The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Thessalonians — Section 40

significance to every act of wilful, unrepented ein; e'Yery such act brings a man nearer (how near he cennot tell) to that most awful state whence there is no repenta11ce. Then comes judicial blindness; the light that was within them becomes darkness. 'l'h_ey would not believe the truth of God, now they believe the lie of the man of oin. It 1s the judgment of God. We see indications of it from time to time in the credulity of unbelief, Men who reject the Bible are sometime3 ready to believe anything except the Bible; they will greedily accept any legend, any scientific hypothesis, though evidently not more than a provisional hypotheRis, which seems to contradict the Bible; they will deify hurnauity, they will worship the idol which is the creature of their own thoughts rather than the living God, This unbelief sprang out of sin; they "had pleasure in unrighteousness." '!'here is such a thing as honest doubt; such were the doubts of Asaph, of Thomas. But unbelief in a very large measure comes from moral causes. Sin darkens the heart and the mind; sin always leads to practical, often to intellectual, unbelief. "Every one that doeth evil hateth the light;" he walketb in darkness; he seeth not the coming judgment. LESSONS, 1. Be prepared for times of darkness-they must come; be strong in faith. 2. If unbelief becomes dominant, still believe; God has forewarned us. 3. An~rchy, confusion, leads to the predominance of sin. "Give peace in our time, 0 Lord." 4. Even miracles may deceive. Christ rcmaineth faithful; trust always in him. 5. Hate sin with utter hatred ; it ends in harciness of heart.-B. C. C. Vers. 13-17.-St. Paul's hopes /qr the Thessaloniana. L HE THANKS Gon FOB BIB PAST lllEROIES SHOWN TO THEM. 1. For their election. He tnrns from prophecies of coming terrors to thoughts ol hope and consolation. He repeats the vror<ls of eh. i. 3, "Weare bound to give thanks." He felt the greatness of God's mercies to the Thessalonians. Mercies ~hown to them were shown to him; he so dearly loved them. It was his bounden duty to thank God for them; how much more was it their c!.!:ty to be thankful for the grace grauted to th,·m I God had set his love upon them; God had chosen them from the beginning. This was the source of their blessedness; not any merits, any good deeds, of theirs. All our hopes rest on the electing grace of God. That thought is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons. It was II,) to the Thessa- lonian Christians, especially at this time, when awful anticipations of the coming end were casting a dark shadow over them. That election manifests itself in holiness of life. The seal of the Spirit is the earnest, the pledge, of the heavenly inheritance. God's elect must feel within themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mortil'ying the works of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their minds to high and heavenly things. The sanctification of the Spirit is the sphere in which the life of election moves and energizes. And with the growth of holiness in the heart faith is ever deepened and strengthened. The working of the Spirit greatly confirms the faith of eternal sal, vation to be enjoyed through Christ; it convinces the Christian soul with a might:, power, with the certainty of intuition, of the reality of the great truths of the gospel, so that the Christian walks in ever-increasing faith, in the power of that victory which overcometh the world. 2. For the hope of glory. God had predestinated the 'l'hessa- lonians to be conformed to the image of his Son; by the preaching of St. Paul he had called them to that state of salvation. They were living in a present salvation; they were looking forwards to a future glory ; their high hope was the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. His glory will be the glory of his saints, for he has given it then; (John xvii. 22). 'l'hey are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ. All that Christ has is theirs in hope; for Christ himself is theirs, and they arc Christ's. The Christian who cherishes this high and blessed hope must live in couti11ual thankfulness. II. HE URGES 'l'HEIII TO STEADFASTNESS. L Jn the life ,:f faith. Stand fast, he says; fight the good fight of faith. You must do your part. God has chosen you; he has given you his Spirit; he has called you to salvation. Yet,fOU must work out that salva- tion. We need not perplex ourselves with the deep mysteries which thought cannot fathom; in practice, the duty of perseverance follows from the electing grace of God. He has chosen yon; persevere, for he gives you the power; be steadfast, for }'OU owe 11 great debt of g, atitude to him who has so greatly loved you. 2. In doctrine. Uold the traditions. St. Paul had taught the 'l'hessalonians by word of mouth. We must remember that in all probability not one of our four Gospels was vet written. The  38 rHE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE Tm:SSALONIANS. [oa. u. 1-17