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HE elder a unto the elect

to perseverance. For many deceivers are

Tlady b and her children, entered into the world, who

whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

2 For the truth's sake which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever:

3 Grace be with you, mer

ey, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

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 beseech 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, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

a The elder, I the aged apostle. b Elect lady; it is not known, who this woman was, but probably a person of note and distinction.

confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God; he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

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

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink; but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

c Neither bid bim God speed; that is, wish him neither health nor pros perity.

PREFATORY REMARKS

TO THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN.

THIS short Epistle is inscribed to a person named Gaius or Caius, a common name among the Romans. The name of Gaius

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Gaius commended

III. Johu.

for his piety, &c. frequently occurs in the history of the Acts, but who this Gaius was, is not known.

In this Epistle John commends Gaius for his kindness and hospitality to some brethren and strangers, who, in journeying among the Gentiles, had come to the place where he lived, and encourages him to shew them the like kindness in future: he reproves Diotrephes for his arrogance in assuming undue authority in the church, of which Gaius was a member, and censures him for refusing to assist the brethren, and for hindering those, who were desirous of doing it, and he informed Gaius that he expected soon to see him. This Epistle and the preceding were probably written about the year 91 or 92.

THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN.

1 He commendeth Gaius for his piety, 5 and hospitality to true preachers; 9 complaining of the unkind dealing of ambitious Diotrephes on the contrary side; 11 whose evil example is not to be followed: 12 giveth special testimony of the good report of Demetrius.

T

HE elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

2 Beloved, I wish above all things, that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee even as thou walkest in the truth.

4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

5 Beloved, thou doest faith fully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;

6 Which have borne wit

ness of thy charity before the church; whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:

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

8 We, therefore, ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.

9 I wrote unto the church; but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence among them, receiveth us not.

10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words; and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God; but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

12 Demetrius hath good re

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JUDE OF JUDAS, the author of this Epistle, was the son of Alpheus, and the brother of James. He was one of those, who, on account of their relation to Jesus, were called his brethMatt. xiii. 55.

ren.

Jude is thought to have written this Epistle at an advanced age, and but a short time before his death; probably as late as the year 70, or 75. Little is known with certainty concerning the life of this apostle.

In the latter part of the apostolical age, many false teachers had arisen and were going about speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them, as St. Paul had predicted, Acts xx. 30. These were the same persons, or were similar to those, against whom Peter, James, and John wrote. They perverted Paul's doctrine concerning justification, and resolved the whole of Christianity into the speculative belief, and outward profession of the Gospel. They also taught their followers to live in all manner of licentiousness, and still flattered them with the hope of the favour of God and of eternal life. Wherefore to shew the falsehood and impiety of these doctrines, and to secure the disciples from being seduced by them, Jude wrote this Epistle in which, by facts recorded in the Jewish scriptures, he proves that as God had already punished the angels who sinned, notwithstanding their dignity, and the antideluvians, notwithstanding their numbers, so he will most assuredly punish all obstinate sinners in the severest manner.

¶ THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF JUDE.

1 He exhorteth them to be constant in the profession of

the faith. 4 False teachers are crept in to seduce them,

Exhortation to

Jude.

for whose damnable doctrine and manners horrible punishment is prepared: 20 whereas the godly, by the assistance of the holy Spirit, and prayers to God, may persevere and grow ingrace, and keep themselves, and recover others out of the snares of those deceivers.

UDE, the servant of Jesus Christ, & brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied."

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ;a ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness,b and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

a Who were before of old ordained to this condemnation; of whom it was long ago foretold, that from their sins, they should suffer this very punishment; that is, the punishment mentioned in verses 6 and 7.

b Turning the grace, &c. Perverting the grace of God in justifying men by faith without the deeds of the law, into the liberty of committing all manner of sin without incurring the displeasure of God.

constancy in faith.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

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.

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

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

9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, (he disputed about the body of Moses)c durst not

The body of Moses. It is supposed that Jude in this verse alludes to Zech. iii. I, and that the body of Moses signifies the body of the laws of Moses, as the body of Christ signifies the church of Christ. What the apostle says, seems to be this: But how much more gentle than these men, was Michael the archangel, who although opposed by the devil in his benevolent design of restoring to the Israelites the Jewish church and state by Joshua the high priest, did not revile that apostate spirit, but only said to him mildly, the Lord rebuke thee, Satan.

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bring against him a railing accusation, but 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.

11 Wo 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.d

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:

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

14 And Enoch also,e the seventh from Adam, prophesied of those, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

d Gainsaying of Core, the rebellion of Korah. See Numb. xvi.

e And Enoch also. Although Moses hath said nothing concerning Enoch's prophesying, yet by telling us, that he was so pious as to be translated into heaven in the body without dying, he hath warranted us to believe Jude's account of him here, as predicting the punishment, which awaited these ungodly men.

and doctrines.

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words, which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

18 How that they told you, there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

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

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

22 And of some have compassion, making a differ

ence:

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

24 Now, unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless

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