calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

II PETER III

I Peter i

Now in the latter days there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation! Nevertheless, according to the promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, seeing that ye look for these things, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God! Give diligence, therefore, that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless. And knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with wicked error, ye fall from your own stedfastness.

Girding up therefore the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you according to the revelation of Jesus Christ; as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former manner of life in the time of your ignorance: but, as he who called you is holy, so be ye yourselves holy in all manner of living.

THE FIRST EPISTLE

OF JOHN

I JOHN I, II

If we

Now this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected.

Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard. Again, a new commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and

there is no occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. I have written unto you, fathers, 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 world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

I JOHN III, IV

Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called sons of God! And hereby know we this, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. Herein is love made perfect with us; because as he is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love, because he first loved

us.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man hath beheld God at any time; but if we love one another, God abideth

in us, and his love is perfected in us. For God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God in him. If any man say, I love God, yet hateth his brother, how dwelleth the love of God in him? for he who loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen.

Let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as God is righteous. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one also that doeth righteousness is born of him. Whosover is born of God doth not commit sin, because his Spirit abideth in him: and he will not sin because he is born of God. In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the world: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Beloved, now are we sons of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. But we know that, when it shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

I JOHN II, III

Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no mur

derer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby know we love, in that we lay down our lives one for another. But whoso hath the world's goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?

My little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth. Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him, whereinsoever our heart condemn us; because God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should love one another. And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in God, and God in him.

Beloved, love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.