there it 45 menticned with reſpett to their ſufferings, here in a way of praver, He encourazed them under their ſufferings, that they mic theeupen be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, and now prays thar God would count them worthy, Their worthineis 365 imnore from the gracious account of God than their own ſutfer- 1112, A Chriſtian's calling hath Duty annexet to it, whereupon te A- note! extorts the Zpbeftars ro walk worthy of it in diſcharge of thoſe i3:ies, 2 75. 4.1, 2. &1d it hatha Fate of blefſedneſs belonging to 1, which is :neant here 3 and none ſhall partake of it, but thoſe whom God (hall count worthy of it. But Gods account is not according to the Grace, but yet his Prayer implies ſuch a walking according to this Covenant, as whereby they might be counted worthy of the bleſſed ſtate they were called unto. 6 The gracious purpoſes of God towards his p-ople are called often his good pleaſe, as Mar, 11. 26, Luke 12, 32, Fohe 1.5, 9. and the ſame is meant 1/z. 53+ 10. The pleaſure of the Lord ſhall protper in bis hand: The Heb. word Chephers being of the lame fig- nifc:tion with the Greek word here uſ:d, Chrift ſhall accompliſh the gracions purboſes of God towards his People ;and call'd his good plea-
fire, partly becauſe they have no reaſon out of the Soveraign Will of
God,and they are ſuch alſo as he hath great complacence and delight in: And thoueh they are executed i: time, yet they were in his heart from Everlaſtins, ard therefore calid erernal, Eph, 3,11. And1 find pur- iſe and good pleaſure pur both together, Eph. I. 9. and 15 here called the good pleaſure of his goodneſs, which is not a tautology as it may ſeem to be, but to make his expreſſion of God's Grace the more em- Phatical ; or rather to ſhew that this good pleaſure of God towards his people, ariſeth out of his goodneſs. God hath purpoſes of wrath to- wards ſome, but ſuch cannot be call'd the good pleaſure of his good- neſs. Goodneſs is that excellency in God, whereby he is ready to com- municate gocd to his Creature z but by goodneſs here, is meant Gotl's ſpecial govnels which is peculiar to his people whom he hath choſen. T» fulfi! alt the good pleaſure of bis goodneſs, is to accompliſh all theſe good purpoſe; that were in his heart, Some whereof were already ful- filled in their Calling, Adoption, Juſtification, and SanQification be- gun, but the whole was not yet fulfilled, which he therefore here prays for, { that as their Ele&ion, and their firſt Converfion was not from any worthineſs, or foreſight of Faith in them, but the good pleaſure of his Wil, ſo the progreſs and perfe&ion of their Salvation, was alſo to be from the ſame good pleaſure > By the work of Faith is either meant Faith it ſelf, which is the work of God, or elſe the fruits of Faith; and ſo work is here taken for Works, or Operations of Faith, And the A- poſtle addeth this in his Prayer, to ſhew that we are not ſaved only by God's good pleaſure without Faith, ſuck a Faith that worketh, And to perfe the'r Salvation is a fulfi/ing the work of Faith, for perſeye- rance and progreſs towards perfection is from the work of Faith : Or it may particularly refer . to their patience and conftancy under their ſufferings which he had before ſpoken of, and which is a peculiar work of Faith 3 but becauſe Faith is not ſutficient of it ſelf, and the work of Faith may fail, he therefore addeth, 7 power, or with power ; that 15, the power of God, which is his Spirit, ſo called, Zuke 1. 35. Our Faith and the Power of God are here joined together, as 1 Pet. 1,5, Ihe ſame power that fuſt worketh Faith, afterwards co-worketh by it, and with it, 12 That the Name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt may be glorified in you, and ye inhimd - according to the grace
of our God, and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt e.
d ms, All Expoſitors agree that theſe words contain in them a f1- nal caule, as the Greek word imports 3 and fo underſtand them as the ultimate end of theApoftle's Prayer for them ; he had prayed for things that did concern their Salvation, but he looked further, which was, that thereby the Name of the Lord Jeſus may he glorified in them, The Glory of Chriſt, and the Saints Salvation are wrapt up together ; and though they are to look immediately to the latter, yet ultimately to the former : But whether the Apoſtle means the glorifying Chrift in this Life, or the life to come, is a queſtion, I rather think the words refer to the Life to come, when the Name of Chriſt ſhall be for ever 2lorifged in the Salvation of his people, when all the good pleaſure of God's goodneſs ſhall be fulfilled upon them, they having been kept in the Faith by the power of God unto the end, through Jeſus Chriſt ; and then allo they ſhall be glorified not only by him, as we may read the Text, but in him, in being received into a patticipation of the ſame Glory with Jeſus Chriſt, and by their union with him, are glorified in him, Fob. 17. 22, Col. 3. 4. 2 Fob. 2,3. And when this is done then have they received the prize of their Calling z then is the whole good pleaſure of God's goodneſs fulfilled, then is the work of Faith accom- pliſht, which things the Apoſtle faith, he prayed for in their behalf, e What the Apoſtle before called the good pleaſure of God's goodneſs, he here calls his Grace, and he adds the grace of Chriſt, becauſe the Grace or Favour of both are ſo eminently manifeſted in theſe things, whereby not only the Name of God, but of Chrift alſo ſhal] be glorified, as he ſaid before, and that it may be glorified in them according 10 his Grace, that is greatly glorified, and they glorified in kim according to the Grace of God, and Jeſus Chriſt, rhat is great- ly glorified, as we may further underſtand the words; the Grace of God being exceeding, great towards them in Jeſus Chriſt, And here- by the Apoſtle would exclude all thoughts about their own merit, Ver, Lie
EHAP.. HH.
Tie coming of Chriſt to judgment ſhould not be ſo ſoon as ſome perſmaded them : But Antichriſt ſhould firſt come + His Character : And Times : And D:ſirution, 1 $8. The Power of ſedufFHion in them that geriſh by the juſt judgment of God upon the Unthankfulnejs of men, g--12 He aſſures them of their Eletion wo Salvation in Faith and San@ifi- cation, 12, 14. He exhborts them to ſtand firm init; And prayeth God 70 Comfort and Confirm them, 15 bY.
2 TOW we beſeech you brethren f, by the coming
of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt g, and by our gather-