Ver, 6.-The union of a.ffeiction with joy. The Thessalonians "received the word with much affliction and joy of the Holy Ghost." Christianity makes no stoical demands. SpirituRl joy does not exclude, but even includes, sorrow. "Sorrowing, yet always rejoicing," is the Christian's condition. To glory in tribulation is the Christian's experi- ence. "In the spiritual world joy and sorrow are not two, but one." Ver. 7.-The ea;ample of Ohristians. It was greatly to the praise of the Thessa- lonians that they were examples to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia. L Con- sistent believers are living evidences of the truth of Ohristianity. By the purity of their conduct, by their unselfishness, by thP.ir patience in suffering, they prove that there is something real and living in Christianity. 2. Inconsistent believers are obstacles in the way of the gospel. They confirm the worldly in their worldliness, as if Uhristianity were a mere pretence, aud thus give occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme. Ver. 10.-The expectation of the advent. Believers are here described as waiting for the Son of God from heaven. Certainty of the fact of the advent; Christ shall cow.ll from heaven. Uncertainty of the time of the advent; "Of that day knoweth no man., not even the angels who are in heaven." It would appear that the early Christianij believed that Christ might come at any time, even in their days; the first advent, being so recent, excited within them the expectation of the immediateness of the second. Hence the doctrine of the second advent occupied a much more prominent place in :he thoughts of the primitive Christians than it does in ours, It was to them a living power; believers then lived in constant expectation of the coming of the Lord; whereas rhe teaching of the present day bas in a measure passed from it; its uncertainty, instead of exciting us to holiness and watchfulness, is too often abused as an encouragement to sloth and security.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-.Address and salutation. At I\ point almost midway between the"Bpostle's call and his martyrdom he penned this first of his thirteen Epistles, which was, perhap,, t.he earliest book of New 'l'estament Scripture, and addressed to one of the priwary centres of European Christianity. I. THI!: AUTHORS OF THE SALUTATION, "Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy." Simply Paul without official adjunct of any sa~t, for there was no one in the 'l'hessaloni:ln Uli.u;ch to challenge his apostleship or Lis relationship to Christ. He asso~iates_ Si_l- vanus and Timothy with himself in the salutation as they were associated with him 111 the original foundation of the Church; Silvanns being placed next to himself, becau~e 6 TUE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [cu. 1. 1-10.