And the Anti- S2. The Strain of this Epiftle, both in its Arguraent, The Defign. and the very Expreffions, is fo clearly the fame, in the main, with that of the foregoing, that I refer the Reader to the Preface thereto prefixed, for the proper Key to them. $3. The Shortness of this Letter, though to fo principal Why fo fhort. a Church, is fufficiently accounted for, from Ver. 12. viz. that the Apoftle very foon expected to vifit that Church, and give full Inftructions in the Matters here fo briefly handled. truth; and not I on HE elder unto 1 & 2. LOHN, the now Aged * Written the elect lady, Apostle of Chrift, fendeth A. D. 67. and her children, this Epiftle to the Church of Jerufawhom I love in the lem, to the Clergy and People there- I See the ly, but also all they of, whom I, and all good Chriftians, Pref. § 1. that have known the cannot but most fincerely efsteem and truth; love, for their Conftancy and Perfeverance in thofe Gospel-Doctrines that will prove of eternal and happy †† See 1 Pet. Advantage to us. i. 23, 25. 2 For the truth's fake which dwellet in us, and shall be with us for ever: 3 Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, Jefus Chrift, the Son of the Father, ‡ in truth and love. and from the Lord * The Elder: w, Prefbyter, here, and in 1 Pet. v. 1. may be a Name of Honour and Dignity; or, as in Phil. ix. it fignifies, Aged; and fo it fitly expreffeth both the Apoftolical Office, and his long Continuance in it, he being now at least Jeventy Years of Age. Ver. 3. In Truth and Love: Thefe Words may be connected, either with thofe immediately foregoing, The Son of the Father, in Truth and Love; i. e. The Author of the true Chrifian Religion, fo full of Love to Mankind; or elfe with, Grace, Mercy and Peace be with you, as in the Paraphrase: Which I chufe as moft agreeable to the Verfe following. 4.D.67. 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 5 And now, I befeech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new * commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love; from the beginning, 7 For many deceivers are entered in to the world, who Chrift is come in the 4. 'Tis a mighty Comfort to me to hear of fuch a Number of your Church, that firmly and uncorruptedly adhere to the Chriftian Religion, as delivered by Chrift and his Apoftles, from God the Father. 5. Let me now only remind you, that true Christianity must be joined to true Faith, in order to make a true Chriftian. And thofe of your Church, where Chrift himself immediately delivered his Doctrines, * cannot but know it to be one of his fpecial Commands. 6. For there is no Way of expreffing our true Love and Regard to + God, but by the Entertainment and Belief of his Revelation, as he has plainly delivered it to us, and by Obfervance of its Moral Precepts, whereof this of Love and Charity is one of the moft principal. 8 Look to your. See 1 John felves, that we lofe not iv. 2, 3. the thofe things which we have wrought, but 7 & 8. I am thus particular in my Cautions in this Matter, to prevent you from being misled in your Principles, and fo deprived of your future and glorious State of Happinefs, by the deceitful Endeavours of a Set of Men, viz. the Jewish Zealots, that would perfwade the World that Jefus is not the True Meffiah; and thofe Heretical Chriftians that uphold he did not Live, receive a full reward. and Preach, and Die in Reality, but in Appearance; that he was not himself the real Word who was with God his Father, the Son of God made Note there. Man . *See 1 John ii. 7, 8. + Hayaan, viz. T 08, as in 1 John v. 3. iv. 21. Man, but a mere Man, diftinct in Reality from that A.D. 66. 9 Whofoever tranf- 9. Your Chriftian Religion, and greffeth, and abideth the plain Facts and Doctrines of it, are fo fully and unexceptionably demonftrated, that you must make them the Rule whereby to judge of not in the doctrine of Chriit, hath not God: he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, Fobnii. 18, 19-26. iv. 1, 2, 3. V. I-12. he hath both the Fa- all Pretenders in Religious Matters t. † See 1 John You know your own Principles are true; and therefore all that contra ther and the Son. dict them must be falfe, as plainly giving God himself the Lye. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this do&trine, receive him not into your houfe, neither bid him God speed. II For he that hiddeth him God fpeed, is partaker of his evil deeds. 12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink; but I truft to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. 13 The children of thy eldest Sister greet thee. Amen. 10 & 11. If you find any of these Teachers, therefore, that are thus unfound in their Doctrines, and loose in their Morals; have nothing to do with them, and give them no Entertainment, for fear the Countenance you afford them should bring you into a fhare of their Guilt and Punishment. 12. I give you now only these brief Cautions, in hopes very soon to vifit your Church, and furnish you with more full Directions, to your compleat Comfort and Satiffaction in your true Chriftian Principles, against the Defigns of these Deceivers. * 13. The Chriftian Church I am now with, give hearty Love and good Wishes to you. God preferve you. Amen. *Thy elect Sifter. What Church it was, from whence St. John wrote this, is no way certainly to be known: Dr. Lightfoot thinks it to be Ephesus; which, as it was the Metropolis of Afia, might indeed properly be called Sifter to the Great Church of Jerufalem. A PARA A PARAPHRASE Gaius, who? § 1. AIUS is here generally taken for the fame Chriftian of Corinth, whom St. Paul calls His Hoft, Rom. xvi. 23. A Perfon very much noted for the Hofpitable and Liberal Entertainment he gave to St.Paul and Barnabas, who took no Maintenance of the Gentile Churches they Preached to, particularly that of Corinth (fee 1 Cor. ix.) as neither did Timothy, Titus, or others fent by St. Paul thither. To this St. John refers here, Ver. 5, 6, 7, 8. It should feem, from Ver. 9, 1o. that the Apoftle intended a longer Epifile, and to have directed it to the whole Church of Corinth; but fearing the Effects of his Letter might be defeated by Diotrephes, and his prevailing Party; he laid afide that Defign, upon a Profpect of doing more Good by visiting the Corinthians in Perfon, Ver. 13, 14. § 2. Mean § 2. Mean while, he fends this Brief Exhortation to The Subject. Gaius, commending him for his Hofpitality to the Teachers fent to his Church, exhorting him to continue it; and assuring him, that his Adverfary Diotrephes (who feems to have been one of the Jewish Zealots, or Heretical Teachers, Spoken of in his First Epistle) should foon feel the Weight of his Apoftolical Power. $3. If thefe Second and Third Epiftles be filed General, If General? it cannot be upon the fame Account with that of the First, and thofe of St. James and St. Peter, [thofe being directed to Several Churches; while the One of Thefe were Written either to a fingle Family, or Church, the other to a fingle Perfon;] but from that General and Catholick Reception they found through the Chriftian Churches. * 1 & 2.OHN, the now Aged Written 3 & 4. Nothing on this Side Heaven, is Matter of fuch Comfort to Conftancy of Chriftian People. I me, as to hear of the Sincerity and Love them All, without Diftinction, as my Spiritual Children. And this made me fo highly rejoice at the Account I have received, how good and generous a Chriftian You are in particular. 5 & 6. I now fend you this fhort Letter, to exprefs the juft Senfe I have of your Liberal Hofpitality toward all your Fellow-Chriftians, efpecially to fuch as are fent by the Apoftles, to Teach and Inftruct your Church; and to Encourage your Perfeverance in fo good a Principle, by |