/^
^ ^
PRESENTED TO THE LIBRARY
OF
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
BY
|V[ps. Alej^andep Ppoudfit.
z
THE
. EXPOSITORY
WORKS,
WITH ^n^'0^^M/t
OTHER REMAINS,
(SOME OF WHICH WERE NEVER BEFORE PRINTED),
OF
ROBERT LEIGHTON, D. D.
ARCHBISHOP OF GLASGOW.
IxN TWO VOLUMES.
Vol. L
EDINBURGH :
r-RINTEB FOR BELL & BRADFUTE, J. DICKSON, W. LAING,
J. FAIRBAIRN, J. OGLE, J. GUTHRIE, AND ARCH.
CONSTABLE: AND M. OGLE, GLASGOW.
AND FOR
C. DILLY, VERNOR & HOOD, OGILVY & SDK,
W. BUTTON, J, MATHEWS, AND
T. CHAPMAN, LONDON.
]»^CCC,X.CVilX.
I
CONTENTS of Vol. L
PREFACE by Dr Doddridge, - Page vii
A Pra6iical Commentary on the Firji Epijlle
General of Peter.
Chap. I. - - Page i
II.
193
III. (to ver. 12.) ^ 418
PREFACE
x^DVERTISEMENT.
THE Writings in general, and particularly the
Expofitory Works, of Archbifliop Leighton, have
long been in requeil for by pious readers among dif-
ferent denominations of Chriflians.
Thefe Volumes of the good Bifliop, now prefent-
ed to the Public, contain,
1. " A Practical Commentary on the Firfl Epiflle
" General of Peter." — This occupies the whole of
the firfl, and 354 pages of the fecond volume.
2. ** Ledurcs, on Pfalm xxxix. ; on Ifaiah vi. ;
" and on Romans xii."
3. ** Charges to the Clergy, and Papers given in
" to the Synod of the Diocefs of Dunblane, in the
*^ years 1662, 1665, 1666, 1667, and 1668, by Bifhop
" Leighton." — Thefe Charges, 8cc. are extracted
from the Synod-book of the diocefs of Dunblane,
which was found in the repofitories of the late Bifhop
Rose at his death, and which is now preferved in the
Public Library of that town. They were never be*
fore printed. The prefs-copy was tranfcribed from
the original, by the Rev. Mr Gilfillan, prefent Bur-
gher Minlfter of Dunblane. The Letter to the Synod
of Dunblane which immediately follows the Charges,
was likev. ifc tranfcribed from the Synod-book by the
fame Gentleman. This letter had formerly (probably
long ago) been extracted ; for, it is contained in the
volumes of Leighton prefaced by Dr Doddridge,
and
IV ADVERTISEMENT.
and is there mentioned as being taken only from ** an
" authentic copy/'
4. " Seven Letters, written by the Bilhop on dif-
** fercnt occafions."
5. " Rules and Inflrudions for a Holy Life."
6. " Some Hiftorical Fads in the Life of Leigh-
*' TON, with his Laft Will ; and fome Particulars con-
" cerning the founding of the Public Library at Dun-
" blane :"-»— extraded from the original Library-ca-
talogue, made up under the diredlioaof Bifhop Dou-
glas, juft before the Revolution. Although thefe
hiftorical particulars are very detached, yet, as they
muft be perfectly authentic, and as they have not hi-
therto been pubiilbed, they will not be found alto-
gether undeferving a place in this colledion.
The 1 ft, 2d, 4th, and 5th, of thefe articles, are
printed from the edition of " Archbifhop Leighton's
" Expolitory Works," S^-c. which was publiftied at
Edinburgh, in 1748, by Mr David Wilson. That
edition was correded by Dr Doddridge and the
Rev. Mr Robert Hamilton, and was prefaced by
the former. The Dodor's excellent Preface (with
the exception of two or three paragraphs, of local
and temporary concern) is prefixed to the prefent
publication.
Edinburgh, "1
2(1 April 1798. J
CONTENTS
PREFACE
,, .. I'M f 1
BY DR DODDRIDGE.
WHEN Mr Wilfon undertook to publifh feve-
ral Pieces of Archbifhop Leighton, from
the manufcripts in which they had fo long lain con-
cealed, having heard of the high efleem I have long
profelTed for the writings of that excellent perfon,
he entreated me that I would revife them, and, if I
approved the publication, would introduce them into
the world by a recommendatory preface. The lafl
of thefe requefts I abfolutely refufed, knowing how
very unworthy I am to pretend, by my fufFrage, to
add any thing to the reputation and acceptance of
what came from the pen of fo eminently great and
good a man : And the more I know of him, and of
myfelf, the more deeply fenfible I mufl be of this.
But with the former requeft I cheerfully complied,
though my various and important bufinefs would
have furnifhed a very plaulible excufe for declining it.
I apprehended that thefe pieces were not very large,
and 1 knew that, like all the other remains of our in-
comparable author, they were not defigned for the
prefs ; fo that it was probable they wxre written in a
very halty manner, confidering how well he knew the
value of time, and how entirely he was fuperior to
popular applaufe in all his compofitions for the pul-
pit, as mofl of thefe were. 1 he numberlefs errors
which I had obfei*ved in the firfl edition of all his
Engliih works, by v/hich the fcnfe of many paffages
is
Viii PREFACE BY DR DODDRIDGE.
is abfolutely deftroyed, and that of fcores and hun-
dreds very much obfcured, made me the more ready
to attempt the paying this little tribute of refped to
his memory, which no words or adiions can fully ex-
prefs : And I was morally certain, that whatever
came from fuch a pen, would be fo entertaining and
improving, that I could not fail of being immediate-
ly and abundantly rewarded for whatever pains it
might cofl me to prepare it for the public.
When thefe manufcripts came to my hands, I found
new reafons to be fatisfied with the talk I had un-
dertaken, which indeed was welcome to me in pro-
portion to the degree in which I perceived it mufl
be laborious. The papers which were fent me, w^ere
copies of others, which I fuppofe were tranfcribed
from Ihort-hand notes, which fome ft:ilful writer had
happily taken from the Archbifhop's mouth. They
were beyond comparifon more inaccurate than thofe
of his printed works, which are moll remarkably fo ;
and yet they contained fuch inimitable traces of fweet
natural eloquence, and of genuine and lively piety,
as fpeak the author far more certainly, than the moil
exacl refemblance of what was known to be his hand-
writing could pollibly have done.
Befides a large colledion of letters, of which I
fhall afterwards fpeak, thefe papers coniilled of his
Meditations and Expolitions on Pfalm xxxix., on
part of Romans xii., and on the whole lixth of Ifaiah.
On this laft fublime and inllruclive portion of Scrip-
ture, there were three dillindl expofitions, delivered,
as I fuppofe, at different places ; the latter being, as
far as I could judge, fupplemental to the former, yet
fo-that additions were made to almoll every verfe, and
Ibmetimes the fame things which had been faid be-
fore, exprelTed in a different manner : I judged it
confiflent witii the ftricteil fidelity owing to the works
of fo illuflrious a perfon, (which abfolutely forbade
my adding or diminiiliing any thing), to divide them,
Hi?d incorporate them into one v.'hole ; which could
not
Preface by dr uoddridge. ix
not poflibly be done, without tranfcribing the piece,
omitting, in the former, thofe paflages that were af-
terwards more copioufly or more corredly exprelfed
in the latter, and inferring here and there a line or
two, by way of connection, to prevent thofe difagree-
able chafms which would otherwife have defaced
much of its beauty. For the reft, the reader may
aflure himfelf, that if (which I cannot doubt) thefe
papers came genuine into my hand, they are now en-
tirely fo, in every fentence, and in every claufe ; for,
in thofe very few places, where the {tnk was to me
abfolutely unintelligible, and the conltrudion incu-
rably ungrammatical, I chofe rather to drop fuch im-
perfed fragments, than, by uncertain additions of my
own, to run the rilk of imputing to the good Avch-
bifhop, what I was not fure he ever wrote. Had
thefe fragments contained hints of any thing curious
in criticifm, hiftory, or controverfy of any kind, I
would have publifhed them apart, at the end of the
volume ; But as they were very few, and, like the
reft of his writings, entirely of a devotional and prac-
tical nature, I thought it would have been a formal-
ity nearly bordering upon impertinence, to have col-
lected and inferted them in fuch a manner.
The delight and edification which I have found in
the writings of this wonderful man, (for fuch I muft
deliberately call him), would have been a full equi-
valent for my pains, feparate from all profpedl of that
effed which they might have upon others. For, tru-
ly I know not that I have ever fpent a quarter of an
hour in reviewing any of them, but, even ami dil that
interruption which a critical examination of the co-
py would naturally give, I have felt fome imprellions
which I could wiih always to retain. I can hardly
forbear faying, as a confiderable philofopher and emi-
nent divine, with whom I have the honour of an in-
timate correfpondence and friendfhip, faid to me in a
letter, long ago *, and when my acquaintance with
b our
* April 10. 1740. The Reverend Dr Henry Miles, F.R.S»
X PREFACE BY DR DODDRIDGE.
our author's works was but beginning, '* There is.a
** fpirit in Archbifliop Leighton I never met with in
** any human writings, nor can I read many lines in
" them without being moved."
Indeed it would be difficult for me to fay where,
but in the facred Oracles, I have ever found fuch
heart-affeding lelfons of limplicity and humility,
candour and benevolence, exalted piety, without the
leall tindlure of enthufiafm, and an entire mortifica-
tion to every earthly intereit, without any mixture of
fplenetic refentment. Nor can I ever fufficiently ad-
mire that artlefs manner in which he lays open, as it
were, his whole breall to the reader, and Ihews, with-
out feeming to be at all confcious of it himfelf, all
the various graces that can adorn and ennoble the
Chriftian, running like fo many veins of precious ore
in the rich mine where they grew. And hence, if I
miftake not, is that wonderful energy of his difcour-
fes, obvious as they feem, unadorned as they really
are, which 1 have obferved to be owned by perfons
of eminent piety in the mofl different ranks, and
amidfl all the variety of education and capacity that
can be imagined. As every eye is ft ruck by confum-
mate beauty, though in the plaineft drefs, and as the
fight of fuch an objedl impreffes much more than any
laboured defcription of complexion, features or air,
or any harangue on the niceft rules of proportion
which could come into coniideration ; fo in the
works of this great adept in true Cbrijlianity, we do
not fo much hear of goodnefs, as fee it in its moft
genuine traces ; fee him as a living image of his Di-
vine Mafler, for fuch indeed his writings fhew, I had
almoll faid demonftrate, him to have been, by fuch
internal characlers as furely a bad man could not
counterfeit, and no good man can fo much as fufpecl.
Where the matter is fo remarkably excellent, a
wife and pious reader will not be over folicitous about
the ftyle \ yet I think he will find it, in thefe com-
pofitions, far above any reafonable contempt or cen~
furCe
PREFACE BY DR DODDRIDGE. xi
fure. When I confider what the prevailing' tafle
was a century ago in this refped, I have often Avon-
dered at the many true beauties of expreffion that
occur in thcfe pieces, and the general freedom from
thofe 1-alie and fanciful ornaments, if they are to be
called ornaments, which occur in contemporary au-
thors. On tlie whole, the flyle wonderfully fuits the
fentiments ; and, however deflitute of the flights of
oratory, lias fuch a dignity and force mingled with
that iimplicity, which is to be fure its chief charac-
teriilic ; fo that, on the whole, it has often reminded
me of that foft and fweet eloquence of Ulyfles, which
Ho'ner* defcribes as falling like flakes of fnow ; and
if I might be allowed to purfue the fimilitude, I
could add, like that, it penetrates deep into the mind
too, and tends to enrich and frudlify it.
It is chiefly the practical preacher that iliines in
thefe lectures, yet it feems to me, that the judicious
expofitor will alfo appear, and appear mofl to the
mofl; competent judges. There is a fort of criticifm
on the Sacred Writings, which none but an eminent-
ly good man can attain to ; and if I am at all capa-
ble of judging concerning it, it remarkably reigns
here. We find, indeed, little of that laborious fift-
ing of words and fyilables, in which fome have worn
out fo much time and pains, if not to no purpofe at
all, (for I will not afl^ert that), at leafl: to purpofes
very low and inconfiderable, when compared with
thofe which our author purfues and attainsi The
reader w^ill, I think, find great light poured on many
very difficult paflTages, cfpecially in the Firfl: EpilUe
of Peter, in a very mafl;erly manner, and often by a
few weighty words. But thefe hints are generally
very Ihort ; for the good author appears to have lop-
ped oflf every thing as fuperfluous, which did not im-
mediately tend to make his readers better, or rather
to have had a heart fo entirely pofleflTed with this de-
fire, that nothing elfe ever offered itfelf to his view.
Whatever
Xii PREFACE BY DR DODDRIDGE.
Whatever of an ornamentiil kind is to be found m
thefe p radical parts of the work, which certainly
conftitute more than fix fevenths of the whole, ap-
pears to have been quite unlaboured and unfought :
But it conduces much to our entertainment, and I
hope in its confequence to our improvement, that the
author had naturally a very fine imagination ; the
confequence of which is, that his works abound with
a charming variety of beautiful figures, fpringing up
moft naturally from his fubjeds, and fo adding fome
graces of novelty to thoughts in themfelves mofl ob-
vious and common.
On the whole, I cannot but hope that God will be
pleafed to blefs the publication of thefe pieces, in
thefe circumlfances,. as an occafion of reviving a
fenfe of religion, and promoting the interetl of true
Chriflianity. It has appeared to me a memorable
event, that when the extreme modefty of Archbiihop
Leighton had been inexorable to all the Qntreaties of
his many friends, to print fomething during his life, fo
many of his precious remains fliould with fuch folici-
tude be gleaned up after his death, and fome of them
more than thrcefcore years after it ; and that they
fliould be read with fuch high eflcem and delight, as it
is plain many of them liave been,, by perfons of the
moll different denominations throughout Great Bri-
tain. I am very fenlible of it as an honour done to
me in the courfe of Divine Providence, that the tafk
I have here executed fliould fo very unexpededly
be devolved upon me. I have no property at all in
the work, nor the leafl: lecular interefl in its fuccefs :
What I have done, was entirely the refult of love to
the author's memory, and of concern for the public
good : But I fliall be glorioufly rewarded, if the la-
bour 1 have bellowed upon it be the occafion of pro-
moting thofe great ends which animated the difcour-
fes and actions of this holy man, who has now. dwelt
fo long among the blefTed inhabitants of that world
after <^vhich he lb ardently afpired while yet among
mortals.
PREFAC2 BY DR DODDRIDGE; xiu
mortals. And let me be permitted to add, that I
have fome fccrct hope this publication, in thefe cir-
ciunftances, may, among other good efFedls, promote
that Ipirit of catholicifm for which our author was
fo remarkable, and extend it among various denomi-
nations of Chriftians, in the Northern and Southern
parts of our ifland. If the fmcereft language or ac-
tions can exprefs the difpofition of the heart, it will
here be apparent, that a diverfity of judgment, with
regard to epifcopacy, and feverai forms both of dif-
cipline and worfhip conneded with it, have produ-
ced in my mind no alienation, no indifference to-
wards Archbifhop Leighton, nor prevented my de-
lighting in his works, and profiting by them. In
this refpect I truft my brethren in Scotland will, for
their owm fake, and that of religion in general, fhew
the like candour. On the other fide, as I have ob-
ferved, with great pleafure and thankfulnefs, how^
much many of the eftablilhcd clergy in this part of
Britain are advancing in moderation towards their
dilTenting brethren, I am fully affured they will not
like thefe excellent pieces the worfe for having pafTed
through my hand. It is truly my grief, that any
thing fliould divide me from the fullell communion
with thofe to whom I am united in bonds of as ten-
der affedion as I bear to any of my fellow Chrillians,
And it is my daily prayer, that God will, by his gen-
tle, but pov/erful, influence on our minds, mutually
difpofe us more and more for fuch a further union,
as may moil cffedually confolidatc the Proteftant
caufe, eflablifli the throne of our gracious Sovereign,
remove the fcandals our divifions have occalioned,
and llrengthen our hands in thofe efforts, by which
v/e are attempting, and might then I hope more fuc-
ceTsfully attempt, the fervice of our common Chri-
llianity. In the mean time, I defire moil fmcerely
to blefs God for any advances that aic made to^vards
it ; and I cannot forbear to illultrate and confirm
my thoughts on this head, by inferting the elegant
wordi
Xiv PREFACE BY DR DODDRIDGE.
words of a mofl worthy member of the Church of
England, well known in the learned world, as I have
lately had the honour of receiving them from his
own pen. I conceal his name, and therefore hope it
is no violation of the lavv^s of friend (hip, to infert at
large a pafTage from a familiar letter, which, if it
warms my reader's bread as it did mine, will be not
only an entertainmant, but a blefling to many, and
which is as fuitable a conclufion of this preface, as
if it had been written in that view. " I am glad,"
fays he, '' that Chriftianity begins to be fo well un-
«* der flood and taught by fo many men of parts and
*< learning in all feds, the fruits of which appear in
" a candour and charity unknown to all ages of the
" church, except the primitive, I had almoft faid the
*' Apoftolic age. Does not this give you a profpedt,
*' though perhaps ftill very diftant, of the completion
^' of the famous prophecy that fpeaks of the lion and
" the lamb lying down together in the kingdom of the
*' Mefliah ? Lions there have been hitherto in all
*' churches, but too many fierce, greedy, and blood-
" thirfty lions, though often difguifed like lambs :
" And ibme lambs there have been, limple enough
** to think it expedient for the flock, to alTume the
** habit and terror of lions : But I hope they now
" begin to undeceive themfelves, and to confider
" Chrillianity as intending to bring back the world
** to that ftate of innocence which it enjoyed before
** the fall, when, in one and the fame Faradife, (to
" ufe the words of Milton),
Frifldng play'd
All beafts of th' earth, fince wild, and of all chafe
In wood or wildernefs, forefl or den :
Sporting the lion ramp'd, and in his paw
Dandled the kid.
** To attain to this happy ftate," continues this ami-
able writer, " all Chriilians Ihould unite their en-
*' deavours.
PREFACE BY DR DODDRIDGE, XV
" deavours, and inftead of looking out for, and in-
" filling upon, points of difference and diflindion,
" feek for thofe only in which they do or may agree.
** They may at leaft foiv the feeds of peace and uni-
" ty, though they fhould not live to reap the fruits
" of it in this world. Blejfed are the peace-makers^
" fays the Prince of Peace, for they Jh all he called
" the children of God : — An appellation infinitely
" more honourable than that of pallor, bilhop, arch-
'' bilhop, patriarch, cardinal or pope, and attended
" with a recompenfe infinitely furpafling the richeft
" revenues of the highell ecclefiallical dignity." I
join my hearty w^ilhes and prayers with thofe of my
much elleemed friend, that we may all more and
more deferve this charadler, and may attain to its re-
ivard.
Northampton, 1
April 26. 1743. y
P. DODDRIDGE.
A PRAC-
PRACTICAL
COMMENTARY
UPON THE
FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF
St peter. -
Chap. I. ver. i.
Peter an Apojlle of Jefus Chrijl, to the fir arigers feat-
tered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia^
and Bithynia,
THE grace of God in the heart of man, is a ten-
der plant in a ilrange unkindly foil ; and there-
fore cannot well profper and grow, without much
care and pains, and that of a Ikilful hand, and that
hath the art of cherilliing it : For this end, hath God
given the conftant miniftry of the word to his Church,
not only for the firfl work of converfion, but alfo for
confirming and increaiing of his grace in the hearts
of his children.
And though the extraordinary miniftcrs of the go-
fpel, the Apoflles, had principally the former for their
charge, the converting of unbelievers, Jews and Gen-
tiles, and fo the planting of churches, to be after
kept, and watered by others, as the Apoltlc intimates,
I Cor. iii. 6. yet did they not negled the other work
of flrengthening the grace of God begun in the nevv^
converts of thole times, both by rcviliting them, and
Vol. L C exhorting
l8 A COMMENTARY OpOl^ [cHAP. I,
exhorting them in perfon, as they could, and by the
fupply of their writing to them when abfent.
And the benefit of this extends (not by accident,
but by the purpofe and good providence of God) to
the Church of God in all fucceeding ages.
This excellent Epiille (full of evangelical do6lrine
and apotl:olical authority) is a brief, and yet very
clear, fummary, both of the confolations and inilruc-
tions needful for the encouragement and direction of
a Chrillian in his journey to Heaven, elevating his
thoughts and delires to that happinefs, and ftrength-
ening him againft all oppoiition in the way, both that
of corruption within, and temptations and affliclions
from without.
The heads of dodlrine contained in it are many,
but the main that are moft inlifted on are thefe three,
faith, obedience and patience, to eftablifh them in be-
lieving, to dire(5l them in doing, and comfort them
in fuffering. And becaufe the firif is the ground-
work and fupport of the other two, this firft chapter
is much on that, perfuading them of the truth of that
myitery they had received and did believe, viz, their
redemption and falvation by Chrifl: Jefus ; that inhe-
ritance of immortality bought by his blood for them,
and the evidence and liability of their right and title
to it.
And then he ufes this belief, this alTurance of the
glory to come, as the great perfuaiive to the other
two, both to holy obedience and to conflant patience,
fmce nothing can be too much, either to forego, or
undergo, either to do, or to fuft'er, for the attainment
of that bleffed ftate.
And as from the confideration of that objedl, and
matter of the hope of believers, he encourages to
patience, and exhorteth to holinefs in this chapter in
general ; fo in the following chapters, he exprefles
more particularly, both the univerfal and fpecial du-
ties of Chriftians, both in doing and fuffering, often
fetting before them to whom he wrote, the matchlefs
example
VER. I.] THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PETER. 19
example of the Lord Jefus, and the greatnefs of their
engagement to follow him.
In the two firil verfes, we have the hifcription and
falutation^ in the ufual ftyle of the apoftolic epiftles.
The injcnption hath the author and the addrefs,
from whom, and to whom. The author of this epijlle
is deiigned hy his name, Peter, and his cailing, an
Apollie.
We fhall not infill upon his name, that it was im-
pofed by Chrilt, and what is its iignification ; this the
Evangelills teach us, St John i. 42. St Matt. xvi. 18.
By that which is fpoken of him in divers pafTages
of the Gofpel, he is very remarkable amongll tiie
Apoftles, both for his graces and his failings ; emi-
nent in zeal and courage ; yet Humbling oft in his
forwardnefs, and once groi'sly falling : And thefe by
the providence of God being recorded in Scripture,
give a check to the excefs of Rome's conceit concern-
ing this Apollie. Their extolling and exalting him
above the refl, is not for his caufe, and much lefs to
the honour of his Lord and Mailer jefus Chrift, for
he is injured and difhonoured by it ; but it is in fa-
vour of themfelves, as Alexander dillinguifhed his
two friends, that the one was a friend of Alexander^
the other a friend of the King. That preferment
they give this ApoHle, is not in good will to Peter^
but in the defire of Primacy, But whatfoever he was,
they would be much in pain to prove Rome's right
to it by fucceffion. And if ever it had any fuch right,