in the opposite direction! The leaders of Christ's people have often made them to err, to wander from the path of catholic unity and love, and kept them wandering. "Blessed are the peace-makers."

§ 2. The salutation of Marcus.

1

But the apostle transmits the cordial good wishes not only of the church in the region where he was sojourning to their brethren in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, but also the kind remembrances of an individual christian man and minister: "So doth Marcus, my son.' We know Peter was married, and ecclesiastical tradition declares that he had children; but we have no evidence that he had sons, or that any of his sons were in the christian ministry. On the other hand, we do know that there was a very intimate connection between Peter and John and Mark. We find Peter going to his mother's house, as to his ordinary abode in Jerusalem, after having been miraculously delivered from prison; and all antiquity represents Mark's gospel as written from information received from Peter, a tradition carrying with it great probability, as none of the gospels has more of that circumstantiality which a narrative coming from an eye-witness naturally possesses, and whatever does Peter credit is rather cast into the shade, while his faults are very plainly stated. There is nothing remarkable in Peter calling Mark his son, especially as it is likely he was the means of his conversion. Paul calls Onesimus his "son, begotten in his bonds," and Timothy his "own son in the faith." "Marcus my son" is equivalent to, who is to me instead of a son, or, as Paul has it in reference to Timothy, "who serves with me as a son in the gospel." It does not appear that, at this time, Mark had ever seen the churches to which Peter wrote; but, though strangers in the flesh, they were dear to him in the Lord. That christian minister has not the proper spirit of his office, who does not cherish an affectionate regard for every christian church, for every christian man, throughout the world.

2

3

4

III.-EXHORTATION.

We come now to the exhortation contained in this postscript: "Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity." These words may be understood generally as an exhortation to mutual love, and to all proper expressions of it. 'See that ye love one another, and show that ye love one another;' and in this general sense they embody an injunction obligatory on all christian churches in all countries, and in all ages. But there is no reason to doubt, that the apostle meant the churches he addressed to understand and comply with the injunction in the plain literal meaning of the words. Salutation by kissing was the ordinary way of expressing friendly affection in those coun

1 Clemens Alexandrinus-Stromata. Lib. iii.

2

Origen (Eus H. E. vi. 25) declares that he had learned from tradition that Mark wrote the second gospel ως Πετρος ὑφηγήσατο αὐτῶ.

3 Philem. 10. 1 Tim. i. 2.

4 Μάρκον δὲ υἱὸν κατὰ πνεῦμα καλεῖ, ἀλλ ̓ οὐ κατὰ σάρκα.-CUMENIUS.

tries and in that age; and the command is not more strange than if the apostle, addressing a church in our country and times, were to say, Give to each other the right hand of fellowship.' We find similar advices given to the other churches.1 Salute one another with a holy kiss." 2 "Greet ye one another with a holy kiss." * "Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss." That the apostle meant the members of the churches, on receiving this epistle, to salute one another, is certain; that he meant, that at all their religious meetings they should do so, is not improbable.

That he meant to make this an everlasting ordinance in all christian churches, though it has sometimes been asserted, has never been proved, and is by no means likely. That the practice prevailed extensively, perhaps universally, in the earlier ages, is established on satisfactory evidence. "After the prayers," says Justin Martyr, who lived in the earlier part of the second century, giving an account, in his " Apology," of the religious customs of the Christians, "after the prayers, we embrace each other with a kiss." Tertullian speaks of it as an ordinary part of the religious services of the Lord's-day; and in the Apostolical Constitutions, as they are termed, the manner in which it was performed is particularly described. "Then let the men apart, and the women apart, salute each other with a kiss in the Lord." Origen's note on Romans, xvi. 16, is, "From this passage the custom was delivered to the churches, that, after prayer, the brethren should salute one another with a kiss." This token of love was generally given at the Holy Supper. It was likely, from the prevalence of this custom, that the calumny of Christians indulging in licentiousness at their religious meetings originated; and it is not improbable that, in order to remove everything like an occasion to calumniators, the practice which, though in itself innocent, had become not for the use of edifying, was discontinued.

but

Some christian societies still retain the practice, and even insist on it as a term of communion. We have no objection to the first we must protest against the second. Surely this is not one of the points on which the peace of the church should be disturbed, or her communion broken. They who observe it, should not condemn them that observe it not; and they who do not observe it, should not despise them who observe it. "Let each be fully persuaded in his own mind." In both cases, if they are sincere, they will be accepted of the Lord. The grand matter is the cultivation of mutual love; the mode of expressing it-unless there be distinct proof, which, we apprehend, there is not, that it has been fixed by apostolical authority for the church in all ages-is a matter of very inferior importance. It seems, like every external thing, not essential, not expressly enjoined as a law to the churches, a thing of time and place, depending on the manner of the age or country, like the wearing, or the not wearing, long hair at Corinth. A kiss of charity is equivalent to a kiss not of mere form, but expressive of real christian affection. But though the external mode of expressing christian love be a matter comparatively unimportant, the importance of cherishing this affec

1 Rom. xvi. 16.

• 1 Thess. v. 26.

2

1 Cor. xvi. 20. • See note B.

3

2 Cor. xiii. 12.

tion, ay, and of expressing it too, cannot be exaggerated. "The en tertainment, and increase, and expression of christian love is not optional, but obligatory; the very stamp and badge of Jesus Christ upon his followers.' And the members of the same christian church should especially cultivate mutual brotherly affection, and, on all proper occasions, manifest it, by readily and cordially recognizing one another as brethren.

IV.-BENEDICTION.

It only remains now that we say a word or two on the parting benediction, "Peace be with you all that be in Christ Jesus. Amen. It is the all but uniform practice of the apostles, both to begin and end their epistles with prayers and benedictions. Peter began his epistle with the prayer, "Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied;" and he ends with the prayer, "Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus." The apostles exemplified their own precepts to "pray always;" to "pray without ceasing." To pray for christian brethren is one of the most natural modes of expressing christian affection; as Christians are "taught of God' to love one another," they are also taught of God to pray for one another.

"Peace" is a word expressive of whatever is necessary to happiness. Peace be to you, is just equivalent to, May you be happy. When the man is happy, the mind is tranquil. The unhappy man has a disturbed, unquiet, agitated mind. The import of the wish, "Peace be with you," depends on the views of the person who.utters it. In the mouth of a well-informed Christian it means, May you have all the happiness which flows from possessing, and knowing that you possess, that favor of God which is life, that loving-kindness which is better than life; from the conscience being sprinkled with the blood of atonement; from the heart being renewed by the Holy Ghost; from the mind being fixed in the belief of the truth; from the faith of the exceeding great and precious promises; from the hope of the salvation that is in Christ with eternal glory. May you "want no good thing." May you be "kept in perfect peace." May "the peace of God keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. May "the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. This prayer the apostle presents for all the elect strangers, as being "in Christ Jesus," so closely related to Christ Jesus as to be, as it were, identified with him, having fellowship with him in his death, his resurrection, his new life, his honors, his happiness; living in him, animated by his spirit, walking in him, sustained by his grace, imitating his example, regulated by his laws, being his living images, his "epistles seen and read of all men."

&

This is an expression of the love of a christian man to christian men, and is a wish that they may enjoy in abundance christian happiness. It is they only who are in Christ Jesus that can enjoy the peace which the apostle here invokes. There is no peace of this kind to them who are not in Christ Jesus. To all who are not in him there is condemnation: "There is no peace, saith my God, to

1 Θεοδίδακτοιο

2 Phil. iv. 7. 2 Thess. iii. 16.

the wicked." It is they who believe in Christ, and who are thus united to him, that can enter into peace. To quote once more the devout Archbishop, from whom I part with reluctance as from a pious accomplished friend, who has been my instructive and delightful companion during my leisure journey through this most fertile region of the world of inspiration, and to whom I am much indebted for turning my attention to some of its more recondite beauties, and for gathering for me, and for you, some of its sweetest flowers and richest fruits: "They that are in Christ are the only children and heirs of true peace. Others may dream of it, and have a false peace for a time, and wicked men may wish it to themselves and to one another, but it is a most vain hope and thought; but to wish it to them who are in Christ Jesus hath good ground. All solid peace is founded on him, and flows from him. All who are in Christ have peace. Being justified by faith, they have peace;" but the apostle's prayer is, that their peace may be multiplied, preserved, increased; that their peace may be as a river, and their happiness as the waves of the sea; that they may grow in holy happiness till they become perfectly happy, because perfectly holy; having the peace of God, because having the purity of God; "peace, quietness, assurance forever."

The peculiar expression, "Peace be with you all who are in Christ. Jesus," seems to intimate that there might be among them some who were not in Christ Jesus. It was so in the primitive age as well as now. All were not in Christ who bore his name. To those men continuing in that state, there is, there can be, no peace, no true peace. They may, they do, say, Peace, peace to themselves; but the christian minister dares not say, Peace to them. He wishes, O how eagerly! their salvation; but he expects this only in the destruction of their false peace. His call to them is, "Let sinners in Zion be afraid;" and his prayer to God is, that he may disturb their peace, shake them with salutary terror, chase them out of all the refuges of lies in which they are so apt to seek and find shelter, and never allow them to be at peace till, "being justified by faith, they have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;" never know what hope is, till they "have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them in the gospel."

The apostle concludes his benedictory prayer with the emphatic Hebrew word, Amen, expressive at once of desire and expectation. 'May it be so.' 'It shall be so.' He could not but wish it; for he loved them and he could not but expect it; for it is one of those promises which " are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus to the glory of God by us." "The Lord will bless his people with peace.

And now, brethren, I have finished these Expository Discourses on this important and interesting part of Divine truth. It is more than sixteen years since I commenced them. Of those who witnessed their commencement, many are in another, not a few of them, I doubt not, in a better world. We must soon go to them in the grave. Oh! let us see that we also go to them in heaven. It is in a very high degree improbable that I shall ever deliver to you again so long

1 2 Cor. i. 20. Psal. xxix. 11.

a series of discourses; a solemn reflection both to me and to you. It says to me," Make full proof of thy ministry;" it draws to a close; "work while it is called to-day; the night cometh when no man can work." "Prepare to meet thy God." "The Judge standeth before the door." Make up thy account; thou canst not long continue a steward. And to you it says, "To-day, if ye will hear my voice, harden not your hearts. Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation."

My work in composing and delivering these discourses, and yours in listening to them, are over; but there remain the improvement which ought to be made, and the account which must be given. The first will, I trust, follow; the second certainly shall. It is by attending to the first that we shall be prepared for the second. For this, as for all means of religious improvement, we must ere long give account. O that it may be given with joy, and not with grief! "The Lord grant" that both the teacher and the taught may, notwithstanding all that has been wanting and wrong in the manner in which they have performed their respective parts, "the Lord grant that we may find mercy of the Lord in that day." Amen.

1

NOTE A. p. 787.

Explodatur figurata, admittatur literalis expositio."-PEARSON du Succ. Rom. Episc. 'Babylona proprie accipio pro celebri illa Assyriæ urbe.”—BEZA.

"Cur Babylon in Italia potius, aut in Egypto quam in Mesopotamia, sit quærenda, cau sam non video."-WETSTEIN.

“Multi ex veteribus Romam ænigmatice putarunt notari. Hoc commentum Papistæ libenter arripiunt, ut videatur Petrus Romanæ Ecclesiæ præfuisse. Neque enim deterret eos infamia nominis, modo sedis Apostolicæ titulum prætexere ipsis liceat; nec Christum magnopere curant, modo Petrus ipsis relinquatur. Quinetiam, modo retineant Cathedram Petri nomen, suam Romam in profundis inferis collocare non recusabunt. Atqui vetus illud commentum nihil habet coloris."-CALVIN

NOTE B. p. 789.

"Osculo sancto, osculo vero, osculo pacifico, osculo columbino, non subdolo, non polluto." -BEDA. "Non adulatorio sicut Absolon osculabatur populum, non simulatorio sicut Joab Amasam, non proditorio sicut Judas Dominum, non impudico sicut mulier adultera juvenem, sed osculo sancto, quod est caritatis signum et ejus fomentum."-LYRA. "Osculo, non suavio quod voluptatis est, sed osculo quod religionis; osculo caritatis, osculo sancto, osculo in Domino Jesu: quale prisco ecclesiæ ritu, cum super cœnam Dominicam, tum die Paschatis festo, tum in ordinationibus sacris, pie olim et pudice dabatur et reddebatur."BENTLEY.

"The fraternal kiss with which every one, after being baptized, was received into the community, by the Christians into whose immediate fellowship he entered--which the members bestowed on each other just before the celebration of the communion, and with which every Christian saluted his brother, though he never saw him before-was not an empty form, but the expression of christian feelings; a token of the relation in which Christians conceived themselves to stand to each other. It was this indeed which, in a cold and selfish age, struck the Pagans with wonder: to behold men of different countries, ranks, stages of culture, so intimately bound together; to see the stranger who came into a city, and by his letter of recognition (his 'Epistola formata'), made himself known to the Christians of the place as a brother beyond suspicion, finding at once among them, to whom he was personally unknown, all manner of brotherly sympathy and protection." NEANDER. Gen. Hist. of the Christ. Relig. and the Church. TORRY'S Translation, vol. i sect. iii. p. 347.

1 2 Tim. i. 18.