mandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the 4 And saying, Where is the promise coming of the day of God, wherein the of his coming? for since the fathers heavens being on fire shall be dissolvfell asleep, all things continue as they ed, and the elements shall melt with were from the beginning of the crea- fervent heat? tion.

13 Nevertheless, we, according to 5 For this they willingly are igno-his promise, look for new heavens and rant of, that by the word of God the a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteheavens were of old, and the earth ousness. standing out of the water and in the

water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward,' not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

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 account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you;

16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, 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.

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 18 But grow in grace, and in the great noise, and the elements shall knowledge of our Lord and Saviour melt with fervent heat, the earth also Jesus Christ. To him be glory both and the works that are therein shall now and for ever. Amen.

be burned up.

1 To usward, toward us.

Questions. What is the 9th verse?
In what should we grow?

PREFATORY REMARKS

TO THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN.

ST. JOHN, who wrote this epistle, and the gospel which bears his name, was the son of Zebedee and Salo'me, and the brother of James. He was the disciple whom Jesus loved, and on whom he bestowed particular marks of favour and friendship. For a sketch of his life, see Prefatory Remarks to John's Gospel.

At the time this epistle was written, the church was infested by numerous false teachers, whose doctrines were, as well inconsistent with each other, as they were subversive of morals and the religion of the gospel. The person and offices of Christ were the subject of various and opposite opinions. Some, following the Jewish high priests, elders, and scribes, condemned Jesus as a blasphemer, because he called himself the Son of God. Some denied the humanity, others the divinity of our Lord; not believing it possible, that the same person could he both human and divine. And because Paul had taught the doctrine of justification by faith without the works of the law, some believed, and taught, that all works were useless; that Christ had set men free from all moral obligations, and that the knowledge and profession of the gospel were alone necessary to salvation. Wherefore, to oppose these pernicious errors, which 279

were the source of great corruption and licentiousness of manners, and to establish the truths concerning the person and offices of Jesus Christ, John wrote this epistle, which every where breathes the gentle spirit of its author, and of that religion, which is peace and love. It is supposed to have been written in Judea, a short time before the destruction of Jerusalem, which took place A. D. 69. It was designed for believers generally, but more particularly for the Christians in Judea.

Questions. Who was John? ten? For whom was it designed ?

Where and when is this letter supposed to have been writ

T THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN.

CHAP. I.

1 He describeth the person of Jesus 1 Christ in whom we have eternal life, by a communion with God, 5 to which we must adjoin holiness.

HAT which was from the begin

we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life;

2 (For the Life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that Eternal Life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us ;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

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

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.3

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie. and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another; 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.

I

CHAP. II.

Comfort against sins of infirmity. 3 To know God is to keep his com mandments. 18 To beware of seducers; 20 from whose deceits the godly are safely preserved by faith and holiness of life.

MY little children, these things write unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation1 for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.2

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, 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 also so to walk3 even as he walked.

7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faith- 9 He that saith he is in the light, ful and just to forgive us our sins, and and hateth his brother, is in darkness to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. even until now. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Questions. What is the message which the apostles received?

Repeat the 8th and 9th verses.

1 That which was from the beginning of the Gospel, which we apostles have heard, seen, and handled, concerning the Word of Life, that is, of Jesus Christ, declare we unto you, &c.

2 God is light, is holiness and truth. 3 Darkness, ignorance and error.

10 He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him:

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness,

1 Propitiation, a sacrifice of atonement, which procures pardon or forgiveness.

2 Of the whole world, of penitent persons, who forsake their sins.

3 To walk, to live.

4 The darkness of heathenism and of the Mosaic dispensation, is past, or is passing

away.

and knoweth not whither he goeth, which ye have heard from the beginbecause that darkness hath blinded his ning. If that which ye have heard eyes. from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the 26 These things have I written unto beginning. I write unto you, young you concerning them that seduce you. men, because ye have overcome the 27 But the anointing, which ye have wicked one. I write unto you, little received of him, abideth in you; and children, because ye have known the ye need not that any man teach you; Father. but as the same anointing teacheth 14 I have written unto you, fathers, you of all things, and is truth, and is because ye have known him that is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, from the beginning. I have written ye shall abide in him. unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth. the will of God, abideth for ever.

18 Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

19 They went out from us; but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.

20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of

the truth.

22 Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.

23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but he that acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Father also.]

24 Let that therefore abide in you

28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness, is born of him.

Questions. What is the proper evidence of
our knowing and loving the Lord?
Who abideth in the light?
Repeat the 15th and 16th verseɛ.

CHAP. III.

1 He declareth the singular love of God towards us, in making us his sons; 3 who therefore ought obediently to keep his commandments. 11 As also brotherly to love one another. BEHOLD what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

3 And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he

is pure.

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law.

5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him.

7 Little children, let no man deceive

8 The anointing, the inspiration of the Holy

5 That antichrist shall come; for this prediction see Matt. xxiv. 5, 11. Antichrist has two meanings-one a false Cbrist, the other Spirit. opposers of Christ.

1 Sinneth not; this must mean, sinneth not

6 An unction from the Holy One, the inspi-wilfully and habitually, or continueth not in ration of the Holy Spirit.

the practice of sin; for there is no man that

7 The words printed in Italics do not belong sinneth not. See I Kings, viii. 46. Eccles. vii.

to the text.

20. Rom iii. 22.

you; he that doeth righteousness is his Son Jesus Christ, and love one anrighteous, even as he is righteous.

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;2 for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we

should love one another.

12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in

him.

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.'

20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.3

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

other, as he gave us commandment.

24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him; and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the spirit which he hath given us,

Questions. What is the 8th verse?
How may we know when we have passed

from death unto life?

1

How should we love!

What is the commandment of God?

CHAP. IV.

He warneth them not to believe all teachers who boast of the Spirit, but to try them by the rules of the catholic faith; 7 and by many reasons exhorteth to brotherly love.

BELOVED, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, Every spirit, that confesseth, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard, that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in

the world.

5 They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

6 We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we re10 Herein is love, not that we loved ceive of him, because we keep his God, but that he loved us, and sent commandments, and do those things, his Son to be the propitiation for our that are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of

2 Doth not commit sin habitually. See preceding note.

3 God is greater than our hearts, and knowing all things, will much more condemn us.

sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1 Every spirit here means, every teacher, who pretends to be inspired.

2 Propitiation, a sacrifice, which procures I pardon and forgiveness.

12 No man hath seen God at any 5 Who is he that overcometh the time. If we love one another, God world, but he that believeth that Jesus dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect- is the Son of God?

ed in us. 6 This is he that came by water and 13 Hereby know we that we dwell blood, even Jesus Christ; not by wain him, and he in us, because he hath ter only, but by water and blood. And given us of his Spirit. it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, 15 Whosoever shall confess that Je-and the Holy Ghost; and these three sus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.