The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Thessalonians — Section 73

bapter. He knowa that his prayer ie he111d. God will stablish the Thessalonian11, He n&e built hie Church upon a rock; the gates of hell ehall not prevail against it. The rain may deecend, the flood may come, the stream of adversity ma.y beat vehemently r.gainat the Church of God; it cannot fall, for it is founded upon the rock. God is faithful. He wiJ! cteep them from the evil-from the evil which surrounds them in the world, from the p.iwer of the evil one. The words sound like a reminiscence of the Lord'■ prayer. Compare also 2 Tim. iv. 18, "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom." St. Paul, it seems, wa.s accustomed to use the same holy words which we say in our <laily prayers. How many generations of Christians that prayer has helped in their hoavenward journey I They are safe now with Christ. We are marching onwards to that rest which they have raached. We have the same helps which they had. Let us seek that holy confidence which St.. Paul had. The Lord is f,ithful; he will stablish you; he will keep you from the evil. II. HE BAS CONFIDENCE IN TllE Ts:ESSALONUNB, Or rather in the Lord touchina them. It is in the Lord al ways that be trusts; but that con6dence in the Lord reache~ to the Thessa\onians; he believes that they are doing now, and will continue to do the things which he commands them, because he is sure that the Lord will stablish them, and \;e,•p them from the evil. It is an exhortation delicately expressed in the language of cotJfidence. He trusts them; the consciousness of being trusted is a. strong motive for obedience; there is a sense of shame in disobeying a master, a teacher, who reposes implicit confidence in his pupils. Mark the delicate tact of the apostle. Ill HE DOUllTS THEM NOT, YET BE PRAYS FOR THEM. 1. For growth in love. In 1 Tbess. iii. 11 he ba.d prayed that God would direct his wa.y to the Thess&lonians; here he prays that God would direct their hearts into the way of love. The way of love ie the way that leads to God, who ie love. We need to be directed thither. Our attention is often distracted by the various pathe which lead this way and that in the journey of life. God can ilirert us by hie Spirit into the one path which leads to God. That path is love, self--<le1,y1ug, sell~forgetting love-the love which comes from God and ende in God. For. love i1 of God, it is his gift; it comes from him who ie the only Fountain of pure and holy love. And it ends in him ; for God only is the true Object of onr highest love; only in him can the deep yearnings of our souls find their proper &atisfaction. "Thou she.It love the Lord thy God with a.II thine heart." It is his com- mandment, the first of all the commandments. He does not mock us with commands which we cannot obey; he giveth bis Spirit; and the gift of the Spirit is the gift of power. He can direct; he will, if we seek it in persevering prayer, direct our hearts into the love of God. 2. For growth in patience. The Church of Thesse.lonica. needed patience; it we.e much afflicted from the first. The Lord Jesus Christ was the great Example of patience. He endured the cross, despising the she.me. If we would run with patience the race that is set before us, we muet consider him, always looking unto Jesus. In our sufferinas we muet meditate on the sufferings of onr Lord and Saviour, and pray for grace to f~llow his example. We need his patience, such patience e.e he had. We must pray for it. The Lord will direct ue to it. LEssoNs. L The Lord is Cai thful; trust in him. He ie true; he will establish the hearts of his chosen. 2. We must be stern with ourselves, but gentle with others; gentle words of confidence win those whom harshnese would only repel. 3. Pray for love; pr11y for pe.tience.-B. C. C. Vers. 6-15.-The impo-rtance of the wmm<m duties of dai1y life shown. I. BY ST. PAUL'S EARNEST APPEALS. 1. /le commands, and that in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There were some among the Thessalonian Christians who walked disorderly, whose lives were not ordered accorrling to the teaching which they had received from St. Paul The Church generally was sound, e.e the Epistle shows, but there was a section that needed counsel and firm treatment. Probably the prevalent restlessness about the approll()b of the day of the Lord so tilled their minds that it seemed hard to attend to less exciting matters. In view of an event so awful, the little details of daily occupation seemed trivial a.nd insignificant. The whole course of life, with all its complex interests, might any moment be abruptly checked by the sudden coming of ihe Lord. It we.e hard to descend from the contemplation of a topic so absorbing to the ea. 111. 1-18.) THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THE~SALONIANS. 7.'l