hþ This may reter either, 1. To what goes before, Grace and Peace be multiplied unto you, &c. according as his divine Power hath given unto us, &c. and then in thefe words the Apoltle ſhews what Rea- ſon there was to hope, that Grace and Peace ſhould be multiplicd to them, and perfected in them, viz. becauſe God hath already gi- ven them all things pertaining to Lite and Godlineſs, q. 4. He ti;at hath done thus much for you, will do more, and finiſh his Work in you. Or, 2ly, to what follows, and then the Greek Phraſe rendered according as, is not a Note of Similitude, but of Illation, and may be rendred, ſince, or ſeeing that, and fo the Words are not a part of the Salutation, but the beginning of the Body of the Epiſtle, and relate to ver. 5. Seeing that his Divine Power hath green unto us all things that pertain, &c. add to your Faith, Virtue, &c. as God hath done his part, ſo do you yours in the diligent Performance of what he hath enabled you unto. ij Divine Power may relate either to God, or rather to Chriſt, immediately going before, and then it tends to the confirming their Hope of the multiplication of Grace and Peace to them, not only from God, but from Chriſt, in that they had already experienced his Divine Power in giving them þ all thirgs pertaining to Life and Godlineſs, i. e, whatever may be helpful to ir, the Spirit, Faith, Repentance, gc. 7oh. 7. 39. and 2 Cor. 4.6, and 2 Tim. 2.25, | Either, 1. Spiritual Life, agd then God!ineſs may be added by way of Explication, that Life which confiſts 11 Godlineſs, or a godly Life ; or, by Life, may be meant the inward permanent Principle of ſpiritua> As, and the exerciſe of them may be called Godlineſs, as the PerfeQion of that Principle is cal- led Glory, Or, 2ly. Eternal Life, to which we attain through God- lincſs, as the way ; and then likewiſe they are underſtood diitiudatly, Life as the end, and Godlineſs as the means ; and ſo Life in this Verſe is the ſame as Peace it the tormer, and Godlineſs the ſame as Grace. m According to our Tranſlation, Glory may be the ſame as Life, be- fore, and Vertue the ſame with Godlineſs, and then the words ſet forth the end of God's calling us, viz. unto Glory, or Life hereafter, as well as Virtue or Godlineſs now. But the Greek Prepot:tion 4te, 1s no where (as ſome obſerve) in the New-Teftament tound to 11g - nifie #9, Rom. 6. 4- (which ſome alledge) it is beſt rendred by; G/ory being there put tor God's Power, and therefore our Margin here reads it by Glory and Virtue ; which may either be, by an Hend!.:. dis, tor gloriows Virtue, taking Virtue for Power, that glorious Pore erof God, which 1s put forth 1n calling us, Epheſ. 1. 18, 19. or his Goodneſs and Mercy which appears in the ſame calling, in which Senſe the word may be underſtood, fee Tt. 3. 4,5. 1 Pet. 2. $ or (which comes to the ſame) Glory being often taken for Puwer. 7ohn 2.11. by Glory and Virtue may be meant God's Power and
»Goodneis, or Mercy,
6H] + Whers-
Chap. 1.
FjFON.17 2»
| Or, by 7
Chap.l.
* Heb. 12.
10. 1 John 3.2.
and precious promiſes o, that by theſe ye might be * partakers of rhe divine nature p, having eſcaped the corruption 9 that is in the World through luſt.
n This Word may be rendred, in that, for that, in as much as, and then this is an Explication of the things that pertain to Lite and Godlineſs, to Glory and Virtue, all thoſe things being contain- ed'in the Promites; or, whereby may be underſtood of the Glory and Virtue laſt mentioned, taking them in the latter Senſe, explain- ed v. 3. q. d, By which glorious Goodneſs and Mercy to us. 0 By Promiſes we may underſtand either the Matter of the Promiſes, the things promiſed, Heb. 10. 3s. ſuch as Redemption by. Chriſt, Re; conciliation, Adoption, gc. and then they are called exceeding great and precious, 1n compariſon of all Temporal and Worldly things ; or elſe the Promiſes themlelyes, which are called great, be- cauſe of the Excellency of the things contained in them, and pre- cious in relation to us ; great things being not only contained in the Promiſes, but by them ſecured to us. p We are ſaid to be Parta- kers of the Divine Nature, not by any Communication of the Di- vine Eſſence to us, but by God's unprefſing upon us, and infuſing into us thoſe Divine Qualities and Diſpotitions (Knowledge, Righte- ouſneſs, and true Holineſs) which do expreſs and reſemble the Per- fetions of God, and are called his Image, Fphe/. 4. 24. Sy: to. And we are ſaid to be made Partakers of this Divine Natiffe by the Promiſes of the Goſpel, becauſe they are the effeual means of our Regeneration (in which that Divine Nature is communicated to us) by reaſon of that quickning Spirit which accompanieth them, 2 Cor. 3. 6. works by them, and forms in us the Image of that Wiſdom, Righteovſueſs, and Holineſs of God, which appears in them ; or of that Glory of the Lord, which, when by Faith we be- hold in the Glaſs of Goſpel-Promiſes, we are changed into the ſame Image, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. 18. Or, the Di-
vine Nature may be underſtood of the Glory and Immortality of
the other Life, whercin we ſhall be conformed to God, and where- of by the Promiſes we are made Partakers. q Either by Corruption here we are to underſtand, 1. Deſtru&ion, to which the greateſt part. of the World is obnoxious through Luſt, and then Corruption muſt be oppoſed to Life, and Peace before, and Luft to Virtue and Godlineſs : Or, 2. Rather all the Pr.vity or Wickedneſs of Humane Nature, which is here ſaid to be, 1.e. to reign and prevail in the World, or worldly Men through Luft, or habitual Concupiſence, which 1s the Spring and Root trom which it proceeds, and then the Senſe is the ſame as Gal. 5. 24. This Corruption through Luſt is op- poſed to the Divine Nature before, and eſcaping this Corruption agrees with being Partaker, of that Divine Nature. See Eph. 4. 22, 23,24. Col. 3. 9, 10, 2B
5 And beſides this 7, giving all diligence, add / to
your faith 7 vertue; and to verrue knowledge x ;