the l!phere or element. of hie glory. Bll th!"t o~ God would oount you worthy of l&inta; not the holy ,mgcls who will ac- th111 oitlh_ng; or mtl1er, o_fyour calling (R.V.). oompany him to judgment, but holy men The calhng wae, propel'iy spel\ldng, only the whom be h&S redremed with his blood, commencement of the Christinu life, but ae Christ will be glorified in his sainh!, in&S- it wae the first link in a chain thnt termi- muoh as their glory wns the re~ult of his nated in glory, it is need to denote the sufferings and death. nnd their holiness is whole Christian life - your vocation ne the reflection of his holiness; "They will Chr!~tians. And fulfil all the good pleasure refleet e.s in R mirror the gfory of the Lord." of his goodness. The pronoun " his" is not And to be admired; wondered at, praised. in the original. The worde have been In all them that believe ; or, belieued. The differently rendered : some render them "all work of fRith is past; the resnlt of faith, God's pleasure in our goodness ; " others the state of sight and glory, hBS commenced. restrict both words to mean "every desire of The glorification of believers will thus goodness" (R.V.). And the work of faith; hooome the glorification of Christ. The that faith whioh is active, living, produc- glory of Christ does not arise from the tive of good works (see exposition on 1 puni,,bment of the wicked, but from the These. i. 8). With power; or, in power; to be glorification of believers. Christ will indeed taken adverbially, and to be connected with be glorifie, I in the punishment of the wicked. the verb " fulfil:" " That God would His justice will be manifested and vindi- mightily fulfil in yon all moml goodness, eat.ed; but his i:-lory will be especially seen and a faith which is energetic.'' in the manifesbtion of his mercy townrd Ver. 12.-That the name of our Lord believers. Because our testimony; namely, lea111 Christ; or simply, of our Lord Jeeus, the testinio11y of l'nnl and l,is associates, Silas "Christ" not being in the original. The ~nd Timothy. Among yon; or mther, unto "name of our Lord Jesus" is not a mere you. WBS believed; to be considerC'd us a periphrasis for the Lord Jesus himself, parenthesis. In that day; namely, the day but the name denotes his nature and of the Lord's advent, to be connected with character. The second petition of our Lord's the commencement of the vnse, "In that prayer is "Hallowed be thy Name," and day when he shall come to be glorified in this the apostle applies to Christ; he prays his saints." Some, overlooking the paren- that his Name may be hallowed among the thesis, render the worde either, " becRuse Thessalonians--an incidental proof of his our testimony conceming that day was divinity. Ma7 be glorified in you, and you believed among yon ; " or, " because our in him ; a twofold glorification : Christ is testimony among you shall be believed on glorified in believers, when by their holiness that day "--assented to by the whole they promote bis oe.uae and reflect his universe; but the :first rendering gives a glory ; and believers are glorified in Christ, false meaning to the preposition, and the when they receive out of his infinite fulness. second a false oonstrnction to the verb, as if According to the graoe of our God and the it wt.re future. Lord J'esns Christ. Some suppose that the V,;r. 11.-Wherefore; with a view t.c- this epithet " God" also belongs to Jesus Chriat, cousnmmation, in order that Christ may be but the construction hardly bears thill glorified iD JOII- We ?i!J:BY alwaya for yon meaning,
HOMILETICS. Ver. 4.-Christian patience. 1. It, nature. It denotes steadfut endurance. Nega- tively, not stoical endurance or apathetic fatalism. Positively, e. spirit of calm sub- mission to the providence of God and resignation to bis will. 2, Its source. It has its root in faith; it is one of the fruits of the Spirit; and it is combined with hope. 3. Meam of acquiring it. Pray to God as the Giver of patience; look to Christ RB the Ex.ample of 1iatience; submit to affliction as the cause of patience; cultive.te faith as the support of patience; and meditate on heaven as the goal of patience.
Veni. 6, 7 .-A future stau of retribution. Rewards and punishments in this world are unequally distributed. The righteous are often persecuted and afflicted, whereas the wicked are often happy and prosperous. Herod Bits upon the throne, and Christ expires on the cross. But this state of things shall be rectified. Christ shall recompense to LLe wicked tribulation-they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the prese11ce of tlie Lord ; and he shall recompense to the righteous reat--they shall be coUDLcd worthy of the kingdom of God for which they suffer. on. L 1-12.j 'l'HE SECOND EPISTLE 'fO 'l'HE 'l'HESSALONlANB. 6
Vere. 7, 8.-The mannM"of CJhrist's second eom,ng. 1. He shall C01M in person. Not merely in spirit or in power, but in a visible form; he shall be revealed from heaven i,very eye shall see him. 2. He shal,l come in 'J>O'IDfll'. He shall be accompanied by the angels of his might, who shall execute his commands, call the dead from their graves, 11Ssemble together the elect, separate between the righteous and the wicked and con8ign the wicked to the abodes of woe. 3. He ,hall come in glory. " In fl~ming fire "-in the Shechinah, the cloud of glory. '- He ,hall C011MI in Jwfiu; punishing the ungodly and rewarding his faithful servants.
Vera, 9, 10.-The comi11g of Ohrist for Judgmmf. 1. Ba Nalley. The dift"emice between his first and second coming. Then he came to save the world, now he shall come to judge the world. Then he came as Son of man, now he shall come as Son of God. 2. Its purpose. He shall come to award punishment to his enemies; they shall be for ever banished from his presence, the Source of all happiness, the Author of all holiness. He shall come for the salvation of his people-to conr111er all their enemies, to rescue their bodies from the grave, to acknowledge them as his before an assembled universe, and to receive them into the abodes of eternal happiness. Vere. 10, 12.-0hrist glorified ,n hu saint,. 1. By their holy conduct they display his character. His image is impressed upon them; they mirror forth the glory of the Lord. 2. By their active exertion in well-doing they advance his glory. 3. Their future glorification is the glory of Christ. The glory of his work, in that he saved them; the glory of his grace, in that he redeemed them; the glory of his power, in that he has rescued them from all their enemies. Throughout eternity believers will be jewels in the Saviour's crown.