£1 > | they hecin | $454 2.41 7 IT YO, A ESO . * - 1 e : Ney DEE In time and ena witn time, But t1734.onfolition neg . A : L. [] : k - E F : _ b- - £ rme, and abides to Ererni:y ; and this Mar, « : cannot g1Ve, nor we gtve it Our Ieclres, Cat fig nh ani newives : :hc "IRR ' - Nr wa | it to whom he loveth, 25 every BKian {els to cnnfort tilt whem: b 4 - ] } f + YY3 , iis =. . I'S loves; and though tome whom Cad loves may not feel 131 - 0 1-161] _ 2 ; £ . WY" iC [| 1:4 y 4 : . 77 G F | "Ss Y h - . F «<p, - ? z . yet they havea Rigit, ar God hath it in reſerve for them, Lis-s is ” * * F - = _ 2 F175BI2eONS. aitl oloduolc {iv efo hy ior fog 1515 | i" , 'omn for the r13hteous, aid elaivers for the uviobe in boart, 11 9, 19%
And though ſometimes it may he interrup cd where it is its ver not ſo as to be deſtroyed in its foundation, and to hinder its reca; n,citler in the Temporal or Eternai World, where it will be everlaſtin» + { chat as Gcd 1s called th? God of al! Grace, 1 Pet. 5, 10. fo the Ce of 2 Comfort, 2 Cor. 1. 3. Ani by us in the Text he means theſe Thrlſulon;- ms, as well as himſelf ; for he had ſ»cken before of their Toy jn tl. Holy Ghoff, 1 Theſ. 1. 6, o And the other Gifc is, 299.1 Thop?. Hops,
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as a natural affection, is the expettaiiun uf the Soul ; and the Objef of it 1s bonum fururum, arduum, pojſſvite ; Goo, future good, ditfcult, and poifible, But as a Grace, fo it is the x%peRation of the good things; Gocl hath promiſed, and not yet exhibited, And it's call'd pood 224pe 3 good by way of eminency, with reſpect tothe JUdjes of it, which are eminently goo ; the certainty of it, it will nut make aſhant'd, Rom, 5.5, compar'd to an Anchor ſure and ſicdfiir, Heb, 6, 193, I he regularneſs of it z things promis'4 only, and as they are promis'd « elf it is Preſumption and not Hope. The Fruzrs of it ; Feace, Purity, In duftry, and Confolation allo, and therefore joined with it here in the rext: as the Apoſtle ſpeaks elſewhere of rej9yctng in bope, Rom. 5, 2.4% 12.12. Z7eb, 2, 6, Or, as ſome, it's call'd good hope, with reſpet ro the degree they had attained of it in their Hearts, '1 hough titey 1124 not yet the good things promiſed, yet they had good hope of enjoy ing them. And by this Epithet he diftinguiſheth this hope Hh om rhe carnal vain hope of the Men of the World, and the falfe hope of Hypo crites, Fob 8. 13, 17, 18, and them(fclves allo from the ftate tiey were in when Gentiles, without hope, Eph, 2. 12, and this alto is Gort's vir, as he is called the God of hope, Rom. 15. 123, not only as the Obje, bur. the Author of it. p And both theſe gitts are laid to be here rhr042h Grace ; forelſe we could have had no ground cicher of hope, or com- fort. Sin had ſhut up our way to both, it is only. Grace that hath 9- pened it tous What weenjoy at preſent, and what we hope to enjoy, is all through Grace. And from theſe Gifts already received the Apo- ſtle ſtrengchens his Faith about the other things he here prays tor, 17 Comfort your hearts q, and * |tabliſh you in every * Thc. good word and work yr. | 'EY q Next, we have the things pray'd for, Comfort your Hearts, Though he ſaid before, who hath given us evelaſting conſolation. Either the A. poſtle means attual poſſcſkon of what God had givenTitrle to; or a con- tinued ſupply and encreaſe of comfort already received. And he prays for this either in reſpeR of the a{fittions they ſuffered,that they might not faint 3; or to enable them the better to {tand faft in the Faith, and not fall away as others, And fv it agrees with the next Petition for them. 7 The word of Truth is this good Word, Prov. 4.2. as the Goſpel is call'd, 2 Cor. 6. 7. And the Dottrins of it are are all good, 1 7im, 4. 6, They are good for inſtruttion, for correftion, for reproof, for doetrine, 2 Tim, 3.16, All truth is an intelleual good, whether natural, or moral ; but Evangelical Truth is by way of eminence,zood : It isa good word which is a word of Salvation, As 13. 26. and to be eſtablithed in it, is firmly to bclieve it, and to hold it faft againſt ſedy- cing Opinions, or Perſecutions ; and by every good word he means all Divine 'Iruth, eſpecially the greater Truths ; not to hold ſome Truths, and let others go. And to word the Apoſtle adds work, that there may be an harmony betwixt Faith and Praetice, As the Dottrines of the Goſpel are true, ſo the Works they require are good, And £004 Works are manifold; reſpecting God, our Neighbour, and our ſclves, A Chriſtian ſhould nor only practiſe them all, hur be cft2bliſh'd in them, which implies Conitancy, Perſeverance, and Reſolution. True Religi- on is not word only, but work ; it 15 not only ſpeculative, but practi- cal. A ſound Mind ought to he join'd with an Holy Litc. And. to make a work good, the principle, rule, manner and end muſt all be good,
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He exhorts them topray for kim : teftifieth his Confidence in, and prayeth for them, 1 5. Commands them to withilraw from every Brother who walks diforderly s and every one, aft:r bis Example," to Iibour to maintain himſelf, 6 12, Not to be weary in doing good s and w mark thoſe who are tor obediens herein, 12 14. Hs Prayer for them: Salutation : and Apoſtolical Benedidion, 16 13,
1 Inally /;, brethren, * pray for us f, that the word of Ow ih the Lord may have frce courſe uv, and be glorif- || Or, 747% ed w, even as zt is with you x.