we have by our lives deserved such anger of God. We hear it
generally, all of us, with gladness, when some one assaults and
upbraids the Pope along with his priests and monks; but yet, no one
will draw advantage to himself from it. It is not such a trifling
matter of sport that one must laugh at it, but of such seriousness
that the heart should fear and tremble on account of it. Therefore
should we lay hold upon it with seriousness, and pray that God would
turn away from us his anger and such plagues. For this calamity has
not come upon us unforeseen, but it is sent upon us by God as a
punishment,--as Paul says, II. Thes. ii.: "Since they have not
received the love of the truth, that they might be saved, therefore
shall God send upon them strong delusion so that they shall believe a
lie," &c., &c. For had the punishment gone but so far that the false
teachers only were lost, it would have been yet a little thing
against the fact that they have had the rule, and carried all the
world with them to hell. Therefore, in regard to the evil, we are to
take no counsel except to apprehend the matter in Godly fear and
humility, confess our guilt, and pray God to turn away the punishment
from us. By prayer must one contend against the false teachers,
although the devil do not let him win.--Now follows, next:

CHAPTER III.

V. 1, 2. _This is the second Epistle which I write to you, beloved,
in which I stir up your pure minds to remembrance, that ye may think
upon the word which was said to you before by the holy prophets, and
upon our command, who are Apostles of the Lord and Saviour._ Here St.
Peter comes to us again, and warns us in this chapter to be prepared,
and look every moment for the last day. And so he says in the first
of it, that he has written this Epistle, not in order to lay down a
ground of faith, which he had done before, but to awaken, remind,
arrest, and urge them not to forget the same, and to abide in the
clear view and understanding which they have of a true christian
life. For it is the preacher's office, as we have said often, not
only to teach, but also continually to admonish and restrain. For
since our flesh and blood ever clings to us, God's word must be
stronger in us, that we may not give room to the flesh, but strive
against it, and gain the upper hand of it.

V. 3, 4. _And know, first of all, that in the last days there shall
come scoffers who walk after their own lusts, and say, Where