occupied with theological propositions, but with historical,
ethical, and practical statements and exhortations. These are,
indeed, of such a character, and so expressed, that they clearly
presuppose certain opinions in the mind of the writer. First, he
evidently believed that a merciful and holy message had been sent
from God to men by Jesus Christ, whereby are given unto us
exceeding great and precious promises." The substance of these
promises was "a call to escape the corruption of the world, and
enter into glory and be partakers of the Divine nature." By
partaking of the Divine nature, we understand the writer to mean
entering the Divine abode and condition, ascending into the safe
and eternal joy of the celestial prerogatives. That the author
here denotes heaven by the term glory, as the other New Testament
writers frequently do, appears distinctly from the seventeenth and
eighteenth verses of the chapter, where, referring to the incident
at the baptism of Jesus, he declares, "There came a voice from the
excellent glory, saying, 'This is my beloved Son;' and this voice,
which came from heaven, we heard." Secondly, our author regarded
this glorious promise as contingent on the fulfilment of certain
conditions. It was to be realized by means of "faith, courage,
knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, kindness, and love."
"He that hath these things shall never fall," "but an entrance
shall be ministered unto him abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." The writer
furnishes us no clew to his idea of the particular part performed
by Christ in our salvation. He says not a word concerning the
sufferings or death of the Savior; and the extremely scanty and
indefinite allusions made to the relation in which Christ was
supposed to stand between God and men, and the redemption and
reconciliation of men with God, do not enable us to draw any
dogmatic conclusions. He speaks of "false teachers, who shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
them." But whether by this last phrase he means to imply a ransom
of imprisoned souls from the under world by Christ's descent
thither and victory over its powers, or a purchased exemption of
sinners from their merited doom by the vicarious sufferings of
Christ's death, or a practical regenerative redemption of
disciples from their sins by the moral influences of his mission,
his teachings, example, and character, there is n