# Their contrariety to all Men is expreft particularly in this in- ſtance ; they forbad the Apoſtles to preach to the Gentzles, which were the greater number of Men. Though they oppoſed allo their preaching tothe Fewiſh Nation. For the F-ws could not endure to hear that the Ger1iles ſhould be received into the Church z or into ſpecial Favonr witi God ; as appears by Chriſt's Sermon in the Synagogue, Luk. 4.28. And in the Apoſtles Apology for himſelf at Feruſalem, Acts 22, 21, 22. And their forbidding themimplies, not an AQ of Authority, for they had it not, but their hindering them what they could, and ftirring up the i'cople and Rulers againſt them, as 4#. 17, 6. w To cauſe it to riſe up to tuch a meaſure and degree as will at laſt bring Deſtruftion. Tho' This was not their Intention, yet through the juſt Judgment of God. it was the Event, They killed the Prophets ; but killing Chrift, and
xerſecutins the Apoſtles,and hindring the Salvation of Mankind there-
y, this filled up their Sin. The Expreſſion alludes to what is aid of the Ameries, Gen, 15, 16, and foretold by Daniel, chap, g. 27. called the Conſummation ; as there is a perfe&ting of Holineſs, and filling up of Grace, ſo alſo uf Sin. And Sin againſt the Goſpel ripens Sin more than againft the Law, And becauſe they made a conftant progreſs in Sip, they 2c laid to fill it up, Marth, 23. 394 Fil je up the meaſure of
He being troubled for them, had ſent Timothy to confirm them an 11 j-*
lone :
love to them, and care of them, that they might not do!: cauſe of his long abſence from them. Therefore he te!!5 though he could not come himſelf, yet he ſent 7,m77h04s '
were this occaſion of rejoycing to him. And he mentions g/0ry a> Weil as joy, for the great ſucceſs of his Miniſtry among them, would +117)
dound to his Glory in the day of Chriſt, as Da, 1 2. 2, They 11't is many to righteouſneſs ſhall ſhine as the ſtars for ever and evo. Of) were his glory at preſent, a glory to his Miniſtry, and a Sc: 19.
Apoſtleſhip,
CHAP. 1II,
and comfort them under Tribulations,10 which the fatthjul are 4fp * I----5, 47d at the coming again of timothy, uniderſtasndin their 97:6; faſtneſs and Welfare, erejoyceth and thanketh God, 6----9. 377 eth, that for the perfeFing of their Faith be might come again 19 5+" and that they may be abundant in Lov? and Sanfificarion 4841 © coming of Chriſt with all his Saints, 10---13,
I WA F Herefore when we could no longer forbea!;
we thought it good to be left at Athens #-
confirm Þ'5 bt of it, bc them, that 0 them from
a The Apoſtle proceeds upon the ſame Argument to
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» The The Apoſtle here makes his Apology,for his ſo ſoon departing &., * "oO vw,
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L THESSAL
Chap. IT.
Atheis, which we find not mentioned in the 4s by Luke; and his love herein is commended the more, 1. becauſe he ſent him out of a ftrong jimpulle of affettion, he could not forbear any Jonger, Or bear, it was a heavy burden to him till he had done it, as the word 1mports. 2, He was Content to he leit at Athens alone by parting with 7:mothy, though
his company was ſo defirable and uſeful to him at that time, And
- he was well pleaſed ſo to do for their ſakes, Edpxyoupey, he had a com-
placence of mind in ſo doing, fo much he preterr d their good betore his own contentment. —
2. And ſent * Timotheus our brother and miniſter of
God, and our fellow-labourer in the goſpel of Chrilt, to
eſtabliſh you, and to comfort you concerning your faith b.
b 3. By the delcription he gives of him in the Text, A man dear to him, andas his right hand in the {ervice of the Goſpel, And his care ofthem is commended the more by ſending ſo eminent a perlon to them. 4. From his endin ſending him 3 which was tO eſtabliſh them, that through the tear of ſuffering,or any Temptations, they might not forſake the Faith they had received; and 10 comfort them CONCerning by th-ir Faith: The word ſometimes {1gnifies to exhort, and the ſenſe p is 900d if we {o read it. But becauſe the Faith they had embraced pre- ſented much matter of comfort to them, therefore our Tranſlation well renders the word.
3 * That no man ſliould be moved || by theſe affli- that we are appointed
| #R0M. 163
FERHh,? l
k
i Ir f, tions c, for your ſelves know E;.. thcreuntod |.
1Or, cl- The Apoſtle had mentioned before his great atflitions, and they j-/,[:1,49- knew well what he himſelf had ſuffered both at Theſſalontica and Berea, Afs 16. and therefore might fear they might hereupon be ſhaken in their Faith. And Timothy therefore was ſent to comfort and eftabliſh them : God could do this without him, but the Miniftry 1s his Or- dinance he works by. And when he faith that mo man ſhould be mov- ed; it ſhews what is a Chriſtian Duty to be unmoved by ſufferings for the Goſyel. c The word here uſed by the Apoſtle anſwers another word uſed, 2 Theſ, 2. 2. which alludes to the waves of the Sea, ſhaken by the Winds. Fears, and doubts, or hefitations of Mind do move and thake it, which the Apoſtle ſent T:morhy to prevent, or remove. d And belides he addeth an argument of his own to confirm them, | when he tells them, ye know thast we are appotnted thereunto; The word is uſed, Luke 2.34. 1 Tim. 1.9. But he means we ſuffer afflictions according to the purpoſe and -intention of God. They come not by chance, or meerly from mens wrath and enmity, ' but from the ap- pointment of God, And whether the Apoſtle ſpeaks only of his hh own ſufferings, and other Minifters of the Goſpel, or of all Saints in $1 general, as Affs 14. 22, Rom. $. 17, 20. 2 Tim. 3. 12. is uncertain, we | may well underſtand it of both ; ſo that he would not have theſe Theſſa- JIonians think it ſtrange, as if ſome ſtrange thing happened to them, 1 Per. 4. 12, whereby to be ſhaken in their Minds,
4 For verily, when we were with you we told you before that we ſhould ſuffer tribulation e, even as It came
to paſs, and ye know F.