the end of the World would happen Vol. VII. before the end of that Age; in which they were much confirmed, by what our Saviour, after his Refurrection, laid of St. John, upon occafion of Peter's queftion concerning him; John 21. 21, 22. Lord, what shall this man do? Jefus faith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Upon which words of our Saviour concerning him, St. John himself adds, v. 23. Then went this faying abroad among the brethren, that that difciple fhould not die, that is, that he fhould. live till the coming of our Lord, and then be taken up with him into Hea ven; from all which they probably (as they thought) concluded, that the day of Judgment would happen before the end of that Age, whilft St. John was alive; but St. John, who writ laft of all the Evangelifts (as Eufebius tells us) and lived till after the deftruction of Jerufalem, as he acquaints us with this mistake, which was currant among the Chriftians, fo he takes care to rectifie it, telling us, That Jefus faid not, he should not die; but if I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? He tells us, that our Sa Vol. VII. Saviour did not affirm that he should not die; but to reprefs St Peter's Curiofity, he fays, If it were my pleasure that he should not die at all, but live till I come to Judgment, what is that to thee? And St. Peter likewife (or whoever was the Author of this fecond Epiftle, or at leaft of this third Chapter, which feems to be a new Epistle by it felf) takes notice of this mistake, about the nearness of the day of Judgment, as that which gave occafion to thefe Scoffers to deride the expectation of a future Judgment among the Chriftians, because they had been already deceived about the time of it; and this the Scoffers twitted them with in that Queftion, Where is the promise of his coming? And therefore the learned Grotius conjectures very probably, that this laft Epiftle (contained in the third Chapter) was written after the deftruction of Jeru falem, which was the time fixt for Chrift's coming to Judgment, and therefore there could be no ground for this Scoff till after that time. St. Pe ter indeed did not live fo long, and therefore Grotius thinks, that this Epiftle was writ by Simeon, or Simon, T who who was Succeffor of St. James, in the Bishoprick of Jerufalem, and lived to the time of Trajan. I have been the longer in giving an account of this, that we might underftand where the ground and force of this Scoff lay; namely in this, That because the Chriftians had generally been very confident, that the coming of Chrift to Judgment would be prefently after the deftruction of Jerufalem, and were now found to be deceived in that, therefore there was no regard to be had at all to their expe&tation of a future Judgment; because they might be deceiv'd in that, as well as in the other. But herein they argued very falfly, because our Saviour had pofitively and peremptorily foretold his coming to Judgment, but had never fixt and determined the time of it; nay, fo far was he from that, that he had plainly told his Difciples, that the precife time of the day of Judgment God had referved as a Secret to himself, which he had not imparted to any, no, not to the Angels in Heaven, nor to the Son himself; Mark 13. 32, 33. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, Vol. VII. no not the angels which are in heaven, Vol. Vil neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray for ye know not when the time is. So that if they prefumed to make any conjectures about the time when the day of Judgment would be, they did it without any Warrant from our Lord; it was great presumption in them to determine the time of it, when our Saviour had fo exprefly told them, that the Father had referved this as a Secret, which he had never communicated to any, and therefore if they were mistaken about it, it was no wonder. But their mistake in this, was no prejudice to the truth of our Saviour's clear PrediEtion of a future Judgment, without any determination of the time of it, for that might be at fome thousands of Years diftance, and yet be certain for all that; and the delay of it was no fign of the uncertainty of our Savi our's Prediction concerning it, but only of God's great Patience and longfuffering to Sinners, in expectation of their Repentance; God is not flack concerning his promife, as some men count flackness, but is long-fuffering to us-ward. And this brings me to the Third, and laft Particular in the M Text, namely, The true Reafon of Vol. VII. God's Patience and long-fuffering to Mankind; He is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all bould come to repentance. And for this St. Peter cites St. Paul, V. 15th of this Chapter; And account that the long-fuffering of the Lord is falvation, that is, that the great End and Defign of God's goodness and long-fuffering to Sinners, is that they may repent and be faved; Account that the long-fuffering of our Lord is Salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul alfo, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you. Now these words are not exprefly found in St. Paul's Writings, but the Senfe and Effect of them is, viz, in Rom. 2. 4. Defpifeft thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-fuf-, fering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? God hath a very gracious and merciful defign in his Patience to Sinners; he is good, that he may make us fo, and that his goodneẞ may lead us to repentance; he defers Punishment on purpofe, that he may give Men time to bethink themN felves |