of all such, as wee also have fore-warned you, and testified.
Exhort. 3. Concerning the avoiding Covetousness, lest they by deceit, violence, or evil arts, purchase their own profits by others losses, in oppressing or deceiving their Brethren.
For a Revenger] Hee adds five Reasons.
Reas. 1. God will revenge such kind of injuries.
Reas. 2. As I have before admonished you, so I also again admonish you, and I beseech you for Gods sake, that yee take heed.
Vers. 7. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
Reas. 3. From the end of our calling, to the Grace of Christ, which is not that wee defile our selves with any kind of sin, but that wee bee sanctified in all manner of virtue.
Vers. 8. Hee therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his ho∣ly Spirit.
Reas. 4. Because hee that doth not obey this Exhor∣tation, is guilty of rejecting divine authority.
Who also] Reas. 5. Because God hath given the Spi∣rit to us true Christians, whereby wee may discern what is from God, what is an abomination to him, and what judgements hang over sinners.
Vers. 9. But as touching Brotherly love, yee need not that I write unto you: for yee your selves are taught of God to love one another.
Exhort. 4. To brotherly love, and to exercise, for the future, kindness towards all: The Reasons are three.
Reas. 1. Because yee are so propense to this brother∣ly love, that it is not much necessary to urge this du∣ty.
Reas. 2. Yee are already taught, that yee love one another.
Vers. 10. And indeed yee do it towards all the Bre∣thren, which are in all Macedonia: but wee beseech you, Brethren, that yee increase more and more,
Reas. 3. Confirming the former. Now yee have real∣ly shewn this kindness towards all your Brethren near about you: Therefore go forwards, and excel in this duty.
Vers. 11. And that yee study to bee quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, (as wee commanded you.)
12. That yee may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that yee may have lack of nothing.
There follows other three Exhortations briefly conjoy∣ned in these two verses.
Exhort. 5. That yee bee not curious, looking into o∣ther mens businesses, but carry your selves quietly, and pleasingly.
To work] Exhort. 6. That yee bee not idle, but take care about your private matters, and do your businesses, work with your own hands, as I have commanded you before.
That yee] Exhort. 7. Carry your selves decently to∣wards those, and before those, that are not in the Church, and in all these duties strive amongst your selves, as it were for matter of honour; for this end especially besides others, that yee may have no need to beg any thing from the houshold of Faith, or of those that are without.
The Second Part.
Vers. 13. But I would not have you bee ignorant, Bre∣thren, concerning them which are asleep, that yee sorrow not, even as others which have no hope,
The second part of the Chapter containeth matter of consolation against the immoderate mourning for the death of friends, which hee disswades them from by two Arguments.
Arg. 1. Immoderate mourning belongs to Heathens and Infidels, who have no hope of the resurrection: Therefore immoderate mourning doth not become you.
Vers. 14. For if wee beleeve that Iesus died, and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Iesus, will God bring with him.
Arg. 2. How certain soever wee beleeve that Christ is risen from the dead, so certainly wee may also know that the faithful dead in Christ shall rise again, and bee presented alive in the company of Christ at the day of judgement: Therefore yee must have a care of immode∣rate mourning.
Vers. 15. For this wee say unto you by the word of the Lord, that wee which are alive, and remain unto the comming of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are asleep.
That this consolation may bee strong, by revelation from the Lord, hee fore-tells the manner of the com∣ming of Christ, and the resurrection; which is contained in these six Articles.
Artic. 1. The faithful that are alive at the comming of Christ, shall not prevent the resurrection of those that are dead in Christ.
Vers. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Hea∣ven with a shout, with the voice of the Arch-Angel and with the Trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Artic. 2. Christ shall descend from Heaven with all his Angels.
With the voice] Artic. 3. The manner of his com∣ming shall bee with much expression of authority and majesty, for as the chief Judge hee shall command by his authority, that every element give up their dead, from whereupon all the dead shall bee gathered together to his Tribunal, but his command shall bee promulged by some chief Angel, the Trumpet shall sound, or a voice in stead of a Trumpet, and the sound shall bee heard in all places where the dead are to bee raised.
And they] Artic. 4. The dead in Christ shall arise, before the living shall bee changed.
Vers. 17. Then wee which are alive and remain, shall bee caught together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the Air; and so shall wee ever bee with the Lord.
Artic. 5. The faithful that are alive at the comming of the Lord, being changed suddenly, in a moment, in the twinckling of an eye, from mortality to immortality, shall bee caught up together with the Saints that are rai∣sed, to meet the Lord in the Air.
And so] Artic. 6. The Saints after judgement shall go with the Lord into Heaven, and shall remain with him to eternity. Hee speaks nothing concerning the Repro∣bates, because consolation doth not pertain to them; nei∣ther concerning them, when they dye, can any comfort bee taken.
Vers. 18. Wherefore comfort one another with th••se words.
Hee applies a Prophecy to the use of the Thessalonians, that from the Resurrection every Beleever should seek comfort in his grief, and also should administer it to o∣ther Beleevers.