The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Thessalonians — Section 133

sinful indolence. The indifference of 1piritnally ignorant peo,rie is natural That of Christians on whom bas risen "the Dayspring from on high is n1onstrou11. 3. Sons of the day are expected to be sober. It is bad enough to be drunken in the night, but a debauch which is not shamed by ~he light of ~ay proves itself to be scandalously depraved. There are excesses of passion, of self-will, and of worldly excitement which Christian people who have escaped the coarser sins fall into. These are not excusable in t~e children of the n)ght, but ther ~re much _less ell;cusable in the sons of the day, Sobnety becomes the enlightened Chnst1an. This sobr1ety need not consist in Puritan rigour; much less should it partake of sourness, gloom, or prim formality. The sober Christian should remember that the typical citizen of the kingdom of heaven is a little child. Sobriety is just tlie opposite to unrestrained passionateness of pleasure or anger. 4c. Sons of the day are provided with armour. The three graces-faith, hope, and love -constitute the armour of the Christian. They protect the two most vital parts- breast and head. Faith and love come t.ogether, for they interact. Faith working by love protects the heact. Hope, the hope of final deliverance from trial and temptation is the helmet, because it protects the head by keeping the thoughts clear and calm~ -W.11'.A. Vers. 9, 10.-The Diwm appointmffll of Olari,tian,. To some it may Beem super- B.uoWI that a Christian apostle, writing t.o the members of a Christian Church, should say, "God appointed lL~ not unto wrath." But the import of this declaration is made apparent by what precedes. St. Paul has been contrasting the condition of the sons of light with that of the children of darkness. Among the latter are t.o be found all degrees of that conduct which hides under the cloak of nightr-from the carelessness that sleeps, down t.o the debauchery that is awake only t.o cause its own shame. Such things must bring wrath in "the day of the Lord" (ver. 2). But Christians are called to quite another life. They are not destined to wrath. Let them, therefore, not behave as the sons of the night, but in a way that is worthy of their call t.o salvation, with sobriety and confidence, strong in faith and love, and rejoicing in hope (ver. 8). L Tim Drvnm .A.PPOINTMENT TO IIALVATIO!i, 1. It spring, from an augud Source. God appoints to salvation. He has a hand in our destinies. We are not left to dis- cover a way of escape from ruin for ourselves. God has interfered for our deliverance. 2. It ill determined by a firm ordinance, God "appointed." 'l'his word signifies pre- viBion, arrangement, definite order. Redemption is not an irregular makeshift brought about by a hasty after-thought. It enters into the calm, etemal thoughts of God, and takes its place in the orderly disposition of the Divine government. a. It aims at ,,:curing a lMyJe N11ult. When God makes bare his arm and settles a solemn appoint- ment, thiB mWlt be for some adequate resnlt. The object must be large to justify so large an action. Here it is nothing less than perfect deliverance from the ruin of sin. Salvation ii not a technical phrase. It is too big a word to be defined by a theological Bcntence. It iJI deliverance all round-from root and fruit of evil, from wrath of justice, from penalty of law, from tyranny of Satan, from vice of heart, from judgment without, from corruption within. 4. It ia to be per,un.ally accepted. We are appointed to "the obtaining of salvation;" for (1) though ordained by God, it is not enjoyed by us until we have personal experience of it; (2) this personal acceptance depends on our own will and act; (3) the full conll8quences of the Divine ordinance of salvation are still future, IL Tiu DTBOD ow .6.000IU'LIBBDIG TBIB DIVINE APPOINTMENT. 1. II is eecured by tM mM,iation of our Lord Juw <Jhriat. Thus it is to be obtained " through" him, which means (1) that the salvation itself is brought about by the action of Christ; and (2) that it becomes 01U1 when we are united t.o Christ. Now each of these points has it.a own difltinct position in the great work. Too often they are confused t.ogether. It iB not nece&aary for us to comprehend all that Christ does. Our pa.rt ls t.o see that we are united t.o him. He will do his part whether we understand it or not. 2, It in'IIOlved the death of Ohri.iitfor "'· So much we know as a fact, whatever theory we may have u to the hearings of the crucifixion upon the process of redemption, And it 18 the great fact which is of supreme importance to us. Jt is unfortunate that abstract propoaitions concerning the theological aspects of it should conf111e our vision of the 1imple, touching statement, " He died for us." ou. Y. 1-28.] THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. 133