fear: having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be ashamed who revile your good manner of life in Christ. For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your freedom as a cloak of wickedness, but as servants of God.

THE SECOND EPISTLE

OF PETER

II PETER I

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us: Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue. And he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature.

Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control; and in your self-control, stedfastness; and in your stedfastness, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. Wherefore give the more diligence to make your

calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble: for thus shall be richly supplied unto you the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

II PETER III

I Peter i

Now in the latter days there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation! Nevertheless, according to the promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, seeing that ye look for these things, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God! Give diligence, therefore, that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless. And knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with wicked error, ye fall from your own stedfastness.

Girding up therefore the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you according to the revelation of Jesus Christ; as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former manner of life in the time of your ignorance: but, as he who called you is holy, so be ye yourselves holy in all manner of living.

THE FIRST EPISTLE

OF JOHN

I JOHN I, II

Now this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected.

Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard. Again, a new commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and

there is no occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life. have eternal life. 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. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the world. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

I JOHN III, IV

Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called sons of God! And hereby know we this, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. Herein is love made perfect with us; because as he is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath punishment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love, because he first loved

us.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man hath beheld God at any time; but if we love one another, God abideth