9 The Lord is not slack [changeable] concerning his promise, as some men count slackness: he will not that one tittle shall fail; but at the same time he is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things [this world and all that belongs to it] shall be dissolved, [and that suddenly and unexpectedly,] what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking [waiting] for and hasting to prepare against the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13 Nevertheless we, [so being prepared,] according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth [better and everlasting abodes], wherein dwelleth only righteousness.

14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

15 And esteem the longsuffering of our Lord a means of repentance unto salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given to him of God hath written unto you.

16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of

these things, [grace, repentance, salvation by faith, God's judgments, &c.] in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [turn], as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

THE

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN.

This book, which is commonly called the first Epistle of John the Evangelist, is more an exhortation or discourse upon the principles of Christianity than an Epistle.

It is addressed to no one in particular. There are doubts as to when and where it was written; some are of opinion before, and some after, the destruction of Jerusalem.

It contains five chapters.

CHAP. I.

1 THAT [perfect word, the everlasting Son of the Father, Jesus Christ our Lord,] which was from the beginning, which we ourselves have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled;

2 (For this Word of life was made flesh [John i. 14], and we have seen it and we bear witness, and shew unto all Christians that eternal life, that blessed

Ꮓ

Saviour which was with the Father and was manifested unto us ;)

3 That which we have seen and heard we declare unto you, that ye may have fellowship [may be partakers in this joy] with us and truly our fellowship [our communion as a church] is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full [perfect].

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declared unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 And if we say that we have fellowship [pretend to be in communion] with him, and walk in darknes [live in sin], we lie and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light [in the purity of the gospel] as he is light, we are mutual partakers of his grace, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

CHAP. II.

1 BRETHREN in Christ, beloved by me even as a father loveth his little children, these things I write

unto you, that being warned, ye fall not into sin. And at the same time comfort you with the assurance that if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation [the expiation, atonement] for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 And hereby we know that we are really in communion with him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him [pretends to be his disciple], and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself so to walk [live], even as he lived.

7 Brethren, when I tell you that ye ought to love one another, I write no new commandment unto you, but the commandment of the Old Testament which ye had from the beginning. This is the commandment which ye have heard from the beginning.

8 Again, I must declare that the commandment is new unto you, for Christ has so given it [John xiii. 34]; it is a new obligation ye are under to observe it: because the darkness of the Jewish dispensation is past, and the true light, the light of the gospel, now shineth.

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.