CHAP. II.

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UT there were falfe prophets alfo among the people, even as there fhall be falfe teachers among you, who privily fhall bring in damnable herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themfelves swift deftruction.

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2 And many fhall follow to deliver the godly out of their pernicious ways; by temptations, and to reserve reason of whom the way of the unjuft unto the daytruth fhall be evil spoken of. of judgement to be pu 3 And through covetouf- nifhed: nefs fhall they with feigned 10 But chiefly them that words make merchandize of walk after the flesh, in the you; whofe judgement now luft of uncleanness, and defof a long time lingereth not, pife government. Prefumpand their damnation flumber-tuous are they, felf - willed, eth not. they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

II Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accufation against them before the Lord.

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 judgement;

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

godly;

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 day to day with their unlawful deeds ;)

9 The Lord knoweth how

26 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into afhes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an enfample unto thofe that after fhould live un

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 perifh in their own corruption;

13 And fhall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day-time. Spots they are, and blemishes, fport

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ing themselves with their own | efcaped the pollutions of the deceivings, while they feast world, through the knowwith you; ledge of the Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known

the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot ceafe from fin; beguiling unstable souls; an heart they have, exercised with covetous practices; curfed children :

15 Which have forfaken the right way, and are gone aftray, following the way of Balaam the fon of Bofor, who loved the wages of unrighteoufnefs;

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity. The dumb afs fpeaking with man's voice, forbad the madness of the prophet.

17 Thefe are wells with-mire. out water, clouds that are carried with a tempeft; to - whom the mist of darkness is referved for ever.

22 But it is happened unto them, according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the fow that was washed to her wallowing in the

CHAP. III.

HIS fecond epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

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18 For when they fpeak great fwelling words of vanity, they allure through the lufts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

19 While they promife them liberty, they themselves are the fervants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the fame is he brought in bondage.

20 For if after they have their own lufts,

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2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apoftles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 Knowing this first, that there fhall come in the laft days fcoffers, walking after

4 And

4 And faying, Where is works that are therein fhall be burned up.

the promise of his coming? for fince the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth 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 fame word are kept in ftore reserved unto fire against the day of judgement, and perdition of ungodly men.

II Seeing then that all thefe things fhall be diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godliness,

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens fhall pafs away with a great noife, and the elements fhall melt with fervent heat, the earth alfe and the

12 Looking for and hafting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be diffolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promife, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

14 Wherefore, beloved, feeing 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-fuffering of our Lord is falvation; even as our beloved brother Paul alfo, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto

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 flack concerning his promife, as some men count flacknefs; but is long-fuffering to us-you: ward, not willing that any fhould perish, but that all fhould come to repentance.

16 As alfo in all his epiftles speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood; which they that are unlearned and unstable wreft, as they do alfo the other fcriptures, unto their own deftruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, feeing ye know these things before,

From the First Epiftle General of JOHN.