18 wherefore we, even I Paul, wished, more than once, to go to you; but Satan hindered us. 19 For, what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even ye, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

20 for, ye are our glory and our joy.

CHAPTER III.

WHEREFORE, enduring no longer, we chose to be left alone at Athens; 2 and sent Timothy, our brother and fellow - labourer in

the gospel of Christ, to confirm you, and to exhort you concerning your faith;

3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for yourselves know, that to that end we are appointed :

4 for indeed, when we were with you, we told you before, that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and as ye know:

5 for this cause, also, when I could endure no longer, I sent him, that I might know your faith; lest the tempter might have tempted you, and our labour have been rendered vain:

6 but, Timothy being now come back to us from you, and having brought us good tidings of your faith and love, and that ye have always a kind remem

brance of us, desiring greatly to see us (as we also to see you),

7 we, therefore, brethren, have been comforted respecting you, by your faith, in all our distress and affliction; 8 for we now live, if ye stand firm in the Lord.

9 For, what thanks can we return to God concerning you, for all the joy with which we joy on your account, before our God;

10 night and day praying exceeding earnestly, that we may see your face, and may perfect whatever is wanting in your faith?

11 And may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you;

12 and may the Lord make you to increase and abound in love to each other and to all men, even as we abound in love toward you:

13 that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

14 Finally, brethren, we beseech and exhort you, by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received from us how ye ought to walk and to please God, (as also ye do walk,) so ye would abound more and

more.

15 For ye know what com

v. 2.

18 that no one trespass further, and defraud his brother in this matter; because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified to you:

19 for, God hath not called us to uncleanness, but to holi

ness.

20 He therefore among you, who disregardeth us, disregardeth not man only, but God who hath bestowed his holy Spirit upon you.

21 But, as to brotherly love, we have no need to write to you; for, ye yourselves are taught by God to love one another:

22 and though, indeed, ye do so even toward all the brethren that are in all Macedonia, yet we beseech you, brethren, to abound more and more:

23 and to study to be quiet, and mind your own business, and work with your hands, as we enjoined you;

24 that ye may walk bemay walk be

comingly toward those who are without, and may not have need of any thing.

CHAPTER IV.

BUT, I would not that ye

should be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who sleep, that ye may not sorrow, as the others who have not hope;

2 for, if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, so also are we to believe, that those who sleep in Jesus, God will bring with him.

3 For this we tell you, by the word of the Lord; that such of us as shall be living and remaining at the coming of Jesus, will not go before those that sleep:

4 for, the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a Acts, i. 11. shout, with a voice of arch- i. e. ruler of angel, and with the trump of 1 Cor. xv. 52. God, and the dead in Christ will rise first;

5 then, we who may be living and remaining, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so, we shall be for ever with the Lord :

6 wherefore, comfort ye one another with these words.

7 But, of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I should write to you :

B B

angels.

10 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief;

11 for ye are all children of light, and children of day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

12 Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do; but let us be wakeful and watch;

13 for, they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that are drunken, are drunken in the night;

14 but let us, who are of the day, be watchful, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

15 For, God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus;

16 who died for us, that, whether we wake, or sleep, we may live together with him.

17 Wherefore, exhort one another, and edify each the other, as also ye do.

AND

CHAPTER V.

ND we beseech you, brethren, to consider those who labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and who admonish you;

2 and esteem ye them very highly in love, on account of their work: be at peace among yourselves.

3 And we exhort you, brethren, warn the unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men:

4 see, that none render evil Rom. xii. 21. for evil to any one; but pursue always that which is good, both towards each other, and towards all men:

rejoice evermore:

6 pray without ceasing: 7 in every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you: 8 quench not the Spirit: 9 despise not prophesyings: 10 prove all things; hold fast that which is good:

11 abstain from all appearance of evil :

12 and may the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

13 He is faithful who calleth you, who also will perform it.

Col. iv. 1.

14 Brethren, pray ye also for us:

15 salute all the brethren with an holy kiss.

16 I adjure you, by the Lord,

that this epistle be read to all Col. iv. 14. the brethren.

17 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!