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

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;

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.

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:

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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:

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,

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.

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,

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.

whence the former world was destroyed by an inundation.

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.

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."

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.

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

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 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,

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.

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.