fible that the apoftle's directions to this lady and her children, were by no means too fevere: efpecially as these heretical teachers pretended to be inspired: nay to poffefs an higher degree of inspiration, than even the apoftles themselves were endowed with.-Befides, John's directions to this lady and her children, are not inconfiftent with the precepts of the other apoftles, who have commanded us meekly to bear with thofe who err, and in the spirit of meeknefs to reclaim them. For the perfons they had in view in these precepts, were not falfe teachers who diffeminated their corrupt doctrines, and who erred from corruption of heart, but perfons who erred through weakness of understanding, and ignorance. This is plain from Paul's ordering Titus to rebuke the falfe teachers in Crete with a cutting sharpness: And from his commanding Timothy to hun the company of obftinate heretics. And as John's advice to this lady is not inconfiftent with the precepts of his brethren, fo neither do they contradict his own precepts, earnestly and repeatedly delivered in his first epistle, to love and to do good to the worst of men. They are only advices to this lady and her children, not to expofe themselves to the danger of being fe duced by falfe teachers, and not to aid them in spreading their errors. His advice, therefore, ought to be attended to by those, who, either from piety, or benevolence, are difpofed to shew hospitality to teachers, of whose character and tenets they are ignorant; because such, notwithstanding their fhew of godliness, and their plausible discourse, may be deceivers: in which cafe, the perfons who entertain them in their houses, or who give them money, certainly become partakers of their evil deeds, as the apoftle in this epistle hath expressly declared,

View and Illuftration of the Matters contained in John's Second Epiftle.

HE apofle, after addreffing this letter to a woman of Tdiftinction and her children, and expreffing great affec

tion to them on account of their adhering to the truth of the gospel, ver. 1.-declared that he was moved, thus to love them, by the gospel itself, ver. 2. And as a testimony of his love, he gave them his apoftolical benediction, ver. 3.-Then told this lady, that he felt the greatest joy when he found fome of her children, with whom he had converfed, perhaps at Ephefus, walking in the truth; that is holding the true doctrine of the gospel, and behaving suitably to that doctrine, ver. 4. - From this he took occafion to exhort them, to love all the fincere difciples of Chrift, and to do them good offices, according to the commandment which Chrift gave to his apoftles at the beginning, ver. 5.-and to exprefs their love to Chrift by obeying all his commandments; particularly the commandment they had heard from the beginning, that they should love one another fincerely with a pure fpiritual love, ver. 6.- Next he told this excellent lady, that his joy, on account of her children's walking in the true doctrine of the gofpel concerning the person of Chrift, was the greater that many falfe teachers were going about, who denied that Jefus Chrift had come in the fleft. Each of thefe, he told her, was the deceiver and the antichrift fore old by our Lord to come. This account of the falfe teachers the apoftle gave, left the lady and her children, deceived by their plaufible fpeeches, and their fhew of extraordinary

Ver. 1.-I The elder. For the import of this title, fee Pref. Sect 1. penult paragr.

2. To the elect lady. The apoftle gave to this lady the appellation of elect or excellent, (See Eff. iv. 41.) not only on account of her vir

tues,

dinary piety, might have been disposed to fhew them kindness, fuppofing them to be the fervants of Chrift, ver. 7-He therefore defired them to be on their guard against fuch teachers, for this among other reafons, that if they fhould be drawn away by them, he would lofe the reward which he expected for his having, not only faithfully, but fuccefsfully, taught them the true doctrine of the g fpel: For he wished that his reward might be complete, through their continuing in the belief and practice of the truth, ver. 8.-Moreover he told them, that the teacher who doth not abide in the true doctrine concerning Chrift doth not acknowledge the truth of God's teftimony concerning his Son. But the teacher who continueth to hold that doctrine, acknowledges the Son's teftimony concerning himself, as well as the Father's, ver. 9.-Wherefore, if any teacher came to them, and did not bring the true doctrine concerning Chrift, he forbade them to receive him into their houfe; or fo much as to give him the common falutation or wifh of health, ver. 10. -Because the perfon who gives any encouragement to falfe teachers, though it be done inconfiderately, is in fome fort acceffary to the mischiefs which his pernicious doctrine may occafion, ver. 11. He then told them, that he had many other things to fay to them concerning thefe impoftors, but he would not commit them to writing, because he hoped to come foon and converse with them perfonally, in a more free manner than he could do by letter, that their mutual joy might be complete, ver. 12.- And so concluded, with giving this lady the falutation of the children of her fifter, to whom likewife he gives the appellation of elect, on account of the excellence of her character, ver. 13.

tues, but as Eftius obferves, because she was diftinguished by her birth and opulence; and to fhew his refpect for her on account of her beneficence to the poor, and to ftrangers. See ver. 13. note. and Pref. Sect. 2.

2 Δια την αληθειαν την μενεσαν εν ήμιν, και μεθ' ήμων εσαι εις τον αιώνα,

3 Εςαι μεθ' υμων χθέντα ρις, ελε, ειρηνη παρα Θεο 5, EXE, Eignung waga Dεg wargos, nas waga Kuşie In8 X:158 T8 U18 T& waτρος, εν αληθεία και αγα ግጻ

4 Εχάρην λίαν ότι εύρη xa εκ των τεκνων σε περίπ πατεντας εν αληθεία, καθώς εντολην ελάβομεν παρα τα πατρος,

3. And her children. There is no mention made by the apostle of this lady's husband, either because he was dead, or because he was not a Christian.

4. Whom I love. The pronoun us though the antecedents xve and Texas be, the one in the feminine gender and the other in the mafculine, is put in the mafculine, becaufe according to the ufage of the Greek language the mafculine gender comprehends both the mafculine and the feminine. See Eff. iv. 60.

5. Sincerely. The fincerity and purity of his love to this lady, the apoftle fhewed on the prefent occafion, by his earnestness to guard her and her children against being deceived by the falfe teachers, who were then going about among the difciples of Chrift. See ver. 7.If ev aandag is tranflated, in truth, John's meaning may be, whom I love on account of their adherence to the true doctrine of the gospel. Accordingly, he adds, And not I only, but all also who know the trail.

Ver. 2.-1. Through the truth. As the apoftle is here explaining the principle from which his love to this lady and her children proceeded, I have tranflated the prepofition de by the word through, to mark that principle: His love to thefe excellent perfons proceeded from the influence which the true doctrine of the gospel had on his mind, to make him love all the real difciples of Christ.

2. And fhall be with us for ever. John mentioned the continnance of the Christian religion in the world for ever, as a proof of its excellence, and of God's care to fupport it, notwithstanding the attempts of infidels to deftroy it. For, these confiderations mult have been a great encouragement, to all in the first age who had received the gof

pel,

2 This love I and all who know the truth, bear to you through the influence of the gospel which abideth among us, and fhall be continued with us to the end of the world.

3 Grace, mercy and peace, (E5011, the future for the imperative, Eff. iv. 13.) be with you, from God the Father of all, and from Jefus Chrift the Son of the Father, together with the poffeffion of truth, and of love to God and to man.

4 I rejoiced greatly when I found fome of thy children, with whom I converfed lately, holding the doctrines and obferving the precepts of the gospel, as these were preached by us ac cording to the commandment which wa received from the Father.

pel, to maintain it, although by fo doing they exposed themselves to much perfecution,

Ver. 3. And from Fefus. Chrift the Son of the Father, with truth and love. Whitby, fuppofing the claufe, v anda nas ayawn, to be an Hebraifm, connects it with the Son of the Father, and tranflates the paffage thus: From Jefus Christ the true and beloved Son of the Father. But others conftrue the paffage in this manner: Grace, mercy, and peace, with truth and love, be with you from God the Father, and from Fe fus Chrift the Son of the Father. This conftruction I think should be followed.

Ver. 4.-1. I rejoiced greatly when I found fome of thy children. So Εύρηκα εκ των τέκνων σε fignifies. From this expreffion Eftius inferred, that fome of this lady's children were not Chriftians But I rather fuppofe with Grotius, that John fpeaks of fuch of her children as in the course of their affairs had come to the place where he was; and that having converfed with them, he had found them found, both in the faith and in the practice of the gofpel. After they returned home, the apoftle infcribed this letter to them, as well as to their mother, and by the commendation which he bestowed on them in it, he no doubt encouraged them much to perfevere in the truth.

2. Walking in truth. As walking denotes in fcripture the courfe of a man's behaviour, Eff. iv. 59. walking in truth, may fignify, not only that thefe young perfons maintained the true doctrine of the gofpel concerning the perfon of Chrift, ver. 7. but that their conversation was in all refpects fuitable to the gofpel.-In this joy, the apoftle manifefted the difpofition of a faithful minifter of Chrift: for fuch derive their greatest happiness from the faith and holiness of