Ch. V. 1. The apoftle having given the Theffalonians the most important information concerning the refurrection of the dead, and the happiness that is reserved for all the faithful followers of Chrift after death, now proceeds to exhort them to fuch chriftian duties as were neceffary to prepare them for that great event. 2. Of this cur Lord himself had given repeated and exprefs intimation, both by parables, and the moft folemn affurances and admonitions. 4 Knowledge and virtue are often compared to light in the fcriptures, and vice and ignorance to darkness. On this idea the apoîtle here founds a little allegory, comparing chriftians to men awake, and flanding upon guard, and the reft of the world as in darkness, careless, afleep, or even drunken, as perfons are apt to be in the night. 8. Soldiers upon watch are always armed, and therefore a christian should put on his armour, to which the apoftle compares the faith and virtues of chriftianity, which are our defence in what the apofle calls the chriftian warfare. 9. Here the apofile alludes pehaps to the faying of our Lord, God sent not his son to condemn the world, but that the world thro' him might be saved. 10. i. e. Whether we shall be alive, or dead, at his coming. 12. It does not appear that any regular officers were at this time appointed in the church of Theffalonica. There could be no occafion for this till a church confilled of many members, and was well established. The apofle therefore probably referred to fuch extraordina ry ry teachers as Timothy, and others, whom he had left with them, and occafionally fent to them. THE PARAPHRASE. As to the precife time when Chrift fhall return, tỏ raise the dead and judge the world, I have no occafion to inform you, that we are wifely left in ignorance of it, except that we are in general apprized that it will be fudden, and unexpected, as the coming of a thief in the night. When the vicious, and diffolute part of mankind fhall expect nothing but pleasure and peace, utter deftruction fhall come upon them, and they fhall be no more able to escape than a woman with child the pains of labour. But you, my christian brethren, are fo well apprized of this, that this great day can never overtake you in this manner. We who are enlightened by the gospel, and as it were live in its open daylight, are not liable to thofe furprizes which come in the night. Let us not therefore pass our time in fleep and unconcern, but let us be vigilant, as foldiers upon guard. This ftate of drowsiness, as well as that of drunkennefs, is incident to perfons in the night only. We therefore who call ourfelves the children of the day, should watch, and be fober, like armed centinels upon duty, having for a breast plate the faith of the gospel, with love to all mankind, and for an helmet the glorious hope that is fet before us. For the end of the gospel to the profeffion of which we are called, is not the judgment of God due to fin, which we have forfaken, but everlasting life. Chrift died to deliver us from all iniquity, that whether we be alive at at his fecond coming, or in a state of death, we may live for ever with him, Let us therefore comfort one another, and promote our common edification, as I doubt not you do. More especially, let me exhort you to fhew particular respect to those who labour to inftruct and admonifh you in the principles and duties of the gofpel, to efteem them for their labours, and likewife that you live in peace among yourselves. We exhort you to warn those whose behaviour is irregular, comfort the timid, ftrengthen the weak, and exercise the greatest patience and forbearance towards all perfons; and especially, as becomes christians, entertain no malice or revenge, and never return evil for evil but always do good and this not to chriftians only, but to all men. 16. The apoftle concludes this excellent epiftle with a variety of miscellaneous advices, delivered in a very concise manner, so that they might be easily retained in memory, and make a strong impreffion upon it. 17 i. e. at all proper and stated times. Thus the continued burnt offering unto the law meant the facrifice of every morning and evening, and not that there was no intermiffion in offering them. In one fenfe, indeed, we may be said to pray without ceasing, viz. by preferving upon our minds an habitual sense of God, as prefent with us, which it is our duty, and great happiness, to cultivate. It is the perfection of religious temper and character; but to pray always in any other fenfe, is impoffible, and the attempt would interfere with the most important duties of life. 19 The holy fpirit having defcended upon the first chriftians accompanied with an appearance of flames of fire, gives a propriety to this figure of quenching it, meaning the doing any thing that unfits a perfon for cherishing, or keeping, up this holy flame, either by an irregular improper use of spiritual gifts, or by any thing finful in a man's temper and conduct. 20. Exhortations are called prophecyings as well as foretelling things to come. The ancient prophets were teachers of righteoufnefs, and whatever was delivered by them in the name of God, whether an admonition, or a prophecy properly fo called, was thence ufually termed a prophecy; and the chriftian preachers not having the eloquence of the heathen Orators, would be in danger of being defpifed on that account. the preaching of Paul himself was defpifed he himself fufficiently informs us. But he fays that, through the foolishness of preaching, God saved those who believed. 22. i. e. every kind of evil, or what may lead to evil. The former is probably the better sense. That By peace was meant all happiness, which can only be enjoyed in a time of peace. The cuftomary falutation among the Jews, and among the people of the Eaft in general, even to this day, is peace be with you. God therefore being called the God of peace, is thereby confidered as the author of all good, or happiness. Here the apostle probably alludes to the doctrine of the threefold divifion of man by the Greek philofophers, but does not imply the truth of that fyflem, much less that these three parts of the body, the foul, or the fpirit, were each capable of a separate fubfiftence. By the soul they they meant the fenfitive faculties of man, fuch as are neceffary to animal life, and by the spirit the mental pow ers or the higher principles of a rational nature. What the apoftle meant was, that whatever man be, or of whatever he confift, all his powers and faculties should be confecrated to God. This languag of the apoftle will no more authorize us to fuppofe that the foul, or the fpirit, can fubfift without the body, than that what is here called soul, can fubfift without the spirit, or the fpirit, without the foul. 26. i. e. according to the customary folemn and affectionate falutations in those times. 27. This is a most folemn form of adjuration, as oaths were adminiftered in thofe times, when the words conftituting the oath, as diftinguished from a mere affirmation, were not pronounced by the perfon to whom the oath was adminiftered, but by the perfon who administered it. To answer to this folemn form of adjuration was to take the oath as our Saviour did, when the high priest adjured him by the living God. Qaths, therefore, or folemn appeals to God are not improper on folemn occafions, even out of a court of judicature. THE PARAPHRASE Notwithstanding the tribulation which you have been called to endure for the fake of the gospel, avail your felves of the confolations which it fupplies, and rejoice continually in the prospect of the glorious reward which it infures to you. VOL. IV. C Neglect |