William Burkitt Notes and Observations - 1 Peter 1:22 - 1:22

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William Burkitt Notes and Observations - 1 Peter 1:22 - 1:22


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The next duty which our apostle exhorts these Christians to, is the duty of brotherly love, to a gracious propensity of heart which a Christian bears for Christ's sake to his neighbours, whereby he wills, and to his power procures, all good for him; a brotherly affection which every true Christian chiefly bears to all his fellow-members in Christ for grace sake. This duty of brotherly love is often urged and enforced by Christ and his apostles.

St. Peter here tells them, that seeing, by the power of Christ's Spirit, and obedience of the gospel, they had purfied themselves in some measure from pride and self-love, they should now labour to grow in the fervency and sincerity of their love one towards another.

And the argument he uses to persuade them to love one another, is drawn from their relation to each other; they are all born again, and born alike; not brethern by corruptible generation only, but begotten of incorruptible seed, the word of God; therefore should they live in love together, as children of the same Father.

Note here, The commendation given go the word of God, not to any inward word infused, but the outward word preached, it is styled incorruptible seed; from whence it follows, that in the ministry of the word is the ordinary means of the new birth, and the instrumental cause of our regeneration: Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, the word of God.

Note farther, That such as are born of this incorruptible seed, ought to bear an incorruptible seed, ought to bear an incorruptible love to each other, as an evidence of their incorruptible and gracious nature: See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.