glory derived Croon the Indwelling of the bleeeed Spirit whom the world seeth not neither knowcth. Now they are the eone of God ; when he shall appear, they aha.Ii he like him, for they shall see him as he is. 2. Its nature: the wnvei1ed presence oj Ghrist. He shall be glorified in his saints. "I am glorified in them," be said, when about to leave them. When he comes again, that glory shall shine forth in all its radiant splendour. He shall be admired in all them that believe. The glory of his presence abiding ln them shall arouse the wondering admiration of all. The lost spirits will wonder; they will be amazed at the strangeness of the salvation of the blessed. "'rhis is he" (Wisd. v. 3, 5) "whom we sometimes had in derision . . . how is be num- bered among the children of God, and his lot is amoug the saints?" The very angels will wonder at the exceeding glory of the Lord shining in his saints. For be will change the body of their humiliation, and make it like the body of his glory. LESSONS. 1. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ ; let us keep that awful day in our thoughts. 2. Think on the fearful misery of eternal separation from God ; live in his presence now. 3. We hope to be like him in hia glory ; let us take up the crou.-B. C. C. Vers. 11, 12.-St. Pam's prayer for the 7'hessalonicm&. I. ITs PURPORT. 1. He prays that God's favour may rest upon them. That he may count them worthy. We feel that we are a.II unworthy-unworthy of his grace and presence. We are not worthy that he, the blessed One, should enter under our roof, into our heart. But whom he loves, those he makes worthy of his love. He counts them worthy, though they are in themselves unworthy; his grace makes them worthy in Christ. He calls them; they through grace obey the calling. He calls them ever higher, nearer to himself, till they reach at length the prize of the high calling. 2. That God who begun the good work in them would complete it. He·prays (1) that God would fulfil in them every desire of goodness. He had used the same word of himself (Hom. x. 1): "My heart's desire and prnyer for Israel is, tna.t tney mii?;ht be saved." His heart's desire (..1301<'4) was a gocd desire; it issued from goouncss-goodness given by God, inwrought into his heart by the working of the good Spmt of God. All holy desires come from God; he prompts them; they issue out of the goodness which comes from him, from his grace. He will fulfil such desires, for he has promised, "Blessed a.re they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." The holy desire will issue, if we persevere in prayer, in the good counsel, in the just work. He prays (2) that God would fulfil the work of faith. In his First Epistle he spoke of his affectionate remembrapce of their work of faith ; now he prays that God mi\!ht fulfil that work in power. Faith is itself a. work, "the work of God "-a work which issues from God, from his grace; a work which is plea.sing to God, for it is his will; a work which ends in God, in the contemplation of God, in the glory of God. And faith works; it is a living principle, an active energy. It will lead on to ever more earnest prayer, to a closer walk with God. And that prayer, that communion with God, will continually deepen and strengthen faith ; for in answer to faithful prayer the Holy Spirit is given, and the Spirit is power -power from on high. II. ITS FINAL END-THE GLORY OF Gon. 1. That the Name of the Lord JesWJ might be'glorified in the Thessalonians. That men might see their good works, and glorify the Lord that bought them, the Father that called them. We say in our daily prayers, "Hallowed he thy Na.me." We have been baptized into that great Name; that holy Name is upon us. Very weak Rnd sinful as we are, that great Na.me may be hallowed, glorified in us, if we do a.II things, great or small, in the Name of the Lord Jesus; if we always give thanks to the Father by him; if we show in our daily walk before men the power of his grace. It is the greRt end of the Christian life. "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 2. That they might be glorified. in him. His saints- share his glory. "'l'he glory which thou gRvest me, I have given them." He dwelleth in them, and they in him. His glory is theirs, for they a.re his. " Ye a.re Christ's." And he is theirs. The Father gave the Son, the Son of God gave himself for us, to us. Hence it is that his true people, beholding (though r,ow in a glass darkly) his glory, a.re changed into the same image from glory to glory. And that according to the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ. All our bl,·ssings come from hia grace; he is our God, therefore we can trust in him. He is able to save to the uttermost, for he ia 14 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [oa. I.1-12.
Almighty. He is our Lord Jesus Christ, therefore we may cast all our care upon him, for he will snve us ; he loveth us even to the end. LESSONB. 1. Our salvation is of God; its beginning, course, end-all is of grace. 2. Every good desire comes from him; ask him to strengthen the deRire, to develop it into action. 3. Seek power from him-power to fight the good fight of faith, and win the victory at last. 4. Let t.he glory of the Lord Jesus Christ be the one great aim above all other motives.-B. C. U.