concerning those vvho are at sleepe That is I vvoulde not haue you ignorant of their estate vvhat is their estate while they lye in graue vvhat their estate shall be thereafter Of these and such things I vvould not haue you ignorant Now the lesson is easie There are none of vs but in some measure vve shoulde knowe what is the estate of them who are dead vvhat is their estate in the graue vvhat shall be their estate after the graue It appertaines to euerie Christian to know the estate of the dead in some measure as well as it pertaines to them to know the estate of the liuing not passing the reuelation that the Lord hes made therin Dreame not anie estate to the dead knovve no more of it nor it pleases God to reueale nor desire to know no more The Papistes passes in curiositie and can not be satisfied with the Lords reuelation but let vs be content with the reuelation of the Lord vntill that great reuelation come Alwaies it pertaines to vs in some measure to knovve the estate of the departed IgnoraÌ„ce brings sorrovv and knovvledg ioy Ignorance brings a great deale of sorrow vvith it The effects of ignorance in things vve should know are displeasure and sorrow Knowledge of the things vve should know and especially of the estate of those departed this life brings joy consolation Ignorance made Iacob excessiuelie to mourne for his sonne Ioseph without anie cause thinking he was dead when he was aliue Being fred from his ignorance and knowing the estate of his son and that he was aliue he found joy and consolation So light and knowledge brings joy The blinde opinion of this dreame of Purgatorie that the Papists hes inuented hes brought exceeding great displeasure to many To thinke that the soule lovvsed from the bodie should be tormented in Purgatorie ere it enter in glorie But men being fred from this ignorance and knowing assuredly that the soule immediatlie after it seueres from the bodie passes to eternall joy men and vvemen knovving this in the pointe of death no question they are exceeding glad Then brethren to speake it againe Ignorance brings great displeasure knowledge bringes joy when vve knowe the estate of thinges as they are indeed then there is joy Therefore the Apostle sayes That ye 〈◊〉 not as others vvho hes no hope That is as the Gentiles An ignorant and hopelesse bodie who hes no hope of the resurrection who knowes nothing of the resurrection and therefore hopes not for it his mourning and sorrowe will be excessiue This is the meaning of the Apostle Ignorance bringes 〈◊〉 in death it makes a man hopelesse not to hope for a lyfe after this lyfe nor for a resurrection to lyfe and being 〈◊〉 what joy can he haue a bodie dying without hope no 〈◊〉 if thou bee not in hope when thou art dying all the world shall not make thee to rejoyce By the contrair ye heare by the Apostle knowledge bringes hope for hope is the effect of knowledge and hope bringes joy and comfort in the houre of death None euer yet died in the hope of that glorious resurrection but in the houre of death they rejoyced with joy vnspeakable The joy that hope bringes being grounded on knowledge is wonderfull It will not be conteined in the heart but the mouth will open and glory in the joy it apprehendes throgh the hope of the resurrection in Iesus Christ The Apostle Rom. chap. 5. verse 2. saies We rejoyce vnder the hope of the glory of God I meane not brethren that that knowledge that workes hope and that hope that workes joy will take away from a man altogether all displeasure all heauinesse all mourning in the departure of our friendes and them we loue well No it will nor nor should not doe that There is no grace of God in Iesus that puts out any naturall affection none will take away either naturall joy or displeasure no faith and hope will not doe it but it makes that naturall affection sanctified and puts it in order Our dolour which by nature is immoderate it moderates hope will bring with it a measure knoweledge will bring with it a measure and faith which is the fountaine of all graces will bring with it a measure In a word Faith hope and knowledge will temper and mingle the affection of displeasure which is bitter with the affection of joy and make a sweete temperature in that bodie so that the bodie that hes knowledge and hope when it is mourning fastest it will haue greatest joy Beware of your mourning and looke that it be neuer altogether without some joy Sobst thou sighst thou vnspeakablie Looke that thy â—ighs be mingled with joy vnspeakable Will ye haue my counsell Let neuer joy be the alone but let euer joy be tempered with sorrow Haue not srrow the alone but let it 〈◊〉 be mingled with some joy So long as thou liuest thou art naturallie inclined to sinne and sinne procures sorrow And therfore so long as sinne dwelles in thy bodie let euer thy joy be tempered with sorow but let neuer thy sorow for sinne be it alone but tempered with some joy in the mercie of God This shoulde be the estate of a christian in laughing forget not sin but sorow for it be not vvanton vnder the burden of sin Againe in mourning let joy be for the mercie of Christ to vs. The Apostle sayes 1. Thess 5. 16. Reioice euer yea euen when thou art mourning for there is matter of eternall joy offered in Christ and therfore rejoice vvith a sanctified and with an holie joye This is the first lesson Then brethren I gather on the vvords of the Apostle As the Gentiles vvho haue no hope of resurrection where there is no hope there is no comfort vvhere a mans hope is bounded within the compasse of this life and reaches not out beyond the same there is no comfort make him king of all the worlde if his hope be onelie on the kingdomes of this earth if he hope not for that heauenlie kingdome Want of hope doth bring dispaire in death to be an inheritour there he hes no joye nor comfort I meane that solide joye and comfort vvhich the world neuer ministers to men Al the kingdoms in the earth will neuer minister to thee solide joy comfort consolation Novv brethren this is the estate of the Gentiles Paul Ephes 2. 12. speaking of their estate sayes they liued in the world without God aliants from the Common-well of Israell from the Church of God strangers from the couenants of promise without hope without God in the world and so hopelesse coÌ„fortlesse I can not say that euer any Gentile that liued as a Gentile what euer was their ranke on the earth that euer they had any comfort all these Monarches that liued without grace in the world I can not say that in the midst of their triumph greatest glory they had any comfort much lesse
to God If thy conjunction be not with Iesus in this lyfe the power of God in the latter day shall not raise thee to joyne thee to God Take this first cause away the second shall not follow Then againe if the hand of God at the day of the resurrection should not be put as it were out of Heauen to take vp thy bodie thou wouldst ly still Therfore joyne these two First the conjunction with Christ that is by Faith then joyne with Faith the power and vertue of God and so ryse shalt thou and be joyned with God in glorie Now as to the power of God to raise vs it is not extended to vs heere but we shall see it in that great day but the thing vve haue to care for is to looke that we haue saith and of necessitie the second must follow Hast thou faith and art thou joyned with Christ by Faith of necessitie the power of God must reache to thee to raise thee out of the graue Thou needest not to feare if thou be found in Christ All mercie power and glorie is in him if thou be out with Christ no glorie nor mercie but damnation for thee for the power of God shall be extended to thy destruction Now to the next verse Yet he goes forward and teaches them that not onely they shall rise and be broght to God and be joyned with him But he sayes This say vve vnto you by the vvord of God that vve vvho liue and are remaning at the comming of the Lord shall not preueene them vvho sleep He speakes heere of himselfe as thogh he should haue bene liuing at the day of judgement and yet he died more nor a thousand yeere since To teach vs euer to be in readinesse no houre nor moment should be but we should look for the cōming of Christ and think we shall be liuing whē he commes This is our vain thoght we think we shal die before the day of judgment No Paul spok not so we should not speak so but be ay ready to meet the Lord at his glorious appearance Now the third head wherein he instructed them is the order and ranke of men that shall meete the Lord in the cloudes All that judgement shall passe by order The God of order shall be judge Order in meeting the Lord after resurrectiō and all shall be in order and men shall be in ranke they who shall be raised vp from this earth to meete the Lord shall haue their own place and ranke Now the Apostle would teach them that they shal haue this order They who hes departed first this lyfe shall not be preuented they vvho shall be aliue shall not be put in the ranke before them but they who are dead shall be in the first ranke and order and ere euer that sodain change be made of them vvho shall be found alyue changing them from mortalitie to immortalitie vvhich change shall be in the twinckling of an eye the dead in the graue shall be raised vp first by the power of God their bodies shal be first glorified and then shall come on that sodain change of them who shall be aliue then all shal be rest vp to the clouds first they that were dead next they that were changed and so we shall come all to meete our head Christ This is the order Now to be short This same verie speaking of the Apostle and his instructing of them in this preferment teaches vs that there should be in vs such a desire to meete with Christ that we should striue who shal meet with him first striue to be first and not to be last cast vs to haue a parte of this preferment and considering this preferment is promised to them vvho dies first it should make vs joyfull to die first and to say to them vvho are standing about vs vvhen vve are on death-bed I vvill get a preferment I am called to death first before you I shall be preferred to you in meetting vvith my Lord in Heauen Ye shall liue after me but I shall meete first vvith my Lord. O vvhat it is to get preferment in heauenlie glorie Ye vvill count of preferment vvith Kinges of this earth and men vvill striue vvho shall first meete vvith the King O then should vve not striue to meete vvith the King of Kings in Heauen The Lord grant vs faith that we may be joined with Christ in this bodie that at that last day soule and bodie may be glorified in Heauen vvith Christ our Head To vvhom with the Father and the holy Spirite be all glory and praise for euer AMEN THE XVIII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 16. 17. 18. 16 For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen vvith a shout and vvith the voyce of the Archangell and vvith the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise againe Then shall vve vvhich liue and remaine be caught vp vvith them also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall vve euer be vvith the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort your selues one another vvith these vvords THE Apostle brethren in this present text by the way as it were instructs the Thessalonians in that head of doctrine that concernes those who are departed this lyfe Of the which either they were ignorant or thought not of it as they should haue done And therefore in the death and departure of their kins-folke and friendes whom they loued well they mourned excessiuely as though there estate had beene miserable as though after this world there should haue been no more of them but they should perish like beasts And therfore the Apostle to the end that for death they shold not mourne so desperatlie he instructs them in certaine heades of doctrine concerning the departed The first was that they that died died not so much as sleeped this death is not so much to be called a death as a sleepe for there shall be a waking againe as a man lying down to sleepe shall awake againe The second point Their resurrection shall be glorious Being laid down in the graue they shall not ly for euer but shall be gloriouslie raised againe for heere he speakes of the resurrection of the elect and chosen Now the third thing he instructs them in is an peece of honour they shall haue in their resurrection They that are dead first shall see the Lord before them that shall be found aliue for the dead shall ryse first and then the change shall be made of them who are then liuing And as the dead shall rise first so they shall be first in ranke among them who shall goe to meete the Lord in the aire first the dead after their resurrection shall be rest vp to the cloudes then they who shall be liuing shall be rest vp after them So the dead shall get the first sight of Christ then they who shall be found alyue shall be
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
the thirde verse the Apostle giues the reason of the sodaintie of the comming of that day as a thief in the night For vvhen they shall cry Peace Peace c. As he woulde say The effect shall shovve it byde vntill he come The sodaine destruction at his comming shall shovve his sodaine comming When they shall say peace c. and say all is well shut the doores and be merie then on a sodaintie the destruction shall ouertake them Then I see that the death that men shall die at Christes comming shall bee a sodaine death Who euer shall die at Christes comming shall die sodainlie A great difference betweene this death which vve die novv and that death which shall be at Christs comming When men now dies they get leasure to die There is patience in God there is leuitie and long suffering for when we see we are on death-bed neuer to liue againe then he drawes vs to repentance and he wil not sodainlie strike vs to death but giues vs tyme to amend and turne to him A murtherer he will take him and cast him in prison and vvill let him aâ—yde there to see if hee vvill repent So there is patience now But in the day of judgement there shall be no lenitie nor patience And if thou be a reprobate thou shalt not haue grace nor tyme to say Lord be mercifull to me for er thou end the word when thou beginst to speak thou shalt be striken And what means this Euen that this is the acceptable day the day of Gods patience and long suffering Repent therefore Sit not the tyme for certanilie wilt thou sit the tyme vntill that comming no patience no grace no repentance but a change shall be in the twinckling of an eye The Lord when he giues vs tyme to repent giues vs grace also to repent Thinke it a great blessing when the Lord layes thee in paine that he giues thee that tyme to repent and make vauntage of it Now the wordes woulde be marked For vvhen they shall say peace then shall come on them sodaine destruction In the chapter going before the first death was called a sleepe yea the reprobate when he is striken it is called a sleepe and where sleeping is there is a waking againe But the second death is commonlie called destruction an vtter wreak and destruction and no death In the 2. Epist Thessal chap. 1. verse 9. Paul speaking of Christes comming to judgement and paine of the reprobate he castes to a propertie to this worde and calles it an euerlasting destruction Heere he calles it a sodaine hastie destruction How can these two stand Well eneugh for in the comming of Christ it shall be sodaine and yet albeit the comming be sodaine the destruction shall be endlesse and not sodaine Well were them if they were beastes for so soone as the branes of a beast are beaten out then the wreak of it is done But the reprobate shall ay be deing and neuer be dead ay wreaked and neuer an end of their wreaking What matter if at the end of ten thousand yeeres there could be an end of their destruction Paul in that place giues a reason of that endlesse destruction There is none of vs but we should vnderstand this Seeke the cause from the judge and striker The cause is not so much in the man striken as in him who strikes who is infinite And therefore the paine is infinite As for exemple Let a King or Monarch take a man torment him and yet holde his lyfe in Burne him and boyle him with â—yle yet that paine shall end Let him pull the skin off him doe what torment he can to him yet that paine shall end For neuer a Monarch yet could keepe a man in endlesse paine they may well pyne folke but that paine shall haue an end all the judges power is bounded and limited and therefore he must haue an end in his tormenting But the Lord is infâ—â—t And therefore he may torment in pain euerlastingly Al torment here is but childs play in respect of the heauy judgements of God what matter to fall in mans hands their wraith and power is nothing in respect of that infinite wraith of God who punishes without an end of paine Hell is not so light a thing as men trowes That terrible day is not as men beleeues Therefore in vvhose handes that euer thou cast thy selfe cast not thy selfe in the handes of an angrie God No rather chuse to die ten thousand tymes ere thou fall in the handes of an angrie God If thou knew the torments of Hell tho would be afrayed So the thing especiallie we should care for in this lyfe is euer to seeke to stand in friendship with him to be war of his wraith and rather take on thee the wraith of the whole world Now he notes the tyme when this sodaine destruction shall fall When they shall be saying Peace and safetie at this tyme scarcely shal he haue ended the word when the strok shal light We reade of Belshazzar Daniell 5. 5. who was prophaning the veshels of the Lords house and crying peace but he had not spoken the word when all his joints seuered and the hand writting on the wall afrayed him In the wordes marke tvvo things First on whom shall this sodain destruction fall secondly what tyme should this destruction be Then vvho is it on vvhom this sodaine destruction falles The vvord beares men and wemen making mirth in this earth without the care of God or man The thiefe when he breakes in in a house in the night vvho is it in the house he oppresses If there be a bodie that is founde sleeping he vvill cutte his throte but if there be anie waking and on his guarde that man vvill escape the thiefe So the Lord when he shall come and will compasse the whole vvorlde as it were in a spanne whom vvill he oppresse sodainelie Him vvhom he findes sleeping in the senslesse bed of securitie vvithout thought eyther of God or of the Deuill such a man the throate of him shall be cutted and hee vvill be casten in Hell incontinent But vvho shall be safe They who are watching and praying lying also in a securitie but in a spiritual securitie hauing an assurance of Gods grace and mercie to them Their throate shall not be cutted But when is it that the bodie sleeping in a deadlie securitie shall be destroyed Euen when they are in the highest degree of securitie Degrees of security Of this sleeping and securitie there are degrees The best that liues is not altogether fred from this sinne but there is some that glories in their sinne The murtherer glories in his murther and he will say He hes slaine one to me but I haue slaine three to him for it The whore glories in whoredome Then in the meane-tyme when he is on the hight of his sleepe eating and drinking then he is in the entresse to hell and when he is tumbling
obtained by Christ And therefore fy on him that thinkes that he is safe by merite It is a wonderfull thing God of free mercie appointes to saluation and yet ere we come to it be will haue it boght What free mercy is this No neuer thing was so deare boght as thy saluation For it was not boght with gold nor siluer but with the bloude of the immaculate Lambe Iesus Christ And therefore he sayes in the first Epistle to the Corint chap. 6. verse 20. ye are boght vvith a pryce he calles it a price by reason of the high excellencie thereof As thogh there were no pryce but onely the bloud of Iesus to be esteemed of and yet it is a free grace of God How can it be afree grace and boght to If I buy it and that with a deare price how can it be free Indeed it is true if thou hadst payed the price thy selfe it had not beene a free gift but seeing it is not boght with a price that coÌ„mes out of thy hand but with the precious bloud of Iesus who is Gods Son it is a free gift to thee For who gaue the Son but the Father Who gaue the price but he that receiued it God gaue as it were out of his owne purse the price for thee The mercy and loue of God to his seruants is wonderfull Wilt thou looke to thy saluation nothing but mercy in God if thou hast nothing to glory in but free grace and mercie without any deseruing otherwaies if thou joine any part of merite with mercie and say the mercy of God and my merite did it shame shall come to thee And therefore the Apostle sayes we are onely saued by Christ and speaks not of merite Now to goe forwarde to the next ground where-vpon he buildes the hope of saluation As thou would haue an assurance of life euerlasting it is needfull for thee to spy out the grounds The next ground of thy saluation is the thing that fell out in tyme. The sec ground of the hope of saluation christs death He sayes Christ died for vs that vvhether vve vvalke or sleep vve should lâ—ue together vvith him As our saluation is builded vpon God ordinance so it is builded vpon the bloude of Iesus Christ not liuing but crucified and slaine And as the bloude of Iesus is the ground of thy saluation so the ground of the certainty of thy hope is the sight of Iesus crucified Except I see Christ bleeding for my sin I can neuer assure me that I am safe except I see that sacrifice offred vp for my sin as it is a sacrifice offered vp for my sin so it is a merite to obtaine lyfe to me I will neuer thinke I am safe How necessare therefore is it to me neuer to let the bloude of Iesus goe out of my minde Men will say I wait well I am safe and neuer will haue an eye to Christ crucified and his bloude But I say to thee except thy eye be fixt on the bloud of Iesus Christ when thou fairest thou art safe thou liest falslie Therefore looke euer to Christ deying and sheding his bloud for thy sin Another thing I see There is no lyfe but through death he hes died for vs that we should liue throgh him to learne men and wemen not to count so much of death and to scare at it for I tell thee this generall will stand No lyfe but through death it springes out thereof as thou seest the stalk of the corne ryse out of the dead pickle So except thy lyfe spring through death it is not possible to thee to liue For first death is the price of it not thy death but the death of Christ for he hes gotten lyfe by his death Then after Christ hes purchased lyfe to vs yet the way whereby we must enter to lyfe is by the way of death Through many troubles behoues it vs to enter into the Kingdom of Heauen Act. 14. verse 20. for straite is the way to Heauen thou must be drawen as it were through Hell ere thou come to Heauen and yet thy suffering and death shall not merite The onely merite standes in Iesus Brethren this lets vs see how hard a thing it is to a sinner falling from lyfe as Adam fell and we all in him to come to lyfe againe Thinke it not an easie matter There must be a death yea two deaths ere euer thou come there O the great suffering Christ hes suffered for vs land againe thou must suffer and die thy selfe ere thou gette lyfe Therefore learne how hard a matter it is to get lyfe Many difficulties interueenes death must enter ere lyfe come which lets vs see what it is to offend God be loath therefore to offend God The godly knowes this how hard a thing it is when they haue offended to get againe the Spirite which they haue extinguished the Lord will not looke on them for a tyme as it were Looke in Dauid after his fall But ô the sweetnesse of mercie after the restorance They who hes tasted in any measure of the sweetnesse of Christ giue them all the pleasures of the worlde they will neuer get contentation vntill they get a sight of Gods â—â—ce againe lost by their sin Dauid would haue giuen his kingdome for it againe when he made the 51. Psalme The Apostle heere saies vvhether ye sleepe or vvake ye shall liue vvith Christ. Then ye see if Christ hes once died for our lyfe we shall liue That is the certainty and ground of our hope that Christ hes died for vs. Then when I feele this nothing can stay lyfe nothing can hinder me to liue with him There is nothing in this world that will hinder thee to liue with him but liue must thou Sleepest thou in thy bed thy sleepe hinders nothing thou liuest in him wakest thou thou art liuing with him liuest thou this lyfe thou art liuing in him art thou dying and drawing thy last breath yet thou art liuing with him what euer thou art doing in the worlde thou art ay liuing eating drinking if thou be one of the godly for whom he hes died thou art liuing with him Yea I dare say more if he haue once died for thee thy sin shall not hinder thee from that lyfe to come Dauids sin his murther and adulterie hindered him not from that life but the Lord turned it so about that he made them worke all to his well All thinges turnes to the best to them who loues the Lord. Albeit thou finde thy sinnes many yet stay not on them nothing shall hinder thee from Christ Yet this should not make thee to take pleasure in sin For if thou loue Christ well thou wilt be loath to offend him Then if we in so many troubles in this life liue with Christ shall we not much more liue with him in that lyfe to come where there shall be no trouble no impediments and in the midst of all these troubles
many Tygers Lyons and Wolfes as he found in experience and out of the way as he was in his journey he craues that they would pray for him Ye will say got he not fore-warnings eneugh that nothing was abiding him but bondes at Ierusalem Yes Agabus tolde him that Act. 21. 11. Then what needed him to desire the Thessalonians to pray against that that of necessity behoued to come and he must proue in deed bondes was prophecyed and bonds he got persecution was prophecyed and persecution he suffred Brethren I am not of that mynd that he desired them to pray that he shold be altogether fr◠of the crosse and affliction for it is not lawful for a Pastor or any other man to pray that he be burdened with no crosse What saies he to Timothie 2. Tim. 1. 8. Be not ashamed of my bonds but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel c. It is not lawfull to a Pastor to go sleeping throgh the world and none to crosse his way for a faithful Pastor cannot be without either one crosse or other Thē what a deliuery is this that he desires them to pray for Euen that being vnder crosses the Lord so long as he had adoe with him would deliuer him and set him free and so it is lawfull for one lying vnder persecution for the Gospels sake to pray for such a deliuerance so long as the Lord hes a worke to do with him yea and he is bound to pray that he may be victorious and triumph both in death and life What matter of death if he triumph in death the Lord Iesus triumphed in death the martires triumphed in death the true Pastor in death he wil triumph So if the Lord grant victory in the end what matter what men suffer This Apostle sayes in another place of his Epistle we euer triumph notwithstanding of al these afflictions we are into Rom 8. 37. Paul in his death triumphed 2. Cor. 2. 14. Now from whom should they craue that he should be deliuered From vnreasonable and euil men as he wold say This world is ful of euil and vnreasonable men beastly-bodies The first word signifies men of an absurd nature and of a very euill inclination The next word signifies men that are euer doing euill and troubling the innocent So he speakes of two sorts of men euill in hart and euill in hand And certainely he meanes his owne countrie-men vvho vvere vvorse inclyned in mynde and deed tovvardes him and the Lord Iesus then vvere any other And so brethren marke shortly vvhere euer a faithfull Pastor shall goe he shall meete vvith such men goe vvhere he vvill he shall encounter with men euill mynded and doing euil The Gospell so long as she is preached shall not be free of these men of enemies that shall make contradiction Count not the worse of her that she is gainesaid for she is as naturally subject to this contradiction as euer any thing vvas subject to any propertie It is the vvearde of the Gospell and the preachers thereof to meete vvith such men It vvill neuer be broken But vvhat remedie Come to the next best Hovv shall a Preacher be in safetie seeing he must enter vvith such men The remedie is set dovvne heere Prayer the remedy against the cōtradiction of vnreasonable and euil men Prayer let him pray to God and the Church pray for him When Peter was in so great and extreme danger what vvas the Church doing Act. 12. verse 5. c. 12. Praying for him and by their prayers the Angel vvas broght dovvne from Heauen by whom he was deliuered So prayer is vvonderful strong and especially the prayer of the people for the Pastor will haue a vvonderfull povver before God for his safetie Then if this be the duetie of the people alas is not this an vnnaturall thing to see the stock rise vp against the Pastor to deuoure him When this commes either there must be a great sin in the Pastor or in the people or else in both and it is one of the heauiest judgemēts that can light on a Pastor or people Now to go forward They might haue bene offended at this that the Apostle spok that there was so many that made contradiction to him that there vvas such a multitude of them that be where he wold he could not be quite of them therby they might haue doubted of the trueth for this is a vaine conceit that comes in mens heads hey thinke the Gospel should haue such a sound progresse as there should not be a contradiction to it but I say to thee where there is no contradiction there is a mark of false doctrine And againe where the trueth is there for the most part a great contradiction wil be men when they see a multitude rising against the trueth and making contradiction to it then they begin to doubt of the truth They wil say this cannot be the truth is not al the world risen vp against it But Paul tels you the cause of that Faith a rare gift when he sayes all men haue not faith faith is a rare gift Euery one gets not faiths where one gets it fourty wants it So when men begins to offend at the Gospell it is the want of faith in them that makes them so to do for there are very few that hes the faith of Iesus Christ Remember this that there is a few number that is chosen to life euerlasting many are called sayes Christ but fevv are chosen And again there is none that gets faith in time but he who is chosen to lyfe from all eternity As is said Act. 13. 48. so many beleued as vvere ordeined to lyfe euerlasting Therefore when thou hearst that few gets faith remember it is not an Herb that growes in euery mans garden it is a rare gift of God And therfore findst thou that thou hast gotten faith this pretious gift rejoice and be glad that the Lord hes called thee to be of that blessed number and vvonder not at the multitude that oppones themself to the Gospel but rejoice thou that thou art one of the elect one of that chosen number Last in this verse ye see where there is no faith where the hart is not sanctified there is nothing but vnreasonablenes he that hes not faith is a wicked man an euill disposed person and so ye may reason he hes no faith ergo he is an euill man both euil minded an euil doer Then againe he is an vnreasonable man what followes Euen this it is very euil dwelling with such folks it is not good to men to dwel with the faithlesse for thou shalt get some damnage of them either in thy body or soule for if thou escape the harme of thy body thou shalt not misse to be harmed in thy soule Againe where faith is it wil turne a lyon in a meek lamb and make a tyger the meekest creature that is We are in deed borne
LECTVRES VPON THE FIRST AND SECOND EPISTLES OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS Preached by that faithfull seruant of God M. ROBERT ROLLOCK some-tyme Minister of the Euangell of Iesus Christ and Rector of the Colledge in EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT CHARTERIS Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie An. Dom. M. D. C. VI. Cum Priuilegio Regiae Majestatis TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL THEIR MOST LOVING FRIEND IN THE LORD MAISTER VVILLIAM SCOT OF ELY grace in this life and euerlasting glorie in the lyfe to come ALL knowledge and all sciences inuented by the wise men of this world without the knowledge of IESVS CHRIST by whom remission of sinnes is obtained to the miserable soule are but vaine and vnprofitable The Apostle reckoning out his prerogatiues Philip. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. which were many counts them all in respect of the excellency and knovvledge of Christ Iesus to be but losse and dung Euen so it is with all sciences if they be seuered from the knowledge of Iesus Christ in the Gospell For what auailes it a man to knowe the height of the Heauens the courses of the Starres the breadth of the earth if in the mean-tyme his conscience accuse him for his sinnes to be vnworthie both of Heauen and earth What auailes it a man to seeke by Physick to prolong afraile temporall life to the bodie if his conscience tell him in the mean-tyme that his soule shall perish for euer What auailes it a man to brag of the knowledge of the Lawe if his conscience accuse him to be most vnjust and worthie of eternal damnation In these and such like things the wise men of this world doe glorie and yet they make not the soule the better The knowledge of Iesus Christ in the Gospell is the onely knowledge that preserues the soule and makes it to liue for euer Ioh. 5. 39 as our Sauiour sayes Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe Ioh. 17. 3 and they are they vvhich testifie of me And againe This is life eternall that they knovv thee to be the onely verie God and vvhom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Then this science is to be sought praised and preferred to all others in all respects Look how highly PAVL commends it 1. Cor. 2. 6. 7. 8. 9. Wespeake sayes he vvisdome among them that are perfite Not the vvisdome of this vvorld neither of the Princes of this vvorld vvhich come to nought But vve speake the vvisdome of God in a misterie euen the hid vvisdome vvhich God had determined before the vvorld vnto our glory Which none of the Princes of this World hath knovvne for had they knovvne it they vvould not haue crucified the Lord of glory But as it is vvritten the things vvhich eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans hart are vvhich God hath prepared for them that loue him But God hath reueiled thē vnto vs by his Spirit Other sciences were inuented by men but God himselfe is the Author of this science he reueiled it Other sciences are all inuented in tyme but this science is before all tyme from all eternitie other sciences handles things corruptible and changeable the knoweledge whereof albeit it be pleasant and profitable for this present life yet it cannot reforme the soule to eternall life for all their vertue is but the couerture of vyce but this science settes out and reueiles to a broken harted sinner a fauorable and reconciled God in Iesus who is aduantage both in life and death and in whom the heigh and wonderfull things of God and all things that the soule of man can require for grace or glory pertaining either to this or to that other life Col. 2. 3. 9 10. is contained For in him are hid all the treasures of vvisdome and knovvledge in him dvvelleth all the fulnesse of the god-head bodily Now this pretious treasure the Lord hes committed to earthen vessels he hes set in his seruice base and contemptible persons to carie the message of reconciliation and to proclame to weary and loaden sinners the glade tydings of saluation he sendes out simple men to manure his husbandrie he sends them out as souldiers to that spirituall warfare vvith vveapons that are not carnall 2. Cor. 10 4. 5. but mightie through God to cast dovvne holdes to cast dovvne imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knovvledge of God and to bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ. Whom for the message they carie the Gospel they preach the word of life they offer that hid treasure that is committed to them the Lord craues we should haue in singulare account honour and loue And indeed if we had the sight of the fearcenesse of that eternall wrath of God for sinne it could not be possible but we would say O hovv bevvtifull are the feete of them vvhich bring glade tydinges of peace Rom. 18. 15. and bring glade tydinges of good things We cannot honour loue and highly esteeme of the Maister and respect the Gospell if we hate and contemne the seruant and messenger And if we loue our parents of whom we haue nothing but misery who hes conceiued vs in sinne nurirished and trained vs vp in sin and who by nature makes vs aires of wrath and hell for that vvhich is borne of the flesh is flesh Ioh. 3. 6. O how excedinglie should we loue these whom God makes instruments of our regeneration to beget vs to God to make vs his sonnes and to translate vs from darknesse to light from miserie to felicitie from death to life from hell to heauen And yet this vnworthie world neuer duely accounts of them but of all men they hate most malitiouslie the true seruants of Iesus Christ And to passe by other ages and Countries the Lord of the haruest stryuing against our ingratitude hes sent out from tyme to tyme into this Land sundry painfull laborers and faithfull preachers of the Gospell who preased in all respectes to approue themselues to God to a good conscience and to the consciences of so many as beleeued of whom the world was not worthie Among the rest whom God did bewtifie with singulare graces the Lord in the person of M. ROBERT ROLLOCK that faithfull and reuerent seruant of Iesus Christ gaue vs no sober token of his loue For we cannot tell if vpon any almest in this Land the Lord bestowed greater aboundance and varietie of graces of his Spirite if in any there was a more spirituall and heauenly soule if any spared themselues lesse and vndertooke greater paines that they might be found faithfull and finishe their course with joye if any preased more to approue themselues to God and a good conscience then he O what and how many giftes and graces were in the person of that man in conceiuing he was quick in judgement solide he vttered the Word with great libertie he preached with euidence
as miserable catiffes appointed to damnation What auailes this life and al that we haue if we misse that glorie to come In all our proceedings looke what serues for the life to come for all our liues will away our life is not heere this death temporall is not death this life temporall is not life but death eternall is death and life eternall is life But to come to the words and marke them For our Gospell saieth he vvas not vnto you in vvordes onelie but in povver Then it is not preaching in vvordes onelie that vvorkes saluation I see there are tvvo sortes of preachings some preachings in vvordes onelie as these Orators vvho preached to the Corinthians for inuy of Paul had nothing but vvordes There he sayeth When I come I vvill cognosce these men not in their vvordes but in their povver if they haue anie for the Kingdome of God standes not in vvordes but in povver of the Spirite 1. Corinth 4. 19. 20. There is an other preaching of the Gospell not in vvordes onelie but vvith vvisdome and povver Theefore seeing this difference is in preaching that some preachinges are in vvordes onelie and some preachings in vvordes vvith power I must confesse the cause wherefore there is onelie vvordes vvithout povver geuen to the teachers is oft tymes not onelie in the people themselues although they be wicked but in the preacher that vtters nothing but wordes without power to worke into the hearts of the hearers Therefore he that speakes in the name of the Lord looke that he haue power and aske power of God that his words may be effectual in the hearts of the hearers to saluation or else let him holde him silent Either seeke that power of God may be joyned with words or else close thy mouth and speake not one word in the name of the Lord. This power is not gotten lightlie looke to the groundes of this power Paul sets them down heer In the holie Spirite there is one and in full assurance there is an other The first the preaching of the Spirite 2. groundes of povver in preaching the second a full assurance that is in the heart of man that speaks to the hearers Looke that he haue assurance in his owne heart that remission which he preaches to others is gotteu to himselfe Is he promising life to the people looke that he haue assurance that that lyfe is in him The first and chiefe ground of all power is the holie Spirite of Christ if the Spirite of Christ speake not but onlie the spirite of man the humane power in the teacher there shall be no power no vertew in that word to edifie And therefore Paul 1. Cor. chap. 2. vers 13. when he hes spoken of the mysterie of Christ which the wisdome of the vvorlde could not comprehende he subjoynes The vvhich vve speake not vvith speaches and vvordes vvhich the vvisdome of man teaches but vvith vvordes vvhich the holie Spirit teaches vs ioyning spirituall vvords vvith spirituall matters By the which words he meanes plainly that except the Spirit of Christ be the principall speaker of a spirituall matter be the matter neuer so true of it selfe it shall haue no power yea farther in the 1. cha v. 17. he saieth the preaching of Christ with the wisdom of words humane eloquence makes the crosse of Christ ineffectual 1. Cor. 2. 5. he saieth that faith stands not in the vvisdom of mē and therfore who euer teaches in the name of christ let him beg earnestlie that that holy Spirite may be in the heart to tune the heart may be in the tongue to tune the tongue that the matter and words that he vtters may both be of the holie Spirite It is a dangerous thing to a man to speake in the name of the Lord except first he pray and say I am going to this place Lord giue me matter giue me words and let not the speach be so much my speache as the speache of thy Spirite in my heart If the Spirite be in thy heart he will speake but if he be out of thy heart it will be the voice of a man onelie No nothing will conuert men but that which comes of the Spirit A natural eare may take pleasure to heare a naturall thing a naturall heart to speak of a naturall matter but a spirituall eare and hart wil take pleasure in a spirituall matter which comes from the heart of a spirituall man Now to come to the second ground of this power It is the full assurance of grace and mercie that he preaches by his own feeling he speaks nothing but of faith and particular assurance a generall assurance is naught for before I preache the grace of Christ I must seeke my warrand in my heart that that grace righteousnes life I teach is setled in my minde and vpon this assurance I must speake to others and if the speaker albeit the grace were neuer so good haue not in his heart an assurance of that grace all his words will be vnsauory words So he must striue alwayes to participate of that grace he teaches to you either in teaching or before Dauid sayes I beleued and therefore I spake Psal 116. 10. And Paul sayes We beleue to ryse againe and to be joyned to Christ and therfore vve speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. As he would say I am speaking to you of the rysing of the bodie but all this comes of an assurance in my hart that this bodie of mine shall be dissolued and at that last day shall liue and be glorified and vpon this assurance of mine I preache to you this resurrection All tends to this He who speakes of God to vs would be a man that in his owne heart hes a full assurance of grace and aboue all men a Minister that stands vp and speaks to others shoulde haue this assurance and shoulde seeke all vvarrandes of his ovvne saluation And of the assurance of his heart he should speake and say Because I haue felt remison of sins in Christ Iesus and lyfe in him therefore I may assure you of them in him if ye earnestlie by faith seeke them So look that none that is faithles on pain of his life stand vp to vtter one word in the name of Iesus to offer life or remission of sinnes his speaking is but like the clattering of a Parocket his heart is dead and his head onelie sounds The Apostle sayes Because I am assured in my heart of this therfore I spake vvith a great libertie Then there are the two groundes first the holie Spirite secoundlie the assurance if these two be of necessitie the worde must be profitable and thogh a man can not get the ful measure of these two well is he that can sigh and say Lord giue mee an assurance in my heart ere euer I vtter it to others In the end of the verse he takes them to be witnesses of his doing manner of speaking and povver they savv in his preaching
in the hour of their death had they any cōfort joy and when they saw there was nothing but death and all pleasure was away then there was nothing but sorowe Hadrian the Emperour I remember who was one of the most glorious Conquerours in the world when he was on death-bed he flatters with his owne soule to see if she would haue bidden within the body saying My litle soule wilt thou bide within the body thou waits not where thou art going to without hope he was and therefore comfortlesse and dies in dispair To let vs see there is none that deceasses without the hope of lyfe and of that glorious resurrection but they die all in dispare from the King to the begger Who euer died since the beginning of the world without Christ and hope in him yea before he was manifested in the world but they deceassed in dispare So as ye wold die in joy striue to get Christ It is a thing flesh and bloud wil not giue thee and it is a greater wonder to see Christ nor to see a man through a rock ther are so many impediments to hinder his fight from 〈◊〉 Therefore we haue to craue that the sprit of Iesus wold lighten the eye of the mynde in vs aboue nature to see him and then we shall see him and so haue comfort in death Now to go forward in the wordes and to come to the heades in particulare concerning them that are departed The first thing he instructs them in I take it vp when he saies Concerning them that are asleepe is in respect of their estate present while as they lye in graue Bodies of the godlie sleepe in the graue The bodies lying in the graue sayes he is not dead Ye beleeue they be dead No death is one thing and sleepe is another They are onely sleeping for if ye will speake of death what it meanes properlie The death of the creature properlie is the euerlasing punishment and destruction of it for euer And they vvho dies and are dead they shall neuer liue againe at the least they shall neuer haue a sense of joy So the bodies of the godlie are not dead but sleeping and lying in graue and they haue a verie being a man that is sleeping is a man and hes a being a bodie in the graue hes a being and bydes lying in the graue in substance and shall abide continuallie And if it should be burnt in the fyre or drovvned in the vvatter the dissolution of the bodie in the graue shall not destroye the being thereof The turning of it in ashes is no other thing to speake of it properlie but a fyning of it as the goulde is fyned by the fyre and the drosse burnt vp so the bodie is fyned in the graue and the drosse of the bodie is but at vp that at the latter day the substance of the bodie being purified may rise as gold glistering to be conjoined with the soule The Apostle 1. Cor. 15. 53. 54. 55. when he speakes of death he sayes that the graue is not able to svvalovv the bodie but that mortality which is sin death in the body may be svvalovved vp of immortalitie So it is the mortalitie and drosse of the bodie that is burnt vp and not the substance but the substance of the bodie is cleansed and purified that it may raigne with the head Christ in glorie for euer Now to speake of this word sleeping The Scripture when it speakes of death cals it sleeping And when Iesus speakes of Lazarus he saies Our friend Lazarus sleepes but I goe to vvake him vp Ioh. 11. 11. And it is said of Steuen Act. chap. 7. verse 60. He sleeped In the olde Testament commonly there is a word added to it he sleeped with his Fathers he was joined with his Fathers Now to come to the purpose There are two parts of man A bodie and a soule When it is said that a man sleepes thinke not that his soule sleepes referring this word sleeping to the soule Some vaine men thinkes that the soule after the deceasing sleepes vntill the comming of Christ No the soule liues and sleepes not it liues and shall liue in dispyte of all the world either in paine or pleasure for euer The soule of the vngodly is translated immediatlie after death to paine and hes a wonderfull sense of paine and a liuing in paine a continuall paine anguish and torment If there were no more to testifie this but the parable of Lazarus and the rich Glutton it may suffice It tels thee that the soule of the riche Glutton had in Hell the own paine Luc. 16. 19. The soule of the godlie againe after death liues in joy And so Paul Philip 1. verse 23. sayes I vvould be dissolued and be vvith Christ viz. liuing in soule And 2. Cor. chap. 5. verse 8 I loue rather to remoue out of the bodie and to goe to God to dvvell vvith him And God is said to be the God of the liuing that is to say of the soales that liues in glorie Matt. 22. 32. So the word of sleeping is not to be referred to the soule but to the bodyes of men and wemen for as a bodie lyes downe in his bed so the bodie after dissolution is laid downe in the graue to sleepe vntill the day of resurrection There is no sleepe that by nature is euerlasting and vvhen a man hes sleeped and is satisfied vvith sleepe he must waken So the bodie if it sleepe in the graue of necessitie it must waken againe If there were no more but this word sleeping it testifies that there shall be a resurrection Now vnderstand farther that the word sleeping in the Scripture is referred to the bodies both of the reprobat and elect The bodie of the reprobat is said to sleepe The bodie of the elect is said also to sleepe So Daniell sayes chap. 12. verse 2. Many of them that are a sleepe in the dust in the earth some of them shall rise to lyfe some of them to shame and ignominie We are all sleeping but I see a diuersitie in resurrection the bodie of the elect shall rise to euerlasting glorie the body of the wicked to eternall death and damnation And yet albeit this word be common to both yet most properly it is ascriued to the bodies of the godly For euen as a man sleeps to this end that he may rise vp again more chearfully and be more able to take in hand any handy-worke do his calling So it is the body of the godly onely that sleeps to rise more chearfully to the actions and doings of that life eternall It is a wonderful change It lyes down a weak and infirme body it will rise again a strong body it lyes down in ignominy it wil rise againe a glorious body and there was neuer a man so altered comforted by naturall sleepe as the body of the elect shall be altered and comforted by that sleep in
so stagring as thou art except thou leane on Christ This is most true It is not so much our apprehension we haue of Christ as his apprehension of vs that holds vs vp A chylde that is learning to goe albeit he grippe he cannot holde himselfe vp but it is the grip of the Nourse that holdes vppe the chylde It is so betweene God and vs We are all infantes Iesus hes vs in his hand we make a glifring to grip him againe but when he lettes vs goe then we fall So this is our comfort that vve are gripped by God and his grip vpholdes vs for vvhen he grippes to the heart of any man his hand neuer lowses againe and thou shalt neuer goe out of his grippe yea euen in that time when thou thinkest thou art gone and the Lord hes casten thee offyn the meane-time he hes thee in his grip and in that meane-tyme vvhen thou appearest to be left call to remembrance that he hes gripped thee and then assure thee yet he grips thee And say Who shall be able to separate me from the loue of Christ Rom. 8. 35. And Iesus sayes None is able to reaue my sheepe out of my hand Iohn 10. 28. Who shall be able to lowse his hand This is all in one vvorde Seeke this apprehension and stand fast in Christ and death shall not seuer thee from him but lyfe shall follow death glorie shall follow ignominie immortalitie shall svvalovv vp the mortalitie that vve are heere subject to Well then brethren who wait when we shall be striken Therefore let vs euer be prepared and let vs not looke to the Pest Nothing shall be able to seuere vs from God if he haue gripped vs ` Paul sayes Philipp 3. 8. 9. that he counted all thinges but dongue that he might be found of him and knowe him and the force of his resurrection Yet to insist in the words expressing this resurrection he saies that God shall bring vs vvith him that is with Christ So our resurrection what is it VVhat is our resurrection but a bringing of vs to God to be joyned with him in that blessed societie Our felicitie and blessednesse both in body and soule is to be joined with God For vnderstand so long as thy bodie lyes in the graue lyes in ignominie in a maner it is seuered from God it is apart from God in some maner it is not so near him as it wil be it is yet lying in ignominy Now in the resurrection of the dead that body that was separated frō God and lay in ignominie for a tyme ryses to be joyned with God to the end it may be glorified for euer This is the resurrection of the bodies of the godlie But it is farre otherwaies with the resurrection of the vngodly They rise indeed and must rise for they shall be pulled out of the graue for faine would they ly still they must ryse to receiue that paine of damnation they shall ryse but neuer to be brought to God The Scripture indeed speakes that they shall rise but neuer to be broght to God but they rise to be seuered from God more nor they were They are seuered when they are in the graue but when the body shall be joyned to the soule then they shall be farther seuered And looke how far is betweene the hie Heauens and the low Helles as far distance shall there be betweene God and the reprobate They shall not be conuoyed vp to meete Christ in the cloudes as the bodies of the godly are No but they shall stand on the earth Yet to insist Are the bodies of the elect broght them alone to God No what euer bodie must be brought to God in the resurrection it must be broght in companie it must be in a societie and conjunction ere that bodie be conjoined with God He saies vvith Christ. That bodie must be brought to that glorious societie with God but first it must be joyned with Iesus otherwaies thou shalt neuer rise to God Then would ye haue the order Paul speaks of in this resurrection for euerie one shall rise in order The first is Christ Christ the first of them that rises his glorious body rose first Then after that they who are in Christ that is they who stands in that conjunction with him as imps in the tree vvho are ingraft in his bodie then they shall ryse with him Therefore in one word Wouldst thou knowe whether thou shalt be joined with God or not looke if thou standst fast in that conjunction and vnion with Christ in this lyfe and if thou finde thy selfe vnited with Christ in this lyfe then in the glorious resurrection with God shalt thou be And so this is a thing that I euer aduertise you of Looke euer that thou be a member of that glorious bodie Be either an eye or foote or hand be some part of the bodie of Christ And certainly being joined with him when he is joyned with God euen God the Father of necessitie thou being a member of the bodie thou must be joined with God For thy conjunction with God is not immediat but thou must first bee joyned with Christ and being conjoyned with Christ thou shalt be joyned with God also in glory Now vvho shall be the doer of this It is a great vvorke to draw vp this bodie out of the graue to Heauen and set it in that glorie Will the bodie rise the alone where got it that strength will any Angell draw it vp No all the Angels in Heauen is not able to raise vp a bodie to Heauen all the power in earth cannot raise vp a dead bodie Then who must doe it No power in Heauen nor earth but the power of God Paul Ephes chap. 1. verse 19. calles it the effectualnesse of the strong povver of God There is no vvorke in this vvorld vvherein the povver of God appeares more nor in the vvorke of the rising first of Christ vvhen he vvas dead and then of our bodies that are in him The power and strength of God as greatlie appeares in the raising of the bodie as it did in making of the world when before it vvas not It is as great a matter to make a thing to liue as to make it There is as great power to make the dead to liue as to make any thing of nothing And this povver is onely proper to God The power of the world may put out the life but no power can giue lyfe but onely Gods There are many slayers but none to giue lyfe but onely God Therefore let vs glorifie the God of lyfe Then marke two causes of our glorious resurrection 2. causes of our resurrectiō He speakes not of the resurrection of the reprobate The first cause is the conjunction with Iesus begunne in this lyfe The second cause is the power and might of God in raising of them being found in Iesus Take any of these two away thou shalt neuer be brought
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
where-vpon it standes so fast and firmely to the end they should haue the certaintie of the hope of saluation and look certainly to be safe The grounds are two The first Gods eternall ordinance and his appointing of them to saluation The second the death of Iesus Christ So we shall goe through these two groundes As to the first For saies he The first ground of the hope of our saluatioÌ„ gods decree God hes not appointed vs to vvraith that is to punishment But to obtaine saluation through the me â—es of the Lord Iesus Christ Then I marke the first foundation of our lyfe and saluation is in Gods eternall election and it is decreed from all eternity Our saluation standes vpon the ordinance and appointment decreeâ— and purpose of God before the foundation of the world the foundation of thy saluation was laid ere euer the foundation of the world was laid Vpon this ground of Gods ordinance ryses vp the building of thy saluation So as saluation it selfe is grounded on this eternall decree so hope of saluation is grounded vpon the sight of this eternall decree So that if thou get not a fight in some measure of the eternall ordinance and decreet of God appointing thee to saluation thou cannot haue a sure hope of saluation For what certaintie canst thou haue without a ground So of necessitie thou must haue some knowledge of Gods decree to ground hope on I speak this for them who faies it is a thing ouer curious to search in in predestination No no For if thou get not some sight that thou art in the decree of saluation before the world was made and say in thy self God hes decreed that I should be saued therefore I will hope for it thou shalt neuer haue a sure hope Now the decree of God is far of it hes no beginning and therefore it hes a farre sight for the sight of it is not gotten immediatly Neither I nor any man will be able to look in to Gods ordinance concerning saluation immediatly God will not take thee by the hand and lead thee in to his secreet counsell and let thee see it How then is it gotten Mediatly I knowe it by the effects and by them one by one I clim and ascend vp vntill I come to that decree of God Paul Rom. chap. 18. verse 30. These vvhom God hes predestinate he hes called them effectually and hes giuen them faith For in faith standes our effectuall calling and them vvhom he hes called he iustifies and vvhom he iustifies at last he glorifies Then vvoulde thou knovve that thou art appointed to lyfe before all eternity looke if thou hast a beginning of sanctification looke if thou be sanctified by the death of Christ and then go to thy calling And finde thou these in thee assure thee God hes appoynted thee to saluation before the worlde was made If I feele within my selfe my effectuall calling by God out of this vvorlde to God I assure my selfe God hes decreed from all eternitie I shall liue with him in glorie So to touch this againe It is foolishnesse to say that it is curiositie for men to seeke a vvarrand of their saluation And neuer shalt thou haue an assurance of thy saluation if thou get not this hope grounded on this decree The errour of the Papistes is heere rebooked that sayes there shoulde not be a certaintie of hope of saluation Folie folie For if I knowe the ground of my saluation that it is grounded vpon the ordinaunce of my God I assure me of that lyfe euerlasting because I knovve the certaintie of Gods ordinaunce therefore I may justlie assure my selfe that I shall liue vvith Christ heere and in the end I shall be glorified with him for euer Yet to stick on the vvordes He sayes God hes not appointed you to vvraith Learne by the way From all eternitie there hes beene two ordinaunces of God concerning men and wemen 2. decrees of God one to saluation another to damnation There hes beene from all eternitie and before the creation of the worlde and of men and vvemen an ordinaunce to lyfe Agane there hes beene another ordinaunce that some shoulde goe to Hell as there past an ordinaunce of lyfe in the counsell of God so there past an ordinaunce of death And these two decrees must stand The decree of lyfe cannot be rescinded The decree of damnation cannot be rescinded And in this place the Apostle speakes of them both Now brethren to enter deeplie in this matter it is not meete But this vnderstand It is not a naked permission of God that men should goe to Hell No the Lord hes decreed it to be done by himselfe and not to suffer it be done by another As for exemple As ye see a potter makes a vessell to honour so of purpose he makes another to dishonour and for vyle purposes Rom. chap. 9. verse 20. So the Lord hes appointed one sorte to saluation and another sorte to damnation Take head This appointing of God of the creatures to destruction as destruction is a just penaltie comming from the judgement of God for sinne so it commes of God and he is the executer thereof But if ye will take the destruction not as a punishment but as an vtter vvreake of the creatures I vvill not say it commes of God As it is a penaltie of sinne I thinke it commes of God and he is the doer thereof himselfe othervvayes not Alvvayes all these groundes standes sure there is a solide foundation of life and a solide foundation of damnation So this should teach euerie one of vs to striue to get a sight of that solide foundation of lyfe and Gods appointment of vs to life It is sure some are appointed to damnation yea and not a few nomber Some will say God sorbid any should goe to Hell hes not Christ died for all sinners Alas except thou see thy warrand of Gods ordinance to thy saluation thou shalt goe to Hell God is just as he is mercifull And as he will be glorified in mercy toward the godlie so will he be glorified in justice toward the wicked He sayes He â—es appointed you to saluation by the meanes of Iesus Christ. Then I see ere euer Gods appointment to lyfe and saluation take effect there must of necessitie interueene a purchasing of that lyfe that God hes appointed to thee that lyfe he hes appointed to thee before all eternity it must be boght But by whom must it be boght by thee by thy moyen No I giue thee this doome If thou thinke that any peece or least tytle of the deseruing of lyfe standes in thy hand thou shalt neuer get it Then who shall purchase it He sayes to be obtained by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ If the Apostle had said by thy merites then I would haue run on with the Papistes and haue cryed merites merites as fast as they do But the Apostle speaks plainelie it is
let vs comforte our selues vvith thinking on the joy that we shall haue when we shall be in the Heauens with our Lord and Sauiour Now to marke the words He saies that vve should liue vvith him Looke the nature of the life that we get in the death of Iesus It is a life that we liue with Christ not a lyfe that we liue from him there cannot be a spirituall lyfe from him Death will not serue to lyfe if thou be from him but thou must be with him Thou must not onely liue with him as a man will liue with an house and family but thou must liue in him As by comparison the arme liues with the head so thou must liue with Christ Ye see the conjunction naturall that is between the head and the members that same conjunction must be betweene thee and the Lord Iesus If thou liue with him thou must liue as a member he must be thy head and thou must be a leg an arme or some part of the bodie Well is that soule that is any parte of the bodie of Christ Therefore draw euer nearer and nearer vnto him vntill thou be fully conjoyned with him we haue no lyfe except we be ingraft in him as the imp is ingraft in the tree and so prease euer to grow in that conjunction Look how thou was joined in him yesterday say Lord make a nearer conjunction this day and to morrowe say worke yet a nearer conjunction that I may draw nearer my head But brethren this full conjunction cannot be vntill we see him face to face we are far of now but we shall be with him we are from him now for a lytle space but then we shall be with him for euer and then in that great day thy blessednesse both in bodie and soule shall be perfited we shall be with him and stand for euer in that full conjunction with out head Christ in whom is all blessednesse To whom with the Father and the holie Spirite be all honour and praise for now and euer AMEN THE XXII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 11. 12. 13. 11 Wherefore exhort one another and edifie one another euen as ye doe 12 Novv vve beseech you brethren that ye knovve them vvhich labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you 13 That ye haue them in singular loue for their vvorks sake Be at peace among your selues IN the last exhortatation brethren the Apostle stirred vp the Thessalonians to be good souldiours and warriours vnder the banner of the Lord Iesus Christ In a warriour we shew you there are three things specially requyred First vigilance and wakrifnesse Secondlie sobriety and temperance And last of all that he be in his armour with his Helmet on his head and his brestplate on his brest and all the rest of his armour on For albeit he be waking and sober yet if he be naked the enemie will ouercome him So it is in the Christian warriour the same three thinges after a maner are requisite First he must be wakrife in soule Secondly temperate in soule hauing a soule not drunken with these earthlie thinges which drawes our whole heart and faculties away from God So that they who are full thereof are laid vp as it wer in a dead sleepe And last it is requisite that he be clad with his armour his owne Helmet which is Hope his owne brest-plate which is faith and loue take away hope faith and loue he is but a naked man in the world and shall soone be destroied if he be not clad with faith and loue in his brest and with hope in his head he will not be able to gainstand Followes now in the text ye haue heard another exhortation and it is to vse these meanes whereby we may continue in wakrifnesse in continuall sobriety and spirituall armour enarmed against the enemy There are the wordes of the exhortation Wherefore As he would say Seeing we must be wakrife sober and enarmed in the Christian warfare therefore I exhort you to get the meanes whereby these thinges are keeped The means are Exhort one another euen as ye doe alreadie So my exhortation is that ye continue to the end It is not eneugh to begin except ye continue to the end Now there are the meanes Then brethren this lesson offers the selfe to vs The meanes not to sleepe in the soule but to be wakrife not to be drunken but to be temperate not to be naked but to be clad with spirituall armour is instant exhortation Stir vp men and wemen by exhorting in edifying in an instant building vp and confirming them in the doctrine and knowledge that they haue once receiued This worke of building will not be done in one day or two dayes or twentie dayes but this building of the soule of men and wemen building them vp in that spirituall building must be raised vp higher nor euer Babell was yea it must rise to the Heauen of Heauens and to the head Iesus who sittes aboue all Heauens This building must be instant In one word The means to hold men waking and sober and temperate in the spirituall warfare and to holde this armour on them is instant exhortation Take me away the voice of exhortation take away building in the doctrine ye haue receiued and edifying therein in stead of wakrifenesse there shall come on you a dead slumber in stead of sobriety and spirituall temperance thou shalt be drunken in stead of armour nothing but nakednesse and ye shall be a pray to the Deuill this world and your owne cankerd nature assay it when ye will So then brethren in one word See the necessitie men hes of instant exhorting and edifying not for one day or two yea if thou shouldst liue Methusalems dayes the voice of exhortation should neuer goe out of thy eare For there are a thousand thinges to draw vs downe to cause vs sleepe vntill we die in sleeping many thinges to make thee drunken to ly dovvne lyke a drunken bodie vvithout sense of the lyfe to come Many thinges to denude thee of armour to set thee vp naked to the eneme Would to God this world wold consider the necessity of instant and continuall exhortation to moue them forwarde in the course of godlinesse Marke next Who is this that should exhort Who is this that should edifie who should hold men waking in Spirit hold them in sobriety and hold on their armour by exhortation and edifying who should doe it He sayes not the Pastor ye haue Ministers let them doe it it is their office It is true indeed they haue a speciall calling for that effect and are placed in the Church to hold you wakrife to cry in your eare vntill ye waken againe to exhort and edify continually to build vp that spiritual building and to build men and wemen vp as liuely stones in that spiritual building Therefore in the first Epistle to
fleshly and carnall joy 〈…〉 that will be in the mouthes of prophaine people be merie eat drinke Is that this joy no no. When Paul bids thee rejoyce he bids thee not passe the time like the Epïcurians Eate drinke and be merie The joy that he craues the nature thereof is not fleshly but it is cleane holie and spirituall To speake the trueth it is in the hart all joy is in the hart of a bodïe but it is not so much the joy that is of the naturall affection as it is the motion of the spirit of Christ within vs vsing the affectiones of our hart as a parte to reioyce in when he is dwelling in vs. When a man reioyces naturallie it is his heart that reioyces but this is another kinde of reioycing It is the Spirite of consolation that comforts the Spirite of Iesus that dwelles in the hart and wakens vp the affection aboue nature and makes it It is 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that was naturall as supernaturall it cannot be so well tolde as felt Rom. chap. 8. verse 26. The Spirite of God requests for vs vvith sighes vnspeakable Then the Spirite sighes within the heart If the Spirite of God be within the heart the sighe will not be so much the sighe of the bodie as of the Spirite of God 〈◊〉 It is so with that spirituall ioy the ioy in the hart if will not be so much the ioy of the heart as the ioy of the Spirite of God a ioy vnspeakable No no tongue can tell the greatnesse of it And brethren if there vvere no more but this that it cannot be toulde it telles you the nature of it it is not a naturall ioy the naturall ioy can be all toulde the heart of man is comprehensible and the affectiones of the hart can be toulde but the joy of the Spirite of God is incomprehensible The joy of the Spirite of God in the heart of the poore sinner cannot be toulde by all the Angels of Heauen let be by the tongue of man For no man can reâ—â— the infinitnesse of Gods Spirite Therefore put a difference betweene it and all other ioyes The property of this ioy is here expressed Propertiâ— of this ioy It is continuall it lastes euermore it is continuall it alters not it is without interruption it is not broken off prosperitie will not breake it aduersitie vvill not breake it lyfe vvill not breake it death vvill not breake it it abydes in lyfe it abydes in death yea euen to the verie poynte of death vvhen it pleases the holie Spirite to vvorke it vvill be in a greater measure in his soule than nor it vvas in the life-tyme When we thinke the body should be heauiest and saddest then it is most joyfull This earthly joy is soone broken off he is now in joy in the twinkling of an eie it shall be broken off this houre glade the next houre wo. Balthazar was a mery man when he was prophaning the vessels of the Lord and banketting in the meane tyme of his merinesse came the hand writting vpon the wall and then he beginnes to shake and his countenance is changed with shuddering and shaking 〈…〉 Ye heard in this same chapter when the wicked saies Peace all things are sure then a sudden destruction ouertakes them So this worldly joy is ay interrupted it is ay turned in sorrow if thou be content with a worldly joy proceeding of a worldly thing if it were all the kingdomes of the earth thy joy shall be turned in a weeping for euer but the spirituall joy is continuall without interruption Then if this be the nature of it it is spirituall it is cleane and pure heauenly not rude fleshly nor earthly If this be the property of it Matter of spirituall ioy it continues ay for this propertie must follow on the nature of it a spirituall thing must euer abide What can be the matter of it there must be some cause of this joy No joy but there must be some cause and matter that moues it Then what is the matter of it There are two sorts of things in the world that wakens vp joy in the heart of man The first is earthly things ye know the things worldlie honor riches they waken vp joy in the hart Another sort is called spritual heuenly clean There is no other but these two either things heuenly or earthlie to cause men to rejoyce Then are these earthly things the matter of this spirituall joy he speaks of Examine the nature of it it is spirituall it is the joy of Christ Will these worldly things if there be no further consideration of them cause the Spirit of Christ rejoyce within thee Will a kingdome make Christes Spirit within the hart of a man to rejoyce if there be nothing more but as it is a worldly kingdome No I say they will not be the matter of this joy looke to these worldly things how thou resauest them if they be not resaued out of Gods hand as arlespennies of heauenlie thinges and tokens of better benefites and of life euerlasting they shall neuer make the Spirit of Christ to reioyce in thee Thy hart may be blyth for worldly thinges because thou art an earthly bodie A King may rejoyce in a kingdome c. but if they be not taine out of Gods handes as arlespennies of heauenly and spirituall benefites the Spirite of Christ shall not rejoice in thee Take heed if it wer but a morsell of meate if thou take it out of Gods hand as a token of that heauenly food to life euerlasting the Spirit of Christ shall rejoyce in thee Therefore be neuer content of earthly things as earthlie things onely nor of the naturall joy of the hart of man A sow hes a naturall joy 〈◊〉 in filling the bellie No beast in the field but it hes a sensuall joy in the selfe by nature in the foode thereof Fy on thee that cannot haue more joy nor a beast Thou art made for Heauen and not for Kingdomes here Therefore rejoyce in heauenly thinges and I say the Kow and other beasts are better nor thou if thou rejoyce not with that heauenly joy for the kingdome prepared for thee in Iesus Christ Woe to thee that hes not the joy that proceeds of the Spirit of Iesus Againe this joy lasts euermore it is continual it bides in the night it bides in the day it perishes not These worldly things are al perishing He will be a King the day and will be casten down to morrow He is riche the day and will be begging to morrowe How can thinges changeable be matter to me of joy that standes euermore No they cannot If my joy restes on earthly things when earthly things failes me of necessity my joy must faile me When the ground of joy failes my joy must faile Worldly things must faile therefore the joy in worldly things must faile and specially in death Either shall earthly things
faile thee or else thou shalt faile them if thou were a King thou must faile in thy kingdome thou must leaue 〈◊〉 either shall the worldly things be taine from thee or thou from them What Monarch euer yet since the beginning of the world for al their dominions if they had not God and Christ had euer a sparke of joy at the houre of his death A dram weight of this joy is worth all the kingdomes of this earth and if thou hast gotten a little peece of this joy thinke it better nor thou wert made Monarch of all the world No question the least peece of Christes graces and of this regeneration is worth all the Kingdomes of this world Euen so these earthlie thinges cannot bee the matter of this joye Thou shalt neuer get the joy of the holy Spirite if thou seeke it in the world Then wherein standes this joy Paul 4. chap. to the Philippians verse 4. sayes Reioyce in the Lord. He sayes not rejoyce in the world or kingdomes of the world but he sayes rejoyce in the Lord and in all those graces he hes broght with him in remission of sins in life euerlasting c. Take heed compare this joy with the matter thereof This joy is spiritual Iesus is a Spirit all his graces are spirituall Then these two agrees very well a spirituall matter a spirituall joy Then againe this joy is continuall Christ is for euer Heb. 13. 8. His graces standes for euer Al the mercies of God in Christ are eternall and vnchangeable How well then standes these two a joy continuall a matter continuall a joy that is eternall a matter that is eternall But thou wilt say 〈…〉 albeit that matter of my joy Christ Iesus neuer perishes yet we must perish and albeit he stand yet we must fall No no. Paul to the Rom. chap. 8. vers 35. saies What shall separate vs from the loue of God in Christ No if thou be once well imped in him by his Spirite and a lyuely faith all the world shall neuer bring thee back againe thou shalt neuer be separate heauen and earth shall first perishe ere they who are imped in Christ be separate from him death shall not separate them Paul sayes Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage Philipp chap. 1. vers 21. These earthly thinges may vantage thee in this naturall and transitory lyfe 〈…〉 riches may vauntage thee in this lyfe honour may be pleasant to thee here but when death commes then may thou justly say I will get no more vantage of my riches I will shake all off me and go naked to the graue but Christ will go to the graue with me yea euen to the resurrection he shall accompany thee and then soule and body shall be joined together and thou shalt be with him for euer In one word the matter of this joy are not earthly things but spirituall It is Christ and his graces that is the ground of all this joy vntill thou come to that lyfe euerlasting And this for the opening vp of the words Learne Vseâ— then There are none of vs that walkes in the light of the Gospell of Christ and hes taine the name of Christians vpon vs but we are bound and oblist to rejoyce and be glade and that not for one tyme onely one day or one night or one yeere or one season but euermore and at euery occasion in prosperitie in aduersitie in life and death euer rejoyce and weulde ye know the paine all obligations are vnder some paine the paine of it is vnder the paine of banishing vs out of Gods Kingdome out of heauenly Ierusalem He that would not rejoyce vnder the hope of heauenly Ierusalem must be banished out thereof Rom. 14. verse 17. Gods Kingdome in righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost if thou prease not to rejoyce in Christ and his Kingdome in life and death prosperity and aduersitie thou shalt be shut out of it I say they who neuer felt of this heauenly joy and neuer rejoyced in Christ in his Redemption of vs from sin in that life purchast to vs by his bloud who neuer rejoyces in these but ay is glad when he is exercised about these earthly things that man neuer yet saw Christs Kingdome And albeit he be outwardly in the Church the Church is called the Kingdome of God in the Gospell yet indeede he is not one of the Kingdome he is going vp and downe in company with them of the Church but he was neuer in the Church for thou must be spiritually in it and not bodily And if there be a great sin in the world this is one not to rejoyce in such a matter of joy God offers thee saluation in Christ if thou rejoyce not therein thou cannot doe a greater contempt to the light of the Gospell wherein life and saluation is offered noâ— a greater injury to God thou bereaues God of his glory for what shall be the chiefe glorifying of God but a rejoycing in his mercies through Iesus Christ Alas what great blessednesse we defraâ—d our selfes of when we rejoyce not in the worke of our Redemption It is wonder what joy the Angels haue in looking in to this worke of the Redemption of man Peter in his 1. Epistle chap. 1. vers 12. sayes The Angels desires to looke in to this misterie Were not the Angels preachers to the shiephirds of that joy and blessing that came to the world Luke chap. 2. verse 13. 14. Fy on thee Christ is come to redeeme thee and not the Angels and yet they rejoyce and wilt not thou rejoyce The earth and heauen leapes and rejoyces for the hearing of their deliuerance by Christes comming againe and thou cannot rejoyce fy on thee When all the dumme creatures aboue vnder and about thee rejoyces and thou cannot rejoyce Waken vp that dead hart of thine and rejoyce in God or else the spirit of sorrow and sadnesse shall waken thee that thou shalt weepe for euer The tyme of joy is pretious if thou rejoyce not heere thou shalt neuer get that joy in Heauen hereafter Now ye will say should we rejoyce ay The wise man sayes Ecclest chap. 3. vers 4. 〈…〉 All thinges hes the tyme there is a tyme of vveeping a tyme of laughing How should we ay be glad I aunswere it is true there is a tyme of mourning and a tyme of sadnesse and I trow this same verie tyme is the tyme of sadnesse But I tell thee againe for all this sadnesse rejoyce must thou and when thou art commanded to be sad for sin thou art commanded to rejoyce in Christ for remission thereof where nothing is in the hart but sadnesse it will bring a man to dispare Sadnesse would euer be mingled with joy sadnesse for miserie would be mingled with joy for hope of reliefe or else the end shal be dispare And it is wonderfull to see the Spirit of Iesus at â— tyme to
of man is in rejoycing in God So that he who hes not that spirituall joy hes no blessednesse if they had al the world Then we see prayer bringes joy asking bringes joy so also vve see thanking bringes joy thanking of God rises on joy thanking of God ends in joy thanking of God standes in the midst Prayer will begin with sorrow and it ends in joy vpon this joy commes thanking vpon thanking commes joy againe So all endes in joy Would ye haue this out of the Scripture in that 4. Philipp verse 7. drawes not Paul that peace of God that passes all vnderstanding our of prayer and thanksgiuing In all things let your requests be shovvâ—n to God vvith prayer and supplication vvith thankesgiuing Then he subjoines when ye haue prayed and thanked that peace sayes he that passes all vnderstanding shall guard your mindes in Christ. Then peace rises on these two groundes prayer and thanksgiuing to God So thanking brings joy asvvell as prayer To go forward in the words Thank him sayes he in all things As he would say in all thinges that are incident and falles out in the world thanke him As all is matter of joy Prosperity and aduersitie vvell vvoe life death so let all be matter of thanking what euer he sends thanke him Is it a great matter to thanke him in prosperitie when thinges goes well with thee But I say thou hast not the grace of thanksgiuing except thou can thanke him asvvell in aduersitie as prosperity asvvell in death as in life Then I see these three thinges joy prayer and thanking they haue a common propertie which is continuance without intermission in all maner of thinges in prosperitie in aduersitie in well in woe in life in death rejoyce euermore in prosperitie in aduersitie in well in woe in life in death pray euer And last in prosperitie in aduersitie in vvell in vvoe in life in death in all thinges thanke him Will ye go through them As for joy thy estate can not be so euill in the world if thou be in Christ but thou hast matter of ioy Then againe vvere thy estate in this vvorld neuer so good yet thou hast neede to pray for so long as thou remainst here thou getst not all graces And last if thy estate vvere neuer so miserable yet if thou haue a grip of Christ thou hast matter to thanke God Then if this be true hes not the Apostle said well Reioyce euermore Then pray continually then in all thinges giue thankes to God Let not therefore these thinges be vvords onely but practise them in lyfe There is none of vs but vve haue matter to practise our ioy Who are in such a misery but they haue some matter of ioy yea there are none of vs but we haue cause to vse all these preceptes Rejoice euermore pray continually and in all things giue thankes Now to come to the reason in the next wordes For this is the vvill of God In all thinges in prosperitie in aduersitie thanke him Wherefore Because it is Gods will that ye should thanke him aswell in aduersitie as in prosperitie in death aswell as in life it is his will rest on his will Yet brethren to speake one vvord of this vvill I haue spoken of it sundrie tymes before I say and the Scripture sayes The onely light of this vvorld is Gods vvill Gods vvil the onely thinge to be knovvn the only rule of our actions And I say the onely knowledge and wisdome that a man can haue in this vvorld is to knovve vvhat is Gods vvill Fy on all the knowledge and vvisdome of men in this world if they knowe not this He will start vp and he will be called a vvise man All the Philosophers vvould be counted vvise men but vvhich of all the Philosophers did knovve vvhat vvas Gods vvill And these tvvo partes of his vvill is speciallie â—oulds vs in the Scripturel First vvhat vve should doe that vve may serue him And then vvhat he vvill doe with vs. A vaine Philosopher hee knovves much of nature but knovves he the vvill of God Knovves he it not Then he is a plaine foole Knovves he these thinges Then he is a vvyse man Paul to the Ephesians chap. 5. verse 17. Be not fooles but vnderstand vvhat is the vvill of God Then wherein standes wisdome To knowe what is the will of God Who is the foole He that knowes not what is the will of God Who knowes Gods will is wise and the end shall proue it Then as the onely true knowledge and wisdome in this world is to know Gods will so the onely 〈◊〉 and square of our life in the world is the rule of Godds will There are two thinges we haue to seeke knowledge and action Would thou haue knowledge Know Gods will Would thou haue action and do any thing that would merite any commendation Do according to Gods will The rule of all actions that is truely commendable in Gods sight is his will for that man who hes the commendation of God is onely the man that should be commended do any thing because God hes willed thee to do it go not to thy own will for thou do thy wil maners not being agreable with Gods wil shall lead thee to Hel. Then do nothing but according to Gods will First know what is Gods wil and then do nothing for al the world but that which is agreable thereto If thou doest thy own will or the will of any man looke that it be conformable to Gods will and so do it otherwaies not and then do it because it is the will of God and not because it is the will of man Then see ye not how graue an argument the Apostle sets downe knowing it is Gods will that we should thank him ay should we not repose on his will It is Gods vvill vvhich is the onely light and rule of all actiones Whosoeuer knowes his will they haue a faire light in all their actiones A man will neuer wander wrong who hes such a light before his eyes If thou see that it be Gods vvill that thou goe through wildernesse through darknesse yea through Hel obey his will and take journey and I promise thee thou shalt finde the fairest outgait that euer was Count not of the way if thou haue the light of the will of God before It is not possible that Hell shall preuaile against that bodie that settes the selfe to pleasure God Well is him that sets himselfe to pleasure him who is Lord ouer all and who onely is able to pleasure vs all The world shall not pleasure thee if God pleasure the not What matter to displease all the world if we set our selues to please him Marke further he sayes It is the vvill of God tovvardes you This is a speciall will that concornes all Christians not a generall will concerning the world but a speciall will concerning you that are Christians vvho hes giuen your names
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
and prayer and he sayes This is that confidence vve haue in the Lord that if vve aske any thing according to his vvill he vvill heare vs There is confidence in prayer that when we pray we should haue that assurance that God will giue vs these things we seeke not according to our will but according to his owne will It is his will that we should haue these heauenly things through the bloud of Christ And therefore our prayer for them should rise on confidence that God will grant them for Christs sake Yet farther I see in this place three thinges joyned together First he exhorts them to a continuance in an holy lyfe to the end Secondly he prayes for the same continuance in holinesse that God would preserue them to the comming of the Lord Iesus Exhortatiō praier and promise conioyned Thirdly there is a sure promise made to them of that same thing he prayed for that God would perfite his worke in them and neuer leaue his worke vntill he crowne it and these three continuance in holinesse prayer for it and promise thereof cannot be well seuered It auailes not to stand vp and exhort to any good thing except the exhorter pray to God that it would please him to grant them that grace he hes exhorted them to the man that cannot pray for that grace he hes exhorted them to he is not meete to exhort Then againe prayer without promise auailes little A man who hes not assurance in his hart to promise grace from the hands of God vnto any people or person is not meete to pray for any people or person He to whom the Lord hes not giuen that grace in hart to promise with assurance he is not meete to pray for pithie prayer must ryse on some confidence in the hart To be short In a Pastor these three must goe together He must be a man that is meete to exhort that hes a grace to pray and an accesse to God and last he must haue an assurance in his hart of that grace of God so that he dar be bold to promise to them that grace he exhortes them to and craues at God And that which I speake of a Pastor I speake of all men For all should be exhorters and euery one teachers of their brethren and so euery one should see if they haue these graces to exhort to stir them vp to godlinesse to pray for them and to promise to them grace with assurance Now to goe forward He sets not downe his promise simply and barely the Lord will doe it but he layes downe the ground and foundation where-vpon he builds his promise vvhich 〈◊〉 their effectuall and inward calling He is faithfull that he◠called you So the ground of this promise is their inward and effectuall calling By this calling I vnderstand no other thing but an inward declaration of the eternall will of God in the hart of any man concerning his saluation 2. sorts of calling To speake the trueth this calling of a man by the word is nothing but a reuealing inwardly in his hart that election and choising of God that was from all eternitie He calles him when he reueales that eternall election to him and assures him that he hes chosen him before al eternity There is another calling when the word soundes in the care without perswasion of the calling in the hart This is an outward calling Many are called this way but few gets this inward calling in their hart to saluation Then this is the meaning of the Apostle as if he had said to them if ye be called Thessalonians if ye find the Lord to declare inwardly to your hart his eternall will in your election I dare be bolde to promise that that God who hes made that declaration in your hart shall neuer leaue you vntill he persite his worke and put you in Heauen This ground standes sure that God shall neuer leaue you who hes gotten the assurance of election vntill he crowne his worke in you There are the wordes shortly Then marke brethren The promise that one can make to another that God will not leaue them to the end it must not be spoken absolutely but it must be conditionall The condition is of thy effectuall calling This condition holding sure that thou art effectually and inwardly called to life surely the promise may be made to thee with assurance God wil neuer leaue thee to the end And I or any man vpon this condition may boldly make you this same promise that Paul made to the Thessalonians and I may say to you this ground holding that ye are called inwardly and that ye haue receiued an inward declaration as it were out of the mouth of God of your election in Christ I may promise you that God shall neuer leaue you vntill he crown his worke Then if it be so who euer would haue comfort of the promise of God made in Christ when lyfe is promised perseuerance is promised the crowne of glorie is promised who wold haue comfort in these promises let him go to the ground looke if thou findst in thy hart thy inward calling looke if God by his Spirit inwardly assures thee that thou shalt haue lyfes if thou findst it assure thee the promise perteines to thee but if thou finde it not spoken inwardly by God to thee thou hast no warrand that the promise of grace perteins to thee thinke neuer thou wilt be crowned and that he shall perfite his worke in thee seeing he neuer began to worke in thee God will neuer perfite the worke he neuer began Therefore euerie one of vs should take heed when we read or heare the promises of God in the Scripture if we haue this ground or not if I finde I haue the ground I may fullie assure me there is no promise but it is made to me but if I see not the ground no promise perteines to me Then on this marke further Gods fashion of doing This is his maner of doing Gods calling vnchāgable First he calles that is to say he lettes men and women vnderstand by faith inwardly that he and she is one whom he hes taine purpose from all eternitie to saue There is the beginning Then he goes forward and neuer leaues them vntill he persite his worke in them No if he beginne once with them and giue them assurance that they are inwardly called the gates of Hel will neuer preuaile against them albeit they be in Hell at that same tyme of their calling they shall end in Heauen he will draw them through Hell to Heauen through death to lyfe all the world shall not alter his purpose If he begin once he will end Therefore to the Philipp 1. chap. 6. verse he sayes I am persvvaded that he that hes begunne the good vvorke in you he vvill perfite it to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ I am perswaded there is neuer one with whom he beginnes the worke of their
his povver IN the first part of this chapter ye haue heard brethren next after the saluatation a preface wherein he rejoyces together with them for that increase and grouth of the graces of God in them namelie of their Faith Loue and Charitie In rejoycing with them he giues God the thankes and all the glorie of whatsoeuer grace they had receyued We entered the last day in the second parte which containes a consolation For these Thessalonians sustained affliction and trouble for the faith of Christ therefore the Apostle confortes them We heard the first argument of comfort he ministred to them was from the just judgment of God Your troubles and afflictions ye suffer are all sure tokens that Iesus Christ will come one day and judge this world justlie Among all the assurances of the latter judgement ths is one The trouble that the godlie suffers in this world In the affliction and trouble of the godly ye may see as it were in a mirror the Lord comming to judge the world when we see an innocent man troubled we may gather our conclusion there must follow of necessity a day of count and reckning it cannot be that the just Lord will suffer vnjust dealing to passe away vnpunished Then in the second argument he drawes nearer to them and sets downe the end of this just judgment that shall be the end shall be for their well For when the Lord shall come to judge the world they shall be counted worthy of that kingdom the kingdome of Heauen for the which they suffered Worthie not in themselues for all the affliction vnder Heauen will not make a man worthy of Heauen but worthy in the righteous merites of Christ where-with one day we shall be clad and for his worthinesse and merite shall be adjudged to life euerlasting Now in the beginning of this text he proues that the day of judgment they shall be adjudged to lyfe euerlasiting and glory He takes his argument from the nature of that Iudge It is a iust thing sayes he to God to recompence tribulation to them vvho troubles you As if he had said the Iudge is just yea by nature he is justice it selfe and therefore the judgement must be just and in his just judgement he must adjudge you to life and he must render to euery man his due being just he must render to them who hes afflicted you affliction againe And to you vvho are afflicted he must tender rest euen as he renders to vs For I in my owne person haue beene afflicted aswell as ye haue beene and I am assured he will render rest to me and so also will he to you there is the meaning of the words Then ye see brethren here he grounds their deliuerance in that latter judgment vpon the just nature of God ye may see our life euerlasting vnto the which we shall be adjudged in the day of judgment leanes on a solide foundation euen the most just nature of the Iudge all the world is not able to shake it if thou can shake God then thou may shake our life euerlasting Seuer justice from him and seuer life from his owne both are alyke do the one if thou may do the other And so brethren ye see where-vpon the assurance of your faith and hope of life euerlasting is grounded it is grounded vpon an insight of the nature of God vpon a knowledge of him what he is in his owne nature that he is just he is righteousnesse it selfe knowing then that he is just seeing as it were at the least in some measure in God and in his nature that he is just I take assurance that that just God shall adjudge me to life I make this more generall all assurance all hope of any grace we haue to receiue at the hands of God what euer it be must proceede from an insight and knowledge of the nature of God how can I or any man looke for any good at the handes of him vvho is not knovvne to me hovv shall I assure my selfe I shall get any good from him I know not Therefore the man or woman who would haue faith in God or hope of lyfe or any good at his hands must seeke to pearce in to the deepnesse of the infinite nature of God so farre as can be to knowe him in his justice wisdome power mercy and in all these infinite properties in his nature then knowing him in these infinite thinges he must assure himselfe of such and such graces at his hands I know him to be powerfull therefore with his power he will deliuer me I know him to be mercifull in his mercy I am assured he wil show mercy on me I know him to be wise therefore I am assured he will deale wisely with me he that is skilfull and the God of order will deale skilfully with me Then ye see that faith will neuer be builded vpon a scroofe and superficiall thing The world thinks it ynough to know there is a God to know his name and no more No thy hart cannot be builded on a sâ—roofe It is impossible to any to haue that solide and assured faith in God and that hope of lyfe except they haue a solide knowledge in some measure of his nature and of his properties And that bodie that preases not to pearce in to the deepnesse of God cannot haue that Spirit of God for in the first Epistle to the Corinth chap. 2. vers 10. it is said The spirit of God searches and what in to the infinit deepnesse of God and there he lets thee see Gods minde towardes thee So that if any be indewed with that searching Spirit of God of necessitie that Spirit must conuoy their eyes in some measure in to the secreetes of God to the deepnesse of that infinite nature It is a wonderfull sight that a true and solide faith hes in God It will peace in to the infinite nature of God and builde on that infinite nature the solide ground of faith I speake this that ye may seeke to knowe the nature of God Yet to the wordes It is a righteous thing vvith God not to men but to God The meaning of the Apostle is What euer seemes right in the eye of man this is righteous in the eye of God to render to euery man his due Now the Lord forbid that our life or death euerlasting hang vpon that that seemes just and vnjust to man Lord forbid that Heauen or Hell hang at mans girdle or depended on his judgement I assure you many would goe to Hell from hand As God in nature is a just Iudge euen so man by nature a wrangous and vnjust judge Let him be giuen ouer to himselfe hee shall neuer judges one whit of that which is just DiffereÌ„ce betvvene the iudgment of God and of men at the least he shall neuer judge sincerelie of that worke I shall tell you the differences between the judgement of God and man shortlie Man when he
beatting dovvne of the beast onely Iesus Christ ought to haue the glorie of the victorie Whether ye looke to him who strikes the battell the armour or them who are souldiers in the battell all lettes you see the glorie should be giuen to Christ alone What is more vyle nor the vvord of the crosse and this vyle ministrie and yet he vvill haue him vvreaked and consumed with the word and ministrie He chuses not great and mightie things not kings and Emperours to this worke wonder not nor be not moued that ye see so many kings stand by the beast to see the Emperour the kings of France and Spaine stand for him but the Lord will vse base meanes to destroy the beast that the glorie may be giuen to him allone Now to come to the other pointe his abolishing He is abolished at the last When shall this be When Christ shall come againe How shall it be The face and presence of Iesus shall deuoure him As soone as the Lord shall come downe as soone shall he vanish and be burnt vp as caffe with the fire The word of the Gospell consumes him and burnes him but not quyte vp But the face of Iesus in that day shall burne him quite vp and then that prophecie of Iohn Reuel chap. 20. verse 10. shall be accomplished He shall be casten in a lack of fire and brimstone which shall neuer haue an end Then brethren beware of this word for if it worke not to lyfe but be a sauour of death to death if it doe thee no good in this lyfe be assured that most glorious face of the Lord in the world to come shall destroye thee Therefore looke that the word be an instrument to thy consolation and the power of God to thy saluation Looke how the word is effectuall to thee in this life for so shall the presence of Iesus be to thee in the life to come either to thy saluation or damnation The face of the Lord shal consume thee if the word hes wroght no renewing of thee in this life It is said in the chapter preceeding verse 9. They which did not obey the Gospell shall be punished vvith euerlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the gloree of his povver one blenke of that face shall consume in an instant all the reprobate Craue then that the word may be powerfull that ye may escape this fire of that presence of Iesus in his comming Then heere ye may perceiue that the kingdome of the Antichrist is not altogether abolished it takes a long tyme ere it be taken away Wonder not that he hes such a power in this earth for certainly this prophecie telles vs that there shall be some face of the Antichristes kingdome vntill Christ come Looke not that Papistry end ere Christ come look not that euery reformed Church shall be quite of them but they shall be as thornes in their sides till Christ come and let no man ouer soone triumph but let euery one make him for the battell There are none of the professours of Christs trueth but they should prepare them for battell Therefore let euery one seeke this armour that being enarmed with that spirituall armour so far as God will giue the grace echone may breath on the beast to his consumption that so God may be glorified and then shalt thou triumph for euer with him To whom be praise and glore for euer AMEN THE SEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 9. 10. 9 Euen him vvhose comming is by the vvorking of Satan vvith all povver and signes and lying vvonders 10 And in all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued WE returne again in this text to the description of the Antichrist to be reueiled the Apostle before had casten in some things in the way pertaining to the present purpose Ye heard the Antichrist to be reueiled was descriued from his nature First of nature he should be a man like other men then hee is descryued from his properties first a sinfull man addicted to sinne a slaue of sin and iniquitie next the sonne of perdition a man from all eternitie ordeined to perdition Then he came to his actions that he shall doe when he shall be reueiled first in malice of his hart he shall oppone him to euery thing called God in Heauen and earth to the powers and majesties here on earth to the Majestie of God and Christ in Heauen Another action when he shall be reueiled in pride he shall exalt himself aboue all thing that is called God and is worshipped in the world Yet more in pride he shall sit in the Temple of God not like a common man but as God in Gods seate on the consciences of men and wemen in the Church of God And last he shall showe himselfe to be God in all things in all his titles and styles and al his dignities and shall bereaue God so far as lyes in his power of all dignities and honors that pertaines to him allone Novv to speake nothing of that hes beene spoken before In this 9. verse the Apostle returnes againe to the description of the Antichrist and in this place he descriues him from the effectualnes or effectuall power he shall haue in men ordeined for perdition when he shall come and be reueiled in the world Then to come to the words Satan effectual by and in the antichrist Whose comming sayes the Apostle shall be according to the effectuall povver of Satan As he would say when he shall come and be reueiled in the world Satan that sent him shall be effectuall and powerfull by him powerfull in men and weâ—en that perishes that are ordeined from al eternity to perdition Heerein shortly learne then Euen as God by Iesus Christ in his ministrie whom he sends out will be effectuall in these who are his if all the world had sworne the contrare So Satan the enemy of God and â—atan in this pointe will prease to be like God and in his maner will be effectuall and powerfull in them that are ordeined for death by the Antichrist As God in his church for saluation will be powerful by his ministry so the Antichrist wil be powerfull to them that are ordeined to perdition Yet brethren the words imports more to wit that Satan shall not onely be effectual by the Antichrist outwardly but he shal be effectuall inwardly in the hart of him and when he shal work by him he shal not work by the mouth or hand outwardly but by the effectual working in his hart and will inspire in his hart to do the turne In this pointe likewise Satan preases to be like God When God by his minister as effectuall he not onely workes by his mouth or his hand or any outward member but he workes by his soule and inward affections cheefly 1.
care should be had of the bodie Now to come to the last verse Yet sayes he count him not as an enemie but admonishe him as a brother In this verse we haue a kinde of mitigation and tempering of the rigour and seueritie of Excommunication for brethren if Excommunication had the ovvne force in any man the stroke of Excommunication would be the sorest stroke that euer one felt Read 2. Cor. 2. 7. Excommunication threw the incestuous person in such an heauy displesure that his soule vvas almost svvallovved vp vvith in him for when once the soule is casten in an heigh displeasure which is the effect of Excommunication then the deuill is readie to bring that man to dispare Therefore he sayes here verse 7. Forgiue him and comfort him for vve are not ignorant of the enterprises of Satan It is marueilous that sin blinds men so that many cares no more to be excommunicate then if excommunication wer the lightest thing in the world There is such a deadnes and senslesnes in the harts of men that there is no displeasure now for sin but rather a delite and rejoycing in it Certainely the lesse sense of the sharpnesse of that sword of Excommunication the greater miserie If there were any displeasure for sinne in thee it were an argument that there were helpe for thee but if thou byde senslesse at that ordinance of God if thou be hardned against the word and discipline both shall turne to thy destruction But when God is powerfull with in thee with it for as God is powerfull with the Word so is he powerfull by the Discipline then it shall turne to thy well and saluation Therefore seeing there is such a force in it mitigation is verie meete for it Now here the way how it is mitigate Count him not as an enemie The next admonish him as a brother The first of these touches the inward thought the second concernes thy outward speaking to him The first is lose not a good opinion of him hate him not lightly him not as thogh he wer a conjurde enemie against Christ and his Church but loue him lose not the loue in thy hart towards him but loue him as a brother Now louing him in thy hart speak to him also think him not vnworthie of any speaking but flatter him not in his folie and humor for that will hurt him for if thou loue him thou wilt not nor thou ought not to flatter him But I tell thee what thou shalt doe admonishe him both sharply and louingly true admonition commes from the loue of the hart and whom we loue we admonish but yet admonition must be so louing that it must be sharpe also and so it is effectuall in the hart of the sinner Now louing him first and admonishing him next is the way to win him and to bring him home againe who hes gone astray And if he be curable certainely admonition will doe the turne if admonition will not doe the turne nor will not mooue him alas brethren it is ouer sure an argument that that man is vncurable and that the Lord hes not ordeinde him for saluation If the Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perishes sayes the Apostle 2. Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospell will not worke it is ouer sure an argument of perdition vvherevnto long before they vvere ordeined as Iude sayes 4. vers Therefore let a man suspect himselfe when he is admonished and obeyes not and let him say shall I be for damnation The Lord saue me and mollifie my stony hart that I may giue obedience to the word well giue obedience to wholesome admonition that by man is giuen thee out of the word of God as thou would haue a sure warrand thou art of the number of those that are appointed to saluation Marke againe Nature and vse of Excōmunication He will not haue him called an enemie but a brother This lets vs see the nature and vse of Excommunication of a brother it makes not an enemie he is now a brother ere he be Excommunicate and being Excommunicate he remaines a brother That which was a member of Iesus Christ before Excommunication makes it not altogether to perishe neither cuts it so the rotten member from the bodie that it shall haue no more adoe with the bodie of a sheepe it makes not a goate that is not the vse of it of a christian it makes not an vnchristian he keeps his name It shoots him not out of the Couenant of grace God forbid but he standes in the bonde being Excommunicate What does it then I shall tell you A man that hes fallen from Christ by sinne which seueres thee from Christ it bindes him againe it bringes him in repentance and calles him home againe being wandring from God it holdes him within the Couenant A man going to be an enemie to Christ and his Church it straits him to byde still a brother So it does him no euill it is not ordeined for his perdition but for his well and saluation This whole ministrie of Iesus Christ and all the parts of it Preaching and Discipline promises and consolation and threatning of judgement al the parts of Discipline yea this Excommunication it selfe are al ordeined to saue soules that is the proper vse of the ministrie to saue all and neuer to lose one man Therefore in the 2. Cor. 10. 8. Paul sayes that he got povver to edification and not to destruction Neuer Minister got power to destroy one bodie but to edifie and if any perishe if the Word or Discipline be the sauor of death to death as to many it is let him not blame the word but let him blame himself For men by their obstinacy and malice turnes the word maliciously in an vnproper vse to their destruction and of the Spirit of life they make it the letter of death Therefore the Lord keepe vs from al slubbornnes and all repying against this Word and Discipline for I assure thee repine thou against the Gospel and Discipline which should be the power of life to thee it shall kill thee thou shalt not need another to kill thee euerlastingly And therefore the Lord grant euerie soule submission vnder the word of God which is the meane that he hes ordeind to saluation in Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and holy Spirit be al praise for euer AMEN THE FOVRTENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 16. 17. 18. 16 Novv the Lord of peace giue you peace alvvayes by all meanes The Lord be vvith you all 17 The salutation of me Paul vvith my ovvvne hand vvhich is the token in euery Epistle so I vvryte 18 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be vvith you all Amen IN this text brethren we haue the end and conclusion of this Epistle it consistes wholly in prayer First he wishes peace to them from the Lord of peace for euer euery way Then he wishes to