Lectures Upon the Epistles to the Thessalonians, Part 2 · Argument
THE ARGVMENT OF THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS.
THIS ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians ſeemes to hauehave beene written ſoone after the firſt. The occaſion of the wryting thereof may be gathered of the Epiſtle it ſelfe. The Theſſalonians were at that tyme perſecuted and heauily troubled for the faith of Chriſt; and lykewiſe there entered in amongſt them falſe teachers and deceiuers who went about to perſwade them that the comming of Chriſt was inſtantly at hand, taking occaſion, as it appeares, by the Theſſalonians miſtaking of certaine ſpeeches vttered by the Apoſtle in the firſt Epiſtle, eſpecially theſe wordes in the fourth chapter, We vvhichwhich liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord ſhall be caught vp in the cloudes vvith them that are dead in Chriſt, after their reſurrection, to meete the Lord in the aire, and ſo ſhall vve euer be vvith the Lord. Where-vponupon the Theſſalonians concluded that Chriſt ſhould come before they died, and they ſhould be on lyfe at his comming. The deuill to confirme them in this errour raiſes vp theſe deceiuers who went about to perſwade them of it, as though it had beene true that they ſhould hauehave beene liuing at the comming of the Lord, alledging that they had it, both by the re…elation of the Spirit of God, and alſo by the tradition of PAVL. The Apoſtle therefore thought it needfull to … this ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians, partly to comfort them againſt the perſecutions of their enemies, partly to admoniſh them that they giuegive not eare to theſe falſe deceiuers, aſſuring them that before Chriſt come the Antichriſt ſhould come, and there ſhould be an vniuerſall defection from the trueth. The Epiſtle may fitlie be diuyded in ſix parts. The firſt part is the ſalutation in the two firſt verſes in the firſt chapter. The ſecond is the Preface, wherein he rejoyceth for their perſeuerance and increaſe of Faith, of LoueLove and Patience in all their perſecutions and tribulations, from the third verſe to the fift. In the third part he comfortes them againſt the troubles and perſecutions that they ſuſtained for the faith of Chriſt from the fift verſe to the end of the firſt chapter. In the fourth part he admoniſhes them that they giuegive not eare to theſe falſe teachers that ſaid Chriſts comming was at hand, ſhowing them that before the ſecond comming of Chriſt the Antichriſt ſhould be reueiled, and there ſhould be an vniuerſall defection from the faith of Chriſt Yet he comfortes them againſt the feare of defection, and exhortes them to abyde conſtant in the doctrine they had receiued from him, crauing … comfort and conſtancie to them at Gods hands. This par…e is conteinde in the whole ſecond chapter. The fifth part containeth exhortations to good maners and Chriſtian dueties, from the beginning of the third chapter to the ſixteenth verſe. In the laſt part he concludeth the Epiſtle with prayer and ſalutation, from the ſixteenth verſe to the end.