15.

but ever follow that which

388 They fhould be ready to forgive, and pray without ceafing. Sect. 8. der to any Evil for Evil, but always purfue Evil for Evil unto any Man: et. that which is Good; endeavouring to the ut- is good, both among your Thef. V. moft to promote the Happinefs of all about felves, and to all Men. you. Maintain this Temper both towards each other, that is, towards all your FellowChriftians, and towards all Men, not excepting your Enemies and Perfecutors; fure by this Means either to mollify their Hearts, or at least to approve your own Conduct in the Sight of GOD, and to make whatever Evil you fuffer, the Occafion of obtaining from him Bleffings, which will infinitely 16 counterballance it. And in Expectation

of this, be always rejoicing (c) in the Midft of your Trials and Afflictions, knowing that your compleat Redemption is approaching, and that in the mean Time you have always the Prefence of your GOD and your Saviour, from which you may derive unutterable Satisfaction and Delight, fufficient to fupport 17 you under all your Sufferings. And in order to maintain and improve this holy Joy, pray inceffantly (d). Be conftant in your ftated Devotions at their returning Seafons, and endeavour to keep your Minds habitually prepared for thofe pious Ejaculations, which have fo happy a Tendency to promote the Chriftian Temper, or for any fudden Call you may have, to addrefs yourselves more folemnly to the Divine Majefty. 18 And whatever your Circumftances may be, remember not only your Dependance on GOD, but your Obligation to him, and in every Thing give Thanks; fince it is certain, you can never be incompaffed with fuch

Afflic

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceafing.

18 In every Thing give

Thanks:

(c) Be always rejoicing.] The Words male xaple may exprefs the Form of a Salutation, as if he had faid, may you always be profperous and happy; but as they are put among fo many other thort Exhortations, I think this Verfion much preferable. (d) Pray inceffantly.] That is, at all proper Seafons. So the Burnt-offering, prefented every Morning and Evening, is called perpetual. Lev. vi. 20. Compare Luke xxiv. 53. with Acts ii. 46, 47. See alfo John xviii. 20.

(e) Quench

They should not quench the Holy Spirit.

Thanks: for this is the Will of GOD in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19 Quench not the Spirit.

389

18.

Afflictions, as not to have much greater Sect. 8.
Cause of Thankfulness than Complaint.
And this chearful, grateful Spirit you should I Thef. V.
be concerned to maintain, for this is the
Will of GOD in Christ Jefus, with regard
to you Chriftians; as by giving you his Son,
and with him all the invaluable Bleffings of
his Covenant, he has laid a Foundation for
perpetual Thankfulness, that may juftly
fupport the Demand.

Moreover that this Temper may be pre-
ferved in your Mind, take heed, that ye
quench not the facred Flame of the holy
Spirit (e) in any of his Influences, as you
know it is his great Office, to excite and
maintain every pious and devout Affection
in the Soul. Efpecially be careful, that ye
do not damp it, by indulging in any Degree
to a fenfual or malevolent Difpofition, which
must so naturally provoke him to withdraw
20 Defpife not Prophefy- both his Gifts and his Graces.
And as a
ings.

19

20

regular Attendance on divine Ordinances
will greatly tend to cherish his Influences,
and a Neglect of publick Worship propor-
tionably obstruct them, defpife not the holy
Exercises of Prophesyings (ƒ), in which the
Minifters of Chrift interpret Scripture by a
fingular Inspiration, or speak to Men by way
of Exhortation or Comfort; but liften to
them with Reverence, and own the Autho-
rity of God as speaking in his appointed
Yet be upon your Guard 21
that

21 Prove all Things: Meffengers.

hold

(e) Quench not the Spirit.] This has generally been expounded, as referring to the Gifts of the Spirit, the Exercife of which in themselves or others fhould not be hindered. Compare 1 Tim. iv. 14. 1 Cor. xiv. 39. The Phrase here used, according to fome, particularly Lord Barrington, (Mifc. Sacr. Vol. i. pag. 140.) has a Reference to the Defcent of the Spirit, as in Flames of Fire, as he fuppofes there may also be in the Word avagwrupsi, 2 Tim. i. 6. See the Note there.

(f) Defpife not Prophefyings.] This Caution, as explained in the Paraphrafe, may perhaps intimate, that the Neglect of a due Regard to Prophesyings, which fome were too ready to defpife, might be a Means of blafting even thofe more fplendid Gifts, which they might be tempted to prefer to them.

(8) Your

390

Sect. 8.

They should prove all Things, and abstain from all Evil. that ye are not impofed upon in an Affair of hold faft that which is good. fo much Importance, and take not every

Thef. V. forward Affertion for an Oracle from GOD;

2 L.

22

23

but try all Things with Attention, examine
the Validity of the Pretenfions which are
made to extraordinary Inspiration, and when
you have difcuffed them with Impartiality
and Diligence, then refolutely hold fast that
which is good, and be not prevailed upon to
deny or reject it on any Confiderations.

Remember alfo, that in order to preferve
your Innocence, it will be neceffary to guard
against Circumstances of ftrong Temptation,
and Things, concerning the Lawfulness of
which
you may have juft Sufpicion, though
you cannot abfolutely pronounce them to be
criminal. I exhort you therefore, as you
value your Safety, to abstain from all that
has fo much as the Appearance of Evil, and
from whatever may be likely to prove the
Occafion of Sin.

And while I thus urge you to proper Di-
ligence and Caution on your Part, I join to
my Counfels, my moft ardent and affectio-
nate Prayers for you. May the GOD of
Peace himself, that GOD, who hath now re-
conciled us, and is become the Source of
all Profperity and Happiness, fanctify you
entirely, in all the Parts of your Nature;
and [I pray GOD that] your whole Conftitu-
tion, or Frame, your rational Spirit, your
animal Soul, and your Body (g) animated

by

(g) Your whole Conflitution, &c.] I wish I had known better how to render por vw, which being followed by To we, tux, &c. ought not, as in our Verfion to be rendered, as an Adjective to the firft. It fignifies the whole Frame of Nature allotted to you. It is very evident, that the Apostle, in the following Words, refers to a Notion which, as the learned Vitringa has very accurately fhewn, (Vitr. Obf. lib. iii. cap. 4. prevailed among the Rabbies as well as the Philofophers, that the Per fon of a Man was conftituted of three diftinct Subftances, the rational Spirit, the animal Soul, and the vifible Body. He feems to fuppofe from Heb. iv. 12. the two former may be separated; and fome have thought that he intimates, 1 Cor. xiv. 14, 15. that one may know, what the other does not. This is not a Place to state, or exa

mine

be preferved blameless unto the Coming of our Lord Je

fus Chrift.

391

He prays for them, and defires their Prayers for him. by it, may be fo kept blameless by divine Sect. 8. Grace now, as to be presented with the greatest Honour and Acceptance at the Ap. 1 Thef. V. pearance of our Lord Jefus Chrift, whenfo24 Faithful is he that cal- ever it shall be. This I defire, and chear- 24 leth you, who also will do fully hope it, for faithful [is] be who hath

it.

called you to the Chriftian Faith, who also
will do this; fince [it] is what he has gra-
ciously promised to all true Believers, whom
he hath committed to the Care of Christ, as
their Shepherd, who will give them eternal
Life, and will raise them up in the last
Day.

This is the glorious Gofpel we preach, 25
and that we may be fuccefsful in preaching
it, I entreat you, Brethren, to pray for us;
for we greatly need and greatly value the
Prayers of our Fellow-Chriftians.
And 26
when ye affemble together, in Token of
your mutual Affection, and agreeably to the
Custom which hath long prevailed, falute
all the Brethren prefent with an holy Kifs;
and let the Sifters in like Manner falute each
other, taking Care to conduct this Action
with the ftricteft Modefty and Propriety.
As I write these Things, not merely for the 27
Perufal of this or that particular Friend, in-
to whose Hands they may firft fall, but for
general Ufe, and as the Importance of them
is very great, I adjure you, by the Authori-

ty of our Lord Jefus Chrift, committed to
me, that this Epiftle be read to all the holy
Brethren of your Church, at fome Time
when you are all gathered together for di-
And that you may be
fure it is genuine, I add with my own
Hand my general Benediction. May the

28 The Grace of our vine Worship.

Lord

Grace

28

23.

mine this Notion at large; it certainly derives great Weight from this Text. My curious Readers may confult befides the Commentators, Hallet on Script. Vol. i. pag. 39 &c.

Y

392
Sect. 8.

Reflections on the short comprehenfive Directions Grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift [be] always Lord Jefus Chrift be with with you, to fupport that Principle of true you. Amen.

with

■ Thef. V. Chriftianity, which he hath implanted in

28.

your Souls, till the Purposes of his Love

be compleated in your everlasting Salvation.
Amen.

Ver. 16.

Ver. 17.
Ver. 18.
Ver. 22.
Ver. 28.
Ver. 19.
Ver. 20.

Ver. 14.

Ver. 12.

IMPROVEMENT.

WHAT

HAT a Variety of excellent Inftructions does this Short Section contain! yea how much is expreffed in fome of its shortest Sentences! But how hard is it for our degenerate Hearts to learn these Leffons, which fo few Words are fufficient to exprefs! This habitual Joy in GoD, this conftant Difpofition to Prayer, this thankful Temper, that upon every Call may overflow in Thanksgiving, this Abftinence from every Appearance of Evil. Bleffed Lord! we need a better Spirit than our own, to teach us thefe Things. May thy Grace be with us, and may none of us quench the Spirit, nor defpife thofe Ordinances, which by his heavenly Communications he fo often owns!" Let us endeavour, by the daily Importunity of Prayer, to engage more of his efficacious and purifying Influences, to fanctify the whole Frame of our Nature, our Spirits, our Souls and our Bodies; that we may fo understand and chufe, fo love and delight in divine Things, and maintain fo regular and conftant a Command over our Appetites of Flesh and Blood, and all the irregular Propenfities of animal Nature, that we may be continually fit for the Appearance of Chrift, and be more like what we hope we fhall be, when prefented before the Prefence of his Glory.

To promote this, let us watch over one another in the Lord. Let Chriflian Societies preferve a regular Difcipline, with a due Mixture of Zeal and Tendernefs. Let the Friendship of private Perfons be rendered mutually fubfervient to religious Improvement, and let a due Regard be ever paid to thofe, who labour among them, and prefide over them in the Lord. They will not require a blind Submiffion to their Dictates, if they rightly understand the Gospel they are to teach. They will allow, they will encourage, they will urge their Hearers to prove all Things, which even the Apostles

6.

them