10.
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints▪ and to be admired in
all
them that believe, (because our testimony among you was believed)
in that day.]
11. Wherefore also we pray alwaies for you, that our God would count you
worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of
his goodnesse, and the
work of faith with power,]
12. That the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ may be glorified in you, and ye
in him, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus
Christ.]
Annotations on Chap. I.
[ a] V. 5. Kingdome of God] That the
kingdome of God signifies the state of the Gospel or Christian
profession, appears oft in the Gospels, especially in the parables
of Christ; when the kingdome of God is likened to a
net, to a pearl, &c. and to that the addition of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
for which ye suffer, may here seem to incline it, but the
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that goes before is not well appliable to that. For that
signifying to be vouchsafed, or thought worthy, to have their
parts in it, or to have it bestowed upon them, it must referre to
somewhat yet future, which through the mercy of God should be
bestowed upon them; and then that, whatsoever it is be∣ing hoped for and
depended on by them, it may well be said that they suffer for
that, that is, either for the professing that hope of theirs,
whereby the malice of others is provoked against them, or at least in
hope or intuition of it. Two other notions therefore there are of the
kingdome of God: first, that of reigning with Christ in
endles•• bliss in another world; and secondly, the exercise of
Christs regal power, which was then so oft foretold to be
approaching, in destroying his ene∣mies, and preserving his faithfull
subjects, according to that double office of a King, Rom. 13. of
avenging of offenders, and rewarding them that doe
good. Of this see Note on Mat. 3. c. And that this is the notion
of it in this place appears very probable by that which follows, where
it is said, that it is just with God to re∣pay tribulation
to their persecutors, and to the perse∣cuted
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
relase, refreshment from the
persecutions under which they had been. This was it that the Apo∣stles had
foretold them in their preachings (see Note a. on the title of the
Epistle to the Romans) and the bene∣fits and fruits which they had
been promised upon their perseverance in the faith through all their
perse∣cutions, not excluding their eternal reward (but suppo∣sing
that for the future, and in case they did not outlive the present
distresses, 1 Thes. 4. 13.) but withall giving them into
the bargain this assurance of an eminent de∣liverance here,
halcyonian daies of rest to the Church upon the dest••uction of their
persecutors, according as it fell out in Vespasians daies,
after the destruction of the Jewes. And this the Apostles professed
to expect, and so did the Orthodox Christians generally: and as S.
Stephen was stoned for that expectation Act. 6. 14.
so were the Apostles and their followers persecuted also; and so
it was literally 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for this a∣vowed expectation of this kingdome
thus understood, they suffered persecution.
[ b] V. 7. Revealed] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the revelation of
Christ, as the coming of Christ, is a phrase of a
doubtfull signification, sometimes signifying the com∣ing to the
final doom, but sometimes also that coming that was described
Mat. 24. and was to be within that generation. And so sure it
signifies in several places of S. Peter, 1 Pet. 1. 7, 13.
and chap. 4. 13. and the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the deli∣verance ready to be
revealed in the last time, ch. 1. 5. the destruction of the Jewes
being the time of the de∣liverance and escaping to the Christians that
were per∣secuted by them, (see Rom. 13. 11.) So again 1
Pet. 5. 1. where S. Peter saying of himself that he was
a wit∣ness of the sufferings of Christ, addeth he
was also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, partaker of the glory that should be revealed,
that is, present at the transfiguration, where by Moses and
Elias were re∣presented and declared the glorious
consequents of his crucifixion, that is, the destruction of his crucifiers,
and deliverance of his faithfull disciples; see Note on Mat.
17. a. Luk. 9. b. and 2 Pet. 1. 16. And so here it
most probably signifies, where the vengeance on the
oppressors that is, the crucifiers of Christ, and perse∣cutors of
Christians, is described, and an appendix of that
rest and release to the oppressed, which is that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
deliverance, so oft promised to them that per∣severe and endure
and outlast those persecutions, and that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 v. 10. in that
day, which is the no∣tation of that time of vengeance upon the
Jewes; see Heb. 10. a. As for the mentions, first, of the
Angels, secondly, of the flame of fire, thirdly, of the
everlast∣ing destruction which may here seem to interpret this
revelation of Christ, so as to signifie the day of the
ge∣neral doom; It is evident first, that the Angels being ministers
of God in executing his judgments on nations, this remarkable
vengeance on the Jewes may well here, and is elsewhere ••it••y express'd
by his coming, or re∣vealing
himself with, or by, his Angels. So Mat. 16. 27. and
elsewhere often. See Note on Iude g. Then secondly, for the
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, fire of flame, or flaming fire, that
is ordinarily the expression of the appearance of Angels (he
maketh his ministers a flaming fire, saith the
Psalmist) and so adds little to the former. And secondly Gods judgments, if
they be destructive, are ordinarily in prophetick phrase
express'd by fla∣ming fire; see Mat. 3. 12.
Thirdly, for the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that signifies an utter destruction:
when of the chaffe it is said, Mat. 3. 12. that it shall be
burnt with unquenchable fire, it referrs to the custome of
winnow∣ing, where the fire being set to the chaffe, and assisted with
the wind, never goes out, till it have burnt up all. Mean while not
excluding the eternal torments of hell fire, which expect all impenitent
sinners that thus fall, but looking particularly on the visible
destruction and vengeance which seiseth on whole nations or
multi∣tudes at once in this life. And that this is the meaning of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
everlasting destruction here, appears by all that here follows
in this chapter, the time assign'd for it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. when
Christ shall come (the ordinary expression of this his
vengeance on his crucifiers) to be glorified in his saints, and to be
admired among all believers in that day; which that it belongs to
somewhat then approaching, and wherein those Thessalonians
were then concerned (not