ration ; from whence we may well argue, that none Þaving ever aſcribed it to John, and James being dead beter; (:bough if be had been alive, it cannot be imagined that he ſhould put Peter's Name 10 any Epiſtle 0! ts 00001 ts, ting) and there being none but they two preſent with our Lord at that time, beſide Peter, Marth, 17. 1. noe 517 he could be the Writer of it. And indeed, as ſome obſerve, if this Epiſtle be not Peter's, teben bs i\ume 1s jt 19 it, it is ſofar from being Canonical, that it 1s not fit ſo much as to be reckoned among the Apoerypral L ts, having ſo great a Lye in the Front of it. As for the Authority of it, there can be no doavt of that, if Peer wore the Wrier, when nothing occurs in it repugnant to other parts of Scripture, or unbecoming the Grace and Stile of an Apoſtle. And thy ſome of the Ancients have queſtioned tt, yet Many more have acknowledged it , nor was it ever numbred among Apocryphal Writings. And ts not being found in the firſt Syriack Verſion, can bat argues being queſtioned by ſome, not its being rejefted by all. It ſeems to be writ 10 the Jews of the Diſperſion, as 1he ormer was, which appears by Chap. 3. V. 1,2. where he mentions the former written tothem ;, and this waz wWr1t- ten not lone before his Death, v. 14. The Scope of it ts, partly 10 call to their remembrance ibe Iruths be Dad preached among them, that ſo when they ſhould be deſtitute of the Apoſtles preaching to them, yet they might re: member the pure Dofrine they had learned of them, chap. 1. 12, 15. and might thereby be fortified ogainſt the Errors of falſe Teachers, chap. 2. 1. and partly to perſwoade and ſtir them up to Diligence 1 Holineſs, and Con ftancy in the Frith. As in his firſt Epiſtle he had exborted them to Patience under the 1yranny of Perſecit ors, left they ſhould yield to them , ſo in this he exhorts them to perſeverance in the Truth of the Goſpel, againſt 174 Dezepions of the Hereticks, left they ſhould be ſeduced by them, Chap. 2. 3. and continue in Holineſs, notwitth-
fRtanding the Proſaneneſs of Sceffers, chap. 3.
CHAT K
The uſual Salutation; the Grace of God to them and in them, I=—4- This their Calling and Elefijn they muſt prove by increaſe in good Works : An Advantage hereof, $—1t. Seeing he ſhould ſhortly die, according to Chriſt's Predidtion, he would ſtir them up to this by exhortation, that they might remember it after his Death, 12——1 5+ He teſtifieth that the Doftrine of Chriſt preached to them was no Fa- ble : but himſelf and two other Diſciples beheld his Glory en the Mount ; heard a Voice from Heaven giving Teſtimony to him ; and the ſame was witneſſed by the Prophets, who were inſpired by the Spirtt of God, 16 ==n—21I,
| Qimen Peter, a Servant and an Apoſtle a of Jeſus
Chriſt, to them that have obtained like precious faith b wich us c, through the righteouſneſs 4 of God, f and our Saviour Jeſus Chrilt e :
a 7,e. Such a Servant as is likewiſe an Apoſtle. The former agrees to all Goſpel-miniſters generally, the latter is a Title of a greater Eminency, and ſo he intimates, that he writ to them not meerly as an ordinary Miniſter, but in the Authority of an Apo- {tle, an Oificer of the higheſt degree in the Church. 6 Not 1n re- ſpe& of the Degree or Strength of it, but in reſpe& of the Object. Chriſt, and the Benefits that come by it, Juſtification, Sandtificatt- on, Adoption, gc. in which reſpe& the Faith of the weakeſt Be- liever is as precious as that of the ſtrongeſt. c Either with us Apo- ſtles, or with us Jewiſh Chriſtians born, or Inhabiting in 7udea. 4 The Greek Prepofition which we render through, may likewiſe be rendred, with, as v. 5. and 4s 7. 38. in the Church, that is, with the Church ; and fo the Senſe is, either, 1. Through the Righte- ouſneſs, 7. e. Truth and Faithfulneſs of Chriſt 10 his Promiſes, whereof the Faith of the Saints was an Effe& : Or, 2. Through the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, as the meritorious Cauſe of their Faith : Or, 3. With the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt 1mputed to them, and made theirs upon their believing. They had obtained like precious Faith as the Apoſtles themſclves and others had, toge- ther with the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, an Intereſt 1n which always accompanies Faith, Rom. 4. 22. e There being but one Article in tie Greeb, theſe words are to be underſtood conjunttly, the Parti- cle, and, being but an Explicative, and the Senſe 1s, Through the Righteouſneſs of our God, even our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, who 1s God : See the like, ver. 11. and chap. 3. 18. John 20, 28. Tit.
2. 14. 2 * Grace and peace be muitiplied unto you, through rhe knowledge f of God, and of Jeſus g our
Lord : '{mwledeement, 1. e. Faith, whereby we are made Parta-
j Or, kers of all the favins; Grzces 5: the Spirit; and whereby being juſtined, we are at Pcice with God, Rom. 5. 1. g There bein: no
ſaving Known ledge of Gud, or Fatti: in him, but by Chriſt. VY 1 +7
' Mo 3
3 According as h his divine power / hath given un- to us all things &# that pertain unto lite / and godli- neſs, * through the knowledge of him that hath called us || to glory and vertue 2 ;