qni<'tly work." The language here seem! t.o point to this, that many of the members of the Thessalonian Church were handicraftsmen. From t.his injunction, and the way in which the eecond coming is introducerl in the next paragraph, it would seem that the disturbing influence in the Church of Thessalonica was religious excitement, called forth b,· the new world of thought into which Christianity had brought them. They were espe• cie.lly excited by the prospects connected with the second coming. Pe.ul, for one, BBW the danger of their being carried e.we.y by the excitement-not so 1111 to be meddlesome but eo as to be negligent of their earthly calling. Therefore he charged them well to ~ork with their own h1mds, which also he enforced by his emmple. In thit:1 he showed hia sense of the importance of quiet industry. However much we may be under the lnflu, ence of the great truths e.nd prospects of our religion, let us not be without the steadying condition of onr e.arthly calling. 3. We are to be quietly iridustrio"JS so as not to produce s bad impresswn on them that are without. "That ye me.y we.lk honestly toward them that are without, and may have need of nothing." Whe.t there is of connection between the two parts of the paragraph seems to be this. We are to exhibit love within the Christian circle; we a.re also, within the ChristiaF iircle, to be quietly industrious so e.s not t,o give occasion of offence to them that 8.1'( without. We a.re to remember that the eye of the world is upon u~, and that we a.re subjected to its judgment. And there are certain external features of the Christian circle upon which the world is quite fitted to pronounce judgment. Upon none is it more ready to fix than upon anything like the neglect of the ordinary duties of life. Therefore it is recommended the.t we quietly work with our own hands, with this specially in view, that we m~y walk becomingly (i.e. honestly) toward them that are without, and have e.ll the.t is ntcessary for oar wants. By industry and honesty we shall commend our religion to them that are without; for these a.re things which they can appreciate e.nd by which they a.re likely to be attracted. Whereas, by idleness and indisposition to pe.y our debta, "" shall bring a reproach upon our religion which does not belong to it, and rep, 1 from us them that are without. In early times the heathen called healthy begg1us tradel'll on Christ; in allusion to whe.t is here guarded against. Let us cot by meddlesomeness, or by any want of industry, or honesty, or prudence, or straightforwardness, present Christ in an unlovely aspect to them that a.re without.-R. F.
Vers. 13-18.-Aruz:iety about IM state of the CJhri~tian dead. I. STA.TB OP THE CHRISTIAN DEAD NO CA.USE FOB BOBROW. "But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, which have no hope." Paul (the principal writer) sets himself here to administer consolation to the Tbessalonians. In doing so he practises the duty he lays down in the concludicg word£ of the pare.graph. Himself in possession of comfort about the state of the Chris- tian dead, he could not leave them in ignorance of it. As bis Christian brethren, they must be sharers with him. Timothy had probably communicated to him the occe.aion of their anxiety. It was in the Thessalonian Church as in other Churches-there were those who, from time to time, were falling asleep. The change in the translation extends the scope of the language beyond the actually dead. How did it fare with their dee.d and how also would it fare with those whom death would yet overtake? Christians' are distinguished from the rest of mankind. It is said of the latter as a class, that they sorrow having no hope. What di<l the men of the old heathen worlil think with re;!ard to their de11d? Theocritus says, "The living have hopes, but the dead are without hor,e." lEschylus says, "Of the once dead there is no resurrection." Lucretius saye, "Nor does any one stand forth aw11ked, whom once the cold pause of life has found.• Catullus says, "Suns may set and return ; when once our brief day has set we must sleep one everlasting night." It is a sad thought that some modern thinkers have given expression to the same blank hopelessness. Strauss has said," A life beyond the grave is the last enemy which speculative criticism has to oppose and, if pollBible, to conquer." The whole hope of John Stuart Mill was e.n earthly future, not for the individual, but for the race, created by science "when e.11 the greater evils of life shall have been removed." If such were our creed, or want of areed, we mij!;ht well sorrow when our friendB have been taken away. Our only feeling could be that we had seen the Jut of them. Their memory might remain (John Stuart Mill, writing &ft« th• daatll of his wife, said, " Her memory is to me a religion"); but the.t cannot OIL rv. 1-18.) THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIA.NS. 93