CHAP. I.

1 Confirming them in hope of the increase of God's graces, 5 he exhorteth them, by faith, and good works, to make their calling sure: 12 whereof he is careful to remember them, knowing that his death is at hand: 16 and warneth them to be constant in the faith of Christ, who is the true Son of God, by the eye-witness of the apostles beholding his majesty, and by the testimony of the Father, and the prophets. IIMON Peter, a servant and S an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

OF

PETER.

2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the know- Tit. 2. 18. ledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory

and virtue:

b Da. 4. 1. & 6. 25. Pe. 1. 2. Jude 2.

3.

John 17. d 1 Th. 2.

12. & 4. 7. 2 Th. 2.14.

2 Ti. 1. 9. 1 Pe. 2.9.&

3.9.

Or, by.

tch. 3. 1.

u See De.

4. 21, 22.& 31.14. 2Ti. 4. 6.

* John 21. 18, 19.

y 1Co.1.17. & 2. 1, 4. 2

Co.2.17.&

4. 2.

Mat. 17. 1,2. Ma. 9. 2. John 1.

14.130.1.1.

& 4. 14.

a Mat. 3.

17. & 17.5.

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be f partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world e 2 Co. 7.1. Ma.1.11.& through lust. f 2 Co. 3. 9. 7. Lu. 3. 18. Ep. 4. 22. & 9.35. 24. He. 12. See Ex. 10.1Jo.3.2 3. 5. Joe.5. ch. 2. 18, 15. Mat.17.

5 And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; 6 And to knowledge, temper-g ance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; 7 And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity.

20.

6.

ch. 3. 18. c Ps. 119.

il Pe. 3.7.

Ga. 6.10.) 1 Th. 3.12.

105.John5. 35.

d Re. 2.28. & 22. 16.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that 5.15.1Jo. See 2 Co. ye shall neither be † barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacketh these things m is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was n purged from his old sins.

4. 21. + Gr. idle.

4. 4, 6. e Ro. 12. 6.

1 John 15. f2Ti.3.16. 2. Tit.3.14.1 Pe. 1. 11. m 1 Jo.2.9, Or, at any time.

11.

n Ep. 5.26. 2 Sa. 23. He. 9. 14. 2. 1.u.1.70.

10 Wherefore the rather, breth-1 Jo. 1. 7. Ac.1.16.& ren, give diligence to make your 1J0.8.19.3. 18.

calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, Pye shall never fall:

11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in rcmembrance;

14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

15 Moreover, I will endeavour that ye may be able, after my decease, to have these things always in remembrance.

16 For we have not followed y cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, a This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.

18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy

mount.

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and d'the day-star arise in your hearts:

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

cast

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved m Noah the eighth person, na preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 And Pturning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds ;)

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed; they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Or, lascivious ways, as some cop. ies read. f Ro. 16. 18. 2Co. 12. 17,18. 1 Ti.

h Jude 12, 13.

Jude 16.

15.

i Job 4. 18. Jude 6.

* John 8.

Or, for a little, or, while, as some read.

1 Ga. 5. 13. 1 Pe. 2. 16.

and of their punishment. blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: fan heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass, speaking with man's voice, forbade the madness of the prophet.

17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for

ever.

18 For when i they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the fiest, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world P through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way o ch. 1. 4. of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, y Jude 8. bring not railing accusation lagainst them before the Lord.

12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption:

Jude 9.

41.&15.22. Pr.26.11.

a Je. 12. 3. Jude 10. Phi.3.19.

Jude 17.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and, The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.

CHAP. III.

1 He assureth them of the certainty of Christ's coming to judgment, against those scorners who dispute against it: 8 warning the godly, for the long patience of God, to hasten their repentance. 10 He describeth also the manner how the world shall be destroyed: 11 exhorting them, from the expec tation thereof, to all holiness of life: 15 and again, to think the patience of God to tend to their salvation, as Paul wrote to them in his epistles. THIS second epistle, beloved,

I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 c Knowing this first, that there

5 For this they willingly are ig-f norant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth + standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

1Pe.1.15.

t1 Co. 1.7. Tit. 2. 13.

Or, hasting the coming.

u

Ps. 50. 3. Is. 34. 4. Mi. 1. 4. ver. 10.

y Is. 65.17. & 66. 22.

+ Gr. consisting. g Ps. 24. 2. & 136. 6. Re. 21. 1, Col. 1. 17. 27. h Ge. 7.11,

21, 22, 23.1 Co.1.8. ch. 2. 5. & 15. 58. i ver. 10. Phi. 1. 10. 1 Th. 3.13. & 5. 23. a Ro. 2. 4. 1 Pe. 3. 20.

Mat. 25. 41. 2 Th.1. 8.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant Ps. 90. 4. ver. 9. of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 m The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but Pthat all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what

m Hab.2.3. He. 10. 37. n Is. 30.18. 1 Pe. 3. 20. ver. 13.

6 Ro. 8. 19. 1 Co.15.24. 1 Th. 4.16.

o Ez.18.23, 32 &33.11. p Ro. 2. 4. 1 Ti. 2. 4. q Mat. 24. 43. Lu. 12. Ma. 13. 39. 1 Th.5. 23.ch.1.12. 2. Re 3. 3. d Ep. 4.14. & 16. 15. ch.1.10,11. TPs. 102. & 2. 18. 26. Is.51.6. Mat. 24.35. Ma. 13.31. Ro. 8. 20. He. 1. 11. Re. 20. 11. & 21. 1.

e Ep. 4. 15. 1 Pe. 2. 2. 2Ti.4.18. Re. 1. 6.

Christ's second coming.

manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you;

16 As also in all his epistles, bspeaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, d beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfast

ness.

18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

CHAP. I.

1 He describeth the person of Christ, in whom we have eternal life, by a communion with God: 5 to which we must adjoin holiness of life, to testify the truth of that our communion and profession of faith, as also to assure us of the forgiveness of our sins by Christ's death.

THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked. upon, and our hands have handied, of the Word of life;

2 (For d the life was manifested, and we have seen it, fand bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us ;)

3 That which we have seen and

h John 1.1Ki.8.46. 1, 2.

2 Ch. 6. 36.

ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 m This then is the message which we have heard of hima, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and Pthe

blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

44 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

new

Ps. 32. 5.

Pr. 28. 13.

After A. D. 90.

Ep. 6.10.

51. 2.

a Ro. 8.34. Ti. 2. 5. He.7.25. & 9. 21.

a Mat, 6. 24. Ga. 1.

We must beware of seducers thers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. 10. Ja. 4.4. a If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

b Ec. 5. 11.

c 1Co.7.31. Ja. 1.10.& 4. 14. 1 Pe. 1. 24.

d John 21. 5.

e He. 1. 2. f2 Th.2.3, &e. 2Pe.2. 1. ch. 4. 3.

Mat. 24. 6,24.2J0.7.

10. e John 1. 29. & 4.42. & 11.51,52

eh. 4. 14.

Mat. 21. 21. John 6.

37.& 10.25,

4. 20.

19.

19.

m 2 Co. 1. 21. He.1.9. ver. 2. Ma.1.24. Ac. 3. 14.

21.

7 Brethren, I write no commandment unto you, but an old commandment m which ye had from the beginning: The old commandment is the word which ye 12 Jo. 5. have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment 1 write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and P the true light now shineth.

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none t occasion of stumbling in

him.

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

4 1 have written unto you, fa

26.& 16.13.

ver. 27.

p ch. 3. 3. 2 Jo. 7.

John 15. 23. 2 Jo. 9.

John 14. 7, 9, 10. ch. 4. 15.

10, 11.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

18 d Little children, it is the last time and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: might be made manifest that but they went out, that they they were not all of us.

20 But mye have an unction n from the Holy One, and know all things.

ye

21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and thai no lie is of the truth.

22 p Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.]

24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

25 u And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

27 But the anointing which 34. He. 8. ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing a teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

ch. 1 1.

d Ac.22.14.

Or, know ye.

e ch. 3. 7, 110.

abide in him; that when he 28 And now, little children, shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29 d If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one

The singular love of God.

that doeth righteousness is born of him.

CHAP. III.

1 He declareth the singular love of God towards us, in making us his sons: 3 who therefore ought obediently to keep his commandments, 11 as also brotherly to love one another.

BEHOLD what manner of love

the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and dit doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, ewe shall be like him; for ƒ we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for hsin is the trausgression of the law.

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: m whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

7 Little children, a let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8 P He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

f John 3. a John 1.16.& 15.13. 12. Ro.5.8. Ep. b John 15. 5. 2, 25. ch, 18,19.& 16.4. 9, 11. 3. & 17.25. De. 15.7. c Is. 56. 5. ch. 4.20. Lu. 3. 11. Ro. 8. 15. i Ez.33.31. Ga.3.26.& Ro. 12. 9. 4.6.ch.5.1. Ep. 4. 15. d Ro. 8.18. Ja. 2. 15. 2 Co. 4. 17.1 Pe. 1. 22. e Ro. 8.29. John 18. 1 Co.16.49. 37. ch. 1.8. Phi. 3, 21.]t Gr. Col. 3. 4. 2 persuade. Pe. 1. 4. 71 Co. 4.4. f Job 19.m Job 22. 26. Ps. 16. 26.

11. Mat. 5.

n He. 10. ®, 1 Co, 13. 22.ch.2.2. 12 2Co.5.7.& 4. 17. o P8.34.15. gch. 4. 17.& 145. 18, A Ro. 4.15. 19. Pr. 15. ch. 5. 17. 29. Je, 29, ich. 1. 2. 12. Mat. 7. 8. & 21.22. k Is. 53, 5, Ma. 11. 24. 6,11.1Ti.1. John14.13. 15. He.1.3. & 15. 7. & & 9, 26. 1 Pe. 2. 24. Ja. 5, 16. 16. 23, 21. 12Co.5.21.ch. 5. 14. He.4.15.& p John 8. 9. 28. 1 Pe. 29. & 9.31. 2. 22. 17 John 6. m ch. 2. 4.29. & 17.3. & 4.8. 3Jo. r Mat. 22. 11. 39.John13.

n ch. 2.26.34.&15.12. o Ez. 18. 5, Th. 4. 9. 1 Ep. 5. 2. 1 9. Ro. 2. Pe.4.8.ver. 13. ch.2.29.

Of trying the spirits.

16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall † assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 m Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, n then have we com fidence toward God.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, P and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 7 And this is his commandment; That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments,"dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. CHAP. IV.

1 He warneth them not to believe all teachers, who boast of the Spirit, but to fry them by the rules of the catholic faith: 7 and by many reasons exhorteth to brotherly love.

44.

7 Ge. 3.15. ch. 4. 12.
Lu. 10. 18. John 17.
John16.11.21, &c.
He. 2. 14.

Ro. 8. 9.

ch. 4. 13. rch. 5. 18. a Je. 29. 8. s1Pe.1 23. Mat. 24. 4. ch. 2. 29. 1 Co. 14. u ch. 4. 8. 29. 1 Th.5. ch 1. 5. 21. Re.2.2. & 2. 7. e Mat. 24.

11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, Or, com- 5, 24. Ac. y that we should love one auother.

12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death.

15d Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer. and ve know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

mandment. 20.30. 1Ti, John 13.4.1.2 Pe.2. 34.& 15.12. 1. ch. 2.18. ver. 23. ch. 2 Jo. 7. 4.7,21.2Jo.d1Co. 12.3. ch. 5. 1.

5.

Ge.4.4,8. e ch. 2. 22. He. 11. 4. 2 Jo. 7. Jude 11. 2Th.2.7.

a John 15. ch.2.18,22.

18,19.& 17. 14. 2 Ti. 3. 12.

b ch. 2. 10. e ch. 2. 9, 11.

d Mat. 5. 21,22.ch.4. 20. e Ga. 5. 21. Re. 21. 8.

g ch. 5. 4.
h Johu 12.
31.&14.30.
& 16. 11.
1 Co. 2. 12.
Ep. 2. 2. &
6. 12.
John3.31.

John 15. 19.& 17.14. John 8. 47. Im Is. 8. 20.

ELOVED, a believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because e many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and f'even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, thanh he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: there fore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

6 We are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth us; he that is not of God, heareth not us Hereby know we mthe spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

& 10. 27. 1 Co. 14. 37. 2 Co. 10. 7. John 14. 17. n ch. 3. 10, 11, 23.