together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord

:

in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess. iv. 13—18.)

Now, what was the primary and immediate object which the Apostle had in view in writing these words? Had he any special end? and if so, what was it? That he had, is clearly proved by the tone of his opening remarks, in which he tells the Thessalonians that he would not have them ignorant of the subject on which he was about to write, implying by this, that an acquaintance with it was highly important for them, and that he was consequently very anxious to call their attention to it. What, then, was the particular truth, or truths, which he wished to impress upon their minds? It is admitted to be highly probable that they had recently lost some of their friends or relations, either through persecution or natural causes, and that they were mourning over their loss in a manner that was inconsistent with the consolations of the Gospel. The Apostle was, therefore, desirous of instructing them in a truth in reference to their departed brethren, which they either had not known, or had in a great measure overlooked, but

which, if known and properly understood, would either remove their grief or greatly assuage it. What, then, was this truth?

A reference to commentators' will but too clearly show, that, for the most part, they have only seen in this important passage an assertion of a future state, a resurrection, especially of the body, from the dead, and a prospect of eternal happiness with Christ— allimportant truths, indeed, and more important even

1 As an example of what I am anxious to point out, viz., the way in which commentators have overlooked the design of the Apostle in this case, I might refer to the remarks of that great ornament of our Church, Bishop Jewell, as affording a very striking one. It would be difficult to find, even in his writings, anything more beautiful than his comment on the passage as a whole; but yet it is nevertheless true that he notices no special design in it, no attempt to convey comfort by means of some particular truth, any more than might be conveyed by the general and well-known truth, that those who had believed in Christ had not perished for ever, but would rise again from the dead, and appear with their Lord in glory; all which is undoubtedly taught in the passage, but, as observed in the text, it does not form the particular truth which the Apostle desired to impress on the minds of the Thessalonians, and it is, moreover, one with which they were already acquainted.

Macknight is the most satisfactory I have seen upon the subject. Short as his remarks are, they give the particular truth which the Apostle had more especially in view, clearly and prominently. Thus, in his paraphrase of ver. 3:-"Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them who die, that ye might not be afflicted with excessive grief, even as the heathen who have no hope of seeing their dead friends again." And thus in his Note on the same verse:-" St. Paul's discourse, therefore, concerning these grand events, must have given much consolation to the Thessalonians under the death of their relations, as it assured them, that if they died in Christ they should all meet again, and spend an endless life in complete happiness, never more to part. In this light death is only a temporary separation of friends, which is neither to be dreaded nor regretted."-MACKNIGHT on the Epistles.

than that which we hold has been overlooked; but they are truths which the Thessalonians knew already, and therefore, if there be here nothing more than these, it seems difficult to understand what should lead the Apostle to introduce them in the way he has done. That the Thessalonians were really acquainted with them - though not, it may be, with the exact order and manner in which they will occur, and which were now more fully revealed by the Apostle,— but that they knew them, or things exactly corresponding with them, is rendered certain by this very Epistle. Thus, they are told by St. Paul, in ch. i. 3, that he "remembered without ceasing their work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope hope) in our Lord Jesus Christ."

(patience full of

But one of the

objects of their hope must have been the glory that the Gospel, which had come to them "in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance" (ver. 5), had taught them to expect at the coming of Christ; and another must have been the everlasting life which would follow that coming, and which was one of the first things proclaimed by the Gospel, and promised to those who believed it. In short, take this away, and what remains of the Gospel? Withhold this, and how

can the Gospel be preached? Hence, since the Thessalonians knew the Gospel, they must have known that there would be a resurrection 1 from the dead, and a future existence, and they would not, therefore, be mourning for their departed friends under the impression that they had perished for ever, as was supposed by others, i. e. the heathen, who knowing nothing of the Gospel, were ignorant of a future state. But the tenth verse of this chapter (ch. i.) decides the question, for it shows us that they were so fully assured of the certainty of the Second Advent of the Saviour, that they were "waiting" for it as their great object of hope,-"For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." It is clear, therefore, that they were already convinced of these two things:First, that Christ would come again; and, secondly,

1 As pointed out by Calvin, their case must not be confounded with that of the Corinthians, among whom there were some who said “the resurrection was passed already.' "For see," he observes, "how he chastises the Corinthians with severity, but here he speaks of it (the hope of a resurrection) as a thing that was not doubtful.”—Commentary on 1 Thess. iv. 13.

that there would be a future state of happiness and glory for those who believed in Him, and this they were assured their departed friends had done. But since they knew these things already, it could not add much to their comfort to be told them again; yet to comfort them was manifestly the special object which the Apostle had in view in writing to them in the way he did. How then does he seek to do this? Clearly, by leading them to see that since their departed friends, having been raised from the dead, would be brought again with Christ, and seeing that they themselves would be taken to meet Him, they would then be again REUNITED TO THEM, and be with them in glory for evermore. His great and primary object is to convince them of the REUNION that would take place. All that he says in reference to the resurrection and the advent is subservient to this end. The facts he reveals, though inexpressibly important and precious for their own sakes, and calculated to enlighten us on the great subject of the Lord's coming, yet are now brought forth by him more for the purpose of confirming a particular truth than for any more general end. That truth is the one which the wounded feelings and sorrowing hearts of the Thessalonians particularly called

BB