Ver. 11,12. Here are two signs more given:
1. The abounding of false teachers.
2. The abatements of Christians zeal, and love to God. For the matter of Matthew 24:11, See Poole on "Matthew 24:23" and See Poole on "Matthew 24:24", where we shall meet with it more fully. By the aboundings of iniquity here, we may either understand the rage, and malice, and cruelty of the enemies of the gospel; or the apostasy of such as are professors. Both these are great temptations, and though they will not extinguish that holy fire which God hath kindled in good souls, yet they have oft times a very ill influence upon them, to abate of their former warmth in the ways of God. Or if we understand it of love to brethren, the apostasy of professors much cools the Christian, not knowing who they may trust and confide in as sincere. If by the abounding of iniquity we understand the abounding of profaneness in the general, (which always also aboundeth most in times of persecution), that also hath no small influence upon Christians warmth in their profession, to cool and abate it: see Hebrews 10:25 2 Timothy 1:15, 2 Timothy 4:16.