ions adapted to the
circumstances of the brethren at Thessalonica, with abundant references
to the apostle's own labors there. In the first chapter he commends,
with devout thanksgiving to God, the faith and love and patience of the
Thessalonian Christians. The second and third chapters are mainly
occupied with a notice of his own labors and those of his colleagues at
Thessalonica, of his strong desire to revisit them which he had thus far
been hindered from carrying into execution, and of his joy at the good
tidings brought by Timothy, the whole closed with a fervent prayer in
their behalf. The two remaining chapters contain miscellaneous
instructions suited to the condition of a church that had been recently
gathered in great part from the ranks of heathenism. In the course of
these he corrects an error into which the Thessalonian believers had
fallen from the idea that they who should die before Christ's second
coming might fail of their share in its glory and blessedness. Chap.
4:13-18. In both of the epistles he admonishes the Thessalonians against
the neglect of their proper worldly business, a fault that was
apparently connected with visionary ideas respecting the speedy second
coming of our Lord, and which he rebukes in severe terms. 1 Thess. 4:11;
2 Thess. 3:10-12.

33. THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS, like the first, is written
in the name of "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus," and seems to have
been sent from _Corinth_ not many months after the first. The apostle's
main _design_ was to correct a pernicious error respecting the time of
our Lord's second advent, which some at Thessalonica seem to have been
strenuously engaged in propagating, and to give them further instruction
respecting this great doctrine and their duty in relation to it. After
the apostolic salutation he expresses his gratitude to God for the
growth of their Christian faith and love, and comforts them under the
pressure of the persecution to which they were subjected with the
assurance of our Lord's second coming in glory to destroy his and their
enemies and give rest to his suffering servants; but proceeds in the
second chapter to show that this day is not yet at hand, and cannot come
till there has first been a great apostacy, the characteristic features
of which he proceeds to give (verses 3-12). The remainder of the epistle
is occupied with commendations and encouragements to perseverence,
mingled with admonitions. The latter h