returned to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. It is ever blessed to keep this in view, that Christ is now glorified at the right hand of God, and the Holy Spirit, present now in and with each child of God, presents Christ risen and glorified as the commanding object for the heart and life of every true believer. Christ on the cross meets the whole need of men as sinners. His work there relieves and sets free every believer's conscience in the presence of God with rest and peace. But Christ in heaven is the adoring object for the believer's heart. On the cross He died for us. Now in heaven He ever liveth to make intercession for us, and the Holy Spirit indwelling each believer leads prayerful pious souls into the good of all this. Apart from occupation with Christ in heaven and daily communion with Him, a believer's life stands for little. AH boasting of heavenly position brought to us through the exceeding grace of God, or of ecclesiastical association here, will serve little in the divine estimate now, or at the judgment seat of Christ by and by, if the ruling, controlling object of the heart be not Christ as Lord in heaven glorified.

Seventh:But the apostle has more to unfold for us in this epistle. In chapter one we learn that our new birth Is of God, our redemption is through Christ and His blood, and our sanctification is by the Holy Spirit. These are truths of great value for the soul to learn properly. But to crown the apostle's teaching he writes in the closing chapter, "When the Chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away" (1 Pet. 5:4). This truth when rightly understood and held by the power of the Holy Spirit will produce in us a sober and steadying spirit. Concerning the second coming of the Lord Jesus, one very beautifully has said, "All New Testament teaching leads up to Christ," and we add further, All New Testament teaching leads up to the Second Coming of Christ.

All the purposes of God concerning the calling out of the Church, and for each believer individually, shall then be completed, for at the second coming we shall be glorified, and we shall see Him face to face, and shall be like Him. For each believer this will be as the good (best) wine kept for the last. How such a hope, beloved brethren, should thrill us through and through! None of our conferences, which are held from time to time, should close their sessions without a soul-stirring testimony being given concerning the Lord's coming for us. This blessed theme has many lessons connected with it. Each one is of immense importance, but in this epistle the connection is with the reward which will be given for all service rendered to Him, "a crown of glory." This is intended to stimulate us to service, for each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. May we ever search Scripture-all Scripture, to learn of Christ, to know Him better, the sweetness, and loveliness of what the Holy Spirit delights to minister. Then the whole life shall be brought under the influence and power of the truth of the Lord's coming, which may be to-day!