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the propositions or conduct of Others, asking Ourselves, Are these of GOD, and in observance of Gospel Guidance? And He That Heareth Prayer, and to Whom the secrets of all hearts are Open, will, by His Still Small Voice, Point the Way, wherein we should go, and Dictate the work, which we may becom ingly do. Continuing instant in prayer! was on another occasion the advice of the Apostle, in effect the same-Rom. xii. 12. From prayer, well may we anticipate the employment in Heaven, and in turn give our hearts to thankfulness in a Spirit of devoted praise; and when the Unceasing Benefits Dealt out to us in every instant of our Lives, and in the very Grant of Life itself, are justly considered, how truly should we feel the debt of endless gratitude, and strive to shew it forth on every occasion, and in every possible manner; for this, as it is the Will of our Heavenly Benefactor, so should it be the will, yea, even the delight, as it is the duty, of every Human Being; and most especially of those, who have learnt in The Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, the Exceeding Preciousness of His Merciful and Meritorious Sacrifice for us, Whereby we are Rescued from the Sentence of Banishment from the Sanctities of Heaven, incurred by our first Parents' disobedience; and have before us the blissful Prospect that is Opened unto true Believers in CHRIST, and understand the equal necessity and Sufficiency of His Sacrifice on our behalf. And on another occasion St. Paul gives similar exhortation to gratitude, so surpassingly Deserved, Giving thanks always for all things unto GOD and The FATHER, in the Name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST Eph. v. 20.

VERSES 19 to 22.-Quench not The SPIRIT! Despise not Prophesyings! Prove all things; holdfast that, which is good! Abstain from all appearance of evil!

As all Holiness Emanates from DIVINE Grace, of Which The HOLY SPIRIT is The Fountain, (for without It we cannot think a holy thought,) it should be our continual aim and effort, by the direction of our prayers and the surrender of our thoughts, to seek This Goodly Guidance, in Which wisdom and rectitude and inward peace and the justifiable consolation of hope can only be found, as the First-Fruits of the Sacrifice of CHRIST, Who Came not only to Give us Himself, but also to Send us, after He Himself Withdrew from Earth, The HOLY GHOST, The COMFORTER. To quench That Heaven-Directing Influence in our Soul, to resist Its Benevolent Strivings to Bring us unto GOD, that we might share in The Triumph of The Great CAPTAIN of Salvation, is to resign ourselves to the power of the Enemy of Souls, and to rush upon the inconceivable but endless miseries of Satan's domination amidst the anguish of remorse and self-condemnation, and the impervious darkness of despair.As Prophecy in its Fulfilment has ever proved to the unprejudiced Observer a sure proof of DIVINE Revelation, and a powerful argument in support of The Bible being The WORD from GOD, the thinking or speaking lightly and irreverently of it is an evidence of a mind inflated with pride, and cherishing an enmity against DIVINE Truth, in fearful committal of the Soul's eternal well-being. From Adam to Abraham, and from Abraham to the very Coming of The MESSIAH, how did the true Servants of GOD rest confidently and consolingly on the Prophetic Promise, That by Him should the head of Satan be Bruised, and in Him should All the Families of the Earth be Blessed. And since His Gracious Advent, how have the true Believers relied on and rejoiced in the Assurance, that He had Overcome Death and Hell and the dark Spirits thereof, and had Brought Life and Immortality to Light by His Gospel, and had faithfully Foretold the Coming of His Kingdom in Glory; when Such as are His at His Coming will be Made Heirs of His Salvation in Holiness and Happiness Eternal. To prove all things, by calmly weighing them and reflecting on them and comparing them with the Doctrine of Revelation, is the

course of true wisdom and the pathway to a right understanding: it is thus that we may best know what to receive and what to reject, by distinguishing that which is calculated to edify and prepare and mature the Soul and mind and heart in what will endure unto Everlasting Life; and on the contrary, that which will mislead and deceive and beguile into the follies and vices and crimes, which are of the suggestion of the Devil, and which in the Day of awful account will reap the bitter fruit of The DIVINE Displeasure. With the exercise of our reason and the Book of DIVINE Revelation before us, so Full of Precious Promises to Such as choose the good part, the Wisdom of believing in CHRIST JESUS. as The Only SAVIOUR of Souls, and the desire of pleasing Him by acting up to His Precepts, how can we do otherwise than hold fast that which is good, retaining so deeply in our hearts the impression of DIVINE Goodness and the Especial Love of CHRIST, as not to suffer any worldly temptation or influence to loosen that hold of our fond hope of Life and Peace and Joy in Eternity!-In the exercise of a right faith, which will then animate the whole Soul and manifest itself in the outward conduct, we shall thereby not only shun the path of the Destroyer, and the fascinations of pleasure, falsely so called, but shall have the Guard of The HOLY SPIRIT so Thrown around us, as to avoid what might wear in the eyes of those, who judge hastily and often harshly, even the semblance of conduct not in accordance with the pure principles of our Profession, as Disciples and Followers of the Lowly JESUS.- -In his communication with the Ephesian Converts, St. Paul exhorted them, Not to grieve The HOLY SPIRIT of GOD! adding this important exposition of the Great Work of That SPIRIT Engaged for us through the Sacrificial Intercession of The SON of GOD, saying, Whereby ye are Sealed unto the Day of Redemption-Eph. iv. 30.-In his address to the Corinthians, when alluding to Prophecy (which he thus had cautioned the Thessalonians not to despise,) he admonishes to follow after charity, or universal love, and to desire (with supplicatory meekness) Spiritual Gifts; but rather to prophesy: saying, for he that prophesieth speaketh unto edification, and exhortation and comfort-1 Cor. xiv. 1, 3, 39.- -St. John's admonition is not to believe every Spirit (professing to preach the Doctrine of CHRIST,) but to try the Spirits, whether they are of GOD! because (adds he) many false Prophets are gone out into the World; and this Apostle then goes on to point out how the distinction may be known, Hereby know ye The SPIRIT of GOD (when Working in the Soul of Man,) Every Spirit, that confesseth that JESUS CHRIST is Come in the Flesh, is of GOD; and every Spirit, that confesseth not that JESUS CHRIST is Come in the Flesh, is not of GOD; and this, (he goes on to say) is that Spirit of Anti-Christ, whereof ye have heard, that it should come, and even now already is it in the World. But unto Such as are of GOD, (he declares) Ye have overcome them; because Greater is He, That is in you, than he that is in (and of) the World-1 John iv. 1 to 4.- -To the Philippians, St. Paul beautifully enlarges upon this doctrine of holding fast that which is good, for to them he writes, Let your moderation be known unto all Men! be careful for nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto GOD! and the Peace of GOD, Which Passeth all understanding, shall Keep your hearts and minds through CHRIST JESUS;--and in conclusion the Apostle thus writes, Finally, Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things!-Phil. iv. 5 to 8.-The Evangelical Prophet had long before declared that, He, that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he, that despiseth the gain of oppressions; that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes; that stoppeth

his ears from hearing of blood; and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell On High; his Place of Defence shall be the Munitions of Rocks; Bread shall be Given him; his Waters shall be sure-Isaiah xxxiii. 15,16. And Such, as he, would studiously avoid even that, which could have the appearance of evil. VERSES 23, 24.-And The Very GOD of Peace Sanctify you Wholly! And I pray GOD, your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be Preserved blameless unto The Coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST! Faithful is He, That Calleth you; Who also will Do it.

That The Great, The Omnipotent CREATOR, as A GOD of Perfect Holiness, should be A GOD of Peace to the Human heart, amidst its frailties and imperfections and back-slidings, even at its best estate, is doubtless amongst the ceaseless Miracles Presenting Themselves to Angelic Spirits in their contemplation of The DIVINE Nature! That DIVINE Grace should be Extended towards Mankind universally in the Operations of the Still Small Voice of Conscience, whilst It is to a greater or less degree almost universally slighted, if not neglected or rejected, may well be a wonder to the contemplative mind of Man, when influenced by right reason, or true religion! The prayer of the Apostle for That DIVINE Direction and Impression upon the heart, Whereby it might be kept steadfast in the pursuit and habit of the Christian course, so as to be free alike from the Judgment of Incensed DEITY, and from a Just Sentence of Excommunication from the Love of CHRIST, is well worthy of consideration and adoption, in reference to our own relative situation in Society, and to the state of those, over whom we can exercise any Spiritual or moral influence. The Coming of our LORD here Prophetically viewed, is His Coming to That Judgment, when the Everlasting Destiny of every Human Soul will be Fixed irrevocably; for against the Decision of That Awful and Eventful Day no Appeal lies: and earnestly therefore should we pray, that the increase of a Spirit of conversion, and of heartfelt devotedness to the faith and practice of The Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, may be of daily and hourly occurrence throughout the World. It is to pray with the Spirit for The SPIRIT, that, not only Pardon and Reconciliation may be Extended to us through the Mediatorial Sacrifice of CHRIST, but that the Sanctifying Influence, Which can alone Qualify for a Communion in the Habitations of Holiness, may be Infused into our hearts. And well indeed has the Apostle added, that Faithful is He That Calleth us; for His Word is Truth, and both the Power and the Will are His, to Save to the uttermost All, who in faithfulness turn unto Him.—In his opening Epistle to the Corinthian Converts, the Apostle dwells upon the same encouraging Prospect, through the Interceding Love of CHRIST, saying, I thank my GOD always, on your behalf, for the Grace of GOD, Which is Given you by JESUS CHRIST, that in everything ye are Enriched by Him in all utterance and in all knowledge; even as the Testimony of CHRIST was Confirmed in you; so that ye come behind in no Gift; waiting for the Coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST; Who shall also Confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the Day of our LORD JESUS CHRIST; adding the comforting assurance, that GOD is Faithful, by Whom ye were Called unto the Fellowship of His SON JESUS CHRIST, our LORD—1 Cor. i. 4 to 9. And again the Apostle adverts to the Truth of GOD's Word, in His Gracious Promises of Support to us under every temptation and circumstance of trial of our faith and patience, to which we may be exposed-God is Faithful, Who will not Suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also Make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it-1 Cor. x. 13.

VERSES 25, 26.-Brethren, pray for us! Greet all the Brethren with an holy kiss.

In the fond and kindly spirit of a near Kindred Relationship, the Apostle thus

addresses his Correspondents, and seeks, in all the humility and self-abasement of the Christian Character, their intercessory supplications to The GOD, Who Alone Heareth prayer, that he,Paul, might be Sustained by the Influence of The HOLY SPIRIT, through the Great Offering of The SON of GOD, in the deeply important and awfully responsible Office of the Ministry, well knowing that the effectual fervent prayers of the Righteous avail much; and feeling also that, amidst the Supernatural Gifts and Graces he had already received, he yet stood in need of more amidst the trials and labours and conflicts that awaited him. And so should we both seek in Brotherly sympathy for the supplicatory offerings of Others to The MOST HIGH, and also be ever ready to put forth our own influence with The DIVINE AUTHOR of all Good, through faith in JESUS, from Whose Merits and Mediation All That Good Proceedeth, to draw down upon Others of our Fellow-Mortals the Help of The SPIRIT, in the progress through life, and in the work of Salvation unto Life Eternal.-In the warmth of Eastern manners, the Salutation even amongst Males seems to have been by a mutual kiss, and the Apostle, without breaking in upon that custom, only requires that it should be sanctified, and be offered in the pure spirit of Christian Fellowship-a spirit with which all our courtesies and interchanges of civilities should be intermixed-and often with an inward prayer that they may induce towards the advancing a Christian influence in Others.

VERSES 27, 28.-I charge you by The LORD, that this Epistle be read unto all the holy Brethren. The Grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST be with you! Amen.

The injunction of the Apostle to impart to Others of an accessible disposition and accordant faith, the inestimable and essential Truths so affecting the present and future welfare of their Souls, is an earnest of the deep conviction entertained by him, that the Counsel thus delivered by him to the Saints was Counsel drawn from On HIGH, and was calculated justly to be weighed and treasured in the Human mind and heart, in exposition and confirmation of the Direct Message from The SON of GOD in His Recorded Gospel. It is also an indirect exhortation to ourselves, to be in free and frequent communications with those, to whom the Same Great Truths apply (and to whom do they not?) as far at least as we have opportunity; and thus in our own Vocation to aim, in the true Spirit of love to the Brethren, to commune often on The Word of GOD, and on the Hallowed Hopes Held out in His Revelation; and on the Awful Threats as well as on The Exceeding Precious Promises Therein Contained. True it is that we may sometimes find in our intercourse, that the profession of holiness is not always realized in practice, and that there may be Hypocrites in this our day, as there are but too many recorded Instances of that sad influence of self-deception in seeking the praise of Men, when heedless of offending Him, on Whom our Everlasting Destinies depend; but still should we not fail or forget to communicate, as we have opportunity, and even to seek it.The concluding Imprecation of the Apostle is for That, Which in Truth Comprises All the Riches of the Soul; All its Peace and Power in Time, and All its efficient Preparation for Eternity-the Grace of Heavenly Guidance and Consolation and Blessing_and Illumination through the Love of CHRIST, Invariably and Unweariedly Extended towards them, that are His! And in the looking back and thinking deeply upon All that he had by DIVINE Inspiration felt he had written or dictated, the Apostle added the concise but emphatic term, descriptive of a conviction of its Truth and Importance throughout the whole, and in all its parts, Amen! So it is, or So be it!

2ND THESSALONIANS CHAPTER I.

VERSES 1, 2.-Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the Church of the Thessalonians in GOD, our FATHER, and The LORD JESUS CHRIST; Grace unto you and Peace from GOD, our FATHER, and The LORD JESUS CHRIST!

The Apostle, though doubtless the Dictator of this Epistle, thus couples his Companions in Christian servitude as Messengers with him to the faithful Brethren at Thessalonica, of the Ministration of DIVINE Love to Human Kind in CHRIST JESUS. These Brethren are as a Community in faith and in practice called a Church; and thus are we led to the conclusion as to what the real Apostolic meaning of a Church is—a Congregation of Persons professing the faith as it is in CHRIST JESUS, The SON of GOD and SAVIOUR of Souls, as that faith is drawn forth in the Revelation of the Word and Will of GOD, Contained in the Holy Scriptures, through the Gracious Agency of The HOLY SPIRIT; and which faith, after the example and admonition, both of the Apostle and his HEAVENLY MASTER, is evidenced by the fruits of righteousness and holiness of life and conversation. The imprecation is for Peace, as well as DIVINE Illumination by Imparted Grace; and this Peace is consistent, even with the deepest Earthly or Bodily tribulation or suffering; a Peace that arises from a consciousness of the Sure Mercies Promised by JEHOVAH to the Penitent and Believing, and which, though the World cannot give, yet as assuredly can it not take away from the heart, that rests in unbroken confidence on The SAVIOUR's Power as well as Love. This salutation is almost an echo of that with which the first Epistle to the same Band of Christian Brethren opens; but such is its warmth and feeling, and wisely intended influence, that it cannot be too much laid as encouragement to our own hearts, and pressed thence in the true Spirit of Christian charity, in supplicatory offering for Others-See 1 Cor. i. 3.

VERSES 3 to 5.-We are bound to thank GOD always for you, Brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every One of you all, toward each other aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory in you in the Churches of GOD, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, that ye endure; which is a Manifest Token of the Righteous Judgment of GOD, that ye may be Counted worthy of The Kingdom of GOD; for which ye also suffer.

Gratitude to GOD, Whose Goodness is Infinite, can have no limit in a truly Christian heart; and a heart so influenced, amidst the gladdening experience of its own present Peace and Prospect of Salvation, through the Intercessory Sacrifice and Meritorious Mediation of The SON of GOD, breaks forth into rejoicing and thankfulness for every progress in the Christian course of life made by Others; avowing it to be a duty, so to estimate the Merciful Dealings of The ALMIGHTY through The SO of His Love. And this growth in Grace, and in the Principles of the Doctrine of JESUS CHRIST and His Apostolic Followers, exemplifies itself in the prevalence of Brotherly and Sisterly love, and goodly and kind intercourse between Members of the same Communion and Neighbourhood. It is this spirit of mutual encouragement, resting in the confidence that CHRIST, as The Head of His Church, is both Willing and Able to Save unto Eternal Life and Blessedness and Glory all them, that come unto Him in the meekness and faithfulness of a deeply felt gratitude and desire of obedience unto Holiness, which tend to fortify the Soul for sustaining the trials and troubles, which, from the Spirit of persecution, but too prevalent in the World, so often assail it, and need the manifestation of that patience, which eventually will have its perfect work; when the afflictions here experienced, and which are but for the season of this life, shall have passed away, and be reflected on as Only Added Instruments of

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