| I Peter 2:5
| Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
| You also....a holy{ Ver. 5. Ierateuma agion basileion. See St. Ambrose, in Psalm cxviii.; St. Augustine, lib. x. de lib. 1 Peter 6. etc.|} priesthood; and, as he saith again, (ver. 9.) a royal priesthood. 1. Because they had ministers of God, who were truly and properly priests, of whom Christ is the chief. 2. Every good Christian in a less proper sense may be called a priest, inasmuch as he offers to God what in a less proper and metaphorical sense may be called sacrifices and oblations; that is, the sacrifice of an humble and contrite heart, (Psalm l.) the sacrifice of self-denials and mortifications, of prayer, almsdeeds, etc. And it is called a royal priesthood, as Christians may be called metaphorically kings, by governing their passions, or because they are invited to reign with Christ in his kingdom, to sit on his throne, etc. See Apocalypse 3:21. etc. (Witham)
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