Pope. a S. Ward, B.D. is the voice and difficult of exe rosity if he were "in all things:" 1. In all His creatures; 2. In all the works of His a rich man."-providence; 3. In all thy personal favours; 4. In all thy trials; 5. In all God's gifts. III. To enforce the practice from this motive of motives-"for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus our b W. Stevens. Lord." IV. To make a practical application of this subject"Prayer, like " give thanks in all things."a-In everything give thanks.-I. The faith (of which it things we should be thankful for. All blessings, ordinary or exexpression), is a traordinary, perfect or imperfect, peculiar and common, or public thing perfectly and national. II. How we should frame our thanksgiving. Our simple in idea, praises must ascend to God through the atonement-must probut exceedingly ceed from a deep sense of God's infinite mercy and our own cution. If you can unworthiness-must be full of humility and love-must be conpray aright, you stant-should be accompanied with works of piety and mercy." have mastered Reasons for thankfulness.— Plato, looking through the dim of the spiritual spectacles of Nature, gave thanks unto God for three things:life; but easy as first, that God had created him a man, and not a beast; it is to under-secondly, that he was born a Grecian, not a barbarian; thirdly, cally what right that not only so, but a philosopher also. But Christians, that prayer is, it is far are better bred and taught, turn the stream of their thanks into from easy to another manner of channel:-first, that God hath created them practise it."-Dr. after His own image; secondly, that he hath called them out of Goulburn. the common crowd of this world, and made them Christians "I cannot speak, tears so obstruct thirdly, and more especially, that amongst those that bear the my words, and name of Christ, He hath made them faithful ones; like a few with quick-sighted men amongst a company of blind ones; like the unutterable joy." light in Goshen, when all Egypt was dark besides; or, like Gideon's fleece, only watered with the dew of heaven, whilst the rest of the earth was dry and destitute of His favour. Great cause of thankfulness indeed! c the great secret stand theoreti choke me -Otway. c Spencer. quenching the Spirit "The Spirit may 19. quench.. Spirit," the Spirit-as a fire-consumes sin, error; warms the cold heart, etc. We are not to quench the S. in ourselves or others (see on Ep. iv. 30). ; a Ge. vi. 3; Is. lxiii. 10; 2 Ti. i. 6. Quench not the Spirit.-Our text teaches us-I. The operation See Serm. An- of the Holy Spirit on man-it is like fire-"quench not." Like drewes, iii. 124; fire: 1. It burns or destroys. It destroys-(1) The carnal mind; also H. Smith's (2) The friendship of the world; (3) Our besetting sins. 2. It Sermons, i. 127. purifies our nature; by-(1) Enlightening the understanding; be quenched-1. (2) Purifying the heart; (3) Liberating the will. II. The duty By deliberately of man towards the Holy Spirit: 1. Negatively-" quench not;" resisting His 2. Positively-we must feed the flame of the Spirit, Divinely lit operations; 2. By in our hearts, by the daily sacrifice of our life to God.-Quench habitual sin; 3. not the Spirit.-Why are inquiring souls to take heed lest they By neglecting the quench the Spirit? Because—I. The Spirit is the soul's enmeans of grace." lightener. Put not out the light, is the Apostle's tender caution. II. It melts the flinty heart. The melting process is wrought in God's moral foundry-the Holy Ghost is the operator. III. It is the soul's purifier-how the dross runs away under the action of Divine love! IV. It warms and propels the soul.c indulgence in -D. Runciman. b Rev. E. G. Price. c Dr. Cuyler. "The Ediles among the Ro The Holy Spirit's light.-A man has lost his way in a dark and mans had their dreary mine. By the light of one candle, which he carries in his doors always standing open, hand, he is groping for the road to sunshine and to home. That that all who had light is essential to his safety. The mine has many winding petitions might have free access passages, in which he may be hopelessly bewildered. Here and to them. The there marks have been made on the rocks to point out the true door of Heaven path, but he cannot see them without that light. There are many is always open deep pits into which, if unwary, he may suddenly fall, but he for the prayers of sweetest flowers are upon their knees. Prayer is the gate of Heaven, or key to let T. Brooks. cannot avoid the danger without that. Should it go out, he must soon stumble, fall, perish. Should it go out, that mine will be his tomb. How carefully he carries it! How anxiously he shields it from sudden gusts of air, from water dropping an it, from everything that might quench it! The case described of Paradise God is our own. We are like that wanderer in the mine. Does he gives to His diligently keep alight the candle on which his life depends? people when they Much more earnestly should we give heed to the warning, "Quench not the Spirit." Sin makes our road both dark and dangerous. If God gave us no light, we should never find the way to the soul's sunny home of holiness and heaven. We must despair of ever reaching our Father's house. We must "Is not light perish in the darkness into which we have wandered. But He grander than gives us His Spirit to enlighten, guide, and cheer us. In fire? It is the the works of nature, but more clearly in the Volume of Inspira- same element in tion, He has made known to us His will. But because we are so Carlyle. sinful as not to see and profit by the signal-posts to heaven, He also, by the inward light of the Holy Ghost in the soul, helps us to behold, understand, and obey the truth.d us into Paradise." a state of purity." d N. Hall, LL.B. 20. prophesyings,a not only predictions; but Divine in- religious structions; including preaching of Gospel. instruction upon; but wit man."-Selden. The ministry of men subordinate.-I. The preaching of the a 1 Co. xiv. 3; Gospel should not be such as to provoke contempt-it should be Ac. xv. 32; Lu. worthy of respect: 1. The matter of our New Testament preach-. 16. ing must be the Gospel of the grace of Christ; 2. The true "No man is the wiser for his Gospel must be truly preached-by a real disciple-not by one learning; it may who toils through his task as the exercise of his profession and administer matthe condition of his reward. If the preacher has not caught ter to work in, or fire, he cannot communicate it. II. The listeners should show objects to work respect to the preaching-"despise not prophesyings "-take heed and wisdom are how ye hear-for though the words are uttered by the lips of a born with Я brother, the message is mercy from God to man." Fastidious hearers.-An influential country gentleman, and patron of a Church, who, in his way, showed great kindness to a clergyman, was hearing the minister preach on a subsequent Sabbath. When the patron had reached home immediately after attending church, he said, "Here is gratitude for you; here I and my family have shown this man the greatest kindness, and the return he makes, when he gets into the pulpit, is to tell us that we are great sinners unless we repent. He preaches that our good works go for nothing before God. This sermon will do very well for a penitentiary, a Newgate; but for a genteel and respectable audience, to tell them that they are sinners, is the most extraordinary conduct that I ever met with."c b b Dr. W. Arnot. "General abstract truth is the most precious of all blessings; without it, man is blind: it is the eye of reason." Rousseau. Whitecross. hold prove all Ac. xvii. 11. 1 Co. 21, 22. prove," instead despising, test, examine. fast, in memory, love, life. all.. evil, fr. every form of evil. things Hold fast.-I. What are we to "hold fast?" 1. The truth of a 1 Jo. iv. 1; Ma. God; 2. Our trust in Christ; 3. Our spiritual experience; 4. vii. 15, 17; The form of godliness. II. How shall we hold them fast? Inii. 15; Is. viii. 20; 1. The mind; 2. The heart; 3. The life.d-Prove-then hold fast. 2 Th. ii. 15; Ro. Our text-I. Marks out two things to be done : 1. "Prove," xii. 9; Re. iii. 11. that is, examine, and decide upon-after examination. The tests by which we may prove all things are— (1) The Holy Scriptures; (2) Our own experience; (3) Observation; (4) The spiritual and religious faculty purified and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. 2. d Rev. W.W.Wythe. c 1 Th. iv. 12; Ro. xiv. 24. is Hare. "It is a proof of "Hold fast." Hold fast against indolence-prejudice-prideour natural bias to evil that gain perplexity- evil inclinations-the evil influence of irreligious slower and men-every wind of doctrine that may spring up-false teachers harder than loss and fallible teaching. II. Defines the sphere of such action: 1. in all things Prove" all things"-ancient-new-common- singular — atgood; but, in all things bad, get-tractive-repulsive-probable-improbable-all things; 2. Hold ting is quicker fast-"that which is good," not that which is either evil or and easier than doubtful-but "that which is good" in opinion and doctrine-in getting rid of."-custom and practice-in communion and fellowship—that good which is embraced by your mind-your faith-your love-your hope.e-Solemn responsibility.-We are bound to "abstain from "Send us poverty all appearance of evil”—I. Because actions indifferent in thembe spared in eter-selves, or safe for us, may become positively criminal, by leading nity; send us other men into sin; II. Because of the scruples of weaker reproach now, brethren, in regard to many essential points of Christian practice; that we may be III. That we may maintain an unblemished Christian character ty; send us sick-in the sight of the world; IV. To keep back others from preness now, that we sumptuous sins; V. Because the limits between right and wrong may be spared in actions are often extremely indefinite; VI. Because this is the eternity; send us just as many only safeguard against the power of temptation. evils as may e S. Martin. now, that we may spared in eterni please Thee in vided we may be spared forever in neri. Avoiding temptation. A great king once required a charioteer. Many candidates sought this honour. One by one they were inthis world, pro- troduced into the royal presence. He inquired of the first, "If you were driving my chariot near a precipice, how near could you the world to steer the chariot wheels without falling over?" The man replied come, that we that he could drive within two feet of the precipice and not go may be spared in eternity!"-Seg- over. Another was interrogated likewise, and he replied that he could safely drive the chariot within one foot of the brink, and not go over. A third was in a like manner questioned, and replied that he could with safety come within half a foot, or a few inches, and yet be safe. Whereupon a fourth, being inquired of, at once replied, "How near? If I am engaged as your charioteer, I should consider it my duty to keep as far off as possible from the precipice." The last was the best and safest hand, and as such he was instantly engaged. And even so saith the Scripture: "Abstain from all appearance of f Dr. H. Humphrey. g Bib. Treas. the faithful caller a 2 Co. v. 19; Ph. iv. 6, 7; Jude 1: Jo. xvii. 17; 1 Co. iv. 11; 1 Co. i. 8. b 1 Co. x. 13; 2 Th. iii. 3; Ph. i. 6; Ro. viii. 30; 1 Pe. i. 5. See Serm. A. Butler, i. 219. CF. W. Robertson. "I will govern my life, and my thoughts, as if the whole world were to see the evil". 23, 24. and.. wholly,a see on 'Ep. v. 25-27. faithful, etc., see on 1 Co. i. 9. The Trinity.-I. A triad in discord,-"I pray God," etc: 1. What is meant by this three-fold division of human nature: (1) The body; (2) The soul; (3) The Spirit? 2. This three-fold state is a state of discord. Look at (1) The state in which the body is the ruler; (2) The natural state-a state in which the body is subject to the soul, but in which the soul is ruined. II. The Trinity in Unity: 1. The Trinity itself-a division in the mind of God; 2. The rationality of this doctrine. The power and consciousness of God are made known to us-(1) Through the Father, the Author of our being; (2) Through the Son; (3) Through the Spirit; 3. The relation which the Trinity in Unity bears to the triad in discord. Faithfulness of God.-The supplies of a missionary among the one and to read Indians were reduced, for three persons, to one small piece of the other; for meat and three potatoes. It was winter. There was no game, what does it sig- and no means of obtaining any. They laid their case before God thing a secret to in prayer, and claimed His promise, that the trusting shall be fed. nify to make any The last morsel they had was spread on the table, when an Indian my neighbour, to "when God came in with a quarter of venison, saying, "I come to feed you." (who is the When the Indian heard of their extremity and prayer, he said, searcher of our "Now I know why, when I killed my deer, seven miles away, hearts) all our something said to me, 'Go quickly, and carry a piece to the privacies missionary !'" us. 25. brethren . . us,a see on Col. iv. 3. are open."-Seneca. The ministers' plea.-I. What we desire you to beg of God for pray for ministers That we-1. May be furnished with all proper gifts and graces for our work; 2. May be preserved from the defections a 2 Th. iii. 1. of the age; 3. May find help to fulfil our ministry in the best Dr. Guyse. manner; 4. May find our ministry accepted of God and of His people; 5. May be made successful in our work; 6. May have our usefulness continued; 7. May be saved at last, and give our final account with joy. II. Some considerations to engage your prayers on our behalf: 1. Our work is very important; 2. Our difficulties are many; 3. Our strength is but small; 4. The residue of the Spirit is with the Lord; 5. Our prayers and labours for you call for a return of your prayers for us; 6. The answer of your prayers will turn to your own benefit, and the advancement of Christ's kingdom and glory. Prayer for the preacher.-John Livingston, of Scotland, once spent a whole night with a company of his brethren in prayer for God's blessing, all of them together besieging the throne; and the next day, under his sermon, five hundred souls were converted. All the world has heard how the audience of the elder President Edwards was moved by his terrible sermon on "Sinners in the hands of an angry God;" some of them even grasping hold of the pillars of the sanctuary, from feeling that their feet were actually sliding into the pit. But the secret of that sermon's power is known to but very few. Some Christians in that vicinity (Enfield, Mass.) had become alarmed, lest, while God was blessing other places, He should in anger pass them by; and so they met on the evening preceding the preaching of that sermon, and spent the whole of the night in agonising prayer.c "Prayer is the spiritual pulse of the renewed soul; its beat indicates the healthy or unhealthy state of the believer. Just as the physician would decide upon the health of the body from the action of the pulse, so would the spiritual health of the soul before God, by which prayer is held by the believer."-Dr. 0. we decide upon the estimation in Winslow. Dr. H. C. Fish. benediction a 1 Co. xvi. 20; 2 Co. xiii. 12; 1 Pe. 26-28. greet.. kiss," see on Ro. xvi. 16. charge, adjure. by.. Lord, i.e., solemnly, as under an oath. all.. brethren, all the Christians in your neighbourhood. grace.. you, see on Ro. xvi. 20-24. Grace. Grace is-I. The sum of all other blessings; II. Ob-c 2 Th. iii. 18. tained through Christ; III. The greatest happiness we can desire for others.d v. 14. "All politeness is owing to liberty. We polish one The law of fellowship.-Fellowship of souls does not consist in another, and rub the proximity of persons. There are millions who live in close off our corners personal contact-dwell under the same roof, board at the same and rough sides table, and work in the same shop-between whose minds there is by a sort of amicable collision. scarcely a point of contact, whose souls are as far asunder as the To restrain this poles: whilst, contrariwise, there are those separated by oceans is inevitably to and continents, ay, by the mysterious gulf that divides time from bring a rust upon eternity, between whom there is a constant intercourse, a delight-standings." ful fellowship. In truth, we have often more communion with the Shaftesbury. distant than the near." men's under d J. Lyth, D.D. e Dr. Thomas. THE SECOND EPISTLE. Introduction. I. Author, PAUL. Testimony same as 1st Ep. q.v. II. Time, prob. shortly aft. writing the first: i.e. betw. winter of A.D. 52 and spring of 54. III. Place, CORINTH. IV. To whom, CHURCH AT THESS. (see intro. to 1st Ep). V. Design, To show that the day of Christ was not yet come; that a course of events must first happen; that the development of these had already begun; that not till they had ripened would the coming of Christ take place (Alford). VI. Peculiarity, The prophecy of ii. 1—12: of which the central idea is "the man of sin." Many interpretations-(1) Acc. to early Fathers, an individual person, the incarnation and concentration of sin. (2) In the 11th cent. the idea arose that antichrist-the estab. and growing power of Popedom. This idea strengthened with time, and was held by the Waldenses, Albigenses, and folls. of Wickliffe and Huss. It was held by all the Reformers (Luther, etc.), and aft. the Reform. bec. a dogma in the Protest. Chs.; the apostasy being the fall fr. pure evangl. doct. to the trads. of men. (3) On the other hand, the Rom. Ca. Ch. understand by antichrist, heretics, esp. Luther and his folls.; and by the apostasy, the defection fr. the Ro. Ch. and the Pope: while the Gk. Ch. held that antichrist was Mohammed; and the apostasy, to be the departure of many Gk. Chs. to Islamism. (4) Scme held that there were two antichrists— the Pope and Mohammed (Melanchthon, Bucer, etc.) (5) Among other interpretations of antichrist, the foll. are the chief :-Caligula (Grotius; see Suet. Calig. 22, 23; cf. Jos. Ant. xviii. 8); Titus (Wetstein; see Jos. Wars, vi. 6. 1); Simon Magus, and the Gnostics (Hammond); the rebel Jews, esp. their leader Simon, son of Giora (Le Clerc); the Jewish people (Whitby); the Pharisees (Schöttgen). To these may be added Napoleon I. and the enormities of the Fr. Revol., as a modern view of antichrist and the apostasy (Condensed fr. Alf. Prolegom., see esp. Alford's own view).—“ The most eminent expositors, ancient and modern, are agreed that the prophecy refers to the same event as Daniel viii. : and most of those of the last half-century consider that what is here spoken of has not yet taken place; yet that there is every reason to believe that 'the mystery' or secret principle of iniquity and apostacy is now actually working. See Daniel vii. 25; xi. 36; Rev. xviii."-Pinnock. |
