“To the end he may stablish your hearts, etc.]” Which are very unstable and inconstant in their frames, and in the exercise of grace, and have need to be established in the love of God, against the fears of men, the frowns of the world, the temptations of Satan, and in, and with the doctrines of grace; (see Gill on “1 Thessalonians 3:2”), “unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father.” There is no holiness in men naturally; what is in them without the grace of God is only a show; true holiness is from the Spirit of God; and this is a stable thing in itself, and can never be removed or taken away; but the acts of it, through the prevalence of corruption,…

“And the Lord make you to increase, etc.]” That is, the Lord the Spirit; so that the object of prayer, addressed by the apostle, is Father, Son, and Spirit, as in (Revelation 1:4,5). The Alexandrian copy reads “God”. The Spirit is God, equally with the Father and the Son, and so a fit object of prayer with them, which otherwise he would not be. The request is, that he would cause these saints to increase in number, as the first churches greatly did: and in the gifts of the Spirit, which he divides to men severally as he will; and in his graces, as in faith, in hope, in holiness, in humility, in knowledge, in spiritual joy and strength, an increase in all which is…

“Now God himself, and our Father, etc.]” The Oriental versions leave out the copulative “and”, and read, “God himself, our Father” the first person in the Trinity, who is God himself, truly and properly so; and who is a God that hears prayer; and who is omnipotent, and able to do more than the saints can ask or think; and omniscient, and knows their persons and cases, and what is proper for them, and how and when to help and supply them; and he is also the God of all grace, the author and giver of it, and who is able to make it abound, and increase it, and so a very proper object of prayer: and who is likewise the Father of Christ, and…

“Night and day praying exceedingly, etc.]” This good news, not only comforted their hearts, and revived their spirits, and filled them with joy and thankfulness, but also sent them to the throne of grace to pray without ceasing, continually, night and day, and as often as they went thither, and that with great fervency and earnestness, in a multitude of petitions; or, as the Arabic version renders it, “with prayers exceeding a multitude”; with innumerable requests: “that we might see your face:” Once more, and converse face to face: “and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?” In the grace of faith; for though they remembered their work of faith with pleasure, and had had good tidings of it very lately, and were…

“For what thanks can we render to God again for you, etc.]” They had given thanks to God for them before, for their faith, love, and patience; (see 1 Thessalonians 1:2,3) and now having received a further account of them, they looked upon themselves bound to give fresh thanks to God for them, for the increase of their faith and love, and for their perseverance, as they did; (see 2 Thessalonians 1:3 2:13) since these are gifts of God's grace; but they knew not where to begin, what to render, and when to end: the phrase is much like that in (Psalm 116:12) “what shall I render unto the Lord”, etc. “for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God:” The…