1 Thessalonians 1

Christ is called the Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69). He saves from sin (Matthew 1:21), from wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). To save is a flower that belongs only to his crown (Acts 4:12).

9. We glorify God by walking cheerfully: it is a glory to God when the world sees a Christian has that within him that can make him cheerful in the worst times: he can with the nightingale sing with a thorn at his breast. The people of God have ground of cheerfulness, they are j…

And where should we flee, but to Jesus Christ? There is none else to shield off the wrath of God from us (1 Thessalonians 1:10): Jesus has delivered us from wrath to come. 3. Subject to all outward miseries: All the troubles incident to man's life are the bitter fruits of origin…

Strong consolation. They are strong indeed, that can bear up a Christian's heart in trials and afflictions (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Having received the word in much affliction — [illegible Greek text] — with joy.

We must love God quoad posse, as much as we are able: Christians should be like Seraphim burning in holy love: We can never love God so much as he deserves: The angels in heaven cannot love God so much as he deserves. 4. Love to God must be active in its sphere: love is an indus…

Now then, if hell be such a house of bondage, what infinite cause have they to bless God, who are delivered from it? (1 Thessalonians 1:10) Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come. Jesus Christ suffered the torments of hell in his soul, that believers should not suffer them.

God will never want ways of saving his people: Rather than fail the very enemies shall do his work (2 Chronicles 20:23). He set Ammon and Mount-Seir one against another: And as God will deliver his people from temporal danger, so from spiritual, from sin, and from hell, Jesus ha…

He did feel God's wrath, that they who believe in him should never feel it. (1 Thessalonians 1:10). Jesus has delivered us from wrath to come. Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace was a type of God's wrath, and that furnace did not singe the garments of the three children, nor was the…

Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations; that is, afflictions. Count it joy, be as birds that sing in winter: (1 Thessalonians 1:6). You received the word in affliction with joy.

In this state and condition all mankind, had they been left without divine aid and help, must have perished eternally. Sixthly, that God out of his infinite goodness, grace and love to mankind, sent his only Son to save and deliver them out of this condition (Matthew 1:21): "You…

And the Lord Christ has not left that as a matter of liberty, choice or conveniency, which he has made the foundation of the due manner of the performance of all those duties whereby his disciples yield obedience to his commands, to his glory in the world. Sixthly, the principal…

And we believe (as Peter and Paul then taught) that Christ indeed is come, and crucified, dead, and risen, and exalted to be the Christ (Acts 2:36; Ephesians 1:20, 21, 22, 23). So that, if the Jewish faith be not a saving faith at this day; seeing they look for a Messiah to come…

It is not any singular work, but a course in working which he intends. And what that work is, is declared in that parallel place of the same Apostle (1 Thessalonians 1:3), [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]; the same expressions with those in this place, which may be reckoned to the mu…

Yes, none have greater hopes for the most part than such as have no faith at all. The great use, benefit and advantage which believers have by this grace, is the supporting of their souls under the troubles and difficulties which they meet withal upon the account of the professi…

Jesus signifies a Savior; and he was called Jesus, because he was to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). He therefore concerning whom all these things are affirmed, is to be considered as our Savior; who had the name of a Savior given him by God himself, with respect…

And, (1.) The notion of the word includes in it a supposition of some evil or danger that we are delivered from. This is sin with its consequents of misery, in the curse of the law and the wrath to come; therefore it is said of Christ that he saves his people from their sins (Ma…

The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. 1 Thessalonians 1:5. Our Gospel came, not in word only, but in power.

We can never love God as he deserves: As God's punishing us is less than we deserve, Ezra 9.13. so our loving him is less than he deserves. 4. Love to God must be active; it is like fire, which is the most active element; it is called, The Labour of Love, 1 Thessalonians 1.3. Lo…

Oecolampadius on his sick-bed, when they asked him, if he wanted any light, putting his hand to his heart, said, Hic sat lucis, Here I have light enough. The saints' joy being inward sweetens affliction, it turns their water into wine (1 Thessalonians 1:6): Having received the w…

The step from sin to grace, is a work of greater difficulty and power, than to go on from grace to grace; as the Apostle maketh it a matter of more ease to save a saint, than to gain a sinner (Romans 5:8, 9, 10), and therefore degrees cannot be alike sensible as change of state.…

And 3. The end of your faith, that is, as being that for which the great God (who keeps us by his power through faith to salvation, verse 5) has wrought this faith in you. Accordingly we find it termed the work of faith (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Which when God has fully wrought, an…

It is a general rule, that all full persuasions draw on affections: let it be but a persuasion in habit, it stirs as the habit is. My word was to you not in word but in power, because it did work in you joy in the Holy Ghost (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Comparing the word of true and…

[illegible]. 1. In pursuit of this matter of Metropolitanes, he proceeds next to take notice of one observation of mine in these words. 2. To this end he informs sect. 2. that in the New Testament there is in sundry places mention made of Church [illegible] number, as Galatians…

What sort of persons they gathered into Christ's fold they themselves everywhere teach. They were born again, called with a holy and effectual calling, godly, faithful, holy, washed, justified, separated from the world and from all evil, children of God, instructed and anointed…

Nehemiah 8:10. After Nehemiah (to wit, the King's Ambassador) and Ezra the Priest and Scribe, and the Levites teaching the people, said to all the people: This is the day sanctified to the Lord your God: mourn not, neither weep (for all the people wept when they heard the words…

5. The earth is but the believer's sentinel, or at best, his watch-tower; but our hope is in heaven. (1 Thessalonians 1:10) We wait for the Son of God from heaven. Our life and treasure is there.

How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? (Romans 10:14). It is true, the word, the works of God, are not the principal object of faith, nor objectum quod; faith rests only on God, and the Lord Jesus (John 14:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:8). Your faith toward God (1 Pet…

So run, that you may obtain (Revelation 2:2). I know your works and your labor (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope: 1. We are not dead in supernatural works, and mere blocks (Romans 6:11).

And such as do believe, may be carried on in believing; such as are faithful, had need be yet more faithful; you read also (Philippians 1:25), I shall abide with you, for your furtherance and joy of faith, such a furtherance as is for the increasing and augmentation of your fait…

Most men's faith is so weak and slight, because it is taken hand over head, there is no deepness of earth (Mark 13:6) You have some light sense of religion, but slight impressions are soon defaced, and truths easily taken up are as soon quitted, the more we search into the groun…

has the same meaning as with us. Apud nos. He appears to make faith rest on a weak foundation, its relation to men, while it ought to rest on the Word of God only; and certainly the full assurance (πληροφορία) of faith is ascribed to the sealing of the Spirit, (1 Thessalonians 1…

The Spirit of Christ, which is the immediate Spring of Grace in the Heart, is all Life, all Power, all Act; 2 Corinthians 2:4.—In Demonstration of the Spirit, and of Power. 1 Thessalonians 1:5. Our Gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in Power, and in the holy Ghost.…

(5.) The Lord Christ being proposed to Sinners in the Gospel, and their acceptance or receiving of him being urged on them, it is withal declared for what end he is so proposed. And this is in general to save them from their Sins, Mat. 1. 21. or the Wrath to come whereof they ar…

He that believes on me as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water; But this he spoke of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive. And it is with respect principally to this Work of Sanctification that he is compared to flowing a…

(2.) This is a spiritual mercy, excelling in dignity of nature all others, more than gold excels the dirt under your feet, Revelation 3:18 One such gift, is worth thousands of other mercies. (3.) This is a mercy immediately slowing out of the fountain of Gods electing love, a me…

Now you must not take these Thessalonians as if they were new converts, or a people weak in the faith; but here lies the emphasis, that though these Thessalonians were the most eminent Christians of all the world, yet they had a great defect in their faith. Therefore compare thi…

First, every man that is elected, sooner or later, shall be effectually called, and savingly converted by the power of the word. This the Apostle lays down (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5): Knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God. How should this be known?

And (4.) so likewise the world (John 16:33; Galatians 1:4). And against (5.) death (Hebrews 2:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:55, 56), with (6.) the grave, and (7.) hell, or the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). They are all meritoriously conquered in his death and resurrection.

Neither is it to be omitted, that there is such a coincidence in many phrases, use of words and expressions between this Epistle, and the rest of Saint Paul's, as will not allow us to grant such a discrepancy in style, as some imagine. They have many of them been gathered by oth…

And if he should have done so, then was death eternal in the commination. This is that which with respect to the present effects in this life, and the punishment due to sin, is termed by our Apostle the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10), from where the Messiah is the Delivere…

And therefore if the consideration of a temporal deliverance were so powerful a motive to engage the Israelites to obedience; how much more effectually should we be obliged to it, whose deliverance is far greater than theirs was; for God has delivered us from the power of darkne…

Frosts and snows conduce very much to the well rooting of the seed, and makes it spread and take root much the better. So do sanctified afflictions, which usually the people of God meet with after their calling, and often in their very seed-time (1 Thessalonians 1:6). And you be…

There never yet was a Time of remarkable pouring out of the Spirit, and great Revival of Religion, but that Example had a main Hand; so it was in the Time of the Reformation, and so it evidently was in that great Out-pouring of the Spirit that was in the Apostles Days, in Jerusa…

1. In general it is a deliverance: Hence Christ is called the deliverer (Romans 11:26), giving himself to deliver us (Galatians 1:4). He is Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10). 2. It is the delivery of one from bondage or captivity; we are without…

The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). (1 Thessalonians 1:6) Received the gospel with joy in the Holy Ghost. With joy, as Peter tells believers, unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8).

He tells us, verse 5: it is from the shedding abroad of the love of God in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And therefore believers are said to receive the word in much affliction with joy of the Holy Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, and to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods. T…

1 Corinthians 2:5. That is, effectually working, in and by the Word; it works, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]; in the demonstration of the spirit and of power. [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉]: its spiritual Power gives a demonstration of it. Thus it comes not as a naked Word, 1 Thessal…

as well as delivers from the Wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1 last verse. These several Blessings included in Salvation, though they are all bestowed freely by Grace, yet have a Connection one with another, and Dependence on each other; therefore some of them are represented as…

He saves or delivers us from Sin, and from all the painful or criminal Effects and Consequences thereof: He delivers us from the Wrath to come, 1 Thessalonians 1 last verse he saves us by withholding the divine Anger from us, and taking away every thing that provoked it, or migh…

For our Love to the Law of God and a hearty Inclination to keep it, is a great Part of the very Salvation which the Gospel provides for sinful Men. Jesus Christ the Son of God is become our Saviour, not only to save us from God's Wrath, 1 Thessalonians 1:10. but also to save us…