The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 105

thia conjunction : the description is con- even by day," observes St. Cbrysoetom, "if tinuous. When they ehall se.y; namely, the one watches, bnt ia not sober, he will fall unbelieving world. Pe11oe and 1afety; peace into numberlese dangers." The sam~ exhor- denoting internal rest, and safety external tation is 0 ven by Peter, bot in the reverse security. Budden destruotion oometh upon order: "Be sober, be vigilant" (1 Pet. v. 8). them. When they thought themselves moat Ver. 7.-For; the reason of this exhorta- secure, they were then in the greatest tion. They that sleep sleep in the night; danger: when they were most off their and they that are dnmken are drunken in guard, theu the crisis cnme. As travail upon the night. Here not to be taken in ,. meta- a woman with obild. The primary point of phorical sense, but a simple statement of resemblance is certainly the suddenness and fact-what occurs in ordinary experience. unexpectedness of the event; as labour The night is the season in which sleep and comes upon a woman eud,Ienly, eo sndden drunkenness nsually occur; wherens the destruction cometh upon the ungodly world. day is the eeaeon of watchfulness, sobriety, Still, however, the une.voiflableness of the and work. Both heathen and Jews con- judgment may also be here intimated; there sidered it as eminently disgraceful for a is no pnssibility of escape: this is implied man to be seen drunken in the day-time. in the last clause, and they shall not escape. Hence, when the Jews accused the believers Ver. 4.-:Bnt ye, brethren; ye believers, on the day of Pentecost with being tilled in opposition to the unbeli~ving world. Are with new wine, Peter answered, " We are not in darknees; referring back to the night not Jranken, as ye suppose, seeing it is bat (ver. 2), wh,·n the thief comes. By darkne,,s the third hour of the da.y" ( Acts ii. 15). is here meunt, not merely ignorance, but Ver. 8.-:But; contrast to the conduct of moral del'ravity-the darkness of sin. Ye those who are of the night: let us not only are not in the ignorant and sinful condition be watchful, but armed. The apostle now of the unredeemed world, so as to be sur- adopts a favourite figure, that of spiritual prised by the day of the Lord. With you armour. The 1<rms which he here mentions it is not night, but day; the light of the are only two-the breastplate to protect the gospel is shining around you ; and the~ heart, and the helmet to guard the head ; fore the day of the Lord's coming will not they are both defensive weapons, because surprise you in an unprepared state. That; the reference here is not so mnch to the a statement, not of result, but of purpose- belie,·er's conflict with evil, as to his "in order that." That day; the day; namely, defence age.inst surprise. And by these the day of the Lord. Should overtake you-" spiritual weapons are denoted the three surprise you-as a thief. cardinal graces-faith, love, and hope (eh. i. Ver. 5.-Ye are all the obildren of the 3). Let u■ who are of the day, be sober, light, and the children of the day. Hebra- putting on the breastplate of faith and love. istio expressions denoting, Ye all belong to By " faith" is here meant faith in Christ; the light and to the day. An affirmation, and by "love," not so much love to God as strengthening the previous declaration. love to mo.n. These preserve the heart of a The light and the day are synonymous Christian against the assaalts and influ- expressions-the do.y being the period of ences of evil, as the breastplate guards the light, as opposed to the night and d1<rkness. heart of the earthly warrior. And for a We are not of the night, nor of darkness; helmet, the hope of salvation. Salvation in rendering the positive assertion more em- its mo,t comprehensive sense. The hope of phatic. salvation sustains our courage amid all the Ver. 6.-Therefore; because we are the trials of life by holding out to us the children of the light and of the day, prospect of eternal blessedness. Vigilance because we have been enlightened and is of no avo.il unless armed by faith, hope, purified, we ought to be watchful aud sober, and love. In the Epistle to the Ephesians so that we may not be unprepared for the there is e. still fuller enumeration of the day of the Lord. Privileges will avail us Christian armour (Eph. vi. 14-1S); and nothing, unless we use them and walk up there is e. slight difference in the descrip- to them. Let ua not sleep. Sleep is hne tion of the wee.pons. Here the apostle evidently used metaphorically to denote speaks of the breastplate of faith and love; religious aarelessness. As do others ; the . there of the breastplate of righteowmess unbelieving and ungodly. But let ue we.toh and of the shield of faith. Here the helmet and be sober; evidently to be understood is called the hope of salvation; there the metaphorically of spiritual vigilance and apostle speaks of the helmet of salvation. sobriety: watchfulness denoting wakeful- And besides these defensive wee.pons, other ness from sleep, and sobriety freedom from weo.pons of defence and the aword, a weapon intoxioation. Buth must be combined : we of offence, are mentioned. must be watohful, on our guard, and we Ver. 9.-For. Not a new reason for wo.toh- must be 10ber, armed and prepared; " for fulneBB and sobriety, but referring to " the  104 THI·. FlR:.-i'l' EPISTLE TO THE 'l'HE:SSALONIANS. [oR. v. 1-28.