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life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the 17 brethren. But whosoever hath the good things of the

world, and seeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how abideth the love of 18 God in him? [My] children, let us not love in word and in 19 tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know

that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts be20 fore him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater 21 than our heart, and knoweth all things, Beloved, if our

heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward 22 God: and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because

we keep his commandments, and do those things which 23 are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and should love one another as he hath given us com24 mandment. And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in Him, and He in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the spirit which he hath given us. CH. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits IV. whether they be of God: because many false prophets 2 are gone out into the world. Hereby ye know the spirit of God: every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ 3 is come in the flesh, is of God. And every spirit which confesseth not Jesus†, is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist, of which ye have heard that it 4 should come; and it is in the world now already. Ye are of God, my children, and have overcome them: for he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore they speak of the world, 6 and the world heareth them. We are of God. He that knoweth God, heareth us: he that is not of God, heareth us not. Hereby we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

* That is, that Jesus Christ was a real man, in opposition to the Gnostics and Docetæ, who taught that Christ was a man only in appearance. See Dr. Priestley in loc. + that Jesus Chirist is come in the flesh, R. T.

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Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God: and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth 8 God. He that loveth not, hath not known God; for 9 God is love. Herein the love of God was manifested toward us; that God sent his only-begotten Son into the 10 world, that we might live through him. Herein is love;

not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent 11 his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if 12 God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No

man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and the love of him is perfected in us. 13 Hereby we know that we abide in him, and He in us, 14 because he hath given us of his spirit. And we have seen,

and we bear witness, that the Father sent the Son to be 15 the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that

Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in 16 God. And we have known and believed the love which God hath to us. God is love; and he that abideth in love, 17 abideth in God, and God in him. Hereby love is perfected among us; to the end that we may have confi. dence in the day of judgement: because as He is, so are 18 we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect

love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment: where19 fore he that feareth is not made perfect in love. We 20 love [Him,] because He first loved us. If a man say,

"I love God," and hate his brother, he speaketh falsely : for how can he who loveth not his brother, whom he 21 hath seen, love God †, whom he hath not seen? And we have this commandment from Him, that he who loveth God, love his brother also.

CH. V. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God; and whosoever loveth the Father, loveth the 2 Son also. Hereby we know that we love the children

* i. e. to be the medium of the reconciliation of sinners by his gospel. See ch. ii. 2. for he who loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, N. ‡ and whosoever loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten by him. N. and Gr.

of God, when we love God, and keep his command3 ments; for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not bur4 thensome*; for whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world and this is the victory which overcometh the 5 world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he who believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came with water and blood, even Jesus Christ not with water only, but with water and blood. And it is the spirit which beareth testimony; for the 8 spirit is truth t. For there are three who bear testimony, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three 9 agree in one. If we receive the testimony of men, the

testimony of God is greater: for this is the testimony of 10 God, which he hath testified of his Son. He who believeth on the Son of God, hath the testimony in himself he who believeth not God, maketh him false ‡, because he believeth not the testimony which God hath 11 testified of his Son. And this is the testimony, that God

grievous. N.

†The received text reads, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth.” N. B. 1. This text concerning the heavenly witnesses iş not contained in any Greek manuscript which was written earlier than the fifteenth century. 2. Nor in any Latin manuscript earlier than the ninth century. 3. It is not found in any of the ancient versions. 4. It is not cited by any of the Greek ecclesiastical writers; though to prove the doctrine of the Trinity they have cited the words both before and after this text. 5. It is not cited by any of the carly Latin fathers, even when the subjects upon which they treat would naturally have led them to appeal to its authority. 6. It is first cited by Vigilius Tapsensis, a Latin writer of no credit, in the latter end of the fifth century, and by him it is suspected to have been forged. 7. It has been omitted, as spurious, in many editions of the New Testament since the Reformation:-in the two first of Erasmus, in those of Aldus, Colinæus, Zwinglius, and lately of Griesbach. 8. It was omitted by Luther in his German version. In the old English Bibles of Henry VIII. Edward VI. and Elizabeth, it was printed in small types, or included in brackets: but between the years 1566 and 1580 it began to be printed as it now stands; by whose authority, is not known. See Travis's Letters to Gibbon, and Porson's and Herbert Marsh's to Travis. Also, Griesbach's excellent Dissertation on the Text at the end of his second volume. Abp. Newcome omits the text, and the Bishop of Lincoln expresses his conviction that it is spurious. Elem. of Theol, vci. ii, p. 90, note.

+ Or, a liar.

hath given to us everlasting life; and this life is through 12 his Son. He that hath the Son, hath life; and he that 13 hath not the Son of God, hath not life. These things I

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write unto you, that ye may know that ye have everlasting life, who believe in the name of the Son of God *. And this is the confidence which we have in him; that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. 15 And if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we ask of him. 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and shall obtain life for him; for them, I say, who sin not unto death †. There is a sin un17 to death: I do not say that he shall request for it: all

unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not;

but he that is born of God keepeth|| himself, and the evil 19 One toucheth¶ him not. We know that we are of God;

and the whole world lieth in subjection to the evil One ††. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath

given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true and we are in Him that is true, through his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God ‡‡, and everlasting life. 21 My children, keep yourselves from idols.

• These things I write unto you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe in the name of the Son of God. R. T.

+ Sin and disease were considered as so inseparably connected, according to the Jewish philosophy, that, perhaps, the apostle might mean nothing more by the advice which he here gives, than to recommend prayer for the sick where the disease was curable, and to dissuade from unbecoming importunity where the malady was evidently incurable, and fatal. See John ix. 2. 34; Matt. ix. 1-8. See Dr. Priestley in loc. Or, petition concerning this.

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+ The heathen world is figuratively represented as under the dominion of Satan. Compare 1 Cor. v. 5, and the note there. Lieth in evil. N.

#q. d. "By Him that is true I mean the true God, and the Giver of everlasting life. See John xii. 50; xvii. 3. Grot. and Whitby's Last Thoughts, 2d edit. p. 86. Or, This is the true God, and this Jesus Christ is everlasting life. Ch. i. 2. That euros sometimes refers to the remote antecedent, see Acts ii. 22, 23; vii, 18, 19; 2 John 7.” Newcome's Note.

THE

SECOND EPISTLE

OF

JOHN*.

THE elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth; (and not I only, but all those likewise 2 who know the truth ;) because of the truth which abideth 3 in us, and which will be with us for ever: favour, mercy,

and peace be with you, 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 some of thy children

walking in the truth, according as we have received 5 commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as writing to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love 6 one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment; as ye have heard from the beginning, to the intent that ye 7 should walk in it. For many deceivers have entered † into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Such an one is a deceiver, and an anti8 christ. Take heed to yourselves; that we lose not those

The second and third epistles of John are placed by Eusebius amongst the books whose genuineness had been called in question: but this was probably owing to their brevity, and to their being addressed to particular persons; for, as Dr. Priestley observes, “both the subjects and the language are so much the same with those of the former epistle, that there cannot be a doubt of their having the same author." + Or, gone forth. MSS.

ți. c. that he is not a real man ; alluding to the errors of the Docetæ.

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