A PARAPHRASE ΟΝ ΤΗΕ Second Epiftle of St. PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS. See the Preface to the First Epiftle. CHAP. I. The CONTENTS. The Perfecutions of the Jewish Zealots against this Church P in P AUL the Apoftle fend- Written eth this Second Epistle the latter End A. D. 52. Church of Theffalonica, of the Year. under all Preflures and Perfe 7 And to you who are troubled, reft with us, when the Lord Jefus fhall be reveal ed from Heaven with 7, 8 & 9. It should highly fatis- A. D. 52. fy you, I fay, what a compleat Happinefs you fhall then share in with us the Apoftles and Ministers of Chrift; and how terrible shall be their Punishment at the dreadful and amazing Appearance of the Lord Jefus from Heaven, who by his glorious and powerful Prefence, will ftrike all infidel and obftinate Men into everlasting Mifery and Destruction. lafting deftruction, from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. 10 When he fhall come to be glorified * in his faints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our teftimony among you was believed) in that day. 1o. Then will be the Time when the divine Wisdom, Juftice and Mercy, in the Gofpel Difpenfation, fhall be fully difplayed to, and admired by all good Creatures, Angels and * Men; especially by all true Chriftians, among whom you, for this firm and generous Adherence to my Doctrine, fhall have a particular and happy Share. Wherefore alfo we pray always for you, that our God would count you wor thy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodnefs, and the work of faith with power. 12 That 11. To which purpose, I continually beg of God, fo powerfully to affift you in all Chriftian Faith and Practice, as may render you truly qualified for those bleffed Ends of your Converfion to his Holy Religion. 12. That *In his Saints. 'Ev raiç aylos aure, in, swith, or by his Saints. It not being clear whether Saints be the fame with Believers, or fignifies the Heavenly Spirits, I have express'd both Acceptations. 1 A.D. 52. 12 That the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift 12. That fo Chrift may be honour'd and glorified by you, and you made happy in him, according to the wife and gracious Defign of his Gospel. * See Pref. to 1 Epift. $4. CHA P. II. The CONTENTS. He forewarns them from concluding, either from the confident Affertions of their Adverfaries, or from any thing he had himself written or spoken to them, That the Time of Chrift's Appearance to Judgment was near at hand. The divine Judgment upon Jerufalem and the Jewish Nation, was not to be fulfilled, till that obstimate People had by their last and utmoft Malice against the Chriftian Religion, and their turbulent Rebellion against the Roman Government, ripen'd themselves for a final Deftruction. Nor is the univerfal Judgment of the World to come, till after many and great Corruptions be brought into the Chriftian Church, by the arbitrary Impofitions of Temporal Power among its own Profeffors. This latter Event is the Great Apoftacy* or falling away. These powerful Corrupters of Christianity are the Man of Sin, in the most eminent Senfe of that Phrafe. The Apostle bleffeth God for the fafe Condition the Theffalonians were in, by embracing the true Chriftian Faith; exhorting them to, and praying for their final Perferverance in it. by the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and by our gathering together unto him. 2 That ye be not foon fhaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by fpirit, nor by word, nor by letter, ás from us, as that the day of Chrift is at from the Confideration of the great A.D. 52. Day of Chrift's Judgment. But, as you value the Bleffings you are to enjoy at his glorious Appearance, take heed that no confident Affertions, nor pretended Infpirations of the Jewish Zealots, nor the Mifinterpretation of any thing I my felf may have faid or written || to you upon that Head, make you conhand. clude, the Time of this Judgment muft needs be just at hand; for fuch a falfe Perfwafion, when you see the expected Event not to answer, would tend to fhake you in your Chriftian Principles, and tempt you to mistrust the Truth of the whole Gospel-Religion. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day fhall not come, except there come a falling away firft, and that man of fin be revealed, the fon of perdi 3. And, to prevent you from being fo impofed upon, I now plainly tell you, that Chrift's Judgment, neither upon the Jewish Nation in particular, nor upon the whole World in general, is yet near at hand, Jerufalem is not to be deftroyed, till that wicked People by their laft Malice against Christianity, and their Sedition against the Romans, be ripe for Destruction. And, before the univerfal Judgment, there will be introduced great Corruptions of the Chriftian Faith, in feveral Ages of the Church; a great Apoftary from the pure Truth, and Practice, and Worship of Chriftianity, by the arbitrary tion: L and Ver. 1. By the Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, vzig Concerning the Coming, or, as to the Coming. So Rom. ix. 27. Ifaiah crieth big rỡ sopana, Concerning Ifrael. And 2 Cor. i. 6. Our Hope concerning you, vzяp vμäv. So in Philip. i..7. Ver. 1. Eway ayns, Our gathering together unto Him, may fignify either our being received by him at the laft Judg ment, or our embracing of his Religion and Worship, as in Heb. x. 25. The former Senfe is most natural in this Place, Chap. iv. 15. and Ver. 2. of the First Epist. |