ing cogether unto him || b,
The Apoſtle now comes to refute the opinion that ſome at leaſt of
thele 1þ:1Jalonians had received, as if the day of Chriſt was near at hand, He having ſaid, 1 Theſ, 4.17, We mich are altve, and re-
W.THESSALONIANS.
frrianch of the Law, butthe gracious indulzence of the Covenant of
main, ſnall be caught up to meet the Tord inthe Air, %c, Then foms« mizht think his coming would be in the Apoſtles time, or ſom= 0-1... way they might fall into this conceit, and ſome da conceive this v the chief reaſon of the Apoſtics writing this Epittle, And becaufe this miſtake might be of dangerous conſequence, therefore he is very hement and particular in refutiog it : For hetenpon they mig bt be brought to queſtion the truth of the whole Goſj5c} when this {9113 not come to paſs: They might be nnprepared for the ſuſtcrings tha» were to come upon the Churci :; their patience might fail in eXpec.- ing this day, and their minds be doubting ahout the coming of Ch-i9 at all, This Opinion alſo would much narrow their thoughts abou Chriſt's Kingdom, and the enlarging of the Goſpel among other CG; n tiles, And the prophane might abule it to ſenſuality, as 1 Cor, 15, »-
ry cr e=-t
- *
let us eat and drink, &c, f That he might the better perſwade. *}- calls them brethren, and beſeeches them, Gc. g And next, cOnitres them, uſing the form of an Oath, by the coming of our Lord Feſus Chriſt, &, Weconjure men either by what they love, or by what they fear z as they would enjoy the one, or avoid the other, The coming of Chrift was what they deſired and rejoiced in, as that which would bring reſt to them, and Tribulation to their Adverſaries : Arq by this he doth therefore beſeech, or adjure them z and therefore we muſtunderftand this of Chriſt's laſt coming, as the word T=P43, in the Text, is ſtill applyed to this coming, 11h /. 2. 19. and 3, 13,5, and not of his coming to deſtroy the Jewiſh Thurch and State, for that coming was at hand, b At his laft coming, when the whole Body gf Chriſt ſhall be gathered to him, to meet him in the Air, 1 Theſ, 4, 17, ard then the ſenſe is, As ye hope ever to ſee ſuch a bleſſed meetirs and to be of that number, ſo take heed of this Opinion. Yet ſome rea1 the Text otherwiſe, becauſe in the Greek it is not He but UT Tis mw exores, and ſo the ſame with ze, not we-beſecch you by, but concery. zng the coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt,and our gathering together yr. to him,as denoting only the Subje& matter treated of : 1 prefer the for. mer, and ſo the Apoſtle conjures them not to be ſcon ſhaken in ming but to ftand faſt in the truth about the Doctrine of Chrift's :oming, which they had been taught, and very lately taught, and therety:s it was the greater Evil to be ſoon ſhaken ; as the Apoſtle upbraids the Gz- latians, Gal, 1. 6. and God the Iſraelites, Pſal, 1C6. 13+
7 ozacufura, It is an alluſion to the Waves of the Sea that are toſſe! +
4. 14. Zeb, 13, 9.and to be eftabliſht in the Truth, is often command.” ed 1 Cor, 16. 13. Phil. g. 1. Col. 1.24, &c. And by mird here is ci- ther meant the faculty it ſelf, and then the Apoſtle beſecctcth them to keep company with their underſtanding, not to be remoys/! 50m their mind, As falſe Doctrine is ſaid to bewitch Men, Gal. ;, :, ard
to make men fooliſh, ver. 3. as madneſs is called amentia c 74n-nty,
as that whichdoth as it were diſmind men, and corrupt the ind, an!
pervert the judgment, 2 7:m. 3. 8,9, as Fannes and Fambros lecuiyel \
the People by their Enchantments, as the Apcflle there mention; : © elſe, the Sentence and Judgmen: of the mind ; and then thcy ::e be. ſeeched to hold faſt the right Judgmeut they had entertaive! Chriſt's coming, and not to heſitate and waver about it, ſo t}.2 vo! is taken 1 Cor, 2.16, 1Hegg rm, Alluding to Souldiers oF+izþtel with a ſudden Allarm. We find the Word Mar. 24. 6, Mart 12, 7,
in this allufion, And the opinion of Chriſt's coming to be | might occaſion this trouble in them, either leſt they might be (|