Epheſ. 3. 2, 4. Peter makes ſuch honourable mention of Paul, 1, That he might commend to the Jewiſh Chriſtians the Doftrine Paul had preached, though a Miniſter of the Uncircumcifion. 2ly, To ſhew that he had nothing the worſe Thoughts of him for being ſo ſharply reproved by him, Gal 2. And 3ly, /That he might arm the Saints againſt thoſe Hereticks that abuſed Paul's Writings, and wreſted them to their own meaning (probably) to Patronize their Errors. n Unto you Jewiſh Believers, viz. Either, 1. In his Epiſtle to the Romans, chap. 2. 4. where 15 a Paſſage very like this : Or, 2ly, In his Epiſtle to the Hebrews, which, though-t were not Entitled to the Jews of the Diſperſion, yet was written to their Nation ; and in that Epiſtle ſeveral places there are of the ſame purpoſe with this here. See Heb. 9. 28. and 10, 23, 25, 35, 37- and other Epiſtles of Paul to the Fews we have none; and in this he ſhews much of that Wiſdom God gave him in the Myſtery of the Goſpel ; and in this likewiſe are many things hard to be underſtood,
16 Asalfo in all hz epiſtles o, * ſpeaking in them of theſe things p : In which q are ſome things hard
3 Cor. 15: to be underſtood, which they that are unlearned 7,
and unſtable /,, wreſt z, as they do alſo the other 1crip tures to their own deſtruction z. | ;
0 To make the Senſe compleat, we muſt ſupply here from the former Verſe, he hath written. p Viz. concerning the ſecond co- ming of Chriſt, and end of the World, the Patience that ſhould be exerciſed in waiting for it ; about avoiding Scoffers that deny theſe Truths and the other Inſtruions, contained in theſe two Epi- itles, but eſpecially in the two latter Chapters of this ſecond Epiſtle. q In which Epiſtle, or rather, in which things contained in Paul's Epittles, (for the Greek Relative is of a different Gender, and can- not agree with Epiſtles) 9. d. Some of the Dofrines delivered by Paul in his Epiſtles, are hard to be underſtood. And fo this doth not prove Paul's Epiſtles, much leſs the whole Scripture, to be ob- ſcure, and dark. The Stile and Expreffion may be as clear as the Nature of the things will bear, and yet the things themſelves. ſo ex-
LL FOUN
preſſed may be hard to be underſtood, either b; reaſon of their own obſcurity, as Prophecies, the Excellency and Sublimenefs of them, as ſome myſterious Dottrines, or the weakneſs of Mens minds and their Incapacity of apprehending Spiritual things, 1 Cor. 2. 14. compared with chap. 13. 9, 10. r They that are ignorant of the Scripture, unskilful in the Word of Righteouſneſs, Heb. 5. 13. or indocile, that will not be Inftrued. / Such as are ill-groundea, and therefore unſtedfaſt, and eafily deceived, ch. 2. 14. See Eph. 4-14. £ Pervert the Scripture, and offer violence to it, and, as it were, wrack and torture 1t to-make jt confeſs what it never meant. 4u Eternal Deſtruftion, viz. while they uſe the Scripture to coun- tenance their Errors : or ſtumble at ſome things in them, which are obſcure, thereby taking occaſion to deny the Truth of God, and ſo make the Scripture the Inſtrument of their Perdition, which God appointed to be the means of Salvation.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, * ſeeing ye know zhe/e things x before-hand, beware lelt ye alſo y being led away by the error of the wicked, fall from your own ſtedfaſtneſs 2.
x Which I have been now writing unto you of, viz. That the Judge will certainly come ; or, that Hereticks, Deccivers and Scof- ters will come ; or both may be comprehended. y As well as others have been. #7 The ſtedfaſtneſs of your Faith. This Admonition he gives them not to diſcourage them with Fear of Apoſtacy, but to awaken them to that holy care, which would be a means to pre- vent it ; and ſo to keep them from fecurity, and truſt in themſelves, not to weaken their Faith, and Reliance on the Promiſe,
18 But grow in grace a, and 27 the knowledge 6 of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt : To him be glo-
ry c both now and for ever. Amen.
a In all thoſe ſpiritual Gifts ye have received from Chrift, efpe- cially ſanQifying. 6 In Faith whereby ye are ſanftified, and made Partakers of that Grace. c Which velongs only to God ; and there- fore this proves Chrift to be God,
The FIRST EPISTLE-
& JOHN
The
ARGUMENT.
grant the Pen-Man of zhe firſt Epiſtle, 27 doth not «rok there hath been any doubt ; the Ancients ge-
nerally aſcribing it to the Apoſtle St.
John. The time o
his writing it is uncertain ; ſome aſfigning to it an
earlier, others a later date. It is thought to have been written diredly to the Chriſtian Jews, not /1rving in Judea, but remote in Parthia, (where :t appears great numbers of them xejided) being ſtiled by a noted Father, The Epi-
{tle ro the Parthians : The deſign of it 3s to confirm them in the great fundamental Doftrine of Chriſtianity, That.
our Lord Jeſus was the Meſſiah, agarnft the attempts of divers apoſtate or degenerate Chriſtians , who (whether this Epiſtle were of the former or later date)did in his 1me deny, or eſſentially deprave that moſt important Ar- ticle. And not only to induce them almoſt ſtedfaſtly to believe '1t, but to impreſs it more deeply upon their Souls, ro reduce the more licentious, to raiſe and quicken the dead and carnal to a more ſtrif, lively, vigorous Chriſtia- nity; and (which 1s greatly inculcated) to excite and enflame mutual Chriſtian Love among them, as that which would more ſtrongly fortify them againſt the Endeavours of Seducers, and render their Communion more pleaſant among themſelves. The other two Epiſtles are very much of the fame Argument (zbo* the latter hath ſomewhat of a different and peculiar concernment,) but doubted by ſome, whether by the ſame Pen-man, upon very inſuffi- cient grounds, the matter and ſtyle, plainly enough ſhewing them to be this Apoſtle's.
CAT L
The certainty and excellency of the Do&rine and Perſon of Chriſt, in whom we have eternal Life and Communion with God, This cannot be without Holineſs ; nor is the Blood of Chriſt applied to us, $=—7. Not that we can be without Sin ; but we muſt confeſs our Sins before God, and they ſhall be forgiven us, $10.
—
Hat which was from the beginning a, which
we have ſeen with our eyes, * which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled 6 of the
word of lite c. |