Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 57
THE SECOND EPISTLE OF S. PETER.
CAP. I.
1 That have obtained like pr…tious faith with us through the righteousnesse of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.WHo have received the gift of a true and lively faith (which is equally precious, wheresoever it is in any of the elect) through the merits of Jesus Christ, who is our God, and Saviour.
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption, that is in the world through lust.By which Christ, and by the knowledge of him, are conveyed unto us exceedingly great and pretious blessings, and graces, such as hee had formerly promised to us beleevers; that by these wee might be made partakers of those divine qualities of the soule; viz. of wisdome, goodnesse, holinesse; whereby wee resemble that God according to whose image we were created; having beene delivered and freed from that corruption, which aboundeth in worldly men, through their sinfull lusts.
9 But hee that lacketh these things, is blinde and cannot see farre off, and hath forgotten that hee was purged from all sins.But hee that lacketh these graces, is at the least pur-blinde; not seeing heavenly things which are a farre off, but earthly things onelyonly which are neare at hand; having forgotten even the very first, and maine principles of Christianity; and namely this; that they were washed from their old sinnes by the laver of regeneration, persisting wilfully in those evils, as if they had never beene done away.
10 Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling, and election sure: for if yee doe these things ye shall never fall.Wherefore doe yee so much more studiously, and earnestly labour to attaine unto good assurance in your soules (both of your effectuall calling in time, and of your eternall election to life before all times) by beleeving, and by well doing; For, if yee doe thus carefully, and conscionably indeavour your selves, it is a firme argument of the grace and mercy of God, so upholding you, that ye shall never utterly fall from him.
Moreover I will take order while I live,15 Moreover, I will indeavour, that you may be able, after my decease, to have these things alwaies in remembrance. both by my utmost endeavours upon all occasions, and by these monuments, which I shall leave behinde mee, so to settle the remembrance of these things in you, that after my decease ye may not forget them, but may thinke of them effectually.
But, besides our owne testimony,19 We have also a more sure word of prophesie, whereunto yee doe well that yee take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a darke place, untill the day dawne, and the day starre arise in your hearts. wee have that evidence which ye are wont to account more certaine then all the report of present witnesses, even the cleare word of the ancient prophets foretelling the truth of all events, concerning Christ, whereunto yee doe well that ye take heed, and give all due respect; regarding it, as a candle that shines in a darke roome, till a greater light arise unto you; that is, untill the bright and glorious Gospell, which is as the day-starre, and the morning light of divine truth be fully manifested unto you; as that wherin all those propheticall predictions appeare to be perfectly accomplished.
Presupposing first, and laying this sure ground,20 Knowing this first, that no prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. that the exposition of the propheticall predictions of the holy Scriptures, may not be framed, and ruled according to the private conceit of the reader, but by the gratious revelation of the holy Ghost, and those meet helpes, which God hath ordinarily left unto his Church.
For,21 For the prophesie came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost. there must be the same authority for the interpreting of Scriptures, which was in the giving and delivering of them; now those holy prophesies came not in old time, from the device of mans braines; neither did they deliver their owne inventions; but those sacred persons, which were sent by God, on his messages to the Church, spake as they were inspired by the holy Ghost, and wrote onelyonly those words which were put into them by God himselfe.
CAP. II.
EVen denying that gratious Lord and Saviour,1 Even denying the Lord that bought them. who hath not stucke to shed his most pretious blood for the redemption of mankinde, &c.
3 And through covetousnesse shall they with fained words make merchandise of you, whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbreth not.And, as crafty merchants are wont with many faire, and glozing words, to deceive the buier, so doe they in a covetous desire, and aime at their owne advantage, go about with fained pretences, and plausible words to make merchandise of you: whose just judgement, and fearefull damnation, which hath beene of old ordained for them, and denounced against them, is not delayed, and slackened, for one moment, beyond the time limited to their due punishment.
4 And delivered them into chaines of darknesse, to be reserved unto judgment.And delivered them up into that dungeon of hell, to be reserved there, in horrible darknesse, untill the day of the last judgement, wherein they shall receive the sentence and execution of their full torment.
11 Whereas Angels which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.Whereas the good Angels of God, who are greater in power and might, then any mortall creature, and therefore might seeme priviledged to take more liberty unto themselves, yet when they have appeared before God, and have held (as it were) contestation with the evill angels in his presence, have not cast railing accusations against them, but have left their judgement unto the Lord.
12 But these, as naturall bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed, speak evill of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption.But these men, as if they were no better, then very bruit beasts, which are made onelyonly for the slaughter, beare themselves in a brutish and savage fashion; following their owne beastly sensuality, and opening their foule mouthes against those things, and persons, whose worth they understand not; and they shall speed accordingly; for they shall be taken in their owne wickednesse, and shall perish in that everlasting destruction, which they have drawne upon themselves.
17 To whom the mist of darknesse is reserved for ever.For whom the dreadfull darknesse of hell is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure, through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonnes, those that were cleane escaped from them, who live in errour.For whiles these hereticall teachers affect to speake bigge swelling words of vanity, and make great ostentation of the large promises of liberty to their clients, they pleasing the carnall appetite of lustfull men, allure, through much wantonnesse, those wretched disciples, that were once escaped from the snares of their false doctrine; and draw them to live in their damnable errour.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord, and Saviour Iesus Christ, they are againe intangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them then the beginning.For, if after they have escaped the wicked heresies, and abominable corruptions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ, they suffer themselves to be againe intangled in, and overcomne by those impious errours, and practices, it had beene better for them, never to have beene delivered therefrom; the later condition of their sinfull relapse shall be much worse then the first estate of their grosse and ignorant impiety.
CAP. III.
IN that they say,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. all things continue as they were from their first creation, they do willingly hoodwinke themselves, and purposely will not know that change, which was wrought by the deluge of waters; and the stability of that word or decree of God, whereby the heavens were made of old; and the earth also was made to appeare (upon the removing of the waters to their proper receptacle, the sea) as standing up out of the water, and as compassed about by the water.
Upon which situation of the earth it came to passe,6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. by the just and holy decree of God, that the world of men that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.
But these lower regions of the heavens,7 But the heavens, and the earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgement, and perdition of ungodly men. and the earth which wee doe now presently see, after that change wrought by the deluge, are, by the same all-wise and just decree of God, continued in the state wherein they still are, and reserved for a contrary meanes of dissolution; which shall be by fire, in that great day of the generall judgement, and of the finall destruction of the wicked, and ungodly.8 But (beloved) be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares, and a thousand yeares as one day.
But as for the conviction of that idle, and wicked conceit of atheous men, who, because of the seeming delay of the comming of the Lord, goe about to perswade themselves, that he will not come at all; beloved, I would not have you to be ignorant of this one thing, that no time ought to seeme long in comparison of eternity; That in the account of the Ancient of dayes, the immutable, and eternall God, there is no difference of yeares and times; one day, and a thousand yeares are alike, and all one to him; these measures of time are nothing to him that is infinite.
The Lord, who hath promised to come,9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise (as some men count slacknesse) but is long suffering to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. is not slacke in the performance of that promise of his (according as men take slacknesse) so as to put off, and disappoint the day which he had set, but in his mercifull long suffering to us ward (as he had eternally decreed) hee waites for our repentance; as taking no pleasure in the destruction of any of his creatures, but gratiously inviting all men to repent and be saved.
Neverthelesse wee, according to his promise,13 Neverthelesse we, according to his promise, looke for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse. looke for, (after that this visible, and lower fabricke of the world shall be purged, with this last and universall fire, from those drossie and impure qualities which are in it) a new heaven, and a new earth, pure and glorious; so as the whole purified world (that then shall remaine) shall be the palace, and habitation of Gods elect.
But ye, beloved, seeing ye know these things, and are admonished,17 Ye therfore beloved, seeing yee know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked, fall from your owne stedfastnesse. before-hand, of the danger of these pestilent doctrines, beware lest ye bee led away with these atheous suggestions of wicked men, and doe thereupon fall from that stedfast profession which yee have hitherto made of the truth.