Now I would not have you, my brethren, be mistaken about the state of the dead, lest you should be as greatly afflicted as those, who have no hope.

for the Lord himself will descend from heaven, and by the voice of the archangel, with the trumpet of God, resound the summons: they who died christians shall rise first:

for our doctrine was free from all imposture, avarice, and fraud.

therefore let us not sleep away our time like others, but be vigilant and temperate.

Now may the God of peace make you intirely holy: may every part of you, your spirit, soul, and body be preserved irreprovable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

person unsullied by the vices of the Gentiles, who know not God:

pray upon all occasions.

bring every thing to the test: if it be proof, abide by that:

be always chearful.

and such is the will of God, that you should be holy, and avoid licentiousness;

for we are persuaded, my brethren, that you are the peculiar objects of divine favour;

nor do we fail of giving thanks to God continually, that, when you received the word of God, which we preach, you did not receive it as the doctrine of men, but as a doctrine that appears to be truly divine, by the influences it displays in you, who believe.

be thankful to God for every thing, for so christians are oblig'd to be.

and even when we were with you, we foretold you, that we should be persecuted, as you know it happen'd.

that no man should be exorbitant, and behave contumeliously to his brother: because the Lord is the avenger of all such crimes, as we have formerly remonstrated to you.

they that are sober take their rest in the night, whilst they that are sots, are drunk in the night:

and you imitated us, and were imitators of the Lord, having receiv'd the word, notwithstanding all your afflictions, with that alacrity, which the holy spirit inspires.

wherefore comfort and edify one another, as you have hitherto done.

but let us, who enjoy the light, be temperate; let us be arm'd with the breast-plate of faith and charity, and for an helmet, with the hope of salvation.

It is not necessary, my brethren, to specify the exact time:

for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we must believe that God by Jesus will raise the dead, and assemble them with him.

so that you became examples to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

Finally, my brethren, we intreat and conjure you by the Lord Jesus Christ, to observe the instructions we gave you about your religious conduct, and to make continual progress therein.

don't abuse the gifts of the spirit.

for one thing I have in charge to tell you from the Lord, that we, who shall be found still alive at the coming of the Lord, shall not get the advance of those that are dead:

then we, who shall be still alive, shall be convey'd together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall ever be with the Lord.

we preach the gospel just as God thought fit to intrust it with us, not being studious to please men, but God, who approves our sincerity.

not being able therefore to wait any longer, I sent Timothy to know the state of your faith, for fear the tempter should have seduc'd you, and all our labour have prov'd abortive.

for God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness:

that whether we happen to be alive or dead, we may be secure of living with him.

our address to you was without any flattery, as you yourselves can witness, and God is witness that we had no avarice to disguise.

he therefore that violates these precepts, does not despise man, but God, who has endued me with his holy spirit.

this indeed you practise towards all our brethren in Macedonia; and we only exhort you to advance more and more therein:

but Timothy, upon his arrival here from you, brings us the agreeable news of the perseverance of your faith and charity, that you always make honourable mention of us, and that you desire to see us as ardently as we do to see you.

we never courted you nor any others, from an affectation of human applause. instead of making our apostolical character any ways expensive to you, as we might;

Our affection therefore to you being so great, we were as ready to give our lives for you, as we were to communicate the divine gospel to you, so much did you engage our love.

maintain an intire affection for them, upon account of their office, and don't form any brigues against them.

Don't allow any one to return evil for evil, but strive to do all the good you can to one another, and to all the world.

for now I am reviv'd, since you continue stedfast in the christian profession.

we behav'd to you with a tender regard, even as a mother, who nurses her own children.

Thus, my brethren, your conduct has given us great consolation, under all our persecutions and distress.

you are witnesses, and God is so too, how holy, how just and irreproachable our behaviour was to you, who believe.

for you remember, my brethren, our labour and toil: how we worked day and night, that in preaching the gospel of God, we might not be chargeable to any of you.

how can I be sufficiently thankful to God upon your account, for all the joy, which by your means we have been affected with,

now may God our father, and our Lord Jesus Christ remove all the obstructions of our journey to you.

conjuring you to live suitably to the favour of God, who has called you to his kingdom and glory.

you likewise know, that we exhorted and encouraged every one of you, as a father doth his children,

whilst night and day we make our ardent requests to him, that we may once more be present with you, that nothing may be wanting to the perfection of your faith?

don't despise the prophetic gift.

so that your way of life may stand fair to the world, and prevent your being dependent upon any man.

for, my brethren, you have followed the example of the christian churches in Judea; by having suffer'd the same persecutions from your own nation, as the churches have suffer'd from the Jews,

that by the sanctity of your affections, you may stand unreprov'd in the presence of God our father, when our Lord Jesus Christ shall come with all his holy angels.

the very men who have persecuted the Lord Jesus, and the prophets even to death; who have persecuted us; they who are regardless of pleasing the deity, and are enemies to all mankind;

who by obstructing our endeavours to save the Gentiles, continue to fill up the measure of their enormities; for which consummate vengeance is falling upon them.

Being therefore impatient to hear of you, we judg'd it proper to stay at Athens alone, and send you our brother Timothy,

he that has called you, is faithful, and this he will effect.

but you, my brethren, are too well inform'd to be surpriz'd by that day, as by a thief.

this I Paul have frequently attempted, but Satan has been my obstacle.

therefore comfort one another with this information.

on the contrary, notwithstanding the outrages, you know we suffer'd at Philippi, we had still the resolution, by the divine assistance, to preach the gospel of God to you without reserve against all opposition.

As for me, my brethren, having been so abruptly separated from you, in person, tho' not in affection, I have the more ardently endeavour'd to see you again.

you inherit the advantages of meridian light: we are not involv'd in the obscurity of night.

for you know the precepts we gave you in the name of the Lord Jesus.

My brethren, pray for us.

I conjure you by the Lord, that this epistle may be read to all our christian brethren.

that every one of you should take care to preserve the dignity of his

a minister of God, and our collegue in preaching the gospel of Christ, that by establishing you in the faith, and by his exhortations,

salute all the brethren with an holy kiss.

the favour of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. AMEN.

for ye are our glory and our joy.

none of you might be stagger'd by these persecutions: for you know that we are destin'd to suffer.

We entreat you, brethren, to respect those, who labour in the ministry, who by divine appointment preside over you, and instruct you.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the church of the Thessalonians, who believe in God the father, and in our Lord Jesus Christ. grace and peace be with you from God our father, and from Jesus Christ our Lord.

and we exhort you, brethren, reprove the disorderly, comfort the pusillanimous, support the weak, and be patient toward all men.

for you very well know, that the day of the Lord steals on like a thief in the night.

for God did not design to make us the objects of his displeasure, but to effect our felicity by the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us,

and to expect his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from impending ruin.

to study your own quiet, to mind your own affairs, and follow some handicraft trade, as we recommended it to you:

may the Lord make you increase and abound in mutual love, in love towards all men, as we do towards you:

how successful our arrival was among you, and how you renounc'd your idols to serve the living and true God,

since the gospel we preach'd, did not consist only of words, but was fully confirm'd by miracles and gifts of the holy spirit, you yourselves being witnesses, what we did among you and for you.

And you are satisfied, my brethren, that our address to you was not fallacious:

if it has the least appearance of evil, reject it.

We always mention you in our prayers, and give thanks to God for you all:

whilst they flatter themselves with peace and safety, destruction shall fall upon them, like the pangs of a woman in travail, and they shall not escape.

for what can be our hope, or joy, what can crown our pretensions, unless it be you, when we shall appear before the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

for the gospel has made so favourable a progress not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every other place, where the reputation of your divine faith has spread, that 'tis needless to mention any thing of it; since they all relate of us,

As to brotherly love, I have no occasion to write about it, God himself having instructed you to love one another.

never forgetting the effects of your faith, your charitable offices, and the constancy of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ; of which God is our witness.