ſettle or tound (by a firm union and conjunRion unto Chriſt) that which 1s already built, Eph. 3. 17, 18. Col. 1.23. Or, 2. Theſe four words may be but different expreffions whereby the Apoſlle ſets forth the ſame thing, viz. God's confirming and eſtabliſhing thoſe Saints unto their final perſeverance ; and his uſing ſo much va- ricty of expreſſions may imply, that it 1s a matter of very great 6+. ficulty to hold on our Chriſtian courſe, without failing or coming ſhort of the Goal ; and therefore we need ſingular affiſtance fron; God to enable us to it.
11 To him / be glory and Dominion 7 for ever and
|
z God concerns himſelf 1n ;
ever, Amen.
{ To God. f chap. 4. 11. The Verb be in the Text is not in the Greek, and ſo it may be read with a ſupply of a Verb either of tlic Imperative Mood, and then it is a Doxology, as we render it; or, of the Indicative, he hath Glory and Dominion, or, to him belongs Glory and Dominion, or, glorious Dominion or Power; and then it tends to encourage theſe Saints, in that he, whom the Apottle prays to ſtabliſh and ſtrengthen them, 15 of power ſufficient to do it,
12 By Sylvanus z a faithful brother unto you (as
'T ſuppoſe x) I have * written briefly, exhorting y
and teſtifying £ that this 1s the true grace 2 of God wherein ye ſtand. |
u Either Silas, AF, 15. and 15. ch. whom Peter therefore here calls a taithtul Brother to them, that they misht the more readily receive him, though a Miniſter oi , the Uncircumciſion ; or, elſe this Sylvan:s was ſome other that had Preached to them, and is theretore ſaid to be a faithful Brother to them ; the former is more probable. x This doth not ſignify any doubt, but rather a firm perſuation of Syl[vanus his faithfulneſs, 9. d. I reckon hin faithful, having hitherto found him ſo: Or, it may relate to the briefnels of the Epiſtle, q. 4. I ſuppoſe it will ſeem brief to you, as being from one that loves you, and about matters that ſo much concern you. » V7z. to conſtancy in the Faith, and diligence in Duty, 7 Bearing my Teſtimony to the Truth ye have received ; this the Apoſtle witnefleth, that being more tully convinced of it, they might more conſtantly adhere to it. See the like Phraſe, Neh. 9. 29, 30. and 13. 15. a The true Doftrine of God; wherein he ſets forth the Grace of Chriſt, q. d. ye are in the right way; the Dodrine ye have embraced 1s indeed the Truth of God. |
13 The Church thar is at Babylon 6 eleCted tope- ther with you c laluteth you, and ſo doth Marcus my
{on d.
b Babylon in Chaldea, where it 1s moſt probable the Apoſtle was at the writing of this Epiſtle; the 7ews being very numerous in thoſe parts, as having ſettled themſelves there ever fince t1e Cap- tivity ; and Peter being an Apoſtle of the Circumciſion, Fis work lay much thereabout. The Papifts would have Babylon here to he Rome as Rev. 17. and that Peter gives it that Name rather than its own, becauſe being eſcaped out of Prifon at Feruſalem, AC. 12. 12, he would not have it known where he was. But how comes
become the Head of the Church, the Vicar of Chriſt, and Prince of the Apoſtles? And is it probable he ſhould live 25 years at R:me (as they pretend he did) and yet not be known to be there? Where-ever le was he had Mark now with him, who 1s ſaid to have died at Alex- andria the eighth year of Nero, and Peter not till fix years after : "If Mark then did firſt conſtitute the Church of Alexandria, and govern it (as they ſay he did) for many years, it will be hard to find him and Peter at Rome together. But if they will needs have Rome be meant
{ by Babylon, let them enjoy their Zeal, who rather than not find Pe-
ter's Chair would go to Hell to ſeck it; and are more concerned to have Rome be the Seat of Peter, than the Church of Chriſt.
x3
Chap. y,
* Hebe 13, a].
* Heb, 13,
14 * Greet one another with a kiſs of Charity e. *Rom, is Peace be with you all that are in Chriſt Jeſus, / 15:
Amen. e See, beſide the place in the Margin, 1 Cor, 16. 20. and 2 C9 I3. 12, f United to him by Faith, and Members of him.
Y,
tb. 13,
| Chap. L
| Or, St- men.
f Gr. of our God and Sa-
Viour,
* 1Pet.1.2,
Jude 2,
The SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL
OF
P E I MR.
The ARGUMENT.
T cannot be denied, but that ſome Queſtion there hath been, both about the Pen-men ant the Authority of ths Epiſtle. The former bath been queſtioned, becauſe of the difference of the Stile of this from that of the former Epiſtle. But, 1o ſay nothing of agreat likeneſs of St1le 1n both, obſerved by ſome, why might not the fame Perſon [ee fit on different occaſions. and according t0 the different things be wrote about, to change his way of Writing © Or why may not the Holy Ghoſt uſe his Inſtruments in what way he pleaſe, and not only dittate 10 them the matter they are 10 write, but the Expreſhon and Phraſe > Why muſt an Infinite and Soveraign Agent be bound up, and confined to the Parts and Pualfications of the Men be inſpired © And if we ſet a/ide the Fulgment of ſeveral Councils and Fathers (which yet might go far) two great ArgumentsWay be drawn from this firſt Chapter,to prove Peter to be the Pen man of this Epiſtle. One from the inſcription of it, where we have both bis Names, Simon an! Perct frefixed to it. Another from v. 16. where he affirms himſelf to have been freſent with Chrift at biz 1rans\4.s