would be if it were moved inwards, on a
straight line, closer to the centre, so as to make a circle a foot
across. The nearer we come to the One Lord, in love, communion, and
likeness, the nearer shall we be to one another.

_EXPOSITIONS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE_

ALEXANDER MACLAREN, D. D., Litt. D.

FIRST AND SECOND PETER
AND FIRST JOHN

CONTENTS

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER

PAGE
SOJOURNERS OF THE DISPERSION (1 Peter i. 1) 1

BY, THROUGH, UNTO (1 Peter i. 5) 7

SORROWFUL, YET ALWAYS REJOICING (1 Peter i. 6) 17

THE TRUE GOLD AND ITS TESTING (1 Peter i. 7) 27

JOY IN BELIEVING (1 Peter i. 8) 34

CHRIST AND HIS CROSS THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE
(1 Peter i. 10, 11, 12) 41

HOPE PERFECTLY (1 Peter i. 13) 51

THE FAMILY LIKENESS (1 Peter i. 15) 61

FATHER AND JUDGE (1 Peter i. 17) 69

PURIFYING THE SOUL (1 Peter i. 22) 76

LIVING STONES ON THE LIVING FOUNDATION STONE (1 Peter ii. 4, 5) 86

SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES (1 Peter ii. 5) 92

MIRRORS OF GOD (1 Peter ii. 9) 101

CHRIST THE EXEMPLAR (1 Peter ii. 21) 107

HALLOWING CHRIST (1 Peter iii. 14, 15) 116

CHRISTIAN ASCETICISM (1 Peter iv. 1-8) 123

THE SLAVE'S GIRDLE (1 Peter v. 5) 130

SYLVANUS (1 Peter v. 12, R.V.) 138

AN APOSTOLIC TESTIMONY AND EXHORTATION (1 Peter v. 12) 146

THE CHURCH IN BABYLON (1 Peter v. 13) 154

MARCUS, MY SON (1 Peter v. 13) 161

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER

LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH (2 Peter i. 1) 170

MAN SUMMONED BY GOD'S GLORY AND ENERGY (2 Peter i. 3) 178

PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE (2 Peter i. 4) 189

THE POWER OF DILIGENCE (2 Peter i. 5) 198

GOING OUT AND GOING IN (2 Peter i. 11, 15) 206

THE OWNER AND HIS SLAVES (2 Peter ii. 1) 215