Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (9) Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
These are very sweet verses. The persons to whom Peter wrote, had never seen Christ's face in the flesh; and yet they loved him, believed in him, and rejoiced in him, as their hope of glory. And the Apostle saith, that by virtue of this inwrought faith, they did now, in the present life, receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls. The Apostle talks of an absolute, immediate possession. They did, as the Holy Ghost declares the Old Testament saints did, by faith obtain a good report; and proved that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, Hebrews 11:1-2. They are said t, receiving the end of their faith, not as if to receive it another day. They are now, to all intents and purposes, in possession. They realize Christ, live upon Christ, enjoy Christ. All their views of Christ are full of glory. Reader! bring this doctrine home, and it is as much ours now, as it was believers' then, if so be our faith is of the same operation of the Spirit Of God, as their's. We have never seen Christ in the flesh. But we have seen more. Christ's returned to glory, and God the Holy Ghost, according to Christ's most sure promise, come down. And what is the effect? He hath given us to believe the record which God hath given of his Son, 1 John 5:10. And, doth not He who gives his people grace to believe the record, give with it the blessed fruits and effects also? Doth not God) sometimes work in the hearts of his redeemed, a joy unspeakable, and full of glory, in the certainty of that glory, which shall be revealed? It is unspeakable, for their souls are sometimes so elevated with it, as for a while to be lifted up above themselves, above sin, sorrow, death, and Satan, that, like Paul, they hardly know whether in the body or out of it. And it is full of glory, for it is glory itself by anticipation. And why should it be thought incredible for the Lord at times to bless New Testament saints, less than He did Old Testament believers? Let those men, who would tempt us to alter scripture, and would teach us to call Christ's salvation not finished, abridge these enjoyments in themselves as they may; but let not the faithful in Christ Jesus be led away by such error, and fall from their own stedfastness. If the peace of God be a peace that passeth all understanding; so is the end of faith in believing, a joy unspeakable and full of glory. And, if the Almighty Giver of faith be, as He calls himself, the Rewarder of faith: Hebrews 11:6, here is the present reward as a pledge and earnest of the sure glory that follows; now receiving (mark the word, not to be received, but now receiving) the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls.