excepted $ there is no' mention of [3e More heedful, Ads 20. 28, 29, 1 Per, 5, 1,2, b Conſiteri; :" the writers of the firſt Age : but only in aftex |the Authority of the Lord Jeſus, in whoie name he had ec;
Called to it, and entruſted with it, Mat. g. 38. Phil, 1, ,- in-0eV.|T Tim. 5, 1, 21, c Having been Collegue to Epaghras, or !., pafages in |his abſence newly received into his ſacred charge to encore tom ſome |him toa faithful diſcharge of his duty therein, to fill up all th-
d, as helpful to the Edifi-|
S
2
parts of his. office, and leave none of them unperforme1, {:. ch, 1.25.1 Cor,g. 16, 17, 1 Tim, 4. 16. with 2 Tim, 4. 5, is
18 The falutation by the hand of me Paul 4. 6+.
member my bonds e. Grace be with you f. Amen Fr d The Apoſtle having them on his heart, and here (as SI. where) likely having uſed an Amanuenfis to pen the body of 1; Epiſtle, to prevent fraud and forgery, he doth ſubſcrits 3-;. Salutation and Apoftolical Benedittion with his own hand, ut; > was well known,Rom. 16, 22, 1 Cor. 16. 21, Gal. 6, 11, 7b; 19. 2 Theſſ, 2,2, and 3.17, e Importuning them to he 1, mindful of his Tmpriſonment in their Prayers, v. 3. #c. : >. - imitating his conftancy and patience it called to (fer © Phil, 1. 14. his ſufferings being an excellent ſeal to the wah of his Goſpel,and his ardent affettion to them and other Gey:j;, : for whoſe ſake he was in Bonds. f Then earneftly. pravin that the ſpecial grace and fayour of God the- Father, in the Lorg |. ſus Chriſt, might be ever preſent with them, ſee Rom, 16. 1 Cor, 16. 23, 24. Phil. 4.23. g In Teſtimony of the yc1j;r, of his defire, and afſurance to be' heard, he concludes (45 ad where) with Amen, TY
I THESSA-
Chap, 1y
Chap. I
I THESSALONIANS The ARGUMENT T;
HE Apoſtle Paulb eing more eſpecially the Miniſter of theUncircumci/z0n,andPreacher of the Gentiles,in bis Progreſs through their Cities and Countries, comes t0 Theſlalonica, a chief City in Macedonia, for thither be was called in a Viſjon, As 16. 9. A man of Macedonia prayed him, ſaying, Comeover to Macedonia and help us. 7 Obedience to which be looſed from Troas, and came to Samothracia, and from thence to Neapolis, from thence to Philippi, where he abode certain days, Verſe 12. And after paſſing through Amphipolis and Appolonia, came to Theſſalonica,where was a Synagogue of the Fews, Acts 17. 1. whither, as his manner Was, he went and Preached that Feſus was the Chriſt. WWaereupon ſome believed, and of the devour Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief Women not a few. But the Jews whicy believed not, raiſed a Perſecution againſt him ; whereupon the Brethren ſenr him and Silas away to Berea, Verſe 10. where he alſo went and preached in the Jews Synagogue. But the unbelievimng Jews of Theſſalonica following him to Berea, he was condudFed thence to Athens 5 and from thence, its thought by ſome, he writes this Epiſtle to the Theſla- lonians, as is aſſerted in the Poſtſcript , wherein he gives account of the great Succefs of his Preaching among them, for which be gives thunks to God, and makes an honourable mention of them in ſeveral places. But becauſe they were new Converts, and met with Perſecution from their own Countrey-men for the Goſpel ſake, the Apoſtle was the more ſolicitous for tyem to confirm them in the Faith they bad recetved, Whereupon he endeavoured once and again to come to them bimſelf, but ſome way or other was hindred by Satan, as he tells them, chap. 2. ver. 18. and therefore he ſends to them Timotheus in his room, to know their Faith, and to eſtabliſh them in it, who bringing an Account thereof to him, and of their ſtate, be writes this Epiſtle to them accoraing to the Account be received by Timothy, and his own Obſervation and Knowledge while he was amongſt them. Particularly,
1. He: gives thanks for the Eminency and Operation of the Graces of God in them, for the ſpecial Preſence of the Holy Ghoſt in his Miniſtry amongſt them, for their Exemplary Faith and Converſation, Chap. 1.
2. He puts them in mind of his Miniſterial Labours and Perſonal Converſation among them, of the malicious carriage of the Jews both againſt Chriſt, and his Apoſtles, and particularly againſt himſelf, wyercof ve knew they themſelves were Eye-witneſſes, and declares his preſent rejoicing and glorying in them, chap. 2.
3. He next gives the Reaſon of his ſending Timotheus to them, and ſpeaks of the good Account he gave of them, and the great Refreſhing and Comfort he received thereby ;, and that he was greatly deſirous to ſee theiy Face, and prays that they might encreaſe in Love, and be eſtabliſhed in Holineſs, chap. 3. |
4. He then proceeds to exhort them about their Perſonal walking according to the DireGlons and Commandments he a4 given them from the Lord Jeſus. And he inſtanceth in Marriage Chaſtity, Righteouſneſs in Dealing, Brotherly Love, Peaceable Carriage, minding their Callings, and diligence therein, and not to mourn inordinately for them that die in F:ſus, as knowing that they ſhall riſe from the Dead, and meet the Lord in the Air as well, and as early as thoſe that (1.3! be found alive at his coming, chap. ” "un. ;
5. He next deſcribes the manner of Chriſt's coming, that it will be ſuddain and unexpetted, whereby many will be ſur- prized in their Security, and therefore exhorts theſe Theſſalonians to be watchful, ſober, and armed for that day, which will be to them a day of Salvation which they had been appointed to, And then be exhorts them to Duties belonging to their Church, State and Communion, to have an high Eſteem for heir Guides and ' eachers ; to warn, ſupport, and comfort one another ;, n6t to retalliate evil for evil, &c. and ſo the Cloſe of the Epiſtle recommends them to God in Prayer, begging they would alſo pray for bim , and ſalute one another, and communicate this Epiſtle to all the Brethren, and ſo concludes with his uſual Salutation,
This is the Subſtance of the Epiſtle.
As to the Place whence it was written we need not enquire, whether it was as is expreſſed in the Poſt ſcrit, from Arhens ; or from Corinth, as Grotius and others imagine, |
As to the Time ; It was ſurely not long after PauPs coming from Theſſalonica ; for indeed the preſent ſtate of the Theſ falonians did require 'that be ſhould not Jong delay it, as his ſecret AfffeQtion would not ſuffer it neither.