mo in number than others but because he loued your fathers For so often as we heare mention made of his loue we ought by and by to remember that saying of the Apostle Not that we loued him first Iohn 4.10 And the certaine and sure signes of the loue of God toward vs are the proclayming of the Gospell and the preaching of remission of sinnes through Christ For by that publication of Gods will it is both testified that we are receiued into the grace of adoption through Christ and also are reckoned in the number of Gods sonnes if so be we receiue the doctrine of the Gospell through faith and doe commit our selues to the grace of the most mercifull God Psal 147.11 Iohn 3.16 For the Lord loueth those that feare him and that put their trust in his mercie Moreouer God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne Ephe. 16. that they that beleue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This therefore is that grace of God which maketh vs accepted through the beloued that is through Christ Wo therefore be vnto those wicked teachers which wil haue vs to doubte of the Grace of God and whether we are loued of God when as God would haue vs more sure of nothing then that beleeuing the Gospell we assure our selues to be in his fauour and to be beloued of Christ Because that God hath from the beginning chosen you The Apostle expresseth the cause why all men shal not be ouerwhelmed in one and the selfe same destruction namely because Sathan can doe nothing against those to hinder their saluation although heauen and earth be confounded together For this saying of Christ shall alwayes abide most firme My sheepe hear my voice and I knowe them Iohn 10.27 and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life neither shall they perish for euer and no man shall take them ou◠〈◊〉 my hande There is no doubt but thaâ— the Apostle speaketh of Gods eternall electioÌ„ For he meaneth that there is no feare of the altering of their saluation which is fouÌ„ded vpon gods eternal election thogh there happen a troublesome alteration of thinges As if he should say let this be a horror and feare to others to those I say which perish in whom the Diuels can much preuaile but as for you ye are without peril as the beloued of God such as are elected froÌ„ the beginning Therefore what garboyle trouble soeuer Sathan woorketh in the worlde yet your saluation was laid vp in safety for you before the world was made For election signifieth a purpose of shewing mercie and of sauing those whom God hath ordayned by that purpose to obtayne eternall life for an inheritance But because it is not our part to enter into the secret counsell of God there to seeke the certaintie of our saluation he deliuereth vnto vs certaine signes and tokens of election which ought sufficiently to assure vs thereof Through sanctification of the spirit That is to say by the holy Ghost which doth purifie our hearts and giue vnto vs a true faith Therefore to know whether God hath elected vs or no we must not seeke what God hath done before the creation of the worlde but we shal finde in our selues a lawfull triall namely if he hath sanctified vs with his spirit established vs in the faith of his Gospell For it is the office of the holy Ghost to illuminate our darkened heartes which are naturally blinde to teach the ignorant to comfort the afflicted to bringe those that goe astray into the right way and so to sanctifie them that their workes may be acceptable to the omnipotent God The Apostle calleth that the Faith of truth by which the elect doe beleeue the Gospell of Christ For this is contrary to that false perswasion concerning the which Iames pronounceth saying Faith without workes is dead And the faith which we heare to the Gospell â—â—mes 2. is an assured testimony of our adoption and the spirit doth giue that adoption and they which are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 Iohn 3.36 are the sonnes of God And he which possesseth Christ by faith hath euerlasting life All which thinges are diligently to be noted least we pretermitting the reuelation of Gods will whereupon he commaundeth vs to rest we going about to drawe the same from his secrete counsell in the which he woulde not haue vs inquisitiue should bring our selues into a confused laberinth or maze Therefore we must holde our selues contented with the faith of the Gospell and with the grace of the spirit by which we are regenerated that we may assure our selues to be elected of God and that we shall haue the saluation of eternall life if we doe truly beleeue in Christ the sonne of God And hereby their wickednes is confuted which make Gods election a cloake of all filthynesse when as Peter so ioyneth the same with faith and regeneration 1. Peâ— that they cannot be separated And Paul himselfe in an other place testifieth Ephe. 1.4 that we were elected before the foundation of the world was layed that we might be blamelesse and holy in the sight of God in loue 14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospell to obtaine the glorie of our Lorde Iesus Christ The preaching of the Gospell pertayneth to the confirmatioÌ„ of election For this is the meane by which we come vnto saluation whereunto God hath chosen vs. God therefore hath called vs vnto a true faith not by the righteousnes of the law but by the Gospell euen as Paul testifieth in an other place 2. Tim. 1.9 He hath saued and called vs with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was but is now made manifest by the appearing of our sauiour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortalitie vnto light through the Gospell And therefore by the Gospell because no man can beleeue in Christ but by the publication therof who being now glorified raigneth at the right hand of God the father in heauen Rom. 10.17 For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God By our Gospell He calleth it his Gospell not that it sprang from him but because the preaching thereof was committed to him As if he should say By the Gospell which we haue preached which was committed to vs to preach And here are to be noted certaine degrees of our saluation For we are from the beginning chosen to saluation and then we are made partakers of saluation through sanctification of the spirite through beleeuing of the truth and through the Gospell To obtaine the glorie of our Lorde Iesus Christ This doth bring no small consolation to the faithful when they know that doth they and their saluation are so in the handes of God euen as a fixed
he spake generally of the saintes he now applieth to the Thessalonians that they might not doubt them selues to be of that number Because saith he you beleeued my preaching Christ hath now gathered you into the number of his saintes whom he will make partakers of his glorie Therefore ye shal be safe from all those euils which hang euen ouer the heads of the wicked and shall take hold of them and they also which afore time haue derided you as mad and furious men shall haue you in great admiration For these thinges are spoken to the faithfull for their consolation which either haue beene or are in affliction for Christes sake He calleth his doctrine a testimony because the Apostles are the witnesses of Christ Therefore let vs learne that then the promises of God are firme in vs when we doe steedfastly beleeue them In that day The Apostle doth therfore repeat this to restraine the desire oâ— the faithfull that they might not be toâ— hasty For their life is hidden with God iâ— Christ Colos 3.3 but when Christ which is our life shal be manifested then shall wee also appeare with him in glorie And in another place it is said Heb. 10.35 Knowing in your selues how that ye haue in heauen a better and an induring substance Cast not therefore away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward For ye haue need of patience that after ye haue done the wil of God ye might receiue the promise For yet a very litle while and he that shal come will come and will not tarry 11 Wherefore we also pray alwayes for you that our God may make you worthy of his calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnes and the worke of faith with power This is the Epilogue or conclusion of that which goeth before which consisteth of prayer that the Thessalonians may be preserued in that knowledge of spirituall thinges and may growe more and more therein and proceeding at the last may abide constant in the same It is the manner of the Apostle in all harâ— and difficult thinges to adde prayers prayers For faith and that reuerence which we beare to the deuine maiestie doe teach that the best giftes of God must be sought for and gotten by prayers To the end therefore the Thessalonians might know that they haue need continually of the help of God he protesteth that he prayeth for them As if he should say ye are called by my ministery through the Gospel vnto saluation but yet ye haue need of farther confirmation namely of such confirmation as may make you woorthy of his calling and to profite and perseuere in the same For this confirmation and perseuerance because it is a heauenly gift I doe diligently praye vnto God to giue it you And he speaketh of the end and perfect accomplishment which consisteth in perseuerance For God had vouchsafed already to call them But we being too ready to fall away it is no gramarcie to vs that our vocation is not after that made frustrate and so should it be in deed if so be God did not establishe the same in vs. Wherefore it is said that we are counted woorthy when we come to the full scope and perfection And if so be that our merit doth make vs woorthy to what ende should it be needful to pray vnto the Lord that he would make vs woorthy of his calling Therefore that worthinesse doth depend vpon the liberal goodnesse of God And fulfil al the good pleasure of his goodnesse The second thing for the which he prayeth for is the accoÌ„plishment of the grace and goodnesse of God Paul is woonderful in extolling the grace of God For not being contented that he hath named his good pleasure he saith that the same doth spring from the goodnes of god Now when we doe heare that the free good pleasure of God is the cause of our saluation and that the same is founded on the grace of God are we not more then mad if we dare arrogate vnto our merits euen the least thing And the worke of faith with power That is to say that he would finish the very worke of faith through constancie and courage of the mind the which being once by God setled in mens mindes ouercommeth al aduersities In these words there is no smal weight He might haue said in one word that your faith may be fulfilled but he calleth it good pleasure And then he doth proceed further in explayning the matter that God was by no other means induced theÌ„ by his goodnes for in vs he found nothing but miserie Neither doth Paul ascribe the beginning only of our saluation to the grace of God but all the partes thereof also Thus the sophisticall coÌ„ment and imagination of the scoole men is confuted how that wee are preuented by the grace of God but yet are holpen by merites following But Paul in the whole course of saluation doth admitte nothing but the mere grace of God And because the good pleasure of God is now made perfite he expoundeth his minde in these wordes The worke of faith And hee calleth it a work in respect of God which woorketh faith in vs as if he should say that he may perfect and finish the building of faith which he hath begun With power That is to say effectually He alludeth vnto the blessing or efficacie of God by which he doth blesse and make our faith effectuall And withal he giueth to vnderstand that the perfection of faith is a great matter and of great dificultie The which we finde too true by experience the reason whereof may easily be rendered if we do weigh how great our imbecilitie is how many lets are thurst vpon vs from al partes and also how greiuous and minifold the temptations of Sathan be Therefore except we be woonderfully holpen by the power of God faith shall neuer come to her full perfection For it is as easie a matter to finishe and make perfect faith in a man as it is to build a Tower of water which shal be so firme and strong that it shal abide the beating flouds and tempestious stormes and shall reach higher then the cloudes And we are euen as fluible and vanishing as water as appeareth by these woordes of the woman of Thecoa we are as water spilt on the ground 2. Sam. 14. which cannot be gathered vp againe 12 That the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ may bee glorified in you â—nd yee in him according to the grace of our God and of the Lorde Iesus Christ The Apostle had shewed afore what thinges it is meete for vs to aske at the handes of God in our prayers To this admonition he addeth an exposition of the finall cause why he prayed for the increase of faith and for perseuerance in others why he teacheth to pray after his exaÌ„ple namely that the name of Iesus Christ may be glorified in vs that we also may be glorified by Christ
by thâ— benefite of the grace of our God and of oâ—â— Sauiour Iesus Christ The which especâ—ally is to be noted that they in like maner are to be glorified in Christ which haue set foorth his glorie For first of al the woonderful goodnesse of God doth shine in this that he wil haue his glorie to be seene in 〈◊〉 which are couered with reproch shamâ— But here is a double miracle He dotâ— make vs to shine with his glory euen as 〈◊〉 he him selfe receiued glory from vs in like manner againe and therefore he addeth According to the grace of our God For nothing belongeth vnto vs neither iâ— the action it selfe nor in the effect and fruit For our life is framed into the glorie of God by the onely direction and conducting of the holy Ghost And whereaâ— there springeth so much fruit from thence we must attribute that to the great mercie of God Neuerthelesse if we be not too farre deuoide of sence we will thinke it our bounden dutie to endeuour our selues all that lieth in vs to set foorth and aduaunce the glorie of Christ the which is also ioyned with our glorie Therfore this â—ight to be the scope and ende of all our good woorkes that we doe all thinges to the glorie of God CHAP. II. 1 NOW we beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ and by our assembling vnto him This is the other part of the Epistle which consisteth of instruction and exhortation For he teacheth euidently by certaine signes when the day of the Lord shal come The Thessalonians had heard in the former Epistle which he appointed to be read before al men that the last day of the world was not farre off There were also certaine deceiuers who plainely affirmed that now already the end of al things was imminent and so they greatly troubled the Church Wherefore that they might forsake that conceiued opinion and vnderstand the truth Paul laboreth shewing what must first goe before the comming of the Lorde and with what signes and thinges precurrent men are to be forewarned These signes in the scriptures are many Two sortes of signes which shal be before the iudgment day and yet of two sortes whereof some shall precurre and be seene long before other some shall go before his comming to iudgment but a short time Concerning the signes going long before the iudgment daie our sauiour Christ saith Mat. 24.37 As the dayes of Noah were so likwise shall the comming of the sonne of man be Luk. 17.26 For as in the dayes before the floud they did eate and drinke mary and giue in marriage vnto the day that Noe entred into the Arke and knew nothing till the floud came and tooke them all away so shall also the comming of the sonne of man be Also the Apostle setteth downe diuers signes in his Epistle to Timothy where he saith 1. Tim. 4.1 Now the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shal depart from the faith and shal giue heed vnto spirits of error doctrines of diuels which speake lyes through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with a hot iron forbidding to marry and commaunding to absteine from meates c. And in another place he sayth This know 2. Tim. 3.1 that in the Last dayes shall come perilous times For men shal be louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankfull vnholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate fierce dispisers of them which are good traytours heady high minded louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a shewe of godlinesse but haue denied the power therof Among these signes also those which Paul reherseth heere in his Epistle to the Thessalonians concerning the falling away from sincere doctrine and the reueaing of antichrist are to be reckoned which shall long before the comming of Christ to iudgment be seene The signes which shal be more neere the iudgment day as it were within the vew of the same are these Mat. 24. Straight after the tribulation of those dayes the sunne shal be darkned and the moone shall loose her light and the starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shal be moued and then shall the signe of the son of man appeare in heauen How these thinges shal be as touching the forme and manner no man can tel vntil they come to passe Rom. 11.25 Also the Apostle saith I would not brethren that ye shold be ignorant of this secret that partely obstinacie is come to Israell vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in And so all Israell shal be saued as it is written The deliuerer shall come out of Sion and shall turne away the vngodlines from Iacob c. This shal be a present signe of the comming of the Lorde But how the same shall come to passe and which shal be the very moment of the fulfilling of the calling of the Gentils let him that can define it It rather is in vs to wish for it then certainly to appoint the time The time will one day come saith Augustine wherein the calling of the Iewes August lib. 2. Quest Euang. cap. 33. in the sauing health of the Gospell shal be manifest But when and how the same shal be he doth not expresse By the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christ The Apostle in these wordes doth adiure the faithfull by the comming of Christ that they doe not rashly beleeue the day of the same to be present and to thinke no otherwise of it then religiously and soberly As if he should say as the comming of Christ is a thing very precious vnto you by which he shall gather vs together vnto himselfe and shall in very deed perfect and accomplish the vnitie of the bodie which as yet imperfectly we imbrace by faith euen so by the same I beseech you be not to light of credit if some by one collour or other do affirme that the same day is present But as some in the Apostles time were to ready to beleue the present comming of Christ which gaue Paul occasion to write this exhortation so it is greatly to be feared that in this age there are many Epicures which offend in the other extremitie and liuing in securitie doe contemne as a fable those thinges which in the Scriptures are spoken of the comming of Christ to iudgment against whom the Apostle Peter writeth this There shall come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their owne lustes 2. Pet. 3.3 and say where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers died all thinges continue in the same estate wherein they were at the beginning c. Wherefore as men ought not to be light of credit to beleeue those vaine imaginations of such as are foolishly curious in pointing out the times and moments of times which God hath by his prerogatiue reserued from
merits for the giftes of the holy Ghost are giuen vnto vs through the free grace of God only of the which we speake the more often that no man might proudly boast him selfe of the merits of his righteousnesse Cor. 4.7 For what hast thou saith Paul which thou hast not receiued Moreouer the Apostle hath very artificially comprehended the whole sūme of the Gospell in this verse namely that God hath loued mankinde and hath giuen euerlasting consolation vnto him Iesus Christ who is our hope and that he hath giuen it him through his grace and not for our merit that we liue for euer But what is the Apostles petition it followeth 17. Comfort your heartes and stablishe you in euery worde and good worke He prayeth for the Thessalonians that God so gentle and louing a father would sustaine and comfort their heartes with his consolation against all stumbling blocks and offences by which they might be brought into doubt and dispaire For it belongeth vnto him to comforte and strengthen the heartes of his faithfull seruantes that they might not faint through carefulnesse or distrust And stablish you in euery worde Then he prayeth that God would confirme them in holsome doctrine For this is the worde whereof he speaketh and not of any common worde that it may agree with that which went before And good worke This parteyneth to the whole course of a good and holy life wherein the faithfull ought to perseuere Wherefore all the duties of a Christian man are comprehended in these two partes namely that they doe abide as well in holesome doctrine as in good manners of life The which they cannot performe without the grace and helpe of our Lord Iesus Christ Who saith Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing That is to say without my power and strength working in you And in another place it is said that we are framed by Iesus Christ vnto good workes Ephe. 2.10 which God hath prepared that we should walke in them These therefore are those good fruites which doe spring from a sanctified brest through the holy Ghost and a true faith Heb. 11.6 without the which it is not possible to please God Finally Saint Paul hath so tempered this his prayer that withall he hath prescribed what becommeth the Thessalonians namely that they giue themselues continually to all good words and good works that they doe perseuere in euery good worke but especially that they do acknowledge Christ to be the onely hope and euerlasting consolation of all the faithfull for euer CHAPTER III. 1 FVrthermore brethren pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue free passage and be glorified euen as it is with you This is the last part of this Epistle which comprehendeth foure exhortations of the which one is the supplication of the Church the which is very necessarie and profitable For although the Lord was mightily present with the Apostle and that he did exceed al others in the feruencie of prayer yet neuerthelesse he doth not neglect the prayer of the faithfull with the which the Lorde will haue vs holpen We in like manner after his example ought alwayes to require this helpe and to stirre vp the faithfull to pray for vs. For there is nothing more auaileable with God then faithfull prayer That the worde of the Lord may haue free passage For two causes the prayer of the Church is here required of the Apostle The first is for the happie successe of the Gospel that the same being preached to other nations might be no lesse estemed then it was of the Thessalonians Therfore by these wordes Paul sheweth that he hath not so much care and consideration of him selfe as he hath of the whole Church For why doth he desire to be commended to the prayer of the Thessalonians That the doctrine of the Gospel might haue his course Therefore he would haue them to haue respect not so much to him alone as to the glorie of Christ and the common saluation of the Church And the worde of the Lord is said to haue free passage when in preaching and in doctrine it hath no let but happie successe insomuch that many beleeue it and beleeuing it doe glorifie God and are saued And be glorified He desireth that the worde of God may haue his force and efficacie to reforme men into the Image of God Therfore holines of life and integrity in christians is the beauty of the Gospell euen as they doe bring infamie and slaunder to the Gospell professing it with their mouth and liuing neuerthelesse filthylie and wickedlie Mat. 5.15 To this ende partaine the exhortations of our sauiour Christ of Peter and of others 1. Pet. 2.12 in the new Testament Euen as it is with you That is to say after the same manner forme and happie successe For this ought to be a great incouragement to the Godly that they may see all other men like to them selues in godlinesse Therefore they which are already entered into the kingdome of God are commaunded to pray daily that the same kingdome may come so farre off they ought to be from enuie when they do heare that others are come to the knowledge of the truth 2 And that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men for all men haue not faith This is the latter cause why the Apostle requireth the prayers of the faithfull The truth indeed was preached but in the meane time there sprange vp diuers scismes among them also which would seeme to be the embracers of true religion And the publike enimies of religion did both banish the truth and did also most cruelly persecute them which were maintainers of the truth neither did there want certaine hypocrites and false brethren which were worse far more pestilent thē they vnto true godlinesse For it is truly said that a counterfeit frend is much more hurtfull then an open enimie Wherefore Paul desireth to be deliuered from such For by vnreasonable and euill mē he meaneth those which vnder the name of christians lurked in the Church or else the Iewes which through a mad zeale of the law furiously persecuted the gospel For he knew how great harme was like to come by them both And this saying of the Apostle may be extended to all manner of perils For then Paul was going to Hierusalem and did write being in the middest of his iorney But it was already told him from aboue that bondes and persecutions wayted for him there Act. 20.23 From the which he doth desire to be so deliuered that he may ouercome whether it be by death or by life But now at this day the ministers of the word haue the Pope and Papistes for their principall aduersaries which are in dede vnreasonable and euill men which doe hinder the course of the doctrine of the Gospell with their accusations and doe destroy so much as lieth in them the fruit glorie of the word of God preached
and firme inheritance is in the power of some Lord. To this ende pertaine these places Psal 2. â— Aske of me and I will giue thee the heathen for thyne inheritance and the vttermost partes of the earth for thy possession Againe Act. 20.28 Christ hath purchased a Church to himselfe by his blood For God hath called vs that we might be a glorious and peculiar people of Iesus Christ a holy nation innocent immacylate which might honor and worshippe God and that God himselfe might dwell in the heartes of those that worship him The which ought to allure vs to holinesse of life For God hath not called vs to lust and vncleannesse but vnto holinesse and sinceritie and that we might be his holy temple 15 Therefore brethren stand fast and keepe the instructions which ye haue beene taught either by word or by our Epistle This is the conclusion in tho which the Apostle requireth perseuerance both of faith and also of manners or of good workes And therefore he bringeth in this exhortation very aptly vpon the premisses because our constancie and power of perseuering doth leane vpon the trust and confidence of Gods grace For when God doth call vs to saluation by reaching foorth as it were his hand vnto vs when Christ doth offer vs to inioy and possesse himâ—â—lfe by the doctrine of the Gospell whâ—â— the holy Ghost is giuen vnto vs as a â—eâ— and pledge of eternall life although heauen should fall we ought not to feâ— or be discouraged For he commanâ—â—h the Thessalonians to stand fast nâ—t onely when others doe stand but also when they saw almost all men to fall away from the faith and all thinges to be full of confusion to abide neuerthelesse then in their state And in very deede the calling wherewith God doth call vs ought so to arme and confirme vs against all offences that the vniuersall ruine of the world should not shake our firmenes For we must stand like souldiers which are placed in their aray to fight against the enimies of Cristianisme For constancie and the power of perseuering is necessary for vs without the which it shal profite nothing that we haue once begun well in the exercises of Godlinesse And kepe the instructions which ye haue beene taught There are some which restrayne these wordes vnto the ordinances of ciuill gouerment amisse for he sheweth the ma◠〈◊〉 of standing fast But it is a matter of greater importance then externall dâ—scipline Paul therefore calleth all hose thinges instructions which by hiâ— teaching the Thessalonians had leaâ—â—ed that is to say the doctrine of the Gospell concerning true repentance towardes God and concerning true faith in the Lorde Iesus For it was not lawfull for the Apostle of Iesus Christ to teach any other thing And the writings of Paul do sufficiently shew what matter he did especially teach and how he is to be imitated of al the Godly teachers of the Church For he followed that order of teaching which Christ deliuered vnto him being neither inferior nor contrary to any other Apostle in doctrine The Papistes doe abuse this place for the defence of mens traditions And they frame their reason thus if it was lawfull for Paul to commaund traditions it is also lawfull for other teachers to doe it likewise and if it were a Godly thing to obserue them then is it meet that these be no lesse obserued But admitte that Paul spake of the precepts which appertained to the externall gouernment of the Church yet we say that they were not made or ordayned by him but commaunded of the Lord. For in another place he testifieth that it is not his purpose to insnare the consciences of men euen as it was not lawfull for him 1. Cor. 7.35 nor for any of the Apostles to doe it So that we doe acknowledge that we ought to receiue the Apostolicall traditions euen as well as the written Epistles but yet we doe not acknowledge that all they are Apostolicall traditions which those men thrust vnto vs vnder the title of Apostolicall Therefore they shew themselues very vndiscrete in going about to defend the filthy heape of their superstitions vnder this title as if they were the traditions of Paul But the traditions of Paul are not contrary to his written Epistles as the traditions of these men are contrary vnto the writinges of the Apostles But we will leaue those trifling toyes seeing we haue the sincere meaning of Paul And it may be iudged partly by the Epistle what manner of traditions they be which he commendeth For he saith Either by word That is my sermons my preaching or present instruction Either by Epistle What doth that contayne but pure doctrine which doth vtterly ouerthrow all Popery and all other fayned thinges which are contrary to the simplicitie of the Gospell 16 Now the same Iesus Christ our Lord and our God euen the father which hath loued vs and hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace The Apostle hauing exhorted the Thessalonians doth now according to his manner blesse them and pray for them thereby to make them more firme and strong Teaching thereby that all Christian vertues and perseuerance therein are giuen vnto vs of God and that therefore we haue need daily to pray vnto God for the same gifts Therefore by this prayer he doth preuent the Thessalonians of a doubt that they might not be carefull where to get strength constanly to abide in sincere doctrine Neither is it negligently to be pretermitted that Paul testifieth that our Lorde Iesus Christ is the giuer of those gifts with God our father For thereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that he is God and that he doth bring to passe with God the father that we do profite and perseuere in euery good worke And he doth withall admonish vs that we cannot otherwise obtaine any thing from God then by seeking the same in Christ himselfe Also for so much as he prayeth that God would giue vnto them those thinges which he had commaunded he thereby sheweth how little exhortations doe preuaile except God doe inwardly moue mens hearts Verely mens eares should heare onely a vaine sound if so be the holy Ghost should not make the doctrine effectuall And our God the father which hath loued vs. Euen when we were enimies how much more shall he loue vs Rom. 5.10 now that we are reconciled through Iesus Christ his sonne This the Apostle addeth to make the Thessalonians the more assured that God would giue vnto them those thinges which he prayed for And hath giuen vs euerlasting consolation This eternall consolation which he wil haue alway to remaine in his church is the doctrine of the Gospell the preaching of remissioÌ„ of sinne through Christ And good hope The name of euerlasting consolation and of good hope tendeth to this end that the faithfull may assuredly looke for an euerlasting continuance of gifts He addeth Through grace to exclude mans