welfare his chief concern. The epistles of St. Paul, not those addressed to Timothy and Titus merely, but those addressed to whole Churches, are full of this subject. This to the Thessalonians is almost one continued breathing of parental tenderness, on the Apostle's part, and a call on his converts for correspondent emotions on their part. The extreme ardour of his affection for them is indeed the imme- diate subject of all the preceding context. He had been driven from them suddenly by a violent per- secution ; and it was owing to the unabated malice of his enemies that he had not visited them again. Greatly had he longed to do so ; and repeated efforts had he made ; for they were exceeding dear to him, as he tells them : " For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing ? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ? Yes, ye are our glory and joy."
From these words we will take occasion to shew,
I. In what light a faithful minister views his people —
If a man be a faithful servant of Christ, the pro- sperity of his people will be the one aim of all his labours, and the one source of all his joys : both at the present hour, and in the prospect of the eternal world, their welfare will be " his hope, his joy, his crown of rejoicing." Is it asked, Wherefore they are so dear to him ? we answer, He glories in them ;
1. As witnesses for God —
[God is excluded as it were from this lower world. The great mass of mankind acknowledge him not, or acknowledge him in word only, and not in deed and in truth. But true believers confess him openly before men : they are his wit- nesses, that he is great, and worthy to be feared ; that he is good, and worthy to be loved ; that he is faithful, and worthy of entire trust and confidence. But yet more particularly they are witnesses of all his perfections, as united and glorified in the cross of Christ; and they proclaim to all around them, that, in Christ Jesus, God is " a just God and a Saviour," yea "just, and yet the justifier of all that believe in Jesus." These are the truths which ministers have it in commission to make known to the sons of men : and by the free publication of