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hearts, to which ye have been called also in one body; and be ye thankful.

Let the doctrine of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom: while ye teach and admonish one another with psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs; singing with 17 thankfulness, and with your hearts, to Godt. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of [the Lord] Jesus, giving thanks to God, even the Father, through him.

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands ‡, as it is 19 fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not 20 bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all 21 things; for this is well-pleasing in the Lord. Fathers,

provoke not your children, lest they be discouraged ¶. 22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to

the flesh; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in 23 singleness of heart, fearing the Lord tt: and whatsoever ye do, perform it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to 24 men; knowing that from the Lord ye will receive the

reward of the inheritance: [for] ye serve Christ as your 25 Lord. But he that doeth wrong, will be punished for

the wrong which he hath done and there is no respect CH. of persons. Masters, give to your servants that which is IV. just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in

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heaven.

Persevere in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us also, that God would open to us a door of utterance, to speak the mys4 tery of Christ, for which I am even in bonds: that I may 5 make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom 6 toward those that are without, redeeming the time. Let

your discourse be always well-pleasing, seasoned with salt, so that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

ye teaching and admonishing, N.

to your own husbands, R. T.

¶ despair. N.

to the Lord, R. T. to the Lord, R. T. ++ fearing God. R. T,

7 All things concerning me Tychicus will declare to you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fel8 low-servant in the Lord; whom I have sent to you for this purpose, that he may know your affairs *, and com9 fort your hearts; together with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make 10 known to you all things which are done here. Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner, and Mark son to the sister of Barnabas, concerning whom ye have received command11 ments, (if he come unto you receive him,) and Jesus called Justus, that are of the circumcision, salute you. These have been my only fellow-labourers as to the kingdom of God; and they have been a comfort unto me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always earnestly striving for you in his prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he hath a great concern † for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for those at Hiera14 polis. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, salute 15 you. Salute the brethren, that are at Laodicea; and Nymphas, and the church which assembleth in his house. 16 And when this epistle hath been read among you, cause

that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans also; 17 and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. And say to Archippus; "Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fully discharge it." The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Favour be with you.

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• Many good copies read "that ye may know our affairs." See Griesbach.

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THE

FIRST EPISTLE OF SAINT PAUL

TO THE

THESSALONIANS.

CHAP. I.

PAUL, and 'Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of

the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ; favour be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

We give thanks to God always for you all, making 3 mention of you in our prayers, remembering* without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God 4 and Father; knowing, brethren beloved of God, your 5 election † by him. For the gospel preached by us came not to you in words only, but in power also, and in the holy spirit, and in full confirmation; as ye know what 6 manner of men we were among you for your sake; and ye became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word amidst much affliction, with joy in the 7 holy spirit so that ye have been examples to all in 8 Macedonia and Achaia, who believe. For from you the word of the Lord hath sounded forth, not only in

* mentioning, N.

† “that God hath chosen you gentiles to be his peculiar people. 2 Thess. ii. 13.” Newcome.

Macedonia and Achaia; but in every place also your faith toward God hath spread abroad, so that we need 9 not to speak any thing concerning it. For they themselves declare of us, what kind of entering in among you we had, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve 10 the living and true God; and to look for his son from

heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the punishment which is to come. CH. 11. For yourselves, brethren, know that our entering in 2 among you was not in vain: but even after we had before suffered, and had been shamefully treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we had freedom of speech through our God to preach unto you the gospel of God with much 3 earnestness. For our exhortation was not of error, nor 4 of uncleanness, nor in guile: but as we were approved

of God to be entrusted with the gospel, we so speak, not 5 as pleasing men, but God, who proveth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, 6 nor a pretence of covetousness: (God is witness :) nor from men sought we glory, either from you or from others; when we might have used authority, as apostles 7 of Christ: but we were gentle among you, as a nursing8 mother* cherisheth her children. Being thus affectionately desirous of you, we are willing to bestow on you, not the gospel of God only, but our own lives also, be9 cause ye are become dear to us. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil: how working night and day, that we might not be burthensome to any of you, we 10 preached to you the gospel of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and righteously, and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11 as ye know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged 12 every one of you, as a father doth his children, that ye should walk in a manner worthy of God, who calleth you to his glorious kingdom.

So Wakefield. nurse, N.

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For this cause we thank God also without ceasing, that, when ye received the word of God which ye heard from us, ye embraced it, not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which powerfully 14 worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, are become imitators of the churches of God in Judæa, which are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things from your own countrymen, even as they have from the 15 Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus, and the prophetst, and have persecuted us, and please not God, 16 and are against all men: forbidding us to speak to the

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gentiles, that they may be saved: so that the Jews fill up the measure of their sins always: for anger hath overtaken them to utter destruction.

Now we, brethren, having been bereaved of you for a short time, in presence, not in heart, have abundantly 18 endeavoured with great desire to see your face. Wherefore we have been willing to come unto you (even I Paul) both once and again; but Satan ¶ hath hindered 19 us. For what is** our hope, or joy, or crown of glorying? arett not even ye in the presence of our Lord 20 Jesus [Christ] at his coming? for ye are indeed our glory and our joy.

CH. 111. Wherefore, being no longer able to bear our solici2 tude, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; and sent Timothy our brother‡‡, and fellow-worker together with God in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and 3 to comfort you concerning your faith; that no man should be moved by these mine afflictions: for yourselves 4 know that we are appointed to this. For, when we were

Or "not as a word of men, but (as it truly is) a word of God." See Chandler. + Their own prophets, R. T. + Symonds. 5.

Or, at a moment's warning, Wakefield.

"Wicked men, the instruments of Satan," N. Or, in general, any other ob

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# our brother, and minister of God, and our fellow-labourer in the gospel, R. T.

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