3. The confidence of inheriting this blessedness encourages mutual edification.—“Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (ver. 11). “All Christians indiscriminately are to use these doctrines for mutual exhortation and mutual edification. And so the spirit of the verse will be this: Comfort one another as to this matter, and then, free from the distracting and paralysing influence of vain misgivings, go on edifying one another in all the relations, and by all the means and appliances of your Church fellowship; even as also ye do. Ye do it now, in the midst of your own secret, personal sorrows and depressing fears. But you will be able to do it more effectively, with the clearer views I have now given you of what awaits us all—those sleeping in Jesus, and us who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord” (Lillie).

Lessons.—1. The great event of the future will be the second coming of Christ. 2. That event should be looked for in a spirit of sobriety and vigilance. 3. That event will bring unspeakable felicity to the good and dismay and misery to the wicked.

GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES.

Ver. 2. The Day of the Lord—

  1. A day which will be in some unique and pre-eminent sense His day.
  2. It is the day of judgment.
  3. The coming of His day is suggestive of fear.—“As a thief in the night.”
  4. It will come suddenly.
  5. Cannot be prevented by any efforts of our own.
  6. We may prepare for the day of judgment by judging ourselves in self-examination.—H. P. Liddon.

Ver. 6. The Pilgrims on the Enchanted Ground.

I. Hopeful keeps awake by goodly counsel and discourse.

II. Ignorance comes up again.—1. Ignorance explains the ground of his hope. 2. Christian explains what good thoughts are. 3. Ignorance speaks reproachfully about things he knows not. 4. He again falls behind.

III. Christian and Hopeful renew their conversation.—1. Reflections over the conduct of Ignorance. 2. Why ignorant people stifle conviction. 3. Reasons why some backslide.

IV. Some lessons from this stage.—1. In times of danger it is wise to recall former experiences. 2. Human philosophy may seem very wise, but the Bible is an unfailing touchstone.—Homiletic Monthly.