hes beene afflicted before him and scarcelie shall he see a godlie man but vvith his burdene on his backe all is not laid on him alone But aboue all let the persone that is afflicted first set his eye on the Lord Iesus Let him looke ouer to Golgotha vvhere Christ is hanging on the Crosse and in Christ let him looke to tvvo thinges first to the glorie worthinesse of that personage who sufferes next to the extremitie and ignominie of that passion looke to these two things in him and then looke down to thy selfe and looke what thou art first not a Lord if thou were a King but a seruant all the Kings on the earth are but seruants in respect of him then go to the affliction thou suffers and thou shalt finde thou suffers not the thowsand part of the affliction he suffred for thee there is great inequalitie betweene thee and him and then beginne to reason The seruant is not greater nor his Lord the disciple is not greater nor his Maister The Lord Iesus is my Lord I am not but a seruant yet the Lord Iesus my Lord suffers and in such great extremity then may I not be content to suffer the thousand part of his suffering Of this comes contentment of heart and patience to suffer for the Lord. For except thy eye be set vpon that personage of Iesus Christ it is not possible for thee to suffer with joy the simplest crosse that is for the Lords sake The next point of their dittay they haue slaine their ovvn Prophets Persecution of the Prophets This they did ere they slevv the Lord albeit it be set in the second rovvâ—â—e They haue slaine vvhom Prophetes vvorthie men Whose Prophets not strangers but men of then own nation Iewes as they vvere their ovvne Prophets sent by God to them to teach and prophecie to them to bring them to the way of life yet they haue runne vpon them and haue slaine them all aggreages their fact Ye vvill aske vvas these Ievves that slevv the Prophets the same that slevv the Lord Iesus they wer not in the Prophets dayes they came long after I answer he vnderstands the whole bodie of that people fathers and children which makes vp a bodie The fathers slew the Prophets Therfore Steuen sayes Act. 7. 52. Which of them is he vvhom your fathers haue not persecuted Then he comes to the children as for you that are children ye haue betrayed and slaine the iust one This is it that Christ sayes in the 23. chap. of Matt. vers 32. Ful 〈◊〉 out that or follow out that that your fathers haue left vndone slay me and my Apostles Yet there may be an other answere made to this It may be that he will lay to the charge of them that slew the Lord Iesus the slaughter of the Prophets as though they had slaine them with their owne hands Posteritie guilty through their fathers For ye must vnderstand that the children that come after their Fathers are inuolued in the whole guiltinesse that their fathers were in before them Was he a murtherer thou art guiltie of murther were thy Grandfather and his father murtherers thou art inuolued in the same guiltinesse and except thou by grace be transplanted out of the rotten stock of thy fore-fathers in Iesus thou shalt die for that murther of thy fathers All the sinnes of thy progenitors shal be hung about thy neck if thou be not exeemed and â—lanted in Iesus Christ Yea that sinne of Adam for eating of the frute shall be laid to thy charge and thou shalt pay for it if thou be not transplanted out of rotten Adam and ingraft in Iesus Christ the second Adam Rom. 5. 14. Not onelie is this naturall corruption drawen to children throgh propagation but the children are inuolued in the guiltinesse of the verie action of the progenitours All serues to this to make fathers to be waie and to take head to their actions that they slay not themselues allone but the multitude of their posteritie as Adam slew vs all Yet there is an other ground and answere to this These Iewes that slew the Lord Iesus are counted to haue slaine the Prophets before them The ground and cause is this I would that all murthereis did heare this Slayest thou an innocent man such as Abel the whole innocent bloud that was shed since the beginning lights vpon thee thou art guiltie of it And therefore Christ Matt. 23. 36. layes to the Ievves charge the whole innocent bloud shedde since Abell vnto Zacharias that vvas slaine betweene the temple and the altar Therfore murtherer take head thou shalt drowne in bloud for by thy act thou giuest approbauen to al those murtherers that were from the beginning Thou makest it a pastime to dip thy hand in innocent bloud but wo to thee if thou be not washed in the bloud of christ This for the answer to the question Now marke brethren When he speakes of the slaughter of the Lord Iesus committed by these Iewes he forgets not the old Prophets and with the Lords he joines his seruants neither forgets he the Apostles Both the persecution the persecutors are recent in Gods memorie and vs also haue they persecuted al are put in one catalogue the olde Prophetes the Lord Iesus the Apostles and Martyres that were slaine And who doeth this It is not so much Paul as the holie Spirite that doth it which is a token that all the martyrdomes that haue bene is and to be was not is not nor shal not be forgot of the Lord they are all in recent memorie And suppose there were not a booke of Martyres vvritten in the earth yet there is a booke in Heauen written and all the Martyres from the beginning are registrate in it and that book shall be laid oppen before man Angels ye shall see them not in pictures but in face And again he remembers the Iewes who did it so as there is a booke of Martyres in heauen so is there a booke of persecuters wherein all their names are written and in that great day the booke shall be laide oppen and shall be presented to their eyes to their rebuke shame and eternall confusion So the Lord hes all in remembrance the Lord hes a recent memorie a thousand yeeres are but like a day to him and a day as a thousand yeeres albeit we will forget all yet all is recent in his memorie And this is verie comfortable to the afflicted and it is terrible to the persecutors Woe is that man that hath not his sinnes forgote and pardoned of the Lord. There is not one teare of the sufferer but it is put vp in his bottle This for the second point of their dittay Let vs novve come to the third point The Iewes vvere not content with the slaying of the Prophetes and of the Lord Iesus himself but when he is away they persecute his Apostles A wonderful thing that this people can not hold
discharge of a King in keeping the people in good order and peace will be the meane of thy crowning in heauen Art thou a pastor intending to win manie soules to the kingdome of heauen it shall be a meane of thy crowning in that great day When a crowne shall be set on a kings head or a pastors head it shal not be his calling that shal be the cause of his crowning he was an Emperor therefore he must haue a crovvne in heauen it vvill not follow if there be no more He vvas a pastor therfore he must haue a crovvne in heauen no it shall be that blessing and frute that God gaue thee in the faithfull discharge in thy calling heere that shall be the meane of thy crowning And therefore let neuer fleshe glorie in any calling if there be no more if the blessing of the Lord be not with thy calling thou hast cause of mourning and thou shalt say in that day woe to me that euer I was a King an Emperour a Pastor if there be not a faithfull discharge of thy calling the greater damnation falles vnto thee the greater thy calling be Now to end he is speaking of this rewarde that he was to receiue at Christs comming and he speakes not of these earthlie stipends how beit their be much adoe and stryfe for them in the land if they wer neuer so selie he speakes not of these goods or anie thing that pertained to them but the reward of his Apostleship he speaks of is that he claimes themselues ye are my hope sayes he ye are my ioy euen ye your selues So in one worde the rewarde of a faithfull Apostle shall not be the 〈◊〉 of this earth for as niggard as men are of it no it shall not be his manâ—e his 〈◊〉 two or three â—halders of â—â—â—uall or an hndreth marke rest all not be this but it shall be the soules of all them hee did vvinne heere on earth and the Lord shall say to him take them and let them be a matter of joy of glorie and honour for euer to thee Well he will not wishe ought of the durt of the earth but their owne selues whom he will professe as the rewarde of his faithfull calling to his euerlasting joy I goe forward before whom and in whose presence shall this joy and crowne of glorying be He sayes before the Lord Iesus Christ it must be done in his sight hee must be before hee must be the doer of all it must be he that shall take thee by the hand and giue thee to the Apostle and pastor and saye Take man there is the matter of thy glorie and crowne make it a matter to thee of thy joy for euer Brethren there is no joy but in the face and presence of Iesus there is no light but that that comes from his face and countenance It is true the pastor ministers light but if in the meane time the light of Iesus shine not in thy heart all is but vaine and lost labour And therefore Paul 2. Cor. 4. 6. sayes all this light must come from Iesus Christ and thou must holde vp that heart of thine that the light of Iesus may shine in it And he sayes also as soone as the heart is turned the vaâ—le is remoued 2. Cor. 3. 16. and the face of the Lord illuminates thee For what trow you the light be the joy be the glorie be that we shall receiue in one word vvhat trow you heauen be Al the light in heauen is nothing but as a reflexe of that light that is in Iesus Christ al the light and glory of heauen is 〈◊〉 like sparkles scattred from him for all glorie is in him And therefore if ever thou looke for joy and glorie addresse thy selfe for Ieses Christ and as thou wouldst liue either here or hence 〈◊〉 to his presence and thinke neuer thou art well vntill you get 〈…〉 that presence Let nothing so bewitch thee 〈…〉 of heart vntill thou getst some light of Iesus Christ 〈…〉 is no life nor joye within him I aske thy conscience Didst thou euer feele that solide joy and life but when thy heart was set on that countenance of Iesus Foole thou mayst rejoice like a dog or beast with a sensuall pleasure but woe to thy joye and peace there is no peace to the vvicked for when thou art so passing thy time out of Iesus the judgement shall sodainelie ouertake thee for there is no saluation out of Iesus When shal this be At this comming It is true we vvalke heere in his presence and that joye that comes downe from Heauen it comes through that glorious bodie wherewith he is cled but the sacietie of all shall not be vntill the eye see it thy glorie shall not be perfited while then I tell you all the light we haue now the Apostle calles it the light of the Euangell of the glorie of God it is his face that shines in a mirror thou seest him no otherwise but then this mirror shall be taine avvay and the face of Iesus shall be holden vp in your sight Brethren while we are here the light coÌ„mes from heauen and ouer shadowes and transformes the soule onlie and that not fullie but in a part but when he shall come he shall transforme not the soule onelie but these vilde bodies and make them conforme to his glorious bodie Phil. 3. 21. And so there must be a greater force in his owne presence nor is in the mirror of the Gospell And thou that takest a pleasure to see Iesus in the mirror of the Gospell and to be ouershadowed with the light of the Gospell the face of Iesus shall shine on thee and by the contrair thou that takest no pleasure in the mirror of the Gospell thou shalt neuer attaine to the sight of Iesus Wilt thou continue in hatred of the ministrie of Iesus Christ thou shalt neuer see the glorious countenance of Iesus In the end of this chapter not being content to tell this once he sayes it againe yes ye are my ioy This doubling proceedes of a persuasion that he had of that glorie in a word let a Minister be faithfull to winne many soules to pleasure God and Iesus Christ who will recompence him so aboundantlie The glorie is sure the joy is sure and if he finde faithfulnesse and a blessing in his calling in this lyfe as the joye and glorie is certaine so when he is going out of this lyfe he may be sure and may say with confidence I shall enter in my joy and my soule and bodie shall be crowned with his crowne of joy and glorie and all in the presence of the Lord Iesus To whom with the Father the holie Spirite be all praise AMEN THE TENTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 1. 2. 3. 4. 1 Wherefore since vve could no longer forbeare vve though it good to remaine at Athens alone 2 And haue
end our life in Iesus Christ we passe vp to a wonderfull glorie Now how comes this glorie Comes it on any thing we haue done heere in earth Comes it of our workes or merites No as holinesse in this life comes of the free mercie of God in Christ so the crowne of glorie in that life onelie comes of the mercie of God in Christ We shall be glorified in Heauen but hovv Through the grace of God that he will giue vs in Christ And as the crowne of glorie shall be giuen vs of free grace so the standing in that estate of glory shall indure for euer of grace So all comes of grace Perseuerance of holinesse in this lyfe is onely by the grace of God All perseuerance in glorie in the life to come of grace and mercie nothing in earth nothing in Heauen but free grace in mercy Wherefore is this the Lord will haue nothing in Heauen nor earth but mercie To this end that all the glorie of our saluation may be giuen to him and he that glories in it should glorifie him Grace free mercie onely in him And let this be our song on earth vvhen vve speake of the grace of God on earth Glorie to God mercie to vs onelie in God The Lord giue vs grace that we may giue al and the onely praise of mercie and of glorie in this life and in the life to come To this God with the Son and the holy Spirite be immortall praise and glorie foreuer AMEN THE XVI LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 9. 10. 11. 12. 9 But as touching brotherlie loue yee neede not that I vvrite vnto your for ye are taught of God to loue one another 10 Yea and that thing verelie ye doe vnto all the brethren vvhich are throughout all Macedonia but vve beseech you brethren that ye increase more and more 11 And that ye studie to be quyet and to meddle vvith your ovvne businesse and to vvork vvith your ovvn hands as vve cōmanded you 12 That yee may behaue your selues honestlie tovvards them that are vvithout and that nothing be lacking vnto you THE Apostle brethren after hee hes set downe his general exhortation to sanctification and holinesse This is the will of God sayes he euen your sanctification that ye be holie in soule holie in bodie holie in all your actions within and without He discends and comes to the particulare parts of this generall exhortation The first part of it respects a man or vvoman in their own person that they keepe their person to God as the vessell of honor keepe it from fornication which is a sinne that especiallie and in the highest degree fyles the person of a man both in bodie and soule which should be keeped in holinesse to God who made it The next part of this sanctification concernes our brother our neighbour that wee doe no wronge nor oppresse him by violence we circumvene him not by fraude and guile in businesse concerning this life but in all affaires we be as carefull he haue aduantage as we are that our selues haue aduantage When thou art onelie set to make vantage to thy selfe by thy own selfe loue that aduantage is wrong We heard the arguments the Apostle vses to moue them to this First the will of God If the will of God will not moue thee from harlotrie from doing euill vnto thy neighbour let the vengeance of God moue thee for that is the second argument and it shall ouertake thee in the end if thou continue therein Then he came to that holie and Christian calling that should moue vs to liue holie We are called to be holie let vs keepe therefore our owne person holie let vs be holie to our brother let vs be holie in our hand holie in our faculties Then he goes forward to another argument He that will not be holie when he is called by man he saies it is not with man he hes adoe but with God It is God that bids thee keepe thy bodie cleane from harlotrie thy hand from wrong Therefore thou disobeying thou disobeyes not man but God What is it to disobey me or him that speakes It is that great God that thou rebellest against and in that great day thou shalt be challenged as a rebell to that great God These argumentes are all set downe to this end to moue vs to holinesse Then at last in the end of the last verse he castes to an argument from the holie Spirite giuen vs by God to this end Getst thou the holie Spirit to play the harlote getst thou that holy Spirite that glorious gift the third person of the glorious Trinitie dwelling in thee as in a Temple to the effect thou shouldst commit filthinesse No as all things oblishes thee to be holie so especiallie the holie Spirite of God dwelling within thee crauing an holie Temple craues holinesse otherwayes with thy filthinesse thou shalt disludge him and anger him vntill at last he shall depart from thee and then that foull spirit of wickednesse shall possesse thee Nowe to come to the text In the first part thereof he goes forward to another particulare part of this sanctification which is brotherlie loue So the third part of this sanctification stands in brotherlie loue called beneficience and liberalitie to thy brother a grace and vertue crauing an open hand to bestow on the necessitie of thy brooher So when he hes exhorted not to doe wrong to thy neighbour not to oppresse him by violence or surprise him by deceite then he exhorts that thou be beneficiall to him liberall to him to support his want and necessitie Hee sayes then But as concerning brotherlie loue bountifulnes towards thy brother ye neede not that I vvrite vnto yo◠The reason of it is What need haue I who am a man to be ouer diligent in teaching outwardlie when God is the inward teacher of you and when he teaches this point of doctrin in special to loue euerie one another Ther is the substance of the first words Now to obserue something on the wordes Ye see it is not eneugh not to do euil but true sanctification craues that we do good also De◠〈◊〉 from euill sayes Dauid in his 34. Psal vers 15. and doe good There are two things It is not eneugh not to do wrong to our neighbour or brother not to oppresse him not to beguile him but true holines craues that we benefite him we bestowe on him a goode deede we supplie his necessitie want and pouertie All the parts of this which we call sanctification holines of life that are as manie graces of God in Christ are so inseparablie linked together as the linkes of a chaine are one in another All the parts of sanctification link it together that if anie of them be a missing in anie person man or woman and be not in him in some measure I cannot saye that that person hes truelie anie
These shall be the signes that shall be joined inseparablie with Christs comming The signe of Christ In the meane tyme he shall come down when all the world shall be on a fire And this is called by Matthevv 24 verse 30. the signe of Christ the signe that shall be conjoined with his comming Reade of this whole matter in this 24. chap. of Matthevv verse 30. 2. Epist of Pet. chap. 3. verse 10. 12. Reuelat chap. 20. verse 11. and chap. 21. verse 1. Then brethren if there was such a commotion in the heart of men in the first signes that past before what commotion shall there be in the harts of men when they shall see the whole world on fire A wondrous thing When all this consumption shall be no body shall be burnt but the power of the judge shall reserue the bodies to the judgement that is to follow immediatlie Peter when he hes tolde of these signes saies If such a dissolution of the world be what maner of men should we be how should we studie to prepare vs to meete the Lord So on that great day all these thinges shall not make the godly to shrinke but they shall ay prease forward to meete the Lord in the cloudes As to the reprobate ô that horrour and terrible feare that shall ouertake them at his comming Now this for the two sorts of signes The first going before his comming the second joined inseparably with his comming down to judge the world Now shortly to speake of Christs owne comming And this is it which the Apostle speakes of in this place Which for our vnderstanding I shall gather out of this and sundry other places of the Scripture Christes coÌ„ming Now as for the comming of the judge he shall not come from the Sea from the Earth from the Plane Wherefrom commes all the Kings of the earth when they are in their triumph The Romane Emperours came out from the Capitoll in their Chariots But the King of Kinges shall come from the Heauen of Heauens abone all these heauens that we see from the highest place The maner of his comming is sodaine These signes that I spake of shall come on a sodaintie and yet there shall be a processe of tyme in doing thereof He shall come on a sodaine as the deluge of Noah did as the 24 chap. Matt verse 37. telles The people knew not of the deludge that ouerwhelmed them vntill it came No more shall this miserable world know Christes comming vntill he come sodainlie And therefore considering this in the Scripture the Lord giues a watch-word to his Disciples Many hundreth yeeres are past since and repeate it heere he saies Matt. 24. 42. Watch for ye knovv not vvhen the Lord shall come The sodaintie vncertainty of his comming shoulde make vs euer readie to looke for it The Chariot he shall be caried in is the cloudes of the aire As in his ascending the cloudes resaued him from our sight so shall the cloudes resaue him at his comming Such a Chariot got neuer Emperour in all his highest triumph none of them was caried in the clouds The company that shall conuoy him he shal come saies Matt. chap. 24. verse 30. with the Angels and a flame of fire that fyre that shall burne vp the world and shall burne vp the reprobate in the owne tyme. 2. Thess 1. 7. 8. Iude sayes verse 14. He shall come with millions of Angels there shall not be an Angell but all shall come in that conuoye to let all the worlde see that all the Angels are but seruants to that Lord and seruantes standing about him to obey his vvill vvhat hee commandes that his glorie and Majestie may be seene In the meane-tyme he hes no neede of them for they neyther can adde to his glorie nor diminish it yet it hes pleased him so to vtter his glorie to the vvorld And in that meane-tyme when he is comming he will not come in silence Ye see when an Armie marches forward there is a great noyse and crying shouting and blovving of trumpets So there shall bee a noyse in the Lords comming dovvne The Angels of Heauen shall blovve the trumpets So he speakes Matth. 24. verse 31. Paul in this place sayes there shall ryse a sound The worde in this place is a vvorde of exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borrovved from that sound vvhich the Mariners vses to others euerie one to moue others to rovv A shout direct to the dead that lyes in the graue it shall pearce through the graue and eares of the dead and shall waken them vp With the shout shall be conjoyned the voice of the Archangell and with the voyce of the Archangell the sound of the trumpet of God and this shall be the last trumpet and neuer shall the voyce of the trumpet be heard againe and it shall be the shâ—â—llest trumpet that euer was heard Now when the Lord in his comming downe shall come to the place where he is ordained to sit to judge the worlde which shall be in the cloudes Then all the Angels shall showe their presence and the Angels shall make a glorious Throne to the Lord of glorie and there he shall sit This much shortlie for the comming and appearing I shall be short in this matter For I will speake nothing but make a narration of it out of other parts of Scripture Would ye vnderstand the effectes that followes on his comming Effectes follovving Christs coÌ„ming Certainlie notable effectes must followe on it The Lord prepare vs for it The Father shall be there the Sonne shall be there coÌ„ming the holie Spirite shall be there vvith all their power and all their Majestie The glorie of the Father neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day The glorie of the Sonne neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day The glorie of the holie Spirit neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day Ye see in the Parliament the Kings of the earth appears in their greatest glory to the people so the Lord of the world shall appeare with an infinite and vncapable sight of glorie Now to come to the effects that shall follow on his comming AsseÌ„bly The first effect There shall be an assemblie a conuention the fairest conuention that euer was since the world stoode There are none that euer tooke lyfe but all shall bee there all shall be sommonded with the shout of the trumpetuall shall compeare no excuse the graue shall not excuse death shal not excuse dead and liuing neuer man nor woman excepted all shall be there So the first effect that shal follow the comming of the Iudge shall be a conuention of the whole world elect reprobate dead and liuing And I shall tell you after what order it wil be by the Scripture The first that shall come there to the conuention shall be they who were dead they shall preueene them who were alyue And Adam and
but that which they should haue done And Christ findes fault with the hypocrite Iewes that could take vp by the sky what maner of weether should be but searched not the tyme of his comming Luke 12. 56. But as to his second comming he neuer tolde of the tyme of it Yea in Daniell in his last chapter 4. verse there is a plaine inhibition to seeke out the tyme of it Therefore it perteines not to men to know it yea it is better not to know the tyme of it nor to know it And this Christ means Matt. 24. 42. Watch therefore for ye knovv not at vvhat houre your Master vvill come Where he teaches vs that the ignorance of the tyme of his comming is verie profitable for vs because it makes vs to watch and pray wheras the knowledge of it would make vs carelesse Ye may aske at me May we on no wayes speake or thinke of the Lords comming to judge the quick and the dead and the tyme thereof I answere To define a speciall tyme either in the cogitation or thought of thy heart or in the words of thy mouth thou canst not nor thou shouldest not doe it But generallie to thinke and to say the Lord will come shortlie whether this age or the next age I know not but I know well it shall not be long when the judge shall come it shall be soone it is lawfull for thee to thinke and say this For the Lord himselfe hes said When it is craued Reuel chap. 22. vers 20. Come Lord Iesus yes saies he I come shortly When he sayes he will come shortlie let vs beleue it The Historie in the Gospell Matt. 24. 25. c. of the euill and the good seruant teaches vs what vve shoulde doe vntill the Lords comming The euill seruant sayes My Master delayes his comming home therefore he will begin to play the wanton and to drinke and to smite his companions The good seruant will say I am looking for my Masters comming shortlie he will come at noone-tyde or midnight or Cock-crow I will wait for it and therefore I will be vigilant And so this good seruant tels that we should euer await for the Lords comming diligentlie And surelie his comming is neare and faine would the godlie haue his comming to end their miserie and to perfite the joy and glorie he hes appointed for them And therefore the Lord saies I come shortlie I shall not be long And albeit we thinke it be long since he promised this yet thinke not he delayes his comming For a thousand yeeres in the sight of the Lord are but as an houre 2. Pet. 3. 8. and in respect of him there is neyther long nor short tyme. So thinke euer with the good seruant the Lord will come shortlie and he is daily comming yea and we should desire him to come shortly euerie day and we should euer patientlie waite for it And therefore this clause is added in the Lords prayer Let thy Kingdome come Which desires that he would perfite that worke of glorie Ye see Paul sayes 2. Tim. 4. verse 7. 8. I haue fought a good fight I haue keeped the faith I haue runne out my course Then he subjoines But vvhat restes I shall 〈◊〉 the crovvne of glorie vvhich the Lord Iesus as Iudge generall vvill giue me and 〈◊〉 onely giuen to me but to all them vvith thirstes for his comming Assuredlie that bodie shall receiue the crowne of glorie Whereto are we so curious of the tyme of the generall judgement Knovve vve not that our ovvne death is our particulare judgement Know I not that within a short tyme I shall be called to an account before that Tribunall No sooner shall the soule depart out of the bodie but as soone shall my judgement beginne for the soule shall immediatlie departe to that place vvhere it shall remaine for euer Therefore seeing the day of my death is the day of judgement to me and how many of you that heares me this day will be liuing this day tvventie yeeres What needes vs to be curious anâ—ut the tyme of the generall judgement seeing our ovvne particulare judgement is at hand The Lord is alreadie vvarning vs to 〈◊〉 and yet the Lord vvill not haue vs more knowing the particulare tyme of death noâ— the day of judgement The Lord vvill haue vs vncertaine albeit men will be curious to knovve it The cause is that all may be in readinesse that there be not an houre in the day but thou be readie vvhen the Lord shall call on thee and vvill say to thee Goe I vvill haue thee carying heere no longer That thou may say Lord I vvill goe vvith thee and vve le come death The Lorde refuses to tell his Disciples particulare tymes but biddes them vvatche for that tyme. This doctrine is verie requisite to vs. They are liuing this day vvhome 〈◊〉 this daye eight dayes the Lord vvill call on Therefore let euerie one prepare them selues No in the second verse he giues the reason vvherefore it is not expedient that they should knovve of Christes comming to judge the worlde For sayes he ye your selues knovve perfectlie that the day of the Lord shall come 〈◊〉 as a thiefe in the night That is Sâ—daintie of Christs commiâ—g 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of it vncertain 〈◊〉 sodaintie Men shall neuer knowe vntill they see Christ come If hee come in the morning then ye may say when he is come The Lord is come in the morning And before that tyme thou shouldst not thinke noâ— speake of the certaine houre of Christes comming There are two thinges that cannot be knovvne both together The comming of Christ on a sodaintie and the certaine tyme of the comming of Christ If I knevv the Lord vvould come sodaintie it is follie to me to trauaile to knowe the speciall houre thereof vvhen thou hast calculate to see the verie houre of his comming it is but vanitie I tell thee the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night which tyme is most vncertaine and therefore all thy calculation failes thee Yet farther He sayes that ye yourselues knovve perfectlie that he shall come at a certaine tyme. Heere is a certaine tyme but there is not a certaintie of a certaine tyme but a certaintie of an vncertaine tyme. And if the Apostle settes downe a certaintie of an vncertaine tyme it is impossible to thee to get a certaintie of it Ye shall reade this in Matthevvâ— chap. 24. verse 42. And who euer hes trauailed in any age to count the houre and tyme of his comming the Lord hath lette them see they are confooted of error and the Lord hes condemned that labour It is a bolde thing to man to seeke out that thing the Lord hes hid Men will stand vp and calculat such a yeere of the Lords comming O vanitie thou passes thy boundes and thou had no such thing in commission giuen to thee The Lord keepe vs from such vanitie But to goe forward in the
follow on and keep it in our hart There are two needs of praier One need of grace another need to keep the grace we haue receiued So there is two sorts of begging the first is for grace the next is for keeping of the grace Neuer wearie to aske The Lord wold haue thee euer begging Ay say Lord giue me Then say Lord keepe this grace thou hast giuen me otherwaies I will lose it For I assure thee if the Lords hand be not euerie moment holding grace in thy hart thou art ay ready to lose it Therefore the Apostle sayes Pray continually Alas if we knew what thing we are bound to we would discharge a better duety to our God we should not passe the time in playing but we should pray continually Ye vvill thinke it an hard thing to be euer praying ye vvill say should we do no other thing but ay pray should this be our exercise continually Take heed By praying is vnderstood not preceesly this outward forme of prayer the falling down on our knees the lifting vp of our hands and eyes so that we do not another turne No I meane not so Thou hast a lawfull vocation go win thy liuing according to thy calling He that said Pray continually The same said Go labour and win thy liuing otherwaies thou shalt not eat Avvay vvith Munkries and Nunries Then when continuall prayer is craued no other thing is craued but that thy hart and minde be euer exercised on God Let thy hart and contemplation of thy mynde be euer on him be neuer so distracted with any exercise of the world but keep God euer in some measure before thy eyes seeking his grace and blessing to thy exercise When thou art busiest in thy exercise let thy hart be seeking blessing thereto Paul saies 1. Cor. 10. chap. 31. verse Whether ye eat or drinke or what euer ye do all to the glory of God If I eat to the glory of God my hart must be blessing thanking him for the benefit receiued seeking a blessing of him that it may doe me good desyring also that heauenly foode I tell thee this earthly foode should be nothing else to thee but a remembrance of heauenly things and of Christ that is onely the foode of the soule Then in all thy exercises euer hold thy hart on God let thy hart be praying when thy tongue is speaking of these thinges that concernes thy exercise so thy exercise shall be in the Lord. The Apostle vses to say do this and do that in the Lord. What means he but only in that doing thy hart shold be set on the Lord Ay enterteine Gods Spirit Thinke not that the exercising of the hart on Christ shal hinder thee in any thing in thy exercise No but by the contrare the face of God looking on thee it brings blessing keep him in thy eie and think on him and so thy exercise shall be sweete keepe God in thy eye and thou shalt finde a wonderfull joy and an helpe in thy exercise Now I end with this prayer Lord seeing there is no blessing but when we keep Iesus Christ in our eyes Lord grant that the face of Christ go neuer out of our eyes let neuer the remembrance of Iesus depart from vs. To this Christ be honour and glorie for euer AMEN THE XXV LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 18. 19. 18 In all thinges giue thankes for this is the vvill of God in Christ Iesus tovvard you 19 Quench not the Spirit THE last part of this Epistle Brethren which we haue in hand presently stands in an exhortation to an holie lyfe and conuersation vvorthie of the Lord Iesus Christ The last day we shew you there are three preceptes joyned together the precepte of patience to beare vvrong and injuries in this vvorlde patientlie and not to rander euill for euill as we are bent by nature but to do good for euill Then next the precept of joy the inward joy and peace of soule and conscience that passes all vnderstanding that euermore we shold rejoyce And last the precept of prayer which standes in two partes the one in seeking at the hands of God the other in thanking him for the grace receiued at his handes We shew you that conjunction that is among these graces patience joy and prayer patience is the effect of joy and the inward joy that is heauenly and spirituall is the meane to enterteine patience and to make a man beare patiently the wrongs he suffers in this present world for in a maner it rauishes him vp aboue the world and all thinges in the world and makes him to looke ouer all these earthly thinges and injuries that falles out in the world as though they were not and in some measure he hes his contemplation with God in Heauen So that the joy he hes will swallow vp all these earthly troubles and the life of God in him will swallow vp mortalitie and death Againe praier is the meane to enterteine that joy we haue with God for it keeps Gods presence and the face of Iesus in our sight and the face of Iesus is so joyfull as no tongue can tell For all the light and joy we haue in our harts proceedes from the face of Iesus and from the face of God in Christ and then it shynes on vs. And this face of Iesus it shines in the Gospell And therefore blessed were we if we could looke euer in the mirrour of the Gospell where we shall get this light and the face of Christ that makes vs rejoyce it appeares in a mirrour now but we shall see him face to face when the body of Iesus shall be perfect all is but a beginning now that we haue here he is far from vs and al the sight we haue of him is but a blenke let euery one looke to experience there are so many thinges goes in betweene vs and him that we can skarcely keepe his face in the which standes our joy Alwaies it is prayer that enterteines this presence of God looke to it by experience take away prayer that men pray not to God take away mediatation and thanking of God take away this communing with God it shall passe thy power to haue any presence of him and without his presence no joy in him Then shortly to come to the matter in hand This prayer consistes in two parter In asking and seeking at him according to the needs and misters we haue we are ful of wants and misters There is none of vs all from the greatest to the lowest from the King to the begger but great is the need we haue so euery one of vs hes need to be begging neuer was there a begger at our doore that hes so great neede to beg as we haue neede to beg at Gods hand beg things spirituall and things temporall things for this life things for the life to come for if we beg not we
other according to the just nature of God Now in the end he addes to this word vvith vs. He shall render relaxation to you and to me also I am troubled as you are And therefore I hope for the same deliuerance and relaxation that I promise to you Promise nothing to the people but the thing thou thinkest to get a parte of thy selfe Promise no resurrection except thou thinkest to get a parte thereof But the thing I marke is this I see all grace and glorie is in a societie vvith the Saintes resurrection lyfe euerlasting is vvith the godlie For as there is a communion vvith the Saintes in afflictiones 1. Peter chap. 5. verse 9. so there is a communion with the Saintes in rest in grace and glorie Ephes chap. 3. verse 14. 1. Thessa chap. 3. verse 13. And this thing we may take vp euer in this Apostle he speakes of no grace but euer together vvith the Saintes all is in one conjunction Let none therefore prease to come to Heauen but in this conjunction Thou wilt leape from the Church but I assure thee leape as thou wilt and think to come to Heauen without that societie thou shalt neuer come to Heauen thou shalt neuer get relaxation but in this society Thinke it no small matter to be of the number of the godly thou shalt neuer be glorified in that latter day if thou be not one of that nomber Then marke another thing He sayes they shall get relaxation with him Then it followes that he was afflicted with them Who gettes rest but they who are troubled Who will come to Heauen None but they who for Christs sake on the earth hes suffered some affliction either within or without No look not that a man will come sleeping to Heauen Heauen is a relaxation out of bondes who can be lowsed but they who haue â—ene bound This may learne vs to take in patience to be bound to be euill spoken of and to suffer either one thing or other for the hope of that lyfe euerlasting Novv to goe forvvarde in the text follovving ye haue a short but a pithie description of the Lord Iesus comming to judgement to render and repay When shall this rendring be When shall affliction be rendered to the afflicters and relaxation to the bound and troubled When our Lord Iesus Christ shall come to iudge the vvorld Not till then There is the dyet nothing but patience vntill then Thou art ouer sudden Thou would haue the Lord rendering to thee rest and to thy enemie trouble at the first moment Thou would haue him to put thee in Heauen at the first hand and thy enemies in Hell at an instant No byde till the tyme of the manifestation come Tyme of rendring Then the tyme of rendering is the tyme of manifestation of light it is the day of light of such a light as was neuer in the world for while Christ come all is hid Heauen is hid Hell is hid Right is hid wrong is hid damnation is hid saluation is hid lyfe hid death hid godlie men is hid reprobate men hid all hid till Christ come to judgment 1. Iohn chap 3. verse 2. When Christ shall come he shall be first reuealed from Heauen an infinite light shall come from Heauen accompanying that glorious Majestie Then Hell shall be seene Heauen shall be seene faire and broad lyfe shall be seene death shall be seene all shall appeare then as they are So byde still a whyle and byde in patience thou who would haue relaxation and thy bondes shall be loused in patience byde till that tyme. Thou that would see afflicters afflictedâ—ly still in patience for in that moment when thou shal see the Lord comming from Heauen thou shalt see an end of all these thinges such rendring as euer thou would haue desyred So nothing but patience Now marke the style the Lord gettes in this reuelation and comming He is called The Lord A style of glorie a name of power So the Lord in his comming and manifestation shall be manifested lyke a Lord and in a surpassing power ouer quick and dead Rom. chap. 14. verse 9. He died and rose againe that he might be Lord both of the quick and the dead Then againe he is called Iesus that is a Sauiour as he shall be manifested at that day as a Lord so shall he be manifested as a sweete Sauior Iesus to the just and godly of this world So then his appearance shall be as a Lord and Sauior to the comfort of his elect and as a Lord in power to the destruction of the wicked Now to goe forward I shall not be â—urâ—ous but shall open onely the wordes The Lords comming and reuealing himselfe as Lord and as Iesus the Sauior is descriued and set out in an high glorie Christ shal come froÌ„ heauen His reuelation shall first be from the Heauen That word Heauen is not put in lightly He is reuealled not from the earth or from any low part No Monarchs that euer reuealled themselues in the world came downe yet from Heauen The Lords reuelation when he shall show himselfe to the world shal be from the Heauen The Heauen now is a vaile casten in betweene our eyes and the Lord. So that we cannot see him but at that day the Lord of glorie shall break downe throâ—gh the vaile and come down to the aire to be seene by vs. Now if ye wil aske what an Heauen this is Paul 4. chap. to the Ephes vers 9. 10. saies he was caried to an heauen aboue aâ— theâ—e heauens which we see And therefore these Heauens from the which the Lord shal appeare is a place aboue He shall break throgh all these Heauens while he offer himself to be seene in the clouds Then this comming from Heauen lets vs see he shall come to his in glory The greater glorie the greater comfort to vs the greater discomfort to the wicked the greater feare and trembling to the reprobate Take heed to this ye who takes pleasure in sin what feare and terror shall ouertake you in that day So this is the first part Now in the next wordes he is desâ—ryued from his companie that shall conuoy him Angelles shal accoÌ„pany Iesus in his coÌ„ming The Lord in his second comming he shal not come his alone in the first comming he came in the world basely like a poore man accompanied with no glorious traine The Lord was made poore that thou should be made rich the Lord took vpon him igâ—â—miny that thou shold get glory Now in the second comming he shall be gloriously aâ—companied No neuer Monarch was so accompanied when they came to their kingdom as the Lord Iesus shal They shal woÌ„der that he going in his first comming in the world so poorely should haue such glory The first company he shal come with shall be Angels the gloriousest creatures that euer was not one or two but millions of Angels principalities and powers Iude
the world was made Thy life beginnes at a decree that neuer had a beginning and ends in a glorie that neuer shall haue an end He calles it not simplie a good pleasure but all his good pleasure whereby he meanes here an ample thing He meanes with the decree of lyfe all the meanes that serues to bring vs to lyfe There is not one meane to lyfe but all must come of this decree Art thou called in tyme it commes of a decree Rom 8. 28. Art thou justified it commes of a decree Prayest thou it commes of a decree Nothing commes to thee in the mid-way of thy journey but all commes of a decree What euer commes whether it be prosperitie or aduersitie thinke noâ— it commes by chance but it is a meane that the Lord hes ordeined from all eternitie to bring thee to lyfe euerlasting 1. Pet. 2. 21. So lyfe euerlasting proceeds of a decree from all eternitie He calles it the good pleasure of his goodnesse By this word goodnesse he designes the cause of this eternal decree not to be any thing which God foresaw in vs but his owne onely goodnesse and that to the end he may haue all the praise of our saluation Read Ephes 1. 5. 6. 9. Yet there must be another thing ere one get lyfe What is it He calles it a vvorke that hes a beginning The worke that must be accomplished hes a beginning and then it ends and resolues in lyfe And what is the worke Faith in Iesus Christ What is lyfe euerlasting then 〈…〉 but the accomplishment of this faith that we haue in this God Faith is this building that goes vp continuallie Iohn chap. 6. verse 29. When the Iewes glories in their workes Christ sayes This is the vvorke of God that ye beleeue in me This is the building that must be builded euen Faith Thou must euer be building this faith this day one stone to morrowe againe another vntill thou come to the toppe stone which is glorie and lyfe eternall Paul sayes 2. Timoth. chap 4. vers 7. 8. I haue gone forward in this building I haue keeped the fayâ—h novv the crovvne of righteousnesse is laid vp for me Then life euerlasting is the crowne of faith without faith nor crowne Who can crowne thee except thou haue faith It is faith that must be crowned Lookest thou to be crowned and in the mean-time hast thou no faith thou deceaues thy selfe Therefore seeke euer faith in Christ or else seeke neuer to get that crowne Then he sayes vvith povver This must be done with power or else it shall neuer be done All the Monarchs of the world and all the Angels shall not be able to lift vp this crowne to set it on thy head It must be onely the infinite power of Christ that must liftâ—vp that crowne and set it on thy â—ead after thou hast gone forward in that worke and come to the end It is said Phill. 3. chap. 21. verse When the Lord shall come this vyle body shall be transformed and made lyke that glorious body of Christ What is the meane Throgh the effectualnesse of his povver vvhereby he is able to subdevv all things the deuill sin and death that would hold thee aback from that glorie There must be power in the Lord to kil sin Hell and to ouercome the deuill and all thy enemies And the Lord by his power must giue thee power ouer all before thou be made conforme to him Now to come to the last verse He sets downe the last end of his praying That the name of the Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him Then the cheefe respect he hes in praying is not their glory but Godsâ— glory Howbeit he would haue the Thessalonians to be saued yet that is not his last end but al their saluation is that God may be glorified in them The end of his praying is that God may be glorified in them because our glory should rend to the glory of God Now mark one rule in praying When we pray for life either to our selues or to others let not our mindes be so much set on our and their glorie and saluation as God 's ' gglory cheefly to bee requyred in our praier that the God of glory may be glorified and say Lord I seeke glory and saluation that in my glorifying and saluation thou mayest be glorified and so let euer that glory of God be more pretious and deare to vs nor all the glorie and life can come to vs. And they that gets grace to pray this waies they may be assured they shall be glorified for euer So renounce all Heauen it self our joy our glory and our inheritance in Heauen to the end that he to whom all glory pertaines may be glorified This did Moses and Paul they craued to be â—â—athema that God might be glorified And this should be the desire of euery man seeke if it were thy owne condemnation rather ere God who created thee be not glorified prefer Gods glory to thy owne saluation Lord giue vs this zeale to his glorie What shall the end be Trowest thou to lose any thing by so doing No looke what God saies to Moses Exod. 32. chap. 33. verse when Moses desired to be scraped out of the booke of life No the Lord sayes Moses thou who so earnestly desired my glory I will glorifie thee and will scrape them out that deserues to be scraped out Then the way to come to life eternall is to renounce thy self to seek onely that thy God may be glorified O the joy that is in the hart when we find that zeale that we can prefer Gods glory to our own saluation That joy surpasses all joy that euer was He addes to another thing to this He saies That he may be glorified in you and ye in him Learne there is no peece of glorie that Christ gets but it redounds to his elect Is he glorified in thee that same glory commes back againe to thee and glorifies thee I shall tell you how it stands First thy lyfe and glory that ye call euerlasting lyfe is nothing but a faire glance that strikes from the glorious face of Iesus Christ as ye see the Sunne shining on a man makes him to shine So thy glory and lyfe is as a verie glance 〈…〉 that strikes from the glorious countenance of Christ as the glance of the Sun striking on a black body makes that body glance ô much more will the beames of the face of Christ beating on thee make thee to shine What was the shining of the face of Moses that made the people afraied but a glance of the face of God Then when the glory of God hes first shined on vs we shine and then our shining again with a reflex goes back to that Son of righteousnesse it came from and he of new shineâ— againe on vs in a fairer shining nor before Now in this mutuall reflex and shining yea
fall down before a stock or stone Slauery of Idolaters of all slaueries this is the greatest it is true it is a slauerie to be subject to a tyrannous man in this worlde to his foull affections to abyde all things he will injoine thee but in the meane tyme while as thou serues the liuing and true God thou art a free man and thou hast a singulare comfort and consolation in thy heart and if anie will call the a slaue care not for that for thou art a free man to God 1 Cor. 7. 21. but albeit he were a King and had all the vvorld vnder his dominion if he be a slaue to a false fained God an Idole of all slaues he is the greatest slaue for not to knovve the true God is the greatest slauerie that is for there is no consolation but in God if thou had all the libertie in the vvorld thy soule is in slauerie if thou serue not the liuing and true God I will not call a Nation a free Nation a King a free King if they serue not that liuing God Will I call a Kingdome a free Kingdome that is subject to a miserable slauerie of Idolatrie Woe to that slauerie and thou Scotland if thou lose the seruice of the liuing God of all slaues thou shalt be the greatest because so shamefullie thou hast lost it Dauid in the 16. Psal vers 4. telles of the miserie of the Idolaters and of the libertie of them who serues Iehouah As for the Idolaters saieth he They multiple sorrovv vpon sorrovv to themselues then he rejoyses in his owne felicitie who serues the liuing God Iehouah the Lord saieth he is the portion of my inheritance Therefore ere thou lose the seruice of this true God and Christ his Sonne lose thy life and all that thou hast in this world This is the onelie liberty to serue the liuing and true God Now followes the second end of their conuersion which is to looke for the Sonne and his comming the first was to serue the Father of this life the second is to awaite for the comming of the Son Marke euerie word It is not eneugh brethren to serue the Father the liuing and true God in faith in loue in all seruice that pertaines to him in this lyfe except thy eye throgh hope reach out beyonde this lyfe in the meane tyme of thy seruice Hope of life to cōe Thou art heere novv seruing him looke that thy eye reach out beyonde this life to see and to hope for an other life There are many in wealth in honour in ease in healthe of bodie in this worlde that vvould make a Couenant with God and say Lorde Let mee dwell still to serue thee heere and it were for euer and I oblishe me neuer to looke for more at thy hand giue me this lyfe and wealthe and pleasure thereof I shall serue thee to let me liue heere for euer and I shall binde my selfe neuer to craue more of thee alas I trovv there be many of this sort Fy on it this can not be rooted out of the hearts of the most godlie euen as if either God had gotten glorie sufficientlie or we could get perfite happinesse in this life Alas if our hope were onelie in this lyfe and our blessednesse reached not out beyonde this life of all men the christian man wer most miserable I had rather chuse to be a Turke nor a Christian except my hope reache out beyond this life all the pleasure and seruice I can do to God in it If thou prease to be a true christian think not with thy self I shall driue ouer this life quietly shal stand fast in al trouble but thou must bide tossing toyling otherwise thou can not be a christian for throgh many tribulations thou must enter into the kingdom of heauen Act. 14. 22. Thē ye who wold serue God serue him as pilgrimes in a strange country far frō him what euer thou be doing here in his seruice walking in thy godly exercise in the mean time let thy hart be with Christ let thy hart be wher thy life is hid vp with Christ Paul giues an example of this in his own person saying I liue here as a Citizen of Heauen Philip. 3. 20. A Citizen in the heauen is a pilgrime on the earth And therfore he subjoynes liuing as a pilgrime heere and a Citizen of Heauen I hope for my saluation in Christ A pilgrime hes euer his eye out of this world The second Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 5. vers 7. 8. he shovves that in this lyfe he walked in faith and confidence but saieth he I chuse rather to flit and remoue out of the bodie and to dvvell vvith my Lord Iesus Fy on thee that is so nailde throgh head and heart to this world that thou hes euer thy heart and sight heere Certainelie I am of this minde that the thing that euerie one of vs should most care for should be to steale away peece peece from this earth Lowse thy heart peece and peece and free thee from this wofull life Now this hope and looking is for the Sonne something pertaines to the Father thou must serue the liuing and true God something pertaines to the Son thou must looke for him from Heauen Thinke not to honour the Father without the Sonne The Iew is vaine that thinks to honour the Father without the Sonne No it will not be serue the Father but honour the Son also or else the Father shall accept no honour at thy hand Ioh. 5. 23. For all the honour of the Fathers is in the Sonne But marke the speciall honour that is geuen to the Sonne in this life The Sonne is honoured in faith in this life in beleeuing that he is alreadie come in the world that he is come in our nature and suffered the death for our sins that he died was buried rose againe from the death thou honoures him in beleeuing this But this is the speciall pointe of this honour to hope that he shall come againe as he come once so looke that he shall come againe But brethren neither hes his glorie yet appeared as it is in deed and shall appeare neither yet your grace appeares as it shall when he shall come againe And therefore the speciall seruice we can doe is to await for his comming ad to glorie vnder that hope No beleeue thou in the Father as thou wilt if thou hope not for that glorious returning of the Sonne thou honours him not This is all to stirre vs vp by hope to looke for an other life for all these things King and Kingdome vvill avvay and they who hoped for him in this lyfe shall shine in glorie with him in that life eternall Fromwhence shal we hope that he comes where shal we cast our eye if we looke for a man to come from one part our eye will euer be on that part where from he should come whither it be
due time to learne to be prepared for suffering for Christs cause The Lord giue vs grace that we may suffer patientlie that he may be glorified in our suffering To this God be glorie and praise for euer AMEN THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 15. 16. 15 Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their ovvne Prophets and haue persecuted vs and God they please not and are contrary to all meÌ„ 16 And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alvvaies for the vvrath of God is come on them to the vtmost IN this rejoysing of the Apostle Paull together with the Thessalonians for the graces of God that were bestowed vpon them ye haue heard brethren the Apost thanked God instantlie for that meeting he founde in them when he preached to to them exhorted comforted besought them to walke as worthie of that God that had called them to his kingdome and glorie Their meeting was they heard him and not onelie they heard him but they receiued the thing they heard and not onelie receiued it but in heart embraced it and laide it vp as a treasure and the seede of life and immortalitie they imbraced it not as the word of man but as the word of God as it is indeede and not onelie imbraced they it as the word of God but in life and conuersation vttered it it was effectual in their life He proued this because they were followers of the Church in Iudea conuerted to Iesus Christ The speciall thing wherein they followed them was that euen as these Churches were troubled by their owne Countrie the Iewes euen so they that were conuerted at Thessalonica were troubled not by forrainers but by their oâ—ne Citizens Not to repeat any thing we spak the last day but to go to the text red In this text the Apostle hauing spoken of these Iewes malicious and obstinate doing wherby they euer impeaded the progresse of the Gospell of Christ and hindered mans saluation scattring themselues among the Gentiles throgh al the â—â—â—mane Prouinces and when anie of the Apostles came stirring vp insurrection and not suffring the Gospell to haue place so farre as they might stop it Therefore he digresses heere and aggâ—eages the sinne of these malicious Iewes making vp a dittay against them and therafter he giues out the doome and pronounces the sentence of wraith and condemnation against them And therefore to returne and to oppen vp euerie sentence They haue slaine sayes he the Lord Iesus There is the first point of their dittay These men the Iewes that trouble the Church of Christ in Iudea are they that haue slaine the Lord Iesus himself They haue in their extreame persecution slaine and crucified to the death the Lord of glory 1. Cor. 2. 8. That is they haue dispatched him not after a common manner but after a most cruell and shamefull manner by a cruell sore and shamefull death Whom haue they slaine the Lord of glorie and honourable personage all the glorie of God is dwels in him as it wer Who is this by name It is Iesus the Sauior of the world euerie word aggreages their fault There is the first point of their dittay The first crime laid to their charge is the crucifying of the Lord Iesus Christ this is the thing he begins at there are mo pointes of dittay laid against them but he beginnes at this the persecution of the Lord himself Persecution beginnes not at the bodie nor at the members of the bodie Persecution begins at the head of the Church nor at the seruants but it beginnes at the head the Lord Iesus him selfe if not in action in deede yet in intention in the malice and hatred of the heart The Prophetes in deede were slaine and persecuted in action and died before the Lorde Iesus came in the world but these same men that slew the Prophets with their hand ere they slew the Prophets they slew the Lord of the Prophets the Lord Iesus in their hearts because that all the Prophets that were slaine were his seruants sent before him that was to come Now to come forward The second thing is They slevv the Lord Iesus they slew the Lord of glorie that in his slaughter so farre as in them lyes the worlde should be slaine for they that vvoulde slay Iesus vvould slay all men so farre as lyes in them and they slay him after a most cruell and shamefull manner The greater grace the greater the persecution Brethren this is the ingyne and nature of persecutors the worthier the personage be who is persecuted the greater grace of God be in him the greater glorie and innocencie be in him the greater will be the extremitie of their persecution None of the Prophets of olde were so extremelie persecuted as the Lord Iesus was neither yet the Apostles that followed him were so persecuted as he was and all because of the greatnesse of the glorie of his personage If ye will search the grounde of this it must no question come of great blindnes for if men savv vvell the grace and the glorie of God that is in the persones of them that are persecuted for all the vvorlde they durst not persecute them And therefore he sayes in the 1. Corinth 2. chap. 8. verse If they had knovvne they had not crucified the Lord of glorie No if the glorie of the Church were seene vvicked men durst not stirre her There is yet a greater and an higher ground The malice of the heart comes in and blindes and putteth out the eye of the minde Eph. 4. 18. Throgh ignorance sayes Paul that comes through the hardnes of the heart for this is the nature of the hardnes of the heart to hate the light and to delite in darknes which is enemie to the light of God All our pleasure is in darknes by nature and so it is caried against the light and the first thing it does it puts out the light of the minde yea euen the very natural light and so when the heart is blinded it caries him against all light and chieflie against the light of God and the Lorde of light him selfe And this is the vvorke of this faâ—e nature of man so highlie accounted of by the Philosophers Seeke therefore to shutte out of thy heart this maliciousnes that blindes it or else thou shalt be blind folde throvvne down to hell The thride thing to be marked heere is When he is laying out this persecution before the Thessalonians he is comforting theÌ„ that wer afflicted Haue they not slain your Lord c. what vvounder is it hovvbeit they persecute you Brethren all the affliction is not layde vpon one man hovvbeit he get his burdene heauie enough Comfort through Christes persecutioÌ„ The Lord hes measured to euerie one his owne part and he vvho is afflicted should looke ouer his shulder and see who
seuere them that should be joined as it is the worke of God to joine them together Now let vs goe to the last part of this text containing a weightie reason first of his desire and next of his purpose to come to them These are the wordes For vvhat is our hâ—pe ioy vvhat is crovvne of my glorying There is the question and demand The answere of it is Are not ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus at his comming Then he doubles it yea sayes he yee are my ioy and my glorie and so he endes Where a mans hope is there is the thinge he hopes and lookes for where his joye and crowne and glorie is there he would be that is to say where his blessâ—â—â— is there wold he be Noâ— Paul vvold say Ye Thessalonians are my hope my joy my crown of the which I glorie therefore I woulde be with you There is the force of the argument Now the style of the language would be marked for the same Spirite that dytes the matter dytes the style and spirituall matter craues a Spirituall style 1. Cor. 2. 13. The holie spirite of Iesus must be the speaker as wel as the dyter His language ryses vp by degree by degree the lowest degree is in the vvord hope the next degree is in the word joy the last and hiest degree is in the vvord crowne vvhereby is meaned a most high and excellent glorie This learnes vs this lesson Heauen would haue an high style that crowne would haue an hie style the grace of Iesus Christ woulde haue an hie style when it is spoken of And brethren if Heauen be in the heart as it is in the mouth and if glorie be in the heart as it is in the mouth and if the Crovvne of glorie be in the heart as it is in the mouth the mouth vvill euer be readie to speake of grace of joye and of glorie in a glorious style for it is true Of the aboundâ—nce of the heart the mouth speaketh And I vvould demaund of you what is the occasion that men doe speake so couldlie and careleslie of the Lord of glorie and so baselie of so glorious thinges as of heauen and of the joye thereinto Alas the occasion is the vvant of sense in the heart the heart is not filled with such thinges and therefore an emptie heart an emptie mouth if thy hear be full of vanitie thy mouth vvill be full of vanitie and euanish in painting out of vanitie for looke as thou art disposed in heart in like manner shalt thou bee disposed in mouthe Therefore seeke to haue thy heart furnished fullie vvith the Spirite of Iesus No man sayes the Apostle can call Iesus Lord but by the Spirite 1. Epist Corin. 〈◊〉 12. 3. Yee more Speaking of this joye he passes vp by degrees The lowest is hope then he comes to an higher my â—oy then the highest is 〈…〉 on their glorie The greatest glorie in the earth is a crowne and when a man is crowned in the earth he can be no higher But there is the difference The crowne in the earth is corruptible but the crowne of heauen is incorruptible It is of this crown of heauen he speaks Yet not these three degrees for I marke this passing vp by degrees in sundry 〈◊〉 parts for when the Apostle begiâ—â—nes to speake of Iesus he can be satisfie himselfe in vvords and 〈…〉 Praying iâ— God 〈◊〉 yee may 〈◊〉 sayes hee vvhat is theâ— hope of his calling there is the first step he stands not there he goes vp to see what the 〈…〉 his glorie what glorie of his 〈…〉 〈◊〉 among his saints this is the second degree yet he stands not there and vvhat is that excellent greatnes of his power according to the efficacie of his strong strength There he stands Brethren these are not vvords but this rising vp tels vs the hight of the glory of heaueÌ„ is wonderful that thou mayest attaine to it thou must rise to it by degrees that is thou must passe from sense to sense from grace to grace from light to light from oye to joye from glorie to glorie as the Apostle speakes 2. Corinth 3. 18. So long as thou liuest thou must finde this climming of thy heart sensiblie that thou growest in joye and that thou hast more joye this yeere then before and so striue continually vntil thou come to the point euer striuing for perfection in this lyfe which shall be compleat when we shall see our Lord Iesus Christ Now he calles it the crowne of glorying that is that makes him to glorie in God who crownes him Brethren when the heart is filled with glorie in Iesus christ the mouth shall not be dumbe but it shall oppin and vtter that passing joy and the persone shall euer glorie in him vvho hes set that crowne on him O that infinite glorie and rejoysing that shall be in that glorious Majestie now we tyre searcelie are we begun to glorie in him but the heart beginnes as soone to tyre but then there shall be no tyring nor wearying the voice shall neuer cease but glorie in that Creator for euer and ever Byde in patience while ye attaine vnto this glorie and in all troubles let the hope of this glorie comfort thee Rom. 5. 2. For there is nothing that abydes but this glorie col Now if hope made vs to rejoyce how much more present sight present joy and the crovvne put on our heads vvill make vs to rejoyce and vvith gladnesse and loude voyce to praise him who â—â—es crowned vs for euer In the latter end of the verse he makes an answer to his owne demand are not ye sayes he c. He calles the Church â—isâ—oy and his crowne not that properlie his blessednesse was in them for onelie Iesus Christ is called our hope our joy our glorie and crowne Onelie Iesus Christ is our lyfe onelie Christ is our solace he hes no companion but he calles them his hope and joy in an other sense Because they wer the meane and matter wherby he attained to the joy solace and crowne which is in Iesus Christ It is then an improper fashion of speaking for the people in whom our ministrie is effectuall to saluation is the meane whereby we shal be glorified in the Heauen Marke this speaking of the matter of his joy He speakes not of his Apostleship and sayes not it is the meane of my joy but he sayes the blessing giuen me in my Apostleship in sauing you is the meane of my joy Faithfull discharge of a calling a mater of ioy The matter of thy joy in the lyfe to come and of thy crowne where-with thou shalt be crowned in Heauen it is not so much a calling if it were the calling of a King it will not be that that wil make thee be crowned in Heauen no it must be the faithfull discharge of thy calling toward them with whom thou hast adoe Art thou a King the faithfull
God it is a quickning grace to him it is a viuifying of him if he be in dolour and distiesse it is a walkning of him Therefore looke what aduantage thou gettest through loue Art thou a pastor thou shalt get life Art thou one of the people if thou loue thou shalt get life to and thy loue shall euer report to thee a joye in thy greatest dolour If thou be departing off this life and hast beene a faithfull pastor the report of the standing of thy flocke shall comfort thee if thou be one of the people thou shalt euer haue comfort for the grace of any member of the Church reported to thee shall bring joy to thee But the man who hes nothinge but inuie can haue no joye hee knowes not what this spirituall joye meanes Therefore as thou wouldst liue in joye and consolation striue to be louing charitable and tender hearted to euerie one in whome thou â—eest the graces of God and so thou shalt get infinite matter of joy thou shalt get peace heere and life euerlasting hereafter The Lorde for his great mercies sake bring vs to this life through Christ To whom be all praise and honour for euer Amen THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 9. 10. 11. 12. 9 For vvhat thanks can vve recompense to God againe for you for all the ioy vvherevvith vve reioyce for your sakes before our God 10 Night day praying exceedinglie that vve might see your face and might accomplish that vvhich is lacking iâ— your faith 11 Novv God himselfe euen our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you 12 And the Lord increase you and make you abound in loue one tovvard an other and tovvard all men as vve doe tovvard you IN the Text immediatlie going before welbeloued in Christ wee heard of the sending forth of Timothie to the Thessalonians we heard of his returning and what tidings he brought hee reported to Paul of the Thessalonians concerning their faith and perseuerance in faith concerning their loue and particularlie of that remembrance they had of Paul who had founded them in the faith of Christ in his absence desiring most earnestly to haue his presence againe Last ye heard what effect these tidings reported by Timothie vvrought in Paul they wrought consolation and joy notwithstanding all the afflictions and miserie he lay in in Athens for the present Now brethren to come to the text vve haue in hand In this text he does two things first he showes vvhat thanksgiuing he gaue to God for them and for all that joye he had conceiued of the glad newes he heard of them he showes how earnest instant he was in prayer for them crauing day and night that hee might see them face to face notwithstaÌ„ding that report he heard of them by Timothie Then in the secound part of the text he falles out in a prayer continewing to the end of the chapter first beseeching God the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ to direct his journey toward them next desiring God to increase them and make them to abound in loue euerie one toward an other and toward all men in the worlde thridlie beseeching God that he would establish their hearts before him in all holinesse at the comming of Iesus Christ with his Sancts There is the effect of the text shortlie Novv to returne and to speake of the first part he shovves his thanks-giuing and prayer to God for them He sayes For vvhat thanks can vve recompense to God againe for you for all the ioy vvherevvith vve reioyce for your sakes before our God I can not get a heart would he say to thanke my God for it Ioy in the hart burstes out in thanksgiuing as I shoulde doe The text is verie plaine So the doctrine is easie First heere vve see vvhen the heart of any man conceaues a spirituall joy for the grace of God eyther bestowed on him selfe or vpon others it is not able to conteine that joy but it must breake out and it must open the mouth to giue thankes and praise to the Lord for of the abâ—ndance of the heart the mouth must speake If the heart 〈…〉 be it good or euill the harâ— must opened mouth and 〈…〉 must speake either good or euill Then the second thing â— be marked in this text is wâ—eÌ„ the joy of the hart opens the mouth to vtter thankes what euer be the 〈◊〉 and meane of joy the first thanks that are giuen will not be giuen to it especially Paul heere giues not the glorie of this joy to the Thessalonians but the mouth will be opened to glorifie the author of all grace and joy which is God for without him there is no grace neither haue we our selues any grace neither hes any other any grace in him selfe Thankesgiuing to God only and without God there is no joy except he worke the joy there can be no joy in the heart Yea albeit the grace be giuen yet if he giue not a new grace to worke joy in the heart for the grace there can be no joy And therefore the mouth when it is opened to praise glorifie first of al it shold be opened to glorifie him who is the giuer of all honour the instrument as the instrument honour the Minister as the Minister but let the author worker of al haue the glory thanks Then thridlie mark In a maner he complaines that he can not get a mouth to thanke God sufficientlie for all that grace they had receiued and joy he had receiued and gotten through their graces Marke then our thanking and glorifying of God for the grace receiued and joy conceiued in heart it is not answerable in greatnes to the grace nor to the joy receiued For will ye coÌ„pare these two together the grace of God and thy thankfulnes for it the grace of God passes thy thankfulnes yea the verie joy that we haue in heart for the grace bestowed on vs or others will be greater nor the thankfulnesse can be and the tongue of man is not able to vtter all that joy conceiued nor to thank God sufficientlie for it Peter 1. Epist 1. 8. he calles it a joy vnspeakable The joy the faithfull heart will conceiue is an vnspeakable joy So Paul of the sighs of the godly Rom. 8. 28. The mouth of man is not so wyde nor so capable of grace as the heart is I meane of the regenerate man If the spirit of Iesus dwel in the heart all the tongues of men and Angels can not be able to tell nor expresse the thousand part of that joy the hart wil haue in Gods grace for all that ioy saies he vvhat thanks shall â— giue to God As he wold say my mouth can not get words to vtter thanks to God the author for the graces receiued and joy that is conceiued there throgh Now farther we haue to learne in the wordes
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
part of the text The Apostle Paul not onely in this place joines these three together but also in the 4. chap. to the Philipp ye shall finde the same three precepts joined together howbeit not in this order he beginnes there Patience ioye and praier ioined together at joy and he sayes reioice in the Lord alvvaies againe I say reioice then he commes to patience in suffering wrong let your patient minde let your moderation be knovvne 〈◊〉 all men for the Lord is at hand And last he commes to prayer and saies be not carefull for any thing but in all things let your requests be shovvne to God in prayer and thankes-giuing Then he commes to peace of conscience again and the peace of God vvhich passes all vnderstanding shall preserue your harts c. These three are joined together The precept of patience joy and prayer because these three graces of God patience joy and prayer are vnseparable euerie one of them joined vnseparably with another tak one away thou shalt not get the other tak praier away thou shalt not haue joy take joy away thou shalt not get patience in suffering So these three are so vnseparably lined together that if they be not altogether in the hart of a man none of them can be in the hart and if one be in the hart all shall be in it Howbeit patience be set down first here yet it is not the first grace praier is first joy next and then patience for praier first bringes joy then this heauenlie joy being broght forth and entertainde by praier it bringes patience in suffering troubles Now brethren what shal we mak of this ere we come to the words Only this the graces of God which are parts of our new-birth called Regeneration are so inseparably locked together that they cannot be seuered and therefore he that would haue any one of them let him seeke them al he that would haue patience let him seeke joy and he that would haue joy let him seeke praier let him seeke them altogether either seeke them all and get them all in some measure or it shall passe thy power to keepe any one of them either keepe all or want all this is their nature ye saw neuer a chaine so linked together as these graces of regeneration are linked It may be that a man haue the outward showe of a grace but indeed it shall passe his power to haue a true grace except he haue the whole graces of this new-birth in some measure Many will seeme to suffer wrong and yet they will not haue the joy of the holy Spirit but they that wants the joy of the Spirit albeit they seeme to suffer many wrongs yet they are but hypocrites Therefore seeke one seeke all want one want all either haue all or want all But to come to the text and speake of this joy Reioice sayes the Apostle euermore True rejoicing or joy is that joy that entertaines patience in suffering Goe to experience and try it There is none of vs that hes tasted of this heauenlie joy but we will finde by experience it raise vp the hart of man and woman aboue all these thinges earthlie in some measure It raises vp the hart to an higher kingdome nor all the kingdomes in this earth this heauenly joy raises vs vp to the kingdome of God This kingdome of God saies the Apostle Rom. chap 14. vers 17. Is peace and ioy in the holie Ghost So that they who hes this joy are in another kingdome as far aboue these earthly kingdomes as the heauen is aboue the earth and by this joy they are lifted vp to heauen and being vp there they look downe to all these things on the earth the troubles afflictions and persecutions as thogh they were nothing and thinkes them nothing joy being in the hart it swallowes vp the heauiest displeasure that can be looke this by experience A little measure of it in the hart will swalow vp sadnesse suffering of wrongs and injuries in this world This world is but a world of suffering In the 5. chapter of the Acts verse 41. ye see the Disciples of Christ after his ascension are drawen in before the Councell there they are scourged manassed and threatned that they should not speake in the name of Christ But what doe they when they are dimitted They go away with joy is there matter of joy heere they are beatten scourged and boasted yet they goe away with joy reioicing that they vvere counted vvorthiâ— to suffer for Christs sake Brethren if joy had not swallowed vp sadnesse the Apostles had not rejoyced Reade the Psalmes of Dauid He beginnes with such a sadnesse in many of them all that he would appeare to be in Hell and ere the Psalme be ended ye will see that he burstes out with exceeding great thankfulnes This meanes that there was a joy and an exceeding great heauines in the hart and there was a battell betwixt them and in the end joy got the victorie and swallowed vp sadnesse But now what is this joy that he meanes of when he saies Reioyce euermoâ— It is no other thing but that which he calles in the fourth chapter to the Philippians Description of â—oy The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding standing about the hart as a guard And to speake the trueth of this it is the end and crowne of all the graces of God in Iesus Christ it is that end whereto all the graces of God tends and when they come there they go no further Wherfore came Christ in the world but that we should haue peace and joy in conscience Wherefore died he that we should haue joy Wherefore rose he that we should haue joy in his resurrection Wherfore are we all called to be Christians that we shold rejoice Wherefore are our sins remitted onely to rejoyce This is the end of all joy What is Heauen but joy What is life euerlasting but joy vnspeakable What is glorie but joy Paul joynes these two together joy and the crowne of glorie 1. Thess chap. 2. vers 19. Therefore in one word what is true happines nothing but joy joy in God throgh Iesus Christ What is any thing vnder Heauen without joy in the hart If a man haue all the world and all the honour and riches of the world except he haue joy in them what auaill they So joy is the blessednesse of men and women And therefore when the Apostle bids vs rejoice euermore what craues he but that we should prease euer forward to our blessednes and Heauen begin thy blessednes here or thou shalt neuer get blessednes hereafter Life euerlasting begins here in a measure of joy that is not persite and ends in the next life in glory which shall be perfited Yet brethren the nature of joy would be better seene and knowen that men be not deceiued with it The joy that is craued of what kinde is it There are sundrie kindes of joy Is it a
shall die for hunger and plaine want of grace and we shall not onely lose this lyfe present but a better life life euerlasting The next part of Praier is thanksgiuing we spoke the last day of seeking Now this day first in this text we haue red we haue to speak of thanksgiuing which we should rander to God The wordes are In all thinges giue thankes for this is the vvill of God When he hes said pray continuallie immediatlie he subjoynes in all thinges giue thankes Marke it So he joynes these two together Sec. part of prayer thanksgiuing Prayer or asking at God and then thanking of him Brethren I see not onely in this present text these two thinges Prayer and thankesgiuing joyned together but in sundrie other places Philippi chap. 4. verse 6. Be not carefull for any thing but in euerie thing let your requestes bee shovven foorth to God by prayer and supplication vvith thankesgiuing To the Colossians 4 chap. 2. verse Continue sayes he in prayer and vvatching vvith thankesgiuing there they are conjoyned Seking thanksgiuing euer ioined together the one of these should not be seuered from the other Prayer should not be seuered from thanksgiuing thanksgiuing should not be seuered from prayer The neede and necessity we haue in this world that mooues vs to prayer is not so great but euer there is matter of thanksgiuing to God for the graces that is giuen euery moment of our lyfe day and night For there are none of vs but we haue experimented in some measure the bountifulnesse of our louing God who dare say otherwaies but in the greatest strate that euer he was in he â—and by experience of the mercy of God a measure of grace for reliefe Alas if it wer no more but this grace in thy need to get grace to seek grace it is a speciall grace thou art oblist to thanke God for that grace thou getst to beg grace Againe the blessing and mercy of God is neuer showen on vs in such aboundance in this world but in the me and 〈◊〉 thou hast neede and mister and in the most floorishing estate thou art in thou standest in neede The greatest Monarch that is in his greatest floorishing he standes in neede and therefore as he hes cause to thanke that God that hes exalted him so hes he cause to be a begger to seeke more For there is a Kingdome that is aboue all Kingdomes a glorie aboue all this glorie riches aboue all these riches a pleasure aboue all earthlie pleasure so as long as thou art not come to this hight yet beg for none shall come to that hight neyther King nor Monarch shall come there but by continuall begging Ye see Dauid in his Psalmes he prayes and askes when he is in neede and in his necessitie But at that same very tyme he also thankes Ye see he will begin a Psalme with great heauinesse of hart but ere he come to the end ye will see in that same Psalme how he will rejoce and with joy he will thanke Then looke Paul in the beginning of all his Epistles he commonly sayes I thank God for you but what more are ye in such estate that I need not pray for you No. Therefore he subjoynes euer praying for you As he would say as I am thanking God for you so I am a begger for you Brethren learne to pray by example of these old fathers who were better learned nor we When thou seekest any thing at God thanke him also there is not a more forcible argument to God to mooue God to graunt any thing nor to thanke him I cannot knowe what tune a prayer can haue without thanking For effectuall prayer cannot be vvithout thanking To let you see this in one word Read Rom. chap. 8. verse 36. and there ye shall finde that the Spirit of Iesus interceedes for vs. Well if the Spirit of Iesus raise vp in the hart sighes and furnishes thee prayer it shall not be without thanksgiuing And if thy prayer be any thing worth it must come from the Spirite of God Many vvill make a forme of prayer but vvithout the Spirite it is but praâ—ling and therefore their prayer is abhoâ—â—nable Therefore enter neuer to prayer but aske the Spirite of Iesus to pray with It is impossible to man to open his mouth to pray feruentlie except the Lord open it by his Spirite Dauid say in his 51. Psalme verse 15. Lord open thou my mouth and then I shall preache thy praise And Paul to the Corinthians sayes None can name the name of Iesus and call him Lord but by the holie Ghost 1. Cor. 12. chap. 2. vers if the Spirit open not thy mouth thou may bable of that glorious name but to speake of it to thy comfort and as thou should doe without the Spirite teach thee it is impossible Now to returne to the matter If the prayer be any thing worth if the Spirit of Iesus request for vs with sighes vnspeakable then impossible it is but God must answere thee The Spirit of 〈…〉 neuer seeke any thing at God without effect If the Spirite 〈◊〉 prayer to thee it is impossible but thou must resaue an answere Rom. chap. 8. vers 26. it is said The spirt interceeds vvith sighes vnspeakable And the Lord knovves the meaning of his ovvne spirite A man sighes not so soone with the Spirite of God but as soone is the sigh conueyed vp to the presence of God And to speake it plaine the sigh touches not the hart of man so soone but as soone it touches the hart of God so of necessitie he must receiue an answere The very prayer makes a way and accesse to the presence of God And brethren all the joy in this world is in that sight and presence of God Thou neuer knew what joy was that neuer got a sight of God in Christ Then what must joy bring out Prayer to God gets Gods presence the presence bringes joy What must joy bring out Of necessitie an hart that rejoyces must burst out in thankfulnesse If the hart rejoyce the mouth must be opened to thanke Go to experience Your harts was neuer touched with joy but either hart or mouth bursted out in thanking Ioy cannot be without thanking and the proper effect of joy it thankfulnesse Then ye see neither should these two Prayer and thankfulnesse be seuered one from another neither can they be seuered It may be our Spirit will make vs pray and vtter not thankes-giuing but all that is partling and vttering of griefe and not prayer but the Spirit of God prayes not without thanking God and againe he thankes not without prayer Now to go forward I haue made you see how these two goes together But to come neerer the purpose We said whatsoeuer forte of prayer it be whether it be asking or thanking it serues to bring out joy all tendes to joy for in joy is our blessednesse I â—ould you the last day the blessednesse
this life I will neuer rejoyce for all his kingdomes Vnhappie is that man that sunders from Christ what euer he be is he a Lord an Earle a King and in the meane-tyme hes he nothing adoe with God vnhappie is he For the greater blessinges worldly if he be not joyned with God and the Church the greater shall be his damnation Then last here looke what he speakes of loue and of the aboundance of loue it is not single loue but loue that is double and mutuall Mâ—tuall loue that is to say the loue that commes from my hart to thy hart and againe the loue that commes from thy hart to my hart that is mutuall and double this is the loue that he praises the double bond of loue and it must not be a double bond onely betweene two there are sundry thinkes they loue wel-eneugh if they loue one and that one loue them again No the Apostle sayes here Euery member of the body must loue all from the highest to the lowest The hand of a man in the owne sort loues the whole members of the body from the head to the foot honorable or vnhonorable high or low be what it wil no member in the body but it loues all So the loue the Apostle craues is that loue that one hes to all and againe that loue that all hes to one So that there should be no member in the body of Christ but it should be linked in with loue to Christ and euery member of his body There is no member of the body of man but it hes a certaine linke whereby it is linked to the rest The finger of the hand hes a link with the toe of the foot albeit they be far distant So there should be no member of the body of Christ but it shold be linked with euery one of the rest of the members albeit they lay ten thousand myles sundrie It lyes not in our power to cause all men loue 〈◊〉 it lyes not in my power to cause al men loue me nor in thy power to cause all men loue thee but I tell thee what thou should doe looke thou loue all for thy part and if they loue not thee againe they haue to answere to God For he cranes this mutuall loue of vs. This is the mutuall loue that holdes the brethren together if it be not the members cannot be joyned together in the bodie It is true we will neuer get it perfite in this earth for so long as the deuill the flesh and our lulles abydes there wil be euer distraction yet we should striue against the deuill and our owne cankerd nature to be linked and joyned with the members of the bodie vntill we be perfitely joyned with Christ where there shall be no seuering If we were once perfitly joyned with him we shal neuer be seuered hereafter There shall neither be deuil nor canker in nature to leuer vs then Therefore this should be our prayer Lord joyne vs to thee that we may no more be seuered from thee and thy Church by the deuâ—le by sin nor our owne corruption Now in the next verse he amplifies this their faith and great loue Their faith and loue was so great that he was forced to preach their praises in all the Churches wherein he resorted he came to no Church but remembring their great faith and loue he was compelled to preach their praises and to set them forth as an example to be followed Before he thanked God for them and for their faith and loue now he glories in the graces they had receiued before the world men and the churches wher he came in his journey When he thanked God concerning them he vtters neuer one word of their praise but comming among men and speaking to men and to the Church there he praises them Mark this difference Then brethren there is a great difference in speaking of the graces of men when we speake to God and before him when we speak to men and before men When thou speakst to God of man let no praise of man be heard before him be ware of that but let God haue al praise and glory if thou be speaking to God if it were of all the kings of the earth vtter no praise of any king there for in comparison with God kings are but dust and worse nor the dust that is trode vnder foote So let God haue al the praise of any grace he hes giuen to any man and say not Lord I praise thee for this parte of the grace and I giue man praise for that parte of the grace No but say Lord I giue thee the vvhole praise of the grace because all the grace he hes gotten is of thee But when we speak to men and tels them of the graces of God men hes gotten then we may glory in men but with this prouision that it be in God We may commend men before men for their faith loue patience but looke that all this commendation be in God first and then to this end to make men whom thou commendst as examples in wel doing See that thou look to the well of them thou speakst to that they should follow them whom thou praisest for wel-doing If thy minde be puft vp without reuerence of God without respect to the wel of him thou speakst to thou derogatst Gods glory we should be ware when we speak to the praise of any man that we derogate nothing from the glory of God Yet marke further the order he vses He glories not first before men and then begins to thank God but first he turnes to God and giues God the glory of the grace he hes giuen to them We ought to thank God sayes he alvvaies for you as it is 〈◊〉 Then he commes to men and glories of their graces in the presence of men Then brethren it is dew tyme to praise men and to giue them their owne commendation for the graces God hes giuen them when first thou hast glorified God giuing him the first praise and commendation This is the order When thou giuest God the first praise and then commes to men and praises the graces in them before men that praise is in God and he allowes of it But vvhen thou beginnes in praising men to men and remembers not God the giuer of all thou spoilest God of his glorie So vve should take verie good heed hovv vve praise godlie men for verie narrovvlie shall vve escape derogation to Gods glorie except the Spirite connoy the vvhole hart and mouth And therefore in praysing men vve should be vvart vve derogate nothing to the glorie of God vvho is the cheefe giuer of all All the kings of the earth should stoup and giue all honour and glorie to God Now in the end of this verse he sets dovvne the matter of this his glorying Faith namely and with Faith he joynes Patience because of your patience and faith in all your persecutions that ye suffer In
neuer come to grace and saluation except thou humble thy selfe vnder this preaching which thou by nature and in thy judgement thinkes foolishe If thou beleue not in this take thee this doome neuer shalt thou be justified in that great day Now to come to the last words in the verse In that day There is an Emphasis in this word that day the Lord shall be glorified in the godly in the glory of his owne in that day It is true brethren at this time in this same moment the Lord Iesus is glorified and the Saints and faithful hes their own glory But the glory of Iesus and his Saintes is not in that fulnesse which shall be at that day Thou seest him now as it were in a mirrour darklie he is comming behind thee and thou art looking in a glas but at that day thou shalt see him face to face with these bodily eyes thou seest him now in glorie but in that day thou shalt see him in a surpassing and exceeding great glorie It is euen so with the Saints We are the Sonnes of God now we are glorious now but in that day we shall haue another kinde of glorie The Apostle Iohn 1. Epistle 13 chap. 2. verse sayes Dearly beloued vve are the Sonnes of God novv but it appeares not vvhat vve shall be The very sight of him shall transforme vs. So that day in the 2. chap. to the Rom. 1. verse is called the day of manifestation all things shall be manifested Glorie righteousnes Heauen Hel and all hid now But in that day all shall be brought forth to that light and be manifested The Heauen shall be opened to see that glorie in it the Hell to see that darknesse and shame in it The Sun shall shine then most clearly right shall then appeare right in the own garment of righteousnesse wrong shall be seene to be wrong sinne shall appeare in the own cullour euerie one shall see it perfitely all things shall be maid manifest Now in the next verse to the end of the chapter the Apostle to conquise to himselfe the beneuolence and good lyking of the Thessalonians why should not the teacher haue the good wil of his people whom he teaches lets them see all that he does is for their cause Wherefore sayes he vve also pray alvvaies for you that our God may make you vvorthy of this calling c. Well this sets out this part of the Minister as he teaches life to the people So let his prayer be euer to God to helpe them forward to that lyfe and glorie he speakes of This for his part Then ye see againe Prayer a meane to lyfe among all the meanes of bringing men to lyfe Prayer is one Thy ovvne prayer the prayer of the Pastour for thee I call it the meane not the cause for thy ovvne prayer vvill neuer merite Heauen albeit thou pray continuallie and be of that opinion that thy prayer vvill merite Heauen vaine art thou thou shalt neuer get it Yet the Lord hes appointed prayer as a meane to further men and wemen to Heauen If thou neglect thy duetie thou shalt neuer come to Heauen The Lord raise vs out of this beastlines and senslesnes that makes vs so vnwilling to pray Men will rise in the morning and go to bed at night without one motion of praier but if thou continue so thou shalt neuer come to Heauen for mark the Lords doing As the Lord hes ordained thee for life so he hes ordained thee a mid-way wherby he bids thee go forward to liâ—e If thou take not the straight way the Lord hes giuen thee but takâ—â— by rode of thy own thou shalt neuer come to Heauen What should keep Christ with vs but only this praier what should sanctifie al the speaches of our mouth actions of our hands but this continuall praying The remembring of this life should stir vs vp to prayer for it is and shall be found the way to that life But to come to the matter of his praier He saies for this cause we pray for you That God vvould make you vvorthy of his calling By this calling he meanes life euerlasting by the meane he vnderstandes the end for he takes not the word calling properly but he takes it for the end of our calling which is life euerlasting Then ye see he craues this life and glory at the handes of God Then Life euerlasting the gift of God learn This life euerlasting is the onely gift of God thou hast it not by nature in thy owne selfe it must be giuen thee as a free gift of God or thou shalt neuer get it Further I see one or two meanes whereby we must come to this life set down heere Before thou come to that lyfe thou must haue a calling to it albeit thou would reaue a kingdome here by tirannie yet thou shalt not come to this kingdome except thou haue a former calling to it And when hast thou this calling When this same word of the Gospell soundes in thy eare 〈…〉 and thou beleuest in it If thou lay not to thy eare here thou shalt neuer be called and lackest thou that calling by the word thou shalt neuer get life euerlasting Then the other thing I see here that goes before life and glorie is a vvorthinesse a dignitie ere thou enter in that kingdome thou must haue a worthinesse Who will choose a man to an earthly kingdome without dignitie and worthines Therefore he sayes that he vvould make you vvorthie O but vnderstand it is not my worthinesse nor thy worthinesse inherent in me or thee No it is that worthinesse of Christ Iesus that must be imputed to vs. Christs worthinesse must be imputed to vs and we clad with it When ye heare this word worthines in the Scripture take it neuer to be an inherent worthinesse in thee or in me but the worthinesse of that onely worthie one Christ the Lord made ours by faith Then to the words following He pointes out more clearelie this lyfe euerlasting and sayes That he vvould fulfill all his good pleasure Which good pleasure Which commes of his gentlenes and goodnesse Then he addes And that he would fulfill What a vvorke Whereof of faith After what maner vvith povver and might Then there must be a power or else faith will not be fulfilled Now to returne to euery word That he vvould fulfill Marke then Lyfe euerlasting glorie euerlasting is the accomplishment of a thing begun of the decree going before of lyfe euerlasting First there must be an entrie to it there must be a beâ—ginning going before and then life euerlasting commes on as fulfilling of the thing going before What is the thing that goes before It is his good pleasure By his good pleasure is vnderstood the decree of lyfe that was giuen out from all eternitie concerning his owne So lyfe euerlasting is but the accomplishment of a decree that was made in that glorious kingdome of Heauen before
that will vpset it The lose thou getst by deceite will neuer be vpset all the kings and doctors vnder Heauen will neuer set vp thy lose thou getst by defection Alas what hes that 〈◊〉 win when he hes win all the world and lost his soule by falling away from the trueth Now the Lord let euery man see that there is nothing comparable to this hurt of deceiuing What pleasure can thou haue of all the kingdomes of the world when thou hast a troubled hart and conscience when thou hast an vnquyet soule within thee Therfore as we say It is good to sleepe in a sound skinne Change not a setled minde and pacified hart with all the world and preferre a sound minde inlightned with the knowledge of Christ to all the honours and dignity in the world And because we are so vnstable mynded and so ready to alter that except we be surely anchored on Christ we shall be euer beatten away with euery light wind of false doctrine Therefore we haue to pray that our soules may be anchored by a sure faith on Christ The Lord therefore by his grace anchor our soules on Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise for euer AMEN THE FIFTH LEC TVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 34. for that day shal not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition 4 Which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is vvorshipped so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God shovving himselfe that he is God WELBELOVED brethren ye haue heard the request the Apostle makes in the beginning of this second chapter to the Thessalonians He requests and adjures them by the comming of the Lord Iesus and by our assembling vnto him at his comming that they suffer not themselues to bee deceyued or put by their mindes troubled in hart and affection especially in this head of doctrine that concernes the comming of the Lord in the latter day and that they should not be deceiued by false teachers who weÌ„t about to deceiue them in this point teaching that the day of the Lord is at hand he shall come incontinent ye shall be found aliue when he shall come This age and generation shall not be past when he shall come This pointe of false doctrine that these false teachers went about to perswade the Thessalonians and so to vnqiuet them held them ay in vexation of sprit and minde looking ay for Christs comming assuring them that he should come ere that presentage should end Now in this text the Apostle enters to a refutation of that false doctrine and he proues that the day of the Lord was not instant that the day of the Lord would not beat such a tyme that it should not fall out in that present age Now marke his reasons If the day of the Lord were instant then there should not bee an vniuersall Apostasie and defection from the faith of the Lord Iesus Christ before the day and comming of the Lord Vniuersal defection must goe before the Lords coÌ„ming For vvhy This Apostasie must craue a large space of tyme. Then he subjoines but so it is before that day shall come there shall be an vniuersall Apostasie and defection from the faith and trueth of Christ Iesus And so hee concludes Therefore it is not so as they say The day of the Lord is not instant and is not so neere hand as they goe about to perswade you Marke his reason The proposition and first part of the argument is not expressed in the text The next parte the assumption is sette dovvne in the text to witte The day of the Lord shall not bee before that an vniuersall defection be first Now before I come to the wordes take vp shortlie this one thing The Thessalonians to whom he wrytes being deceiued thought that incontinent Christ should come and that they should be rest to the Heauen with him and glorified from hand The Apostle to put them out of this consaite tels them ere they and the Church be rest vp to Heauen and glorified there that they shall suffer yet on the earth some trouble there shall be yet a great alteration and vexation in the Church of God Brethren mark it The battell must goe before the victory let none looke for the victory before he fight thou wilt not come sleeping to Heauen Thou must fight on earth ere thou come to glorie and ere thou triumph in Heauen thou must be victorious on earth throgh many tribulations we must enter in the kingdom of heauen This is that which the Apostle teaches the Thessalonians Novv to come to the vvordes of the text and to make this matter plaine we shall insist particularlie on euery word taking vp the meaning of Gods Spirite heere And first â—here occurres this vvord Apostasie which must be before the day of the Lordes comming This Apostasie is nothing but a falling avvay a flyding aback This Apostasie is not a particulare Apostasie or defection of this man or that man onely of any one person or any two or three persons onely But it is an vniuersal defection of multitudes of men and wemen in this world For the word ye see is generallie set downe in the text to be a departure without any restriction It is not said a departing of this man or that man but generallie a departing Therefore the Apostle must meane of a departing and falling away of multitudes and great multitudes Now all the question is what Apostasie meanes the Apostle of I am not ignorant how a great number of the olde Latine fathers in the Church vnderstandes this Apostasie to be meant of the defection of many Nations from the Empyre of Rome It is true indeede the Nations of the world fell away from the Romane Empyre But how well and rightly they vnderstood this Apostasie of that falling away from the Romane Empyre God knowes And it is a wonder that so many learned and quick spirited men should haue erred together in this pointe so long Indeede it is likly that when one of them fel in this error all the rest followed on in troupes without further discretion or judgement But I leaue them What Apostasie is this then that the Apostle meanes of heere I shall tell you It is an vniuersall defection not from an Emperour or earthly King but from the King of Heauen Iesus Christ and from his faith This agrees with the course of this text and with that which followes immediatly of the Antichrist the head of this Apostasie This agrees with the speaking of this same Apostle in sundry other places In the 1. Tim. chap. 4. verse 1. he foretels of this vniuersall defection from the faith The wordes are The spirit speakes euidently that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith and
earth that the Church of God could not stand one day except the Lord did cast in impediments in the way of the deuil and wickedmen to hold them off And so all the glorie of the standing of the Church in the earth is to be ascriued to that God that holdes off and shall hold off by his prouidence â—ill they will they the deuill wicked men from their wicked interpryses and the Lord forbid the Antichrist should preuaile for if he preuaile assure thy selfe if thou stand steedfast in the faith thy bloud shall pay for it for of all Tygers in the earth he is the most bloud-thirstie Now the wordes following telles wherefore these in pediments are casten in That he should be reveiled in his ovvne tyme As he would say his tyme is not yet come that article of tyme God hes appointed and decreed from all eternitie he should be reueiled in is not yet come Brethren this is true and al the Scripture makes it manifest The Lord from all eternitie hes appointed tymes opportunities houres moments when euerything should be done that falles out in this world euery action hes the owne moment prescriued to it be it good or bad The Lord hes written the houre of it in his booke when it should be done Now ye see by experience the deuill euer seekes to preuent the tyme yea the best of vs all when the Lord hes appointed a time to our deliuerance or to doe anything cannot byde that tyme but are euer freatting and fuming Therefore the Lord castes in stayes both to the deuill and to men on earth When they are running forwarde he will cast in a stay and thou must stand there and thou must stand vntil that same tyme and article come that he hes appointed and it shall not ly in the power of the deuill and of all the earth to preuent that tyme. Now to come to the next verse There are two things concerning the Antichrist The first his comming in the world The second his reueiling after his comming There is a difference betweene these two His comming to the height and his reuelation As concerning his comming to his height it might haue bene asked by the Thessalonians Is he come yet we vnderstand by thy speaking he is not reueiled yet but is he come yet He answeres Euen novv the misterie of iniquitie is in doing shortlie the meaning is The Antichrist the Antichristianisme false religion Heretical doctrine is come alreadie albeit it be not reueiled and come to the hight He calles Antichristanisme iniquitie for of all iniquitie false doctrine is the greatest iniquity and of all sinners on the earth a false teacher and deceiuer of the people of God is the greatest sinner Therefore he is called the man of sinne a man addicted to sinne as a slaue to his master Further he calles it the misterie of iniquitie It is called a misterie because it came not to the light at the first but lay vp hid in a misterie It was not knowne not detected in the owne cullour nor came not to an height that men might know it Then marke ye see the Antichrist and Antichristianisme that is false religion beganne verie soone Euen novv there are many Antichrists sayes Iohn 1. Epist 4. chap 3. vers It beganne in Pauls and the Apostles dayes It was conserued as it were in the mothers bellie in those dayes but it lay long and many yeeres hid vp in a misterie and it lay long time lurking in Rome and in the Church thereof and then at last broke vp there the great Antichrist It lay so hid vp not comming to the perfection to the yeere of the Lord six hundreth and three yeeres and then it was broght to a great maturitie and perfection by Phocas the Emperour and Pope Bonifacius the third It layth the mothers wombe getting forme and grouth ere it came to the reuelation so the Antichrist is an olde childe Mark it there are many misteries in the world and among all the rest there is a mistery of sin as there is a mistery of godlinesse 1. Tim. 3. chap. 16. verse so there is a mistery of vngodlinesse and sin lyes very long hid ere it break out and appeare in the owne cullor in any person Alas thy sin will ly long hid as it were clocked vnder a clock in thee ere it come to an height for sin is a deceyuing thing but at last it will bud out in spyte of thy teeth And to speake of this sinne of false doctrine in particulare It lay hid many yeeres ere men knew of it No question in the dayes of the olde fathers Chrysâ—stome Augustine and the rest of them many corruptions broke in which they saw not because they lay hid vp in a misterie so that they could not see them vntill it hes pleased the Lord now to reueile them Wonder not that the doctors reproued not this Heresie and that Heresie no sin lyes hid vp wonderfully The greatest sin will ly hid vp vnder the greatest holinesse Then in the end of the verse he returnes againe to the impediment and he speaks two thinges of it First how long it shal lust and then what shal follow from once it shal be â—aine away to wiâ— that man of sin shall be reueiled Now to the words ye layes He that vvithholds shall let till he be taken out of the vvay that is to say the Romane Emperor for he speaks of the succession of Emperours as of one man because there was one kingdome to wit the Romane Empyre as before he spoke of the Antichrist He shall withhold that head of the Romane beast from using vnto the time he be taken away Then what time shall he be taken out of the way Euen at that article the Lord hes appointed then the Lord suffred him to be taken out of the way Who took him one out of the way Mahomet with his 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and Turks in the East wer the first subuerted the Romane Empyre and then Boniface and his successours ouerthrewit in the West Mark this When as the point of time prescriued by the Lord to things to be done commes then all impediments that hold back that thing if it were the Empyre of all the world shall be put out of the way and shall haue no standing but will vanish away By the contrare before that point of time come I shal mak one stray stay a man one word shal hold him the least thing in the world shall hinder him were he raging neuer so fast To let you see that al goes by the effectuall working and dispensation of God that workes all Iâ—standis not in this man or that man albeit he were an Emperour or Monareli but onely in God who hes appointed a tyme to euery thing that all glory may be giuen him That men say not I did this or that No it is the Lord that from time to time hes wrought it Ye will see some times a
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.
establish you ye are not of this number that fall away for the Lord he is faithfull and according to his promise he shall make you stand for euer Now here he followes out his precepts and in the first verse red we haue a generall exhortation to obedience to be giuen to all the directions vvarnings and admonitions that he had giuen them before as if he should say What euer I haue bidden you in the name of Christ doe ye it all and begin not onely but also perseuere vnto the end Brethren this christian calling that we are placed into craues a doing and practise not a thinking or speaking onely so that all our religion be in our tongue No put to thy hand and doe as thou would showe thy selfe a christian for a christian man would be a doer all men must be doing and set on an action but not euery way for it is better for some men to sit idle and to be sleeping when they are most exercised The doing requyred of a christian should be by a rule not wauering but as ye see a lyne drawen by a rule or square so euer the action of a man should be by a rule euen straight direct not crooked declyning to this side or that side We learne of these words what is the rule whereby the actions of a christian should be ruled The doctrine of the Apostles is the rule of our actions It is the doctrine of the Apostles of Iesus Christ doe as Paul Peter and the rest of the Apostles hes bidden thee doe and I shall warrand thee prease to direct thy actions according to that rule for he that heares the doctrine of the Apostles and followes not their direction refuses to giue obedience to Christ himselfe Now the forme of proponing of this matter is to be marked He sayes not doe as I command you to do but he mitigates the command and casts in a motiue to moue them to doe as he bade them He sayes I am persvvaded I haue a sure confidence that ye will doe as I bid you and so he vtters the good opinion he had of them that they did well and would continue in well doing vnto the end So the Pastor hes his lesson It becommes a Pastour or teacher when he sees a good meaning of his flock euer to thinke the best of them yea to conceyue a perswasion but in the Lord that they shall continue in well doing vnto the end And againe in the other part it is very meete that the flock vnderstand that the Pastour counts and esteemes well of them for vvhen the flock conceyues that the Pastour hes a good estimation of them it is no small motiue and incouragement to them to go forward in well doing for when the childe thinkes his father hes a good opinion of him and that he shall come to grace it is an incouragement to go forward in wel doing Euen so it is with the Pastor and the people for if the flock think that their Pastor hes not a good opinion of them it is the verie vvay to discourage them and to cause them goe backvvard So men should be verie ware least they should hurt others Another thing heere is to be marked He sayes We are persvvaded in the Lord not in you for asvvell as vve count of you our considence is not in you for then ye and we should both be beguiled so he hes not a confidence in them albeit vve haue a confidence of them that they should doe well for these are different for if confidence be in a man it is asmuch as to ascryue all power and glorie of vvell doing to man himselfe and so to depryue God of his glorie As by the contrare to put al confidence in the Lord it is to ascryue all glory to God that giues the strength to man to doe well The generall is Why should we not haue confidence of men and be well perswaded that they will doe well but beware while thou hopest they will doe well that thou hurt not the glory of God by giuing the glorie of their well doing to man If he wer the best on earth giue him not the praise of a jote of the power of well doing but giue it to God alone that all the glory may be Gods Let al the glory returne to him from whom all graces came This for the first verse I haue red The next precept conteined in the next verse is more particulare and conteines a speciall thing The Lord sayes he guide your harts to the loue of God and the vvaiting for of Christ. The summe is this Set your harts vpon the loue of God that is one And vpon the patient hope of Jesus Christ and his comming that is another There is the effect of the words So first he recommends to them the loue of God and then the patient looking for of Iesus Christ and their saluation which shall be accomplished when he commes in his glory Now mark the forme and maner after the which he giues out this precept He turnes this precept in a praier this is wisdome in which he beseeches the Lord to direct their harts to the loue of God first and next to the patient hope of Christs comming Mark this forme By this turning of a precept in a prayer he wold teach vs this far that these commands that are giuen in the Scripture these precepts exhortations directions and admonitions imports not that there is any power or free-will in man or woman to obey or to doe that that is commanded and exhorted or to do any part of it This is the doctrine of the aduersares when they heare of any precept or exhortation in the Scripture then incontinent conclude they there is a free-will in man to doe that that is commanded No free-will in man to do good otherwise it were in vaine the command giuen if the Lord giue not free-will to do it wherfore commands he but the Lord knowes how this followes for by turning this precept into a prayer we are taught that albeit man be commanded and exhorted to doe such and such things yet all power of wel doing depends onely on the Lord And therefore oft ye shall finde either the precept turned in a praier or else with precept praier conjoined And therefore when we are commanded and admonished to doe any good in that same instant our hart should be raised to God to desire strength at him thou shold say Lord giue me the strēgth to do as thou commandst me When I admonish and exhort thee to set thy hart to loue and feare God is it in thy power so to doe speaks thy conscience so to thee If it say that it is in thy power thy conscience beguiles thee that conceit is a plain illusion And therfore seeing it lyes not in thy power to do when thou art exhorted let thy refuge be to the Lord and say Lord as thou bidst me loue thee so
that are not reueiled as yet on Iesus Christ to come vpon that glorious reuelation of him and full redemption that he shall bring with him to thee Novv fy on me and thee if our harts be bounded within the things or graces of this lyfe if we hold our harts onely on the thinges of this lyfe then as Paul sayes of all men vve vvere the most miserable 1. Cor. 15. 19. And therefore the hart should put out the head of it beyond this lyfe and lift it aboue this earth aboue all the Heauens vp to that place vvhere Iesus Christ is vvho shall once be manifested Brethren as concerning hope and that life to come I think ye finde how ye are disposed concerning it vvill nature teach you that euer Christ shall come againe to this world I shal tell thee thy nature will answere all foly and men will say doe well to me in this life I shal take my venture of the lyfe to come This lets thee see what is in nature for nature will neuer tell thee that there is a lyfe to come nature is far from all expectation of glorie after this lyfe Therefore this is the second thing vve should craue to the bovved hart that he vvould set it straight vpon the hope of life and as he prayes so should we pray and say Lord my hart is declyned from the hope of lyfe and lookes neuer Christ will come Lord righten it that I may waite vpon the comming of my Redemer for I shall not attaine to that life except I hope for it and persist in it till he come Well ye see then what is the good disposition of the hart of man and woman be not be beguyled with it When may thou haue a vvell disposed hart an euen hart When things falles out that pleates thee store of honors of riches of pleasure then thy hart is aloft and glad but I say if this disposition be not in thy hart that i◠loue God first and next that thy hart hopes for saluation woe to that hart if it be not otherwise disposed before thou die vvoe to that hart for euer So if thou vvould vnderstand vvhen thy hart is well disposed go downe to it and say my hart louest thou God if it answere I loue him then thou art well And againe say my hart hopest thou for a lyfe after this lyfe and to see the Lord Iesus to thy euerlasting saluation if it say I hope so then in joyfulnesse rest there I beseech you for Iesus Christs sake thinke not ye haue a well disposed hart except sensibly ye feele in it the loue of God and an hope for a better lyfe Stryue to this sense of the loue of God that thou may be persvvaded that he hes loued thee first and if thou feele that sweet loue of this then it will lowse thy hart to loue God with a joy vnspeakable fy on all carnal and fleshly joyes in respect of this solide joy Yet one word He calles it Patience by the which he meanes a patient on waiting and hope for brethren this vnderstand that there cannot be an hope of lyfe except patience concur vvith hope in the hart If thou hast not patience to byde look not for that finall redemption Therefore this patience is the necessary companion of hope for hope is nothing else but a faire looke yea a verie far looke to a thing that is far from vs. Well except thou hast patience trowest thou that thou wilt hold vp thy head from morning till night to await on Iesus Christ his comming No such thing thou may call a blenke and away at an instant but thou shalt not stand without patience no hope And againe ere thou attaine to that lyfe trowest thou that thou shalt goe euen forward a sound course so that neuer a crossing shall come in thy way no affliction touch thee till thou be set in Heauen Is that thy opinion that thou may liue in quyetnesse haue goods honor and store and none say to thee ill goes thou on the way Any man may take ease in patience No no if thou hast hope of glorie assure thee an hundreth stayes shall be casten in the way and thou shalt be beatten and tosted here and there And ofttymes there shall appeare such darke cloudes that the fight of glorie shall be plucked out of thy eyes Therefore if thou hast no patience to abide til that cloude be remoued thou shalt haue no hope and without hope looke not for glorie And therefore it is not without cause that Hope and Patience are joyned together He that would hope for lyfe let him cast him for troubles and crosses for if lyfe be ordeined for thee the Lord will cast in stumbling blocks euer to exercise thy hope vntill thou get that that thou hopest for for the Lord hes appointed here continual suffring The Lord grant that we may be enarmed with Patience euer till hope be turned into sight The next verse conteines another speciall precept As the former precept concerned the hart and the direction of it so this precept concernes the outward societie and familiarity we haue with men in this world for so long as we liue we must be in a societie but beware with whom So the effect of this precept is this vvithdravv your selues from euery brother that vvalketh inordinatly in his lyfe that goes out of order and keepes not his owne station that liues inordinatly There are two things to be considered in this precept First the forme Next the effect of it The forme is We denounce and charge you not in our name but in the Name and authoritie of our Lord Iesus for neither Apostle nor Pastor hes any power to denounce any thing in his owne name for there is no authority in the Church ouer the consciences of men but the Authoritie of God and of Iesus Christ And therefore no man can say to the conscience I charge thee in my name It is onely proper to God to charge the conscience Now gather the lessson This forme he vses lets vs see how hard it is Men naturally inclyned to eull company to be seuered from euill company albeit many will cursse it in the end It wil not be a light word that wil make thee to leaue euill company but ere thou come from it there must a charge interueene and that in the name of the highest authoritie euen the great God and that by the mouth of his seruant The Lord must say I charge thee in the Name of the great God seuere thee from euill company Brethren knowe ye not your nature neuer thing stak faster to another thē this nature of ours cleaues to euill and euill men so that by a great force they must be pulled asunder Now to come to the matter he sayes vvithdravv your selues He sayes not shoote them from you but drawe your selues from them so it importes not a publick excommunication but a quyet separation of a
or slay thee and in the day of damnation thou shalt cursse the time that thou euer didst heare the word of Christ if thou finde it not powerfull in thee Come in a minde to renew thy sinfull life or else bide away come to be humbled vnder this word and reuerence it if that thou were a King or else bide away vnlesse thou vvouldst heap on thy selfe an intolerable damnation Now brethren I shall end shortlie in the next verse He thinkes it not eneugh to set downe this in generall what the vvord of God wroght in them that beleeued but he comes to the particulare It will not be the generall word will do thee good but a particulare The speciall effect is It made them to be follovvers It is good to followe them that goe the right way they vvere followers of the Church that was in Iudea followers of the Ievves that were conuerted and beleeued in Christ The word conformed the Thessalonians to the christian Church of the Iewes Al this was by the povver of the vvord of God in the mouthes of men Looke not for an Angell from heauen to speake to thee nor for a sound from heauen but looke for it out of the mouth of men We wearie fast of this ministrie what ministrie vvill vve haue next will ye haue Papistâ—â—e againe will ye haue Angels No if ye contemne this ministrie if this ministrie be put out of the land thou shalt neuer finde anie ministrie powerfull to saluation Then I marke this is the power of the word of God a conformitie like affection in sundry persons to make me like thee the vvord povverful to make coÌ„formity and thee like me the godlie like other this is the power of Gods word to cause a church follow one an other to joine man with man to draw in a bloodie wolfe to the sheep-fold of the Lord Iesus and to make him a sillie lambe He that now was raging to draw him to Christ to cause him sit down and joine himself to Gods people in holinesse and godlines This is a maruelous effect that the word hes It is not the proper effect of the word to cut men from good men but to make a conformitie to joine good meÌ„ with good meÌ„ draw al together to the church The Lord the great Pastor he joynes all the members of the bodie together and all to make a whole body to the head christ In a word it is the force of Gods word to worke our felicitie blessednesse and I assure thee thou who art a contemner of the word of Iesus thou shalt neuer be happie neither in this life nor in the life come All stands first in a conjunction with Christ the head and then with the members Step out of the societie of the church as you wil what is the church to thee I denounce the terrible judgement of God against thee if thou seek not to haue that conjunction societie of the church of God thou shalt neuer get a portion in Iesus there is thy doome if thou repent not This conformitie is not al wroght at once but the word of God by the power thereof will bring one first in then an other man then the thrid man then one Church secondly an other church thridlie the thrid church and so draw them al together So that they who comes last haue no disaduantage they both haue that same word to draw them in that the first had and then also they haue examples before them drawing them in It is good to haue an aduantage beside the word to draw thee in Brethren we that are now in the world we haue this last vauntage we haue these patternes looke how many haue bene called they are as many vauntages and patternes to draw vs to God And looke that thou heare not of a godlie man but preasse to follovv him and say God make me lyke him for among the rest of the meanes God hes ordained to winne soules the setting vp of patternes before men is one meane This nature of ours is backward For vve are all borne naturallie Woolfes and Tigers so that it makes vs that vve break avvay so fast from the sheepe-â—old of Christ that we haue great neede of many meanes to draw vs in And therefore the Lorde some-tymes vses by the word and some-tymes by the examples of others to draw vs in to Christ Iesus Yet againe this conformitie that is set down wold be marked The conformity is in suffering ye are followers of the church in Iudea in what in suffering alike with them the same persecution they suffered ye suffer yea more he amplifies their sufferinges in that they did suffer of such like persecutores as the Church of Iudea did euen of their own countrie-men the Iewes it was that persecuted the Iewes who were conuerted it is the Thessalonians that persecutes you that are in Thessalonica This is the persecution Conformitie in suffring Then learne The conformitie that ought to be among men and vvemen in the world stands not in doing onelie to make others doe vvell as he doeth well As one Church liues holilie so to cause one an other liue holily but it must be a conformitie in suffering also that as one man suffred so an other shoulde suffer as one Church suffered so an other Church should suffer it wil not only be actiue in doing but passiue in suffering There is a faire effect conformitie in suffering Brethren men oft tymes are readie eneugh to follow others in doing but they are loath to suffer all godlie men would be like other godlie men in doing I see not a godlie person but I would be lyke him and one Church would be like an other godlie Church in doing But if I see a godlie man suffer before me I wil hold aback and shrink to follow him If thou see one martyred before thee thou wilt leaue him and not take part of his burden There is not a flourishing Church in Europe but this would be like it but it hes no desire to be like that Church in France that hes bene so long vnder affliction and can not get vp the head of it It is in deed an hard matter to the word of God to worke doing good in the heart of man but a harder matter to worke patience and suffering of affliction but if the word be not effectual as well to work suffering as doing I can not say it hes that force and power in vs that it should haue And therefore albeit thou be not as yet at suffering yet prepare thee for suffring resolue not thy self for doing alone euery day but for suffring also whatsoeuer crosse the Lord will lay on thy back And let this be part of thy prayer Lord strengthen me in suffering For as thou wouldst raigne with him so thou must take a resolution to suffer with him Who will not suffer let him neuer looke to be an heyre of Heauen It is now
marueilous hardnesse to win thinges that ye thinke be easie to be done and againe an easinesse to come to thinges which ye thinke hard All tends to this that we may know all is decreed by the secreet and effectuall prouidence of God In the beginning of the next verse we haue the effect that shall fall out vpon this prophecie when once he that withholds the 〈◊〉 out of the way that is the Romane Emperour which is termed heere as a man by reason of a kingdome many Caesars but yet one kingdome Theâ— sayes he that vvicked man shall be reueiled that great Antichrist shall be reueiled As for the small Antichrists that were forerunners of the great he speakes not of them then this great Antichrist shall show himself in power to the world he is called a lawlesse man and who cannot be subject to a law Who is that He that craues an absolute power And who craues an absolute power if not that beast of Rome Who breakes and makes lawes as he pleases Gods law mens law Read the history of him So ye haue heere the reueiling of him his comming to his greatnesse To make this plaine When was it that the great Antichrist came for this prophecie is of him and this reueiling is to be vnderstood of him When came he to this perfection When was he first reueiled I shew you before in the dayes of the Apostles the Antichrist beganne and lurked vnto the six hundreth and three yeere of our Lord and a great part of that time lurked in Rome he was not yet in greatnesse well then his greatnesse beganne in the six hundreth and three yeere of God as the Histories notes And vpon what decasion Grovving reueiling of the antichrist One Photas an adulterer a parricide and wicked man alwayes when he had slaine his master 〈…〉 Emperour and so had become odious to the people to 〈◊〉 to him the fauour of the people he would showe himselfe beneficial to the Church he pronounces Bonifacius the third and his successors after him there is the Antichrist to be Popes to be supreâ—me and 〈◊〉 Bishops of the whole earth which styles 〈◊〉 his predecessor so much abhorred Then in the six hundreth and seauen yeere in a Sinod all counsell holden 〈◊〉 Rome vnder the same Boâ—â—facius the third this priuiledge to be vniuersal Bishops of the world is ratified to the Bishoppes of Rome A little after this see how this growes in a counsell holden in Africa vnder the Emperour Constantine the nephevv of Heraclius Theodorus the Bishoppe of Rome gettes this style and these tytles sent to him Domino Apostolico culmini sublimato sancto patrum patri Theodoro Papae summo omnium praesulum principâ— Synodus Africana That is vnto the Lord lifted vp on high to the Apostolicall seate the holy father of fathers the most high Prince of all Prelats Theodore the Pope writes the Synode of Africa And yet he is not come to his height till in the 666. yeere of the Lord which number in the reuelation of Iohny 18. is called the number of a man that is an explicable number easie to be counted with men In this yeere he commes to the height of his perfection as that prophecy of Iohn tels and experience teaches Who makes him vp and perfites him Euen he who should haue holden him downe the Emperour of Constantinople Constantinus Prorogatius Barbarus Vitilianus being Bishop of Rome for the time he makes vp the beast He sets him vp on the top of his honour Then brethren the Roman Bishoppe who was before but a legate to the Roman Emperour he is set downe in his soueranitie subject to no mortall man vnder the Heauen Then commes in al abominations all corruptions all vices and among all the rest in commes the Masse and it is determined that it should be celebrate in the Latine tongue in all the world The Antichrist in this 666. yeere commes to the height of height he cannot come higher Now brethren to end this matter Heare a little of his downe going againe As the Apostle heere prophecyed of his climming vp to the height of the ladder so to comforte the Church of God in all ages he prophecyes of his destruction Whom sayes he the Lord shall consume vvith the breath of his mouth and shall abolish vvith the brightnesse of his comming There are two parts here of his decaying The first part is his consuming the next part is his abolishing His consuming is with a slownes for as he came not incontinent to his height so he decayes not incontinent long ere he decay he consumes away as a body consuming and then â—e endes at a sudden Who consumes him Who abolishes him Who but the Lord Iesus Christ He it is who shal consume the Antichrist Maâ—er of coÌ„suming of the antichrist To speake of his consuming Where-with melts he him away with the breath of his mouth that is by the preaching of the Gospell and that by the poore Ministers who are despised in the world He makes his Ministers breath and blow on the beast and this breath of the Ministers consumes the beast When began this consuming of him Euen soone after he came to his height Ye heard of one Iohn W. ckleâ—ff in anno 1383. he blew on the beast Iohn Husse Ierome de Praga in Bohemia albeit he was burnt and the beast got the mastrie of him yet he consumed the beast Ye heard of Luther in Germanie his name shall not be buried Melanthon Zuinglius Oeâ—olampadius men of worthie memorie and then good Iohn Caluin in France Viretus Farellus they blew in their tyme on the beast What shall I say To be short so many faithfull men as the Lord raises vp in the ministry they are as many slayers of the beast with their breaths Now learne one thing When the Antichrist is come to his height who goes too to beate the beast downe from his height Is it the Emperour is it this king or that king No no word of them Is it any power in this world No it is the Lord Iesus He will haue the honour of the wreack of the Antichrist And therfore as it were in his owne person he will enter in combat with the beast Now what armour vses he Commes he on with this wordly armour gunnes and gainzies I aske of thee No no thing is spoken of them but a breathing and blowing is told of Iesus Christ blovves on the beast and consumes him vvith the breath of his mouth The word of the Gospell is the armour he vses that same armour the beast abuses to hold vp his kingdome vvithall the Lord takes out of his â—and and slayes him vvith What instruments vses he to this turne He takes not Angelles from the Heauen to breath on him No but sillie simple bodies some out of the beasts owne bodie some otherwaies raised vp to blow on the beast Marke all these circumstances They all let you see that in