the will of God even your being holy, that ye should abstain from whoredom; 4. That each of you should know how to keep his body in holiness and honour: 5. Not in the lust of concupiscence, as the Gentiles who know not God. 6. For God hath not called us to uncleanness but to holiness. 7. Let no man over-reach and defraud his brother in any matter; for the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you, and testified.

8. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given to us the gifts of his Holy Spirit. 9. But concerning brotherly love, ye need not that I write to you; for ye yourselves are divinely taught to love one another. 10. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren in all Macedonia; but we beseech you to increase more and more; 11. And to study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12. That ye may walk honestly toward the pagans who are without, and want nothing.

13. But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that ye sor row not even as others who have no hope. 14. For if ye believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also who are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him (from the dead). 15. For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, That we (even those of us Christians) who are alive at the Lord's coming shall not prevent them who are a sleep. 10. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17. And then they who are alive shall be caught up together with them into the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we be ever with the Lord.

18. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

CHAP. V.

OF CHRIST'S COMING TO JUDGMENT.

BUT concerning the time and the season, brethren, ye have no need of my writing to you. 2. For yourselves well know that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, (unawares.) 3. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as pangs upon a pregnant woman; and they shall not escape.

4. But ye, brethren, are not in the darkness of ignorance, that the day should overtake you as a thief. 5. Ye are all the children of light, and of the day: we are not of the night nor of dark

ness.

6. Therefore, let us not sleep (or be unconcerned,) as others; but let us watch, and be sober. 7. For they who sleep, sleep in the night (in darkness or ignorance), and they that are drunken are drunken in the night.

8. But let us who are of the (gospel) day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet (for the head), the hope of salvation. 9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10. Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, (be alive or dead), we should live together with him, 11. Therefore comfort and edify one another, even as ye do. 12. Now, we beseech you, brethren, to respect them who labour among you, and are over you in the (name of the) Lord, and admonish you; 13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

14. Now we exhort you, brethren, to admonish the disorderly, comfort the feeble-minded, succour the weak, be patient toward all men. 15. See that none render evil for evil to any man; but

always follow what is good, both toward one another, and to all men. 16. Be always rejoicing. 17. Pray without ceasing. 18. For every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19. Quench not the Spirit, (Matth. iii. 11.) 20. Despise not prophesyings. 21. Try all things; hold fast what is good, 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil. 23. And may the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your whole (triune person the) rational spirit, animal soul, and material body, be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 25. Brethren, pray for us.

26. Greet all the brethren with an holy salutation.

27. I charge you by the (authority of the) Lord, that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. 28. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

¶ Written from Athens.

ST. PAUL'S SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS.

CHAP. I.

PAUL'S OPINION OF THEIR FAITH.

PAUL and Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in (covenant with) God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ..

3. We ought to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because your faith increase th

exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth.

4. So that we ourselves glory of you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure; 5. Waiting for the manifestation of the righteous judgment of God (on your enemies), and that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer; 6. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7. But to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8. With flaming fire, taking vengeance on them who acknowledge not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the (angry) presence of the Lord, and from his glorious power; 10. When he shall come to glorify his saints, and be admired by all them that believe in that day, because our testimony among you was believed.

11. Therefore we pray always for you, that our God would render you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the gracious pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power in you, 12. That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified by you, and ye by him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

CHAP. II.

PAUL ADVISETH TO STEADFASTNESS.

Now, we beseech you, brethren, with respect to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our assembling to him, 2. Not to be soon shaken in mind, or troubled, either by (any lying) spirit, or by word, or by letter as from us, saying that the day of Christ is near. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day will not come, till there have come first a great apostacy from the gospel,

(or the purity of it), and that antichristian power of the man of sin, the son of perdition, (John xvii. 12.) bear rule, 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called god, (whether emperor, king, or prince), or that is the object of worship; so that he, as God, sets himself in the (church, which is the) temple of God, acting as if he were God.

5. Remember ye not, when I was yet with you I told you these things? 6. And now ye know what prevents his being manifested in this time, (even the pagan empire). 7. For the mystery of iniquity already works; but there is one that hinders (the exorbitant growth of ecclesiastic power, even the Roman emperor), till he be taken out of the way, 8. And then the wicked one shall be mani fested, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth, (as chaff is dispersed), and destroy him by the brightness of his appearance (in the power of truth, as clouds are by the sun). 9. Even him, whose appearing is according to the working of Satan, by all powerful signs and lying wonders, (false miracles), 10. And with all kinds of iniquitous deceit among them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

11. And for this cause God shall suffer them to fall into the strong delusion, to believe the lie (popery); 12. To be all condemned who believed not the truth, but have pleasure in iniquity.

13. But we ought to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation thro' sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth; 14. Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, holding firmly