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Degins his epistle by reminding his converts of the benefits they had derived from the ministry of the apostles , who had received all the things that pertain to life and godliness , ( that is , all those communications of the Divine will and intentions concerning sinful men , and those instructions concerning our duty which are fitted to promote godliness , and procure eternal life as its happy xesult ,. )_ ihro . ug h ^ the ~ knowJedge ~ of—him-tliafe-had—called ^ them-to
be apostles , by the exercise of his glorious power ; by which means ( he continues ) are granted or fulfilled to us the greatest and most valuable promises , in order that by the use of these things ye ( the disciples ) might become partakers of a divine nature . He proceeds to the well-known powerful and impressive exhortation to all the practical graces of the Christian character , 6 and besides all this , giving all diligence , add to your faith virtue , ( or fortitude , ) and to fortitude knowledge , and to knowledge
temperance , and to temperance patience , and to patience godliness , and to godliness brotherly kindness , and to brotherly kindness charity ; for when these things a ^ e in you and abound , they make you that ye shall not be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ . ' In the ninth and following verses he continues , * For he thatlacketh these thingsis blind , wilfully closing his eyes , ( pLvwxafyv , ) having forgotten the purification from his old sins / ( that is , the ] a ^ cej » tance ^ in ; . th ^ . si ght of God with which he had been favoured through the grace of God in the
gospel , notwithstanding the sins of which he had been guilty in the days of his ignorance , ) ' wherefore the rather brethren , give or exercise diligence to make your calling and election sure ; ' so to improve the talents wherewith ye have been gratuitously intrusted , as that the hopes which have been made known to you may be fully realized , and their accomplishment established upon a sure and fixed foundation . * For , if ye do these things ye shall never fall , for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ :
The purification here spoken of from former sins , combined with the powerful exhortation which precedes to cultivate the bright train of Christian virtues , strikingly illustrates the twofold meaning , contended for by Taylor and others , of the term justification and other kindred phrases . By faith in Christ , the hea ~ thens were introduced to a most satisfactory acquaintance with the true character of the Father , in reliance on his own declarar
tions By the mouth of his inspired messenger ; they had thus the delighful assurance that God was merciful and gracious , ready to receive the repentant sinner . On embracing Christianity they had this most valuable boon immediately ; that they were admitted at once to begin an entire new course of life , to adopt new principles , and become in all respects new creatures ; none of their former sins were remembered against them . But the apostle here
Untitled Article
OF PARTICULAK EL ^ CTlONc 1 Q 5
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 1, 1833, page 105, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2611/page/9/
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