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is included in the third, and the first in the second. The three cardinal vices, pleasure, avarice, and pride, do not coincide with these three ; but yet they are comprised in them. Comp. Luke viii. 14 ; Deut. xvii. 16, 17 ; Matt. iv. 3, 6, 9. And youth is especially commanded to avoid these three, comp. 2 Tim. ii. 22, since it might abuse its great vigour. Eccles. xii.
17. K a/, and) An abbreviated expression : that is, the world passeth away , and the lust thereof \ and he also who loves the world; but God , and he who doeth , etc. — -ro/w v, doing) as the love of the Father brings with it [requires of necessity]. — rb 6'sXrifia, the will) This will requires from us self-restraint, temperance, modesty, which are contrary to the world. — fi'evei, abideth) and has abiding goods, truly to be wished for, opposed to those three mentioned before ; namely, riches, and glory, and life : Prov. xxii. 4. — xaOwg xai 6 &sbg fjjivu s/g rov aiuv a, even as God also abideth for ever) A various reading of great beauty, and undoubtedly true. It is found in Latin fathers of no mean authority.1
18. na/<3/a, little children) See on ver. 12. The doctrine respect- ing antichrist is not beyond the capacity of a more tender age : 2 John ver. 7, note. Whence also the eleventh Catechesis, or Lecture to beginners , of Cyril treats of antichrist. — the last) not with respect to all times of the world, but in the antithesis of children to fathers and to young men.2 — xai xaOwg, and even as) and it is so, even as ye have heard , namely, that antichrist comes ; and , indeed, already there are many , etc. There is a similar ellipsis, ver. 27, note. — rjxovcaTs, ye have heard) ch. iv. 3. — or/, that) The particle is not redundant. The language is more distinct by the use of or/, that , appended to it. — b dvr/^pwrog, antichrist) The Spirit had predicted the falling away of many from the truth of Christ Jesus the Son of God ; but John does not use the word antichrist in the singular number except in the 1st Epistle, ii. 18, 22, iv. 3, in the 2d Epistle ver. 7 : he does not introduce it at all in the 3d Epistle, in his Gospel,
1 Nevertheless it is not marked either in the margin of the larger Ed., or in the context of the Germ. Version (but only in a note). In fact, it wants the authority of Greek MSS. and Editions in its support. — E. B.
Cypr. and Lucifer add the words, “ Quomodo et Deus manet in aeternum.” — E.
2 There were three hours or seasons in all, of which the one both began after the other, and conjointly with continuous career inclined towards the end. The hour of the fathers and also of the youths was immediately completed. Hence it is to the little children that John says, “ It is the last hour.” In this the last hour we all even still live. — V. g.