Hovv S. Paul vvith Silas (or Siluanus) and Timothee according to a vision calling him out of Asia into Macedonia, came to Philippi being the first citie thereof, vve reade Act. 16. And hovv againe from Philippi, after scourging and imprisoning there, he came to Thessalonica being the head citie of that countrie, vve reade Act. 17. vvhere after 3 vveekes preaching, the Ievves stirred the citie against them, and pursued them also to Beræa: so that Paul vvas conueied fromthence to Athens, vvhere he expected the c&obar;ming of Silas & Timothee from the foresaid Beræa in Macedonia, but receiued them (as vve haue Act. 18.) at Corinth in Achaia.

Hauing therefore left the Thessalonians in such persecution, and being careful to knovv hovv they did in it, he vvas desirous to returne vnto them, as he signifieth in the 2 chapter of this Epistle v. 17. But (as he there addeth) Satan hindered vs. therefore tarying himself at Athens, he sendeth Timothee vnto them. at vvhose returne vnderstanding their constancie, he is much comforted, as he declareth c. 3. So then they are all three together at the vvriting of this Epistle, as also vve haue in the title of it: Paul and Siluanus and Timothee to the Church of the Thessalonians. And therefore it seemeth to haue bene vvritten at Corinth, not at Athens: because after the sending of Timothee to Thessalonica, they mette not at Athens againe, but at Corinth.

The first three chapters of it are, to confirme and comfort them against the tentations of those persecutions. The other tvvo are of exhortation, to liue according to his preceptes, namely in sanctification of their bodies, and not in fornication: to loue one an other: to comfort one an other about their frendes departed, vvith the doctrine of the Resurrection, and vvith continuall preparation to die: the laietie to obey, and the Cleargie to be diligent in euery point of their office.

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS. Chap. I. He thanketh God for them, 4 and gathereth that they are elect, because his preaching at their first conuersion vvas vvith diuine povver, and they on the other side receiued it vvith al ioy, notvvithstanding the great persecution that vvas raised against them.

1   Pavl and Siluanus and Timothee to the Church of the Thessalonians in God the Father, & our Lord Iesvs Christ. Grace to you and peace.

2    ^noteVve giue thankes to God alvvaies for al you: making a memorie of you in our praiers without intermissi&obar;,

3   mindeful of the vvorke of your faith and labour, and of the charitie, & of the enduring of the hope of our Lord Iesvs Christ, before God and our father:

4   knovving brethren beloued of God, your election:

5   that our Gospel hath not been to you in word only, but in povver and the holy Ghost, and in much fulnesse, as you knovv vvhat maner of men vve haue been among you for your sakes.

6   And you became 09Q1254 folovvers of vs, & of our Lord: receiuing the vvord in much tribulation, vvith ioy of the holy Ghost:

7   so that you were made a paterne to al that beleeue in Macedonia & in Achaia.

8   For from you vvas bruited the vvord of our Lord: not only in Macedonia and in Achaia, but in euery place, your faith vvhich is to God vvard, is proceded, so that it is not necessarie for vs to speake any thing.

9   For they them selues report of vs vvhat maner of entring vve had to you: and how you are turned to God ^note from Idols, to serue the liuing and true God,

10   and to expect his Sonne from heauen (vvhom

he raised vp from the dead) Iesvs, vvho hath deliuered vs from the vvrath to come. &cross4; ^note Chap. II. He calleth euen them selues to vvitnes, that his preaching vnto them vvas as he said, in most commendable maner. 13 And againe on the other side he thanketh God for their maner of receiuing it: that is, vvith al ioy, notvvithstanding the persecution of their ovvne citizens.

1   For your selues knovv, brethren, our entrance vnto you, that it vvas not vaine:

2   but ^note hauing suffered before and ^note been abused vvith contumelies (as you knovv) at Philippi, vve had confidence in our God, to speake vnto you the Gospel of God in much carefulnes.

3   For our exhortation vvas not of errour, nor of vncleannesse, nor in deceite:

4   but as vve vvere approued of God that the Gospel should be committed to vs, so vve speake: not as pleasing men, but God, vvho proueth our hartes.

5   For neither haue we been at any time in the vvord of adulation, as you knovv: nor in occasion of auarice, God is vvitnes:

6   nor seeking glorie of men, neither of you, nor of others.

7   Vvhereas vve might haue been a burd&ebar; to you, as the Apostles of Christ: but vve became ^note children in the middes of you, as if a nource should cherish her children:

8   so hauing a desire to you, vve would gladly deliuer vnto you not only the Gospel of God, but also our ovvne soules: because you are become most deere vnto vs.

9   For you are mindeful, brethren, of ^note our labour and toile. day & night vvorking, lest vve should charge any of you, vve preached among you the Gospel of God.

10   You

are vvitnesses and God, hovv holily and iustly and vvithout blame, vve haue been to you that did beleeue.

11   as you knovv in vvhat maner we desiring and comforting you, haue adiured euery one of you (as a father his children) that you vvould vvalke vvorthie of God, vvho hath called you into his kingdom and glorie.

12   Therfore vve also giue thankes to God vvithout intermission: because that vvhen you had receiued of vs the vvord of the hearing of God, you receiued it not as the vvord of men, but (as it is in deede)09Q1255 the vvord of God, who vvorketh in you that haue beleeued.

13   For you, brethren, are become folovvers of the churches of God that be in Iewrie, in Christ Iesvs: for you also haue suffered the same things of your ovvne lineage, as they also of the Ievves,

14   vvho both killed our Lord Iesvs, and the Prophets, and haue persecuted vs, and please not God, and are aduersaries to al men,

15   prohibiting vs to speake to the Gentiles that they may be saued, to make vp their sinnes alvvaies. for the vvrath of God is come vpon them euen to the end.

16   But vve, brethren, ^note depriued of you for a short time, in sight, not in hart: haue hastened the more aboundantly to see your face vvith much desire.

17   For vve vvould haue come to you, I Paul certes, once and againe: but Satan hath hindered vs.

18   For vvhat is our hope, or ioy, or crovvne of glorie? ^noteAre not you before our Lord Iesvs Christ in his comming?

19   For you are our glorie and ioy. ^note Chap. III. Because he could not come him self, as he desired, he sent Timothee, 6 At vvhose returne novv vnderstanding that they stand stil stedfast, notvvithst&abar;ding al those persecutions, he reioyceth excedingly: 10 praying that he may see them againe, 12 and for their increase in charitie.

1   For the vvhich cause forbearing no longer, it pleased vs to remaine at Athens, alone.

2   And vve sent Timothee our brother, & the minister of God in the Gospel of Christ, to confirme you and exhort you for your faith,

3   that no man be moued in these tribulations, for your selues knovv, that vve are appointed to this.

4   For euen vvh&ebar; vve vvere vvith you, vve foretold you that vve should suffer tribulati&obar;s, as also it is come to passe, & you knovv.

5   Therfore I also forbearing no l&obar;ger, sent to knovv your faith: lest perhaps he that tempteth, hath tempted you, & our labour be made vaine.

6   But now ^note Timothee c&obar;ming vnto vs fr&obar; you, & reporting to vs your faith & charitie, and that you haue a good rem&ebar;brance of vs alvvaies, desiring to see vs, as vve also you:

7   therfore vve are c&obar;forted, brethr&ebar;, in you, in al our necessitie & tribulation, by your faith,

8   because novv vve liue, if you stand in our Lord.

9   For vvhat thankes-giuing can vve render to God for you, in al ioy vvherevvith vve reioyce for you before our God,

10   night and day more aboundantly praying that vve may ^note see your face, and may accomplish those things that vvant of your faith.

11   And God him self and our Father, and our Lord Iesvs Christ direct our vvay to you.

12   And our Lord multiplie you, and make your charitie abound one to an other, & tovvard al men: as vve also in you,

13   to c&obar;firme your hartes vvithout blame, in holinesse, before God and our Father, in the comming of our Lord Iesvs Christ vvith al his Sainctes. Amen. Chap. IIII. He exhorteth them to liue as he taught them: and namely to absteine from al fornicati&obar;, 9 to loue one an other, 11 to meddle onely vvith their ovvne matters, 12 to behaue them selves vvel tovvard the Infidels. 13 Touching their frendes departed, he comforteth them, shevving that they shal meete againe at the Resurrection, and be vvith Christ for euer.

1    ^noteFor the rest therfore, brethren, vve desire & beseeche you in our Lord Iesvs, that as you haue receiued of vs hovv you ought to vvalke, and to please God, as also you doe vvalke, that you abounde more.

2   For you knovv vvhat precepts I haue giuen

to you by our Lord Iesvs.

3   For this is the vvil of God, your sanctificati&obar;: that you abstaine from fornication,

4   that euery one may knovv to possesse his vessel in sanctification and honour:

5   not in the passion of lust, as also the Gentiles that knovv nor God,

6   and that no man ouergoe, nor circumuent his brother in businesse: because our Lord is reuenger of al these things, as vve haue foretold you, & haue testified.

7   For God hath not called vs into vncleannesse: but into sanctification. &cross4;

8   Therfore he that despiseth these things, despiseth09Q1256 not man but God, vvho also hath giuen his holy Spirit in vs.

9   But concerning the charitie of the ^note fraternitie, vve haue no neede to vvrite to you: for ^note your selues haue learned of God to loue one an other.

10   Yea and you doe it tovvard al the brethren in al Macedonia. But vve desire you brethr&ebar;, that you ^note abo&ubar;d more:

11   & that you employ your indeuour to be quiet, & that you doe your ovvne businesse, & vvorke vvith your ovvne handes, as we haue c&obar;maunded you:

12   and that you vvalke honestly tovvard them that are vvithout: and neede nothing of any mans.

13    ^noteAnd vve vvil not haue you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that09Q1257 sleepe, that you be not sorovvful, as also others that haue no hope.

14   For if vve beleeue that Iesvs died and rose againe, so also God them that haue slept by Iesvs vvil bring vvith him.

15   For this vve say to you in the vvord of our Lord, ^note that ^note vve vvhich liue, vvhich are remaining in the aduent of our Lord, shal not preuent them that haue slept.

16   For our Lord him self in commaundement and in the voice of an ^note Archangel and in the tr&obar;pet of God vvil descend from heauen: and the dead that are in Christ, shal rise againe first.

17   Then vve that liue, that are left, vvithal shal be taken vp vvith them in the cloudes to meete Christ, into the aire, and so alvvaies vve shal be vvith our Lord.

18   Therfore c&obar;fort ye one an other in these vvordes. &cross4; ^{note note}

Chap. V. To talke of the time of the Resurrection is not necessarie, but to prepare our selues against that time so sodaine and so terrible to the vnprepared. 12 He beseecheth the laietie to be obediens, 14 and the Clergie to be vigilant, vvith many short precepts mos.

1   And of the times and momentes, brethren, you neede not that vve vvrite to you.

2   For your selues knovv perfectly that the day of our Lord shal so come, as ^note a theefe in the night.

3   For vvhen they shal say, peace & securitie: then shal sodaine destruction come vpon them, as the paines to her that is vvith childe, and they shal not escape.

4   But you brethren are not in darknesse: that the same day may as a theefe ouertake you.

5   For al you are the children of light, and children of the day: vve are not of the night nor of darknesse.

6   Therfore let vs not sleepe as also others: but let vs vvatch and be sober.

7   For they that sleepe, sleepe in the night: & they that be drunke, be drunke in the night.

8   But vve that are of the day, are sober, ^note hauing on the breast-plate of faith and ^note charitie, and a helmet, the hope of saluation.

9   For God hath not appointed vs vnto vvrath, but vnto the purchasing of saluation by our Lord Iesvs Christ,

10   vvho died for vs: that vvhether vve vvatch, or sleepe, vve may liue together vvith him.

11   For the vvhich cause comfort one an other: & edifie one an other, as also you doe.

12   And vve beseeche you brethren, that you vvil knovv them that labour among you, and that gouerne you in our Lord, and admonish you:

13   that you haue them more aboud&abar;tly in charitie for their vvorke. haue peace vvith them.

14    ^noteAnd vve beseeche you brethren, admonish the vnquiet, comfort the vveake-minded, beare vp the vveake, be patient to al.

15   See that ^note none render euil for euil to any man: but alvvaies that vvhich is good pursue tovvards eche other, and tovvards al.

16   Alvvaies reioyce.

17    ^notePray ^note vvithout intermission.

18   In al things giue thankes. for this is the vvil of God in Christ Iesvs in al you.

19   The Spirit extinguish not.

20   Prophecies despise not.

21   But09Q1258 prooue al things: hold that which is good.

22   From al appearance of euil refraine your selues.

23   And the God of peace him self sanctifie you in al things:

that your vvhole spirit, and soule and body vvithout blame may be preserued in the comming of our Lord Iesvs Christ. &cross4;

24   He is faithful, that hath called you, vvho also vvil doe it.

25   Brethren pray for vs.

26   Salute al the brethren in a holy kisse.

27   I adiure you by our Lord that this epistle be read to al the holy brethren.

28   The grace of our Lord Iesvs Christ be vvith you. Amen. ^note

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