2 And many fhall follow their pernicious ways, by reafon of whom the way of truth fhall be evil spoken of.

3 And through covetoufnefs fhail they with feigned words

make merchandize of you, whofe judgment now of a long time lingreth not, and their damnation flumbereth

not.

4 For if God fpared not the angels that finned, but caft them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be referved unto judgment:

2. These People, by their violent A.D. 66. Zeal, and plaufible Pretences, are like to feduce many Converts to their Party, to the great Scandal of the Chriftian Name.

3. They infinuate themselves into
your Affections, and ftrive to gain
Profelytes for Temporal Ends, and -
the Gratification of their own im- via.
But that Divine
pure Paffions.

Judgment long fince pronounced || || ixraḥai.
against the Authors of fuch Wicked- See Jude 4.
nefs, is drawing on, and will foon
overtake them.

4. For, however they may at prefent prevail, and whatever their malicious Endeavours against you be, reft your felves fatisfied, from all the Courfe of the Divine Difpenfations, that they are fure of their Punishment, and you of a gracious and timely Deliverance. Remember, the Apoftate Angels themfeives reigned but a little while in their Pride, were expelled the Regions of Heavenly Light, thrust down into the dark and lower World, and are here confined, like Prifoners, in Chains, 'till the final Day of Judgment upon them and all wicked Men.

5 And fpared not the old world, but faved Noah the eighth perfon, a preacher of righteoufnefs, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly :

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into afhes,

con

5 & 6. You may conclude the Certainty of your Rescue from these impious Perfecutors, from the Inftance of Noah, that preached Rcand was one of the eight that pentance to the Antidiluvian World, were faved in the Ark. And these Gen. vi. 9. may as affuredly gather their ap- 20. proaching Vengeance, from the Deftruction of that wicked Genera

tion,

*Taprapáσas. See Ephef. ii, 2. Dr. Whitby on this Place.

I Pet. in.

A. D. 66. condemned them with an overthrow, making them an enfample unto thofe that after fhould live ungodly : 7 And delivered juft Lot, vexed with the filthy converfation of

the wicked:

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in feeing and hearing, vexed his righteous foul from 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations; and to referve the unjuft unto the day of judgment to be punished:

10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh, in the lufts of uncleanness, and defpife government. Prefumptuous are they, felf-willed they are not afraid * to speak evil of dignities :

11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accufation against them

tion, by the Flood, and from the dreadful Examples of Sodom and Gomorrah.

7 & 8. Remember, how fpecial a Deliverance that good Man Lot had, from the Ruins of thofe lewd People, after all the many Vexations he was forced to endure at the Sight of fuch profligate and numerous Examples.

day to day with their unlawful deeds.)

9. From all which Inftances, good Chriftians ought to aflure themselves of a proportionable Share of Divine Care and Providence, for their Deliverance from present Afflictions, and of a future Vengeance upon their cruel Perfecutors.

10. And, if ever Divine Juftice were due to any Crimes, it must fall with terrible Weight upon the abominable Lufts, the unmasterly Pride, and incurable Prejudices of the Falfe Teachers of thefe Times;

feveral of which are arrived to that Prefumption, as to vilify their Superiors, not only upon Earth, but in Heaven too.

11. How contrary was the Behaviour of thofe much Superior Beings, the good Angels, toward those wicked Spirits which they had engaged and overcome! Even Michael the Archangel, returned Satan none of his railing Accufations, but only faid, The Lord rebuke thee. See Jude, Ver. 9.

before the Lord.

12. But

*To Speak Evil of Dignities, may refer either to their vilifying their Civil Governors, or to the bafe and wicked Notions which the Ancients tell us thefe Hereticks vented about the Angels and heavenly Spirits. See Jude, Ver. 8.

12 But these, as natural brute beafts, * made to be taken and deftroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corrup

tion.

13 And fhall receive the reward ofunrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime fpots they are and blemishes fporting themselves with their own deceivings, while they feaft with you : 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot ceafe from fin, beguiling unstable fouls an heart they have exercited with covetous practices: curfed children.

15

Which have for

faken the right way, and are gone aftray, following the way of Balaam the fan of Bofor, who loved the wages of unrighteouf

nefs.

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb afs fpeaking with man's voice, for

bad

12. But these proud Mortals, A. D.66. more like Beafts of Prey than Men, being prone to Mischief and ripe for Destruction, revile and blafpheme every thing, without Reason or Diftinction; and fhall accordingly feel the natural and woful Effects of fo wilful a Degeneracy.

13 & 14. So habituated are they to all Senfuality, Fraud, Covetoufnefs and Hypocrify, that when at fome times they appear Fair and Religious, to betray Men to a good Opinion of their Principles; at other times they commit their Lewdness in open Day-light: They make a Jeft of the worst Impieties; attend upon your Sacraments and Love-Feafts, 1 Cor. xi. || || only for fome riotous and luftful 20, 21. and Gratification. In fine, are a perfect Jude 12. Scandal to Religion, and fhall at laft receive the Vengeance due to those that are accurfed and utterly forfaken of God.

15 & 16. And well may God be fuppofed to abandon such Wretches to themselves who have renounced all Principles of fober Reafon and true Religion, and inftead of deferving the Name of Chriftians, may be called the Followers of Balaam; while, for their fecular Advantages, they corrupt and delude Chriftian People, as he did the Ifraelites against the plain Dictates of his own Аа Confcience,

* Made to be taken and deftroyed. Or thus, yeyenguiva Éis äλwow, s plogar; Made for Rapine and Deftruction. I express both Senfes, but our Tranflation is the most agreeable.

+ See Numb. xxxvi. 16, and Joseph, Antiq. Lib. IV. chap. vi.

A.D.66. bad the madrefs of Confcience, for the Sake of Preferthe prophet. ment. Nor does the miraculous Reproof, by the Mouth of a dumb Afs, upon the firft Attempt of that infatuated Man, move thefe his Followers to the leaft Remorfe of Confideration.

Numb. xxii.

17 These are wells
without water, clouds
that are carried with
a tempeft, to whom

the midst of darkness
is referved for ever.

17. What shall I fay more of them, or how fhall I defcribe them? So empty are they of all Good, that I might compare them to Springs quite dried up. So pernicious are their Principles, that like Clouds void of all refreshing Moisture, but full of noxious Vapours, they blaft and deftroy all before them. Surely the most exquifite of future Punishments must be the Portion of fuch People!

18 For when they.
fpeak great fwelling
words of vanity, they
allure through the lufts
of the flesh, through
much wantonnefs,thofe
that were clean efca-
ped from them who
live in error.

19 While they pro-
mife
them liberty,
they themselves are
the Servants of cor-
ruption for of whom
a man is overcome, of
the fame is he brought
in bondage.

20 For if after

they have escaped the
pollutions of the world,
through the know-
ledge of the Lord and
Saviour Jefus Christ,

they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21. For the Ingratitude of an Apoftate Chriftian, in finning against fuch plain and happy Methods of

Salvation

way of righteoufnefs,
than after they have
known it, to turn
from the holy com-
mandment delivered
unto them.

22 But it is hap-
pened unto them ac-
cording to the true
proverb: The dog is

turned to his own vo-
mit again, and the
fow that was wafhed
to her wallowing in
the mire.

Salvation, muft needs render him A. D. 66.
more incurable and justly condem-
dable than any Heathen that was
never brought to fuch a Conviction.

22. And thus the wilful Indulgence of their brutish Paffions has reduced thefe Men to the worst Inftances of habitual Brutality; to return to the vileft of their former Vices, as the Dog does to his Vomit; or the Sow to the Mire:

CHA P. III.

The CONTENTS.

He repeats the Defign of his Epistle, viz. To arm them
against the Falfe and Heretical Teachers, by reminding
them of what the Ancient Prophets, Chrift and his
Apoftles have foretold of them. Thefe Teachers infult
the Orthodox Chriftians, upon the long Delay of Chrift's
Judgment threatned to the Adverfaries of his Religion.
An Answer to their Objection. The Certainty of this
Judgment, both upon the Jewish Nation in particular,
and upon the whole wicked World in general. The Earth
fhall be deftroyed by Fire at the last Judgment, as it
was once by Water. An Inference from hence, for the
Patience and Purity of a Chriftian Life.

1 & 2.

WELL then, the Pre

valency of these Lewd and Heretical Teachers being now Chap. ü, fuch, it was a chief Part of my Defign, in this Second Epiftle, to arm you against them, by reminding you of what the ancient Prophets, Chrift and his Apostles have foretold conA a z

cerning