The Lord is not slack to fulfil his promise as some men count slackness: but is patient to us ward and would have no man lost, but would receive all men to repentance.
¶ This also we know, I mean the season, how that it is time that we should now awake out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
Other despisest thou the riches of his goodness and patience, and long sufferance? and rememberest not how that the kindness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Notwithstanding unto me was mercy given, that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long patience, unto the ensample of them which shall in time to come believe on him unto eternal life.
which were in time past disobedient, when the long suffering of God abode exceeding patiently in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few (that is to say viij. souls) were saved by water,
by the means whereof, are given unto us excellent and most great promises, that by the help of them ye should be part takers of the godly nature, in that ye fly the corruption of worldly lust.
And suppose that the long suffering of the Lord is health, even as our dearly beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given unto him, wrote to you,