Be earnest and diligent in preaching for there will arise false teachers, who shall so bewitch the minds of men with their plansible fancies, as that they will not endure sound doctrine, but shall multiply to themselves great variety of pleasing teachers; having itching ears, that affect altogether novelty and choice of doctrines, and curious speculations.

IV. 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

For I am now ready to be offered up, as a sweet sacrifice to God, in my martyrdom, for his name.

IV. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

My life is a warfare; and, behold, I have fought a good fight, having striven for the Gospel zealously and effectually my life is a race; and I have run my course, even to the very goal, constantly and happily: I have maintained and defended the truth of Christ's Gospel inviolably:

IV. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteous

ness.

And now, from henceforth, I comfort myself with the expectation and assurance of that crown or garland of immortality and glory, which, upon the gracious promise of the righteous God, is laid up for me.

IV. 10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica.

For Demas hath given over to attend me in my affliction, any longer; rather choosing to take his own ease, and to provide for his own safety and profit, than to minister to me in my bonds. IV. 11 For he is profitable to me for the ministry.

For he may be of great use to assist me here in my ministry, which I labour in, though a prisoner, continually.

IV. 16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. At my first answer before Nero's tribunal, I was forsaken of all, which formerly professed favour to me; out of a weak fear of danger and persecution: whose infirmity I so far pity, that I do earnestly pray to God, that this timorous shrinking of theirs may not be laid to their charge.

IV. 17 And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And I was delivered from the tyranny of that cruel Nero.

IV. 18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom.

And the Lord shall deliver me still and ever, from every evil work, that might blemish this my holy profession; from all cowardly fears, and sinful revolts, and whatsoever else may be offensive to God and his Church.

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO TITUS.

I. 1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, sent and employed by him, to preach that Gospel of his, whereby true faith is wrought in his elect, and whereby they are led to the acknowledgment of the saving truth of Christian religion."

I. 5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.

For this cause, when we were both together in Crete, I left thee there behind me, that thou mightest rectify and make up that which I might not stay to take full order for; and that, by thine Episcopal authority, thou mightest ordain presbyters in every city of that populous island.

I. 6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having &c.

See 1 Tim. iii. 2.

I. 11 Teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Teaching to mix Judaism with Christianity, for their own private advantage.

I. 12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

One of their own poets, even Epimenides, prophesied truly of them, when he said of them, though upon another occasion, The Cretians are great liars, cruei oppressors, dull, and epicurean gluttons.

I. 15 This witness is true.

This testimony, though spoken of him to another purpose, true of these Judaizing Cretians.

is very

I. 15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

These Jewish babblers talk of differences of meats, as if some were still impure by virtue of the Levitical Law; but these men are deceived: for now, since the abrogation of those ceremonial observations, certainly there is no impurity to be conceived to remain in the creature itself; but what impurity there is, is in the receiver of them if the man be pure, all meats are pure to him; but, if the man be sinful and unclean, in vain doth he think to make choice of his meat, for all that he can touch or taste, is made unclean to him, by his inward and moral pollution, since thereby his very soul is made odiously unclean to God.

II. 3 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned.

Let that which thou teachest, O Titus, be sound doctrine; such as, if it come to scanning, cannot be justly censured.

II. 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

For the great bounty and mercy of God, which offereth, and, if they were not wanting to him and themselves in not believing, bringeth salvation to mankind, hath been manifestly shewed and well approved unto all men, in the incarnation of the Son of God;

II. 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness, &c.

By virtue whereof, that holy Gospel of his, whereby this salvation is published to the world, teacheth us to avoid ungodliness, &c.

II. 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Having an eye to that blessed recompence of reward, which we stedfastly hope for; even that unspeakable glory, which we shall be possessed fully of, at the appearance of our great God and Sa viour Jesus Christ.

III. 5 According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

According to his great mercy he hath saved us, by the means of those holy ordinances which he hath appointed; and namely, as one of them, by the holy Sacrament of Baptism, which is the laver of our spiritual regeneration, yet not by any virtue of the outward sign, but by the inward renovation, which is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost;

III. 6 Which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Which Holy Ghost he hath abundantly endued us withal, in the miraculous and saving graces thereof, by and through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who sends that glorious Comforter of his Church.

III. 9 But avoid foolish questions, &c. See 1 Tim. i. 4. and 1 Tim. vi. 5.

III. 10, 11 A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

If any man teach or hold erroneously concerning the main points of Christian religion, do thou give him some serious admonitions, to reclaim him, if it may be; but if once or twice admonishing prevail not, reject him; Knowing that such a one is utterly incorrigible, and sinneth wilfully, in not yielding to the truth; and is therefore condemned in his own conscience, while, after so palpable a conviction, he will yet hold out to maintain a known

error. 1

III. 13 Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, &c.

Zenas, who, having been a professor of the Mosaical Law, is now

so much the fitter for the preaching of the Gospel, and Apollos, who is mighty in the Scriptures, are coming towards me : let them be aided by you, in the charge of their journey hitherward.

III. 14 And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses.

And stir up those, that profess themselves to be our disciples and well-willers, that they be ready and forward to do all works of charity and beneficence.

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO PHILEMON.

I. 1 And fellowlabourer.

Our fellowlabourer in the Gospel, Bishop or Pastor of the Church at Colosse.

I. 2 And to our beloved Apphia.

And to his faithful consort, our beloved sister Apphia.

I. 6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual, by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

My prayers are always for thee, that thy faith may ever shew itself to be sound and lively, by those good works which it shall produce; and that those charitable actions of thine may give effectual demonstration of the holy graces, that are in thee by the gift and inoperation of Jesus Christ.

in

I. 10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten my bonds:

I beseech thee in the behalf of Onesimus, who is now my convert; as whom, in my imprisonment, I have won to the faith of Christ:

I. 11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now pro fitable to thee and to me:

Who, in times past, while he was thy servant, and an unbeliever, was belike, contrary to his name, utterly unprofitable; but now, upon his conversion, will make good that which his name imports, and prove profitable both to thee and me:

I. 12 Receive him, that is, mine own bowels.

Receive him therefore lovingly, whom I esteem as dear to me, as my own bowels.

1. 13 Bonds of the gospel.

In this durance and imprisonment, which I endure for the Gospel. I. 16 Both in the flesh, and in the Lord.

How much more dear to thee; both in worldly or civil respects, and in spiritual!

I. 17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.

If thou count me worthy to be a partner of thy love and dearest respects, and wouldst shew favour to me if I were present with thee, do the same to him, whom I now hold as my other self.

I. 20 Refresh my bowels in the Lord.

Do thou comfort and cheer me up in my spiritual joy, in the Lord refresh me in the Lord: refresh me in these afflictions, which I suffer for Christ, in doing this kindness for my sake,.

THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS.

I. 1, 2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath &c.

That God, who, in the several times and ages of the world, did, in many and divers ways and manners, reveal himself to our forefathers, by his prophets, in dreams, in visions, in secret inspirations and instincts, in apparitions of angels; sometimes in the cloud, sometimes in the fire, sometimes in whirlwinds, sometimes in a still voice, Hath now in these, &c.

I. 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Who, being in respect of his divine nature, very God, of very God; light of his Father's light, the brightness of those glorious beams of his eternal essence and infinite majesty; and being so the express and clear representation of his Father's person, as that the substance of the Father doth perfectly shine forth in him, and all that is to be known concerning God is manifested to us in and by him; and giving supportation, maintenance, preservation to all things which he hath made, by that almighty power of his; when he had, by his own all-sufficient satisfaction, expiated and done away all our sins, even by himself and his own precious blood shed for us; he then took up his rest in the full possession of heavenly glory, even as Man, at the right hand of his Father;

I. 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Being, in his very human nature, advanced so much higher than the greatest angels of heaven, by how much he hath obtained a more excellent and glorious Name than they, viz. to be called and to be, The Son of God; not by grace or adoption as we are, but by nature and eternal communication of essence.

I. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

And of the angels he saith, Who makes these invisible and spiritual natures, so swift messengers, as the very winds that pass suddenly round about the earth, and return not; and makes those his ministering spirits, as quick, piercing, forceable, operative, as flames of fire.

1. 8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thus he speaks ever of the angels, as servants; but, of the Son,