mother. 4. W11at thf'ir 'behavinnr g,nPrnlly •oa8 tu,nard the The.,salonian.,. ",Ye l\re witne11.•e.s, nnd God also, how lwlily and ri~hteously and nnblamably we behl\ved our- 11elves towai·d ynu t.hat believe." Their behaviour is defined as being toward the Thes- saloniar,s l\s believers. ,ve may think of Paul as speaking for himself and his cornpaninns. How did he bear himself toward these believers? (1) llolily, i.~. ,vith love anrl re\'er<'ll<'e toward God in them. (2) Rt:ghteomly, i.e. with due considerntfon for their posi1i,,n. This m11st he tllken to include their position as helie1·crs. There wa.s what was ,11ital>le for them. as adopted into the family of God throuah faith. (3) Unblam,,b!y. a strong "'ord which is used not infrequently by the apostl;, It is the negl\tive side of the two positions that have been given. Here there is" concen- tration of the self-l'raise, R8 it may seem, that pervades the pl\ragraph. How could he act so holil~· and rid1teously toward the Thcssalonians as to incur no blame from them or from G:'d ? . But that is not all: he makes an appeal to them as witnesses, and, the second time in the para~raph, he makes a solemn appeal to God as Witness even of his inward disposition. It cannot be understood that he lR1·s claim to perfection; for it is he who says in another place, '' Not that I have already obt,iined, or am already made perrect.." But it must be understood that he claimed to be sincere, and sincere in no ordinary de!!ree, in seeking the good of the Thessalonians. In claiming this he was not really praising himself; but he was making clear what was fitted to influence powerfully the Thessalonians in their fidelity to the gospel. He points to them as tielievera, becausP,, it may be, they were fitted to appreciate the spirituality of his bearing. He points t,o them as believers, chiefly as showing that they worthily responded to what his bearing was. 5. Their fatherly dealing. There are frequent allusions to fatherhood in God in Sc-ipture. One of the allusions to motherhood in God is in Isa.. !xvi. 13, "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you." Both meet in God, forming a complete conception. "No earthly father loves like thee, No mother e'er ao mild." So they mURt meet in the servant of God. Paul has already in this paragraph referred t,o himself as acting the motherly part; he now supplements it by referring to himself as acting the fatherly part. (l) individual dealing. "As ye know how we dealt with each one of you, as a father dealeth with hi~ own children." It is the part of a father to have his children nnder his eye. He is acquainted with their little hist-0ries, and peculiar dispositions. And he does not deal with all alike, but studies their various ways, and deals with them accordingly. So it is the part of a minister not only to make a general declarntion of the gospel, but also, father-like, to deal with his people individually, according to what he knows of their circumstances and needs. (2) Three UJ<Jf"ds deuriptive of the nature offatherly dealing. " Exhorting you." It is the part of a father not 111erely to tell his children their duty, but also to exhort them, to urge them warmly to duty, ._,specially from his own experiences of life. So it is the part of a minister not only to hold up Scripture precept for instruction, but also, father-like, "·annly to recomml'nd its ohservance, especially from his own spiritual experience.q, "And encoura!!in"' vou." It is the part of a father to hold out encouragement to the performance of d~ty. Nothing can be more fatal to the young than a discouraging tone. So it is the part of a minister not to be harsh, censorious, despondent, but, father-like, to catch a geniality and hopefulness from bis me~~age which may be said LO have come from the fatherhood of God. "And testi1ying. The word can bear a stronger meanino--charcrina 0 coujuring. There are times when a father addresses his children as with his d_, m ~ b%ath, conjures thew by all that he counts dear and ~acred, by a consideration of their best iuterests, not to give way to t<irnptation, but to follow in 1.1,e path of duty. So there are times when it is becoming for a minister to concentrate 1,is earnestnei;s and to adclress bis pec,ple as with bi..s dying breath, conjuring them by the authority of Gnd, by tLe Jove of the Spirit, by the blood of Christ, by the dreadful i.,sues at stake, \,_v tLe sole1n11ity of jurii!rnent, not to allow tb,·mselves to be ch,·ated ,1it of happi1,e,s, but to make sure of Chrisi as their everlasting l'ortion. (3) To what 1/,,, fatl~ly dm1ing ill t-0 be directed. ·• '.L'o tbe end that ye should walk wortliily of 1 ,,,d, who calletL you into liis owu kiugdom and glory." It is the part of 11, faLhcr to ,,.,<J,-avour to hold the childreu to what is noble. For this purpose he loves to tell thAm cu. 11. 1-:W.] 'l'HE l<'lHS'l' EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. t6
of the goorl 11>1mr their fa11,ily bas borne, or the call which that :vlrlressee to them to follow out n good C>Lrccr. A11d so he exhorts, c11c.,11races, conj11res them. Let them nut stnin that 11oble 11ame, let them not slop short of that noble career. So it 1s the part of n 111iuistcr, father-lih, to tell his people of their high dignity and <lestiny, of their bein;_! called by God inlo his ow11 ki11gdom, oi' their being called in that kin~dom to share with God in his glory. Ali(l so he exhorts, encourages, conjures them. Let them prove worthy of having place and honour in God's kingdom. Let the royal slump be on all th-,ir conduct.-R. F.