know perfectly, that the day of the Lord so cometh as a 3 thief in the night. When they say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should 5 overtake you as a thief. Ye are all children of the light and children of the day: we are not children of the 6 night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as the 7 others, but let us awake and keep awake. For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that are drunken are 8 drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day keep awake, having put on the breast-plate of faith and 9 love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation 10 by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we may live together with him. 11 Wherefore comfort one another and edify one another, as also ye do. 12 Now we beseech you, brethren, to know them that labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and 13 admonish you, And to esteem them very highly in love for their works' sake, and be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we exhort you, brethren, warn the disorderly, com V. 3. When they-The men of the world, say. V. 4. Ye are not in darkness-Sleeping secure in sin. V. 6. Awake and keep awake-Being awakened, let us have all our spiritual senses about us. V. 7. They usually sleep and are drunken in the night-These things do not love the light. V. 9. God hath not appointed us to wrath—As he hath the obstinately impenitent. V. 10. Whether we wake or sleep-Be alive or dead, at his coming. V. 12. Know them that, 1. labour among you, 2. are over you in the Lord, 3. admonish you. Know-See; mark; take knowledge of them and their work. Sometimes the same person may both labour, that is, preach, be over, or govern, and admonish the flock by particular application to each: sometimes two or more different persons, according as God variously dispenses his gifts. But, O! what a misery is it, when a man undertakes this whole work, without either gifts or grace for any part of it! Why then will he undertake it? For pay? What! will he sell both his own soul, and all the souls of the flock? What words can describe such a wretch as this? And yet even this may be a honourable man! V. 13. Esteem them very highly-Literally, more than abundantly in loveThe inexpressible sympathy there is between true pastors and their flock, is intimated, not only here, but also in divers of her places of this epistle, (see ch. ii. 7, 8,) for their works' sake-The principal ground of their vast regard for them. But how are we to esteem them who do not work at all? V. 14. Warn the disorderly-Them that stand, as it were, out of their rank, in the spiritual warfare: some such were even in that church; the feeble minded-Literally, them of little soul, such as have no spiritual courage. fort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be long-suffer15 ing toward all men. See that none render to any man evil for evil, but ever follow that which is good, both 16 to one another and to all men. Rejoice evermore : 17 Pray without ceasing: In every thing give thanks; for 18 this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 20 Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. 21 22 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Ab23 stain from all appearance of evil. And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly and may the whole of you, the spirit, and the soul, and the body, be preserved blame V. 15. See that none-Watch over both yourselves and each other: follow that which is good-Do it resolutely and perseveringly. V. 16. Rejoice evermore-In uninterrupted happiness in God: pray without ceasing-Which is the fruit of always rejoicing in the Lord: in every thing give thanks-Which is the fruit of both the former. This is Christian perfection. Farther than this we cannot go; and we need not stop short of it. Our Lord has purchased joy as well as righteousness for us. It is the very design of the gospel, that, being saved from guilt, we should be happy in the love of Christ. Prayer may be said to be the breath of our spiritual life. He that lives cannot possibly cease breathing. So much as we really enjoy of the presence of God, so much prayer and praise do we offer up without ceasing: else our rejoicing is but delusion. Thanksgiving is inseparable from true prayer. It is almost essentially connected with it. He that always prays, is ever giving praise; whether in ease or pain, both for prosperity and the greatest adversity. He blesses God for all things, looks on them as coming from him, and receives them only for his sake; not choosing nor refusing, liking nor disliking any thing, but only as it is agreeable or disagreeable to his perfect will. V. 18. For this-That you should thus rejoice, pray, give thanks, is the will of God-Always good, always pointing at our salvation. V. 19. Quench not the Spirit-Wherever it is, it burns, it flames in holy love, in joy, prayer, thanksgiving: O quench it not, damp it not, in yourself, or others; either by neglecting to do good, or by doing evil! V. 20. Despise not prophesyings-That is, preaching; for the apostle is not here speaking of extraordinary gifts. It seems, one means of grace is put for all. And whoever despises any of these, under whatever pretence, will surely (though perhaps gradually and insensibly) quench the Spirit. V. 21. Mean time prove all things-Which any preacher recommends. (He speaks of practice, not of doctrines.) Try every advice by the touchstone of Scripture, and hold fast that which is good-Zealously, resolutely, diligently, practise it, in spite of all opposition. Observe, those who heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, under pretence of proving all things, have no countenance or excuse from this scripture. V. 22. And be equally zealous and careful to, abstain from all appearance of evil. V. 23. And may the God of peace sanctify you-By the peace he works in you, which is a greet means of sanctification, wholly-The word signifies wholly and perfectly: every part and all that concerns you; all that is of, or about you and may the whole of you, the spirit, the soul, and the body-Just before he said you, now he denominates them from their spiritual state, the Spirit, Gal. vi. 8, wishing that it may be preserved whole and entire : then from their natural state, the soul and the body; (for these two make up the whole nature of man, Matt. x. 28,) wishing it may be preserved blameless till the coming of Christ. To explain this a little further: Of the three here mentioned, enly the two last are the natural, constituent parts of man. The first is 24 less unto the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith25 ful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Brethren, 26 pray for us. Salute all the brethren with a holy kiss. 27 I adjure you by the Lord, that this epistle be read to all 28 the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. adventitious and the supernatural gift of God, to be found in Christians only. That man cannot possibly consist of three parts, appears hence. The soul is either matter or not matter; there is no medium. But if it is matter, it is part of the body: if not matter, it coincides with the spirit. V. 24. Who also will do it-Unless you quench the Spirit. V. 27. I charge you by the Lord-Christ, to whom proper, divine worship is here paid, that this epistle-The first he wrote, be read to all the brethrenThat is, in all the churches. They might have concealed it out of modesty, had not this been so solemnly enjoined. But what Paul commands under so strong an adjuration, Rome forbids under pain of excommunication. NOTES ON ST. PAUL'S SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. THIS Epistle seems to have been written soon after the former, chiefly on occasion of some things therein, which had been misunderstood. Herein he 1. Congratulates their constancy in the faith, and exhorts them to advance daily in grace and wisdom. 2. Reforms their mistake concerning the coming of our Lord. And, 3. Recommends several Christian duties, THE PARTS OF IT ARE FIVE: I. The Inscription, II. Thanksgiving and Prayer for them, III. The Doctrine concerning the Man of Sin, IV. An Exhortation to Prayer, (with a Prayer for them,) To correct the disorderly, V. The Conclusion, JJ. Thessalonians. CHAP. I. 1. PAUL, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, to the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father 2 and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because your faith groweth exceedingly, and the love of every one of you toward each other abound4 eth. So that we ourselves glory of you in the churches CHAP. I. Ver. 3. It is highly observable that the apostle wraps up his praise of men in praise to God; giving him the glory. Your faith groweth Probably he had heard from them, since his sending the former letter, Aboundeth-Like water that overflows its banks, and yet increaseth still, of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecu5 tions and sufferings which ye endure: A manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be accounted worthy of the kingdom of God; for which ye al so 6 suffer. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God, to 7 recompense affliction to them that afflict you: And to you that are afflicted rest with us, at the revelation of the 8 Lord Jesus from heaven, with his mighty angels, In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them who know not God, and who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all that believe (for our testimony was 11 believed among you) in that day. To this end we pray always for you, that our God would make you worthy of this calling, and fulfil in you all the good pleasure of his 12 goodness, and the work of faith with power; That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. CHAP. II. 1. Now I beseech you, brethren, concerning the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering V. 4. Which ye endure that ye may be accounted worthy of the kingdom. V. 5. A manifest token-This is treated of in the sixth and following verses. V. 6. It is a righteous thing with God-(However men may judge) to transfer the pressure from you to them. And it is remarkable that about this time, at the passover, the Jews raising a tumult, a great number, some say thirty thousand, of them were slain. St. Paul seems to allude to this beginning of sorrows, 1 Thess. ii. 16, which did not end but with their destruction. V. 8. Taking vengeance-Does God barely permit this? Or, as the Lord once rained brimstone and fire from the Lord, out of heaven, (Gen. xix. 24,) does a fiery stream go forth from him for ever? Who know not God-(The root of all wickedness and misery) who remain in heathen ignorance; and who obey not-This refers chiefly to the Jews, who had heard the gospel. V. 9. From the glory of his power-Tremble, ye stout-hearted! Everlasting destruction-As there can be no end of their sins, (the same enmity against God continuing,) so neither of their punishment: sin and its punishment running parallel throughout eternity itself. They must of necessity therefore be cut off from all good and all possibility of it; from the presence of the Lord -Wherein chiefly consists the salvation of the righteous. What unspeakable punishment is implied, even in falling short of this, supposing that nothing more were implied in his taking vengeance? V. 10. To be glorified in his saints-For the wonderful glory of Christ shall shine in them. V. 11. All the good pleasure of his goodness-Which is no less than perfect holiness. V. 12. That the name-The love and power of our Lord may be glorified→→ Gloriously displayed in you. CHAP. II. Ver, 1. Our gathering together to him-In the clouds. |