Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Thessalonians 3:7

7 For your selves know how ye ought to follow us. For we behaved not our selves disorderly among you .

Whereby the Apostle intimates the aggravation of their crime who did walk disorderly, and so justifies the withdrawing from them. For they would be reproved not only by his Doctrine, but Example; what he required of others he practised himself, and that in some cases for this end alone, that he might be an Example. Examples teaching more than precepts, especially in Ministers. And they did not only know how the Apostle and his fellow Ministers walked among them, but their end therein, whereby they knew they ought to follow them, and how to follow them; being guided as well as excited by their Example. And this is exprest more generally, First, Negatively, We have behaved our selves not disorderly among you, which he speaks not in a way of self-commendation, but for their imitation; and he useth here the same word to express his own practise which he did in theirs; being properly a military word as was said before. He went before them as a Captain before the Army, and taught them Order by his own Example; for in the Negative the Positive is included.

Marginal references: 1 Cor. 4.16. [illegible: 1 span] 11.1.; [illegible: 1 span] 1.6 [illegible: 1 span] 2.10.