Churches imitated the oldeet Churches, those of JudlleB. All alike belonged to God; all were in Christ Jesus, living branches in the true Vine. The new converts soul7ht to live like the first Christiane. "Then h,id the Churchee reet throughout all .J°udrea. and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the rear of God, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." They imitated them in active holiness, and they imitated them in patient endurance. II. THE OPPOSl'rION OF THE WORLD. 1. The Gentile OfYPOSition. It first appeared in Macedonia. In Philippi the evangelists were for the first time bro11ght before Gentile magistrates. The politarchs of Thessalonica bad more sense of justice than the so-called prmtors of l'bilippi. They contented themselves with taking security from the Christians who were brought before them. But the converts were exposed to great persecution in both places from the first. In his letters to both Churches, St. Paul again and again mentions their sufferings. In writing to the Corinthians he speaks of the "great trial of affliction" which beset the Macedonian Christians. The Tbessa- lonians had to suffer much at the bands of their own countrymen. But they had been taught that those who would live a godly life must snffer persecution, and so they thought it not strange. It had been so from the beginuing of Christianity. They looked to the example of the earliest Churches. 2. The Jewish oppositwn. The Jews had slain the prophets; they had slain the Lord Jesus; they had chased the apostle from city to city. They were St. Paul's own countrymen. He loved them dearly. He could find no words strong enough to express his intense longing for their salvation (see Rom. ix. 1-3). But they were constantly thwarting his work-that work of saving souls on which his whole heart was set. They were doing so now at Corinth, opposing themselves and blaspheming (Acts :xvili. 6). St. Paul could not restrain his feelings of holy indignation. They call themselves (be says) the peculiar people of God; but they please him not. He willeth that all men should be ~aved, and they are contrary to all men. In that hatred of the human race which heathen writers attribute to them, they tried to binder the apostle from preachin~ to the Gentiles. Nothing angered them more the.n the proclamation of a free salvation offered to Jew and Gentile alike (see Acts :xxii. 21, 22). This wicked jealousy filled up the measure of their sins. Their sin was its own punishment. That hardened heart was the beginning of the judgment that was coming. . Learn : 1. To reverence the Gospel as the Word of God. 2. To look for its inner working in the heart. 3. To imitate the saints of God in patient endurance.-B. C. C. Vere. 17-20.-St. Patil'• love for his converts. L llis LONGING DESIBB TO BEE THEM. 1. His efforts to return to The860lonica. He had not been long away. He was at Corinth now. Perhaps the jealousies, the dissensions, the sin which encompassed him there made him long all the more for the simple faith and love of his Macedonian friends. He was with them even now in heart, thinking of them in the hour of prayer, remembering them in his thankgivings. But there was a feeling of bereavement, almost •Jf desole.tion, when he thought of their absence. So very dear they had become to him during the short time which he spent at Thessalonica. We feel, as we read these words, the depth of St. Paul's affection; we feel the power of Christian love. 2. H'Jiat hindered him from coming. It was Satan, Satan the adversary-that awful being whose presence in God's world is so great a mystery, but whose personality is so clearly taught in Holy Scripture, whose power and malice we have all so often felt. Twice the apostle pur- posed to revisit Thessalonica; twice the hindrauce came. The visit would have given him great comfort. Satan envied him that comfort, that sweet communion with his Christian friends. Satan hinders us, we may be sure. He tries to rob us of the conso- iations of religion, of the sweetness of Christian sympathy. His agency is more wide- spreacl than we think. He is the accuser of the brethren, their adversary in the religions life. But God sitteth on high. He will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able. He will make all things, even the temptations of the evil one, work together for our good if we abide in his love. IL B.is EXPRESSIONS OF AFFEOTION. 1. They are his gl,qry ana hill joy. They are ao now. He had few joys in this world, few earthly comforts. Hill life was spent in hard labour amid dangers and privations. It wns relieved by very few pleasures. The uatural beauty, the hilliorical aaeoaiadons of the places which he visiied in hh travels, 40 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TUE THES::iALONIANS. [en. 11. 1-20.
seem to have !riven him no cujoyment. His one ,ioy was to save soul,i; his one pleasure was tlie lo'ring sympathy of his cc-nverts. He songht no earthly alory 0 · fame was nothing to him. The souls won to Christ hy his preaching were his glory. 2. They would be his cro11•n at the la.sf. Not tl cy only, others saved b_v his preuching nt 1
Damascus, at Anti,,ch, in Cyprus, in Asia Minor, were his hope nnd joy; bnt none were more tenderly loved than tile Christians of Macedonia, none are addresse,I with more endearing words. He ever looked forward to the coming of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; the great day was always in his thoughts. What joy would it be to present these hap1•y souls t.o Christ, as a chaste virgin to the heavenly bridegroom I This w11s his hope; this would be his crown-the crown of glory that fadeth not away, which the chief Sheplwnl shall give in thAt day to those faithful presbyters who have fed the flock of Gu" willingly an<l of a ready mind, being themselves ensamples to the flock. LESSONS. 1. True Christians will delight in the society of those like-minded with themselves. 2. We must remember the restless energy of Satan. We must trust in God. He is stronger than the strong man armed. 3. We must pray for grace t.o love the saints of God as St. Paul loved them.-B. C. C.