And as to the Order of the Epiſtle, that that which ts called the Second Epiſtle ſhould be really the Firſt, and by ſome care- leſsneſs miſnamed, and miſplaced, 1s a bold groundleſs Conjefure of Grotius, and needs no Confutation.
But this is more probable, that it was the firſt Epiſtle that the Apoſtle wrote to any Church, though other Epiſtles are in order ſet before it : The Goſpel was more early preached here than at Corinth or Rome, as appears in the As of the A- poltles, and the Succeſs of it was more ſudden and eminent than in any other City, and their Perſecutions more, whereby they might obtain an Epiſtle from the Apoſtle before any other Church.
CHAP. I.
The uſual Salutation and Thankſgiving to God for their Faith, Love, Hype in Chriſt, and their Ele(tion of God manifefted by the Power and Sptrit of God with the Goſp:I uno them, and their Obedience unto it, I 6, So that they were Examples 20 others, and by their means the Goſpel was made known in other places ; and all knew how that they were turned from Idols unto God, and to wait for his Son, who re- deemed us, from Heaven, 7 10,
1 TI Aul and Silvanus a and Timotheus b unto the church
of the Theſlalonians c, which is in God the father d,
in the Jewiſh Religion, inſtrufted from a Child by his Parents in the Holy Scriptures of the Old Teftament, but inftrudted by Pay] in the Faith of Chriſt, whom therefore he calls his Son in the Faith, 1 Tim, 1.2, well reported of by the brethren, Ads 16. 2, whom Paul laid hands upon with other Elders, to ſeparate him to the Work of the Miniſtry,and the Office of an Evangelift, and thereby had a Gift of God beſtowed upon him, 2 Tim, 1,6, called by Pzul his ouysp38s, or felow-worker, K5m. 16.21. And particularly in the Converſion ot theſe Th:falonians, together with Stlvans, as appears Affs 17. 14- He abode with them when Paul was perſecuted from them, as there we find 5 and was ſent to them fronz Athens afterwards by Paul to know their fiate, and ftrevgthen theic
Chap. I.
"TIEN
and in the LORD Jeſus Chriſt e: Grace be to you, and
peace from God our Father, and the LORD Jeſus Chriſt. a Why not Paul the Apoſtle, as in ſome other Epiſtles? Becauſe his Apoſtleſhip was not doubted of by them, they had ſuch an emi- nent ſeal of it upon their Hearts ; and there were no falſe Apoftles among them to queſtion or deny it. And he joins StJvanus with him, whom Peter calls a faithful Brother, 1 Pet, 5. 12, and was a Miniſter of tiz Goſpel joining with himſelf in that Work among the Corintbtans, 2 Cor, I, 19, as alſo among theſe Theſſalonians, as appears Ads 17 4, though there called by contrattion of his Name, or by another Name, Silas, who is alſo mentioned As 15, 22, as one chief among the bre- thren, and ſer.t by the Church of FeruſcJem to accompany Paul and Bar- nabas to Antioch, And ftiled a Prophet, ver, 32, and choſen by Pau] to accompany him rather than Mark, As 15. go, And being an In- rument in converting thele Th-ſJalonzans, and being alſo in their Love and Efteem, he joyns his Name with his own in the Epiſtle, 6 His name is Greek, for his Father was a Greek, but his Mother a Feweſs,
«ts 16. 1, whoſe name was Eunice, 2 17m, 1,5. He was brought up
VOL, 11,
Faith, chap, 3. 1, 2. And thereupon, that his Epiſtle mighr obtain the greater reſpett, he joins his name allo in it ;- as he doth allo in his (-- cond Eplftle to the Corinthians, in his Epiſtle to the Philip;4ans and the Coloſians, He being Paul's companion in his Miniftry among, the Gen- ries in their firſt Converſion, and a man of great name in the Church - es, he therefore ſo frequently joins his name with his own. Aad aiſo that be might ſhew their conſent in the Truth they delivered to the Churches, which might the more confirm their Faith in theirs. c. ihe Church inhabiting Theſlonica; which was a chief City in Miczdoniz, a M-rropolis, famous for Antiquity, larzeneſs, pleaſant Situation, and commerce, Plin, lib, 4, 10, Firft called Thefſalia, and bzing con- quer'd by King Philip, was called Theſſalonica, Philippi was allo another great City of Macedonia, where was planted another Church, to whom the Apoftle writes ; whereby we may ſee that Gud had 2 great Work for Paul here, when he called him in a Viſion to+ go to Mz:uedonia, d Not as the Son of God is in the Father, to be one ſubſtance and effence with him 3 nor as the human Nature is in the
| Diyine Nature of Chrift to be one Perſon with the Father, bur *t
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* Eph. 1. 26. Phil.
+. {| Or, FE- 9n2mbr
fabus =
Chap. I.
imports either teu forfaking falſe Gods, and joining themſelves e.. the-Worhin of the rtrae Gol, as in the gth verſe of thi: 124 nioned from aumb Idols to ſerv? the Iroing and true
Cc
: called therofore in a diſtintion from them, God rhe - Farber :
) «1% their worfkinping God according to the revelation 112: kin in the Goel, where he is called Father, Eut in a fenic fer! om what Pla:o or Z:emer, and other Heatbens under
fool, «hen they calld the chief God, Father z either with rel{pcct Meir inferior Deitics, of whom they ſtjled him Father, or the
works of Creation proceeding from him as his Off-ſvring, And weir being in him may yet imply more than this; which is their
being joined to God 1n Covenant, as their God, and Father ; and nm him, eftabliſh'd upon him as their Foundation, and entre refting in him, It may alſo further imply their nd Communion with God through the Spirit, whereby the
. zg* * \{%® Linic It a
$2.3 are ſaid to abide in God, and to dwell in him, and he in them, 1 Job. 2.47, 28, yea, to be, 11 him who 1s the wue God,