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man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God supplieth that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ; to whom belongeth praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 12 Beloved, think it not strange that a fiery persecution * among you cometh to pass for your trial, as though some 13 strange thing befel you: but be glad, inasmuch as ye

share the sufferings of Christ; that, when his glory shall be manifested, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye: for the spirit of glory, and of power, and of God, resteth upon you. [On their part he is evil-spoken of, 15 but on your part he is glorifiedt.] For let none of you suffer as a murtherer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or 16 as a busy meddler in other men's affairs. But if any man

suffer as a christian, let him not be ashamed; but let 17 him glorify God on this account. For the time is come that judgement must begin from the household of God: and if it begin from us, what will the end be of those who 18 believe not the gospel of God? And if the righteous be

scarcely preserved, where will the ungodly and the sin19 ner appear? Wherefore let those also, who suffer ac

cording to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as to a faithful creator. CH. V. The elders that are among you I exhort, that am a

fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and an heir also of the glory which will be manifested; 2 feed the flock of God which is among you, being over- seers of it, not by constraint, but willingly; nor for 3 base gain, but with a ready mind; nor as domineering § over those allotted to you, but as being examples to the

* Or, be not surprised at the fiery persecution among you, which cometh, &c. ver. 4.

N. m.

+ "the authenticity of this whole clause is doubtful,"
taking the care [or charge] of it. S. 74. N. m.

Newcome.

§ having dominion, N.

4 flock. And, when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive an unfading crown of glory.

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6

10

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Likewise, ye younger, be subject to the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility* for "God resisteth the proud; but bestoweth favour on the humble."

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of 7 God, that he may exalt you in due time

having cast all

your anxiety upon Him, inasmuch as He careth for you. 8 Be sober, be watchful: [because] your adversary the

false accuser walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking 9 whom he may devour: whom resist, steadfast in the faith; knowing that the same sufferings are undergone by your brethren who are in the world.

Now the God of all favour, who hath called us to his everlasting glory by Christ Jesus, prepare, support, strengthen, stablish you, after ye have suffered a short time. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, a faithful brother to you, as I suppose I have written in few words; exhorting you, and testifying that this is the true gracious gospel of God in which 13 ye stand. The church which is at Babylon, elect together 14 with you, saluteth you and so doth Mark, my son. Salute ye one another with a kiss of love. Peace be with you all that are in Christ [Jesus.] Amen.

humility of mind: N. See Wakefield.

† devil, N. but see Newcome's note. your slanderous adversary, Wakefield.
Or, as I judge.

THE

SECOND EPISTLE

GENERAL

OF

PETER*.

CHAP. I.

SIMON Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the justification of our God+, and of our Saviour 2 Jesus Christ: favour and peace be multiplied to you, through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord; 3 according as his divine power hath given us all things relating to life and godliness, through the knowledge of 4 him that hath called us by his glory and virtue by

which very great and precious promises are given unto us, that by these ye might be partakers of a divine nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world 5 through evil desire. And, to this end, use all your dili

gence, and add to your faith fortitude, and to fortitude 6 knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to tem

This epistle is placed by Eusebius amongst those books of the New Testament, the genuineness of which was disputed in the primitive ages. Of these Dr. Lardner says, "they should be allowed to be publicly read in Christian assemblies for the edification of the people, but not be alleged as affording alone sufficient proof of any doctrine." Lardner's Hist. of the Apostles, vol. i. ch. ii. Some have thought the first and third chapters genuine, but from the difference of style have doubted of the second.

"through the method of justifying as provided by our God, &c." Newcome, Or, glorious virtue. Or, glorious power.

7 perance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly-kindness, and to brotherly-kindness love. 8 For when these things are in you, and abound, they

make you that ye shall not be barren and unfruitful in the 9 knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that hath not these things is blind, closing his eyes, and hath forgotten his former purification from his sins *. 10 Wherefore, brethren, more earnestly endeavour to

make your calling and election sure: for, if ye do these 11 things, ye will never fall: for thus an entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be richly ministered unto you.

12

you

Wherefore I will not be negligent to remind always of these things; though ye know them, and be 13 established in the present truth. Yet I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up, by re14 minding you; knowing that shortly I must put off this

my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ declared to 15 me. So I will endeavour + that ye may always be able, after my decease, to make mention of these things.

16

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory,

when such a voice came to him from the excellent glory, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well-pleased." 18 And this voice we heard, which came from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19

We have also the word of prophecy more confirmed; to which ye do well that ye attend, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star rise 20 in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of 21 scripture giveth its own solution t.

*Or, purification from his former sins.

+ Or, So I will always endeavour &c. N. m.

For prophecy

came

Or, interpretation. See Wakefield. It is not obvious of itself, but is explained

by its accomplishment. Is of private utterance. N.

not at any time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy spirit. CH. 11. But there were false prophets also among the Jewish people; as there will be false teachers also among you, who will privily* bring in destructive heresies †, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them‡; bringing on them2 selves swift destruction. And many will follow their im

purities §; on account of whom the way of truth will be 3 evil-spoken of. And through covetousness they will make a gain of you by their feigned words: but their judgement, long since foretold, now lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.

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For if God spared not the angels who sinned¶, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them up to chains of dark5 ness to be reserved for judgement; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, the eighth person preserved, when he brought the flood on the 6 world of ungodly men; and turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, and condemned them with an utter overthrow, making them an example to those who should 7 afterward be ungodly; but delivered righteous Lot, who was 8 grieved by the impure behaviour of lawless** men; (for that righteous man, while he dwelt among them seeing and hearing, tormented his righteous soul from day to day with

*Or, craftily, N. m.

+ Gr. heresies of destruction, N. m.

Dr. Whitby interprets this of God the Father, who only is called Armorns in the New Testament. See Deut. xxxii. 6; 1 Cor. vi. 20; referred to by Whitby. See also Exod. xv. 16. Who provided means for their deliverance from idolatry and vice. § their pernicious ways; R. T.

because of, N.

Or, if God spared not the messengers who had sinned, i. e. the spies who were sent to explore the land of Canaan, &c. See Simpson's Essays, p. 205 &c. But, if the common interpretation be admitted, it will not establish the popular doctrine concerning fallen angels. For, 1. The epistle itself is of doubtful authority. 2. From the change of style this is the most doubtful portion of the epistle. 3. By those who admit the genuineness of the epistle, this chapter is supposed to have been a quotation from some ancient apocryphal book, and the apostle might not mean to give authority to the doctrine, but to argue with his readers upon known and allowed principles. See Sherlock's Diss., and Benson, and Doddridge's Introductions to this epistle. The epistle of Jude is supposed to allude to, or to quote from, the same apocryphal work.

** N. m. wicked, N.

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