OF

CHAP. I.

PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians, in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth ;

4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

6 Seeing it is a righteous thing

9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that 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,

Ver. 8. Taking-Marg.
-Mackn." inflicting punishment."

Ver. 9. With everlasting destruction.-It seems impossible to reconcile this with the doctrine of

Universal Restoration.-From the presence.-Bp. Hopkins explains this as implying, not only banishment, but positive punishment, as it were by the lightning of his eye. We think, with Macknight, that. it is an allusion to the glory of the Shechinah, from which a flame came out and destroyed Nadab and Abihu, and afterwards 250 of Korah's company. Levit. x.1; Numb. xvi. 35.

Ver. 11. Count-Marg. "Vouchsafe;" that is, graciously consider you as worthy for this high and holy calling, and " fulfil in you all the good pleasure of his goodness," &c.

and ye in him, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ. (A)

CHAP. II.

NOW we beseech you, brethren, by

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

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.

CHAP. 1.

[apostacy foretold.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, 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! was yet with you, I told you these things?

6 And now ye know what with

(A) Ver. 1-12. Paul thanks God for the conversion of the Thessalonians, and comforts them under persecution.-" This Epistle," says Mr. Prebendary Townsend, "is generally supposed to have been written by St. Paul, a few months after the former. It is [or rather ought to be] dated from the same place, Corinth; and Silvanus and Timotheus are both mentioned in the Introduction [as in that of the former]. It was most probably written a little before, or a little after, the insurrection of the Jews at Corinth, when St. Paul was dragged before Gallio (Acts xviii. 12); as the apostle [chap. iii. 2, of this Epistle] seems to anticipate this violence, .... or else prays to be delivered from these unreasonable and unbelieving persecutors......

"St. Paul having been informed that some expressions in his first Epistle had been either perverted or misunderstood by the Thessalonians (see 1 Thess. iv. 15-17; v. 4, 6), who supposed the end of the world and the coming of Christ to be at hand, immediately addresses them, for the purpose of refuting this error; which, while resting on apostolical authority, would be alike injurious to the Christian converts, and to the continued propagation of the gospel." (New Test. Arr. vol. ii. p. 260, 261, Note.)

The apostle opens this Epistle, as he had done the former, by thanking God on their behalf, and rejoicing in their consistent and ornamental profession of the gospel; and, at the same time, denouncing the awful judgments of God against their infidel and relentless persecutors. For" when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels," then shal he take vengeance-not on them who never heard the gospel; but on those who, having heard it, refuse either to believe or to obey it; who "put from them the words of eternal life," and reject the "only name given under heaven among men, whereby we can be saved." (See Acts xiii. 46; iv. 12.)

Our apostle then prays for the Thessa lonians, that they might be counted "wor thy of this calling," namely, of being reckoned among the saints; and that the Lord would in them fulfil the good plea sure of his goodness"- - an expression which the ingenious Mr. Blackwall has noted as "the most charming representa tion auy where to be found, of that infinite goodness which surpasses all expression; but was never so happily and properly expressed as here." To this quotation, Dr. Doddridge adds, "that the [Greek] word seems at once to express that it is (God's) sovereign pleasure; and also that he feels a sacred complacency in the display of it."

CHAP. II. Ver. 1. By the coming, &c.-Bishop Newton, Mr. Cradock, Doddridge, Macknight, &c. render it, "Concerning the coming," which is far preferable. And by our gathering together.-See 1 Thess. iv. 17; Jude 14.

Ver. 3. Let no man deceive you.-This is supposed to refer to the impositions practised in the first age of Christianity by false prophets, forged epistles, &c. as well as by a misconstruction of Paul's former Epistle. See Macknight.

Ibid. A falling away.-Doddr. "an apostacy."

Mackn." The apostacy."- The son of perdition. See John xvii. 12. For a full exposition of this passage, see Bishop Newton, vol. ii. Dissert. £; and Dr. Benson on the Epistles, Diss. 2.

Ver. 4. Above all that is called God-Mackn. “4 God;" the omission of the Greek article, he thinks requires the insertion of the indefinite article English. But the man of sin personated the true God, and not an idol. We, therefore, with Doddridge, prefer the common translation.

Ver, G. Withholdeth.-Marg. "holdeth."

The destruction of]

7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, 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,

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 :

13 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 epistle.

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

CHAP. II.

(B) Ver. 1-17. The apostle guards the Thessalonians against any mistake as to the near approach of the end of the world, and warns them of the grand apostacy.— "There is reason to believe, from this and many other passages of the New Testament (says the late Mr. And. Fuller), that the sacred writers considered themselves as having passed the meridian of time; and, as it were, entered into the afternoon of the world." (See 1 Cor. x.11; Heb. i. 2; ix. 20; James v.8; Rev. xxii. 20.) "Every thing, with respect to degrees,

is what it is by comparison. Taking into consideration the whole of time, the coming of Christ was at hand.' (Phil. iv. 5.) But taking into consideration only a single generation, the day of Christ was notat hand.' The Thessalonians, though a very amiable people, were by some means led into a mistake on this subject, so as to expect that the end of the world would take place in their lifetime, or within a very few years. To correct this error, which might have been productive of very serious evils, was a principal design of [this] Epistle." (Fuller's Harm. p. 47, 48.)

Ver. 7. He who now letteth.-Doddr. "Only there is one that hindereth till he be taken out of the way." Dr. Chandler translates the verse thus :-"For the mystery of iniquity already worketh, only till he who restrains it be taken out of the way." To the same purpose Mackn. The obsolete use of the word let, in the sense of "hinder," has been already noted on Isa. xliii. 13; Rom. i. 13.

Ver. 8. That wicked.-Mackn. "lawless one." (Gr. anoma.)Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit-(Doddr. "breath")-of his mouth"Which (says Doddr.) shall kindle around him a consuming flame." See Note on chap. i. 9. Others prefer the sense given in our Exposition. Some persons may probably recollect certain parts of Daniel's prophecy as very similar to several verses in this chapter, on which we beg leave to refer our readers to our Exposition of Daniel, chap. xi. Ver. 9. Whose coming is after the working.

Doddr. energy."--Signs and lying wonders.Mackn." Miracles of falsehood;" i. e. according to the Hebrew idiom, false miracles, for which the Church of Rome has been famous from the commencement of her apostacy down to the present time.

Ver. 11. Strong delusion-Doddr. "The energy of deceit"-that they should believe a lie-Doddr. "so that they shall believe the lie;" namely, which themselves have taught.

Ver. 12. That they all might be damned.-Doddr. and Mackn. "Condemned."

Ver. 13. Chosen you to salvation.-Compare Ephes. i. 4.

Ver.45. Hold the traditions.-Doddr. "Retain the instructions." "In the apostles' writings, traditions are those doctrines and precepts which persons divinely inspired taught, whether by word of mouth, or by writing, as in chap. iii. 6. Macku, Comp. Note on 1 Cor. xi. 2.

CHAP. III.

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.

The mistake here referred to probably origiuated in a misunderstanding of St. Paul's words, in his first Epistle, wherein he speaks of some Christians being alive at that period (1 Thess. iv. 15-17), which they misunderstood as speaking of himself and brethren of that generation.

We come now to a most interesting and important prophecy relative to the grand apostacy, and to the reign of the Man of Sin," and here arise three or four inquiries which demand a brief attention.

1. What is the grand apostacy here referred to? This apostacy, or "falling away," is agreed to be, not of a political, but of a religious nature; and Protestant writers and commentators almost universally refer it to the apostacy of the Church of Rome, from the doctrine of Scripture and of the apostles. This prediction, as Dr. Pye Smith observes, "describes a great and extensive apostacy, which was to arise in the very bosom of the Christian church. The description purports, that this falling away should not be a renunciation of the Christian name, but should have its seat in the temple of God,' in the interior of the church, or great body of Christians; that its principles were already in operation, but that a temporary restraint would be imposed upon them; that, on the removal of this restraint, it would rapidly and powerfully develope itself; that its character would be wicked, its means of action extremely artful, deceptive, and iniquitous, and its tendency most destructive; that it should usurp a proud dominion, and claim even divine prerogatives; and that it should, at last, be annihilated by the pure doctrine and invincible power of the Lord Jesus." (Reasons of the Prot. Rel. p. 1, 2.)

2. Who is "the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition?" The same class of writers who explain this apostacy of the corruptions of Popery, of course explain this

Man of Sin as meaning the Pope of Rome; not any individual Pope, nor the Pope merely as a religious character; but as the head of that system of ecclesiastical usurpation and tyranny, which we commonly comprehend under the term Popery. Let us compare it with the original. His being "the Son of Perdition" implies apostacy and treachery. Popery, like Judas, not only deserted, but betrayed Christ and his cause-not, indeed, for thirty pieces of silver; but tempted by the immense wealth which accrues from purgatory and par dons, and masses for the dead, as well as from the church's secular usurpations. It took its seat in the church, which is God's temple, and there claimed supreme authority in dictating the sense of Scripture—in imposing laws-and in prescribing im plicit faith and obedience, which certainly implies a supreme and divine authority; for what is more peculiar to Deity than to prescribe how we are to believe and live? Nor are there wanting instances of the arrogant assumption even of divine names and worship.

Our 3rd inquiry regards the impeding power here referred to, which almost all commentators, Catholic as well as Protestant, refer to the Pagan Roman empire, which, while it remained, prevented the rising to his full authority of this "Man of Sin" and "Son of Perdition"-generally called Antichrist, from its direct opposition to the doctrine and authority of Christ. But we must not enlarge here, as the subject will come again under our notice in the next Epistle, and more at large in the writings of St. John.

4. We must consider the means of success which attended the rise of this wicked, or, more literally, lawless one; who, while be prescribed laws to all Christendom, himself, of course, acknowledged no supe rior, but assumed the title of Christ's Vicar upon earth, which he still retains.

CHAP. III. Ver. 1. May have free course-Marg. "May run"-and be glorified.-Dr. John Edwards thinks this is another allusion to the Olympic races, in which the runner who gained the prize was said to be glorified, i. c. highly applauded. So the

apostle desires that the gospel might run its uninterrupted course, with great success. Ver. 3. From evil.-Doddr. “The evil one." » See Note on Matt. vi. 13.

[them obedience.

we 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

Not to quote the blasphemy of the Canonists, who, in one instance, at least, flattered the Bp. of Rome with the impious title of "Our Lord God the Pope;" Mosheim informs us that, in the eleventh century, the Bps. of Rome "carried their pretensions so far as to give themselves out for lords of the universe, arbiters of the fate of kingdoms and empires, and supreme rulers over the kings and princes of the earth." (Mosheim, Cent. xi. pt. 2.) Accordingly, the Pope is no sooner elected than he is enthroned upon the altar, and the Cardinals, who elected him, kiss his feet,which ceremony is very properly called -Adoration. (Bp. Newton on the Prophecies, Dissert. xxv.).

But, to go no farther back than the 16th century, the Council of Trent requires every clergyman, on taking orders, to subscribe the following declaration :-"I acknowledge the holy Catholic and apostolical Church of Rome, the mother and mistress of all churches and to the Pope of Rome, the successor of Peter the Prince of the Apostles, and the Vicar of Jesus Christ, I promise and swear true obedience." (Creed of Pope Pius ix.)

Now this wicked, lawless power, is said to come" after (or according to) the ener

getic working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders:" that is, as the candid Doddridge explains it, "by a variety of fictitious miracles, so artfully contrived, and so strongly supported by an abundance of false testimonies, that many shall be entangled, deceived, and undone by them:" and because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved," they are given up to these awful delusions that they might be condemned." God forbid, however, that we

should maintain that all Roman Catholics will be lost. This is said in reference to those only who believed not the truth, because they had pleasure in unrighteousness;" and this is the true and general cause of men's rejection of the Gospel.

"

But we come, lastly, to consider the end of this extraordinary character, "whom the Lord shall destroy by the breath of his mouth," which is his word, "and by the brightness of his coming, which may allude to the diffusion of truth wherever that word is spread: or, as Doddridge explains it, the breath of his [Christ's] mouth, shall kindle all around him a consuming flame, in which all his [Antichrist's] pomp and pride shall vanish. (See Rev. ii, 16; xix. 15.)

arg.

Ver. 5. The patient waiting for Christ.
The patience of Christ;"ie. the patience which

Christ exemplified. So Doddr.

Ver. 13. Be not weary-Marg," faint not." So Doddridge,