(1 Thessalonians) Past Acts of Paul at Thessalonica — Willie Mullan

Paul's Past, Present, and Future in Thessalonica

Second chapter of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. First Thessalonians, chapter two. If you have been reading through the book this week, you will have already noticed this, that this chapter gives us some of the past performances of the great apostle and his laborers at Thessalonica.

Some of the past performances of Paul at Thessalonica. And then if you have looked carefully at the chapter, you'll know it doesn't only deal with past performances, but it deals with past problems that Paul met at Thessalonica.

Not only national, but satanical. Not only external, but internal. Past problems Paul met at Thessalonica. And then if you look carefully at the chapter, you'll notice that it doesn't only deal with Paul's past, but it gives us a little glimpse of Paul as he sends the letter to the Thessalonians, Paul's present.

How his heart was filled and filled with joy as he saw his children walking in the truth. And of course you must have noticed that not only does the chapter deal with Paul's past and Paul's present, but Paul's looking into the future in this chapter.

And he's anticipating that day when the Lord Jesus will come again, and he can see clearly by faith, these Thessalonian converts standing glorified, faultless before the throne. Why, he said, ye shall be in that day our crown of rejoicing.

So you'll see that this chapter deals with some of Paul's performances in the past, shows you some of Paul's problems, gives you a little hint of Paul's pleasure as he penned this letter to the Thessalonians, and it deals with Paul anticipating the future.

The Gospel Was Not Preached in Vain

Now let's look at some of these past performances of Paul. We get some wonderful pictures of the Apostle. To me it's almost like a picture book of the Apostle as he turns verse by verse. You see some wonderful pictures.

Let's begin at the first verse. Verse 1, For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance and unto you, that it was not in vain. You know, I can almost see Paul penning these words. It was not in vain. You know, as he's putting this down, he must be looking back, isn't he?

He remembers how he went into Thessalonica with the gospel. He remembers that multitude that we looked at last week, a great multitude believed. The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17, 16, 17th Acts. Yes, in chapter 17 it's told us that a great multitude believed when Paul preached at Thessalonica.

And you know, he's penning this. It was not in vain. Here we see him rejoicing as a reaper, or as the reaper. You know, he's rejoicing now at the wonderful things that took place. I wonder how many of us can look back down our service for the Lord Jesus and we can rejoice like this.

It was not in vain. Why, I can look back at so many places. I remember so many years ago when I pitched a tent at Holmes' Corner, at Tillie Gomeen, and as Mr. Corbett and I were late, Mr. Harry Corbett, and I went out alone one day and walked round the tent, he said, I think we should pitch the tent here, will we?

And I looked for the houses. There were none there then. This place wasn't built. I said, well, now if you think that the Lord's leaving, we'll put the tent here. And you know, friends, I look back now and I can see the tent clouded.

I can see the nights when we took down the sides, when the people sat out in the grass, when night by night people were saved. In fact, so many were saved that as soon as we took the tent down, six weeks later, they began to build the church that they are now.

And I went and pitched when there were only bricks put up the sides, and it was still crowded. And when they hadn't got a roof on and only girders, I was still pitching. And God blessed the work. It was not in vain.

How lovely to look back. Why, I can remember going so many places and seeing the hand of God in so many ways. It was not in vain. And can't I say that about this place more than any other? I remember the day when three men came from this very assembly to ask me to come.

And I blessed God again and again from the day I came. It was not in vain. Can you say this? I can remember the first time I went to preach at Queen's University. Poor little, small, insignificant thing that I was.

I'm still am. And as I walked up that front aisle and down the corridor and faced all the masters and the boys and men and girls and women, how I secretly inside trembled. And then at the end of the meeting that day, a doctor of the university came and got my arm and said, let's go and have a chat together.

And there was a doctor who said, it was not in vain. Mr. Russell and I have gone through the prison and faced all the prisoners and rattled out the sins thoroughly. And it was not in vain. And I'll go tomorrow to Queen's Island.

And I trust it will not be in vain. This is the reaper. And he's looking back with rejoicing. I wonder how many of us here this evening, we can look back at our service for God and we can say from our heart, it was not in vain.

Not in vain. That's Paul rejoicing of the reaper. But what's the next verse? Verse two. But even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated, as you know, at Philippi. Why, you remember how Paul was shamefully entreated at Philippi, he was put in the prison.

Boldness to Preach the Gospel of God

We were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God. It was much contention. I'd like all the young preachers to take their time here with me. Because just now we are looking up Paul, the picture.

Very good to look up Paul rejoicing of the reaper. But where we'll learn most this evening is looking up this picture of Paul's purpose as a picture of God. Watch what he said. We were bold in our God to speak unto you, watch, watch.

The gospel of God. Why, I wish I could thunder that out of the weight of the thunder. You know, I want you young fellows to get the hold of this. If you're going out to kick meetings where armscaves are brought in, remember you're expected to preach the gospel of God.

You're not expected to ridicule the ministers. That's not the gospel of God. You're not expected to criticize anything. If I settle modernists in this meeting, I'm teaching the word here. But when I go to Lisbon, I'll be going to preach the gospel of God.

I'll be going fishing for sinners. Paul said, I was bold to preach unto you. Get the hold of that phrase, young fellow. The gospel of God. Do you know what it is? It's God's good news for the world. You know, God has good news for the world.

Why, you young fellows, if you're going out preaching the gospel of God, get the hold of this. You're going out preaching good news and it's God's good news. Do you know what it is? I hope you know what the gospel of God is.

It's the good news that God so loved the world. Why, how wonderful to get all kinds of classes and creeds and colors of sinners and just hold them in your arms and say God loves you. You know, I can remember not so very long ago that a Roman Catholic came into the little inquiry room and sat down very slyly and she said, Mr. Moran, you know, I'm a Roman Catholic.

I said, dear, keep quiet about that sort of thing. You're a sinner and God loves you. Let's get the hold of that sort of thing. We're bringing good news to sinners and the good news begins here that God loves them.

God loves them. You're in this meeting unsaved, friend, tonight. I want you to get the hold of the good news. God loves you. God so loved you that he gave his only begotten son. Oh, that we could get that over to every unsaved man and woman in the meeting tonight.

That God so loved you, sir, that he gave his only begotten son and he didn't only give him down to earth, you know. He gave him up to the death of the class of Calvary. He said, son, go down and lay down your life as a ransom.

Whereupon I must stand justly and hold out my arms in praise and justify everyone that will except you save me. It's the good news of God's love that he so loved he gave his son. It's the good news that his son went to Calvary and gave himself a ransom for all.

It's the good news that the one who came and died rose again and it's the good news that tonight for every unsaved man there is a living savior. And it's the good news that grace makes salvation in these terms.

Whosoever believeth in him should not perish but of everlasting life. That's the gospel of God. You young fellows, stick to it. Leave the criticism to those who are able for it. If you're on the street preaching the gospel, don't start throwing stones into the water where you're fishing.

Say, you'll never catch fish like that. You see, when you're dealing with God's people, that's a different thing. They're not fish, they're sheep. You know, when a fellow goes out to round up sheep, he takes a dog with him.

And that's different. But when a fellow goes out to fish, he doesn't take the dog with him, does he? It's a different thing. He doesn't stand through stones in the water, you know. He wouldn't catch any fish like that.

Oh no, you see, in days gone by, David took a train. Because if a sheep was straying away out yonder, he'd just bump a stone beside it. Why, that would weaken the gospel. You can do that with sheep, but you can't do that with fish.

Wish I could teach you. Sometimes I scream at the least to teach you, but you don't seem to get it. Paul said, you know, I was born to preach unto you, what? Which? The gospel of God. Stick to that. Stick to that, and God will bless you.

The Gospel as God's Powerful Light

Go on learning what the gospel of God is. God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel should shine in. My, the thing that the devil's afraid of tonight is the gospel of God.

No wonder so many of the young preachers are missing it. I remember years ago, going through a very large meeting. Over a thousand people were there. Two of us were preachers. I was looked upon as sort of old-fashioned.

And the other young fellow, this was his first real big meeting. He said, I'll go first. He preached on the hands of Jesus. Said some wonderful things about the hands of Jesus. He said the things so very well that he really moved the audience with all that he had to say.

Then he came into the little back room, and we were putting our overcoats on, and nobody else there. He shut the door. He said, well, they can be honest. How did I do? I said, you were hopeless. That's what's wrong with you.

Hopeless. I said, look, I want to be your friend, and I'm talking to you in love. Where on earth was the gospel of God in that message? Oh, gospel enough. He said a lot of wonderful things, you know. And he said them wonderfully well.

You never put a spark of gospel in it. You were hopeless. That taught him a wee thing or two. He never missed a mark from that day till now. I'm trying to do the same with some of you young fellows here.

Would to God that I could get you on the bullseye. The gospel of God! That's what you need to be honest. Gospel of God. Well, watch again. He goes on about this preaching. He said, for our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile.

You see, the gospel of God, this good news, my, there's nothing deceitful about it. There's no delusion about it, you know. There's nothing twisted about the gospel of God. On to you, friend. Let me get this over to you.

That straight from the very pumping heart of God tonight comes the good news that he loved you and gave his son for you, who died and rose again. And there's a wonderful Savior for you tonight, if you'll only trust him.

And there's no question, if you know. There's no deception in this. God is pumping out. If you love him, trust him like that. And you know, if you don't, there's no need to talk. He's with faith. My, there's no twist in this wonderful message.

Entrusted With the Gospel

But watch this preacher. Look at the next verse. For as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel. Isn't that a lovely bit? You know, God really sends some people specially equipped to preach the gospel.

And you know, all the real evangelists, all the men that God has gifted to preach the gospel, and you know you can't preach except you be faithful. You can't. But it means this, that the day they trusted God, that day God trusted them, trusted us with the gospel.

And you know, there's a movement I've put tonight for them to try to stop us. Or let them try. Mind you, there's an ecumenical council in this land of ours. And I'll give you the whole truth now, and go and search it out for yourself and see if I'm right.

There are certain bodies who'd like to get together tonight. And they're going to try to get bishops over all these bodies. And if they can get bishops, then the fellow who can't get a license from the bishop won't be allowed to preach.

And one of them looked into our faces the other day and said, where will the Baptist and the Brethren be then? Well, I'll tell them where they'll be, where the Covenanters were. And we'll be going on preaching, whether Parliament, or Pugency, or Peace, or Poop, or Passion.

God sent us. And I'd like to see who'll turn us back. I would like to see. My will rears an army round us, and no time at all will give them fun. Friend, men who are sent by God can't be stopped. They can't be stopped.

Not a bit of them who were sent by God. Wouldn't the Jewish Council try to stop Peter and James and John? Don't speak any more than you've been. How did they get on with it? Wouldn't Nero try to stop the great apostle?

Wasn't the Spanish Inquisition by the same thing? If you read your history, over the bridge that brought it down, didn't they throw the old Presbyterians years ago, because they preached the gospel, and some of the Presbyterian ministries have forgotten it?

Not a half, but there's a lot of other boys who haven't forgotten it. Why, some of us read history as well as the Bible, you know. And remember, that pagan, popish, Babylonian throne has borne the best men that ever stood in Shulella, and they would do it again.

But whether they're born or not, we're going on with the gospel. We were sent. We were sent, and you can't turn men back that sent. God has trusted us. Wonderful God trusting us with the gospel, although some of us won't let them down.

Preaching to Please God, Not People

Watch again. Now, here's the bit that's most important. Verse four. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we preach not of pleasing men. No, no, no. Good God. Look, here's the bit I want you to get this.

You see, we're looking at the picture of the purpose of the great picture. Here was Paul's real purpose in life, that I might preach the gospel to please God. Well, that puts a new face on it, doesn't it?

That doesn't just mean getting a few headings, you know. That doesn't mean just being eloquent or trying to chew off your oratory. That means that each Sunday evening, and right through this mission in Lisbon, that night after night I'll be making a real endeavor to preach the gospel to please God, not men, to please God.

Well, that would put a new step into some of your, into some of your service, if you started to preach the gospel to please God. Not men. Please God. That's what Paul said. What a wonderful mind you are.

How much we can learn if we think we're dying. Look at this again. He says, not of pleasing men, but God which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words. As you know, isn't that lovely?

You know, he just wanted to bring the old fashioned message without any frills or varnish. The old fashioned story that God loved the world and gave his son who died and rose again that there was a savior for the whosoever was.

And he said, you know, we never use gospel preaching for to get something out of you. There are too many baggers in this job. Thank God that I can stand and look around this country and all the businessmen and businesswomen.

I never love talking in women. No, I never will. Never will. I can go to any part of this country of ours and I have preached in every town and almost in every village. I've never once have I dared to sponge and gob people.

And I never will. Never will. When I'm not afraid of women, I'm trusting God. And my eyes look towards the hills and I don't give a snap of my fingers for any businessman in the pitch. You think that I will drop off again here for a pound, your honor.

You're on a false plank. It'll let you down. And real men of God never use the gospel for a cloak of covetousness. Never. My, if you get them at that, you can pass them by. They're not sent of God. They're only after money.

They'll be found out sooner or later. The great apostle was a great man. So look at him. Selfish, poor, despised, for neither at any time used re-flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak of covetousness.

God is witness. Nor of men sought be glory. Neither of you. You know, they didn't preach to please parties. Oh, you know, some of the preachers, my, they know when to say certain things and they know where to say them.

And you know, when they're in a certain kind of hall, they say certain kinds of things and they get hallelujah. And then when they go to another place, they know exactly what to say there, don't they?

Well friend, I just say what's in that book and I'm never out of trouble, you know. I get into trouble every week on this Bible class, but I always get out of the trouble again. I'll be saying what's in that book, whether it troubles you or whether it doesn't.

I'm not here as a tool of a party. I keep it very tight in my own consciousness that I'm here to teach what's on the page of that book, whether you like it or whether you don't. Isn't this the way that Paul went?

Neither of men sought be glory. Neither of you nor yet of others. When we might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ. Now in those six verses, you have two pictures. You have the picture of Paul rejoicing as a reaper.

You have the picture of Paul's purpose as a preacher. He preached to please God and not men. And now you come to a different picture, the picture of the reaper, the picture of the preacher, now you come to the picture of the nurse.

The Gentleness of a Spiritual Nurse

And I want you to notice this, verse seven, but we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children. Now that's towards the unsaved. You know when Paul went in among them, he went in to fish, he went in to preach the gospel, he went in to win souls, and he that winneth souls is wise.

And the way that the gospel preacher should go in among the unsaved is as a nurse that cherishes her own children, the reference should be. Why, that's a very beautiful thing, isn't it? You can see the gentleness of the evangelist, can't you?

You can see the carefulness even as a nurse cherishes her children. And then it goes on, watch it. Verse eight, so being affectionately desirous of you, can't you see the devotedness of the apostle? We were willing to have imparted unto you not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

Why can't you see the sincereness here? This is the kind of gospel preachers we need. Gentleness, carefulness, devotedness, sincereness. Here's the picture of the gentleness of a nurse. Can't you see the joyfulness of the reaper?

Can't you see the portrait of the bishop? Can't you see the gentleness of the nurse? But watch, it goes just a bit further with these pictures. For you remember, brethren, our labor and travail for laboring night and day because we would not be judgeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

Ye are witnesses unto God also. How wholly, gospel of God, ye are witnesses unto God also. How wholly and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. He's talking about the believers now.

Holiness Among Believers

You see, of the old warrior, you can see him rejoicing as a reaper, can't you? It was not in vain. Then you can see his purpose as a preacher. I'm here to please God. Then you can see his gentleness as a nurse.

That's among the unseers. Now do you see his holiness as a saint among the unbelievers? He said, how wholly and justly and unblameably we moved among you believers. Why, sometimes when I look at those three words, I feel that I've failed in the whole three of them.

I'm not unblameable at times. I try to be just. My Paul could say, ye know, how wholly, how separately, how sanctified he was, a holy man of God, a just man, an unblameable man. Only that some of us couldn't lace our shoes.

We're looking up a saint now. Did you see the reaper? Did you see the preacher? Did you see the nurse? Did you see the saint? Holy, just, unblameable. There's another picture here yet. Did you see the 11th verse?

The Faithfulness of a Spiritual Father

Ours, ye know, how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you. Ours, our father, dotted children. Why, you're looking at the faithfulness of the father now. You see, Paul was one of the rulers in the assembly.

You know, when we come to talk about rules in the house of God, some people don't understand what we're talking about. You know, every true assembly of God's people has got rules, and the book says, you should know them that have a rule over you.

I happen to be one of the rulers in this place, just one of them. And a ruler is here to exhort you. Some people don't like exhortation. Of course, a ruler is here to comfort you, isn't he? And a ruler is here to charge you.

A ruler is here to act like the father of the family. Paul says that's how we acted. And I said, we comforted you when you needed it, and we charged you, we rebuked you when you needed it, and we exhorted you.

Very beautiful. These pictures, you know, they come out one by one. You see the joyful death of the reaper, how he rejoiced. You can see the portrait of the creature. You can see the tenderness and gentleness of the nun.

You can see the holiness of the saint. You can see the faithfulness of the father. Very beautiful pictures. Now, those are pictures of Paul's past performances among the Thessalonians. Now, I want you to notice that as a father he exhorted them and charged them always for his purpose, that ye would walk worthy of God.

My all our preaching and all our exhortation ought to be to defend that the saints would walk worthy of God who has called you unto his kingdom and glory. Now, the next little bit we needn't bother very much with, because he's just going over what we went over last week.

But I'll read it at any rate. Verse 13. For this cause also thank we God without teaching, because when ye receive the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye receive it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God, which is actually worketh also in you that believe.

Receiving and Following the Word of God

You remember last week I pointed out that when Paul went to preach at Thessalonica, preached the gospel not in words only, but in power. You remember how these Thessalonians received the word. You see, that's what you must do to get saved.

You must receive the message of the gospel. If I preach God loves you, you must receive it. If I preach God loves you so much that Christ came and died and was buried in the ground and gave his life around him for all, you must receive that truth.

If I say that Christ rose again and tonight there's a real wonderful, exalted, magnified living figure, people of faith, you must receive it. It's when you receive the message, the word, you receive the Christ.

And to as many as received him, for them give ye power to become the sons of God. But you know, there's something else after receiving. You remember we noticed this last week, verse 14. For ye, brethren, became followers.

Ah yes, you see, if you become receivers, ye must of necessity become followers. You know, this is one of the things that marks out the sheep. The Lord Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and they follow me.

Many of you heard him talking to you about baptism. Are you following on? Mind you, he went down into the water and he was baptized. Are you following? I'm a follower, yes. Ah friend, remember if you really love him, you'll follow on to know the truth.

Look again, you became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus, and then something more. For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews.

You see, you become receivers, you become followers, you become sufferers. It must be like that, it can never be any other way. You see friend, if you receive Christ as your Savior tonight, and you prepare to follow him no matter what the cost, I'll tell you this, you'll suffer.

Suffer. Why you'll be called peculiar and narrow and God only knows what. You should see some of the lovely letters I get from the devil. He writes to me now and again. Never mind. You know friends, if the Lord Jesus were back here again, and in this pulpit, they would turn him from living again.

Make no mistake about that. We're living in the same world, and there's a cloud of religious fanatics who hate the truth. So dear, my dear friends, don't worry if you suffer. You're following Christ and you must suffer.

You must suffer. But we looked up the receiving and the following and the suffering last week. But notice this, that he says, ye sufferers of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews. He says some wonderful things here against the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus.

Mind you, they did. Make no mistake about that. God will try Israel yet, for a murder. Jesus Christ an innocent man? Was he a sinless man? Was he a spotless man? Was he a harmless man? Was he a holy man?

They murdered him. Mind you, godly men have been murdered after him, and it will come again. But God will knock it down. Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. I will repay, and there's a day of vengeance coming for this world.

Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and they please not God, and are contrary to all men. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved. That's what happened in the early days, and I believe it will happen again in the last days.

You see, these great men that God sent to shape the world, they were forbidden. Forbidden by the Sanhedrin, forbidden by the Jewish council, forbidden by the leaders in the temple of Jerusalem, forbidden to preach the gospel.

It may come again. Why, this was one of Paul's problems. He was forbidden by his own nation to preach to the Gentiles. And then he goes on in verse 17. But we brethren, being taken from you for a short time and peasants not in heart, endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

Satanic Hindrances and God's Providence

Therefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us. I think there's a lovely touch here, and there's a great truth here. You see, Paul was a great preacher, there's no doubt about that.

Paul was a holy man of God. Paul was a wonderful worker for Christ. Paul was a marvelous evangelist and missionary. But when you have said all that you can say, remember he was just a man. You know, he had wee ideas of his own, just like all men have.

And he had plans to go back to satan the nation. He would just have loved to go back and to wonder why he had had revival there. A multitude had got saved. He had seen the hand of God, it was not in vain.

And he longed to go back. But you know, the devil stopped Paul's plans. But you know, the devil didn't stop God's purposes. Can you see that? Sometimes our thoughts are not God's thoughts, you know. Sometimes our ways are not God's ways.

And Paul wanted to go back, but God wanted him to go on. You know, the devil was working into God's hands. When Paul was pushed out of Philippi, he went down to Thessalonica. When Paul was pushed out of Thessalonica, he went to Berea.

When Paul was put out of Berea, he went to Athens. When Paul was put out of Athens, he went to Corinth. And everywhere the devil pushed him, further away from Thessalonica, the dust pool spread. Multitudes were one for God.

You know, your disappointment might be his appointment. I tell you, it's worth thinking about. Some of us are disappointed at times, aren't we? It may well be his appointment, and you'll find that your miss was your mercy, and that God's looking after you all the time.

You know, I can see Joseph being sold by his brethren, and I'm sure he longed to get back home. And he's down in the pitch. Then he's sold down into Egypt. Then a woman told a lie and he's put down into the prison.

And it seems this young godly fellow is thinking more and more and more and more and more and more, and then he was forgotten by a friend from the prison. And you notice from that very deepest point, from the lowest door on the keyboard of life, God brought him right away to the floor.

My God was working things out. Don't be too worried about the disappointment. Place your life in the hand of God. Let God pave the way. And your way may not be God's way. And your thoughts may not be God's thoughts.

These were Paul's problems. But can't you see the last verse? I'm not wanting to pass by the 19th one, but I want you to see the last one. You know, as Paul looks back and thinks of all that's been accomplished, he hits, to put these words down, ye are our glory and joy.

The Believer's Future Crown of Rejoicing

My, this is his present pleasure. You know, his heart's throbbing now. He's looking back, even in current, he's writing this letter. And he's looking back, he says, you know, that was the best day's work I ever did for God.

That's the crown of my labor. That's the joy of my soul. You know, I would be compelled to say that about Mary. It's my joy. I'm crying. My joy, I'm crying. What a joy, how his heart was thrilled. He never forgets, says, oh my God.

It gave him present pleasure. You see his past performance? You see his past problems? You see his present pleasure? Have a look, as he turns and looks into the future, through verse 19. What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?

Are not even these, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming? You know, he's turned right round from the past, and away from the pleasure to the present, and he's looking right into the future.

He's looking away down the ages, past our day, to the moment when Jesus will come again. And when Jesus comes to the air, the bodies of the Thessalonians will rise to meet the Lord in the air, and fall stand, and there are hundreds that he won for Christ.

Glory time. Apocalypse before the Lamb. He says, you know, that will be a crown of rejoicing. Wonder, wonder who you'll rejoice in. You ever win a soul for the Lord? Never you say, I can't preach, and I can't sing?

You ever give anything? Would you ever help on the chariot? Amen. Can you pray? My, I think you older folk, every one of you ought to crawl out to the prayer meeting when the going's good. Boy, I'm perfectly sure about this, you know.