versonal advent of Juus (Jhriat. 2. TM language implies the suddennesa and the completeness of th• overthrow of the man of sin, who th,reby becomes "the 80'n of perdi- tion." 3, The picture presented may be identical with the Gog and Magog conspiracy wliich i, to follow th. millennium. (Rev, xx. 7, 8.) The Lord puts the question, "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth?" (Luke xviii. 8). 'l.'hus the apostle assures the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord cannot have come, because all the events here pictured ml18t happen before that great and terrible day.-T. C. Vere. 9-12.-The methods of the man of Bin and the retribution that overtaku hi, victims. The apostle, after telling the doom of the man of sin by anticipation, goes back upon his description so as to bring out the contrast between the coming of Christ and the coming of his arch-enemy. I. THE METHODS OF THE MAN OF BIN, "Whose coming is after the working of Satan in all powers and signs and prodigies of lying." 1. The sau1·ce of all this wonder- working activity-Satan. There is more than human depravity at work in this tremendol18 revelation of evil power. As Satan is a liar and the rather of lies, he will stamp falsehood upon the whole system, which he will elaborate with superhuman oraft for the misguidance of ir.en. 2. The character of this activity. It is external and internal. (1) It is external-" in powers and signs and prodigies of lying." (a) These are to be a mimicry of Christ's miracles, for the three words here used are twice applied to our Lord's miracles (Heb. ii. 4; Acts ii. 22). (b) They were not real miracles, as if they had been done by Divine power, but jugglers' tricks or such-like startling wonders as might delude " the perishing" into the belief that they were done by Divine power. The signs were to be as false as their author. (c) Their design was to attest the truth of the doctrine of the man of sin. (2) It is internal-" in all deceit of unrighteousness "-so as to pass sooner for truth. Guile marks his whole career, and unrighteousness is the aim and result. He " speaks lies in hypocrisy ; " "by good words and fair speeches ho deceives the hearts of the simple" (1 Tim. iv. 2; Rom. xvi. 18). 'l.'he ministc,rs of Satan can as easily transform themselves into minis- ters of righteousness as Satan himself become an" angel of light" (2 Cor. xi. 14, 15). 3. The effects of this wonder-working activity. They are confined "to those tbat are perishing." It is not possible " to deceive the elect" (Mark xiii. 22). Those who are blinded to the glory of the gospel are in the way of easy deception (2 Cor. iv. 3). It is those on the way to perdition who are so easily deceived. II. THE RETRlllUTION THAT OVERTAKES THE VICTIMS OF THE MAN OF SIN, .. Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." The causes of the success of the man of sin are first described on the side of man and then on the side of God. The whole case is one of just retribution. 1. The sin of the perishing. (1) The truth was that which brought salve.lion near, disclosing at once their need of a Saviour and the readiness of Christ to save them. (2) They did not receive it, though it was offered them, but rejected and despised it. (3) 'l'hey rejected it because they had "not the love of the truth." Without this love, the truth will do us no good; it must be received into the heart as well as the head. Augustine prayed, "Lord, make me taste that by love which I taste by knowledge." 2. The Divine retrib1<tionfor th. Bin of th. perishing. "And for this cause God is sending them an inworking error, that they should believe the lie" of the man of sin. They rejected the truth of God; God will, as a judicial, punitive infliction, send them blindness so that the error of the man of sin will be received as truth. "A terrible combination when both God and Satan are agreed to deceive a man!" There is a double punishment here. (1) They will actually believe the lie of the man Jf sin. Sin often in the moral government of God is punished by deeper sin. Those who care nothing for the truth are easily seduced into the worst errors. Men will at last become so perverse as to call " evil good, and good evil." (2) They wiU be finally judged for the pleasure they have taken in unrighteousness. "That all mny be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." It follows: (a) That error is not an innocent thing, It has practical issues of the most momentous character. (b) That it is a frart'ul perversion of the human soul to take pleasure in what God hates. (c) That God allows the sin and madness of men to develop themselves to their fullest extent. (d) That God in thi~ 32 THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [oe. 11. 1-17.
way will be finally justified in their judgment; he "will be justified in his speaking, "nd shall be clear in bis jndging" (Ps, li. 4).-T. C.