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2 together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind or terrified, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, 3 as from us, as if the day of the Lord were at hand. Let

no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, unless the falling away come first, and the man of 4 sin be revealed, the son of perdition, Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God as 5 God, declaring himself that he is God. Remember ye

not, that I told you these things, when I was yet with 6 you? And now ye know that which restraineth, that he. 7 may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity

already worketh; only he that restraineth will restrain, 8 till he be taken out of the way. And then will that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord will consume

V. 2. Be not shaken in mind-In judgment, or terrified-As those easily are who are immoderately fond of knowing future things; neither by any pretended revelation from the Spirit, nor by pretence of any word spoken by me.

V. 3. Unless the falling away From the pure faith of the gospel, come first. This began even in the apostolic age. But the man of sin, the son of perdition -Eminently so called, is pot come yet. However, in many respects, the pope has an indisputable claim to those titles. He is, in an emphatical sense, The man of sin, as be increases all manner of sin above measure. And he is too properly styled, The son of perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers, destroyed innumerable souls, and will himself perish everlastingly. He it is that opposeth himself to the emperor, once his rightful sovereign; and that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped-Commanding angels, and putting kings under his feet, both of whom are called gods in Scripture; claiming the highest power, the highest honour; suffering himself not once only to be styled God or Vice-god. Indeed no less is implied in his ordinary title, Most Holy Lord, or Most Holy Father. So that he sitteth-Enthroned, in the temple of God-Mentioned Rev. xi. 1, declaring himself that he is God-Claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone.

V. 6. And now ye know-By what I told you when I was with you; that which restraineth-The power of the Roman emperors. When this is taken away, the wicked one will be revealed. In his time-His appointed season, and not before.

V. 7. He will surely be revealed; for the mystery-The deep, secret power of iniquity-Just opposite to the power of godliness, already worketh. It began with the love of honour and the desire of power; and is completed in the entire subversion of the gospel of Christ. This mystery of iniquity is not wholly confined to the Romish church, but extends itself to others also. It seems to consist of, 1. Human inventions added to the written word. 2. Mere outside performances put in the room of faith and love. 3. Other mediators beside the man Christ Jesus. The two last branches, together with idolatry and blood shed, are the direct consequences of the former; namely, the adding to the word of God. Already worketh-In the church. Only he that restrainethThat is, the potentate who successively has Rome in his power. The empe rors, Heathen or Christian; the kings, Goths or Lombards; the Carolingian or German emperors.

V. 8. And then-When every prince and power that restrains is taken away, will that wicked one-Emphatically so called, be revealed; whom the Lord will

with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the bright9 ness of his appearing: Whose appearing is after the

mighty working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and 10 lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unright

eousness in them that perish, because they received not 11 the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And therefore God shall send them strong delusion, so that 12 they shall believe the lie, That they all may be condemned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in 13 unrighteousness. But we ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth: 14 To which he hath called you by our gospel, to the obtain15 ing of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore,

brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or by our epistle. 16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, who hath loved us and given us everlasting 17 consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and work.

CHAP. III. 1. Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run and be glorified, even as 2 among you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for all men have not faith.

soon consume with the spirit of his mouth-His immediate power, and destroyWith the very first appearance of his glory.

V. 10. Because they received not the love of the truth-Therefore God suffered them to fall into that strong delusion.

V. 11. Therefore God shall send them-That is, judicially permit to come upon them, strong delusion.

V. 12. That they all may be condemned-That is, the consequence of which will be, that they all will be condemned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness-That is, who believed not the truth, because they loved sin.

V. 13. God hath from the beginning-Of your hearing the gospel, chosen you to salvation-Taken you out of the world, and placed you in the way to glory.

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V. 14. To which-Faith and holiness, he hath called you by our gospel-That which we preached, accompanied with the power of his Spirit.

V. 15. Hold-Without adding to or diminishing from, the traditions which ye have been taught―The truths which I have delivered to you; whether by word or by our epistle-He preached before he wrote. And he had written concerning this in his former epistle.

CHAP. III. Ver, 1. May run-Go on swiftly, without any interruption; and be glorified-Acknowledged as divine, and bring forth much fruit.

V. 2. All men have not faith-And all who have not are, more or less, unreasonable and wicked men.

3 But the Lord is faithful, who will stablish and guard you 4 from the evil one. And we trust in the Lord concerning

you, that ye both do and will do the things which we 5 command you. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patience of Christ.

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Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not according to the 7 tradition which he received of us: For yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us: we behaved not disorderly 8 among you, Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing, but wrought with labour and toil, night and 9 day, that we might not burden any of you. Not because we have not authority; but that we might make ourselves 10 an example to you, that ye might imitate us. For when

we were with you, this we commanded you, If any will 11 not work, neither let him eat. For we hear there are

some among you who walk disorderly, doing nothing, 12 but being busy-bodies. Now such we command and

exhort, by our Lord Jesus Christ, to work quietly and 13 eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in 14 well-doing. And if any man obey not our word by this

epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, 15 that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an 16 enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

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The salutation of Paul, with my own hand, which is 18 the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

V. 3. Who will stablish you-That cleave to him by faith, and guard you from the evil one-And all his instruments.

V. 4. We trust in the Lord concerning you-Thus only should we trust in

any man.

V. 5. Now the Lord-The Spirit, whose proper work this is, direct-Lead you straight forward, into the patience of Christ-Of which he set you a pattern.

V. 6. That walketh disorderly-Particularly by not working; not according to the tradition he 'received of us-The admonition we gave, both by word of mouth, and in our former epistle.

V. 10. Neither let him eat-Do not maintain him in idleness.

V. 11. Doing nothing, but being busy-bodies-To which idleness naturally disposes.

V. 12. Work quietly-Letting the concerns of other people alone.

V. 14. Have no company with him-No intimacy, no familiarity, no needless correspondence.

V. 15. Admonish him as a brother-Tell him lovingly of the reason why you shun him.

V. 16. The Lord of peace-Christ. Give you peace by all means--In every way and manner.

NOTES

ON

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL TO TIMOTHY.

THE mother of Timothy was a Jewess, but his father was a Gentile. He was converted to Christianity very early; and while he was yet but a youth, was taken by St. Paul to assist him in the work of the gospel, chiefly in watering the churches which he had planted.

He was, therefore, properly, (as was Titus,) an itinerant evangelist, a kind of secondary apostle, whose office was, to regulate all things in the churches to which he was sent; and to inspect and reform whatsoever was amiss, either in the bishops, deacons, or people.

St. Paul had, doubtless, largely instructed him, in private conversation, for the due execution of so weighty an office. Yet, to fix things more upon his mind, and to give him an opportunity of having recourse to them afterward, and of communicating them to others, as there might be occasion, as also to leave divine directions in writing, for the use of the church and its ministers in all ages, he sent him this excellent pastoral letter, which contains a great variety of important sentiments for their regulation.

Though St. Paul styles him his own son in the faith, yet he does not appear to have been converted by the apostle; but only to have been exceeding dear to him, who had established him therein, and whom he had diligently and faithfully served, like a son with his father, in the gospel, Phil. ii. 22.

THE EPISTLE CONTAINS THREE PARTS:

I. The Inscription,

II. The Instruction of Timothy how to behave at Ephesus;

wherein,

1. In general, he gives him an Injunction to deliver to them
that taught the Law in a wrong Manner, and confirms,
at the same Time, the Sum of the Gospel, as exemplified
in himself,

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C. i. 1, 2.

3-20.

C. ii. 1-8. 9-15. C. iii. 1-7.

8-10. 11-13.

14,-C. iv. 1-6.

7-11. 12-16.

C. v. 1, 2. 3-16.

17, 19.

Offenders,

Himself,

Those he doubts of,

Servants,

4. False Teachers are reproved,

Timothy is admonished, and quickened,

Precepts are prescribed to be enforced on the Rich,

1. The Conclusion,

20, 21.

22, 23.

24, 25.

C. vi. 1, 2.

3-10. 11, 12.

17-19. 20, 21.

J. Timothy.

CHAP. I. 1. PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and Christ Jesus our hope, To Timotheus my own son in the faith, grace, mercy, peace, from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 As I exhorted thee when I was going into Macedonia, abide at Ephesus; that thou mayst charge some to teach 4 no other doctrine, Neither to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, that afford questions, and not godly 5 edifying, which is through faith. Whereas the end of the commandment is love, out of a pure heart, and a good 6 conscience, and faith unfeigned, From which some, having missed the mark, are turned aside to vain jangling: 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither the things they say, nor those concerning which they 8 confidently affirm. We know the law is good, if a man

CHAP. I. Ver. 1. Puul, an apostle-Familiarity is to be set aside, where the things of God are concerned; according to the commandment of God-The authoritative appointment of God the Father, our Saviour-So styled in many other places likewise, as being the grand Orderer of the whole scheme of our salvation, and Christ our hope-That is, the author, object, and ground of all our hope.

V. 2. Grace, mercy, peace-St. Paul wishes grace and peace, in his epistles to the churches. To Timotheus he adds mercy, the most tender grace towards those who stand in need of it. The experience of this prepares a man to be a minister of the gospel.

V. 3. Charge some to teach no other doctrine-Than I have taught. Let them put nothing in the place of it, add nothing to it.

V. 4. Neither give heed-So as either to teach or regard them, to fablesFabulous Jewish traditions, and endless genealogies-Not those delivered in Scripture, but the long, intricate pedigrees, whereby they strove to prove their descent from such or such a person; which afford questions-Which lead only

to useless and endless controversies.

V. 5. Whereas the end of the commandment-Of the whole Christian institution, is love-And this was particularly the end of the commandment which Timotheus was to enforce at Ephesus, ver. 3, 18, the foundation is faith, the end love. But this can only subsist in a heart purified by faith, and is always attended with a good conscience.

V. 6. From which-Love and a good conscience, some are turned aside—An affectation of high and extensive knowledge, sets a man at the greatest distance from faith, and all sense of divine things; to vain jangling-Of all vanities, none are more vain than dry, empty disputes on the things of God. V. 7. Understanding neither the very things they speak, nor the subject they speak of.

V. 8. We grant the whole Mosaic law is good-Answers excellent purposes, if a man use it-In a proper manner. Even the ceremonial is good, as it points to Christ; and the moral law is holy, just, and good in its own nature,

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