Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians, that believe in God our father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

so that you are the subject of our glorying in the churches of God, for the constancy of your faith, under all the persecutions and afflictions you endure from men,

by which you may be assur'd, that they will be punish'd by the divine justice, and that you shall be rewarded with the kingdom of God, for which you suffer;

and that you, who are distress'd, should obtain your repose, together with us, when the Lord Jesus, with his angels, the ministers of his power, shall descend from heaven,

and come to be glorified by his saints, and to be the object of admiration to all who believed, that the testimony we gave you, would be justified in that day.

Wherefore we continually pray, that our God would by his power effect all the gracious designs of his goodness, and accomplish the work of faith in you;

that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified by you, and you by him, by the favour of our God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we conjure you, brethren, that with respect to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our being assembled with him,

don't be led into any mistake, because the previous rebellion does not yet appear, nor the man of sin throw off the disguise, that offspring of perdition:

that adversary that exalts it self above the divine authority of majesty: that is seated in the temple of God, pretending to be it self divine.

To conclude, pray for us, my brethren, that the doctrine of the Lord may make its progress, and be respected every where as it is among you:

and that we may be delivered from vexatious wicked men; for all have not the faith.

and we have this hope in the Lord, that you will still continue to observe the directions we give you.

for you know what an example we have given for your imitation: that our conduct among you was regular:

that we did not eat any man's bread for nothing: but with toil and fatigue work'd night and day to avoid being chargeable to any of you:

not, that we had no just claim, but to present ourselves as a pattern, which you should imitate,

pursuant to the maxim, which we laid down, when among you, "he that refuses to work should be deny'd food."

now being inform'd, that there are among you people of an irregular conduct, who neglect their own business, and busy themselves with the affairs of others:

and if any one should disregard what we have prescrib'd, signify it to us by letter, and don't converse with him, that he may be put to shame.