2 would abound more and more. For you know what instruc3 tions we gave you by the Lord Jesus: for this is the will of

God even your sanctification, that you abstain from forni4 cation; that every one of you know how to use his own ves5 sel in sanctification and honour-not in lustful indulgence, 6 like the nations which know not God; not overreaching and injuring his brother in this matter; for the Lord is the avenger 7 of all such things, as we told you before and testified. For God hath not called us for uncleanness, but to sanctification. 8 He therefore who rejecteth [these instructions] rejecteth not man, but God, even him who hath given us his holy spirit.

9

In respect to brotherly love you have no need of our wri10 ting to you, for you yourselves are taught of God to love one another, and this indeed you practise to all the brethren, 11 through all Macedonia; but we beseech you, brethren, to abound therein more and more; and to make it your ambi tion to live quietly, and to mind your own business, and work 12 with your own hands, as we charged you; that your walk may appear orderly to the world, and that you may be in want of nothing.

13 Now I would not, brethren, have you ignorant in respect to them who are composed to rest, that you may not be afflict14 ed with grief, like others who have no hope. For if we believe

that Jesus died and rose again, so [should we] also, that God will, by the agency of Jesus, bring with him them who are 15 composed to rest. For this we tell you by a word of the Lord, that we the living who are left till the coming of the Lord shall not anticipate them who are laid to rest-that the Lord 16 himself, with an authoritative command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, will descend from 17 heaven, and the dead in Christ shall be raised first; afterwards we who are left alive shall, together with them, be conveyed in clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall be for 18 ever with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

V.

Now, in respect to the times and the seasons, you, 2 brethren, have no need of our writing to you; for you your3 selves know very well that the day of the Lord cometh as a thief at night. For whilst they are saying, there is peace and

VOL. IV.

3 A

4 safety, sudden destruction is then upon them, like the pangs of a woman in travail, and they cannot escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that this day should break upon you at 5 unawares as a thief. You are all children of light and children 6 of the day. We are not of night, nor of darkness. Therefore let 7 us not sleep as others do; but let us watch and be sober. For 8 they who sleep, sleep at night; and they who get drunk are drunk at night. But as we are of the day, let us be sober, arming ourselves with the breastplate of faith and love, and for a 9 helmet with the hope of salvation. Because God hath not sta10 tioned us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord 11 Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep we may live with him; therefore comfort one another, and edify one another, as indeed you do.

12

Now we intreat you, brethren, to consider them who labour 13 among you, and preside over you in the Lord, and instruct you: and esteem them very highly in love on account of their work. 14 Be at peace among yourselves. And we exhort you, brethren;

admonish the disorderly; comfort the desponding; support the 15 weak; exercise forbearance towards all; see that none return

evil for evil to any one; but on all occasions do all the good 16 you can, both to one another and to all men. Be always cheer17 ful. Pray without ceasing. Render thanks for every thing; for 18 this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Quench not the 19 spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things and adhere 20 to what is good. Abstain from every appearance of evil. And 21 may the God of this peace himself sanctify you entirely! 22 And may the whole of you-the spirit and the soul, and the 23 body, be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

kiss.

He who calleth you is faithful, and will do this.

Brethren, pray for us. Salute all the brethren with a holy

I adjure you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brethren.

The favour of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

THE SECOND EPISTLE

OF THE

APOSTLE PAUL

TO THE

THESSALONIANS.

I.

PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the congregation 2 of the Thessalonians in God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ: Favour be to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3

We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as it is fit; because your faith increaseth exceedingly, and the 4 love of every one of you all towards one another aboundeth:

So that we ourselves boast of you in the congregations of God, on account of your perseverance and belief, in all your perse5 cutions. Indeed by these afflictions which you endure there is a clear evidence of the righteous judgment of God that you 6 are accounted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you 7 actually suffer; since it is just with God to retribute affliction

to them who afflict you; and to you who are afflicted, rest with 8 us at the manifestation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his mighty angels, executing, with flaming fire, vengeance on them who know not God, and on them who hearken not to 9 the glad tidings of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall suffer

punishment, an everlasting destruction from the presence of 10 the Lord, and from the glory of his majesty, on the day when

he shall come to be glorified by his saints, and to be admired 11 by all those who believe that he was intrusted with this testimony of ours to you: for which purpose we are continually praying for you, that our God would make you worthy of this invitation, and confirm all the good pleasure of his goodness

12 and the work of faith, with power; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified by you, and you by him, according to the favour of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.

II.

Now, with respect to this coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 and the gathering of us together to him, we beseech you, brethren, not to be hastily shaken from your purpose; nor alarmed by any spirit, or by any word, or by any letter as from 3 us, as if the day of the Christ was at hand. Let no one by any means deceive you that it is, until the apostacy hath first come, and the man of sin hath been revealed that son of perdition. 4 who setteth himself against, and exalteth himself above, all

that is called God, or an object of worship; so as to seat him5 self as God in the temple of God, pointing himself out that he 6 is God. Do you not remember that while I was yet with you I told you these things? And you know what it is which now restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own 7 time. For the mystery of this iniquity is now in operation, but 8 there is one who yet restraineth. When he is out of the way, then will be revealed that lawless one, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth. With the brightness of his coming he will indeed put a stop to the operations 9 of him, whose coming is according to the energy of satan, with 10 all the power, and signs, and wonders of falsehood, and with all the deceit of this unrighteousness among them who perish.

Because they did not embrace the love of the truth that 11 they might be saved; for this cause therefore God will send them the energy of delusion, that they may believe this false12 hood; that all may be condemned who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness.

13 Now we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath, from the be14 ginning, chosen you for salvation by a sanctification of spirit and a belief of the truth to which he hath called you by our glad tidings, to be an acquisition of glory to our Lord Jesus 15 Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and keep firm hold of the doctrines which you have been taught, whether by

*The Greek word #apadósu, means any instruction conveyed to others, either by word or by writing.

16 word or by our letter. And may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father, who hath loved us and graci17 ously given us everlasting comfort and good hope, comfort

your hearts and establish you in every good word and work! III. Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord 2 may run and be glorified, as it is among you; and that we may be delivered from unprincipled and malicious men : for all 3 have not this belief. But the Lord is faithful, and will establish 4 you, and guard you from the wicked one: and we have this hope in the Lord with regard to you, that you both do, and 5 will do, what we tell you. And may the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the perseverance of the Christ.

6

Now we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to withdraw yourselves from every brother who walketh disorderly and not according to the doctrine which 7 he received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought 8 to imitate us-that we did not behave ourselves irregularly among you, nor eat any man's bread for nothing; but with labour and toil worked night and day, that we might not be 9 burthensome to any of you; not because we are destitute of authority, but that we might exhibit ourselves as a pattern 10 for you to imitate. For when we were with you we gave you 11 this charge, that he who would not work should not eat. For

we hear that there are some among you who walk disorderly, 12 doing no work, but busying themselves impertinently. Now

we charge such, and intreat them by the Lord Jesus Christ, 13 to work quietly, and eat their own bread. And as for you, 14 brethren, be not weary in well doing. And if any one doth not obey this injunction of ours by this letter, mark that man, and have no intimate connection with him, that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet count him not an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 16 And may the Lord of peace himself grant you peace continu17 ally in every respect. The Lord be with you all. The saluta

tion of me Paul, with my own hand, which is a mark in every letter. Thus I write-The favour of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.