The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 95

lift the gloom from the extinction of personal existence. Let no rude hand rob u1 of the comrort which our Ohristianity brings. It tells us here that we a.re not to sorrow for the state of our Christian dead. We may indeed sorrow for our being deprived o1 t~eir earthly society. Th~ Master himself gave relief to his natu_re i';l ~eeping, even iR view of a speedy resurrect10n. Paul tells us that the removal of his friend Epaphroditus would have been to him sorrow upon sorrow. But, 38 for the state of our Christian dead, we are here told that they are fallen asleep. The description is in respect of the body, and contains three ideas. 1. Continued e:cistence. A man continues to exist, though he is in a state of sleep. The body is still, but the mind may be active in <lreams. And so, when the bodies of our Christian dead are in the stillness of the grave, there is no cessation of their existence. All doubt on this subject must be put to rest by the words of our Saviour on the cross to the dying penitent at his side, " To-day thou sbalt be with me in Paradise." The souls of the departed are not in a state of sleep; but they are wakened up to a higher life. 2. Repo~. In sleep we lose our hold "1p0n the world; we forget its cares and pleasures; we are being calmed and soothed in our feelings. And so we are to think of our Christian dead 38 for ever released from the work and toil, the pain and sorrow, of this life, and u now calmed and soothed in the presence of God. "And I beard a. voice from heaven, sa.ying, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, ta&t they may rest from their labours, for their werks follow with them." 3. Wakening. We think of sleep a.s followed by a waking. And Pn we a.re to think of a wakening for our Christian dead, though it may be after long years. They are awake now in respect of their souls; our fuller comfort is that they shall yet be a.wake in respect of those bodies which we have sorrowfully laid in the grave. '' I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: 0 death, I will be thy plagues; 0 grave, I will be thy destruction." II. REASON FOB THE CHBIBTIAN DEAD BEING ASBOOIATED WITH THEIB LOBD AT HIS OOHING, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him." The apostle goes back to the cardinal facts of Christ's death and resurrection. These are facts for which those who reject our continued existence after death have little respect; but they are dear to the Chris- tian heart, and the more firmly our faith lays hold upon them, the more animated is our hope for our Christian dead. We believe that Jesus died; thus briefly does the apostle state the fundamental article of our Christian faith. " Such is the historial and supernatural basis of Christianity-its very definition, its breath of life, the source from whence springs all its greatness, strength, anJ. uniqueness." The apostle states the fact plainly," Jesus died," which is all the more observable that it is followed by a statement not plain but consolatory-our Christian dead are/allen asleep. We believe in a God who, in infinite love, became man, that he might verily (not in semblance) die, and who was not less truly Goii. than man when he was nailed to the cross. We believe in a God-Man who came under the broken Law, and endured death as the curse due for sin. And our faith follows him beyond his death. We believe that Jesus rose again. That is the second great article of our Christian faith. Having in his death made full atonement for sin, he could not be holden of death. He rose victoriously out of the state of insensibility and lifelessuess in which bis body lay in the tomb. He rose with the same body, but changed to a nobler quality. We further believe that be died and rose again, not for himself, but for those whom be represented. He experi- enced death and conquest as Jesas-Saviour, Leader of bis people. United to him, bis people are not to be separated from him in destiny. He is here associated with their ,leath. They are laid to sleep by Jesus, as the preposition should be. There is called up the image of Jesus himself caring for his own when the life departs-laying them to rest in the grave, and watching over them there with his omnipotent love. And, as he is associated with their death, so they are to be associated with bis coming. Them that am !aid to sleep by Jesus will God bring with Jesus. We are brought in view here of what distressed the Thessalonian&. lt was not a question simpl,y of the resur- rection; in that case the language would have been, "them will God raise up. n But we are carried a point beyond that, to their being ln-ought as raised with Jesus. We may, therefore, understand that what distressed the Thessalonians was the bearing of the cominit of Christ on them who did not live to see that event Would they not stio.nd  94 THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. [on. 1v. 1-18.