Paul adviseth believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power; 12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

NOW, we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,a 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means;b for that day shall not come, except there

a By, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and concerning our gathering together around him.

b Let no man deceive you by any of the above mentioned means, verse 2.

to steadfastness, &c. come a falling away first,c and that man of sin d be revealed,e the son of perdition;

4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you I told you these things?

6 And now ye know what

c Except there come a falling away first; or, there come the apostacy, that great departure from the true faith and worship, of which I formerly told you, (see ver. 5.) It is probable the apostle here alludes to some future state of the church, in which the disciples of Christ should greatly depart from the true faith & worship of God, enjoined in the Gospel; and it is thought by many, that this apostacy denoted Popery or the

Roman Catholic religion.

d That man of sin, the son of perdition, and that wicked, or wicked one, what that particular thing was, is verse 8, signify the same thing: but not perhaps fully ascertained. It has, however, generally been supposed, that these phrases were designed to signify, not any one man, but a succession

:

of wicked teachers, who would corrupt the church, and exercise a most cruel tyranny and by the description in verse 4 these false teachers seem to have been exemplified in the popes and bishops of Rome.

e Revealed. The revelation of the man of Sin consisted in his openly assuming the titles and honours of God, and shewing himself that he is a god. The Roman catholic clergy have actually been guilty of this shocking impiety.

withholdeth.f that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mystery of iniquityg doth already work; only he who now letteth,h will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked i be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth,j and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders,k

f What withholdeth or restraineth. That which restrained the man of sin from revealing or displaying himself, is generally supposed to have been the Roman empire; for so long as that power, which was idolatrous, continued unbroken, and exercised

universal dominion, it would not suffer another, especially one bearing the name of Christian, to gain ascendancy, and rule with despotic power.

g The mystery of iniquity, a system of error, which secretly encouraged iniquity: it here signifies the same as the man of sin.

b He ho letteth, &c. He who hindereth or restraineth, will continue to restrain the open operations of the mystery of iniquity, till he (meaning the power of the Roman magistrates) be taken out of the way.

i Wicked, or lawless one. j Spirit, it should be, breath of his mouth, which is a figurative expression, that probably denotes the preaching of the Gospel, which will eventually destroy all sin and opposition to the Redeemer's cause.

k Lying wonders, miracles of falsehood, impositions upon the senses of mankind.

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

18 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions, which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epis tle.

16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good

word and work.

Traditions here signify those doctrines and precepts, which Paul was inspired to teach.

Paul warneth them

CHAP. III.

to shun idleness, &c.

1 He craveth their prayers, 3 testifieth his confidence in them, 6 giveth them divers precepts, especially to shun idleness, &c.

FINALLY, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you,a that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.

5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, & not after the tradition,b which he received of us. 7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we

a Touching, concerning you.
b Tradition. See 2 Thess. ii. 15.

might not be chargeable to any of you :

9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle : so I write.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you alh Amen.

The second epistle to the Thessalonians was written from Athens.