The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 71

from • far oountr)'," When Jacob knPw that Joseph was alive, his spirit revived. Paul had not a little of dist.ress and affliction, of trouble from without, that was ~traitening a.nd oppressive, at Corinth as elsewhere; but, when the good newB came regarding his ThessaloniRn converts, he forgot his ,listn•ss and affliction. He was com- forted over them, in his brooding love. What in them specially communicated comfort to him was their faith, i.e. the faith which enabled them to stand fast in the Lord. So dependent was he on them for happiness, that he only truly lived, had life in its vigour a.n<l elasticity, if he could think of them as standing fu.~t in the Lord. While he thus acknowledges their steadfastness in the past, he gently a.ppcals to them to remain steadfast in the future. Let them not take away the condition of his happiness. A Christian parent is dependent for his happiness on the conduct of his children. If he hears of them, when on going out into the world they come to their trial, as departing from the Lord, then his spirit is crushed. But if he hears a good report of them as .;tanding fast in the Lord (in his strength and purpose), then his bone8 are ma.de fat. And so is it with a Christian minister and his people. VI. THANKSGIVING ON AOOOUNT OF THE GOOD NEWS, "For what thanksgiving can we render again unto God for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God?" The good news, the glad tidings, filled the apostle's heart with joy, There iB an unhallowed joy which is not worthy of the name of joy. Not connected with a recognition of God, not in accordance with God's laws, it cannot bear the Divine inspection. The joy of the apostle for his Thessalonian converts was not of this nature. It extended over a wide range, but over all the range he joyed for them before God. It was not joy away from God, but joy to which he could ask God to be privy, as being joy in their Christian state, especially in their Christian steadfastness. This pure joy, which was his life, the apostle poured forth in thanksgiving. It was God alone who had made their mountain to stand strong; to him, therefore, was due all the praise. Tha.nksgi'l"ing is a retwrn which God desires from us for his mercies. And we must oft.en feel, with the apostle, that we cannot make a sufficient return in this form for merciee bestowed upon ourselves and upon others. •Through all et.emity to thee A joyful BOng rn raise ; For, oh I eternity's too short To utter ell thy praise." VIl. I'B.AYEB WITH WBICB THE THANXIIGIVING IS BLENDED. "Night and day praying exceedingly." He gave thanks when he prayed, and that was night and day. He borrowed trom both, which is suggestive of morning and evening as fitting se&Bons for the duty of prayer. How fitting that in the morning we should turn to God and consecrate to him the powers he has renewed! How fitting that before returning to the world, to meet its temptations, to be entrusted with opportunities of usefulness, to meet what Providence has awaiting us,-how fitting that before we take the first step we should implore the favour of him on whom the lot of every day depends I How fitting, too, that in the evening we should thank God for the benefits of the day, that we should seek to be relieved of the burden of its transgressions, and that we should commit ourselves through the night to the keeping of him who neither slumbers nor sleeps I We can understand that the apostle would borrow largely from the night; for, apart from his la.hours night and day, his prayers here are described as beyond measure. What a rebuke to those who, instead of breaking beyond bounds in the impetuositr of devotion, narrow their prayers_ within small compas~, or. omit them altogether. Here we discover the secret of his power; and let us, In this undevout age, go back to his style of praying, without any loss of intensity, beyond bounds. Two aubjects of prayer. I. "'fhat we may see your face," It bas been said of Paul by James Martineau, that "his ardent and generous soul had fastened itself on no one living object, but on an abstraction, a thing of his own mind, the truth ; " "that he rested nowhere long enough to feel his nature silently yet irrevocably depositing itself there, but wu at a.ll times ready to gather up his feelings and pass on ; " that he loved his disciples 181111 in their individual persons and for their own sakes than as depositaries of the truth- links of a living chain of minds by which that truth would complate its circuit, and find a paasage for its renovating power. But it i8 difficult to know what oH. m. 1-13.J 'l'HE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THEBBALONIA.NB. 19