6 Inftead of acquiring power, or riches, by preaching, we fought not from men honour, neither from you, nor from others, though we could have used authority, as Christ's messengers, for constraining you to obey and maintain us, 1 Cor. ix. 4.

7 Instead of oppreffing you, we behaved with gentleness among you: Even as a nurfing mother cherishes her own fucking children, warming them in her bofom, and feeding them with her milk.

8 So taking affectionate care of you, instead of making a prey of you, we were well pleased to impart to you, without any reward, not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, if it could have been of service to you, becaufe ye were become dear to us, on account of your faith.

9 Inftead of making gain of the gofpel, Ye remember, brethren, our

Ver. 7-1. As a nurse. Chandler obferves, that go here, denotes a mother who fuckles her own children.

2. Cherifbes, Oaxan. Scapula fays of the word aλww, Sunt qui propriè dici putent de gallina fovente ova, quum illis incubat

"that

it fignifies the action of a hen who warms her eggs by brooding "over them."

Ver. 8.-1. So taking affectionate care of you. Iμsgoμevo, as Blackwall (Sacr. Claff. vol. i. p. 241.) obferves, is a beautiful poetical word, which expreffes the most warm and paffionate defire. He adds, Well might the primitive perfecutors, from this paffage, and from the correfponding practice of the firft and beft profeffors of religion, cry out, in admiration, O how thefe Chriftians love one another!

2. But alfo our own lives. Chandler obferves, that the apostle here confiders the Theffalonians as in the infancy of their converfion; himfelf as the tender mother who nursed them the gospel as the milk with which he fed them: and his very foul or life, as what he was willing to part with for their prefervation. Could the fondeft mother carry her affection for her helplefs infant farther? He adds, Nothing can exceed the elegance, the ftrength, and the moving affection, of this defcription! a man must have no bowels, who does not find them moved by fo fine, fo lively, and warm a scene.

vail: for labouring night τον μοχθον νυκτος γαρ και and day, becaufe we would

not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gofpel of God.

10 Ye are witneffes, and God, alfo, how holily, and juftly, and unblameably, we behaved ourselves among you that believe:

11 As ye know, how we exhorted and comforted, and charged every one of you, (as a father doth his children,)

12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

13 For this caufe alfo thank we God without cea

ήμερας εργαζομενοι, προς το μη επιβαρήσαι τινα ὑμῶν, εκηρύξαμεν εις ύμας το αίγελιον τε Οε8.

ευ

το Ύμεις μαρτυρες και ὁ Θεα, ὡς ὁσίως και δι

καιως

και αμέμπτως ὑμῖν τοις πιςεύεσιν εγενήθημεν.

11 Καθαπερ οίδατε ὡς ἕνα ἕκασον ὑμων, ὡς πατηρ τεκνα ἑαυτε, παρακαλέντες ὑμας και παραμυθέμενοι,

12 Kar μαρτυρεμένοι, εις το περιπατησαι ύμας αο ξίως τ8 Θες το καλεντος ὑ μας εις την ἑαυτε βασιλει αν και δόξαν.

13 Δια τετο και ήμεις ευχαρίσεμεν τω Θεω αδια

Ver. 9. Night and day we wrought, in order not to overload. ΕπιCagnoal. The apoftle often appealed to this proof of his difinterestednefs, in preaching the gofpel; fee Acts xx. 34. 1 Cor. iv. 12. 2 Theff. iii. 8. Befides, we have his working with his own hands, while he preached in Corinth, recorded, Adts xviii. 3. In preaching the gof pel, St. Paul had no view, but to promote the glory of God, and the falvation of men.

Ver. II. Even as a father his own children. The apoftle, ver. 7. had compared the gentlenefs with which he behaved towards the Theffalonians, to the tenderness of a nurling mother towards her fucking children. Here he compares the affection and carneftnefs, with which he recommended holiness to them, to the affection and earneftnefs of a pious father, who exhorts his own children.

Ver. 12. Who hath called you into his own kingdom and glory. This is an Hebraifm, for glorious kingdom, Eff. iv. 19. confequently, the apoftle fpeaks fimply, of the admiffion of the Theffalonians into the gofpel difpenfation. See 2 Theff. i. 5. note 2. The glory of the ancient kingdom of God, the Mofaic difpenfation, was all outward and visible; confifting in the magnificence of the temple and temple

worthip,

bodily labour and toil, when with you; for night and day we wrought for our own maintenance, in order not to overload any of you, while ave preached to you the gospel of God: fo that our preaching to you did not proceed from any corrupt motive.

10 Next, our preaching was not the effect of error, adopted from vicious inclinations; for ye are witnefes, and God alfo, how chaftely, and righteously, and unblameably, we lived with who believe. Whereas perfons deceived through corrupt affections, always fhew it by fome bad practice.

you

11 As alfo, our preaching did not proceed from error occafioned by enthusiasm; for know how we ye addreffed every one of you, as a father his own children, exhorting and comforting you, under the perfecutions ye were fuffering.

12 And teftifying, that ye fhould behave, fuitably to the character, not of the gods whom ye formerly worfhipped, but of the God whom ye now ferve, who hath called you into his own glorious kingdom on earth,

13 Thefe things, concerning ourfelves, and concerning our views, being well known to you, fully convinced you of our miffion from God : wherefore, on this account alfo, we

worship, and in the vifible fymbol of the divine prefence, which resided between the cherubim in the most holy place, and gave refponfes, when confulted, concerning affairs of ftate. But the glory of the gospel kingdom is wholly inward, confitting in the fpiritual gifts fhed down, abundantly on believers, and in the graces of faith, hope, charity, temperance, humility, &c. produced in them by the operation of the Spirit. Others explain, kingdom and glory, disjunctively by kingdom understanding the heavenly country, and by glory, the happinets of that country.

fing, becaufe when ye re

ceived the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effe&tually worketh alfo in you

that believe,

λείπτως, ότι παραλαβοντες λογον ακοής, παρ' ήμων, τα Θε8, εδέξασθε 8 λογον αν θρωπων, αλλα (καθώς εςιν αληθως) λογον Θε8, ὃς και ενεργείται εν ὑμῖν τοις πιν

Γευσιν.

Answer to the Objection against the Truth of the Christian Miracles, Jefus and his Difciples.

14 Υμείς γαρ μιμηται εγενήθητε, αδελφοί, των εκκλησιων τε Θεὸ των ὅσων εν Ιεδαία, εν Χρισώ Ιησε, ότι ταυτα επαθετε και ύμεις ύπο των ιδίων συμφυλετών, καθώς και αυτοί ύπο των Ιεδαίων,

15 Των και τον Κυριον αποκτειναντών Ιησεν, και

τες ιδιες προφητας, και ήμας εκδίωξαντων, και Θεῳ μη αρεσκοντων, και πασιν άνθρωποις εναντιων

Ver. 13. The preached word of God. Λογον ακοης τ8 Θε8, literally fignifies, the word of the bearing of God: the word which God hath appointed to be heard through our preaching. Accordingly, λόγον axons, Heb. iv. 2. is rendered, by our tranflators, the word preached. Dr. Chandler, however, thinks the claufe fhould be rendered, the word of the report concerning God: fuppofing it to be an allufion to Ifaiah fii. 1. Who bath believed (τη ακοη ημών) our report ?

Ver. 15 1. Who both killed the Lord Jefus and their own prophets. The expreffion, their own prophets, is emphatical; and denotes, that the Jews acknowledged the prophets whom they killed, to be prophets really fent of God.-So remarkable were the Jews for perfecuting the prophets, that Stephen challenged the council to fhew fo

much

1

I

preached word of God from us, ye embraced not the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh effectually in you who

believe.

give thanks to God without ceafing, that when ye received from us, the word which God hath appointed to be preached, (dare, chap. i. 6.) ye embraced not a doctrine framed by men, but as it is in truth, the doctrine of God: which also worketh effectually in you who believe, by producing in you the greateft attachment to the gofpel, and fortitude in fuffering for it.

taken from the Unbelief of the Jews in Judea, and their perfecuting

14. Your attachment to the gofpel, ye thewed by the fufferings which ye endured. For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God, which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; (ch. I. 1. n. 2.) because ye alfo have fuffered like things from your own countrymen: ye have been calumniated by them as atheists, ye have been imprisoned by them as malefactors, and fpoiled of your goods: even as they have fuffered from the Jews.

15 The killing of Jefus by the Jews, and their perfecuting his. apoftles, are objected as proofs of the falfity of Chrift's miracles and doctrine. But if the Jews killed the Lord Jefus, they killed alfo their own prophets, and have bitterly perfecuted us, fancying they pleafe God; but do not pleafe God, and are enemies to all men.

much as one prophet, whom the father had not perfecuted, Acts vii. 52. Which of the prophets have not your fathers perfecuted?

2. And are contrary to all men. The hatred which the Jews bare to all the heathens without exception, was taken notice of by Tacitus and Juvenal, and even by Jofephus. This hatred was directly contrary to the law of Mofes, which in the ftrongest terms recommended humauity to ftrangers. It arofe, it seems, from the Jews not understanding

D4

rightly