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
Eue shall be with the first and in the first ranke For before they vvho in the vvorlde shall be changed which shall be in the twinkling of an eye and it shall stand to them in stead of death ere this change be made the dead shall ryse first 1. Corint 15. 51 52. Some of them who are dead shall ryse to lyfe and honour to witte the elect Some of them to wit the reprobat to dishonour ignominie and death and a worse death nor they ly in presently Then when the dead is raised vp and compeares first then shall follow that sodaine change of them who shall be alyue the elect that shall be alyue shal be altred in a moment in the twinckling of an eie to a glorious estate The reprobat aliue shall be altered to but if they wer ignominious before they shal be more ignominious then for not only their soule but soule and body shal be vgly and if they had any beauty Estate of the bodies of the elect it shall bee changed in a wonderfull foulues But to speak of the body of the elect for the Scripture speaks most of them Paul 1. Cor. 15. verse 35. moues the question with what bodies shall they ryse what bodie shall the elect haue For he is not curious of the bodies of the reprobate but he markes narrowlie the rising of the bodies of the godlie at that day And the first qualitie he giues them is that whereas their bodies wer naturall when they were laid down in the graue their bodies in that day shall be made spirituall Not that our bodies shall be changed in spirites no our bodies shall be bodies indeed of that same substance they haue now The verie same substance of the bodie thou hast in this lyfe the same verie substance thou shalt haue in that lyfe and no other It shall be present at that day that same verie bodie that same very hand and foote c. and no other bodie nor no other hand nor foote c. And there shall be none of the ashes of the bodie but it shall be keeped vntill that day and shall be gathered vp and joined better nor euer it was before Then the bodie shall abyde Our lyfe shall be much better I liue heere a naturall lyfe by a naturall power in my soule but in the resurrection my lyfe shall be spirituall and I shall not liue a naturall lyfe Now I liue by a naturall power in my soule but then I shall liue spirituallie by a spirituall power in Christ Yet there shall be more Another propertie of the bodie shall follow on this This bodie if it were neuer so faire yet in respect of the glorie it shall take vp it is but ignominious but the bodie shall rise glorious and shyning as the Sunne not by this naturall skin and colour that we haue here but by a passing light and brightnesse conforme to that brightnesse of Christ when he was transformed on the Mountaine Reade Matt. 17. 1. and conforme to his glorie in Heauen as the Apostle telles Philipp chap. 3. verse 21. Yet more ye see our bodies weake The strongest man is soone beatten downe for all his strength all the povver of man is feeble and weake but in the resurrection the bodie shall be strong and pithie One man to be homely with you stronger in the resurrection nor an hundreth yea nor thousands are now For all feeblenesse shall be left behinde him in the graue and he shall ryse strong lyke the Angels in glorie and strength Yet more then this What matter of all this former glorie if it were possible that this spirituall bodie could perish The Apostle addes to this We shall rise incorruptible immortail to lyfe euerlasting when we shall ryse in that strength that power and freedome immortalitie shall follow after mortalitie glorie after ignomnie strength after weaknesse spiritualitie after naturalitie In lyfe we shall be spirituall in qualitie glorious in tyme euerlasting there is no end of it This is the propertie that Paul speakes of our bodies in the resurrection Now to goe forward There shall followe more in this conuention That same power that shall conueene all men together Separation of the elect from the reprobats that same power shall make a seuering The Angels the Ministers of that glorious judge shall stoppe in betweene the elect and the reprobate and putte them a sunder They shall seuere the sheepe from the goates they shall put the sheepe at the right hand of the judge and the goates at the left hand Reade Matt. chap. 25 verse 33. Appearantlie Paul heere would meane to vs another kynde of seuering and yet all is one This appearantlie vvoulde be his meaning They shal al be gathered together on the earth and all shall stand together in a troup and then this seuering shall be made Then all the elect shall be rest vp to the cloudes to meete the Lord in the cloudes As for the reprobate they shall all stand still on the earth and shall not get that honour to be rest vp in the aire but shall byde on the earth and receyue their judgement there For Paul vvhen he sayes they shall be rest vp to meete the Lord in the aire he speakes onely of the elect Then there shall be a seuering after which there shall neuer be a meetting againe a great golfe shall be betweene them that none may passe We are all mingled heere through other and none knowes other The sheepe oft-tymes are taken for the goates and the goates for the sheepe but at that great day the sheepe shall be seuered from the goates and shall neuer meete againe be it man with wyfe parents with children There are two effects a conuention of all and a seuering of all Yet the Iudge and the power of the Iudge shall passe forwarde and the third effect followes When the Judge hes all gathered together and none avvay vvhen the rovve is called and all are present Then vvhen one sorte shall be placed at the right hand IudgemeÌ„t pronounced and the other at the left hand then shall he fall to judgement He cannot judge before he seuere the verie seuering telles the judgement but before the seuering the judgement shall not be pronunced Then generallie he shall judge all according to their workes The bookes shall be opened the book of conscience shall be opened the booke of workes shall be opened and al their judgement shal be according to their works 〈◊〉 vnderstand this The elect man shall be judged according to his works not that his works shall be the cause that shal proâ—â—â— his lyfe but he shall be judged by his works as a testimony of his faith in Christ and of the maner of lyfe that he hes liued in the worlde as a member of Christ So he shall be judged by his workes not as a cause but as a token of the true cause as ye would judge a man by a witnesse for the
the verse going before he made mention of faith without patience but in this verse he maks mention of faith and patience ther eason is Because faith in effect is nothing but the anchor of the soule As the Apostle to the Heb. chap. 6. vers 19. calles hope the anchor of the soule and as an anchor is casten on sure ground to stick so is Faith casten on Christ and fastned on him Now there is nothing in this world that the deuill the world sin which are the enemies of Faith in this world enuyes more nor when they see the soule of a man anchored on Christ as on a sure ground And therefore they seeke euer to seuere thy soule from Christ and to breake the anchor He will spew out floods of persecution and tentation javv after javv to raise if it were possible the anchor of Faith in Christ that the anchor being away the man may flow and fleete and at the last perish Then what is the remedie It is needfull that faith be sure grounded if faith be not grounded on Christ she shall perishe and further she must haue a troup of graces about her she must be hedged on all sides with a varietie of graces IgnoraÌ„ce of God of Christ are the causes of vengence And so it is where euer true faith is in Christ there is a troup of graces about it Now all these graces that compasses her are as many branches that commes from her selfe as from the roote There stands about her Hope Loue Patience c. a number of graces of all sortes all commes from her for she is mother of all All serues her for she is Queene of all Hope Loue Patience and the rest are as many maids standing about her to serue her Now among all these graces Patience is one the duetie and seruice of Patience is to stand betweene faith and the jawes of tentations and persecutions and to receiue all the jawes of tentations on her shoulders that the anker of the soule which is Faith may stand sure So Patience standes vp and holds the jaw off Faith otherwaies thy faith will be broken and it is impossible to him that hes no Patience to abyde the speaches let be to sustaine the persecutions of men if Patience be not Faith will not abyde sure And by the contrare looke how needfull it is that Patience be joyned with Faith it is as needfull that Faith be joyned with Patience and therefore he joynes these your Patience and your Faith in all persecutions And as I told you Faith is the mother of Patience and where the mother is not the daughter cannot be and if this anchor of Faith be not anchored on Christ Patience will not hold off the jaw for the solide ground to rest on is Christ Where faith is not Christ is not and take him away no standing So the cheefe ground of all standing is faith grounded on Christ Iesus all the rest are but branches to Faith faith is the cheefe ground The standing of all is through Christ when the anchor of the soule is grounded on him Now one word in the end of this verse He speakes heere of a Faith in tribulation and persecution not of Faith in case rest and quyetnesse but of a Faith in trouble The Faith of the Thessalonians was not a Faith in ease and quyetnesse but a Earth that lay vnder a continuall exercise lay vnder persecution for the Church of Thessaloniea was exceedingly troubled as appeares in this Epistle Many will be content to beleeue faith in Christ is a wondrous faire thing He would beleeue and she would beleue but looke what kinde of faith men would haue a faith with quyetnesse in the world with honor eneugh with riches and all this worlds wealth This is the faith that all men would haue But brethren the faith of Christ which is the true faith must be casten in the fornace otherwayes it will be full of drosse Will ye get fine golde that is not casten in the fornace and fyned in it Trow ye to get a fyne and true faith that is not fyned in the fornace of trouble and persecution at the lest one vexation or other all troubles are not alike but of necessity faith must be casten in some fornace Faith fined by troubles thou must be in some tribulation either within thee or without thee in goods riches or some thing and this is the faith that hes the commendation here a fyned faith as gold hes the fynesse throgh the fire Peter 1. Epist 1. chap 7. vers tels the excellency of this faith compared with gold gold when it is casten in the fire and the drosse of it burnt vp will be far better nor it was and yet there was neuer gold so fâ—ire but it wil perrish fine it oft-times ouer it may be ever the finer but it shal perrish in the end but he sayes faith that is fined and tryed shall be found to your praise glory and honor vvhen Christ shall be manifested As he wold say it shal not perish but at that great day of Christ it shal tend to thy euerlasting glory Let vs not prease to feed our selues in our fantasies thinking that we shall haue a faith in ease quyetnes honor No lay this ground down if thou wold haue a faith to abide till Christ come assure thee thou must suffer and thou must abide the jawes of tentations till all thy faith be tryed and the whole dros washen away and the fine gold stand vp At these are but dreames to think that thou would hold Heauen in the one arme and the world in the other arme No thou must let the world go and take Heauen in thy whole armes with affliction or else thou shalt lose Heauen and get the world in thy armes with damnation Now this for the thanks-giuing and congratulation for their increase of faith and aboundance in loue Now come to the second part Consolation Making mention of their persecutions he takes occasion to comfort them and I thinke that be the principall purpose he hes to doe with them and the first argument he vses heere is that just and latter judgement that generall judgement He sayes the persecution that ye suffer for Christes sake for the kingdome of Heauen they are sure arguments that there shall be a just judgement and that Christ shall come to judge the world and render to euerie one according to his works And therefore vpon the remembring of this just judgement that shall be ye Thessalonians comfort your selues Persecutiones of the godlie a sure argumeÌ„t of the day of iudgment to come for it shall try who did right and who did wrong Then take vp this The persecutions the godly suffers in this life what are they they are very ocular demonstrations that is the force of the word of the generall judgement to come wherein Christ shall judge the world And in the persecution of the godly
This is in effect that same which he spok of before euen the glorifying of God for it is one thing the Lord to be glorified and to wonder at him The meaning is shortly When he shall come First he shal make the faithful wonderful in the sight of the world and then in their wonderfulnes all the world shall wonder at him who hes made them wonderfull Now marke The Lord Iesus in Esay 9. chap. 6. vers among all the names he gets there he is called the vvonderfull and the maruellous one Now this name in effect shal show the selfcheefly in that day of judgement for cheefly in that day Christ shall be wonderful and all the world shall wonder at him It is but a litle wondring we haue here Christ at his comming vvoÌ„derfull Ye know wondring presuppones nouelties things of exceeding great importance Then it must followe that the Lord Iesus at that day shall be reueiled to the world in such a wonderful glory at neuer man nor Angel saw yetâ— it shal be such a glory as neuer eye saw ear heard or once entered into the hart of man as the Apostle â—aies 1. Cor. 2. chap. 9. vers They who saw him â—â—aniâ—ed in a vyle habite judged condemned scourged and crucified vnder Pontius Pilat they shall wonder when they shall see that Lord whom they thoght once so vile raised vp and exalted to such a sublimity and hight of glory Pilat then shal wonder the Priests shall wonder they that with their wicked handâ— crucified him shall wonder at that day And in one word there shall be nothing in that day in Heauen and earth but a wondering at the Lord Iesus Christ and his Saintes glorified Ye see here next the cheefe mean that shall make the Lord wonderful to be the wonderfulnesse of the glorie of his Saintes and elect whom in that day he shall make wonderfull The world shall looke in and wonder at them and then they shall looke to the Iudge and wonder at him Then in that day they who hes beleued in Iesus in this life looke what faith brings with it shall be blessed and made glorious For first these faithfull shall be made so maruelous in glory that they shall astonish the whole world I tell thee more when thou shalt be so translated when thy vyle bodie shall be so changed thou shalt wonder at thy selfe for the eare hath not heard the eye hath not seene c. that wonderfull glorie which then thou shalt enjoy As for the wicked of the world the troublers and afflicters of the godly when they shall looke to any one of the glorious elect they shall weepe and wonder This is set downe in the 5. chapter of the booke of wisdome albeit Apocrypha First they shall mourne and weepe when they shall see the glorie of the godly and say O we fooles and sensles bodies esteemed we not the life of these godly in the world a miserable lyfe Then they shall come on with wondering How is this that this vyle bodie so shynes and that he is so exalted So they shall both mourne at this sight and wonder and vveeping and vvondering they shall count themselues to haue bene fooles and sensles bodies The Lord giue vs grace to seeke that true wisdome in tyme. For certainly that true wisdome is esteemed foolishnesse in this world and he that would be wise let him be a foole first he shall neuer be counted wise that day except he haue bene a foole first and humbled vnder this foolish preaching of the Gospell It is true the condemnation of the reprobate shall be a meane to make the world wonder and to make the Iudge wonderfull O the paines that shall be inflicted on the reprobate shall be wonderfull and they shall be set vp as spectacles of shame at that day and the godly shall wonder at their shame and confusion O wonderfull shall that weightinesse of judgement be they shall wonder that euer there should be such a wraith in God they shall wonder that euer the arme of God should be so heauy vpon them O Hell is lighted now will they say the wraith of God is lighted now O what a masse and weight of wraith is this that we see now Men will now leape here and there and make litle count of the weightinesse of the Lords hand and securely contemne threatnings and judgement but in that day to their euerlasting woe they shall finde it the heauiest thing that euer was for by the weight of it they shall be so pressed downe that they shall neuer be able to prease vp againe Alas what a dead senslesnesse is this of men in this world that they regarde neither Heauen noâ— Hell liuing like beastes and not as men Lord waken vs in tyme to acknowledge these thinges Now to goe forward Who are these that shall be made wonderfull that in them the Lord Iesus may be made wonderfull In one word He calles them beleeuers a base and simple style among vs. He called them before Saintes holy ones and now he commes to the ground of their holinesse and calles it faith It will not be a faire honest ciuile dealing with our neighbour that will doe the turne albeit many men thinks so No but faith in Christ must be the ground any man that in any measure hes had a sense and feeling of that lyfe he will finde in his experience he can not haue hope or assurance of lyfe in the fairest outwarde dealing that euer men did except he finde his hart setled on God and his anchor casten on Christ This is the onely cause of thy saluation faith in Christ As for all thy good workes they are onely effects and tokens that thou hast that faith in Christ which will doe the turne and is the onely cause of thy saluation O blessed for euer is that hart that hes faith keeped let neuer thy remembrance be off it What euer thou thinke or speake keepe it hast thou it be assured of thy saluation lackest thou it doe all thou can thou shalt die Seeke euer to haue Christ in thy hart And seeing we who are now liuing may die in one moment Lord if we should not seeke earnestly to haue Christ dwelling in our harts It is onely his merites that saues vs. In the next wordes he defines them that he calles beleeuers and pointing them out he sayes not they that beleeues in Iesus Christ but they vvho in this lyfe hes beleeued my testimony the Gospell teached by me by my fellowâ—seruants by the rest of the Apostles and Pastors So take vp the nature of this faith and be not â—egyled with it It is not faith in Christ barely but faith in Christ preached By whom by a selie bodie What was Paul a selie bodie So looke neuer for lyfe nor saluation in that great day except thou humble thy selfe vnder the foolishe preaching as men thinkes it and beleeue the foolishe teaching of the Gospell Thou shalt
more easely sustaind No he assures them that it behoues them through many afflictions to enter in the kingdome of heauen Act. 14. 22. Euerie one who liues godlie shall suffer 2. Timoth. 3. 12. The Apostle so warnes them that when the people are warned the affliction shoulde not come vnto them vnarmed but that when they see it they should say I looked euer for affliction Now welcome affliction He that is prepared for it and knowes perfitelie affliction wil follow the gospel he wil tak it in his aimes say welcome affliction and he wil receiue it with such patience as the tongue of man can not report and where patience is joyned with affliction it is but halfe affliction but a man who lyes sighting and waltring in trouble ô that man hes double disease Therefore brethren since it is that we must suffer either in one measure or other let not the things of this worlde make vs forget that we are appointed to suffer but when prosperitie comes let vs say this world will decay thou art mounted vp this day thou may be casten down the morne thou art whole this day thou may be sicke the morne and so I will not be deceyued with anie thing but will prepair me for aduersitie The Lord prepair vs for it for Christs sake To this Christ the Father and the holie Spirite be all praise and honour now and euer THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 5. 6. 7. 8. 5 Euen for this cause vvhen I could no longer forheare I sent him that I might knovve of your faith lest the tempter had tempted you in any sort and that our labour had bene in vaine 6 But novv lately vvhen Timotheus came from you vnto vs and brought vs good tidings of your faith and loue and that ye haue good remembrance of vs alvvayes desiring to see vs as vve also doe you 7 Therefore brethren vve had consolation in you in all our affliction and necessitie through your faith 8 For novv are vve aliue if ye stand fast in the Lord. IN the beginning of this chapter Brethren the Apostle Paul telles of the purpose he did take to send Timothie to the Thessalonians to establishe them in the faith and to exhort them and of the accomplishment of that purpose that as he tooke purpose to send Timothie to them so he sent him And this was one of the Arguments whereby he excuses him selfe for that hee did not come to them himselfe being impeaded by Sathan The next he could do was to send that brother Timothie who was a faithfull man in the ministrie of the Lord and therfore they should haue him excused Then thereafter ye heard he fell out in a short exhortation exhorting them to beare patientlie those afflictions and crosses that they suffer in this life The first argument vvas from the appointment of God God had so appointed from all eternitie that they should suffer therefore seeing that necessitie was imposed on them why shold they not bear the burden pauentlie The second argument was from his fore warning of them of the troubles for the Gospels sake There is nothing come but that I did forewarne you of therefore when they are come what rests but that ye should beare them patientlie Now leauing that which we spok the last day vpon the text preceeding I come to this present text The Apostle in the fift verse of this chapter returnes again to that which he spoke concerning Timothie and the sending of him to the Thessalonians In the next verse he hes a narratiue of Timothie his returning againe and of that good report he made in his returning of the Thessalonians of their faith loue and remembrance they had of Paul After that in the verse following he showes what effect that report of Timothie wrought in him it brought to him joye and consolation notwithstanding of all his affliction he was in for the present The reasone is giuen because we liue when ye stand in the faith your perseuerance is our life and therefore what maruell if vve rejoice in your faith And thereafter he vtters that he can not thanke God eneugh for that grace they had gotten of God Now to come back againe The text containes a plaine narratiue Wherefore saies he vvhen I could no longer forbeare I sent Timothie to you Of this vve spoke the last day in the beginning of the chapter and therfore vve goe forward The end is set down wherefore he sent Timothie to vnderstand of your faith That is of your perseueeing of your abiding and of your standing in that faith yee haue receyued This is an other end from that which vvas before Before he sent Timothie to establish and to comfort them nowe he sends Timothie to vnderstand of their faith and perseuerance No matter albeit there be sundrie ends wherefore he sent Timothie one for their cause to establishe them an other for his owne cause that hee him selfe might vnderstand of their perâ—euerance in faith and might haue joye in the report of their perseuerance therein So ye see the Apostle brethren is euer carefull of this Church at Thessalonica planted and begun by him there So that in the beginning he vvas carefull to lowe the seede of the vvorde amongst them to conuert them and turne them to the faith of Christ When he hes done this he leaues not off his care but that vvorke he had begunne he is carefull that it bee brought to some perfection in Christe So that he leaues behinde him this lesson vnto all pastors and vnto all that trauaile in that calling The care of the Pastor 〈◊〉 his stock shold be instant to haue a continuall care ouer the people that are committed to them to haue a care of their perseuerance and continuance in faith to the end It is not enengh to raise them vp once and to set them on their feete and thereafter to plucke away his hand from them and to let them stand as it were them allone but hee must striue to holde them vp as he hes laide the foundation of faith so he must build vpon that foundation continuallie so far as lies in him while the building be ended He is an euil workman that wil lay the foundation of an house then leape away he is an euill teacher that will found any people on faith and then goes away and leaues them Brethren the beginning of faith is by the 〈…〉 way this ministrie there shall be no foundation on 〈…〉 persseuerance in saith is by this ministry take it avvay 〈…〉 once founded shall fall dovvne againe 〈…〉 〈◊〉 preaching of the Gospel 〈…〉 of God from the Congregations and leaue 〈…〉 your owne reaching meditation thogh ye be 〈…〉 shall ye all your reading and meditation shall not holde you vp for that is the onelie meane whereby perseuerance in faith is effectuate without the which thou shalt not perseuere in
faith but shalt fall and the last fall shall be worsle then the first The cause is subjoined in the next vvords wherfore he wold vnderstand of their faith their perseuerance in faith Lest saith he in anie sort the tempter had tempted you As he wold say I know well eneugh the craft of the diuell and if there be not a wattring after the planting I knowe his temptation hovve busie he is to roote out that which is planted and therefore fearing he had tempted you and drawne you from faith I vvas verie carefull to vnderstand of your faith and perseuerance therein Then vvhat should haue falne to me through your falling by the temptation of the Enimie I Paul who had grounded you in the faith should haue lost trauaile and all my labour in planting you in that faith should haue beene lost This is the meaning of all Then vvhat made Paul so carefull of the standing and perseuerance of the Thessalonians the tempter the diuell Sathan that neuer ceasses from tempting the faithfull made Paul so carefull to vnderstand of their perseuerance in faith Temptats â—n of Sathan shold make the Pastour vvalkrife What should make a pastor carefull and vvalkeryfe to vvalke when others sleepe There is a tempter in the vvorlde and there is not a Church in the vvorlde but there is a tempter in it and there is no person in it but he hes a tempter Goe where thou vvilt go thy tempter followes thee sit ly rise doe what thou wilt doe thou shalt not vvant thy tempter So long as the diuell is in the world so long there is necessity requyred of walkryfenesse pastors must be walkryfe people must be walkeryfe and euerie man and woman must be on their guaâ—rd VValke saith the Lord in the Gospell of sanct Matth. 26. 41. lest ye enter into temptation Ther is a tempter at your eare that vvill tempt you be walkeryfe therefore be sober and vvatch saith Peter in his first Epist 5. 8. Wherefore For the enemie the diuell is going about like a roaring lyon seeking vvhome be may denoure Goe thou where thou wilt he is about thee thy eye beginnes not so soone to vvinke and lose the presence of the Lord but as soone his mouth is oppin to deuoure A slipperie bodie be he pastor be he anie of the people he knowes not that there is a Diuell a tempter Would all this slumbring and fleshlie securitie be trow ye if men were perswaded that ther is a diuell readie to deuoure So when men sleepe in sinne in murther in harlotrie in theft in blasphemie in all the rest of those sinnes they testifie that they know not there is a diuell in the world Alas manie neuer knovv that there is a tempter vvhile they be swallovved vp and be in his grip pes manie neuer know that there is an hell Of all sorts of men in the vvorld a slipprie pastor a carelesse man in the ministrie is the vvorst he loses both him selfe and manie others a carelesse man in the ministrie is vnmeete for that calling avvay with him And therefore the Lord woulde haue vs learne that there is not one man he sends out but besides all other properties giuen him he giues him this walkryfenes this vigilancie for one propertie and more then this the Lord vvill acquaint him with tentation and let him see a tempter going vp and downe will assure him in his hart that there is a Diuell going about with euerie man Paul therefore speaking of the incestuous man saies Comfort him lest the tempter deuoure him 2. Corinth 2. 10. and in his ovvne person 2. Cor. 12. 7. that the messiâ—ger of Sathan vvas sent to buffet him The Lord vvill let the minister see in his ovvne person there is a tempter that he may be the more careful of the people as Christ himselfe was subject to all tentations that he should pittie them that are tempted Then to returne By your defection and falling away what should I haue lost He sayes and that our labour had bene in vaine Therefore labours he that he should not lose them It is a paine to a man to take trauell to labour night and day and then in the end to lose all and not to receiue frute of his trauell It is a paine to a man to suffer for the Gospell and then in the end to lose all Alwayes I marke of this place When any people makes defection from the faith of Christ not onelie the people them selues who makes defection but also the Pastor who trauels among them makes lose in their defection Paul professes in the Epistle to the Galathians 4. 11. that he feared his labour had bene in vaine saying I haue feared concerning you that I haue vvearied my selfe in vaine I feare my paines and trauell toward you be in vaine yea brethren the carefullest and walkryfest man in the ministrie loses his paine and labour when he attaines not to that end that he sets before him to wit saluation of the people Well then if a faithfull Pastor lose by the falling away or the people what lose makes an vncarefull Pastor when through his default any people falles away to defection Iudge ye then vvhat is his lose and damage he loses not onelie the people but himselfe the people perishes and the bloude of the people is craued at his hand and so he loses himselfe too A faithfull man in whose default the people falles not away shall triumphe their fall shall not take away his triumphe and he shall be a sweete smell in the sight of God fall who will fall if it be not in his default he shall not lose his laboures his labours and paines shall euer stand before God as acceptable to him but as so a carelesse bodie by whose defaulte any people or persone is lost in the Church of God there is no triumphe for him neither in this lyfe nor in the lyfe to come if he repent not he shall be no sweete smâ—ll in Christ to God he is a stincking creature Therfore let euery man that is in that charge studie to walkrifenesse that no man perish through his default and so he shall be a sweete smell to God both in them that are safe and in them who perishe 2. Cor. 2 14. In the next verse we haue the narratiue of Timothie returning backe againe from the Thessalonians to Paul who abode at Athens he reported againe to Paul good nevves of the Thessalomans and their perseueraâ—ce to his great joy and consolation But novv latelie sayes he vvhen Timothie came from yeâ— vnto vs and brought vs good tidings of your faith and loue and that ye haue good remembrance of vs alvvaies desiring to see vs as vve desire to see you Paul vvas impeaded in his owne person from going vnto Thessalonica but he sent Timothies who is not impeaded but goes forward and does his turne among them he watters that which Paul had planted in Thessalonica Timothie in
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
meddle not vvith it doe neuer thing vvith a doubting conscience And therefore I say to thee if thou doubt of the verie least thing that is good if thy conscience be not perswaded it is good doe it notâ— I say to thee it is better to doe the thing that is euill and haue a persvvasion in thy conscience that it is good nor to doe the thing that in it selfe is good if thy conscience thinke it euill If thou doe against thy conscience it is euer euill Doe neuer against conscience What euer is not of faith it is sinne if thou be not perswaded in conscience it is good if it vvere neuer so good it is sin to thee So if there lyes any suspition in thy hart of the doctrine that it is not altogether sound abstaine from it and meddle not vvith it As for other things any thing in the vvorld that hes appearance of euill Appearance of euill to be eshevved suppose it be not euill yet if it appeare to be euill touch it not meddle not with it If thy conscience tell thee this is sin on paine of thy lyfe doe it not Fight neuer with thy conscience what euer thou fight with suppose it be euill informed for it is sin If it seeme to thee to be euill meddle not with it More if it seeme to be euill to others namely to those that the Apostle calles vveake ones albeit thou be persvvaded of thy christian liberty yet for their sake that thou make them not doe contrare their conscience abstaine abstaine for their sake albeit not for thy owne sake from these things may offend their conscience as meate drinke c. Iude in his Epistle verse 23. goes further in this and sayes and hate euen the garment spotted by the flesh that is the outward coat that is spotted with sin touch not once the coat of sin Lay not thy finger to the outward slugh of it for it wil spot thee if thou lay thy finger on it Then brethren take it vp in one word Ye see here how ware men shold be of sin thou art bound to abstaine from it yea to hate and detest the very appearance of it the mowe of it let be the inward body of it Thou sinst when thou layest thy finger end on the coat of it Alas then how sinst thou when at all thy senses thou drinkst it in as it were water The murtherer drinks in bloud as it were water the harlote drinkes in harlotrie at all his senses as it were water If it be euill to allow of the appearance of it how great euill is it to take the whole bodie of sin in thy arme and lay it with pleasure to thy hart Neuer man will take thing so sweetly in their armes as men will take this viper of sin in their hart A murtherer can neuer be satiat with bloud an harlot can neuer be satiat with harlotrie A blasphemer can neuer be satiat vvith blaspheming Ye that would doe no euill the common word is doe no euill like abstaine from the hew and collour of it touch it not once let be to embrace or suffer it to reigne in thee Now brethren to go forward to that which followes In the last verse we haue red heâ— concludes the whole exhortations of this Epistle with a prayer to God I shal be short in it Novv saies he the God of peace sanctifie you throughout I pray God that ye may be keept in soule and bodie in sanctification to Christ Exhortation concluded vvith praier that is the effect of the words All his exhortation is to holinesse and sanctification For that is the generall he laid downe in the 4. chap. 3. vers This is the vvill of God euen your sanctification Now in the conclusion what does he He prayes What prayes he That the Lord would grant them that same thing he was exhorting them to He was exhorting them to sanctification and he praies God to giue them sanctification This is the Apostles fashion in other places to the Ephes 3. chap. 13. verse He beseches them to stand constant in the faith of Christ and faint not for his tribulation And then he subjoynes For this cause I hovv mykrees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye grovv not faint So he exhortes them to constancie and he prayes God to giue them it Paul and the rest of the Apostles neuer exhorted any Church to sanctification to any good thing as though it had lyen in the handes of the people and Church to haue done it But in the meane tyme while he exhortes them he was perswadod that it behoued God to giue them grace to doe it and that it lay in the hands of God onely whether they should do it or not do it And therefore when he exhortes them to doe any thing he addes praier I beseech God to giue you the grace to do it The Papists thinks it lyes in the hands of a mans selfe to doe godd they euer extoll free will Fy â—n them it lyes not in the powâ—r of fleshe and bloud to do any thing that is acceptable to God No it is a poisonable doctrin and this vanity they gather vpon these preceptes and exhortations If say they there were no power in mans hand why should the Lord commandâ— it is vanity to command that which cannot be done I answere in one word This is a foolish conclusion if there were no more but this that the Apostle sayes first it is the vvill of God your sanctification Then he subjoynes I pray to God that he vvould giue you the graâ—e of sanctification as if he would say I bid you not as though inlay in your owne hands but I pray to God that he would worke it It showes the vanity of this conclusion Now to the wordes Whom to prayes he To the God of peace The God of peace sayes he sanctifie your soules Read all the Canonicall scriptures ye shall neuer finde that any of the ould fathers directed their prayers to any Saints either to Abraham Isaac or Iacob or to any other holy men or Angels But this by the way In all the praiers of the ould fathers and all the Psalmes there is neuer a prayer but to God onely Now how styles he him He calles him the God of peace The God who is the Author and giuer of all peace Peace What peace is this Euen the peace that he calles The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding that guardes your harts and myndes in Christ Iesus Philipp 4. chap. 7. verse No other thing but that same peace of the conscience when we are surely perswaded that all our sinnes are freely remitted vnto vs in the bloud of Christ and that through him we shall get glorie for euer Then if we haue this peace we will be quyetnesse in all the miseries of this world Then end of all grace is peace Iustification ends in peace our calling and predestination from
no merite vnder the Sunne but Gods merite when God hes to doe with man As for vs there is nothing but debt no deseruing in vs all that we can doe to our God is meere debt as euer a man was addebted to another All the thanks-giuing vve can giue him is debt all vvorkes vve can worke are debt what euer he gettes of vs he merites and deserues it This is the trueth and yet the enemies of the trueth will turne this euer againe and will ascryue the merite to stinking fleshe and the debt to God The debt that appertaines to vs they ascryue to God and the merite that appeartaines to God they ascryue to vs. They sette vs aboue God for he who merites is aboue the debtor Lord what a change is this Paul to the Romans chap. 11. verse 35. sayes Who gaue him first that hes bound him to giue them againe Wilt thou be before him gaue thou him first any good if thou can doe it then thou merites if not then it is a blasphemie to thinke that thou can merite Fy on thee there is nothing in the part of the creature but debt yea meere debt nothing on the part of God but merite Now to goe forward in the matter of this thanks-giuing that neuer hes an end that should be without intermission and that God deserues at our handes The matter and cause of thanks-giuing is grace The first grace is Faith not a simple faith but an exceeding grouth in faith Because sayes he your faith grovves exceedinglie The next grace is loue not simple loue but aboundance of loue and abounding in mutuall loue so that the hearts of them ranne ouer in loue as a veshell will doe when it is ouer full Well then there is the matteâ— and cause of this thankes-giuing an exceeding grouth of sure faith al â—undant mutuall loue that euery one bare to other Then compare this place with that which is in the first Epistle chap. 1. verse 3. He thanked God for their faith and loue not for their grouth now his style is higher and he thankes God not for faith simply but for grouth not for loue simply but for abounding in mutuall loue Then ye see since the first tyme the Apostle wrote the first Epistle to them the Thessalonians hes growen in faith and loue There is the lesson Grouth in faith in loue There must be a grouth in grace grace must grow in vs and we must grow in grace If thou grow not in grace faith and loue if thou goe not forvvard of necessity thou must goe backward Thinke not that a man will stand still in one estate of faith and loue so that he will say I wil fix my stalfe here and I will goe no further nor this pointe If thou fix down thy stalfe in faith and loue thou shalt fall faster backward nor euer thou came forward and thou shalt neuer come to the end nor mark If thou fix thy stalf and neuer prease to go forward thou shalt neuer come to that glorious resurrection in plaine talke thou wilt neuer come to Heauen To be homely with you We should haue a care euer to grow in this lyfe for so long as we liue we are either children or at the farthest we are springels to vse that word Then I aske will a childe come to the stature of a man or woman if there be not grouth No Euen so if is impossible to one to come to the stature of that spirituall man without growing we are men when we come to Heauen and are joyned to our head and no sooner and there our grouth ends Can thou come to a spirituall mans stature if thou grow not in faith and loue in this earth And therefore as euer ye vvould come to Heauen and obtaine that glory prease to grow in grace to spring in faith and loue in this world in some measure marke your grouth in grace as euer ye did in stature He will be busie to see it he be higher this yeere nor he was the last yeere but whom marks if he be growne higher in spirituall things this yeere nor he was the last yeere This stature will away these earthly things will away but this grouth â— Christ abydes for euer Of this grouth read Ephes 4. chap. vers 13 14. 15. where he exhorts vs to grovven faith to the 〈◊〉 age of Christ and to grow in loue vntill we be joyned with our head Yet marke more As â—n the first Epistle 1. chap. verse 3. he thanked the Lord for faith simplie and loue simplie so here he giues him all thankes for the grouth therein Marke it He thankes not them for the grouth he giues them not one part of the thankes and God the other but he thankes God for all And good reason for who is able to put one inche to his stature Art thou able to make thy selfe growe in this bodily grouth No it is impossible Then far lesse is there any grouth in the spirituall man but that allanerly which God giues No standing nor perseuerance in grace but that which God giues Al is giuen by God Fy on that stinking doctrine of the Papists When God say they hes giuen man a grace he permits a man to his free will to goe forward as it were in mans owne option whether to goe forward or not I only touch this As the graces commes of God so of necessity the increase grouth of graces commes of God and not of any grace left in vs. In one word Giue him the praise of the beginning of grace giue him the praise of thy progresse in grace giue him the end giue him the praise of all For he it is that giues the grace the progresse and grouth therein it is he that crownes his worke in thee it is he that works all that all the glory of grace may be giuen to him Yet to insist What is this Faith Faith is nothing but a joining of vs with God in Christ What is Loue this mutuall loue Nothing but a joyning of vs with the Church here on earth What is grouth of Faith Nothing but a growing nearer and nearer to God to dravv him nearer and nearer to vs. What is the growing in Loue Nothing but a drawing nearer and nearer to the Church which is the bodie of Christ Then draw neare to the head draw neare to the bodie seuere not thy selfe from it Then what is the matter of thanks-giuing Euen this that they were drawen nearer nor they were before to Christ and to his Church Then brethren when haue we matter of thanking God for any man for any people Euen when we see any man or people drawing nearer to Christ and the body of Christ nor they wer If a man had al the kingdomes of the earth there is no matter to rejoice for in him if we see him ly aback from Christ and from his Church if he draw not nearer and nearer to Christ and his church in
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
to wit their eternal election to saluation their sanctification their faith in the trueth of Iesus their effectuall calling to lyfe euer lasting and the glorie of Christ vpon these grounds he inferres this I herefore brethren stand fast as if he did say seeing ye are so sure grounded therefore stand fast on your ground Then thelesson is when a man findes in his owne hart that God hes chosen him to saluation from all eternitie when he findes he hes faith and the Spirite of sanctification and finds the Lord from Heauen to call on him and to put out his hand as it were and to take him by the hand againe and to leade him forwarde to that saluation to the which he hes appoynted him from all eternitie Then though Heauen should fall and all the world goe to ruine though thousands of men should fall away from the trueth at this tyme yet it becommes him not once to shudder or to suffer himselfe once to be shaken in the middes of all confusion and that not throgh any confidence or strength in himselfe for then he will be beguilde but onely through the power of the grace of his God which he hes found in experieÌ„ce ground himself on that ground which we haue Rom. 11. 29. The gifts and calling of God is vvithout repentance if once the Lord begin to bestow these spirituall blessings and to call a person to the glory of Christ effectually Heauen and earth shall goe together ere that person perish Now ere I goe further to the words I would solue a question that may fal out here Hes not the Apostle euen now before certified these Thessalonians of their election from al eternitie out of the which it followes necessarly that they are placed out of al danger of finall defection for it is impossible that they that are elected from all eternity can fall away finallie and perish how is it then that he exhortes them to stand considering this their sure election is vnchangeable I answere shortly It is true the chosen of God are placed outwith all danger of this defection vnto the which the reprobate is subject and it is impossible that they can fall away finallie indeed they may haue their owne stumblinges and stoppings but as concerning their finall defection it is a thing vnpossible that they can be subject to it by vertue of their election for brethren so many as are ordeined to life of necessity they are ordeined to finall perseuerance if thou be ordeined to life of necessitie thou must stand fast to the end in some measure but it is as true on the other part that they that are ordeined to perseuerance they are ordeined to stand by such and such meanes and of these meanes this is one exhortation another is admonition another is teaching another rebuking for if need be we should rebuke euen the chosen of God and threatten them yea the prayers also of the Saints and Pastors are meanes to make the chosen to stand fast And failing these meanes by the which the Lord hes ordeined that they shall perseuere and especiallie if thou contemne these meanes exhortation admonition rebukes doctrine and prayers of the faithfull thou shalt faile of perseuerance and failing of perseuerance thou shalt fall finally away And if thou fall finallie away thou shalt finde that thou wert neuer one of these that were chosen to life euerlasting And therefore brethren seeing these are the means of God to hold thee vp to the end till he glorifie thee thou should be glad when thou art admonished exhorted and taught for they are the tokens to thee of thy election if thou take them in a good part Beware then that ye contemne not any of these meanes Now to goe forward When he hes exhorted them to stand fast then immediatly he subjoines as it were the definition of this standing what it is Standfast sayes he What is that Hold a fast and a sure grip Whereof of the doctrine I haue taught you either by vvord or vvrit stand fast by it Marke then Ye see the perseuerance he craues is the perseuerance in the faith and in the â—ight of the word the doctrine of Iesus Christ is the light of the world and perseuerance in knowledge of this word is to hold it fast To make this plaine There are two sorts of perseuerance One is the perseuerance in the trueth in the Gospell in the faith of Iesus and in the light tvvo sorts of perseuerance and all these are one There is another perseuerance and that is an holy life well doing and in a godly conuersation Marke them both if ye will compare them together the first which is perseuerance in faith or in trueth must be the cause of the other and the other is the necessar effect of it where perseuerance is in the light of necessitie there is a perseuerance in godlinesse for a man that perseueres in the light of necessity that man walketh in the hie way to Heauen in his action and maner of liuing and must goe the direct way to saluation but once take away the light and let him reject and contemne the light and veritie of Christs Gospell he shall not goe one stop rightlie but he shall decline from the hie way Take the Gospell and the light of Christ out of his eyes and hart he shall neuer do one right action he may seeme to be good and haue a faire outward showe and his words may seeme glistring so that he shall not seeme to be a murtherer a theefe or an harlot but if the Gospel be out of his hart all is but hypocrisie and there is nothing in his hand that pleases God all is abomination and his rewarde for all his faire doing shall be with the hypocrites in Hell So let not man pleasure himselfe in his doing if his eye be not set on Iesus Christ shining in the Gospel If he walke not in the light of Iesus Christ he is in the wrong way when he thinkes he is in the rightest way Lord giue men this grace that when they think they stand they may grip to this light of te Gospell Yet to marke more narrowly these wordes Keepe sayes he hold a grip and stand fast How shall I stand By keeping of a grip no standing for man but by a gripping if thou let thy grip go fall shalt thou Now what shall they grip Doctrine keepe light the best thing in the world is to keepe knowledge There is no standing for men except by keeping light and knowledge Yet what doctrine is this he willes them to keepe He sayes vvhich I haue deliuered and teached you There is no standing but by gripping of doctrine And what a doctrine Euen the doctrin of the Apostles grip to it onely For grip as fast as thou wilt to the traditions and vanities of men they will not all make thee stand for there is no standing but by gripping of the doctrine of the Apostles Paul
workes shall be the tokens of the true cause which is the onely justice of Christ imputed vnto vs by faith I dare say albeit the reprobate wortheâ—â—e shall be damned according to their workes yet they shall be speciallie condemned that they beleeued not in Iesus Christ but contemned his Gospell without faith Then to come to the sentence The Lord will beginne at the elect as best and worthiest and he shall giue them their sentence Come ye blessed of my Father and vvherâ—â—â— the Kingdome prepared for you before 〈…〉 of the vvorlde Matt. chap. 25 verse 32. From once this sentence is past out on them when this absolution from death and damnation is pronounced looke what estate they 〈◊〉 be in They shall stand with the Angles as assessours to judge the reprobate So Paul 1. Cor chap. 6. verse 3. saies knovv 〈…〉 iudge the Angels that is to say we shall allow that most just sentence of Iesus And among all the rest of the 〈◊〉 the twelf Apostles speciallie shall haue place For they shall sit on twelfe Thrones to justifie that just sentence that shall passe on the reprobate Then shall the sentence passe out on the reprobate the voice shall goe downe throgh the aire to the earth a terrible voice 〈◊〉 accursed of my Father to the fire prepared for the Deuill and all his Angels Brethren thinke not this a fable manie will not beleeue this vntil they feele it in them selues Now to be short To speake of the lyfe of the reprobate after this sentence they shall noâ— remaine on the earth In the verie moment of the doome that is certaine they shall passe to dâ—mnation 〈…〉 At that same verie moment thou receiuest the sentence of lyfe thou shalt goe to Heauen The moment the reprobate receiues sentence of damnation they shall go to Hell Now to speake of this death and lyfe I will not be curious there is much spoken in the Scripture thereof both to let vs see the glorie of the elect and the torments of the reprobate But I tell you in one word it was neuer all tolde Neuer Prophet nor Apostle expressed the greatnesse of the joy that shall come to the godlie nor of the paine that shall come to the vngodlie There shall bee another paine nor fyre and brimstone to bee tormented in Neyther can any expresse the joye in Heauen There shall be such glorie and joye as the eare of man neuer heard of the eye hes not seene nor yet hes it entered in the heart of man Novv looke hovv Paul speakes of this joye heere He sayes 〈◊〉 shall be 〈◊〉 vvith the Lord. He contentes him with these wordes To be with the Lord imports not a dwelling only vvith him but a lyfe and glorious lyfe joye that is vvith him vnspeakable I cannot tell it all the tongues in the vvorlde cannot tell it For all the joye in Heauen it is in the Sonne of God and shall shine through him that is through the naturall 〈◊〉 of man couered ouer vvith a Majestie and so all Heauens joye and glorie shall be vvith him and they vvho shall bee vvith him shall be in that glorie and joye vvith him I dare say more These thinges shall not be outvvith vs onely but vvithin our bovvels The joye and glorie shall not be outvvith the godlie as it is novv Commonlie the glorie the pleasure are ouâ—vvith vs the matter of joye outvvith vs and vve 〈◊〉 to it But then all matter of joye shall be in vs Christ first be in vs and God shall be all in all and God in 〈◊〉 be dvveling in vs and then vvhen thou hast all vvithin thee vvhat shall thou vvant And therefore in the Reuelation chap 21. verse 2 it is said We shall not neede thinges outvvith vs. neyther a Temple nor Sunne nor Moone for God being in thee shall be vnto thee a Temple hee is all in all and hee being in thee 〈…〉 all 〈…〉 thee In one vvord He shall be vvithin the◠〈…〉 because God in Christ shall dvvell vvithin thee and 〈…〉 part of that glorie and felicitie of that lyfe Novv is there no more nor this What matter if it vverfor a tyme vve vvere to be with him What matter of Heauen if Heauen lasted not What matter of a Kingdome that vanishes away A man set vp on a pompe to day casten down to morrow what matter of heauenlie glory let be the earthly glory if it lasted not but the Apostle saies we shall be with him for euer Take vp then our blessednesse It stands in two pointes first a passing and exceeding joy and glorie and secondlie in an eternity and euerlastingnesse of joy and glorie Paul plainly and pithilie settes these two together 2. Cor. chap. 4. verse 17. He calles it a weight of glorie that is excellent Then he calles it an euerlasting glorie There are two a weight of glorie and an euerlasting vveight of glorie and more excessiuelie excessiue He cannot get wordes to vtter it It is a weight that will vveigh dovvne all the vvorlde and then a weight of glorie excessiuelie excessiue and then eternall and euerlasting So our felicities in glorie and passing great glorie and an euerlasting glorie As for the paines of the reprobate I will not insist to speake of them because the Apostle is speaking heere to comfort the elect Now when the Apostle hes made a discourse of the comming of Christ He makes his exhortation and sayes and so I say also Comfort one another vvith these vvordes Brethren many hes sought comfort death is dolorous and wearisome in the owne nature and therefore many of the Heathen hes busied themselues to get comfort and matter of consolation in the houre of death What matter of death if there be a comfort therein but then is death dolorous when it is without comfort But vvas there euer any that got comfort that knew not Christ and the resurrection and a life after this life no neuer man neither king nor Emperor As for all the comforts they had all was but vanitie and dreames of comfort Againe I say Was there euer anie that gaue comfort to a bodie in death or that gaue comfort to them that vvas heauie for the death of their freinde but that man that hes a sense of that glorious resurrection of Christ and of his comming And therefore as thou wouldst haue comfort in death giue comfort for death know that the Lord is to come in the world knovv that there shall be a glorious resurrection and after the resurrection there shall be an eternall joy and glorie in Heauen And looke that this be not onely wordes in the mouth There are many vaine bablers of Christ and of that glorious resurrection A knaue an adulterer a murtherer will flatter himselfe and clatter of that glorie and joy but all is vanity Wilt thou be a knaue and then speake of these thinges The Lord shall punish thee Looke therefore that thy speaking of the latter