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¹ Simon Peter the servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who equally share with us in the advantages of faith, thro' the veracity of our God, and of Jesus Christ. ² may the divine favour and felicity be poured upon you, by the knowledge of God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ. ³ 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; ⁴ 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.

⁵ Do you on your part employ all your care in adding to your faith, fortitude: to fortitude, knowledge: ⁶ to knowledge, temperance: to temperance, patience: to patience, piety: ⁷ to piety, fraternal affection: and to fraternal affection, universal benevolence. ⁸ for if you are possess'd of these virtues and improve therein, they will prevent the knowledge you have of our Lord Jesus Christ from being useless to others, and unprofitable to yourselves. ⁹ but he that is destitute of them is blind or short-sighted, having forgot he was purified from his past sins. ¹⁰ 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: ¹¹ and thus you will have a free admittance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

¹² for this reason I shall never omit to put you in mind of these things, however knowing you are already, and settled in the truth. ¹³ whilst I am alive, I think it my duty to awaken you by my admonitions: ¹⁴ knowing that I must soon leave this tabernacle, as our Lord Jesus Christ has signify'd to me. ¹⁵ However, I shall inculcate these things so as to make you continually remember them, even after my departure.

¹⁶ for, the information we gave you of the powerful advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, did not proceed from any artfully contriv'd fables, we our selves having been spectators of his majesty. ¹⁷ for he received this honourable and glorious testimony from his father, when the voice broke out from the magnificent splendor, in these words, "this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." ¹⁸ we our selves heard this voice, that came from heaven, when we were with him upon the holy mountain.

¹⁹ Besides, we have the more authentic accounts of the prophets, to which you do well in giving your attention, as to a lamp shining in an obscure place, till the day dawn, and the morning-star arises in your hearts. ²⁰ But you must above all consider, that no prophecy of the scripture did proceed ²¹ from the prophet's OWN MOTION; but the holy men of God spoke by the IMPULSE of the holy spirit.