Ch. 3. Halineß, Patience, &c. II. Peter. recommended. Ch. 3. the Elements melt with the fervent fiery heat. whatever this Melted Change be, we fnall have (The joyfulday ofour perfect Deliverance and our part in it. Salvation.) 15. And account that the long- 13. Neverthelefs we, according to fuffering ofour Lord is falvation, even his promife, look for new heavens and as our beloved brother Paul allo, ac- a new earth, wherein dwelleth righ- cording to the wifdomgivenunto him, teoufnefs. hash written untoyou. x ;. But we, according to his l'tornite, look xs. And think not that Godnegleftedtyou that God thou,d by there difJìlving Flames refine by Delays, but that he fuftereth the wicked Heaven andEarth, and having confiun'd with W rid fo long, that he may gather all his themall Sin, and the Wicked hence, lhould Chofen to Salvation that are yet to beborn and make (as he forma this our ofthe Chaps) a called, as Paul hash fhewd, Rom. g. new Heaven, and a new Earth, an habitation far righteous Perlons, where Sin Shall prevail 16. As alto in all his epifiles, fpeak- no more. ing in them of thefe things, in which Note a. Hethatmaketh this newHeaven and are fome things hard tobe underftood, Earth to fucceed the denruffion of Yerufaletn, fure'y forgot, T. That the Heathens for near which they that are unlearned andun- three hundred years after perfecuted the Chri- flsans far more bloodilythan the few poor yams did or could, and that Church-hiftory faith very little oftheyeses Perfecution, in compari- folx.4ftheHeathens, or ofany Martyrs that died by them. And Cure, if it was the time ofthe Ten Heathen Perlècutions that was the new Heaven and Earth, it's strange. 2. And if it were atthree hundred years after Christ, that the new Heavens and Earth come, it teems far !Fortof this here promifed. What was in the days ofCa,Bantine,Martia,t,and Theadofiue, they in Peter's days ntuft never fee : but the Day of Christ theywere all to fee. 14. Wherefore (beloved) feeing that ye look for fuch things, be diligent that ye may be found ofhim in peace, without fpot, and blamelefs. 14. Note t. It is not before Death that Peter would have them look for this Change, what- ever it was: he liv'd not himfel£to fee Yens/a- fern deftroy'd, and he and Paul died by the Heathen Power, rho' the Jews accufed them; and the Jews were more hatedthan they. z. Whether the new Heaven and Earth be 17. Ye therefore, beloved, feeing' ES many of the old Fathers thought, a reftitu. ye know thefe things before, beware rienof all things to the state theywere in be- left ye alto being led awaywith the er- fire the Fall, for which the whole Creation rour of the wicked, fall from our own graaneth and travelleth in pain to bedeliver'd ; y and that either fora thoufand Years, or forPer- liable tvreil, as they do allo the Other foriptures, unto their own. defirufti- on. ah. Hite a. They that refer in which) to [thefe things) and Mc to [ his Epiftlea7 pervert the Text, for it puts ,in which) as contradiftinft to [other Scriptures] andnot to [other things). And it's many other things much more than thefe, that were wrefted ro Deltruftion. And Peter himfelfeven here fpeaketh as hard things ofthisas ever Paul did. a. ItplealthGod to put hardthings in the Scripture for our exer- cise. ;. Yet it is nuns ignorant Inliability that wrefteth fìtch to their Deftruffion, for there is as much veryplain as rosy bring men to Salva- tion. And if, as to thedifficult parts, they will, I. butfearch as humble Learners. 2. And , not rake on them toktpówbefore they do, but confeO their Ignorance, it may ftand bothwith Salvation andThe Churches Peace. ;. And if they mutt by Men he inclined to either fide, let them fay plainly, I hold not this by Divine Faith, as part ofmy Religion, but as an Opinîen on the truftof Man, ftedfallnefs. petuity; and who !halldwell in the new Earth, 17. The fcope of what I have laid is to warn End whether Heaven and it !ball be made fó you, that having timely notice of all thefe like, as that the fame Men Mall inhabit both, things, ye molt diligently takeheed, left any &e. thefe are Doubts which, I think, it muff of there fenfual Profeffors, or Heretical Back- be theDay ofPerformance that mutt resolve o Hiders or Scoffers, deceive you in Wavering, s alto, whether accordingly there were other or Unbelief, or Heretic, or Senfuality, to fall Heavens and Earth deftroy'd for Sin before the from your spiritual ftedfaffneß in Faith and creation ofthis. But Chriftians care should be, Hope, and holy living. to be diligent to be found in a flare ofSafety Peace, and without Cpor, and blamelefs, Qq and leave unknown things to God, and then 18. Eut i
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