firmed, had been raised from the dead; even Jefus, who would deliver them from the wrath, which is to come on idolaters and unbelievers at the day of judgment, ver. 10.-Now, that the Theffalonians looked for the return of Jefus from heaven, and that God had raifed him from the dead, and that they expected, at his return, to be delivered by him from the wrath to come on unbelievers, are all fitly mentioned in this place, because their expectation of thefe things, fhews what a ftrong impression the miracles wrought in confirmation of the gofpel, had made on the minds of the Theffalonians. Moreover, the refurrection of Jefus from the dead, being a demonftration of his character as the Son of God, and of his power and authority as judge of the world, it is an undeniable proof of the divine original of the gofpel, and renders the rejection of it extremely dangerous.

Here then is the firft argument, by which the gospel is proved to be a revelation from God. The apoftles and evangelists wrought miracles, to fhew that they were actually fent of God to publish those great discoveries, to which they have given the name of, To Evayyinov, The gospel, or good news from God.Now on this argument I obferve, that the efficacy of miracles to prove a divine commiffion, when wrought exprefsly for the purpose, is fo plain, that little reafoning is needed to fhew it. Persons of ordinary understandings, equally with those whose minds are more improved, naturally reafon as Nicodemus did, John iii. 2. Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do thofe miracles which thou doft, unless God be with him. Wherefore, this being a dictate of common sense, the apostle had no occafion to fhew, that a teacher who works miracles in confirmation of his doctrine, is commiffioned of God. All he had to do, was to make it evident, that his own preaching at Theffalonica had been accompanied with undenjable miracles. To the Theffalonians, however, this was not neceffary. They had been eye-witneffes of his miracles, and had been converted by them; and after their converfion they had received from the Apoftle the gifts of the Holy Ghoft; and among the reft, the power of working miracles, and of speaking foreign languages: which power, fuch of them as poffeffed it, had no doubt often exercifed. Nevertheless, to convince those who should live in after ages, that the first preaching of the gofpel was accompanied with great and evident miracles, the writers of this epiftle have taken the very beft method that could be devifed; a method which carries abfolute conviction with it. They spake plainly to the Theffalonians in this letter, concerning the miracles which they wrought in their prefence, and the fpiritual gifts which they conferred on them, and affirmed be. fore them all, that thefe miracles and gifts produced in them the

6

fulleft

fullest afsurance of the divine original of the gospel; and that the Theffalonians fhewed the ftrength of their perfuafion, by forfaking the established idolatry, and fuffering with joy much affliction for the gospel. They farther affirmed, that the miracles which they wrought among them were fo public, and fo well known, that when the unbelieving inhabitants of their city went with their merchandize to foreign countries, they not only reported, that the Theffalonians had forfaken the worship of the gods, but that they had been perfuaded to do fo by the miracles which the preachers of the new religion had wrought in their prefence, and by the extraordinary faculties which thefe preachers conferred on their disciples. Now, who does not fee, that open appeals of this kind, made to the Theffalonians concerning the miracles which were wrought in their prefence, and concerning the impreffion which these miracles made on their minds, and the change produced in their religious fentiments through the influence of that impreffion, are undeniable proofs that miracles were really wrought at Theffalonica, and fpiritual gifts conferred: and that by the power of thefe miracles and gifts, the Theffalonians were turned from worshipping idols, to

OLD TRANSLATION. CHAP. I. Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Theffalonians, which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jefus Chrift: grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift.

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.

και

GREEK TEXT.

ferve

1 Παύλος και Σίλβανος και Τιμόθεος τη εκκλησία Θεσσαλονικέων, εν Θεω πα To, na Kupi Inou Xgisw Κυρίῳ Ιησε Χρισῳ χαρις ύμιν και ειρηνη απο Θες πατρος ήμων, και Κυριε Ιησε Χρισ8.

Ku

2 Ευχαρίσαμεν τω Θεω παντοτε περι παντων ὑμων, μνειαν ύμων ποιέμενοι επί των προσευχων ήμων.

Ver. 1.-1. Paul and Silvanus and Timothy. See Pref. p. 10, 11. for the reafon why Paul, in the infcription of this epiftle, omitted calling himfelf an apoftle, and allowed Silas and Timothy to join him in writing it. It appears from Acts xvi. 37. that Silas was a Roman as well as Paul. Silvanus therefore may have been his Roman name, as Saul's Roman name was Paul.

2. Church of the Theffalonians which is (v) in God the Father. This is an expreffion of the fame kind with that, 1 John v. 20. We are in the true God, in bis Son Jefus Chrift. We are in fubjection to the true. God, by being in subjection to his Son.

Ver. 2.

ferve the living and true God. For, three perfons in their right fenfes, as Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy undoubtedly were, cannot be fuppofed to have made open appeals of this nature, to fuch numerous focieties as the church of the Theffalonians, and the other churches in which this epiftle was to be read, where every individual must have known whether the matters affirmed were true or falfe, unless they had been conscious to themselves that they were all ftrictly true. As little can it be fuppofed, that the Theffalonians and the reft, would have received and perused the letter in which these things are affirmed, unless they had known them to be all strictly true. Wherefore, that great and evident miracles were wrought at Theffalonica; that fpiritual gifts were conferred on them who believed; and that these miracles and fpiritual gifts produced among the Theffalonians fuch a firm perfuafion of the truth of the new religion, that many of them forfook their idol gods, embraced the gospel, and worshipped the one true God only; and that this change of religion brought upon them much affliction; are all as certain, as that the Theffalonians embraced the gospel, and that this epiftle was written by Paul, and fent to Theffalonica.

COMMENTARY.

CHAP. I. 1 PAUL and Silvanus and Timothy, to the church of the Theffalonians, which is in fubjection to God, the Father of the universe, whereby it is distinguished from a fociety of idolatrous Gentiles; and in fubjection to the Lord Jefus Chrift, whereby it is diftinguifhed from a fynagogue of unbelieving Jews: May virtuous difpofitions come to you, with happiness from God our common Father, and from the Lord Jesus Chrift, by whom the Father difpenfes these bleffings to men.

2, Having great fatisfaction in your converfion, We give thanks to God at all times for you all; making mention of you in our prayers. See Philip. i. 3.-5.

Ver. 2. We give thanks to God at all times for you all. From this, and from many other paffages in St. Paul's epiftles, we learn that it is the duty of Chriftians, and efpecially of the ministers of the gospel, to

VOL. IV.

C

pray

3 Remembering without ceafing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jefus Chrift, in the fight of God, and our Father:

4 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of

God.

TY HOTTY TYS

3 Αδιαλείπτως μνημονευ εντες ύμων τα εργα της πιο Sews, nai γαπης, και της υπομονης της ελπιδος τε Κυριε ήμων Ιησε Χρισε, εμπροσθεν τε Θεο και πατρος ήμων

4. Ειδότες, αδελφοί ηγα πημενοι ύπο Θεε, την εκλο γην ύμων.

First Argument in Proof of the Divine Original of the Gospel,

5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but alfo in power, and in the Holy Ghoft, and in much afurance ; as ye know

5 Ότι το ευαγγελιον ἢμων εκ εγενήθη εις ύμας εν λογω μονον, αλλα δυνάμει, και εν πνευματι

και εν

pray for others, and to praife God for all that is excellent and valuable in them; and to pray that God may continue and increase their graces.

Ver. 3-1. Without ceafing. In fcripture, that which is done frequently, is faid to be done without ceafing, and always. Thus chap. v. 16. Rejoice always, ver. 17. Pray without ceafing.

2. Your work of faith. In allufion to our Lord's words, John vi. 29. This is the work of God, that ye believe. The apostle uses the fame prafeology, Phil. i. 6. Faith therefore is truly a good work.

3. Labour of love. Some by this understand that labour in work. ing with their hands, to which the Theffalonians fubmitted from love to their diftreffed brethren, that they might have wherewith to relieve them.

4. In the fight of God, even our Father. Some join this with the first claufe, Without ceafing remembering in the fight, &c. But I prefer the fenfe which arifes from the order of the words in the original, and which I have followed in the tranflation.

Ver. 1.4.1. Brethren beloved of God. The order of the words in the Greek directs to this tranflation. Befides we have the fame phrafe, 2 Theff. ii. 13.

2. Your election. This being faid to the whole church of the Theffalonians, cannot be understood of the election of every individual in that church to eternal life. For there were among them fome who walked diforderly, 2 Theff. i. 11. concerning whom the apoftle doubted whether they would obey his precepts, chap. v. 14. Befides, the elec

tion

founded upon the Miracles by which it was confirmed.

For our gospel came not to you () in word only, but also (EV) with power and with the Holy Ghost, and and with

I

2

5 Your work of faith, by which I know your election is well founded; for our gospel was not offered to you in word only, but also with great miracles performed in your prefence,

tion of the Theffalonians was fuch as left the apoftle room to fear, left the tempter might have tempted them fo effectually, as to make his labour among them fruitlefs, chap. iii. 5. but fuch a fear was not confiftent with the apoftle's knowledge of their election to eternal life.The election here spoken of, is that which Mofes has described, Deut. vii. 6.-The Lord thy God hath chofen (elected) thee to be a special people to himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. But the Judaizing teachers denied the election of the Gentiles to be the people of God while they refused to subject themselves to the law of Mofes. Wherefore it was highly proper to affure the Theffalonians, that they were elected, or made the people of God, by faith in Christ alone.

The controversy, agitated in later times, concerning particular election, was not known in the primitive church. Besides, whatever the fecret purpose of God may be, it were extremely dangerous for any perfon to prefume on his election, in fuch a manner as to neglect the working out of his own falvation with fear and trembling.-For more concerning election, fee Rom. ix. 11. note 2. 1 Pet. i. 1. note 2.

Ver. 5-1. But alfo with power. In fcripture, duvapes, commonly fignifies that fupernatural power, whereby Jefus and his apoftles were enabled to work miracles for the confirmation of the gofpel. Acts x. 38. How God animated fefus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghoft, xas Surauss, and with power.-Matt. vii. 22. And in thy name done many, Jurajsis, wonderful works.-Rom. xv. 19. ey duvaμe, By the power of figns and miracles, durapa, by the power of the Spirit of God.-2 Cor.

C 2

xii. 12.