their faith, it is written also, Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him." Though we walk in the flesh, says the apostle, "we walk not after the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds); casting down imaginations (marg. reasonings), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."-"We are not as many which corrupt the word of God.-Not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."1 In writing his second as well as his first Epistle to stir up the pure minds of primitive believers by way of remembrance; that they might be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of the apostles of the Lord and Saviour, the apostle Peter in conclusion tells them to account the long-suffering of the Lord salvation, as Paul also hath written-in whose Epistles "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."2

An illustration may here be given how men may wrest Scriptures to their destruction, where their imaginations are not cast down, but their souls lifted up, and thus not upright within them.

On the strength of a private interpretation of a single passage, the pretended successor of the apostle Peter seeks at the present time to exercise the assumed right of invading England, and parceling it out as if it were his own domain. "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell (hades) shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heav12 Cor. x. 3-5; ii. 17; iv. 2. 2 2 Pet. iii. 16.

1

en. These words, as the context shows, were spoken by the Lord to Peter, when, in answer to his question to his disciples, But whom say ye that I am? he answered, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. But when, as it is written in the third and fourth verses thereafter, Peter, on Christ's telling them of his sufferings and death, took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee; "" He turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” Peter, on the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on each of the apostles, was the first to preach the gospel to the Jews, and afterward to the Gentiles; but he preached not himself, but Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God. What was said to him was said to all the apostles, even when Judas was one of them. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye

shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."2 "Ye which have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."3 Paul was in nothing behind the very chiefest apostles; but he immediately subjoined to such a declaration, "though I be nothing."4 With him as with all the apostles, Christ was all and in all. The Vatican has sent out anathemas in the names of the apostles. But these are truly apostolic, There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (anathema). As we said before so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."5. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas (Peter); and I of Christ."

Matt. xvi. 18, 19.

3 Matt. xix. 28.

5 Gal. i. 8, 9.

2 Matt. xviii. 18; John xx. 23.

4 2 Cor. xi. 5; xii. 11.

6 1 Cor. i. 12.

-For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.-We preach Christ crucified.- For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?"- "Let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."1 "If any man love

not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha."2 Thus they used the keys of the kingdom of heaven thus they loosed, and thus they bound. "Ye are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”—As the angel that showed to John the bride, the Lamb's wife, showed him that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God; it is written, " And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."-Peter as one of them, when the apostles and elders came together at Jerusalem, asked them, Why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear."3 The gospel of the circumcision (to the Jews) was committed unto Peter as that of the uncircumcision was to Paul.4 And in writing to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, he exhorted the elders, as himself an elder, to feed the flock of God which was among them "not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock."5 The infallible authority to which he appealed, in addressing those whom God hath begotten again to the life of faith and an inheritance of glory, is the Word of God -"being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incor2 xvi. 22. 3 Acts xv. 10. 5 1 Pet. v. 1-3.

11 Cor. iii. 4, 11, 21-23. 4 Gal. ii. 7, 9.

ruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever-The Word of the Lord endureth for ever." After charging believers to give heed to the sure word of prophecy, he warned them against false teachers, whose pernicious ways many follow, but whose damnation slumbereth not. He so used the keys of the kingdom of heaven, as to open to view at once the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, and the new heavens and the new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, to which he looked according to the promise, and not to supremacy over those who were born again by the incorruptible seed of the word of God. And then in warning them against the practice of those who wrested the Scriptures to their own destruction, he concludes his writings with this exhortation, "Ye therefore, brethren, seeing ye know (these things) before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." The Word of God, as this example shows, can vindicate itself against misprison and perversion; as here it exemplifies how men wrest it to their own destruction. Wherever Scripture is appealed to, the arbitrement lies with it. That is not false teaching which it imparts. And may it not possibly be seen, from the light of which it is full, that Scripture itself is its own and its only infallible expositor?

The salutation of the angel to the Virgin Mary, “Hail, thou highly favored, the Lord (is) with thee: blessed art thou amongst women," is the groundless plea of popish Mariolatry. To be blest among women is not to be exalted, as in blasphemous phraseology, to divine honors as "the Queen of heaven;" nor is there any warrant from hence for the resumption of that pagan title of the goddess Juno. But direct testimonies confute the misinterpretation. Jesus said unto her, " Woman, what have I to do with thee ?"3 "He stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother, and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which 11 Peter i. 23, 25,

2 Luke i. 28.

3 John ii. 4.

is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”1—“ Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea, rather, blessed are they, THAT HEAR THE WORD OF GOD AND KEEP IT. "Get thee behind me Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

12

3

"No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation" are words which have been wrested into an assumed authority for bereaving men of the right of private judgment, though the epistle in which they occur was written in order to stir up the pure minds of true believers to be mindful of the words of the prophets, and of the commandment of the apostles; and though they be affixed to the apostolic injunction to "give heed to the sure word of prophecy." Christ said to the people, Ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?-Yea, and why even of yourselves, judge ye not what is right?4 To his disciples he said, Be not ye called, Rabbi; for one is your master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father [Papa] upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.5. Search the Scriptures--for they are they that testify of me.—Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars.— HE THAT HATH AN EAR LET HIM HEAR what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

It is not thus only, in such instances as these, that the Scriptures may be wrested; but it is thus that Scripture can vindicate itself, and dissipate false interpretations, even as light dissipates darkness.

1 Matt. xii. 48, 49; Mark iii. 33, 34.

2 Luke xi. 27, 28. 4 Mat. xvi. 3. Luke xii. 56, 57. 6 John v. 39. 7 1 Thess. v. 21 9 Rev. ii. 2, 7.