and demonstration of the Spirit and power in opening vp of the text and raising groundes of doctrine he had a speciall grace in teaching he was cleare and sententious in conuincing powerfull in exhorting earnest and pithie in correcting vehement who for graces being in account and honoured was more humble rara virtw humilitas honorata who being prouoked was lesse vindictine who preased more to keepe the chaire of Veritie cleane from corrupt passions that the word of God might haue free passage and be glorified Who sought the world lesse Who estemed lesse of these earthly thinges For he behaued himselfe as a faithfull seruant of God not seeking himselfe but Iesus Christ as a pilgrime heere yea and crucified to the world for knowing that here he had no continuing cittie he sought for one to come he had his conuersation in heauen from whence he looked for Iesus Christ his Sauiour to come And hauing liued such an holy life to the glorie of God there followed a most sweete and comfortable death in Iesus whom he counted alwayes to be his aduantage Reuel â—word 13. And blessed are they that dies in Iesus for they rest from their labours and their vvorkes follovv them O how great a wound did the church receiue by the losing of such a meÌ„ber Experience teaches vs this day when there is such distraction of harts in the Church what inlack we haue of this man whose labours in the like dayes and cases the Lord while he liued blessed wonderfully His life preached his death preached to the world Many one who heard him found in experience that he ranne not vnsent For he laboured not in vaine 1. Tim. 3. 2. c. but the grace of God was powerfull in him and by him to many Finally he as a viue exemplar represented to vs such qualities and conditions as the Spirite of God requires to be in a Bishop of Iesus Christ Tuâ— 7. 8 Put why insist we to speake to you Sir of this man who was wel knowne almost to all but most interely to you Neither was he steadable to the faithfull that heard him by his vine voice onely in his life preaching but also his workes yet teaches the posteritie For his learned and judicious writtings left behind him in latine hes acquired to him a famous name and reuerend account among the learned in sundry nations who professe that therby no smal edification redounds to the Church of God And therefore seeing that God did accompany his forme of teaching so powerfully with his spirit and made it so profitable we haue thoght meet to set out these his Lectures vpon the two Epistles to the Thessalonians that not only the simple may be instructed thereby but also the teachers may know and imitate his gratious forme of teaching as likewise because the other Sermons that were before imprinted hes bene receiued with great lyking by the humble and such as desire to be edified Now Sir whereas others in such cases vses to say that they were aduising as doubtsome to whose patronage they should recommend their worke we heerein are releeued of this care we need no deliberation for to whom in all respects can it belong but to you First in respect of that inteere and exceeding loue and familiaritie that was betweene you and the Author heereof For from once by his preaching the Lord wroght in your hart all who knew M. ROLLOCK knew also how ye loued him delyted in his companie and conference set your selfe in all thinges to pleasure him what testimonies of true loue and vnfained kindnesse ye would haue vttered to him how freely for the loue of Iesus ye would haue communicate to him temporall thinges if that man who was so well content with that he had could haue suffered you and had not stayed the course of your liberalitie Also when that last messenger and fore-runner of death did sease vpon his fraile and weakned bodie few are ignorant how carefull ye were for his greater ease to haue him transported to your owne house How liberallie ye and your bed-fellow whose praise ought not nor shall not be buried in obliuion bestowed on him all thinges necessare and commodious how chearefully ye receiued and intertained for his cause all them that came to visite him and what great benefite ye counted the Lord bestowed on you in that he offered the occasion which long ye wished to showe your liberalitie in temporall thinges towardes such a rate vessell of mercie and faithfull seruant of Iesus from whom he had receiued so many spirituall thinges Againe who is ignorant what affection and kyndnesse ye haue vttered and daily vtters towardes his relict and posthume for his cause yea and towardes all these who loued him in Christ Next to passe by that M. ROLLOCK in testimonie of his loue dedicate to you his commentare in Latine on the second of these Epistles as also that in his Testament he ordeined that all his bookes which he left to be printed after his decease should be dedicate to you and come out vnder your name and patrocinie that whosoeuer gote commoditie thereof next after God might giue the honour and thankes vnto you after a speciall sort this worke requyres your patronage For throgh your care moyen and expenses these Lectnres were collected and gathered from the handes of these who wraite them from his mouth by your moyen and procurement they were reuised corrected and made apt for the printing by your meanes they now see the light which they had neuer seene but had bene buried in darknesse if the Lord had not made you an instrument to publishe them Last if that the paines which hath bene taine in reuising correcting and making them apt for the printing might yeelde any right to make choise of a patrone to this work we would not nor could not offer it to any but to you Sir not onely because of the vndeserued loue and kyndnesse ye vtter daily towardes vs yea and towardes all the seruants of Christ both publikly and priuily as they themselues doe testifie but also in respect ye were the Author to mooue vs to vndertake such traueiles Indeeed such a propine is farre inferior either to your desertes or our desire and therefore we present it not so much thinking thereby to discharge and satisfie the debt as to acknowledge our obligation to you and to be a testimonie of our thankfulnesse For these causes Sir we desire you to receiue this work in your patronage and protection to defend it from the speaches of such as hes not learned yet to speake well of any person or their workes For we are not ignorant how much and oft they who set forth other mens works vse to be subject to the sharpe censure of men and how little thankes commonly either they get or may looke for of many so that few would be found to take trauaile in them except they were rather moued through the loue of the glorie
vve shall finde as many destroyed by deceit as by violence and a faire clocke of justice casten ouer deceite And in vvhat thing should they not circumveene In any manner of dealling or trafficking The Lord so long as it pleases him that we remaine in this worlde hes appointed a mutuall buying and selling otherwayes we could not liue and he hes ordained this buying and selling to be so that bothe the parties winne the buyer winne the seller-winne and he vvho blockes aright and deales vvithin his neighbour according to the word of God aright he vvill not be content to vvinne himselfe alone No the conscience of him will say and must say I vnderstand as I haue made my ovvne vauntage so shoulde my brother make his vauntage also But alas such is our selfe loue that vve can neuer thinke vve get aduauntage except our brother get losse Alas this sin is ouer much vsed in Scotland The Lord amend it The Lord is the auenger of sinne And if in blocking thou seeke not the aduauntage of thy neighbor that blocks with thee with thy aduantage thy aduantage shall be a curse to thee and thou shalt cursse the time that euer thou got that aduantage Whom should they not deceaue He sayes a brother Thou shouldst not beguyle any man neither Turke nor Pagane much more shouldst thou beware to beguile a Christian a brother or sister for I assure thee God will not see them wrongde The Lord that is thy master he vvill repaire the vvrong He that is made a brother to the first begotten of the Father the Lord vvill not see that brother vvrongde The Apostle 1. Corinth chap. 6. verse 8. settes dovvne that matter as a great indignitie saying Ye doe injurie ye doe hurt to your brother and them vvho hes giuen their names to Christ ye shame your selues to beguyle your brethren But to open the matter more deeplie There are manie conjunctiones the Lorde hes ordained to be among men as of bloude affinity ciuile societie c. and euerie one of these conjunctiones oblishes them to do no wrong to that person with whom they are conjoined But when this Christian conjunction commes in in our elder brother Christ when we are all members of one bodie in one head Christ not sundrie bodies as brethren on earth are this conjunction aboue all conjunctiones bindes me and thee to deale truelie in anie blocke vve haue vvith our brother So vvhen thou art dealing vvith anie man say this vvith thy selfe he with vvhom I deale is my brother and a member of that bodie of Christ and therefore farre be it from me to deceyue him Alas if men coulde thinke on this at their blocking that they vse to deale vvith a brother in Christ and member of that bodie for all the vvorlde they vvoulde not set themselues to beguile their brother Many testifies by their deceite they are not brethren in this bodie for if they vvere brethren indeed for all the world they vvoulde not deceaue them Novv there is heere another thing I see among all conjunctiones that euer hes beene in any societie or conjunction in this earth the most powerfull conjunction to keep men together in one societie and mutuall loue and concord is this spirituall conjunction of vs in the Lord All the lawes and conjunctions that euer hes been in any commonwel since the beginning are not so powerfull to keepe men in societie as this conjunction we haue together in one head Marke it I tell you if men and wemen be not joined together in one head by a spirituall vnion it may be there be a face of vnitie in the Countrie but no societie and sinceritie in loue except the Lord be the binder and conjoiner together no true conjunction If Christ be not the conjoyner and the binder of the man with the wife the father with the sonne no true conjunction I will not say that that Romane and Grecian Common-well that had no part in God through Iesus Christ had euer any true conjunction or sinceritie in loue No sinceritie in concorde but that that is made vp in Iesus the Lord when we runne all in to be members of one bodie and he sitting and joyning vs altogether as peeces of that bodie then there will be a sweete conjunction Alas ye see this sweete harmonie and vnitie is not among people yea alas among them that professes Christianitie greater outcasts nor among Turkes The cause is there are manie and ouer manie that call themselues Christians and takes vpon them to be in the bodie that hes no part in Iesus and hes nothing adoe with him It is shame that they should take this name vpon them for it is true if thou wert a true member of that bodie thou wouldst not seuere thy selfe from the rest of the bodie by thy murther oppression deceit c. These homicides and murtherers does testifie men and wemen are not truelie conjoyned in this bodie but keepes the name of Christianitie without effect Now he casts to one reason of these two thinges saying God is the anâ—â—ger of all such thinges bothe of deceitfulusse and oppression The reason is terrible and it telles vs God sees all and teaches vs that in this rinke to Heauen if we be not hedged in with terrors yea the best of vs with terrors on this side and terrors on that side we will runne out of the way And therefore as God hes appointed faire promises to exhort men to goe forward saying Goe forward thou shalt get a faire Crowne So on the other part knowing faire promises will not doe the turne he threatens judgements saying Goe thou out of the way my vengence shall ouertake thee yea he does more nor this and casts in greater terrors he knowes that wordes will not doe the turne whiles he takes an harlote as it were by the neck and and in the sight of the world he will teare him in peeces and let men see that the vengence of God followes on sin and wil strike him with such a sodaine death that men will feare to doe the like We see daily such experience of Gods judgements whiles he vvill take an oppressour vvho hes oppressed men in this world and wil tred on him with his feet to terrifie the world and this is his daily doing in this world Now taking this man and that woman now and then punishing them to let the world see that punishment is for sinne and sin craues judgement yea and let them see there is a day of judgement comming when he wil tak soule and bodie and cast them into hel For these temporall judgements are but as many tokens to tell vs there is a day comming when all oddes shall be made euen When ye see a man plagued temporallie stand not there but thinke on the last punishment vnlesse repentance interueene Ye will maruell when ye see a man running in wickednesse that the Lord in our sight instantlie strikes him not No knowe
to Christ and are translated from this vvorld that ye thanke him in prosperitie and aduersitie in vvell and vvoe there is the meaning Then ye see in this place a speciall vvill of God concerning this calling vve stand in and the speciall vvill of God concerning vs Christians is that vve thanke him Christian men and vvemen are most debtfull to thanke him and ought aboue all creatures to thanke him Fy on thee that vvill take the name of Christ on thee and not thanke him Thanke him in all things he can lay before thee It is his will that thou thanke him at least striue to thanke him for well and woe prosperity and aduersity for death aswell as life As for other men Iewes Turkes and Pagans c. that are not Christians God craues not this thanksgiuing at them A maruelous thing The Turke he hes the glory and wealth of the vvorld and yet the Lord sayes I vvill haue no thankes of thee neither in vvell nor in vvoe because thou art not in Christ all my glory is in Christ all the seruice I craue in the vvorld is in Christ So the pratling of the Turke and Ievv that makes them to thanke God is all but vanitie he craues it not of them O hovv great a honour is it to call a man to thanke and to serue him No neuer King got such great honour as vve get vvhen vve are called to thanke and to serue that King of Kings all our glory standes in seruing and making homage to God so blessed are they that are called to this honour through Iesus Christ Therefore he sayes through Christ meaning that in Christ is the matter of all thanksgiuing There is matter in Christ of all thanksgiuing In vvell and vvoe Christ is to me aduantage both in lyfe and death sayes Paul If thou hast aduantage in death vvhy should not thou thanke him In one word where Christ is there is matter of thanksgiuing to God in the greatest misery we can be in the world Againe where Christ is not and who are not in him as members of that glorious body ioyned in society with that glorious head if they had all this broad world they haue no cause to be merie nor to thanke no to open their mouth to praise And to speak the trueth they cannot be merie They may laugh but the true ioy is in God he is the Lord of ioy a man may well laugh but he can haue no true ioy except he haue Iesus in his hart That man in aduersitie and in the point of death will laugh more sweetly and vtter greater ioy nor the greatest worldly man in the midst of his prosperitie So I say and I command thee looke that thou reioice not without Christ I say to all men reioyce not but be sad if thou hast not Christ The Lord hes not ordeined thee to be glad it is his will onely that they that are in Christ reioyce and be neuer glad vntill thou get Christ I counsell you if ye had all the world if ye find not Christ in the hart be neuer glad What matter hast thou to be glad when the great God turnes his back on thee It may be he will cast a kingdome to thee ouer his shoulder as it were a bone casten to a dog what is that to thee if thou get not his ioyfull presence Read Dauid in all his Psalmes he was neuer glad but when he had the presence of God Now I come to the next precept Quench not the spirit The wordes are few but they conteyne great matter Quench not the spirit put not out the holy Spirit of Christ Take heed He â—es bene speaking before of the graces of God What is patience in suffering wrong What is joy What is thankfulnesse but the graces of the Spirit He hes beene before speaking of his graces and recommending them to thee Now he commes to that glorious person himselfe vvho is the giuer and vvorker of all these graces of Patience of Joy of Prayer and Thanks-giuing The holie Spirit the third person of the Trinitie that God giues to me and thee if thou be Gods seruant It is vanity to think that a true Christian man gettes onely the graces of the Spirit they get the verie Spirite No it is not the graces of the Spirite that will dwell in the hart and soule and bodie of a man no but the Spirit it selfe The Spirit will dvvell as surelie vvithin thy hart as euer a man dvvelt in an house That Comforter that Christ promised to his disciples when he was going vp to Heauen was not the graces of the Spirit no but the Spirite it selfe to dwell in our hart and to work it in al the graces So it is not the graces but the spirit he speaks of here when he saies quench not the spirit Paul saies Ephes chap 4. vers 30 Grieue not the holy spirit It is a simple guestning to make thy guest sad make not the spirit of Christ sad Paul saies in another place that the spirit is giuen thee as an arlispenny of thy saluation Ephes cha 1. vers 14. Thou â—oses the arles-pennie if thou make him sad But to the wordes The speache when he saies Quenching of the spirit quenche not the Spirit appeares to be metaphoricall It is borrovved and not proper and it is borrovved from a fyre or candle that vses to giue light and heate Then if it must not be quenched It must follovve that the Spirite of Christ must be a fyre vvithin vs It must follovve he must be a light inlightning our soules as a lanterne and lampe of light set vp within the darke and dead soule to let the soule and affectiones haue light and the Spirite of Iesus shynes vvithin the darke soule of a man as a lanterne shynes in a darke night and puttes out that masse of darknesse that is in the soule of man And therefore because it is as a fyre he sayes Quench not And Paul to Timothie 2. Epistle chap. 1. vers 6. sayeth stir vp or kindle the gift that is in thee it is lyke a flamming fyre the gift of it is but a light or flam that commes from this fyre So he sayes Stir vp kindle vp the gift that thou hast receiued Now ye see by experience a fire or light is two maner of waies quenched take me away coales timber or such other matter to burne take me away the nourishment that holdes in the fire it will die out Another way cast water on it smore it it will also die out albeit ye take not burning thinges from it So it is with this heauenly fire First draw me away the meanes whereby the Spirit is fostered and the fyre of the Spirit is holden in for as the fire feeds on the subject so the fire of the Spirit feeds on the own nutriture and foode take me away this foode of the Spirit as thou seest a fire die out so he will die out Take me
Cor. chap. 14. verse 25. it is said of the Prophets that God is in them Indeed he prophecyes not onely in the mouth but he enters in the hart and thereby he prophecyes aswell as by the mouth Paul sayes 2. Cor. 4. 13. We beleeue and therefore vve speak If the Prophet speake not with the tongue because he beleeues in the hart all his preaching is deare of a pennie See Coll. 1. 29. So Satan will be like God in this pointe he will enter in his minister namely the great Antichrist he will possesse his hart and all the inwarde affections of his soule and by them he will be powerfull in them that are ordeined for damnation before the world was made Now to goe forward in the text following The Apostle setdowne two meanes by the which the Antichrist when he shall come shall be effectuall in them who perishes Marke the two meanes and experience this day teaches the trueth of them The first meane he calles it all maner of povver then he expones himselfe what he meanes by this power by signes and lying vvonders wonderfull working that commes of a power Another meane in the verse following And in all deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse that is doctrine that is first false secondly fraudulent hauing onely a cullour of the trueth So to take it vp shortly The two meanes the Antichrist shall haue is first working wonderfully next speaking vttering false doctrine first worke and wonders and then word Worke and word are the two means whereby the Antichrist deceiues you by his worke he deceiues the world by his word he propoâ—s false doctrine Now to speak of the first meane His first meane are wonders and miracles The Antichrist shall be effectuall by working wonders in them who are ordeined to perdition when he shall be reueiled in the world Brethren as the minister of Christ is effectuall by working of signes and wonders as the Apostles were and before them the Prophets in their owne tyme So the Antichrist the minister of Satan he will prease to be like them and he will be effectuall â—n these who perishes by working of wonders and miracles But what wonders are these that the Antichrist workes by The Apostle calles them lying signes and wonders lying first in respect of their end wherefore they are wrought to confirme false doctrine and lyes to men to establish falshood and againe lying because the wonders that are wrought are no true things in substance they are but ilusions and meere juglerie to deceiue the people Ye see the deuill would faine be like God and in the meane-tyme he is a plaine counterfairer and to call it so the ape of God counterfaiting God So the minister of Satan the Antichrist a plaine counterfaiter of Christs-Minister an ape set vp as he hes seene the Ministers of Christ worke so he will stand vp and counterfaite all are but apes all their miracles and working but apes playing Now brethren I thinke ye would aske this question whether if Satan and the Antichrist hes power to worke true miracles and wonders or not I answere shortlie In trueth I say Satan is not able to worke one true wonder he hes not power to worke one miracle DefinitioÌ„ of a true miracle that is true in substance and I prone it both by reasons â—n Scripture but shortlie By reasons a true wonder or miracle is a worke that is wrought aboue nature against nature contrare to the course of nature contrare to all second causes of the which when it is done none in the world is able to giue a natural reason wherfore it is so There is the definition of a true miracle I could let you see out of the Scripture many examples of these the rauishing of Enoch and Elias to the Heauen Who can giue a naturall cause for the lifting vp of two heauy bodies to the Heauen The preseruation of Noe with so many with him in the Arke a worke against nature The confusion of languages at the building of Babell a wonder Saraes conceiuing of a Son when she had past the date of conceiuing and bearing children The passing of Israell safe though the red sea and through the floode of lordane The standing of the Sun in the heauen wheâ— Ioshua fought The going back of the Son when Ezechias wasick The Eclypse of the Sunne when Christ was crucified The sauing of Daniell in the Lyons den The sauing of the three children in the fire The sauing of Ionas in the Whales belly The burning vp of Elias sacrifices with a fire from Heauen against nature Come to the new Testament the raising vp of so many dead bodies and the greatest wonder of al the incarnation of the Son of God his suffering his resurrection the greatest wonder that euer was wrought Satan caÌ„not vvork true miracles Who can giue a naturall cause of these things Now come to the assumption Satan cannot change nature it passes his power to impeed the course of nature to do any thing against the second causes it must be of as great power to change nature as to create nature the power that alters nature is as great as the power that creats nature Satan by al mens confession hes noâ— the power to create onely the Lord hes power to create It passes the deuils power to create the smallest creature on the earth and therefore it passes his power to change nature and to do any thing against nature and the second causes And therefore Rom cha 4. vers 17. these two the changing of nature and the creation are only ascryued to God as proper to him To God saies he vvho quickens the dead that is an alteration of nature and calles these thiâ—gs that are not as if they vvere that is creating by the word of his mouth at the naming of it the thing that was not standes vp and is And so we must conclude Satan hes no power to worke one true miracle This for the reason Come to the Scripture Read ye not 72. Psalme vers 18. Blessed be the Lord God euen the God of Israell vvho does onely vvondrous things And in the 77. Psalme vers 13. 14. Who is so great a God as our God thou are the God that 〈◊〉 vvonders as he would say there is none can worke wonders but God So this question is easily solued But there is another question Will not God vvorke â—vvonders by the ministrie of the Deuill and the Antichrist shovves not God his povver in vvorking vvonders by them as he did by the Prophets and Apostles his ovvne seruants Brethren I shall shovve you my opinion vvithout the prejudice of any mans judgement I thinke not for all the wonders that the deuill will worke are to this end to establishe lyes against God and his glory Novv I say the Lord vvill not lend his povver to Satan to work one true wonder to deface his owne glory and to establish false doctrine and I think I haue a
As ye knovv after vvhat manner I vvas among you for your sake As ye know then they knew the power So brethren there will be no Congregation of the Lord that will be so senslesse and dead but there wil be some that vvill haue that Spirite of discretion in them know who speakes with power and who not Euerie man in the Congregation will not haue it but certainlie in all congregations there will be some that will know emptie words and discerne them And therefore let euerie man that speakes in the name of the Lord speake so that he may take the people to whom this discretion is geuen to be witnesse of the power and the Spirite where-with he preached Now all this is for their cause all the graces Paul had was for their cause All grace is giueÌ„ to meÌ„ for the Church they were not for himselfe Matter word power spirite all was for their cause what euer grace any member gets all is gotten and geuen for the whole bodie the grace that the eye of the bodie gets the grace the hand gets all is for vpholding the bodie and if the Lord had had no other regarde but of the hand onelie he would not haue geuen it the grace to grip So is it in the bodie of Christ for if he had not had an other respect to Paul but for himselfe onelie he had neuer receyued these graces So Iames Peter Iohn c. all their graces are for the well of the Church The Apostle 1. Cor. 3. 21. sayes All is yours whither it be Paul Apollos or Câ—phas al is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Then the man that hath gotten the Spirite and excels aboue his neighbours in graces looke that in pride he contemne not the least menber of the bodie the eye must not lightlie the foote for if it looke to the skyes and let the foote stumble it shall perishe it selfe so who hes gotten great graces let him take them and lay all down at the feete of the Church and distribute them to the well of the Church and say I got them all for your cause The Apostle hauing gotten a reuelation and assurance he sayeth God gaue it for the Church So when thou hast gotten any grace giue it out to the Church in humilitie whither the gift be spirituall or temporall or else it had beene better thou had neuer receyued it yea let a King bestow all his graces vpon the Church for his calling is for the Church and except there wer a Church there should not be a King woe to them that knowe not this end that all Kingdomes and policies standes for the well of the Church Daniel tolde Nabuchadnezar an heathen King that his Kingdome was for the standing of the Church The Lord oppen the eyes of men to se that they do their duetie in their vocation that at that last day they may be found to be members of that bodie To goe forward the Apostle gathers the election of the Thessalonians first from that power he had to vtter the word that for their cause secondly by the effectualnes powerful working of this God within them Brethren if the power that God hes geuen the preacher for vttering of his Gospell for their well be an argument to them of their saluation hovv much more must the effectual working of the Gospell be an argument of their well Ioyne these two together the powerfull preaching of the Spirit the working therof these two makes the assurance of the election of the hearers And by the contrair if there be nothing but speaking without power no effectualnesse in the heart it will not be the speaker that will auaile it wil be ineffectuall to them to their saluation So thou must finde the effectuall working of the Spirite in thee which must be thy warrand But to come to the words And ye are become follovvers of vs and of the Lord and receyued the vvord in great affliction and vvith ioy of the holie Ghost These are the words ye se this effectualnesse in the Thessalonians stands in imitation and following not so much of him as of the Lord of whom he was a follower Well to be short the effectualnesse of the Gospell in the hearer ye fe consists in the imitation of the speaker when the hearer imitates in lyfe the preacher and aboue all imitates in life and conuersation the Lord Iesus Christ followes Pastors as they follow the Lorde onelie and no otherwise If then the effectualnesse of the Gospel in the people stands to imitate thee looke thou that there be matter of imitation of thee looke how thy mouth speaks looke thou speake as Christ speaks otherwise speake not except thou may say as Paul sayes when he hes preached to the people ye are followers of me I am made a guide to you going before ye are followers at the least if they wil not follow thee look that thy life be good thogh they shold run away go thou forward in the way of life Preaching wil not do the turne if thou be not a light going before the people all thy words shall do no good and thou shalt neuer be partaker of that glorie thou speaks of Then mark againe Wherin stands this imitation And receyued sayes he the vvord vvith great affliction There the imitation of the Preacher not only in receyuing the word deliuered by him not onlie by following him in doing but chieflie by following him in suffering affliction Is he afflicted for the delyuering of it thou that receiues it follow him in affliction I remeÌ„ber Paul in the second Epist to Timothie Cha. 3. v. 10. 11. 12. where he layes downe many things in himselfe to be followed but chieflie his doctrine maner of liuing his purpose his life lenitie patience then he sayes my persecution and affliction in Christ Now he sticks on this last he specially bound Timothie to that and he sayes in generall as it were to euery godlie man All that is vvilling to liue godlie in Christ shall suffer affliction thou must be one of that nomber Timothie Brethren we will be all content to follow in doing the Pastor Hes he faith we will follow his faith hes he any other thing in him we follow him in it but wheÌ„ it comes to the crosse then we will leaue him we will let him alone no if it were Christ himself going out of Ierusalem to Golgatha wher he suffered we wil let him go all alone will abide in Ierusalem It is vaine to thinke that affliction onlie pertaines to the speaker and not to the hearers The Apostle sayes hauing receyued the word of God with great affliction No affliction is the vnseparable companioÌ„ of the Gospel in this life heares thou and receiues thou the word make thee for affliction And so Paul to Timothie makes affliction the necessare companion of the Gospell 2. Timoth 1. 8. It bydes with thee heere on the earth
with a crosse on the backe of it for thou shalt not brooke it without a crosse Therefore maruaile not at this affliction for it is a meruaile that the Gospell should haue remainde so long without affliction in Scotland and all this affliction in Scotland is nothing in respect of other parts where affliction is And therefore if we brooke this Gospell looke for greater afflictions then these for who hes striuen yet to the blood for the libertie of the Gospell Now in the last words with the affliction he joynes the holy Spirite Anâ—â—oy sayes he of the holie Spirite Ye receyued the Gospell with affliction and with affliction ye receyued joy of the holie Spirite Ioy of the holie Spirite ioined vvith affliction Looke how surelie affliction is the companion of the Gospell as surelie is the joy of the Spirite the companion of affliction and this is most sure that the affliction of the Gospell is most joyfull aboue all other things in the world A man that suffers as an euill doer a man that suffers for theft a murtherer that suffers for murther an adulterer for adulterie he hes no joye in suffering he is ashamed and hangs dovvne his head because the querrell for which he suffers bringes an euill conscience theft bringes an euill conscience murther bringes an euill conscience adulterie brings an euill conscience therfore he hes no joy in suffering It is true a man that is to be execute for his his euill deedes in his execution will rejoyce but marke the ground It is it not the euill cause that bringes that joy but it is the assurance of the remission of sinnes in Christ that bringes the joy the euill turne bringes euer an horror of conscience but vvhen one suffers for Christ and the Gospels sake there is joye and comfort and they that hes suffered for Christs sake in suffering haue greater joy in the spirite nor euer they had in the fulnesse of their pleasures in the world Peter in his first Epist 1. 8. sayes In the midst of their suffring they suffred joyfully when there is a good conscience when men suffer for Iesus sake there was neuer joye comparable to that joy it is such a joye as vvill swalow vp al paine terror Experience of this we haue in manie godlie Martyres not that affliction brings joy with it for it is naturall to the affliction to worke sorrow and griefe but it is the good conscience that makes joye and the good conscience comes of the good cause When the conscience sayes Thou art suffering for Christ that suffered for thee and be assured after suffering thou shalt be glorified ô the joye that that man shall finde The Lord giues euerie man joye that suffers any thinge lesse or more for Christ the furnisher of the joye is the Spirite who will not suffer anie persone to beare anie thing for Christ but he will giue comfort and joy therein Brethren ye heare it commonlie said It is the cause or the querrell and not the paine that makes the martyre the paine the torment were they neuer so greuous will not make a man a martyre the ground is the good cause quarrel that they suffer for the Gospel Christ But I say farther if there be no more nor the cause or the querrell that makes not martyrdome if when thou art suffering for Iesus sake thou hast no joy no patience no faith and tolerance no joye in the holie Spirite and reioyse more in suffering and bonds nor he that goes free it is no martyrdome Ioyne me joye and the good cause vvith patience in torment all three together these make a Martyre Peter sets downe the rules of suffring saying Let no man suffer as a murtherer as a theefe as an euill doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters Then he subjoynes If anie man suffer as a christian for a good cause let him not be ashamed therein but let him glorifie God 1. Epist 4. 15. 16. As in the I. Cha V. 8. he sayes They haue in suffering for a good cause a ioy â—â—speakable and glorious So here he forbids them to be ashamed in suffering but to reioyce and glorifie God who hes called them to that honour for this is the highest honour of all to suffer for Christ as the Apostles did Marke all these grounds These examples and rules commending suffering are not set downe in vaine and let none thinke to be a christian and to be exeemed from suffering Away with them who will say they will preach and receiue the word gladlie in calmnes but they will haue nothing to do with suffering but I say if thou prepare thee not for suffering after so long a calmnesse of the Gospell the end shall prooue that thou shalt curse the time that euer thou heard the Gospell Therfore in purpose let vs prepare our selues to suffer that nothing come to vs vnawares and let vs say when we rise here I am readie if it please thee ô Lord to lay any thing on me for the Gospell ere euening Lord giue me grace not to be ashamed but to suffer in joy my life is not heere but my life must be laid down And wel is him can be this way prepared and lookes for greater affliction for no doubt after so great calmnesse affliction must follow and all our suffering is but childrens play yet The Lord prepare vs for it and make vs readie when he pleases to visite vs. To this God be all praise for euer Amen THE THRIDE LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 7. 8. 9. 7 So that ye vvere as ensamples to all that beleeue in Macedonia and Achaia 8 For from you sounded out the vvorde of the Lord not in Macedonia and in Achaia onelie but your faith also vvhich is tovvarde God spread abroad in all quarters that vve neede not to speake any thing 9 For they themselues shevv of vs vvhat maner of entring in vve had vnto you and hovv ye turned to God from idols IN this part of this Epistle which presentlie we haue in hand ye haue heard brethren the Apostle rejoyses together with the Thessalonians for those graces of God which he vnderstood and knew to be in them geuing God thanks therefore rendering him the whole glorie thereof The graces wer as ye heard namely first their effectuall faith secondlie their laborious loue and charity thirdly their patient hope Then he comes to the ground of all these graces their election which was from all eternitie vttering an assurance of their election and of the chusing of them before the world was made The grounds of his assurance of their eternal election wer two the first in himself the second in the Thessalonians the ground in himselfe was that grace of God that libertie that power which he had in preaching Christ when he came among them which assured him the Lord had his chosen amongst theÌ„ The ground
God for feare that wrath come out from his angrie face and burne it vp The Apostle Heb. 12. 14. sayes Without holinesse no man shall see God for if they see him at shall be to their destruction When he looks 〈◊〉 the heart and findes not holinesse and cleannesse there his looke shall destroy the heart and he shall make it tremble and shake at his presence Brethren many hes experience of an euill conscience vncleannesse makes euer an euill conscience and a man with an euill conscience is not able to stand in the sight of God There is not an vncleane body but he findes this in experience They runne euer to some hole and cannot abide the holie sight of God he is holie thou vnholie he looks throgh thee thou canst not abide his sight Now it is true our compearance before God and his Tribunal shall stand in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus except we be cled with that perfit righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs by faith ther is no slanding for vs. Rom. 5. 1. But it is as true if thou findst not again in some measure some holinesse and cleannesse inherent in thy self thou shalt neuer stand before God for where the righteousnesse of Iesus is wher remission of sins is in any man there of necessitie must be some measure of holinesse purenesse of life in him also If thou be justified by the fre mercy of God in Christ of necessitie thou must be sanctified must haue some spark of godlinesse in thy selfe for those whom he hes justified he also hes sanctified So when euer a man hes the justice of Christ imputed vnto him of necessitie he must haue a share of this justice inherent in himself wants he a part of this holinesse brag as he will he hes no cleannesse throgh the blood of Christ Iames sayes If thou hast faith let me se it thy vvorks 2. 18. If any by grace be sanctified in Christ let them vtter it in some measure in works otherwaies they lie So this holds sure No standing to vs before God except there be holinesse in vs. Now the stiles are to be marked in the text which are giuen to God First he is called God then our Father The name of God a name of Majestie and of great glorie The name of Father a name of homelinesse and louingnesse Marke it If God vvere nothing else to vs but God that is to say but an high Maiestie full of all glorie if that Majestie dimmitted not himselfe to be a louing Father to vs through Iesus there were no standing for vs before him our heart durst neuer present the selfe before him A sinne is not able to looke vpon God as he is God onelie in Majestie Honour Glorie and Iustice No the whole Majesties of the world dare not face him as he is God onely All our compearing before him is because as he is God in Majestie and glorie so in Christ he is become a louing Father to vs and if vve receiue not the Spirite that is called the Spirite of adoption testifying to our spirite that he is become our Father in Iesus Christ and we are adopted in Christ and therefore opens our mouthes to cry Abba Father vve would neuer haue a face to looke to him nor a mouth to speake to him And so as he is become a Father to vs in Christ so craue that thou mayst get that Spirite of adoption that thy mouth may be opened wide with sweetnesse to cry Abba Father Moreouer these very stiles learns vs how our harts should be disposed when we come and stand before him euen heer in his congregation church where his presence is We are now in his sight and presence He is a God in Majestie A Majestie would haue feare and reuerence So ther is the first thing stand before this Majesty of God in feare and reuerence Then there must be more then this he is a Father and therefore thou shouldst loue him so thou shouldst both reuerence and loue him together If these two be together they shall mak thee to be in good temper to stand before God Now come to the time when the hart shal be established It is at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ It is true brethren euen in this life before that glorious appearing of Christ we stand before God in holinesse and our hearts are established before him without rebuke in a manner and euen now at this present time who euer they be who hes holinesse in their hearts they finde in effect their harts standing in his presence when they looke to that face of his Majestie shining in the Gospell with the eye of faith the heart is established before the face of God and God is pacified and beholds them in quietnesse Let all men discend in their hearts and if they haue holinesse I assure them they will haue peace and quyetnesse in the hart when they think on him Then this is true Euen in this life before the great day we stand before him established in holinesse but it is as true so long as we liue in this life ther is euer a peece of vnquyetnes in the harts of the most godlie and there are none of vs who can find so peaceable an heart before God as we should haue There is euer so long as we liue heere a peece of euill conscience for sinne The cause is because so long as we liue heâ—r we are but holy in a part and that in a verie sober part sinne leaues vs neuer and therfore the prick in the conscience for sinne leaues vs neuer And where this euill conscience is there must euer be a peece of feare and terrour to stand before that heauenlie presence But vvhen the Lord shall come in that latter day which is called the day of judgement when Christ shall appeare in that great day the heart of the godlie shall be established before him without any feare or terrour If thou be one of the chosen of God thou shalt stand before the face of God vvith an heart in peace vvithout any terrour But ô how great shall the feare of the heart of the wicked men be the cause is because thou shalt not so soone see the face of the Lord Iesus that faire glorious face but as soone in the moment of thy resurrection thou shalt be transformed in a perfite holinesse both in body and soule And therefore the Apostle sayes Philip. 3. 21. When we shall see him We shall be transformed and this vyle body of ours shall be made conformable to his glorious body and vvhen vve shall see him vve shall be made like him in glorie and holinesse vvithout any spot or vvrinckle or any part of deformitie in bodie or soule What then is it that puts this terrour in our heart to stand before God Onely sinne So when all sinne shall be taken away all feare shall be taken away Then seeing there is no perfite quyetnesse vntill vve
eate none It is the will of God that they who vvill not vvorke and may worke that they should die for hunger They who are strong and may get labour and will not vvorke there should be an inhibition laid on them not to eate and they who eate if they eate not the bread conquest with their owne labour their eating is cursed to them It is not permitted to a King to eate bread except he labour for it and surelie his labour is an heauie labour No for al the warrands Charters and securities which thou hast of thy lands be thou Earle or Lord or Barron except thou eate the labour of thy owne hands thou eatest not lawfullie but thy eating is accursed This Inhibition is not to beggers onelie but to the greatest dominators of the earth for it was injoined to Adam Thou shalt eate thy breade vvith the svveate of thy brovve and all Lords and great men were then in the loynes of Adam Goe keepe sheepe or nolt or digge dykes if it please God thou haue no other trade and be ay doing something Now Labour both honest and profitable in the end he addes two reasons to cause them labour the first for honestie the other for commoditie He is the honester man that will put to his hand to labour and will sit downe vvith gray bread conquest by his labour nor he who eates all delicates with idlenesse When thou hast laboured and win thy dinner then thou art an honest man idlenes is no honestier an idle bodie I cannot count him honest He that eates without labour set him at the table head he hes no honestie Now this honesty should be seene by them that are without euen the heathen Brethren we should be honest if it were no more but onely for our enemies cause for regard of our holy profession The Enemie the Pagane lookes vpon thee vvho art an idle body and labours not and sees nothing but a bellie and a denourer of the creatures of God and then will he not slander thy profession Therefore if it were but to saue this profession from the slanders of wicked men labour continuallie ere thou should be idle labour in any exercise Yea more nor this Labour is the moyen vvhere by the Lord hes ordained thee to win thy enemy vvhen he sees thee labour and win thy liuing vvith the sweat of thy browes and by the contrare thy idlenes holds others back vvho vvould embrace the Gospell Woe to them vvho are stumbling blocks to holde men back from Christ As for the profit the laborer gets I not will insist in it he who in his labor hes God before his eies labors not so much to win his liuing thereby as to glorifie God according to the command of the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. 31. Whither ye eate or drinke what euer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God he vvho vvorkes let him not worke as an Oxe or an Asse but to glorifie God He who in labour sets himselfe to glorifie God to be holie be it to 〈◊〉 pottes to hold the pleugh to dig dykes those men they shall neuer vvant the thing the Lord thinkes may suffice them at the least they shall haue coâ—â—enâ—ment When they sit at dinner they shall haue greater contentation then they that are fed with most daintie dishes Therefore haue ay God before thy eyes labour ay to God and then thou shalt haue here in this life sufficient to serue thee and hereafter shalt haue heauenlie riches in aboundance Therefore stand not be not idle in thy calling but labor And how euer to God and his glorie and then thou shalt not want thou shalt haue plentie and sacietie of joy in that full sight of the countenance of Christ all this worlde will away Then blessed is that man who will set himselfe to serue God in his calling while he is heere for when this worlde goes away he shall obtaine that glorious kingdome that lastes for euer not by him selfe but onelie by Christ for in him onelie we and our labours are blessed And therefore to him with the Father and the holie Spirite be all praise for euer AMEN THE XVII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 13. 14. 15. 13 I vvoulde not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them vvhich are a sleepe that ye sorrovv not as others vvhich haue no hope 14 For vve beleeue that Iesus is dead and is risen euen so them vvhich sleepe in Iesus vvill God bring vvith him 15 For this vvee say vnto you by the vvord of the Lord that vvee vvhich liue and are remayning in the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them vvhich sleepe THese Thessalonians brethen to vvhom the Apostle writes they were not altogether ignorant of the estate of them vvho departed this life No question they vnderstoode and knew the resurrection of the dead for not knowinge that vvhat could they know of Christianitie Yet as appeares of this place by the Apostle it was not a setled knowledge in the heart they had they knevv no so as they shoulde haue done the resurrection of the bodie And therefore when their friends whom they loued wel departed their dolour was excessiue When they saw the godlie who professed in the beginning drawne to torments martyred and execute they tooke displeasure out of measure euen as if they who departed this life had perished altogether and shold neuer haue bene more The Apostle vnderstanding this among other things he writes to them he casts in this doctrine of the estate of them that are departed to the end they should leaue off that excessiue sorrow and lamentation and not lament as the Gentiles who were vvithout hope Then to come shortly to the wordes and purpose of the Apostle He settes downe this proposition I vvould not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them vvhich are a sleepe the end wherefore he would not haue them ignorant is that they sorrovv not as others vvho hes no hope Now concerning the estate of those that are departed he instructs them in sundry heads of it First he telles them that they are but a sleep that is now their present estate in graue Then he teaches them what shall follow the rising again when that they haue sleeped a time as one after sleep awakes so shal they awake Next he instructes them of the honor they shall haue in the resurrection vvhen they shall meete the Lord of glorie Suppose they be dead first they shal not be last in meetting the Lord yea they who shall be aliue at that day shall not be first but they who are departed shall be in the first rank to meete the Lord in the clouds Of this he taks occasion to speak of the Lords comming of the glory thereof to this end that euery one in thinking vpon these things shold receiue comfort Ther is the summe of this doctrine I vvoulde not haue you brethren ignorant as
praise for euer AMEN THE XXVI LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 20. 21. 22. 23. 20 Despise not prophecying 21 Try all things and keepe that vvhich is good 22 Abstaine from all appearance of euill 23 Novv the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your vvhole spirit and soule and body may be keept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. IN this parte of this Epistle brethren there are certaine exhortations and precepts so linked together that the next is ay the cause and meane of the former He beganne at Patience in suffering and not randering euill for euill but recompencing good for euill Then he came to joy Rejoyce euermore Ioy is the meane and cause of Patience from joy he came to Prayer in asking that which we neede at the hands of God and in thanking him for the grace and benefite receyned Prayer is the meane that interteines joy in the hart from Prayer he came to the Spirit the holy Spirit of God who is the worker of all these graces in our hart The Spirit workes Patience the Spirit it workes Ioy the same Spirit 〈◊〉 vp the hart to Prayer and to thankfulnesse This Spirite the worker of all grace in the hart should not be quenched by leauing off of well doing or by doing euill for both these two quenches the Spirit Now â—hortly to come to ouâ— purpose In the first verse vve we haue read presentlie He commes to the meane whereby the Spirit of Christ the worker of all graces with vs especiallie is interâ—ind in the soule and hart of a man and woman And he saies Despise not Prophecying The thing he recommends is Prophecying To make the words plaine to you By Prophecying here I vnderstand not the foretelling of things to come as there was raised vp from tyme to tyme Prophetes in the Church of God that fortold either wel or wâ— that was to fal on the church in the own time this prophecying was not such foretelling of things to come it is no other thing in this place but the opening vp of the Scripture and so this word Prophecying is taine in the 1. Cor. 14. chap. throghout all that chap. But he that Prophecyes sayes he he speakes to men to edifing to exhortation and consolation That is he applyes the word of God to the present vse for the tyme So that if a man needes to be edified he edifies to be comforted he comfortes to be exhorted the exhortes So then to make the words plaine ` Despise not Prophecying It is asmuch as he would say despise not the preaching of the word despise not this ministrie whose calling is to preach this word Now brethren ye see heere among all the meanes whereby the Spirit of Christ is enterteinde in the hart of a man the Apostle makes a choise in this place of preaching hearing the word of God set downe in the Scripture opened vp and applyed to the right vse Certainelie this is to the great commendation of this same visible ministrie and of this teaching of the word in the presence of the congregation and people of God Shall I tell you There is such a necessity of the preaching of this word for as base as it semes to men that if it be not holden vp farewell the Spirit of Iesus Christ If it be not there shall not be in the earth a visible Church for the word preached is the slandart that is holden vp on high to the world that men and women that would be safe may goe in vnder it and make vp a Church Take me away this slandart where shall men goe to who shall knowe the Church So take me away this outward preaching of the word vnto the which men should resort to seeke saluation no Church Will men goe to experience I shall but touch it there is but ouer great experience of this in this Countrey this day Abstaine 〈◊〉 hearing of the word let it be of negligence or of malice yet thou shalt in proces of time feele thy hart voyde of all sense and feeling of God thou shalt lose thy eyes thy light and sight of God thou shalt lose the sight of lyfe and Heauen if that thou doe it in contempt and malice thou shalt grow as prophane as a prophaine dog and wallow in all kinde of wickednesse and euill deed after euill deed shall fal out in thy hand Looke to the great men of this land What is the cause he is such a murtherer Onely the contempt of this word preached What is the cause he is such an adulterer only the contempt of the word I cannot tell if there be any great mens houses at least there is verie few but thou may see the contempt of this word hes heaped judgement on judgement on them Ye who wold read of Prophecying which is the opening vp of the word in the face of the Church of God and who would read of the powerfull working of it in the hart of men read 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 1. Seeke after spirituall things but specially after Prophecying And in that same chapter 24. verse by supposition he lets vs see by comparison betweene Prophecying and strange language what prophecying works When a man is teaching the word then commes in at the doore an infidle that hes no vnderstanding he layes to his eare and heares and he hears himself rebuked incontinent his conscience wakens and lets him see the filth that is within him So the poore man hauing his conscience wakned he falles down on his face and seeks mercy and then he will be mooued to make a confession and say It cannot be but this man hes the Spirit of God that maks my sin so manifest to me it cannot be the spirit of man but it must be the power of God whereby he speakes I will not insist Brethren I shall summe vp to you in few words the diuersitie of the disposition of men coÌ„cerning this word of God Al is not alike disposed Diuersity of mens disposition concerning the vvord toward the Spirit and the word which two things onely saues men There are some that cares neyther for the Spirit nor the word such 〈…〉 dogges atheists men liuing without God in the world speake of a Spirit to them they will scorne it a prophane bodie that hes not the Spirit the name of a spirit is but a scorne vnto him tell him of spirituall lyfe he will laugh an heedfull laughter Lykevvise speake to him of the vvord and tell that saluation must be by the word the prophaine dog vvill laugh and scorne at it These are the vvorst men in the world There is another sort that clames to a Spirit They will acknovvledge the Spirite of God but vvhen it commes to the vvord of God they vvil feuere so the vvord from the Spirit as though the vvord had nothing adoe vvith the Spirit nor the Spirit vvith the
execute justice vpon this ingrate world for the contempt of the light of the Gospell The Pope is Gods burrio whom God sendes for to plague this ingrate world for the contempt of the Gospell of Iesus Christ When this great vniuersal apostasie began the great Antichrist was sent by God to be the worker of it And brethren what trow ye is the cause of this trouble sent in our Church this day This high contempt of the light of the Gospel hes beene the cause and if we continue in this contempt troubles shall not leaue off This same Antichrist the Pope by his supposts shall make adoe amongst vs the Lord shall send an auenger to plague the soules of men that will not beleeue the Gospell Another thing marke here He sayes not that God shall suffer him and suffer strong illusions to be wrought by him but he sayes he shall send them he shal be an efficient a doer and a principall directer of this turne Then ye will aske Is God the author of euill I answere there are two sortes of euill there is one euill that they call the euill of a fault there is another euill that is called the euill of punishment according to that saying of the Prophet There is not one euill in the cittie that is there is no punishment in the cittie that the Lord doeth nor As to the euill of a fault in sinne he is not the author and worker of it but suffers it to be wrought by euill men And as to the other the Lord is the author of it as that saying of the Prophet before vttered by me witnesseth And therefore Hell as it is a punishment is ordeined by the Lord and so this place is to be vnderstood Who hardned the hart of Pharao Who giues vp men to a reprobate mind Is it not the Lord to punish their sinnes But I will not insist in this matter Lastly I note in this place that this plague the Apostle speaks of here is a blinding and deceiuing of the minde There are two powers of the soule the minde and the hart This plague is especially the plague of the minde I shall make this cleare to you There are two sortes of lightes in the minde there is a naturall light wherewith we are borne and ther is a supernaturall light which we get by the word and Spirit of Christ Now there is such a conjunction betweene these two that if a man when the supernaturall light is offered from Heauen refuse and contemne it looke what will follow The Lord from the Heauen in his just judgement shall pluck from him the naturall knowledge and set him vp blind in thinges naturall and common he shall pluck the common sense from him that is he shall render him ouer to a reprobate mynd without al judgement and discretion What shall follow then Then like a mad man he shall run here and there to fin he shall passe ouer the bounds of common honesty he shall leape ouer all the lawes of the second table he shall be a rebell to God and man he shall be a murtherer and a theefe and he shall follow all concupiscence in the world and as for the first Table which is concerning godlines he sets himself against He will be an Idolater an Heretike an Athist a man of no religion and all this commes of a reprobate mynde which is procured of Gods just judgement because that spirituall light was so contemned that he would not suffer it to be conjoyned with that naturall light Therefore when we see these lightmynded men and these that will be counted Lords and Peeres in the Land repyne to this glorious light of the Gospell take vp the judgement of God that lightes vpon them The Lord suffers them to passe the bounds of common honestie they are wrapped vp in a reprobat sense Count no more of them then of madde men whom the Lord in justice shall confound for euer No if they were here I would say they were mad men running headlong vnder the vengence of God to destruction The Lord giue them eyes to see this and harts to vnderstand that they may be reclaimed from this fearce wrath of the Lord. They want both naturall wit and supernaturall for he that will not suffer this light of the Gospell to be conjoyned with this natural light he hes no wit at all he is a madde bodie he will not care to doe whatsoeuer euill he may both to himselfe and others The Lord saue vs from this sort of men In the verse that followes first we haue the effect that ensues vpon this sinne of beleeuing of lies vpon the first sinne the contemning of the trueth followes the next sin of beleeuing errors and lies vpon this sin againe followes judgement and indignation that they may be condemned sayes he In the next part of the verse he repeats the two sinnes vpon the which damnation proceeds the first is insidelitie vvho beleeued not the trueth the second is beleeuing of lies and vntruth and all maner of vnrighteousnesse He joynes these two together not beleeuing the trueth and beleeuing lies and they go together necessarly for if thou beleeue not the trueth of necessity thou shalt beleue vntrueth If thy hart repose not on God and his trueth of necessity thy hart shall repose on the deuill and vntruth the hart cannot want some faith Thou must haue some faith and something to put thy confidence in â—shal make this plaine The hart of the creature cannot stand alone but especially the hart of the sinfull man cannot stand vp except it haue a leaning-stock or prop to vphold it The harts of all the kings of the earth cannot stand alone but they must repose on something MaÌ„shart must eyther stand on God or on Satan for this is the difference betweene God and the creature God will stand him alone he needes not a foundation or leaning stock as the creature needes for it must lean euer on something or else it is impossible to it to stand Now there are two thinges whereon man reposes either man reposes himself on God his truth or else on the deuil his falshood If thou leanst not on God on Iesus Christ and his Gospel of necessity thy confidence shal be on Satan the Antichrist vanities lies and falshood Wel then when thou hast leand thee ouer on Satan and lies thou wilt stand no longer nor does vanities and lies yea nor the deuill will stand and he will not stand ay albeit he haue strength for a time yet he and vanity and lies shal fal downe and thou shalt fal downe with them for if thou be found leaning on lies and on the Antichrist thou shalt perish with them The word he vses is to be marked He sayes not they that beleued lies but they that had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Euen as we see and finde by experience reposing on God and his trueth is with a joy of the soule So when a