In this request of his we see, I. What we should desire for the word of God —
1. That it should "have free course" —
[It is surprising that any should be averse to the circula- tion of the Scriptures ; or should be jealous of the Scriptures, unless accompanied with human compositions to forestall and determine the judgment of the reader. What is this but to supersede the use of that judgment which God requires us to exercise ? yea, what is this, but to return to popery ? The Papists locked up the Scriptures in an unknown tongue, and forbad the laity to read them ; and sent forth among the people small portions of them only, and counteracted those portions by the most erroneous comments and grossest superstitions. Far be such conduct from Protestants: freely have we received, and freely we should give: nor should we relax our efforts to disseminate the Scriptures, till every human being shall have them in his possession, and be enabled to read in his own native language the wonderful works of Goda.]
2. That it should "be glorified"—
[What is implied in this expression, we are at no loss to determine. We have only to see how it was glorified " with them," i. e. the Thessalonian converts, and we have the perfect model of its being glorified amongst ourselves.
In two ways is the word of God glorified ; first, in the con- version of sinners ; and, next, in the edification and salvation of saints.
How the Gospel wrought to the conversion of the Thessalo- nians, we are distinctly informed : they received it, " not as the word of man, but as the word of God :" it " came to them, not in word only, but in power :" and by it " they were turned
from idols to serve the living Godb" Similar effects
were produced by it in other churches c And who
must not confess that the word is glorified when such wonders
are wrought by it ? But that it is so, is expressly
affirmed by the voice of inspiration itself d.
Nor was the Gospel less powerful for their continued edification. This was greatly advanced among them, as
the Apostle himself testified e Yet nothing but the
pure word of God was, or could be, effectual for this endf. As the rod of Moses wrought all those miracles in Egypt and the wilderness, so was the Gospel "the rod of God's strength :" and in the production of such miraculous events,
* See Ps. xix. 4. and Rom. x. 18. b 1 Thess. i. 5, 9. and ii. 13. c Acts vi. 7. and xix. 20. d Acts xiii. 48, 49.
« 2 Thess. i. 3, 4. and ii. 13, 14. f 1 Pet. ii. 2.