CHA P. IX.

1

THESSALONICA.

F Amphipolis and Apollonia, the next cities of Macedonia through which St. Paul paffed, nothing particular is recorded. But at Theffalonica another European Church was formed inferior in folid piety to none in the primitive times. This city had been rebuilt by Philip of Macedon, and had its name from his conqueft of Theffaly. Here Paul followed his ufual practice of preaching firft to the Jews in their fynagogue, and spent the first three Sabbaths in pointing out the evidences of Chriftianity. The cuftom of the Jews in allowing any of their countrymen to exhort in their fynagogues, gave the Apoftle an eafy opportunity of preaching to this people, till their accustomed enmity and obftinacy began to exert itself. Some of the Jews were however converted, and a great multitude of religious Gentiles, who used to attend the fynagogue, and not a few females of quality. So difficult is it for even Satan himself to erase all perception of the one true God from the minds of men, fo powerful is the voice of natural confcience, and fo totally unreasonable is the polytheifm of the pagans, that notwithstanding the extreme depravity of human nature, we find, wherever the Jews carried on the publick worship of the God of Ifracl, it was common for fome Gentiles to join in their worship. Within the bounds of the Holy Land there were a number of this fort. And I obferve through the whole tenour of Jofephus's hiftory, that

⚫ Acts xvii.

that the Romans treated with refpect what the Jews held facred; and whoever was diftinguished by any religious thoughtfulness from others, fuch an one found nothing to fuit him in Gentile rites, but preferred the worship of the Jews. The devout Greeks converted at Theffalonica were of this clafs; and this is not the firft inftance we have feen of the LORD's preparing perfons, by an attention to a more imperfect light, for the Sun of Righteousness. But . HE is not confined to one method. The major part of the Theffalonian converts were idolaters who now turned to the living and true God, in the faith and hope of Jefus, who "delivered them from the wrath to come." Faith, hope, and charity evidenced this people to be God's elect: the word came to their hearts in much power and affurance; and, though it expofed them to great affliction, this did not prevent their joy of the Holy Ghoft.

The restless Jews were not afhamed to join with the most profligate pagans in perfecuting the new converts; and decent hypocrites and open finners were, once more, feen united in oppofing the Church of God. They affaulted the houfe of Jafon, at whofe houfe Paul and his companions were entertained. Precautions having been used to secrete them, Jason and some other Chriftians were brought before the magiftrates, and calumniated with the ufual charge of fedition. The Roman governors, however, were content with exacting a fecurity from Jafon and his friends for the peace of the ftate. But the Apostle knew too well the malice of the Jews to confide in any prefent appearances of their moderation; and therefore felt himself obliged abruptly to leave the infant Church. The first epiftle, however, which he fent to them, not long after, plainly proves that they were not without paftors, whom he charges them to honour and obey.

• 1 Theff. i. 9. ti Theff. v.

The

The growth of this people in godlinefs was foon renowned through the Chriftian world. Their perfecution appears to have been grievous; and hence the comfort of God their Saviour, and the profpect of the invisible world, became more precious to them. The Apostle made two attempts to return to them, but was as often difappointed by the malice of Satan*. Fearing, left the weight of affliction might crush their religion in its infancy, he fent Timothy to them, to eftablifh and comfort them. From him, on his return, he learnt the ftrength of their faith and love and their affectionate remembrance of the Apoftle, whofe benevolent effufions of joy and gratitude on the occafion exceed all encomium. The influence of the Holy Spirit in enlightening, comforting, and invigorating this Church, feemed in a good measure to fupply any want of paftoral inftruction, in which, from their circumstances, they might probably be defective. They were taught of God to love one another, and they exercifed this brotherly affection in the strongest manner towards all around.

Fornication indeed was a fin fo commonly praċtifed among the Gentiles, without the leaft fufpicion of its evil, that Paul thought proper to warn them against it exprefsly and diftinctly §.

In his fecond epiftle he congratulates them on their great proficiency in faith and love: and, while he comforts them with the profpect of the fecond coming of Chrift, he takes occafion to correct a mistake, into which they had fallen from what he had mentioned in his former epiftle, of imagining that the laft day was at hand. Men, who had fuddenly paffed from the groffeft ignorance into the full blaze of Gofpel-day, might easily make fuch

r Theff. ii. 18. iv. 3-9.

Theff. iii. 9, 10.

iv. 9, 10.

fuch a mistake, especially fince their affections were now fo ftrongly captivated with heavenly objects, and fince they found fo little in a world of perfecution to cheer their minds. There appears only one fault in this people which he thought neceffary to rebuke. He intimated fomething* of it in the former epiftle, in the latter he was more exprefs. It was the want of industry in their callings, with which he charged fome of them; for this was not a general evil. How they might fall into it, is eafy to conceive. Perfons all alive for God and his Christ, and knowing little of the deceitfulness of the heart, and the crafts of Satan, might find it irkfome to attend to the concerns of this life. It was a fault indeed, and very dangerous, if perfifted in; but as it was, in all probability, foon corrected, and in part occafioned by the ftrength of heavenly affections, one cannot be very fevere in cenfuring

them.

It may be worth while for thofe, who feel themfelves much irritated againft fimilar evils attendant on the effufion of the Holy Spirit in our days, to confider whether they do not exercife more candour toward the Theffalonians, than they do toward thofe, who are actually walking in their steps; whether they are not apt to refpect the former as real Chriftians, and to scorn the latter as deluded enthusiasts!

This Church bears the ftrongeft fignatures of godliness, the effect of no common effufion of the Spirit. They adorned the Gospel with faith, hope, and charity; yet fhewed, by their faults and ignorance, the importance of diligent and much paftoral inftruction, in which their circumftances fuffered them not to abound; and which, under God, would have foon cured the former, and removed the latter. They were expofed to fuch blemishes, as are most

1 Theff. iv. 11, 12. † 2 Theff. iii. 11.

apt

apt to attend great attainments in the divine life made with vaft rapidity.

It appears, that St. Paul vifited this people a confiderable time after, and gave them much exhortation; but we have no particular further account of them *.

In the first epiftle he "charges them by the Lord," that it be "read to all the holy brethren." As this feems to have been his firft epiftle, and indeed the newest part of the whole New Testament. the folemnity of the adjuration (oxi) has a peculiar propriety, as Dr. Lardner obferves. The Theffalonians were no doubt difpofed to receive it as matter of apoftolical infpiration, and the importance of bringing every Chriftian to be well acquainted with the word of God is fairly inferred.

CHAP.