s an exceedingly
rich Epistle,--since as soon as he had spoken of their vain course in
the traditions of the fathers, he finds much instruction for us in
the prophets--as in the prophet Jer. xvi.: "The heathen shall come to
you from the end of the world, and say, our fathers have gone astray
with lies," as though St. Peter had said, there the prophets foretold
that ye should be redeemed from the tradition of your fathers.

So when he says here, ye are redeemed by the blood of Christ, as of
an innocent and unspotted lamb, he would again refer to the
Scripture, and explain that which is contained in the prophets and
Moses--as Is. liii.: "Like a lamb he is led to the slaughter." So as
to the type, Ex. xii., of the Paschal Lamb, all this he here
explains, and says, this lamb is Christ; and as the one of old was to
be unspotted, so must this, also, whose blood is shed for us, be
unspotted and innocent.

V. 20. _Which indeed was provided previously, before the world began,
but is revealed in these last times for you._ That is, we have not
deserved nor even prayed this of God, that the precious blood of
Christ should be shed for us, therefore we can glory in no respect;
the glory belongs to none but God alone. God has promised and
revealed or made known to us, not for any merit of ours, that which
He from all eternity had provided and foreordained, before the world
was made. In the prophets it is indeed promised, yet dimly and not
openly; but now, since Christ's resurrection and the sending of the
Holy Spirit, it is publicly preached and disseminated throughout the
whole world.

This is now the latter age (the last time), as St. Peter says,
wherein we live--now--from the ascension of Christ until the last
day. So the Apostles and prophets, and Christ Himself, also, call it
the last hour; not that the last day was to come immediately after
Christ's ascension, but because after this preaching of the Gospel of
Christ no other should ever come; and there will be no further
revelation or manifestation, except as this is explained and
revealed. One revelation after another has indeed gone forth.
Therefore God says, Ex. vi., "By my name Jehovah was I not known to
them." For the patriarchs, although they knew God, yet at that time
had not so clear a manifestation of Him as was afterwards put forth
through Moses and the prophets; but now there has no more glorious or
clear manifestation of Him come into the world than the Gospel.