10 the consummation of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Concerning which salvation, the prophets inquired accurately, and searched diligently, who have prophesied concerning the favor bestowed on you; 11 searching diligently of what things, and what kind of time, the Spirit of Christ, who was in them, did signify, when he testified before, the suf 12 ferings for Christ, and the glories following these :-to whom it was revealed, that not for themselves, but for us, they ministered these things; which have now been reported to you, by them who have declared the glad tidings to you, with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven: into 13 which things, angels earnestly desire to look attentively. Wherefore, having the loins of your mind girded, being vigilant, constantly hope for 14 the gift to be brought to you, at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obe

dient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts, 15 in your ignorance; but as he who has called you is holy, be you also 16 holy for it is written, "Be you holy, because I am holy." And seeing

you call on the Father, who, without respect of persons, judges according to every man's work,-pass the time of your sojourning here in fear; 18 knowing, that not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, you were redeemed from your foolish behaviour, delivered to you by your fathers; 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and 20 without spot; predetermined, indeed. before the foundation of the world, 21 but manifested in these last times for you; who through him believe in

God, who raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your 22 faith and hope might be in God. Wherefore, having purified your souls by obeying the truth, through the Spirit, to unfeigned brotherly love, love 23 one another, from a pure heart, fervently: having been regenerated, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of the living 24 God, which remains. "For alt flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower of it falls 25 down; but the word of the Lord remains forever." Now this is that word, which has been proclaimed as glad tidings to you.

11.-Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile and hypocrisies, 2 and envyings, and alí evil speakings; as new born babes, earnestly desire 3 the unadulterated milk of the word, that you may grow by it. Because, 4 indeed, you have tasted that the Lord is good; to whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, and precious; 5 you also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual temple, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, most acceptable to God, through Jesus 6 Christ. Wherefore, it is contained in the scripture, "Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone. elect, precious: whosoever trusts in it, shall 7 not be ashamed." To you, then, who trust, it is precious; but to the unbelieving a stone which the builders rejected, which has become the 8 head of the corner-a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence. Those who stumble at the word, are disobedient unbelievers, to which, there9 fore, they were appointed: but you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a boly nation, a purchased people; that you should declare the perfec tions of him, who has called you from darkness into his marvellous light: 10 who formerly were not a people, but now are a people of God; who had 11 not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beseech you, as sojourners and travellers, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war 12 againt the soul. Have your behaviour comely, among the Gentiles, that

whereas they speak against you, as evil doers, having beheld your good 13 works, they may glorify God, in the day of visitation. Be subject, there14 fore, to every human establishment for the Lord's sake; whether to the king, as supreme; or to governors, as those sent by him for the punish. 15 ment, indeed, of evil doers; but for the praise of them who do good. For so is the will of God, that by doing good, you put to silence the ignorance 16 of foolish men. Live as freemen, yet do not use your freedom as a cov17 ering of wickedness; but as the servants of God. Treat all men with 18 respect: love the brotherhood: fear God: honor the king. Let house

hold servants be subject to their masters, with all reverence; not only to 19 the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is acceptable, if 20 any one, from conscience of God, sustain sorrows, suffering unjustly. But what praise is due, if, when you commit faults and are buffeted, you bear it patiently? Yet if, when you do well, and suffer, you bear it pa 21 tiently, this is acceptable with God. Besides, to this you were called;

for even Christ suffered for us, leaving us a pattern, that you should fol22 low his footsteps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered,

he did not threaten, but committed his cause to him who judges right24 eously:-who himself bore away our sins in his own body, on the tree; that we, being freed from sins, should live to righteousness; by whose 25 stripes you are healed. For you were as sheep going astray, but are now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

III.-In like manner, let the wives be in subjection to their own husbands; that, indeed, if any obey not the word, they, without the word, 2 may be won by the behaviour of their wives, (when they behold your 3 chaste behaviour joined with reverence :) whose adorning, let it not be that which is external,-the plaiting of hair, trinkets of gold, or finery 4 of dress, but-the hidden man of the heart, with the incorruptible orna ment of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is of great 5 value. For thus, anciently, the holy women also, who trusted in God, 6 adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own busbands; even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord; whose daughters you are be 7 come, doing well, and not fearing any terror. In like manner, husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife, as the weaker vessel, and as joint heirs of the favor of life, that 8 your prayers be not hindered. Finally, be all of one mind, sympathi9 zing, lovers of the brethren, tender-hearted, courteous;-but returning evil for evil, or railing for railing; but, on the contrary, bless: knowing that 10 to this you were called, that you might inherit the blessing. "For he

who is desirous to enjoy life, and to see good days, let him restrain his 11 tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away 12 from evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open to their sup plication; but the face of the Lord is against the workers of iniquity." 13 Besides, who is he that will do evil to you, if you be imitators of the 14 Good One? Nevertheless, although you even suffer for righteousness

sake, you are happy. Therefore, do not fear their fear, neither be troub 15 led: but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be always prepared for giving an answer, with meekness and reverence, to every one who 16 asks of you a reason for the hope, which is in you. Hold fast a good conscience, that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may 17 be put to shame, who arraign your good behaviour in Christ. For it is betier to suffer as well doers, if the will of God appoints it, than as evil 18 doers. For even Christ once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God; being put to death, indeed, in the flesh, 19 but made alive by the Spirit. By which also he made proclamation to 20 the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when the patience of God once waited, in the days of Noah, while an ark was preparing, in which few, that is, eight souls, were effectually saved through water: 21-the antitype, immersion, does also now save us, (not the patting away of the filth of the flesh; but the seeking of a good conscience toward 22 God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; who, having gone into heaven, is at the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers, being subjected to him.

IV.-Christ, then, having suffered for us in the flesh, do you also arm yourselves with the same mind: for he who has suffered in the flesh, has 2ceased from sin; so that he no longer lives his remaining time in the flesh S to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time which has

passed of life, is sufficient to have wrought the will of the Gentiles; hav ing walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excesses in wine, revellings, carous4 als, and abominable idolatries. On which account they wonder, that you do not run with them into the same sink of debauchery, reviling you:5 who shall give account to him, who is prepared to judge the living and 6 the dead. For to this end the gospel was preached to the dead, that they might, indeed, be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

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Now the end of all things has approached: be, therefore, sober, and 8 watch to prayer. And above all things, have fervent love to one another; 9 for love will cover a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another, 10 without murmurings. Let every one, according as he has received a

gift, minister it to the others, as good stewards of the manifold favor of 11 God. If any one speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: if any one minister, let him do it as from the strength which God supplies; that in all things God may be glorified, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the 12 glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. Beloved, wonder not at the fiery trial among you, which is come upon you for a trial, as if some 13 strange thing happened to you; but, seeing you par ake of the sufferings of Christ, rejoice; that also at the revelation of his glory you may re14 joice, with exceedingly great joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ, you are happy; because the Spirit of glory and of God rests up. on you. By them, indeed, he is evil spoken of, bet by you he is glori 15 fied. Wherefore, let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a 16 malefactor, or as a meddling person. However, if any one suffer as a

Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him even glorify God on that 17 account. Indeed, the time is come that punishment must begin at the house of God; and if it begin first at us, what the end of them, who do 18 not obey the gospel of God? And, if the righteous with difficulty escape, 19 where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore, then, let those who suffer by the will of God, commit their own lives to him in well doing, as to a faithful Creator.

V.-The seniors who are among you, I exhort, who am also a senior, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory 2 which is to be revealed. Feed the flock of God, which is with you; exercising the overseer's office, not by constraint, but willingly; neither 3 for the sake of sordid gain, but from good disposition; neither as lording 4 it over the heritage of God, but being patterns to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive the crown of glory, which fades not away.

5 For the like reason, you younger persons, subject yourselves to the seniors. Yes, all be subject to one another, and be clothed with humil6 ity; for God resists the proud, but gives favor to the humble. Be humbled, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in 7 due time. Cast all your anxious care on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant: your adversary, the devil, is walking about as a 9 roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist, stedfast in the faith, knowing that the very same sufferings are accomplished in your 10 brethren, who are in the world. And may the God of all favor, who has called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, himself make you complete; support, strengthen, establish you: 11to him be the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Sylvanus, a faithful brother, (as I conclude.) I have written to you in few words, exhorting you, and strongly testifying that this is the true favor 13 of God, in which you stand. They at Babylon, elected jointly with you, 14 and Mark my son, salute you. Salute one another with a kiss of love Peace to you all, who are in Christ Jesus.

The Second Epistle of the Apostle PETER.

[Written from Rome, A. D. 65.]

L-SYMEON PETER, a servant aud Apostle of Jesus Christ, to them who have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness 2 of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: Favor and peace be multiplied to you, through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.

3

As his divine power has gifted to us all things which are necessary to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who has called us to 4 glory and virtue. On account of which, the greatest and most precious promises are freely given to us, that by these we might be made partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in 5 the world through lust. And for this very reason, indeed, giving all dili6 gence, add to your faith, courage; and to courage, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience, and to patience, 7 godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kind 8 ness, love: for these things being in you, and abounding, make you to be neither slothful, nor unfruitful, in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus 9 Christ. But he who has not these things, is blind, shutting his eyes, hav 10 ing become forgetful of the purification of his old sins. Wherefore, the

ra her, brethren, earnes ly endeavor to make your calling and election 11 sure; for doing these things, you shall never fall: and thus there shall be richly minis'ered to you, an entrance into the everlas ing kingdom of 12 our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore, I will not neglect to put

you always in remembrance of these things, although you know, and are 13 established in, the present truth. Yes, I think it fit, as long as I am in 14 this tabernacle, to stir you up, by putting you in remembrance; knowing.

tha the putting off of this my tabernacle is soon to happen, even as our 15 Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Therefore I will carefully endeavor, that you may be able, after my decease, to have these things always in 16 remembrance. For we have not followe! cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus 17 Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his grandeur; for when he received from God the Father, houor and gl ry, a voice to this effect came to him from the magnificent glory, "This is my Son, the beloved, in whom 18 I delight." And this voice we heard come from heaven, being with him 19 on the holy mountain: so we have the prophetic word more firm; to

which you do well to take heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, 20 till the day dawn, and the morning star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private impulse: for never, at any time, was prophecy brought by the will of man; but the holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

II. But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you; who will privately in'roduce destructive sects, denying even the Lord who bought them, bringing on 2 themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their lewd prac 3 tices, on account of whom, the way of truth will be evil spoken of. And through covetousness, they will make merchandize of you, by hctitious tales: to whom the punishmeat threatened of old lingers not, and their 4 destruction slumbers not. For God, indeed, did not spare the angels who sinned, but with chains of darkness confining them in Tartarus, deliv 5 ered them over to be kept for judgment; and did not spare the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth, a proclaimer of righteousness, when 6 he brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and having reduced to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, punished them with an overthrow, making them an example to those who should afterward live ungodly; and rescued righteous Lot, exceedingly grieved by the lewd be Rhaviour of the lawless: (for;-that righteous man, dwelling among them,

by the sight and report of their unlawful deeds, tormented his righteous 9 soul from day to day;) the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unrighteous to a day of judgment, to be 10 punished; but especially those who go after the flesh in the lust of un cleanness, and who despise government: being audacious, self-willed 11 who fear not to revile dignities; whereas angels, who are greater iL strength and power, do not bring a reviling accusation against them be 12 fore the Lord. But these, as natural irrational animals, made for cap. ture and destruction, speaking evil of matters which they do not under 13 stand, shall be utterly destroyed by their own corruptions; receiving the due reward of unrighteousness. These delight to spend the day in lux urious festivity: they are spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceits 14 when they feast with you; having eyes full of the adulteress, incessantly sinning, alluring unstable souls; having a heart exercised with insatiable 15 desires; an accursed progeny: having forsaken the right path, they have wandered, following in the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved 16 the wages of iniquity, and was convicted of his transgression; the dumb

brute, speaking with man's voice, reprimanded the madness of the 17 prophet. These are wells without water, clouds driven by a tempest, 18 for whom, the blackness of darkness is reserved forever: for speaking

great swelling words of falsehood, they allure by the lusts of the flesh, even by lasciviousness, those who have ac ually fled away from theni 19 who are living in error. They promise them fiberty, whilst they them selves are slaves of corruption: for every oue is enslaved by that which 20 overcomes him. Now, if having fled away from the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and being again entangled, they are overcome by them; their last condition 21 is worse than the first. Therefore, it had been better for them, not t have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn 22 away from the holy commandment delivered to them. But the saying of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog is returned to his own vomi'; and the washed hog, to its wallowing in the mire."

III.-Beloved, this second epistle I now write to you, in which epis 2 tles 1 stir up your sincere mind to remembrance: to be mindful of the words before spoken by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of 3 us, the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour. Knowing this first, that 4 scoffers will come in the last days, walking after their own lusts; and saying. Where is the promise of his coming? for from the time the fa thers fell asleep, all things continue as at the beginning of the creation. 5 But this wilfully escapes them, that, by the word of God the heavens 6 were of old, and the earth subsisting from the water, and by water: by which the world that then was, being deluged with water, perished 7 But the present heavens and the earth, by the same word are treasured up, being kept for fire to a day of judgment, and destruction of ungodly 8 men. But this one thing, let it not escape you, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord does not delay his promise in the manner some account delay. ing; but he exercises long-suffering towards us, not desiring that any 10 should perish, but that all should come to reformation. However, as a thief, the day of the Lord will come; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements burning shall be dissolved; and 11 the earth, and the works that are upon it, shall be utterly burned. Seeing, then, all these things shall be dissolved;-what sort of persons ought 12 you to be, in holy behaviour and godliness, expecting, and earnestly de siring, the coming of the day of God; in which the heavens being set on 13 fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements burning, shall be melted? But we, according to his promise, expect new heavens, and a new earth, in 14 which dwells righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, expecting these things diligently endeavor to be found of him spotless, and irreproachable, in 15 peace. And reckon the long-suffering of our Lord, to be for salvation;