f leems to be writ preſently upon his return, 2 As to the good account FA it brought of them, 7t brought good tyairgs 3 (the ſame word 1s here | uſed that exprefeth in the Greek the glad tidings of the Goſpel) of their Faith, that it continued ftill ftedfaſt, k And of their Charity or Love, that they had love joined with their Faith, and their Faith working by Love, which ſhewed it was living, and of a right kind, I They forgot him not, though abſent ſome length of time from them ; and jt wzs a good remembrance joined with Love and Efteem of his
but his affection to them was ſo great, that he longed co return to chem for the pertetting of their Faith, though he had met bur a while before with ſuch great perils at Theſſulonica.
11 Now God himſelf, and our Father z, and our Lord Jeſus Chriſt w ||direct our way unto you x.
4 Here 1s prayers expreſt, the perſon to whom hc prays, i3 God himſelf perlonally confidered as God the Father, and relatively, when he ftiles him our Father 3 ſo ought Believers to addreſs themſelves to God not abſolutely, bur as to their Father. So Chriſt taught his Diſciples to pray, Cur Father 3 and ſv the Spirit of Adoption dotly prompt the Saints to' pray ; we come to Ged with greater frecdom and confidence when we can come to him as a Father, w And = prays allo to Chrift, whom he ftiles, our Lorl Foſus Chrift, When we may have an argument that Chriſt is God, elſe 2 could not he the object of divine worſhip, not that we are to preſent. our Pravers diſtinEtly to the Son withour conſidering his Union with the Father nor to the Father diſtinly from the Son, but to the Father in and by r'12 Lord Jeſus Chriſt, For to only we can contider him as our Father in Prayer. And he ſpeaks of Chriſt alſo in his relation to his Peonle, cur Lord Feſus Chriſt, x And the thing he Prays for, is, that Go mo! dircit his way unto th:m, that the hindrances of Satan whatſucrer they were mightbe removed, and the Providence of Govil open him away to come to them : The word dire figniftes in the Greek to mai:© ſtraight, and 2 Thefſ, 3. 5. is applyed to the heart. The Lord dire# your bearts,&c. which is ſetting the hearts ftreight towards God, anſw:r- ing to the Hebrew word Faſhar, which fignifies to be upright, an
way. And hence we learn our Duty by the Apoſtles prattice, to pray co have our way in allcales diretted by God, 12 And the Lord make you to increaſe and abound + In love one towards another y, and towards a!! men = even as we do towards you 4, | + Lhele two words denote an increaſing and overflowing abundance. ſ
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y This is another thing he prays for ; the forme? reſpected him{clf,t reſpected them, He defired ro come to them to perfect that which was lacking in their Faith,and he prays now for the abounding and increaſe of their Love,not only to love one another, but to increate and abound
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A Perſon, and of his Miniftry amongit them ; and it was always, which
Sa inplics the conftancy of it, m And not ſatisfied with this good re- r.cmbrance of him being, abſent, they greatly deſired his preſence to ic him and his fellow lipourers. # And'to anſwer their love on his
"ns Part, he acderh, as we alſo 10 j-- you, By all which he feeks to ſatiſ-
_ e ihem of his continued care and remembrance of them, which was
Jat the cttett of this meſſage.
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init, To encreaſe the habits and abound in the fruits of love,
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Chap. IV.