the Lord does not delay the accomplishment of his promise, as some do imagine. but he waits with patience upon our account, as being unwilling that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

"where is the promise of his coming? for since our fathers are dead, the state of things is the same it has ever been since the beginning of the world."

But you must above all consider, that no prophecy of the scripture did proceed

from the prophet's OWN MOTION; but the holy men of God spoke by the IMPULSE of the holy spirit.

It is thus his divine power has given us every thing conducive to life and piety, by making us acquainted with him, who has called us by his illustrious power;

As there were false prophets among the people of Israel, there will likewise be false doctors among you, who by introducing pernicious sects, and by renouncing the Lord, who bought them, will bring upon themselves swift destruction.

to knowledge, temperance: to temperance, patience: to patience, piety:

and thus you will have a free admittance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

to piety, fraternal affection: and to fraternal affection, universal benevolence.

on the contrary, may you increase in the favour, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! to him be glory both now and for ever. AMEN.

As for that day of the Lord, it will advance like a thief: then the heavens will rush with violence, the boiling elements will be dissolved, and the earth with all its contents, shall be burnt away.

Besides, we have the more authentic accounts of the prophets, to which you do well in giving your attention, as to a lamp shining in an obscure place, till the day dawn, and the morning-star arises in your hearts.

for if you are possess'd of these virtues and improve therein, they will prevent the knowledge you have of our Lord Jesus Christ from being useless to others, and unprofitable to yourselves.

by which we have receiv'd the most inestimable promises, that thereby you might become partakers of the divine perfections, after having escap'd from the corruption of a sensual world.

whilst I am alive, I think it my duty to awaken you by my admonitions:

But there is one thing, my brethren, you ought to be appriz'd of, which is this, that "with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

knowing that I must soon leave this tabernacle, as our Lord Jesus Christ has signify'd to me.

for since God did not spare the angels, who had sinned, but having precipitated them to hell, confin'd them to chains of darkness, where they are reserv'd for judgment:

Do you on your part employ all your care in adding to your faith, fortitude: to fortitude, knowledge:

but he that is destitute of them is blind or short-sighted, having forgot he was purified from his past sins.

Simon Peter the servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who equally share with us in the advantages of faith, thro' the veracity of our God, and of Jesus Christ.

for, the information we gave you of the powerful advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, did not proceed from any artfully contriv'd fables, we our selves having been spectators of his majesty.

Above all things you are to know, that in these last times, impostors will appear, who will abandon themselves to their own sensual passions, whose cry will be,

As for us, in consequence of his promise, we expect a new heaven, and a new earth, where justice shall reside.

for he received this honourable and glorious testimony from his father, when the voice broke out from the magnificent splendor, in these words, "this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased."

However, I shall inculcate these things so as to make you continually remember them, even after my departure.

as it were in all his epistles, where he takes notice of these things: in which there are some passages that are difficult to understand, which the illiterate, and unstable wrest, as they do the rest of the scriptures, to their own ruin.

may the divine favour and felicity be poured upon you, by the knowledge of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

we our selves heard this voice, that came from heaven, when we were with him upon the holy mountain.

that the patience of our Lord is for your advantage: as our dear brother Paul, according to the information he receiv'd, has writ to you,

Wherefore be the more diligent, my brethren, to secure your vocation and election by your virtuous actions, for by so doing, you will never relapse:

I say, the Lord will deliver those, who fear him, from their affliction, and reserve the wicked to be punish'd at the day of judgment.

but the heavens and the earth now existing are kept in store by his Logos, reserv'd for the conflagration of doomsday, when the impious shall be involv'd in perdition.

As for those who have renounc'd the pollutions of the world, by their owning Jesus Christ for their Lord and saviour, if they are prevail'd upon to be entangled therein again, their last state is worse than the first.

This is the second letter I now write to you, my brethren, by which I would awaken your sincere attention,

for whilst this good man was among them, it daily pierc'd his virtuous soul, to see and hear of their detestable behaviour: this consider'd,

expecting, and vehemently desiring the day of the Lord would come, when the heavens all on fire shall be dissolv'd, and the elements shall melt with intense heat.

since he deliver'd that just man Lot, who was grieved at the enormous practices of the licentious;

But as for these, they have no more reason than brute beasts that are naturally made for hunting, and slaughter: so these who calumniate what they do not understand, shall receive the reward of their iniquity by perishing in their own corruption.

whereas the angels, who are of superiour power and dignity, don't inveigh against one another.

and are gone astray to follow the practices of Balaam of Bosor, who loved the wages of iniquity;

their eyes are inflam'd with adultery, and unextinguishable vice: they insnare the souls of the inconstant. their minds are practis'd in the arts of avarice: an execrable race, who have deserted the right way,

they place their felicity in daily pleasure: they are a vile scandal to religion: when they are present at your love-feasts they indulge their luxury:

by admonishing you to be mindful of the predictions of the holy prophets, and of the directions of the apostles of our Lord and Saviour.

many will follow their destructive maxims, and by their means christianity will be traduc'd.

but he was rebuked for his transgression: for an ass, as dumb as it was, spoke with an articulate voice, and reprimanded the extravagance of the prophet.

when their language swells with vanity, by applying to the sensual passions of the licentious, they allure those who were escap'd for a while, from such deceivers:

These are wells without water; clouds agitated with a tempest, who are consigned to the obscurity of eternal darkness.

but the proverb is exactly verified in them, "the dog is return'd to his own vomit: the sow that was wash'd, is wallowing in the mire."

for it had been better for them, not to have made any profession of the gospel, than after they have embraced it, to abandon the holy injunction, that was delivered to them.

Since then this whole system is to be destroyed, how holy should your conduct be, and how ardent your piety?

but they are wilfully ignorant, that the heavens were originally form'd by the divine Logos, and likewise the earth, which was separated from the water, and still subsists upon it.

since he did not spare the old world, having preserved only eight persons, including Noah, that preacher of virtue, when he brought the deluge upon the impious world:

whilst they promise others liberty, they themselves are slaves to their corrupt passions. for he that is vanquished, is a slave to the conqueror.

for this reason I shall never omit to put you in mind of these things, however knowing you are already, and settled in the truth.

since he condemn'd the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha to an entire subversion, and reduc'd them to ashes, to make them serve for examples to future impiety:

Do you then, my dear brethren, being thus forewarn'd, take care not to be seduc'd by those prophane impostors, and so lose the reward of your constancy.

By their artful discourses they will make you the tools of their avarice; but their condemnation has been a long time advancing, and their ruin is far from lingring.

since then, my dear brethren, your expectations are such, take care to appear before him, without any defect or blemish, in order to be happy; and be persuaded,

especially those, who prostitute themselves to sensual infamous passions: who despise magistrates, who being audacious, and insolent, intrepidly calumniate the higher powers;

whence the former world was destroyed by an inundation.