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CHAP. IX.

THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE

THESSALONIANS.

No. I.

T is known to every reader of fcripture,

IT

that the first epistle to the Theffalonians fpeaks of the coming of Chrift in terms which indicate an expectation of his speedy appearance: "For this we fay unto you by "the word of the Lord, that we which are "alive and remain unto the coming of the "Lord fhall not prevent them which are

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afleep. For the Lord himself fhall defcend " from heaven with a fhout, with the voice "of the archangel, and with the trump of "God, and the dead in Chrift fhall rife "firft; then we which are alive and re

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main, shall be caught up together with them "in the clouds-But ye, brethren, are not "in darkness, that that day should overtake

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you as a thief" (chap. iv. 15, 16, 17. chap. v. ver. 4).

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Whatever other conftruction these texts may bear, the idea they leave upon the mind of an ordinary reader, is that of the author of the epistle looking for the day of judgement to take place in his own time, or near to it. Now the ufe which I make of this circumftance, is to deduce from it a proof that the epistle itself was not the production of a fubfequent age. Would an impoftor have given this expectation to St. Paul, after experience had proved it to be erroneous? or would he have put into the apostle's mouth, or, which is the fame thing, into writings purporting to come from his hand, expreffions, if not neceffarily conveying, at least easily interpreted to convey, an opinion which was then known to be founded in miftake? I ftate this as an argument to fhew that the epiftle was contemporary with St. Paul, which is little lefs than to fhew that it actually proceeded from his pen. For I queftion whether any ancient forgeries were executed in the life-time of the perfon whofe name they bear; nor was the primitive fituation of the church likely to give birth to fuch an attempt.

No.

No. II.

Our epiftle concludes with a direction, that it should be publicly read in the church to which it was addreffed: "I charge you

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by the Lord, that this epiftle be read "unto all the holy brethren." The exiftence of this claufe in the body of the epistle is an evidence of its authenticity; because to produce a letter purporting to have been publicly read in the church of Theffalonica, when no fuch letter in truth had been read or heard of in that church, would be to produce an imposture destructive of itself. At least, it seems unlikely that the author of an impofture would voluntarily, and even officioufly, afford a handle to fo plain an objection. Either the epistle was publicly read in the church of Theffalonica during St. Paul's life-time, or it was not. If it was, no publication could be more authentic, no fpecies of notoriety more unquestionable, no method of preserving the integrity of the copy more fecure. If it was not, the claufe we produce would re

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main a ftanding condemnation of the for-gery, and, one would suppose, an invincible impediment to its fuccefs.

If we connect this article with the preceding, we fhall perceive that they combine into one ftrong proof of the genuinenefs of the epiftle. The preceding article carries up the date of the epiftle to the time of St. Paul; the prefent article fixes the publication of it to the church of Theffalonica. Either therefore the church of Theffalonica was impofed upon by a falfe epiftle, which in St. Paul's life-time they received and read publicly as his, carrying on a communication with him all the while, and the epiftle referring to the continuance of that communication; or other Chriftian churches in the fame life-time of the apostle, received an epiftle purporting to have been publicly read in the church of Theffalonica, which nevertheless had not been heard of in that church; or laftly, the conclufion remains, that the epiftle now, in our hands is genuine.

Be

No. III.

Between our epiftle and the history the accordancy in many points is circumftantial and complete. The history relates, that, after Paul and Silas had been beaten with

many ftripes at Philippi, fhut up in the inner prifon, and their feet made faft in the stocks, as foon as they were discharged from their confinement they departed from thence, and, when they had paffed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, came to Theffalonica, where Paul opened and alledged that Jefus was the Chrift, Acts xvi. 23, &c. The epiftle written in the name of Paul and Sylvanus (Silas), and of Timotheus, who alfo appears to have been along with them at Philippi, (vide Phil. No.iv.) speaks to the church of Theffalonica thus: "Even after "that we had fuffered before, and were "fhamefully entreated, as ye know, at

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Philippi, we were bold in our God to

speak unto you the gospel of God with "much contention," (ii. 21).

The history relates, that after they had been fome time at Theffalonica,

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"the

Jews

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