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as a canker doth in the flesh; of which sort, are Hymeneus and Philetus;

II. 18. Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Who have erred in a main point of faith; saying that there is no other than a spiritual resurrection, to be received; and that this spiritual resurrection is passed, while we live here on earth; and, by this means, have perverted and overthrown the faith of some.

II. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

But, howsoever some fashionable professors of Christianity do thus fall off; yet, nevertheless, the foundation of God's gracious and eternal election remains sure and unmovable, and is shut up inviolably under this seal of his; The Lord hath eternally fore-known those that are his: yet not so, as that, presuming upon an absolute decree, we should live as we list; but, on our parts who are thus mercifully fore-known, there is required a holy and conscionable obedience, so, as that every one, that professes the name of Christ, must depart from iniquity.

II. 20. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth: and some to honour and some to dishonour.

Neither need we to be troubled, to see some fall away from Christ: for, as we see it is in a great house, there are vessels of all sorts and metals, and of all forms and for all uses; some. precious ones of gold and of silver, which are for honourable uses; others again of wood or of earth, which are destined to baser uses: so it is in the great house of God, the world; all are not faithful, all are not set apart to glory.

II. 21. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

And, if any man therefore shall keep himself pure and clean from these false doctrines and heretical teachers, he shall approve himself to be a vessel of honour, sanctified and set apart by God, for the glory of his mercy, and by him prepared and enabled to every good work,

II. 22. Fly also youthful lusts.

Avoid thou those impetuous desires and passions, to which youth is commonly subject.

II. 23. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid.

But foolish questions, and such as tend to no edification, and can give no furtherance to our knowledge by assoyling them, do thou avoid.

II. 24. And the servant of the Lord must not strive. And it is not for a servant of the Lord, to quarrel and brabble about slight and worthless matters.

II. 25. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknow ledging of the truth;

Endeavouring that, by this means, God, if he have so decreed, may give them repentance, and grace to acknowledge that truth, which they have gainsaid;

II. 26. And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

And, that they may seasonably recover themselves from their heresies and errors, which are the very snares of the Devil, wherein they are entangled, and held captive at his pleasure.

III. 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Making an outward and formal profession of godliness in words, but in their deeds denying the power thereof; so living, as if godliness were but a mere name and a matter of fashion, without all force and efficacy: have nothing to do with such kind of men.

III. 6, 7. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Of this sort of dangerous hypocrites are they, which, under fair pretences, insinuate themselves into men's houses, and seduce poor silly women; which are the more apt to be misled, for that they are formerly vicious, being light housewives, and those that are given up to lewd and wanton courses; Which indeed are fit disciples for such teachers, as those which are curiously enquiring still into every novelty of doctrine, and never care to attain unto sound knowledge of God's saving truth.

III. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

Now, as of old, Jannes and Jambres, which were Pharaoh's sorcerers, resisted Moses and contested with him, in the message that he brought from God; so do these false teachers, at this day, resist us, in delivering the truth of the Gospel; being men of corrupt minds, desperately erring in the main points of religion, and framing their belief according to their own fancies and affections.

III. 9. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

But they shall not prevail, to the seducing of any more: for

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God shall lay them open, and display the foolishness of their doctrine, and shame them, as he did those sorcerers; who were so restrained by the hand of God, that they could not so much as make lice, in emulation of Moses.

III. 13. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

The godly are afflicted and persecuted; but wicked men and seducers are at full ease, and grow on, from one degree of sin to another; deceiving others, and being themselves deceived by Satan.

III. 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

All Holy Scripture is given by inspiration from God, not being dictated or penned by any human device; and is fully available, as for matter of doctrine and for confutation of errors, so also in respect of manners, both for correction of misdemeanours, and for instruction and direction of our holy and righteous carriage.

III. 17. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

That a Divine or teacher of God's people may be made complete; throughly furnished by it unto all the services of his profession.

IV. 3. For the time will come when they will_not_endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.

Be earnest and diligent in preaching: for there will arise false teachers, who shall so bewitch the minds of men with their plausible 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 righ

teousness.

And now, from henceforth, I comfort myself with the expec

tation 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: 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 acknowledgement 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, cruel oppressors, dull, and epicurean gluttons.

I. 13. This witness is true.

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

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

VOL. IV.

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