THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS.

I. 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:

Which very afflictions and persecutions suffered by you are a manifest and clear proof of a judgment to come, wherein the Righteous God of all the World shall declare you to be accounted of him, in his great mercy, worthy of that kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

I. 6, 7 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, &c. Seeing it is a most just and righteous thing with God, not to let wicked persecutors go away, at last, unpunished; but to return pain and torment to them that trouble you; And to you, that are troubled by them, eternal rest and glory, together with us and all his Saints; in lieu of those miseries they have cast upon you, &c. I. 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whose presence shall be exceeding dreadful to the wicked: for he shall come, in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them that would not know God; and that yield not their obedience, but make opposition to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I. 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.

When he shall come in wonderful and unconceivable glory, which he shall not reserve to himself, but impart to his saints; in whose brightness, and conformity to the glorious body of Christ, his infinite goodness and mercy shall be then admired; even, in the glorification of all that believe: amongst whom ye also have your part, forasmuch as ye have believed that Gospel, which we delivered unto you.

II. 1, 2 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 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,

Now we beseech and adjure you, brethren, by that sure and dear account that ye make of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of that glory which we shall enjoy with him when we shall be taken up to meet him in the clouds, That ye be not soon driven away from that truth of doctrine, which hath been delivered to you, concerning the coming of Christ; nor be disquieted in your thoughts, either by pretences of revelations, or by pretence of

report, or letter sent as from us; as if the day of his coming were instantly at hand.

II. 3, 4 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; Who opposeth and exalleth 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.

Let no man deceive you, by any false suggestions of the haste of that day: for it shall not come, till after there have been a sensible and general defection from the faith of Christ and the purity of the Gospel; and till that Antichrist, the noted and eminently sinful enemy of Christ, that son of perdition, be revealed; Who, in the pride of his heart, opposeth himself against and exalteth himself above all those sovereign powers that are called gods here on earth, and above and against him that is the only true God; crossing and contradicting his word and ordinances; so as that he tyrannizeth in and over the Church of God, bearing himself as if he were the absolute Lord and God thereof.

II. 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

And now ye know, both by that which I spake to you in presence, and that which I have now written, what let lies in the way of his revelation; and what it is that must be done and expected, ere that enemy of Christ do fully discover himself; namely, that the Gospel must both be universally preached and revolted from, and that the Roman empire must be removed ere he can fully shew himself.

II. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. For there are already foundations secretly laid for this Antichristianism; and this deep mystery of iniquity doth, though closely and insensibly, even already work: only, the powerful and flourishing estate of the Empire, which now hindereth any such present usurpation, will let, until it be taken out of the way.

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

And then shall that Wicked One shew himself in his colours; who shall continue to oppose the truth of God, and to infest his Church, until the Lord shall, by the power of his Gospel, overthrow him; and shall utterly destroy and confound him, with the glory of his coming to judgment:

II. 9, 10 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Even that presumptuous enemy of Christ, whose coming shall be graced and set forth by the working of Satan and all the powers of darkness; with mighty works, with strange miracles and lying wonders, And with all the fraud and imposture that wickedness can devise to use for the delusion of those miserable clients of his; which perish, because they embraced not that truth of God which was offered unto them, that they might be saved.

II. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion. And, for this wilful refusal of God's truth, it shall be just with him, to give them over unto strong delusions.

II. 13 Because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Because, however others may be miscarried with these powerful deceits, yet for you, we are persuaded that God hath, from before the beginning of the world, chosen you to salvation; which ye shall happily attain unto, through the sanctification of the Holy Ghost, and your firm faith in the truth of God revealed unto you.

II. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. And hold fast all that wholesome doctrine of the Gospel, which I have delivered unto you, either in my sermons or in my epistles,

III. 1 That the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you :

That the word of the Lord may be universally preached and willingly received, and be glorified in the effectual power thereof, in other places, as it is with you :

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

And that we may be delivered from absurd and perverse iren; both those false hypocrites which closely underwork the Gospel, and those public opposers of the truth which persecute us for the professing of it: which that they do, it is no marvel; for all men have not faith, to know and yield to the truth; that is a singular gift of God, which he hath bestowed only on some; it is no marvel if others hate and persecute it.

III. 6 And not after the tradition which he received of us. And not after that holy counsel and charge, which he received of us.

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

Not because we had not just liberty and power, to require maintenance from you, in lieu of our labours; but that we might thus make ourselves examples of painfulness, unto you, for your imitation.

III. 14 Note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

Set a mark on such an one; and do both give up his name to me, and censure him with a just ejection out of your company, that he may with shame be won to reformation,

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO TIMOTHY.

I. 2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith. Unto Timothy, my own dear son, whom I have spiritually begotten to the faith.

I. 4, 5 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned : Neither give heed to idle Jewish fables; nor to those infinite pedigrees and genealogies which they stand upon, in drawing down the line of their descent from Abraham or from David, in a pretence of claiming kindred of Christ, according to the flesh; which breed many frivolous questions and contentions, rather than tend to the edification of the Church, in the faith of Christ, which should be the end and drift of all our labours: for that, which the commandment of God, both in the Law and in the Gospel, drives at, is charity; even that Christian charity, which floweth from a sincere heart and a good conscience and an unfeigned faith in that Christ, which hath loved us and shed abroad his love in our hearts:

I. 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

From which graces some, having roved and taken a wrong aim, have shot away their shafts, and have turned aside unto vain jangling;

I. 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

Taking upon them to be teachers of the Law, while, in the mean time, they understand neither the principles nor conclusions of their own doctrine.

I. 8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Not, that I take exceptions against the Law itself: no; the Law is good and to excellent purpose, if a man make such use of it as he ought; not seeking to be justified by it, but to be directed by it, in his obedience, and to be brought by it to Christ, which is the end of the law;

I. 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, &c.

Knowing this, that the Law is not made for the coercion, restraint, punishment of the righteous and upright in their conversation; but of lawless and disobedient men, of godless and lewd persons, &c.

I. 13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

But I obtained mercy from God; who graciously held me caраble thereof, because that which I did, I did not maliciously or spitefully, but out of ignorance and unbelief.

I. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Howbeit, for this I obtained mercy, that Christ Jesus might make me a pattern and example, in whom he might shew forth his wonderful patience and longsuffering; for the comfort and encouragement of all them, who, notwithstanding the conscience of their many infirmities, should hereafter believe in him to life everlasting.

I. 18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, that knowing thyself to be of more than ordinary note, and one whom many prophecies have foretold of, as a worthy and eminent instrument of God's glory, and the good of his Church, that thou stir up thyself, according to those predictions of thee, to approve thyself a good soldier in this spiritual warfare of Christ;

I. 19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck : Holding the pure and true doctrine of the Gospel, and a good conscience in all thy actions, which some having disregarded and put away, have been miserably shipwrecked in their judgment concerning matters of faith:

I. 20 Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I have, by a dreadful sentence of excommunication, given over to the power of Satan, that they may be hereupon drawn to repent of their heresy and blasphemy against God.

II. 1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men ; I exhort therefore, brethren, that, first of all, when ye meet together in your public assemblies, ye join together in all kind of prayers and holy devotions: both those, whereby we sue to prevent and avoid evils that may befal us; and those, wherein we sue for all blessings that we want; and those, wherein we entreat for the good of all others; and those, wherein we give thanks, for our own good, and the good of the whole Church;

II. 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. But, especially, let your prayers and thanksgivings be for Kings, and for all that are in authority over you, that, through God's blessing upon their government, we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, &c.