rather to consider as a kind of sleep; for upon the appearing of Christ in the clouds of heaven, accompanied by angels, proclaiming his approach with joyful acclamations, as with the sound of the trumpet, his first care and attention will be given to those of his faithful followers who shall then be in a state of death, and that he will first exert his miraculous power in raising them to life. After this great event in their favour, and not before, they who shall be then alive will be changed, so as to be brought into the same state with those who shall be raised from the dead, incorruptible and immortal; and, joining those who had been dead, shall be caught up into the clouds, as our Lord himself was, and meet him there. After this, we shall all, the living and the dead, be with him, and be happy with him for ever. Wherefore give not way to the doleful lamentations of the Heathens, but comfort one another as becomes Christians, with these important considerations.

- V. The apostle having given the Thessalonians the most important information concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the happiness that is reserved for all the faithful followers of Christ after death, now proceeds to exhort them to such Christian duties as were necessary to prepare them for that great event.

2. Of this our Lord himself had given repeated and express intimation, both by parables, and the most solemn assurances and admonitions.

4-6. Knowledge and virtue are often compared to light in the Scriptures, and vice and ignorance to darkness. On this idea the apostle here founds a little allegory, comparing Christians to men awake, and standing upon guard, and the rest of the world as in darkness, careless, asleep, or even drunken, as persons are apt to be in the night.

8. Soldiers upon watch are always armed, and therefore a Christian should put on his armour, to which the apostle compares the faith and virtues of Christianity, which are our defence in what the apostle calls the Christian warfare. 9. Here the apostle alludes perhaps to the saying of our Lord, [John iii. 17,] God sent not his son to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

10. That is, whether we shall be alive, or dead, at his coming.

See Matt. xxiv. 43. "Two elegant and very apposite comparisons are joined together, more forcibly and fully to represent the suddenness of our Saviour's coming." Blackwall, (on vers. 2, 3,) Sacr. Clas. I. p. 209. See Doddridge.

12. It does not appear that any regular officers were at this time appointed in the church of Thessalonica. There could be no occasion for this, till a church consisted of many members, and was well established. The apostle, therefore, probably referred to such extraordinary teachers as Timothy, and others, whom he had left with them, and occasionally sent to them.

PARAPHRASE.

As to the precise time when Christ shall return to raise the dead and judge the world, I have no occasion to inform you that we are wisely left in ignorance of it, except that we are in general apprized that it will be sudden and unexpected, as the coming of a thief in the night. When the vicious and dissolute part of mankind shall expect nothing but pleasure and peace, utter destruction shall come upon them, and they shall be no more able to escape, than a woman with child, the pains of labour.

But you, my Christian brethren, are so well apprized of this, that this great day can never overtake you in this manner. We, who are enlightened by the gospel, and, as it were, live in its open daylight, are not liable to those surprises which come in the night. Let us not, therefore, pass our time in sleep and unconcern, but let us be vigilant, as soldiers upon guard. This state of drowsiness, as well as that of drunkenness, is incident to persons in the night only. We, therefore, who call ourselves the children of the day, should watch, and be sober, like armed sentinels upon duty, having for a breast-plate the faith of the gospel, with love to all mankind, and for an helmet the glorious hope that is set before us; for the end of the gospel, to the profession of which we are called, is not the judgment of God due to sin, which we have forsaken, but everlasting life. Christ died to deliver us from all iniquity, that whether we be alive at his second coming, or in a state of death, we may live for ever with him. Let us therefore comfort one another, and promote our common edification, as I doubt not you do.

More especially, let me exhort you to shew particular respect to those who labour to instruct and admonish you in the principles and duties of the gospel, to esteem them for their labours, and likewise that you live in peace among yourselves.

We exhort you to warn those whose behaviour is irregular, comfort the timid, strengthen the weak, and exercise

the greatest patience and forbearance towards all persons; and especially, as becomes Christians, entertain no malice or revenge, and never return evil for evil, but always do good, and this not to Christians only, but to all men.

V. The apostle concludes this excellent epistle with a variety of miscellaneous advices, delivered in a very concise manner, so that they might be easily retained in memory, and make a strong impression upon it.

17. That is, at all proper and stated times. Thus the continued burnt-offering under the law, meant the sacrifice of every morning and evening, and not that there was no intermission in offering them. In one sense, indeed, we may be said to pray without ceasing, viz. by preserving upon our minds an habitual sense of God, as present with us, which it is our duty, and great happiness, to cultivate. It is the perfection of religious temper and character; but to pray always in any other sense, is impossible, and the attempt would interfere with the most important duties of life.

19. The Holy Spirit having descended upon the first Christians, accompanied with an appearance of flames of fire, gives a propriety to this figure of quenching it,† meaning the doing any thing that unfits a person for cherishing, or keeping up this holy flame, either by an irregular, improper use of spiritual gifts, or by any thing sinful in a man's temper and conduct.

29. Exhortations are called prophecyings as well as foretelling things to come. The ancient prophets were teachers of righteousness, and whatever was delivered by them in the name of God, whether an admonition, or a prophecy properly so called, was thence usually termed a prophecy; and the Christian preachers not having the eloquence of the Heathen orators, would be in danger of being despised on that account. That the preaching of Paul himself was despised, he himself sufficiently informs us. But he says that, through the foolishness of preaching, God saved those

who believed.

22. That is, every kind of evil, or what may lead to evil. The former is probably the better sense.+

23. By peace was meant all happiness, which can only be enjoyed in a time of peace. The customary salutation among the Jews, and among the people of the East in gene

• Doddridge.

† See Lord Barrington in Doddridge. On pers. 19-24, see Lardner, XI. pp. 165–167.

be with you. peace

ral, even to this day, is God therefore being called the God of peace, is thereby considered as the author of all good, or happiness.

[Spirit and soul and body.] Here the apostle probably alludes to the doctrine of the threefold division of man by the Greek philosophers, but does not imply the truth of that system, much less that these three parts of the body, the soul, or the spirit, were each capable of a separate subsistence. By the soul, they meant the sensitive faculties of man, such as are necessary to animal life; and by the spirit, the mental powers, or the higher principles of a rational nature. What the apostle meant was, that whatever man be, or of whatever he consist, all his powers and faculties should be consecrated to God. This language of the apostle will no more authorize us to suppose that the soul, or the spirit, can subsist without the body, than that what is here called soul, can subsist without the spirit, or the spirit without the soul.

26. That is, according to the customary solemn and affectionate salutations in those times.

27. This is a most solemn form of adjuration, as oaths were administered in those times, when the words constituting the oath, as distinguished from a mere affirmation, were not pronounced by the person to whom the oath was administered, but by the person who administered it. To answer to this solemn form of adjuration was to take the oath, as our Saviour did, when the high-priest adjured him, by the living God. Oaths, therefore, or solemn appeals to God, are not improper on solemn occasions, even out of a court of judicature.

PARAPHRASE.

Notwithstanding the tribulation which you have been called to endure for the sake of the gospel, avail yourselves of the consolations which it supplies, and rejoice continually in the prospect of the glorious reward which it insures to you.

Neglect not the performance of the duty of prayer at the

stated times for it.

From a full persuasion of the goodness of God respecting you in all his appointments, be thankful for every thing and for every occurrence; for this disposition of mind God, who has favoured you with the gift of the gospel, requires of you. More particularly, cherish that temper of mind which is

• See Hallett, L. pp. 39, 40; Doddridge.

most favourable to the spiritual gifts with which you have been distinguished. Preserve yourselves as the unpolluted temples of the Holy Spirit of God.

Despise not the preaching of the gospel, and the usual interpretation of the Scriptures in your assemblies, though they be destitute of the rhetorical ornaments of the Greek orators, to which you have been accustomed. At the same time, receive no manner of doctrine without proper examination; but, after proper inquiry, adhere to every thing that is solid and right, and reject every thing that is evil of every kind, and in every degree;* and may God, the author of all good, impart to you all spiritual blessings, and thereby sanctify you, or render you fit for himself: and may all your powers and faculties be ever employed in the best manner, that you may be preserved blameless, and without spot, till the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Be assured that nothing will ever be wanting on the part of God to this good end; for this is the great object of the gospel which he has vouchsafed to you.

As I and my companions continually pray for you, do you also pray for us, and salute all the brethren in the most affectionate manner for us all.

I strictly charge and adjure you, that you cause this epistle' to be read to all the disciples in your city,† and I conclude with sincerely wishing you all the blessings of the gospel of Christ.

* "Such Christians as discourage inquiry in matters of a religious nature, disparage their religion or their judgment. They give men ground of suspicion, that the Christian religion will not bear examination; or that they do not know it to be so excellent, and so well-founded, as it is: for if they are persuaded that their religion is true and excellent, and supported by sufficient evidence, why are they afraid it should be tried and examined? If it have those properties, it must be the more respected, the more it is examined and considered. I would therefore humbly recommend to those persons for their improvement the observation of the apostle's precepts, (1 Thess. v. 21, 22,) Prove all things: hold fast that which is good: abstain from all appearance of evil: that is, examine all things that are proposed to you; embrace that which is good, and reject every thing that is evil." Lardner, III. p. 64.

Dr. L. had before remarked, (in 1729, on the prosecution of Woolston,) that a "victory obtained upon the ground of argument and persuasion alone, by writing and discourse, will be honourable to us and our religion.-But a victory secured by mere authority is no less to be dreaded than a defeat.-Will any serious and sensible Christian, in the view of a future judgment, undertake to answer for the damage thereby brought to the doctrine of his Saviour, the meek and patient Jesus; as meek in his principles as in the example he has bequeathed us." Ibid. XI. pp. 5, 6. See also Life, pp. xvii. xviii. cxv.—exxiii.

+ Ver. 27. "It is likely, that, from the beginning, all Christian assemblies had readings of the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Paul, knowing the plenitude of the apostolical commission, now demands the same respect to be paid to his writings with those of the ancient prophets. This is a direction fit to be inserted in the first epistle written by him." Ibid. VI. p. 304.