and commanded the memorial thereof to be continued to his Church unto which Jesus, and the truth of his Godhead, the Spirit of God hath given full testimony, both in the hearts of his elect, and in his miraculous descent at the feast of Pentecost, and those wonderful gifts which he hath bestowed upon men: and the wit ness of the same Spirit is infallible; the author whereof is truth itself, and therefore can neither deceive, nor be deceived.

V. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. Unto this main truth concerning Christ the Redeemer of the World, there are six all-sufficient and undeniable witnesses; whereof three are in heaven, and three upon earth: those in heaven are the Three Sacred Persons in Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and these three are, in essence, one and the same God.

V. 8 And there are three that beur record in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. Those three, that bear witness unto him on earth, and seal up the truth of his promises unto us, are the water in baptism, by which we are cleansed from the filth of our sins; the blood of Christ, exhibited in the holy eucharist, by the shedding whereof our sins are expiated; and the efficacy of his Spirit, which sealeth up to our hearts that testimony of water and blood, in that it applies unto us the power of that ablution and that expiation; and these three agree in and make good one and the same truth, concerning Christ the only Redeemer of Mankind.

V. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater.

If we are wont to give credit unto the witness of men, surely we must needs grant, that the witness of God is much more certain and unfailable.

V. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.

He, that truly believeth on the Son of God, hath God dwelling in him, by faith; and, therefore, hath that divine witness within himself.

V. 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

If any man see his brother fall into and continue in such a sin, as may be capable of forgiveness, let him earnestly sue unto God, for pardon of that offender; and God, who is great, and infinite in mercy, shall graciously incline his ear to his prayers, and give remission and life to such an one. There is indeed a sin unto death, for which there is no forgiveness with God, because there is no capacity of repentance for it in the committer of it; I mean the sin against the Holy Ghost; when a man, having received the knowledge of the Gospel by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and fessed the belief thereof, shall, in a devilish malice, wilfully blas

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pheme and persecute that known truth: I do not give you allow. ance to pray for the pardon of this sin.

V. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

Any of our injurious carriages towards God, whether in our words, deeds, or thoughts, is sin; and therefore of itself guilty of death: but, such is the mercy of God, that he takes not advantage of our infirmities; but, by his gracious pardon, so remits them, as that all our sins are not, in their event, deadly.

V. 18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; &c. See chap. iii. verse 9.

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN.

1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth.

John, the Apostle, known and acknowledged the overseer of the churches of God which are in Asia, to the faithful and holy matron, elect of God to be a vessel of honour, and to her children; whom I love, in and for the truth of the Gospel, which they do zealously profess.

10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, re ceive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

If there come any unto you, and make stubborn opposition to this doctrine, and broach the contrary errors to seduce you, give no entertainment to such an one, neither hold any familiarity with him:

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. For, whosoever, after knowledge of his wilful heresy, shall maintain familiar conversation with him, makes himself partaker of his wickedness, both of judgment and practice.

THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN.

2 That thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

As thy soul is in a good and comfortable condition, so I wish that thy body and estate may be also.

Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

Because, for the setting forth of the glory of Christ, and the promulgation of his Gospel, they went forth to preach the word of God among the Gentiles, and took no recompence from them for their labour and charge.

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

I wrote unto the Church, for this purpose: but Diotrephes, who affects to bear a sway amongst your people, and is prejudiced against us, is not willing to give way to this just and holy motion.

THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness.

For there are, secretly and underhand, crept in certain false teachers, who, by the just and holy counsel of God, were, from eternity, set out and given up to this fearful damnation, which they have run into, by their wickedness; graceless and ungodly men, who have abused the grace and mercy of our God, as an inducement to their prostitution of themselves to all manner of licentiousness.

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

And the angels, which, not contented with that estate wherein they were first created, but rebelling against God and proudly affecting a higher glory, were thereupon cast down from their heavenly habitations; he hath reserved, under his everlasting and unchangeable decree, in the dreadful darkness of hell, to the full consummation of their torment, at the great day of final judgment, when they shall receive their utmost doom of their foreappointed damnation.

7 And going after strange flesh.

And being carried with filthy and unnatural lust towards those of their own sex.

8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Likewise also these beastly and wicked miscreants, which are carried away with their own giddy fancies and idle dreams, defile themselves with abominable lusts, despise authority, and speak scornfully and disgracefully of all those that are in dignity and eminence above them.

9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee, Yet Michael the Archangel, when conflicting and striving with the Devil, he contested with that Evil Spirit about the body of Moses (which, being secretly hidden by God, was sought for, and attempted to be brought forth by Satan) durst not, as of himself, pronounce against that Wicked Spirit the sentence and judgment of that his blasphemy; nor cast upon him any railing accusation, but only said, The Lord rebuke thee.

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not:

but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

But these men are brutish and grossly ignorant in their understanding, not knowing how to value the worth of any thing that is good; and yet have their mouths open, to disgrace and rail on that which they know not; and those things, which they cannot but naturally know, as brute beasts, which are led and carried by their senses, those they abuse in a sinful and sensual immoderation, and make them occasions of their sin and destruction.

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Certainly, the curse of God hangs over the heads of these men; for they have, in respect of envy and murder, followed the courses of Cain; and, in respect of corrupting the truth for filthy lucre's sake, they have greedily run on in the wicked steps of Balaam; and, in respect of opposing themselves to authority, they have imitated the rebellion and mutiny of Corah, and shall perish in that damnable presumption.

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.

These are blemishes to your holy profession; and, when ye meet together at your love-feasts, bring shame and dishonour upon your assemblies; in a gluttonous fashion, pampering and cramming themselves at your public banquets: such as would willingly pass for Christians, and yet have no soundness and truth of religion in their hearts: they would seem clouds therefore, but have no rain in them they would seem trees, but they are sear and withered; twice dead; once, while they stand, dry and sapless; and once, yet more, while they lie, as plucked up and rotting.

14, 15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them &c.

Of these, amongst other wicked men, is that ancient prophecy of Enoch, who was the seventh in descent from Adam, fulfilled; wherein he foretels, that the Lord shall come to judgment, attended with many thousands of his holy and glorious angels, To execute his final vengeance upon all the ungodly, &c.

16 Having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. In a flattering manner, making shew of admiring the persons and parts of some great men, for their own advantage.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the spirit.

These be they, who make sides and divisions in the Church of God; severing themselves from the communion of other Christians, both in opinion and conversation: men, secretly given up

to their own sensuality; having, howsoever they pretend, no share at all in the Spirit of God.

I. 22 And of some have compassion, making a difference. And of some, who are through simplicity seduced, have compassion; making a difference, betwixt those spirits which are stubborn and turbulent, and those which are meek and gentle.

I. 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

And others, that are stiff and perverse, save, if ye may, with vehement urging unto them the terrors of judgment; as it were violently pulling them out of the fire of God's wrath, wherein they lie; hating and avoiding all occasions of pollution from these wicked men, and abhorring every thing that may carry a savour or suspicion of uncleanness.

THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN.

I. 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass ; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. This, which followeth, is the Revelation, which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made unto John; which Revelation God the Father gave to his Son Jesus, as the Mediator of his Church, that he might, according to that holy office of his, shew unto his servants those things which must, in the ensuing times, come to pass: and the same Jesus sent his angels, and, by their ministry, signified these future things to his servant John.

I. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear &c. See chapter xxii. verse 7.

I. Ibid. For the time is at hand.

For the time is near at hand, wherein divers of these following predictions shall be accomplished; and wherein an entrance shall be made to those, which shall afterwards succeed.

I. 4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; John, to those Seven famous Churches, which are in the Lesser Asia; and, under their name, to all other over the whole world: Grace be unto you, and peace from that Almighty and Glorious God, who only hath an absolute and infinite being in and of himself; who was from all eternity, and shall be the same without all change everlastingly; who is the author of all blessings to his Church and from those seven principal ministering spirits, which stand ready before his throne, to receive his commands for the behoof of his Church, and to convey his blessings unto it; according to the number of those chief and eminent Churches, whereto I

write :

I. 5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and