81 the word is In the same sentence at the close of Romane, It indicat.ee the absolute eternity or God. Applied to life, as it very frequently is, from the nature of life and from the Divine guarantee, it means life that is endle&B and, 118 it is expreBBed in one place, indissoluble. It still remains a question whether, from the nature of ■piritual death and from the character of God along with other teachings, destruction is to be regarded as eternal in the sense of being endless. It certainly is a word which is fitted to strike ttrror into the ungodly. The destruction ii\ further representoo as the areatest of all deprivations. It is to be away from the face of the Lord. The supreme pleasure of Christ's people is to be their beholding his face of infinite benignity turned toward them. "As for me," says the psalmist, "I will behold thy face in righteousness," "And they shall see his face," it is said in the last chapter of Revelation. So the bitterest element in the case of the ungodly will be that no look of love, no look of the infinite benignity of the Saviour, will be turned toward them. As the earth without sunshine, so must it be to be away from the face of Christ. It is also t:o be away from his glory. 'l'hree disciples were taken np to the Mount of Transfiguration to see his glory, He also encouraged the eleven at the last by the prospect of their seeincr bis glory. " That where I am they also may be with me, that they may behold my glory which thou bast given me." It is particularly here the glory of his might. He who bas the look of infinite benignity gives also in his appearance the impression of infinite might. How glorious a Being to be privileged, without fear, yet with solemn awe, t:o look upon I To be eternally destroyed, then, from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, such will be the terrible punishment awarded to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 2. Toward th, saint,. "When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and be marvelled at in all Lhem that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day." Contemporaneous with his judicial action toward the ungodly, is to be his judicial action toward his own. 'l'hey are here called his saints, answering perfectly to that description then as they only imperfectly do now. As his saints, they shall be acknow- ledged on the day of judgment; and their reward shall be to have their outward condition brought into perfect correspondence with their inward character. This is called their glorification. The Lord, having given grace, will also give glory. We may think of the glory as the blossoming forth of the grace. As the flower comes to beauty of form, so they shall be made beautiful to look upon in their higher order of being. Their glorification is here presented under the special aspect of the glorification of Christ in them, As Judge, he is to carry out his own word. "And the glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them." As he is in them e.sthe source of their holiness, so is hie beauty to shine forth in their outward form. From heaven we" waii for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, accordincr to the working whereby he is able even to subject all things nnto himself." This glorification of Christ in the saints shall call forth the wonder of the assembled universe. They shall marvel at the infinite benignity and power of him who out of darkness has made light, who upon rebels age.inst his Father's authority has stamped his own glorious image. In connection with the marvelling, is brought in the condition of our future glorification. With a look back from jndgment it is said, "in all them that believed." And believing is taken up and connected particularly with the Thessalonians-" because our testimony unto you was believed." In keeping with this language, faith is defined by Bishop Pearson" as an assent unto truths credible upon the testimony of God delivered unto us by the apostles and prophets." Let us give cordial assent to the facts and truths of the gospel, which we have upon the best of testimony, that we may not come short of the glorifica- tion which shall be the marvel of the universe. There was not needed further predica- tion of time, but it is emphasized by the addition of the words," in that day." The day when the Lord is to render vengeance to the ungodly, that is to be the day when he is to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed. IV. !'BAYER IN OONNEOTION WITH THE GLORIFICATION OF THE 'l'HESSA.LONIANIL •To whioh end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness end every work of faith, with power; that the Name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in yoll, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God end the Lord Jesus Obrist." Toward their glorification the wishes, JI, TJIEB8ALONIAN8, 0 18 THE SECOND EPISTLE 'l'O THE 'l'HES~ALONIANS. [cH. 1. 1-12.
and not only the wishes but the prayers also, of Paul and his companions were directed, and always directed. As believing, God was calling them to glory. Our God, say the petitio~ers, grant to the The_ssaloni1ms at the last_ to be counted _worthy of. their calling. For this end let power sufficient be granted to bring to complet10n every tnward desire and the outward work appointed them. They had aspirations after goodness; let these receive fulfilment. 'l'hey had a life to live before the world according to the faith by l\•hich they were act.uated; let it be as a finished piece of work. Thus, having real excellence, would they be adjudged worthy of glory. The final end of their glorification is emphasized by repetition, with some modification of form. There is brought in "the Name of our Lord Jesus," i.e. as he is revealed to men as Saviour, exalted to sovereignty. And, as they are to be the element in which his Name is to be glorified, so reciprocally is he to be the element in which they are to find their glorification. Thus is identifica- tion with Christ in glory made clear &.'! clear can be. This final end of glorification is looked tor in prayer on behalf of the 'l'hessalonians, not according to their deservings, but, say the petitioners, according to the grace (undeserved and rich) of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (in his superabundant merits).-R. F.