for if we believe c. 2. Concerning Christs death and resurrection see upon Gal. 1. 1. doct 7. Jesus dyed and rose again 3. Though thus saith the Lord and divine revelation be a ground sufficient in it self whereupon to build our faith Psal. 60. 6. yet such is our unwillingness to believe especially when the thing spoken hath no ground in reason Gen. 18. 12. and so great is Gods condescendence to help and supply our weakness Joh. 20. 27. that he alloweth us to make use of any other lawful mean whereby we may strengthen our faith and as it were reason our selves up to a belief of that which the Lord saith for so the Apostle doth teach us to take help from Christs death and resurrection to strengthen us in the faith of our own resurrection for if we believe saith he that Jesus dyed and rose again even so c. 4. Among other things helpful to bring us to the solid and fixed belief of revealed truths this is one to single out some truths which are more easily believed than others as having besides the authority of God interposing for the truth of them some further confirmation from humane testimony or their powerful effects upon our own hearts or the hearts of others that so being once fixed and setled in the faith of those we may be thereby in some measure helped to give credit unto all such other truths as have dependence upon them for Paul to bring them to the faith of their own resurrection would have them improving the faith they had of Christs death and resurrection which was confirmed by so many witnesses Luke 1. 1 2. and accompanied with wonderful effects upon the hearts of many If we believe that Jesus dyed and rose again even so c. 5. As those and those only shall attain to the blessed resurrection of the just unto life who continue in the faith whereby they are ingrafted in Christ to their last breath Heb. 3. 14. So the union betwixt Christ and believers once made by faith is so sure and firm that death it self cannot dissolve it yea not only their souls but also their bodies being separate from their souls and in a manner from it self when dissolved in the grave to ashes do yet remain united to Christ For those whom God shall raise to a glorious life are designed to be such as sleep in Jesus and living dying and dead are still in him yea and their bodies which only do properly sleep are also in him Even so also them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 6. The great prop for our faith to rest upon as to the truth of the resurrection is the power of God whereby he is able to do what he will Psal. 135. 6. and to make us of new out of our own ashes as once at the first he made all things of nothing Heb. 11. 3. for he leads them to Gods power for grounding of their confidence while he saith Them will God bring with him 7. Through vertue of that union betwixt believers and Christ it cometh to pass that whatever hath befallen Christ as he is the head of believers shall in Gods due time be verified in believers themselves that due proportion and distance being always kept which is betwixt head and members for he inferreth that we shall be raised because he arose because of our union with him them will God bring with him Ver. 15. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are aâ—leep Followeth a third head of the forementioned doctrine expressing the order wherein the dead shall arise which serveth also for a third ground of consolation against immoderate sorrow And first in this verse that he may conciliate authority to the following doctrine which transcends the reach of humane reason to know and understand without special revelation he doth after the manner of the Prophets Zech. 4. 6. premit a preface asserting that what he was to say was by or in the word of the Lord that is in his name and by vertue of express commission from him 2. He sets down the order wherein the dead were to rise first negatively to this purpose They which shall be then alive and remain on earth until Christs second coming as a small remnant of all that numerous company of believers who had formerly lived but ere then will be removed by death that small remnant I say shall not prevent or have the start of those who are asleep or dead to wit neither as to their meeting with Christ in the air nor their actual possession of glory spoken of v. 17. and Paul puts himself among those who shall be then alive while he speaketh in the first person we not as if he had been to continue until then but because he divides all believers at Christs coming in two ranks the living and the dead he doth as it were for an example of the purpose in hand place himself among the living as he then was when he wrote or that he may thereby teach believers in all times to make ready for that day as if it were to come in their own time because the peremptory time when it shall come is uncertain Matth. 24. 42. Doct. 1. So violent is the current of impetuous affections when once given way to Psal. 77. 3. so hardly are we convinced of the evil that is in the excess of any thing in it self lawful and in particular in the excess of immoderate grief Joh. 4. 4 9. that a word in the by will not allay it there must be word upon word and reason upon reason to demonstrate not only the sinfulness of it but also that there is no reason for it for Paul having given two reasons already to allay their immoderate sorrow he doth here give a third taken from the order wherein the dead shall rise for this we say unto you c. 2. As Ministers should bring forth nothing for truth but that to which they may premit Thus saith the Lord So whatever truths they deliver though never so far above the reach of natures light if once it be made known that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken them we ought without further enquiry to stop our ears unto all that carnal or corrupt reason can suggest against the truth of them for being to deliver some mysterious truths above the reach of natural understanding he premitteth this that they had divine authority for them and therefore should have credit for this we say unto you by the word of the Lord saith he 3. The Lord Christ shall never want a Church of believers upon earth which in despight of Satans malice to the contrary shall still have a being either more conspicuously Isa. 2. 2. or more hidly Rev. 12. 6. in some one place or other until Christs second coming for Paul sheweth there will be
Ministers duty not only to labour upon the affections of people for making them choose and embrace that which is good though he ought to do that mainly 2 Tim. 4. 2. but also to inform their judgement by clearing their dangerous mistakes that they may be able to discern truth from errour and that as for other reasons so because of the great influence which a darkened judgement hath in misguiding the affections for it 's like they were not totally ignorant of the resurrection yet of some comfortable circumstances of it or at least did not seriously perpend them which occasioned their excessive grief and therefore Paul doth set himself to inform them I would not have you ignorant that ye sorrow not 3. It is not granted to the most near of Christian friends to enjoy the comfortable society of one another alwayes but however they may eschew all those other sad accidents which either do locally separate chief friends before their death Psal. 88. 18. or make their society one way or other useless Job 13. 4 5. yet death will inevitably make a separation at last and therefore Christians in wisdom ought to improve to the best advantage their mutual society while they enjoy it for Paul supponeth that death had removed some eminent Christians at Thessalonica which was cause of immoderate sorrow to such as were left behind while he saith concerning them that are asleep tâ—at ye sorrow not 4. Though believers in Jesus Christ be freed from the curse of the Law Gal. 3. 13. and consequently from death it self as it is a piece of that curse Gen. 2. 17. yet death doth seize even upon them and die they must the Lord having so appointed Heb. 9. 27. that through the strait and terrible passage of death they may have an entry unto life Rev. 14. 13. So that death hath changed its nature and use as to them and of a prison to detain them as Malefactors it is made a passage for them to walk safely through to the possession of their Kingdom as victorious Conquerours In which respect among others Christ by his death hath removed the sting of death unto all his followers 1 Cor. 15. 55 c. for Paul sheweth that even believers among them did dye concerning them that are asleep saith he 5. There is a moderate sorrow and grief which the Lord alloweth for the death of Christian friends though not because of any hurt or damage of theirs who are thereby freed from all sin and misery and rendred eternally happy Rev. 14. 13. yet for the loss which either we or the Church of God sustain in their removal 2 King 2. 12. and because the death of such is often a forerunner of sad dayes to come Isa. 57. 1. for Paul by forbidding only immoderate grief doth tacitely allow that which is moderate That ye sorrow not saith he even as others who have no hope But 6. there is an immoderate and excessive sorrow either for time or measure which as even the Godly through infirmity are apt to entertain so the Lord doth disallow and from which he willeth Christians to refrain as savouring much either of want of charity to our deceased friends contrary to Isa. 57. 2. or of Atheistical doubtings concerning the immortality of the soul and a blessed Resurrection of the body contrary to 1 Cor. 15. or at least of too great diffidence of Gods care and providence to supply what loss we our selves or the Church of God do sustain by their removal contrary to Matth. 9. last for Paul dischargeth this immoderate sorrow and upon those grounds while he saith sorrow not even as others who have no hope 7. The serious consideration of death and how its nature and use is changed to believers might be of it self sufficient to stop the current of immoderate and excessive grief for their removal for his expressing their death by a sleep doth serve for an argument to allay their immoderate grief the force whereof is expressed in the exposition concerning them that are asleep that ye sorrow not 8. As Heathens who live and die without the knowledge of Christ are as to salvation in a case wholly hopeless and desperate So that our bodies being turned to ashes in the grave and after that worms have consumed our flesh Job 19. 26. shall again be raised the same for substance and united to our souls is a truth which natures light not being inlightened by the written word could never comprehend Act. 17. 32. for the Gentiles are said here to have been without hope to wit both of salvation and chiefly of the Resurrection as he afterwards explains Now if they could have known a Resurrection they might hâ—ve had hope of it even as others saith he who have no hope Ver. 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him Here is a second head of the forementioned doctrine and a second ground of consolation to wit that in Gods due time there shall be a Resurrection unto a glorious life after death I say unto a glorious life for the whole strain of the text doth shew that he speaks only of the Resurrection of the Godly and not of the wicked unto condemnation mentioned Joh. 5. 29. Because that would have served nothing to his present scope which is not to terrifie but to comfort them against the death of their beloved friends See v. 18. and he proves that there shall be such a glorious Resurrection first by laying down an undoubted truth which he supponeth all did believe and take for granted to wit that Jesus Christ the head had dyed and after death arose again 2. By inferring from this ground that therefore the power of God shall raise and bring from the grave to life and immortality 1 Cor. 15. those which sleep in Jesus that is who are dead in Christ and shall continue in the faith whereby they are ingrafted in Christ Eph. 3. 17. to the last gasp And he shall bring them with Christ that is through vertue of their union with him as members with their head where he shortly hints at the force of the inference from Christs Resurrection to ours to wit because we are so nearly united to him to which add that Christs death and resurrection are an infallible forerunner and necessary cause of our resurrection seeing by his death he destroyed death 2 Tim. 1. 10. and arose that he might quicken us from death 1 Cor. 15. 20 21. Doct. 1. As there shall be a blessed resurrection of believers unto life after death So the faith of this truth is a singular cordial for comfort against the terrour of death in so far as though death get us once at under yet we shall not be detained by it and dearest friends who at death do part with grief shall then meet with joy for the Apostles scope is to comfort them against death from the faith of the resurrection
them that believe in that day 10. We are not bound to believe any other doctrine as necessary to salvation but that whereof it can be made out convincingly that the Apostles and other penmen of holy Scripture directed infallibly by the spirit have given testimony unto for saith he our testimony was believed among you 11. As it is the duty of Christs Ministers to make application of general promises unto the particular case of the Lords people to whom they are sent So they should carefully guard lest they apply those promises unto any but such as are so qualified as the promise doth require otherwise they speak peace to whom the Lord doth not speak peace for the Apostle applyeth the general comfort unto them in particular having found them endued with faith that necessary qualification which is required in the person to whom the promise doth belong because our testimony was believed among you saith he Ver. 11. Wherefore also we pray alwayes for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power In this and the following verse is contained a fourth ground of consolation for them under their present sufferings the summ whereof is that he and his associates did earnestly pray to God on their behalf where besides the act of praying and praying for them alwayes of which see upon 1 Thes. 5. 17. there is first the occasion of their prayer pointed at in the word wherefore or for this cause which relateth to the foregoing purpose to wit because Christ was to come to be glorified in believers and because they in particular were believers therefore he and his associates did pray for them Next there are the things prayed for first That God whom he appropriates to himself as his God by Covenant would count them worthy or judge them fit and meet see upon v. 5. for this calling that is to enjoy that glory unto which they are called for they were called already and therefore calling here must not be taken for Gods act in calling them but for that unto which they were called even the Kingdom of God spoken of v. 5. Next That in order to this God would fulfil or fully perform and accomplish his good pleasure concerning them that is his eternal purpose of election called usually by the name of good pleasure Ephes. 1. 5 9. and all his good pleasure that is all things which he had purposed in that decree to bring about for them even salvation and all things pre-required to it And it is called the good pleasure of his goodness to shew that nothing but his own goodness and propenseness to communicate good from himself to others was the cause and motive of that decree See Eph. 1. v. 4. doct 7. Thirdly That the Lord by his own omnipotent power would fulfil and by fulfilling preserve actuate increase and fortifie the work of faith in them or the grace of saving faith with all its gracious effects the saving graces of Gods Spirit Doct. 1. As it is our duty in the constant course of our prayers to God to mind the case of others and especially of those who suffer for truth because their tentations to fall are strong 2 Tim. 4. 6 10 14 15. and the glory of God and edification of the Church are in a singular manner concerned in their standing 2 Tim. 2. 10. So it is a choice ground for comfort and encouragement unto suffering Christians to know they have the prayers and best wishes of those who are dear to God sent up to the throne of grace daily for them The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Jam. 5. 16. for Paul did pray alwayes for those suffering Thessalonians and doth let them know so much for their encouragement wherefore also we pray alwayes for you 2. As it is the duty of Pastors to pray to God for thâ— Lords people as well as it is to preach unto them So the more a people do thrive in grace by a Ministers pains and the more ground of confidence is afforded to him by their carriage that it shall be eternally well with them the more will his encouragement be and his engagements the deeper to pray to God for them A stubborn and graceless people do prove a dead and heartless weight for a Minister to stand under and to lift at before the Lord for Paul did alwayes pray for this people and was encouraged thereto from their growth in grace formerly mentioned and more especially from the evidence he had of their eternal well-being in their believing his testimony mentioned v. 10. and related unto here in the causal particle wherefore Wherefore also we pray alwayes for you 3. It is the duty of those who have gotten their interest in God made clear to improve their interest in him and familiarity with him for the behove not of themselves alone but of others also This being the only way to recompence the tender bowels of others to them who employed their power with God for their behove when possibly they themselves were strangers to him for Paul improveth his interest in God for them while in praying to God on their behalf he calleth him his God that our God saith he would count you worthy 4. As none are worthy fit or meet for Heaven but those whom the Lord hath drawn out of nature to the state of grace in their effectual calling seeing no unclean thing can enter there Rev. 21. 27. So there is nothing in us either before or after our effectual calling which makes us worthy of Heaven or meet for it by way of merit but all our fitness and worth of that kind doth come from Gods gracious acceptation his vouchsafing and accounting of us as such for if we were worthy of Heaven by our own merit to what end doth he pray to God that he would count them worthy of it and he expresseth Heaven by the name of calling to shew that none but called ones are worthy of it and fit for it 5. As none shall be accounted and declared worthy in the last day to enter the joyes of Heaven but those whom God by his eternal decree and good pleasure hath appointed for it So the Lord in that his eternal decree hath not appointed Heaven for any but those whom he hath appointed also in the same decree to make meet for it for the connexion of the two first petitions teacheth both that Gods good pleasure and decree is anterior to their being accounted worthy and that Gods good pleasure is fulfilled and executed in Gods counting them meet and worthy and consequently in his making them so And fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness 6. As this eternal decree of election is extended unto more things than one even to the salvation of the elect and all the means tending to it So it is in all respects fully free and had its rise
extraordinarily gifted by the Holy Ghost for that end may abundantly fix us in the Faith of those truths it being impossible that the God of truth should ever have set his Seal unto a Lye Rom. 3. 4. For Paul would have them confirmed and constant in the Faith of these truths Preached by him because they were confirmed with such signs and wonders and in the Holy Ghost 6. The more a Minister be perswaded and above all doubt of the truth of what he Preaches the more he believes and doth therefore speak and the more he speaks as one who believes and hath ventured his soul upon the truth which he Preaches his Preaching will prove the more powerfull and apt to work effectually upon the hearts of hearers and the more he doubts the less he believes and is perswaded of these truths which he Preacheth his Preaching will prove the more warsh lifeless and coldryf For we may look on the third expression as one ground and cause of what is held forth in the first their Gospel came in power because it came in much assurance or the Preachers did assuredly believe the truths which they Preached see 1 Cor. 3. 12. Psal. 16. 10. 7. The Lord hath indued his Church and eespecially believers in his Church with a gift of discerning whereby they may be enabled in some measure to put difference betwixt a lively powerful Ministry and that which is coldryf dead and lifeless betwixt the man who speaks because he believes and him who though he speak yet believeth not In the exercise of which gift they would not be rash in passing an immediate sentence upon the hearts of Ministers Col. 2. 23. except in so far as their inward temper doth kyth in their external actions Matth. 7. 16. They would not be peremptory in passing certain judgement especially to the worst upon a doubtful evidence 1 Cor. 13. 7. Nor yet too open minded to vent what they judge Jam. 1. 19. especially when they can gain nothing by so doing but the raising of prejudices against a Minister in the minds of others and consequently the marring of that good which they were reaping by him However that they are indued with this gift is clear from this that Paul appeals to the Thessalonians as witnesses of that power and much assurance in which he Preached while he saith As ye know what manner of men we were among you 8. It is a Ministers wisdom and a piece of Christian modesty in speaking to his own commendation to hold himself most by that for the truth whereof he may appeal to the ears eyes and chiefly to the consciences of his hearers For so doth Paul appeal to their consciences for the truth of what he spoke As ye know what manner of men we were among you 9. These excellent gifts and graces and other ministerial qualifications which Christ bestoweth upon godly and able Ministers are not bestowed upon them for their own sake or particular satisfaction and advantage only or so much as for the behoof of the Church and especially of the Elect in it he dealeth the more liberally with Ministers for the sake of those and therefore they should improve and make use of all their receipts for the good of â—uch For Paul sheweth that he was inabled to Preach in power in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance for their sake Ver. 6. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the Word in much affliction with â—â—y of the Holy Ghost Here is a fourth reason of their thanksgiving to God which serveth also as an evidence moving Paul in Charity to judge all these to be elected of God unto Eternal Life in whom he had ground to conceive that this here spoken of was verified And this reason of thanksgiving or evidence of election is taken from the saving effects of the Gospel Preached upon them which are first generally proponed to wit that in their life and practice they had been followers of or conformed themselves to that excellent pattern and example held forth unto them by their Preachers and the Lord Christ. 2. Illustrated 1. from the necessary antecedent or moving cause of their so doing which was their receiving the Word Preached to wit in their judgements by understanding the sense Act. 8. 30. and assenting to the truth of it Heb. 4. 2. and in their heart and affections by embracing the good things offered by it 1 Tim. 1. 15. and subjecting themselves in all things to be ruled by the prescript of it Matth. 7. 24. 2. From an instance of some things wherein they did imitate such excellent patterns to wit that as Christ and his Servants had readily Preached the Gospel with much spiritual joy Joh. 4. 34. notwithstanding many hard pressures and afflictions both from men and Devils Acts 5. 41 42. So they had chearfully embraced the Gospel and adhered to it in the midst of much affliction and persecution unto which they were so far from a base ceding that they did couragiously sustain the dint of it with joy and a joy not carnal and natural but spiritual and such whereof the Holy Ghost is Author Doct. 1. Though charity believeth all things 1 Cor. 13. 7. and maketh a man easie to be perswaded of any good thing in another yet a Christian ought not to be foolishly credulous so as to believe things without far less against evidence But his charity in judging ought to be ruled by prudence so as he believe nothing but upon some probability and appearance For Paul did not judge them Elect but upon some evidence even this that they were followers of him and of the Lord. 2. The way approved of God for attaining the Faith of our own Election or a charitable perswasion of the Election of others is not to dive in immediately and at the first step upon the secrets of Gods decree as if we had stood in his counsel Jer. 23. 18. But by way of discourse and reasoning to collect and conclude that God hath elected us or others from the work of saving grace and the effects of that work kything in us or them For the Apostles scope here as I shew is not only to give an additional reason of his thanksgiving but also an evidence from which he did conclude their Election from the fruits and effects of saving grace in them Ye became followers of us and of the Lord saith he 3. It is the duty of Christians and such as being made conscience of doth strongly savour of a gracious change in them to propound unto themselves for imitation not the example of a multitude to do evil Exod. 23. 2. but of those in whom they observe the most eminent evidences of a work of saving grace For the Apostle doth mention this as a matter of their commendation a reason of thanksgiving to God on their behalf and as an evidence of their Election that they did imitate him and his Associates And ye became
to shrink from his duty for Paul did forecast it might cost him his life and resolveth to quit it we were willing to have imparted to you not the Gospel of God only but also our own souls 5. He should be so disposed as to be in a readiness to seal the truth preached by him with his blood and thereby to confirm and strengthen the Lords people in the faith of it Phil. 2. 17. if God shall call him to it for so was Paul to have imparted unto you our own souls 6. He should labour to have the Lords people so much indeared to him and beloved by him that whatever he do unto them or suffer for them may flow from affection and love to them for so was it with Paul We were willing to have imparted to you because ye were dear unto us Ver. 9. For ye remember brethren our labour and travel for labouring night and day because we would not be chargeable unto any of you we preached unto you the Gospel of God Here is a fourth ground of the similitude to wit that as the mother who is poor and destitute of her husbands help doth labour night and day that she may have wherewith to sustain her self and thereby enable her for sustaining of her children So doth the Apostle speak of his own diligence here and thereby confirmeth what he spoke of his affection to them v. 8. as appears by the causal particle for while he saith they did remember or at least might remember first more generally his labour and travel The first word in the original expresseth labour unto weariness and the second labour after weariness so that when his body was wearied he did not give over but made to work again And next more particularly 1. His uncessant diligence in his labour he laboured night and day to wit so much of that time as might be spared from his necessary refreshments by meat and sleep 2. The matter of his labour partly expressed in Preaching the Gospel partly implyed in his handly-labour by making tents to maintain himself Act. 18. 3. 3. The end why he did so labour that he might not be chargeable nor burthensome neither to the whole community nor yet to the private estates of any particular person among them and this as it seems because for some reasons not mentioned the success of the Gospel would have been otherwise retarded among them as it would have been at Corinth if Paul had exacted stipend from them 1 Cor. 9. 12. though it was not so in other Churches where Paul exacted his right 2 Cor. 11. 8. Phil. 4. 14. Doct. 1. Where there is entire and ardent love in the heart either to God or man it maketh any piece of service done unto them or for them though otherwise never so burthensome to be but light and easie for because they were dear to him v. 8. therefore doth he willingly undergo no small labour and travel for them for ye remember brethren our labour and travel 2. It is the duty of people to call to mind and not to forget the great pains and labour that Ministers have been at for bringing about their spiritual good that so they may not only be thankful to God who hath stirred up any to lay their otherwise perishing condition so near to theâ—r heart and acknowledge their obligation to instruments who have willingly spent themselves for their sake but also may thereby learn to value the worth of any spiritual good which they have received labour to maintain and improve it seeing their enjoying of it hath been the fruit of so much diligence and pains for Paul implyeth it was their duty to remember while he saith ye remember brethren our labour and travel 3. It is the Lords allowance and command that men of most eminent parts and greatest esteem should dimit themselves to the meanest and most toilesome of imployments for purchasing a mean of livelyhood and subsistence rather than that they should close with any sinful course or use unlawful means for that end for here Paul a great Apostle being straitned for a livelihood doth labour night and day in that mean employment of making â—ents Act. 18. 3. 4. Though Ministers are not to be entangled with the affairs of this life 2 Tim. 2. 4. and ought to give themselves wholly to the duties of their calling so as they be not turned aside from them by unnecessary diversions 1 Tim. 4. 15. yet in case of necessity and want of maintenance otherwise occasioned either by the extream poverty or profane unthankfulness of the people he may use some handie labour to maintain himself and his family 1 Tim. 5. 8. and yet not cease from preaching the Gospel for Paul a Minister of the Gospel in this case of necessity did labour night and day and preached unto them the Gospel of God 5. There is no ground here from Pauls practice to establish Popish works of supererogation or good works which as they say are not commanded but done over and above duty for Pauls abstaining from taking maintenance was no such work It was his duty in the present case however he had sufficient right to it otherwise v. 8. seeing by taking of maintenance he would have retarded the Gospel and therewith the glory of God and spiritual good of his neighbour 1 Cor. 9. 12. for promoving whereof he was bound by both tables of the Law Matth. 22. 37 39. to do whatever was in his power and therefore in this case it was not a work over and above duty Ver. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe This verse may be taken as a fifth ground of the similitude to this purpose That as the godly nursing mother doth not only nourish her children with milk and other meat but also endeavours to live among them Christianly that their tender age be not corrupted but rather edified by her good example So Paul did not only feed the Thessalonians spiritually by preaching the Gospel but also made his Christian life and holy practice shine before them while he behaved himself holily as to God in the duties of his worship and justly as to men and in all his dealing with men and which followeth upon the former unblameably or without complaint so as though God might justly tax him 1 Joh. 1. 8. yet man could shew no reason for which to blame him And he saith he behaved himself thus among those that believe the word may be rendred to those that believe implying that in his leading an holy life next to Gods glory he had respect to their good that they might be edified by his good example And for the truth of all this he appealeth both unto themselves and God as witnesses To them as witnesses of his outward conversation and to God as witness of his inward sincerity Doct. 1. As it is the duty of all and especially of Ministers unto