Vers. 9, 10.-The a:p'Jstle's gratitude to God and his farther solicitude for hia C011tlet'18. I. IIIB GRATITUDE FOB THE JOY IMPARTED BY •r1MOTHY'S TIDINGS. "For what thanks can we render t,o God again for you, tor all tbe joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God?" 1. He haa no words to express his gratitude to God for their constancy. 2. The foy he experienced was not in the greed of any worldly ad vantage he hu.d gained, but was the hearty and sincere joy of one profoundly interested in their spiritual welfare. 3. It was Joy " before God," who sees and knows all inward Uwughta and feelings, and therefore knowe its reality and power. II. HIS PRAYERFUL ANXIETY TO SEE THE 'fHESSALOMUNB ll'OB THEIR l'URTHER BENEFIT. "Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face,_ an,1 might perfect that which iB lacking in your faith." His l?rayers had an extraor~m~y fervency, Ministers ought to be much ln prayer for thet.r flocks. 1. The defic,enc1e1 80 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [oH. m. 1- J:;
•" llwir .faith. They had already received the grace of faith and the doctrine of faith, and exhibit.ed in its fulness the "work of faith." I3ut there were de6cicncie-• still to be supplied. (1) Their fnith wanted still greater power, for they had hardly yet escaped all danger of relApse into heathen impurities. (2) It wanted to be more widely diffused through all the duties of life, for they needed to mind honest industry and forswear idleness. (3) They needed fuller light upon the second advent. 2. Th~ desigri qf the miriistry is to supply these deficiencies of faith. The apostle longed to be at 'l'hessalonica once more, not only to impart to them "some spiritual gift, to the end they might be established" (Rom. i. 10, 11), but to give them fuller teachiug upon the various points where their faith needed enlargement. It ts God's work to increase faith, but ministers can promote it as instruments, for they are "for the perfecting of the saints in the knowledge of the Son of God."-T. C.
Ver. 11.-Further prayer for his 1,ersonal retun1 to 'l'hMsrilonica. The apostle had hitherto been hindered by Satan from carrying out his intention. "But may God him- self and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you." I. 'l'HE APOSTLE RECOGNIZED A DIVINE RAND IN ALL THAT CONCERNED BIB PEBSONAL LIFE. His way to Thessalonica seemed hitherto blocked up, but he felt that it depended, not upon Satan, nor upon his wicked instrument.•, but upon the will of God himself, whether he should ever take that way. This implies: 1. Our iO'l/,Tney• Me 1wt in our own power. Man may plan his own ways, but God directs his goings ; for "a good man's st.eps are ordered by the Lord." 2. Our }ourneys are not to be untkr- ~ without <Joa', will. (Jas. iv. 13, 14; Rom. i. 10.) It is lor him to order us where and when to !!:O. 3. It is in his power <Ynly to rt-move the obstacles to our }ourneys. II. THE APOSTLE RECOGNIZED TmB PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE AB EQUALLY EXERCISED BY THE FATHER AND THE SoN. 1. He prays here to both Father and Son. The same prayer is addressed to both without distinction, ior the verb is in the singular number. Must not Jesus, therefore, be a Divine Person? 2. Father and Son are hen regarded as possessing one indivisibk will, as exercising a joint agency in the guidance of men, and as possessing an equality of power to this end. Athanasius saw this fact clearly in the grammatical peculiarity of the passage. 3. The apostk exercises an appropriating faith in both Father and Son, for he speaks of "our God and Father," and our Lord Jesus Christ. He was, therefore, all the more disposed to trust submissively to the directing hand of God.-T. C. Vera. 12, 13.-The apostle's prayer for the progressive 111,nctiji,cation of the Thessalonian, and thew final pe,:fecti011, at the coming of Christ. He has just prayed for himself, but whether he is to come to them or not, he has a prayer for their spiritual benefit. L CoNSIDER THE l'ERsoN TO WHOM THE PRAYER 18 ADDRESSED. "But you may the Lord enlarge." It is the Lord Jesus, who, "as the Purchaser of the Church with his own blood," has received the fulness of the Spirit for the benefit of his people. It was to the Lord the apostles addressed the unanimous prayer, "Increase our faith." IL THE BLESSING PRAYED FOR. "But you may the Lord enlarge and make to abound in love toward one another, and toward all." I. The ezistence of their love iii frankly admitted. He had spoken of " their labour of love." He prays now for its increase. 2. Their love wcu to be an abounding love. (1) There were defects in their love, a.s there were defects in their faith, to be supplied from the inexhaustible Source of all lon. (2) The objects of their love were (a) "one another," those of ihe howiehold of faith, who were to have the first place in their alfections; (b) but "all men" likewise, as children of a common 1''ather, for as we have opportunily we mUBt do good unto all men (Gal. vL 10), the world itself being the field of our miMionary le.boura. The Apostle Pet.er adds "Jove" to "brotherly kindness" in the chain of Christian graces, a.s if to imply that brotherly kindness might become e. narrow, secsari&n thing, and therefore the love of man as man is enjoined. III. Tio DJIIIJ&W AlllD TENDENCY OF THI8 PllOOREBBIVE INCREASE. "To the end that he may etabl.illh your hearts unblamable in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jeaus Christ with all his saints." 1. This implia that utablish- 1r.-t m holinal u mGU8/l,rllt! mvolved in the emargfffMnt of both faith and love. 2. lt m.pliu that .tabiz.tv in holinaa i, the 1reat end of Christian life in a world which oe. w. 1-13.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TU THE THESSALONIANS. 81