chosen vessels when Iesus came the world was full of men and wemen to be safe ther was neuer so many before his cōming I wote not if euer there was so manie since and that was it that Christ meaned when he said The haruest is great but the laborer are fevv Therefore pray ye the Lord of the haruest to send out laborer◠to his Wyne-yarde Matth. 9. 37. It is a wounder to heare howe hastilie at one preaching so manie thovvsandes were conuerted Reade the Acts of the Apostles the second and third chapters ye vvill vvonder at the zeale loue patience and joye of them Brethren this vvas the beginning and infancy of the Church but since that number hes begun to be drawne in narrow bounds in processe of time these Thessalonians who are now so praised by the Apostle they are so drawne in that vve heare it not told that Christ is professed among them So it was in the beginning heere amongst vs after the reformation when papistrie was put avvay it vvas a vvonder to see how men and vvemen did thring in and vvere glad to indure great labour and suffer afflictions for the Religion So no question but that reformation fell when the Lord had manie rype to be called in this land But I vvill speake my opinion I thinke in these dayes the number of the faithfull be dravvne in and except the Lord say it they shall grow fewer and peece peece they shall go away Now when all the elect shal be gathered in to the last person then the Lord Iesus shall come and put an end to this vvorld and I trow it shal not be long to it To returne So manie Thessalonians as manie patternes of grace to Macedonia Achaia I aske a question ere I leaue this Receiued the Macedonians Achaians anye hurt by this superioritie and prefement the Thessalonians had ouer them they vvere casten behind the Thessalonians before were the Macedonians hurt therby No the grace that God giues to a man if he vse it rightly neuer hurts another man but furthers him ouer comes he me in this grace I am nothing impared in that because he is a patterne to me whom I should follovv in that grace runnes he before me he should vvalken mee vp to follow and runne after for this is one meane among all the rest of the meanes the Lord vses to dravv vs forvvard in the course of grace for we are slovv in running euerie one of vs by nature is inclyned to sluggishnes ay looking ouer our shoulder to stay our course as Lots vvife did Therefore the Lord hes appointed this meane to draw thee forward he wil set out one behinde thee long after thee and vvill cause him to come by thy eare vvith all speedines and runne out before hee to prouoke thee to emulatiō so thou sholdest say This man began after me I was in faith before him he hes outrunne me it is shame to me so thou should take thee to thy foote run otherwise thou hast no part with the runners in this rinke So did he with the Iewes they were all lingring at the comming of Christ the Gētiles comes out after them and runnes by them that they might be prouoked to follow so that both Iew and Gentile might run on together to that But which is Christ Rom. 11. Now to the next verse The words are plaine He makes this more cleare to wit That they were examples to them of Macedonia Achaia And he sayes For from you sounded out the vvord of the Lord not in Macedonia and Achaia onelie Euen as at the beginning this blessed Gospell sounded out from Zion for they that preached it came from Zion which is Ierusalem and spread it abroad through the vvhole world So from the Thessalonians the word sounded out spread to Macedonia Achaia Who wer these that sounded the vvord to Macedonia Novv certainlie it appeares vvell euen trauelling men so journers passingers marchants traffiquers that had trauelling in Macedonia as men that vvould go out of Edinburgh to other parts of this Realme so from Macedonia to Achaia These men as they so journed they so journed not vvith close mouthes but they euer sounded as Heraulds and Trumpettars sounding and vvhere euer they found occasion they spake of Christ and of that grace vvhich vvas in him to them that knevv him not So that they had conference euer of spiritual things Then ye who trauels frō toun to town from Country to Country ye haue your lesson here ye should not trauell with a close mouth all your speach should not be of marchandice and traffique but of some grace ye haue gotten at home disperse and speake of it Ye thinke of duetie ye shold seek your aduantage marchandice the Lord hes bound your consciences as it wer with bondes to speake oppen the grace of god going to places wher there is fredome to speak the Lord bids you speak he bids you be lamps lights to blind people where euer ye resort for besides all other meanes the Lord hes appointed this as a mean to win soules to Christ that ye who trauailes and haue heard of grace should communicate that grace and haue conference thereof to all persones where ye come that you may vvinne your poore brother sister that haue not heard of it Alas our consciences may accuse vs verie sore for the neglect of our duetie herein And I trow because vvhen men are abroad trauailing they trauaile with close mouthes neuer speaking of the grace they got at home the Lorde hes begun to close the mouthes of the preachers of grace in this Towne heere He goes forward in the next part of the verse and he amplifies this grace of the Thessalonians Not onelie hes the vvorde soūded to Macedonia but he sayes your faith also vvhich is tovvards God is spread abroad in all quarters So that the Apostle trauailed to no part but the brute of their faith met him The brute of a man will go farther nor his voice vvil be heard Thou then shouldst take heade to thy name and fame and trauaile to get a a good fame for I tell thee as thy presence is either good or bad to them that see thee and vvith vvhom thou art conuersant so is thy fame to them that see thee not If thou die bearing the name of a good man thy name doth good to the posteritie but if thou die an euill man thy euill name destroyes manie Woe to them therefore that leaues an euill name behinde them especiallie if they be in high places and amongst all the rest of the meanes God vses to enlarge Christs Kingdome with and to bring men to Heauen as the presence of a man and his voice is one mean so the name and fame of the grace of God in a man is an other meane Take head to thy name and fame for either it shall turne to thy
glorie of God in Christ he takes it and puts it not in veshelles of siluer and golde no but in a veshell of earth 2. Corinth 4. 7. and all this is that the vvorlde shoulde not esteeme the treasure according to the veshell Therefore the Lorde will put in a veshell of claye the treasure that is Heauen in Christ Now will ye see mans famous wisdome When he heares the vvord comming out of this base and infirme man he sayes the veshell is nothing worth it is made of clay it serues for no purpose a sillie fellow from whence came he therefore this word that is in his mouth it can not be the word of God would euer he haue put so pretious a thing in so vylde a veshell O rebellious man that is euer contrarie to God in all thinges and speciallie in the Gospell Experience teaches vs of the enimitie that the wicked men in this Realme caries in their heart against God and his Ministers they will not let God be wise in his wisdome he hes in his Ministerie but they will be wiser Well fight on his wisdome will winne the fielde and thou wilt lose it to thy euerlasting destruction Now to goe forward He casteth in a parenthesis saying As it is in deed the vvord of God Ye esteemed it not as the word of men but of God as it is in deed Receyue it as ye please account it Gods vvorde or mans as ye please it is and shall abyde Gods vvord and thy mouth in the end shall be shutte vp so that thou shalt not vtter one vvord if thou account anie otherwise of it So vvhat euer be the opinion of men in the vvorlde and their speaches their saying or gainesaying alters nothing Th' instrument neither adds nor diminishes the glorie of the vvord The vvord of Iesus abydes and shall abyde the true vvord and shall retaine the ovvne authoritie and glorie thy vvordes vvill neuer be able to make any change No brethren the mouth of man for as infirme and gracelesse as it is will not be able to impare a jot of the glorie of that God and by the contrair put it in the mouth of neuer so glorious a creature if it wer in the mouth of an Angell nothing will be added to the glorie of it it is powerfull in the selfe the creature will not be able to make any alteration In deed it will honour the mouth when it is put in the mouth of a man it will make him honourable but he can not honour it if he were neuer so noble or eloquent Set vp a king to preache trow ye he will honour the Gospell no but he shall get honour by the preaching of it No if it were all the Angels of Heauen that would preache this glorious Gospell they can not giue it honour but they are honoured by it And when the Angels came and cryed to men this word of God they got a singulare honour Paul to the Galat. chap. 4. vers 14. sayes ye receiued me as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus Wherefore was this for Pauls ovvne presence no but for the word of God in his mouth which made him to be accounted as an Angell of God Neuer man shall be able to ad any honour to the word or diminishe the honour thereof Now blessed is he who gets this grace to deliuer this word with an earnest zeale to glorifie God and Christ by preaching thereof Now in the end of the verse He thinkes it not eneugh to call it the word of God but he giues a proofe of it The vvord of God vvher euer it be Pâ—â—er of the vvord will euer prooue it selfe to be the vvord of God it can not be idle it must be quicke and effectuall in the hearer it must vvorke liuelie it vvill pearce lyke a tvvo edged svvord and therefore it is said vvhich also vvorketh in you that beleeue Hovvbeit it vvas vttered by an infirme man yet the vveakenesse of the persone hinderes not the povverfull operation of the vvorde It vvill not be the mouth of the speaker that vvill holde back povver from the vvord of God But vvhen the Lord puts his vvord in his mouth and sayes I will put my vvord in thy mouth go thy vvay if all the world had said the contrare that vvord shal be powerfull Well is that man in whose mouth this word is put and vvell is that people that hes a man in vvhose mouth the Lord hes put his word the basnesse and infirmitie of the man will not be able to hinder the povver thereof If the Lorde once put his vvorde in his mouth it is so vvonderfull a thing Set vp eloquent Dememosthenes diuine Plato facunde Cicero c. vvho vvere like as manie vvonders in the vvorld let them come in vvith their eloquence they shal not haue such operation in the harts of men as a sillie fellow and simple of speache shall haue vvhen he speakes the vvord in the name of the Lord. And if there vvas euer a vvorke in the vvorlde maruellous that vvorke vvhich the Minister by the Spirite and vvorde of God workes is most maruelous For to regenerate a man vvho vvas once dead it is not a mans tongue his eloquence his instancie that can doe it but onelie that powerfull and blessed vvord of God that all glorie and praise of his povverfull operation may be giuen to his Majestie Marke a word farther He sayes not that workes in euerie one of you but he sayes in you vvho beleeues In the 1. chap. Rom. vers 16. The Gospell is called the povver of God to saluation to them that beleeues In the first to the Corinthians chap. 1 vers 24. It is the povver and vvisdome of God to them that hes that effectuall calling and hes gotten the heart oppinned to take head and drinke in the worde onelie in these is the worde of God effectuall to saluation Brethren it is true it is offered with power to the vnbeleeuers as well as to the beleeuers but this is the difference If thou hast not an heart hand to take it when it is offred to thee with power thou shalt neuer receiue its thou wantst power to receiue it but there is power in the word very sufficient vnto saluation Alas how manie heare the vvord with their heart so hardened that the word strikes on their hart as an hammer on the studdie The hardnes of thy heart beats it backe againe so that it is not powerfull to thee My counsell is except thou preasse to haue thy heart mollified and crauest at God to mollifie it hear not the word or I le assure thee the more thou hearest the more thou vvilt be hardened Manie make a showe of hearing the Lord and the Laird will come and sit in their daskes and heare the worde and will come forth without anie profite because their hearts were not attentiue to heare Ieast not with the word it shall eyther saue thee
they were so obliuious as to forget a thing so needfull for their saluation Now to take vp some lessons shortlie on these wordes Then Apostle then beganne verie soone to foretell the Thessalonians of the comming of the Antichrist and of that vniuersall defection that was to fall out so long after that for this prophecie is especiallie of that great Antichrist who came not a long tyme after this The estate of the Church of Thessalonica was floorishing at this tyme he castes in a matter of discouragement heere There shall be an vniuersall defection Defection of the Church euer to be feared Well brethren it iâ— good euer to foresee the euil that is to come on the Church of God on the earth yea eueâ— when she is most floorishing to feare a decay and that her state will alter For this is the nature of the visible Church of God heere on the earth she is not so stabled nor setled but she is subject to alteration and trouble to defection to falling away from God from Christ and the trueth and that both particularlie and vniuersallie our setlednesse is not in this world there are none so well stablished but they may fall and therefore we should be euer in a dread and feare of destruction and alteration And it is the parte of the Pastour aboue all other euen in the floorishing of it to be forwarning and foretelling of an alteration and defection to insew For he as a watch-man should haue a sharpe eye to foresee and he should craue a foresight of God to knovve thinges to insew that he may giue aduertismentes to the people and they may be prepared for all dangers to come Another lesson Ye see the Thessalonians hes bene forgetfull of that which the Apostle tolde them when he was with them and therfore that which he spoke then he wrytes now to them Naturaly vvee are forgetfull of spiritual things So obliuious we are especiallie of thinges concerning our saluation that we will receyue them in at the one eare and let them goe out at the other we heare to day we forget to morrowe The seede is not so soone sowne but the deuill as a rauenous foull is readie to pull it out of the very eares that it be to vs nothing but a vanishing sound and therefore it is the Pastors part euer to be calling to their remembrance the things that are heard Ye see in a schoole the master considering the weaknesse of the memory of the youth is euer repeating the thing they haue heard as needfull it is to the Pastour to be euer repeating the thing he hes teached for all are as infantes in thee schoole of Christ 1. Cor. 13. 11. and it is the peoples part to be as diligent to heare ouer againe these things that pertaines to saluation and to craue that the Lord wold blesse their memories there in that they may be the more able to gainstand all assaultes of the deuill and his suppostes how canst thou gainestand if thou be not furnished with the armour of the word of God Therefore the Lord grant me grace to forwarne you and sanctify your memories to receyue and keepe the things that concernes your saluation for it may be the day of tentation is neerer nor we beleue But mark the forme how he cals it to remembrance He does it with a rebuke and reproofe Remember ye not They who are forgetfull of thinges heauenly should not goe away without reproofe calling to remembrance should be with rebuke But marke againe the leâ—itie of the Apostle in rebuking Remembeâ— ye not sayes he I told you before Therefore all this rebuke should be with lenity and loue sharpnesse should euer be mingled with leâ—â—tie This is the thing I euer find this Apostle doing Now to goe forward to the next verse Because he said before the Antichrist was not as yet reueiled The Thessalonians might haue asked the Apostle What withholdes What stayes What impediment is there Why is he not reueiled The Apostle answers shortly Ye know what withholds it is not needfull I tell you I told you it else when I was with you call it to remembrance it is not needfull that I should lose tyme by oft repeating of it Yet brethren albeit he knew it and the Thessalonians knewe it because he had told them of it before yet we knowe it not for any thing he showes heere Therefore we must see what was the impediment that stayed the reuiling of the Antichrist till his hight and pryde The Romane Empyre and publishing of the Gospel are impedimeÌ„tes staying the reueiling of the Antichrist What was it Both the olde and late wryters agrees in this It was the Romane Empyre that floorished for the tyme. The euent and issue of thinges declared this to be true For so long as the Romane Empyre stoode and the Emperour keept his owne seat at Rome which now is vsurped by the Pope so long neither Mahomet in the East preuailed for he was one of the destroyers of the Romane Empyre neither the Pope in the West got vp his head for the Empyre suffered him not to come to his hight But when once the Romane Empyre decayed the Emperour changed his seat left Rome and remained at Constantinople Then vp gets the Mahomet his seate in the East the Pope in the West and he sits downe in the Emperours seate This is one impediment Latter writers joines to this another impediment that staied the reueiling of the beast and his comming to his hight to wit the decree of God concerning the publishing of the Gospell of Iesus Christ in the world Ere he should come to his perfection it behoued that the Gospel should be preached throghout the world Ere there be any falling there must be a standing ere there be any Apostasie there must be a receiuing of the word It behoued that before apostasie the word should be vniuersally teached Therefore the Romane Empyre decaying the course of the Gospell comming to an end the Euangell being vniuersally teached the Antichrist breakes in and takes vpon him both the jurisdictiones takes on him the earthly power and then the jurisdiction ouer the soules of men he killes the bodie with the temporall sword he killes the soule with the poyson of falle doctrine His kingdome is euer slaying either of the soules of men with false doctrine and poyson of Heresies or else if men will not obey he slayes their bodies with the sword These are the impediments helde him back vnreueiled Then learne heere it is the Lord vvho stayes and holdes back euill from the world and his manerâ—â— he castes in impediments before the deuill and before wicked men ere they rise The deuill and his suppostes is comming out rushing on the people the Lord casts in impediments to them and then they must stand vntill these impedimentes be some way remoued For brethren the power of the deuill and of darknes and wickednes is so great on the
Peter and the rest of them there is no standing but on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Paul writing to the Ephes 2. 20. speakes of their building Being builded sayes he vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Thou shalt neuer be builded on Iesus Christ if thou be not builded vpon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and if that be not then there is no saluation for thee goe to Spaine goe to Rome as thou wilt thou hast noght ado with Iesus Christ if thou stand not grounded on the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Then would ye see what ye call true perseuerance in faith VVhat is perseuerance and apostasie Euen that is true perseuerance that is in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles onely and no more and no lesse Then what is Apostasie that is contrare to perseuerance If perseuerance be in keeping of the doctrine of the Apostles then that is Apostasie when thou falles away from their doctrin No brethren the falling away from that Roman Antichrist is no Apostasie The Lord at his comming in that great day shall justifie this and shall judge that Church to be a false and an adulterous Apostatike Church and whoeuer joines with it if they repent not shall be adjudged that day to damnation and they that departs from it and stickes to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles shall be judged to be the holy ones of God Now followes in the end of the verse two sortes of teaching of them that the Apostle vsed The first is by word when he spoke to them face to face The other is by his Epistle The lesson is easie Men are taught aswell by writ as word all teaching is not tied to the personall presence of men No men are as surely taught by writ as by word And seeing it hes pleased the Lord to showe this mercy on vs that the writtes of the Apostles are comde in our hands which are read in your audience therefore we haue Paul to be a teacher to vs aswell as the Thessalonians had Therefore conclude surely that it is not so much this Minister or that Minister teaches you as it is the Apostle Paul and Christ Iesus in him for euery Minister is not so guyded as he was the ministers may erre and hes erred but the Apostles could not erre for they were immediatly called of Iesus Christ and were in their writting direct fully by the holy Spirit Therefore think that ye haue the Apostle Paul and the rest to be your teachers and as for a Minister if he goe a stray breadth off that ground of the Apostles he teaches false doctrine and so the surest teachers that we haue are the olde Prophets and Apostles that cannot erre Thinke it not a small mercy that the Lord hes made their writs to come to vs and no doubt Christ when he tooke good-night of the Apostles had respect to this Matt. 28. chap. 19. vers Goe your vvay and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and the holy Ghost and loe I am vvith you vntill the end of the vvorld as he would say ye in a maner shall bide and liue till I come againe if not in your persons yet in your writte and I shall accompanie your writte as I did accompany your persons in the world and surely the Spirit of Christ accompanies this same writ and word as euer he did their dresence on earth Now I will answere one doubt that he ere occurres before I go forward Ye that hes red any thing knowes that the aduersars preases to make aduantage of this place keepe that that I haue taught you by word or writ Then cry they out traditions traditions The Apostles say they hes left traditions besides their writs verities vnwritten and therefore as great credite should be giuen to them as to the written verity and they should be receiued with as great reuerence as their writs Brethren it is true the words importes a diuersity but if ye will looke well about you ye shall find that there is no diuersity in the matter and substance but onely in the maner and forme of teaching as if he should haue said Keep that which I haue teached you either by word or writ which is all one thing for that which I spoke I wrote and that which I wrote I spok this is certaine But giuing this to them supponing the Apostle had spoken something which he had not written at this time what is it to the purpose Ergo wrote he iâ— not afterward Supponing the Apostle had not written this whole doctrine to the Thessalonians yet wrote he it not to the Romans Ephesians c and in one word the Apostle spoke nothing by mouth which he registred not in writte The same doctrine he spoke by mouth the same he left in register in writ to be red by the world Now then to return to the matter When he hes ended the exhortation he subjoines prayer and the same perseuerance he exhorted them to he begs to them froÌ„ the hands of God BrethreÌ„ al exhortation Teaching vvithout the spirite povverlâ—s all this doctrine and preaching all preceptes and admonitions are but winde and vaine voyces shal sounds in the eare and goes not to the hart except with the word the Lord concur by his spirit If the Lord by his power and spirit inwardly moue not the hart and affections of men all is but vanity and winde Now the meane ye see to get the Spirit to the preaching and hearing of the word is prayer And therefore take the lesson A man should neuer preach nor heare preaching but the eie of his soule should be lifted vp to him that is able onely to giue the power and increase In preaching the Minister should be begging power and the people praying and saying Lord as this is thy word which is thy power vnto saluation so by thy Spirit make it powerfull in me If thy eye be on the man and thy hart be not lifted vp to God thou shalt goe as empty home as thou came abroad Therefore set thy eye and hart on him who is only able to giue power to thy life and vpon him who giues only consolation when thou hast need and finally on him that giues saluation to all that beleues aright to wit the Lord Iesus for without him there is no grace to be bestowed on man be what he wil. Prayer is the meane to get the presence of the Spirit concurring with the word for the word without grace and power be giuen to it to open the hart is powerfull to close the hart The Gospell is an instrument to obdure thy hart if it be heard without praier to God and presence of his Spirit Therefore pray that in hearing ye may vnderstand and that ye may walke according to the knowledge thereof Now then to come to the wordes There are three thinges in this prayer First
he would say to the Thessalonians I tooke purpose to hurt my selfe for you I forgot my selfe for your profite and the care which I had of you that ye shoulde haue good companie I choosed to be alone my selfe among the infidels without fellow-helpers The lesson is plaine Where there is loue in the heart of the Pastor to the church or any person he will be content to be solitare without good company euen in the midst of infidels that that Church may haue good companie he will be content to be poore that the Church may be riche he will be content to die that the Church may liue he will wishe to be an Anathema and accursed for his brethren that the Lord may be glorified in the saluation of his Church No it is an vnspeakable loue that a faithfull Pastor hes first to the Lord Iesus who hes sent him and next to the Church that is bought with the bloude of Iesus he will forget himselfe to remember them he will not not onelie seuere from good companie for their cause but he will forget his owne lyfe to haue them well Marke next Ere he comes heere to the sending of Timothie to the Thessalonians he telles of the purpose he tooke I thought it best to abyde at Athens myne alone And vpon this purpose I entered in action and sent him Ye shall finde this commonlie in Paul vvhen he speakes of his doing he speakes euer of a purpose and decree going before and then the action follovving I decreed to knovve nothing among you but Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2. 2. All vvell doing should proceede of a purpose of the mynde Purpose and consultation shold preceede action well doing would not come rashlie to our hand but as the Lorde hes giuen a man a mynde to conclude and resolue so well doing should come of the resolute purpose of the mynde without the purpose of the mynde in well doing the action hes not the full praise God himselfe did nothing but by purpose and counsell preceeding He elected vs of a purpose before all eternitie in tyme of purpose he calles vs of purpose he justifies vs and of purpose he glorifies vs. In a vvord he does all things according to the purpose of his will Ye may read this in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians So vvhen God giues grace to any man to doe anie thing the first grace he giues is a willingnesse in the mynde to doe well Grace beginnes at the heart and mynde and not at the hand Philipp 2. 13. it is said God is he vvho giues the inward vvill and purpose that is first and the performance that is next Ere he giue thee the performance of vvell doing he giues thee the purpose of the heart to doe it Therefore before thou put out thy hand to doe vvell looke thou haue the purpose in thy heart and then the vvell-doing is perfite otherwise not Many will put out their hand to doe some good thing vvhen the heart will be fighting against the hand Put both purpose in minde and action in hand together to do well or else hold altogether to thy selfe Now to the next verse Hauing taken a purpose he sayes He sent Timothie Hauing taken purpose he goes to the action he sends him The lesson is easie After purpose is taken then goe to the action aduyse thee well and then stay not but goe to and execute thy purpose There are manie vvho are ay purposing and consulting but their purpose is ay fectlesse and vvhen they haue taken purpose they stand still there their purpose in nothing vvorth It is verie true euen as the purpose to doe vvell is of grace it is not of mans selfe to doe it it is God vvho giues the purpose so the action of the hand is of God in such sort that when thou hast gotten grace to will well thy hand shall be bound hard and fast that thou shalt not be able to doe it except thou be furnished with an other grace also When God hes giuen thee the purpose except he also giue thee the performance thou shalt neuer doe it for the Apostle saies 〈◊〉 God vvho giues the purpose and the doing vvell Whereto speak â— this euen to learne vs that euer in all our actions and lyfe we continue in begging of grace begge good purpose by prayer then stand not there thinke not thou hast gotten all there are many graces begge the meanes to effectuate it begge earnestlie the 〈◊〉 When thou hast begged the purpose and gotten it begged the performance and gotten it begge the blessing to continue in it or else all shall faile If grace 〈◊〉 not multiplied grace after grace we shall fall when we haue gotten the fast grace we shall 〈◊〉 the second grace we shall 〈◊〉 yea the third grace we shalt 〈◊〉 except God vp holde 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 graces except we continue the greater is our fall And so begge grace after grace that we may be filled with his fulnes in Christ and get the perfection of all 〈…〉 What man is this Timothie He is set onâ— in his owne styles he calles him hast our brother from that common calling of all Christian men and wemen for in Christ we all are brethren and sisters a Minister must first be a brother before hee be a Minister Then secondlie he is sette 〈…〉 that particulare calling and he is called the Minister of 〈◊〉 and vvhat 〈…〉 Paul In vvhat 〈…〉 Christ. There is a faire Ministrie a faire exercise hee is exercised in the seruice of God in the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ Then he sends this Timothie Good meÌ„ Could be depute to the performance of God actions Then vvhat man is this Timothie that he puttes in his place to visie the The 〈◊〉 to confirme and establishe them in that faith A good man 〈◊〉 man and a brother and yet more then that a Minister of God and a 〈◊〉 labouret vvith Paul in the Gospel of Iesus Christ Then the lesson is That vvhich vvee can not get done in our ovvne persone vve must doe it by others whether 〈…〉 or in the Common vvealthe But looke that euer thy 〈…〉 whom thou appointest to do that which thou shouldest doe in thy own person be a godlie man like Timothie Mâ—ses when he could not ouertake all the affaires of the people himselfe he chose out at the desire of Iethro his father in law good men to doe the turne send not out a cyphere appoint men that are able to doe it as thou wilt be answerable to God In the worke of the Lord do nothing negligentlie but earnestly hauing euer thy God before thy eyes Woe to that man that does the vvorke of the Lord negligentlie Ierem. 48. 10. Let men therefore take head to their own doings and to those men whom they set vnder them that they be not cyphers but meete to do the work of the Lord. Alas this is far from the forme
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
boast of thy will and reason If the Lord withdraw his hand from thy reason thou shalt be a plaine idiot thou shalt fall to filthie wickednesse So brethren these wordes are of great weight He sayes not that he prayed that he would keepe the Spirit but the whole spirit the soule but the whole soule the bodie but the whole bodie So we must not be keeped in the speciall parts but in the whole properties and inferior powers of the soule and body if the least haire of the head be not keeped by the Lord if the Lords prouidence extend not to the keeping of the smallest part of the bodie thou shalt not be able to stand Thinke not thou shalt stand except the Lord hold thee vp no growing but in God Therefore the Apostle sayes Thou that vvouldst glorie glorie in Christ 1. Corinth 1. chap. 31. verse He is our keeper and vve are not able to stand one moment of an houre vvithout his aide neyther in soule nor in bodie Now how long should we be keeped blamelesse He limits the tyme and sayes Vnto the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ Marke the tyme. Is it no longer but till Christ come againe No brethren euermore It is true our conferuation and perseuerance vses to be limited to Christs comming Paul 2. Tim. 4â— chap. 18. verse sayes God vvill keepe me to his heauenly kingdome that is vntill I enter in his heauenly kingdome Peter sayes 1. Epistle 1. chap. 5. verse We are keeped through the povver of God till the last tyme. I tell you the cause we are in greatest danger in this world infinite dangers are we in as it were hanging aboue Hell readie to fall downe euerie moment if the Lord hold vs not vp the deuill is seeking whom he may deuote and when we trow least then we are most suddenly assaulted by him Beside the deuill haue we nor this â—ankerd sin that is within vs Haue we not a this broad world about vs Haue we not the graue and death great enemies in their owne nature except the Lord sanctifie them Certainely they also would deuote vs except we were in Christ We are compast in this world about on euerie side with cruell enemies Therefore considering this dangerous estate the Scripture craues ay that we may be keeped vntill Christ come and then all enemies shall be slaine the deuill the worlde death and all shall be slaine Death shall die for euer This canker of nature shall be swallowed vp all our enemies shall be wreaked So our conseruation is craued vntill his comming but our conseruation shall not end then but euen in Heauen we shall be conserued by the hand of God for euer through Iesus Christ When thou commest to Heauen thou shalt not be thy selfe alone thou shalt not stand by the nature thou tooke of Adam nor by any power that is in thee no more nor a new borne childe can stand alone but when thou commest to Heauen thy standing shall be by Christ and God Then seeing all our conseruation and standing both heere and heereafter is by God we should rander all honor to his glorious Majestie for euer AMEN THE XXVII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 24 Faithfull is he vvhich calleth you vvhich also vvill doe it 25 Brethren pray for vs. 26 Greete all the brethren vvith an holy kisse 27 I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle he read vnto all the brethren the Saints 28 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be vvith you Amen WE haue in hand presently welbeloued in Iesus the conclusion vvhich is the last parte of this Epistle He begins it with a prayer crauing in his prayer euen that same thing hee had exhorted them to to vvitte holinesse sanctification continuance and perseuerance in holinesse and sanctification to the end and so acknowledging God to bee the giuer of that same very thing which he exhorted them to and that it lay not in their hands nor free will to will or doe any good but all stands in the hands of God who is the giuer of all grace He prayes that it would please God to giue them that grace he exhorted them to and he would stir them vp to seek that same grace at the hands of God for it is vanity to stryue to any grace without God And therefore as thou would do any thing pray to God to giue thee grace to doe it Let thy eye be euer on God and in the midst of the action when thou thinkst thou art best exercised craue grace of perseuerance for I assure thee he leaue thee in the best of thy action thou wilt fall backward Therefore there is such necessitie that the eye be euer on God that it is impossible to a man to do any thing that is good except his eye be euer on him begging grace and perseuerance in grace at his hands Now he goes forward and in the thinges that followes to the end of the chapter and Epistle there is such a varietie that euery thing here set downe is a seuerall heed of doctrine First he promises to them that same thing he had prayed for at God Then he maks a petition to them desiring them to pray for him Then to commend him to the brethren Then he adjures them that they read this Epistle to all the people And last he bids them fairewell recommending them to the grace of Christ Ye see what varitie of thing she hes I minde to be short in them seeing they are almost things common in euery Epistle making a choise of that I thinke best for our comfort and necessity Now he begins at the promise Faithfull is â—e vvhich calleth you vvhich also vvill doe it There is the promise The Apostle would say that that I pray God that he will grant you to wit he will preserue you in the end in faith that I am assured he will doe He will not leaue you vnto the tyme he perfite his worke begunne in you There is the promise Ye see first in this promise the prayes that he made immediatly before for them praying to God that he would preserue them in holinesse to the end is grounded vpon an assurance in the hart that God would grant that same thing which he prayed for to the Thessalonians Marke it And first learne concerning prayer All prayer for thinges heauenly and spirituall concerning the life to come I speak not of the worldly thinges ConfideÌ„ce in prayer but thinges heauenly and spirituall should arise on some certainty and assurance of the hart that God will grant to vs the things we aske Therefore Iames in his Epistle last chap. 15. verse he calles prayer the prayer of faith that is that ryses of faith and assurance in the hart that God will grant vs the thing we aske Iohn in his first Epistle last chap. 14. verse he joynes these two together confidence or assurance
judges is oft-tymes so blinded that he sees not the thing that is just for he will take vp the thing that is vnjust to be just and the thing that is just to be vnjust Then againe supponing by the light of the minde he see the thing that is just yet there is such a peruersnesse in his will and affection that in spyte of the light of the mynde he will peruert justice that thing he knowes to be just he will call it vnjust And the thing he knowes to be vnjust he will call it just But it is not so with God for first he by that infinite judgement in him sees that thing that is just to be just nothing can begyle him at the verie first looke he vvill knovve that vvhich is just And then againe vvhen he sees it to be just there is such an vprightnesse in him that he vvill decerne it to be just Then brethren it is vvell vvith vs that our lyfe and death dependes not on men vpon their judgement their speaking it is vvell vvith vs that our saluation and condemnation depends not on their blind and corrupt affection but on him that sees euery thing as it is and judges justlie There is the ground of our saluation Novv to goe forvvarde The effect of his justice vvhat is it The just Iudge sitting in his judgement seate he renders to euerie man their ovvne his justice standes in distribution He renders to the troublers by the saw called Lex talionis euen such thing as they did to wit trouble But to the godly he giues rest joy and comfort for euer What should he render to the afflicters but affliction To the troublers but tribulation againe So what euer man does he gettes the lyke repayed to him againe in his hand God readers infinite trouble to the afflicters of the godlie afflictes he he shall be afflicted trouble he he shall be troubled if all the world had said the contrare Indeed it is true brethren the affliction that he receiues albeit it be alyke in qualitie for affliction is euer like affliction yet looke to the quantitie of that trouble the troublers shall receyue It is incomparable in quantitie for in quantitie it shall be infinite All that which they may do to the godly is but finit and hes and end But that affliction where-with they shall be repayed home againe is infinite And therefore read the Rom. chap. 2. vers 8. 9. where Paul telles of that rendring alike at that great day he cannot get words sufficiently to expresse their affliction They shall get indignation then wraith they shall be opprest with tribulation anguish and shall be casten in the presse of affliction Whereto should we speake of this Can any words expresse it No all the words of the Angels of Heauen and men in the earth cannot expresse the affliction they shall be afflicted with in that day Indeed the afflictions the godly sustaines here may be suffered but the affliction the wicked shall suffer at that day shal be intolerable Now ye may say how can this stand with Gods justice to repay a thing infinite for a finite thing to render infinite affliction for finite affliction to render the paines of Hell for a short temporall paine I answer God in repaying wrong to them that hes done wrong lookes not so much to the wrong that one man does to another as to the wrong done to his owne Majesty that is infinite Thou oppressest thy neighbour thou troublest a brother The Lord when he commes to judge he looks not so much to the wrong thou hast done to thy neighbour or to thy brother as to the wrong done to himselfe He respects the wrong done to him who is infinite and therefore thou shalt be repayed with an infinite paine This is Gods justice Then againe Neuer a man that did wrong and that hes tane pleasure to do wrong did euer the wrong nor was able to doe so great wrong as he would haue done if he had gotten his will fulfilled in doing wrong there would neuer be an end of his wrong If the trouber had his vvill in troubling no end of his trouble If the murtherer had his vvill in murthering his bloodie svvord vvould neuer be put vp but he vvould euer be murthering he vvould be euer oppressing And therefore God in his judgment lookes not so much to the thing thou doest to the stroke of thy hand to the word of thy mouth as he looks to the thoght and will of thy mynde It hes no end of euill The Lord for thy endlesse euill vvill in hart vvill render thee an endlesse paine This much for the first rendering The second rendring is the rendring to the godly according to Gods justice What renders God to the godly Not as he did to the wicked affliction for affliction trouble for trouble but by the contrare vvhere they vvere afflicted lying tread dovvne in the presse of affliction then the Lord shall louse their bondes and take the oppressours and vvrap them in the same bondes and tread them vnder his feete So the second sort of rendering God renders infinite glory to the godly afflicted is rendering not alyke to alyke but a thing that is vnlyke rendering to the afflicted relaxation for euer Brethren there is no comparison betvveene the afflictions of the godlie and that vvhich the Lord shall render to them for their affliction That vvhich the godlie suffers is but a meane and small thing It is not vvorthie to be spoken of to be rent on the Raoks to be burnt quick for the name of Iesus is not vvorthie to be spoken of in respect of that wonderfull glorie we shall possesse The Apostle in that second chap. to the Romans 10. verse cannot get words to expresse their glory which they shall enjoy at that latter day Honour and glory that passes all the ignominie that can be in the world a thousand stages immortalitie thou shalt neuer die againe lyfe and lyfe that is without end peace and joy euerlasting There is no comparison In the 2. Corinth chap. 4. verse 17. Paul calles the afflictions of the godlie the momentaneall lightnesse of affliction they are first light then their afflictions lastes but for a moment Yet sayes he they shall vvorke to you an euerlasting vveight of glorie and glorie that is excellentlie excellent he cannot get vvordes to expresse it The glorie is in quantitie a vveight in tyme it is euerlasting in dignitie it is excellentlie excellent Whereto shall I speake it All the tongues that is in Heauen and earth is not able to expresse that glorie as it is vvorthie to be spoken of For in the 1. Epist to the Corinth chap. 2. verse 7. it is said These thinges hes not entered in the hart of man that the Lord hes prepared for them that loue him And who are they if not they who suffers for him This much for the rendring both to the one and the
thy hart but a contempt of the Gospel of the preachers of the Gospell But boast as thou wilt of the knowledge of Christ thou shalt finde if thou be impenitent in this pointe vengence shall light on thee Rebels to the Gospell and preaching thereof in earth rebels to Christ in the Heauen Think not when thou hungerst the Gospell out of the land by drawing away in thy â—lookes all the thing the Gospel should be sustained on that thou knowest God and Iesus Christ What matter of the hungring of the bodies of men in respect of the Gospell When thou closest the mouth of men so that for hunger they are not able to preach say not thou knowest Christ and loues the Gospell thou liest falslie WheÌ„ throgh thy gredines thou art an hinderer to the ministrie whom the Lord thrusts out to be dispensators of the foode to the soules of men thou hungerst the Gospell When thou doest this say not thou louest Christ Thou wilt say in that great day Lord where saw we thee hungring where saw we thee naked c. But the Lord then shall say What euer thou did to the Ministers of the Gospell thou did it to me thou stayed the planting and progresse of the Gospell throgh thy auarice O sacrilegious Abbot Bishop and Priour and the rest of that rable and ô ye rauening woolfes that deuoures the teinds to the prejudice of the plantation of this ministry and Gospel to the hungring of innumerable soules Look to this matter and tak vp your selues that the Lord meete you not in vengence looke to this at this tyme and with draw not the moyen whereby this Gospell may be propagated in the world I speak no more of this matter One day will show the trueth of these things Yet ere I leaue the words Marke further He is speaking of the godlie that were persecuted and he brings in the Lord Iesus rendring and yet he sayes not he shall render vengence to them that afflicted and troubled the godlie he speaks not of them that were afflicted But he sayes to them vvho obeyed not the Gospell of the Lord Iesus So he touches the groundes persecution and troubling of the saints rises euer on this ground rebellion to God rebellion to Christ no persecuter but a rebell to God a contemner of the Gospel of Christ be is a contemner of God and Christ And in the meane-tyme with this he comforts the persecuted Thessalonians they shall not escape trouble who hes troubled you because the Lord hes his entrest And therefore assure theâ— if there were no other thing but this rebelling against God and Christ of necessitie vengence must follow Trouble euer rises of misknowledge of God What matter of men in afflicting men they â—rebell against God and that rebelling shall not escape punishment Now in the next words he commes more particularly to the vengence To scaâ—se of these thinges oueâ— far it is but vaine curiositie Therefore it is expedient in these things to â—old fast the plaine words that we alter not to the one side nor to the other Curious spirites hes spoken much of this matter without any grounds It might haue bene asked What can this vengence be He answers and calles iâ— a perdition Then he cals it euerlasting perdition and wrack of the creature There are sundry sorts of vengences all vengences are not the vtter wrack of the creature for many men after punishment will get vp their heads againe and come throgh but after this punishment vtter wrack and perdition shall follow A beast when it dies and is feld it is wracked but looke the nature of this wrack it shall be euerlasting a wrack without an end a death without a death a death that shall neuer haue an end ay dying and neuer dead So first it shall be perdition and an vtter wrack and then neuer shall haue an end The hoâ—ling and vtter cry of the reprobat in Hell â— how dolorous is it But what matter of the extremity of it if it had an end but alas extremity without end of pain how dolorous is it Many wil neuer know this till they be shot in Hel Heauen and Hel is thoght mocking Many wil neuer know there is an Hel vntil they feele it in experience The Lord waken vs that once we may think of this Alas there is such a stupiditie in the hart of man that he can neuer beleue this So there the vengence a perdition and an endlesse perdition Now in one word He resolues this particular vengence in the own grounds there is first a perdition then an eternity of perdition In the next words he lets you see the groundes first of perdition and then of the eternitie thereof As to the perdition it selfe He sayes it commes from the face of God The wicked shall not see so soone the face of Iesus Christ the Iudge at that day but as soone they shall melt away as the waxe at the fire and as ye see the matter of melting is in the waxe it self so the matter of the melting of the wicked shall be in themselues But what matter if it had an end And therefore next he layes downe the ground of â—rernitie â—aine from the glory of the power of the infinite Iudge The power of the glorious Iudge is eternall infinit and endles the power of man hes an end He is a mighty monarch to day but to morrow euanishes his power lasts not But the power of the lord Iesus shal neuer hauean end and from once he begin to puâ— the finger of his power on the soule of the wicked they shall neuer be free of vengence It is a terrible thing to faâ—in the hands of an angry God from once he grip thee his hand shal neuer louse his power indures euer and therefore shall thy paine indure euer So ye that will thinke an endlesse paine cannot be lift vp your eyes and consider the eternitie of his power and infinitnes of God and then ye may see the great and euerlasting vengence that he hes to be poâ—red on the wicked and great and euerlasting mercy on them that pertaines to him in Christ The Lord giue vs eyes to see it euen for his Christs sake To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise for euer AMEN THE THIRD LECâ—TVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS â— THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 10. 11. 12. 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made marueilous in all them that beleue because our testimony towaryou was beleeued in that day 11 Wherefore vve also pray alvvayes for you that our God may make you vvorthie of his calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnes and the vvorke of saith vvith povver 12 That the name of the Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you 〈◊〉 in him according to the grace of our god of the Lord Iesus Christ THE last day ye heard brethren
This is in effect that same which he spok of before euen the glorifying of God for it is one thing the Lord to be glorified and to wonder at him The meaning is shortly When he shall come First he shal make the faithful wonderful in the sight of the world and then in their wonderfulnes all the world shall wonder at him who hes made them wonderfull Now marke The Lord Iesus in Esay 9. chap. 6. vers among all the names he gets there he is called the vvonderfull and the maruellous one Now this name in effect shal show the selfcheefly in that day of judgement for cheefly in that day Christ shall be wonderful and all the world shall wonder at him It is but a litle wondring we haue here Christ at his comming vvoÌ„derfull Ye know wondring presuppones nouelties things of exceeding great importance Then it must followe that the Lord Iesus at that day shall be reueiled to the world in such a wonderful glory at neuer man nor Angel saw yetâ— it shal be such a glory as neuer eye saw ear heard or once entered into the hart of man as the Apostle â—aies 1. Cor. 2. chap. 9. vers They who saw him â—â—aniâ—ed in a vyle habite judged condemned scourged and crucified vnder Pontius Pilat they shall wonder when they shall see that Lord whom they thoght once so vile raised vp and exalted to such a sublimity and hight of glory Pilat then shal wonder the Priests shall wonder they that with their wicked handâ— crucified him shall wonder at that day And in one word there shall be nothing in that day in Heauen and earth but a wondering at the Lord Iesus Christ and his Saintes glorified Ye see here next the cheefe mean that shall make the Lord wonderful to be the wonderfulnesse of the glorie of his Saintes and elect whom in that day he shall make wonderfull The world shall looke in and wonder at them and then they shall looke to the Iudge and wonder at him Then in that day they who hes beleued in Iesus in this life looke what faith brings with it shall be blessed and made glorious For first these faithfull shall be made so maruelous in glory that they shall astonish the whole world I tell thee more when thou shalt be so translated when thy vyle bodie shall be so changed thou shalt wonder at thy selfe for the eare hath not heard the eye hath not seene c. that wonderfull glorie which then thou shalt enjoy As for the wicked of the world the troublers and afflicters of the godly when they shall looke to any one of the glorious elect they shall weepe and wonder This is set downe in the 5. chapter of the booke of wisdome albeit Apocrypha First they shall mourne and weepe when they shall see the glorie of the godly and say O we fooles and sensles bodies esteemed we not the life of these godly in the world a miserable lyfe Then they shall come on with wondering How is this that this vyle bodie so shynes and that he is so exalted So they shall both mourne at this sight and wonder and vveeping and vvondering they shall count themselues to haue bene fooles and sensles bodies The Lord giue vs grace to seeke that true wisdome in tyme. For certainly that true wisdome is esteemed foolishnesse in this world and he that would be wise let him be a foole first he shall neuer be counted wise that day except he haue bene a foole first and humbled vnder this foolish preaching of the Gospell It is true the condemnation of the reprobate shall be a meane to make the world wonder and to make the Iudge wonderfull O the paines that shall be inflicted on the reprobate shall be wonderfull and they shall be set vp as spectacles of shame at that day and the godly shall wonder at their shame and confusion O wonderfull shall that weightinesse of judgement be they shall wonder that euer there should be such a wraith in God they shall wonder that euer the arme of God should be so heauy vpon them O Hell is lighted now will they say the wraith of God is lighted now O what a masse and weight of wraith is this that we see now Men will now leape here and there and make litle count of the weightinesse of the Lords hand and securely contemne threatnings and judgement but in that day to their euerlasting woe they shall finde it the heauiest thing that euer was for by the weight of it they shall be so pressed downe that they shall neuer be able to prease vp againe Alas what a dead senslesnesse is this of men in this world that they regarde neither Heauen noâ— Hell liuing like beastes and not as men Lord waken vs in tyme to acknowledge these thinges Now to goe forward Who are these that shall be made wonderfull that in them the Lord Iesus may be made wonderfull In one word He calles them beleeuers a base and simple style among vs. He called them before Saintes holy ones and now he commes to the ground of their holinesse and calles it faith It will not be a faire honest ciuile dealing with our neighbour that will doe the turne albeit many men thinks so No but faith in Christ must be the ground any man that in any measure hes had a sense and feeling of that lyfe he will finde in his experience he can not haue hope or assurance of lyfe in the fairest outwarde dealing that euer men did except he finde his hart setled on God and his anchor casten on Christ This is the onely cause of thy saluation faith in Christ As for all thy good workes they are onely effects and tokens that thou hast that faith in Christ which will doe the turne and is the onely cause of thy saluation O blessed for euer is that hart that hes faith keeped let neuer thy remembrance be off it What euer thou thinke or speake keepe it hast thou it be assured of thy saluation lackest thou it doe all thou can thou shalt die Seeke euer to haue Christ in thy hart And seeing we who are now liuing may die in one moment Lord if we should not seeke earnestly to haue Christ dwelling in our harts It is onely his merites that saues vs. In the next wordes he defines them that he calles beleeuers and pointing them out he sayes not they that beleeues in Iesus Christ but they vvho in this lyfe hes beleeued my testimony the Gospell teached by me by my fellowâ—seruants by the rest of the Apostles and Pastors So take vp the nature of this faith and be not â—egyled with it It is not faith in Christ barely but faith in Christ preached By whom by a selie bodie What was Paul a selie bodie So looke neuer for lyfe nor saluation in that great day except thou humble thy selfe vnder the foolishe preaching as men thinkes it and beleeue the foolishe teaching of the Gospell Thou shalt
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
them that perishes and are appointed to damnation I read in the 9. chap. Reuel verse 4. the locusts that rose out of that smook of that bottomles pit they destroyed onely them that had not the marke of God in their fore-heads 13. chap. 8. verse it is said that they onely should adore the beast vvhose names are not vvritten in the booke of lyfe of the Lamb. Then onely the reprobate that are ordeined to perdition are subject to that finall deceiuing by the Antichrist that his deceite may be as a chaine to bind them to perdition Lord if they who are bound with the chains of the Antichrist hes great cause to search out the ground of their election whether they are such as are ordeined to perdition seeing they are in the wrong way Goe out of Babylon commit not fornication with her for certainly if malitiously ye continue in byding with her ye shall be condemned with her Mark againe another comfort to the elect The elect of God are not subject to these deceiuing errors and Heresies of the Antichrist as the reprobate They are not subject thereto finallie although for a tyme the Lord will suffer them to be drawen avvay to the end they should knovve themselues to be dissolute Christians Matthevv chap. 24 verse 24. Christ saies false Christs and false Prophets shall do such vvonders that if it vvere possible they should seduce euen the elect meaning that it is not possible the elect should fall in this finall defection Who are they then in whom the Antichrist preuailes Onely they who are ordeined to perdition That is such an object as is disposed and prepared before all eternitie to be deceiued by the Antichrist in tyme they are the matter that is perishing and is ordeined to perish I wil make this more cleare by an exemple When the fire burnes vp the caffe and dry timber ye see the cause of the burning not onely in the fire for if a stone or iron were in the place of caffe it wold bide the fire so the cause is not in the burning heate of the fire onely but also in the caffe that is the matter thereof Euen so it is with them that are deceiued by the Antichrist the cause of there deceite is not onely in the force of the Antichrist but also in the euil disposition of the men that are deceiued In plain talk many are ordeined to Helles fire and therefore when the Antichrist lights on such folkes they are readily and easily deceiued And yet I see God hes his parte Who gaue this disposition Who hes ordeinde it Who hes ordeinde men to damnation It is God in his eternall counsell So the Antichrist is not able with his effectualnes to doe any thing in man but that which God hes determined First the Lord of all creatures he dispones he makes some vessels to honor some to dishonor That eternall decree of God giues such a disposition to the creature that in tyme it is capable of good meanes to life capable of deceite to destruction So it is God in his eternall counsell that justly dispenses and the Antichrist in his time works according to Gods dispensation So the Antichrist hes not the glory that he can doe any thing without God neither needs the godly to be offended nor affrayd for the Antichrist nor to be discouraged when they see men daily falling away from the truth Nothing can be done without Gods decree Christ was crucified a foull fact yet it is said Act. 4. vers â—7 that the Lord had appointed from al eternity he shold suffer for saluation and for that cause the hands of Herod the Iewes the Priests and al were lowsed to crucifie him nothing commes but by the Lord that he may haue the glory of all workes Now to goe forward He subjoines a cause of the perdition of the wicked that are deceiued and so reserued to damnation besides this that it is Gods ordinance Ther is another cause ther are none seduced by the Antichrist but they who deserues justly in Gods judgement to be giuen ouer to be deceiued Gods decree is the ground-cause of damnatioÌ„ yet of necessitie there interuenes a cause or doing where by justlie thou deserues thy own damnation and closes thy mouth that thou hast not one word to speak when the Lord is putting his eternall decree to execution Come to the cause They perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued What can be but perishing when men malitiously will not loue the trueth but contemnes it What can ensue The Lord is trueth imbrace the trueth ere thou shalt neuer be saued when men hes renounced the truth wherby they shold be saued how shall they be saued Now take heed there are many means and causes that will bring men to Hel. Murther wil bring thee to Hell Contempt of the trueth a cheef meâ—s of damnation harlotrie perjurie blasphemy foul concupiscence any of these will cause thee die But notwithstanding of these many moe sins against the Law the Apostle maks chuse of one sinne one cheefe sin that procures damnation contempt of Gods trueth contempt of the Gospell teached he leaues all causes and takes vp this The lesson is lfye will looke to them who hes once giuen vp their names to Christ and so are called Christian men and wemen and taking on them the name of God and profession of the faith of Christ in the day of judgement we shall see this to be true the cheefe pointe of dittay that shal be laid against them is thou contempned my Gospel in the earth It shal not be said to them thou art a murtherer harlot c. no thou art a contempner of my Gospel That shall be the cheef cause of thy perdition for it is the mother cause of all sin because if men would imbrace sincerely the trueth of God and loue the Gospel if they wold imbrace Iesus in their hart O if he wold not keep theÌ„ from many inconuenients It is the conteÌ„pt of the gospel that leads thee to thy sins it is the contempt of the Gospell that makes thee a murtherer an adulterer c. Thou contemned the Gospell of Christ and therefore the Lord castes thee away and giues the ouer to thy owne affections to commit sin with greedinesse to be a blasphemer an adulterer and to commit other sinnes So the mother cause and speciall ground of all sinnes is the contempt of the light and the word of Iesus and this may euidently be seene in this land especially in great mens houses Now he sayes not because they receiued not the trueth but he sayes because they receiued not the loue of the trueth There are many will seeme to receiue the trueth and who will take heed to the Gospel so diligently as they And therefore the first thing that men should take heede to is the hart looke if in the hart there be an vnfained loue of God and his
he the foundation of God standes sure hauing this seate the Lord knovves vvho are his ovvne Whereby he strengthens the godly that they shold not be discouraged when they heard of that defection and his argument is from that solid foundation of their election euen so here when he hes spoken of this vniuersall defection and effectualnesse of Satan he ministers this argument of consolation to them their eternall eternall election Then the lesson is The chosen of God they stand fast The elect are not subiect to finall defectione they are placed without all danger of defection and falling away at least finallie and are not subject to Heresies and errors as are the reprobate and therefore well is that soule that is ordeined to saluation for the deuill will neuer haue power to seduce that soule by Heresies Indeed the soule may be deceiued for a tyme for this effectualnesse of Satan by the Antichrist is hardlie escaped euen by the elect yet they â—tand sure For a man hauing his saluation standing on this solide foundation euen the election of God that man shall not altogether fall away but when he hes beene wandering to and fro for a while and hes slidden then the hand of the Lord shall pluck him vp againe and why not Who is able to shake the foundation of the Lord Is Satan able to shake that decree of the Lord concerning thy saluation Men will change and alter mens decrees but how vvilâ— thou get that decree of the Lord altered No thou canst not But as God himselfe is vnchangeable so is the decree of thy saluation Indeed thou may make the elect of God shudder and shake while he is heere but as for his saluation it is keept vp in Heauen where the decree is and therefore it is impossible to shake it It shall be impossible to shake the man ofâ— this solide foundation of his election Againe learne If it be so as it is indeede The Apostle when he would comfâ—rtmen when he seeâ— one assault on this side another on that side one behinde another before he telleâ— them thou art setled on a solidâ— foundation looke to it lift vp thy eyes to that decree of God Now if the Apostle 〈◊〉 this kinde of argument Certainâ—y of election requisite what men are these that teaches that men should not haue a certaintie oâ— their election while they stand in the midst of Apostasie Men will say this is curiositie and presumption but alas what comfort canst thou haue except thou bear the decree of thy election in thy bosome Alas what joy canst thou haue in thy soule or how dare thou presume to seeke for mercy or life eternall if thou hast not this certaintie that thoâ— art one chosen of God if thou knew what this matter meant as I speake it to thee thou would neuer rest til thou got some assurance of thy election Now in the end of the verse the Apostle showes by what middes the Lord chusâ—s a man to saluation 〈…〉 Lookâ— the middes 〈…〉 and the faith of the trueth Marke it The decree of God to saluation is not without middes but as he hes ordeinâ—e thee to saluation so hes he ordeinde thee to passe by such a wayâ— He sayes not simplie My will is that this 〈◊〉 shall be 〈◊〉 but he sayes Sanctification faith meanes requisite It is my will that this person get lyfe 〈…〉 by such a middes that is by sanctification and by faith in Ieâ—us Christ and therefore as there is a decree of the end so there is a decree of the middes Thou art appointed by the decree of God to lyfe and thoâ— art likewise appointed to come to that lyfe by middes There are two middes to come by this life The first is sanctification which is nothing but our regeneration â—rought in vs by the Spirit of God The second is saith holden in the truth which is the ground of holinesâ—e that springs out of the hart of him that beleeues in Iesus Christ Sâ—â— sayes the Apostles Act. â—5 9. Hauing their harts â—urged by faith so that without faith there can be no holinesse in a man And all this ciuile fashion of dâ—ng is doing without faith Men trowes they doe well enough if they keepe ciuile honestie I say to thee it is but a counterfaite doing for where there is no sanctification in the hart 〈…〉 hypocrisie If the loue of this Gospell and â—aith in it bâ— not in the haâ—â— all thy doings are but counterfaite and they shall not be a meane to saluation for it is true holinesse comming of a true faith in this Gospell that is a middes of thy saluation And therefore all other outward showes how honest and ciuile that euer they appeare to be I say to thee they are no middes to thy saluation and thou shalt neuer be 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 by them for all is hypocrisie therefore that thy life and forme of actione may dâ—â—â—hee good to thy saluation thou must haue this faith in the Gospeâ—l and trueth of Iesus If ye will joyne these two together 〈…〉 and faith in the trueth of Iesus Christ thou shalt be saued and thou shalt goe on in the way of thy saluation to the which thou wert appointed from all eternitie Ye see then heere further brethren before that euer that eternall decree concerning saluation take effect and be put in execution in the world to come what must be done in this world This decree must be put to execution in faith and holinesse in this life first in faith and then in sanctification Then would thou know how thou shal know the decree of thy saluation for there is no decree extant in the counsell of God concerning thy saluation I will not bid thee runne vp to Heauen rashly but take vp the assurance of that decree in the execution of these mids ere thou come to the end I send you to easie meanes hast thou faith and holinesse and perseueres in them conclude and say with thy self Lord I thank thee I am of the number of thy chosen thou hast giuen me the arlespenny of my election I haue gotten that blessed Spirit of Iesus that seales vp my saluation I haue gotten faith and holinesse blessed be â—e that hes giuen me these thinges And so it is not curiositie to be sure of thy saluation nor it is no temeritie to seeke the certainty of thy election Brethren there is no doctrine so true and so good and profitable but wicked men abuses it and turnes the grace of God into wantonnesse lipiturians and Libertines whose pleasure is in vncleannesse when once they heare of election they will start vp and say If I be chosen what matter what I doe doe what I will and play the wanton as I please my election stands sure I must be safe Vaine man fye on thee looke what the Apostle sayes God hes chosen thee to saluation But how by these middes they must haue sanctification that is
This he sayes to tell vs that consolation is gotten by praier look the necessity of prayer If there be no prayer at no tyme there is no consolation that man that cannot pray to God and beg comfort at his hand that manifest neuer spirituall consolation in his hart Goe to experience I pose thee in thy conscience felt thou euer comfort without prayer No if there be not prayer to God thou shalt haue no comfort and more if there be not continuance in prayer thou shalt get no continuance in consolation Leauest thou off prayer looke whether consolation will leaue thy hart or not Leauest thou off in prayer to meditate on Iesus Christ I pose the whether the consolation in the hart leaues thee or not Againe striuest thou to keepe that presence of Iesus Christ by prayer and in all thy exercises castes a blenke to Iesus Christ be not so exercised that thou forget Iesus Christ hast thou thy eyes euer on Iesus by prayer and meditation wilt thou not finde a joy and swetnes in thy hart such as thou cannot be able to expres Againe when thou art so fixt on the things in this world yea euen in thy lawfull exercise for in thy lownry thou cannot haue an eye to God that thou cannot get a peece of thy hart to God it may be that thou haue a carnall and false joy but true joy and comfort hast thou not Well then brethren that peace and consolation flowes of prayer and earnest meditation in Iesus Therefore as the Apostle sayes Philip. 4. 6. 7. Be not solist for any thing but in euerything let thy requests be shovven forth to God and that by all maner of prayer and supplication and supponing thou get not the wordly releefe I shall tell thee what thou shalt finde the peace of God that passes all vnderstanding shall stand about thee as a guard and what lakest thou if thou hast that peace and tranquillity of thy soule And what hast thou if thou lakest this peace Now fy on al if thou lake this guarde of Gods peace if thou wert a king or Monarch abounding in riches pleasure and honour what shall all auaile thee So he drawes consolation from God by prayer And as it is sure that euery thing that liues hes the being and continuance of God So it is as sure that that person that is disposed to pray keepes and shall keepe the comfortable presence and peace of God that passes all vnderstanding Therefore the Lord dispose our harts to pray that by praier we may keepe some meditation and presence of Iesus Christ in our harts Kings will leaue their kingdomes Lords their lordshippes and euerie man will leaue this world and all that is vvithin it but vvoe to that man vvhom God leaues when the world leaues him The next thing he prayes for is that the Lord would establish them Praier for perseuerance as we say settle them and make them firme and stable not changing and wagging as the busse wagges and so inconstant in their religion but that they be settled Ye heard wherein stood our perseuerance It stood in holding a fast grippe of the Apostles doctrine the trueth of God Now here I finde more He prayes to God and Iesus Christ that they would establishe them that is hold a grippe of them So that in our perseuering there must be two things of necessitie The one is thy hand must be festned or else thou wilt fall for there was neuer one that had not his hart festned vpon the trueth of Iesus Christ by holding a grip of it but he fell downe to Hell The other thing The Lord must hold a grippe of thee or else thou cannot be able to keepe thy grip so thou must grippe and God must grip thee thou must stand on a fundation which is Iesus Christ and the Lord God himself must hold thee on thy fundation for otherwise thy feet will slip off the ground So euer say Lord hold me on this ground and fundation or else I wil not be able to stand one moment Now then to come to the fundations whereon we must stand and whereon the Lord must establish vs they are these first euerie vvord of this trueth and next euerie good vvorke Ye may see there are two fundations heere whereon thou must stand for he that would stand to the end must haue his feete set a spar-waies he must not stand on a slippery place nor on one foote onely but he must haue a sure ground and must stand on both his feete and euery foot must haue the own ground-stone to stand on and the first ground is the Gospell of Iesus Christ Therefore first lift thy right foot and set it on the trueth of God the Gospell of Iesus The next ground is holinesse of life and good works flowing from the former then take thy left foote and set it on holinesse of lyfe and euery good worke and then both thy feete stands sure I shal make this plaine There are two things in man the hart and the hand The man that would stand must haue hart and hand both fastned The hart must be first fastned and locked on the Gospell of Christ Iesus and that by the lock and bond of faith and next the hand must be fastned too and it must grip first to euerie good turne thinke it not eneugh to haue thy hart exercised If thy hand be idle or doing euill for if thy hand be not well exercised it shall be doing euil keepe these two fast then thy hart on the word of God and thy hand on euery good worke and then firmely shalt thou stand These two are so joyned together that they cannot be seuered for if thou six thy hart on the Gospell of Iesus Christ of necessity thy hand shall be exercised in well doing keepst thou one of them thou keepst both losest thou one of these two thou losest both for it shall passe thy power to haue a good turne in thy hand if thou want the Gospell of Christ Iesus in thy hart As by the contrare hant euill doing and then come to heare the Gospell in despyte of thy hart thou shalt not get the Gospell within thy hart but thou shalt want Christ Therefore as thou would keepe one keepe both and striue to fasten thy hart and hand on both and I shall assure thee in the name of Iesus Christ that he wil hold his hand to thee and stand shalt thou fast to the end vntill thou be put out of all danger For when once thou art brought to the mark and comes to the rinkes end then thou shalt be out of all feare and danger For there is no defection in Heauen no falling nor stumbling there but an euerlasting stabilitie when this mirrour is away and we shal see our Sauiour Iesus face to face Therefore as the Apostle praies for stabilities to these Thessalonians Euen so I beseech Iesus Christ and God the father to keepe vs on
and speaking of it There is another sort when it runnes through the harts of men that is when in her course she is powerfull in the harts to worke a true faith in them working sanctification an altering and changing of the soule and reforming the harts of men and conforming them to the Image of God As concerning the first she gets no glorie nor honor but she is rather stayned by it As to the other she runnes with glory and majestie and she is caried throgh the world like a glorious Queene and is magnified by men and Angels Now among whom is she glorified and among whom is she defamed When she is powerfull in men to sanctification there she is glorified who euer liues holily glorifies the Gospel and when men hes nothing but a bare word of it and liues licentiously and wickedly then the Gospell is defamed and shamed by these men as the Apostle witnesses Rom. 2. 24. out of the 52. of Esay For your sakes sayes he my name is blasphemed among the nations all the day long Then they who liues a life contrare to the Gospell of Iesus they shame the Gospell and therefore in the world to come they shall receiue shame for shaming of the Gospell In the end of the verse he sayes as it is vvith you To moue them to this purpose to pray for him or rather for the Gospell he brings in their own example and experience Thessalonians I wish you not to pray for another thing but that ye haue experimented your selues see whether or not the Gospell be glorified among you yea it is glorified Ye are not bare professors of it then are ye not bound to pray the Lord to communicate to other that grace that is bestowed on you So they who findes the Gospell glorified in themselues and findes her powerfull in their harts to a sanctified lyfe are bound to wish and craue this blessing to euery soule if it were possible Wherefore shall I haue a grace if I pray not to God to communicate that grace to another Wherefore should I enter in Heauen and not put out my hand to helpe others to that kingdome if it be possible Wherefore should I not pray thy kingdome come which is nothing in effect but Lord open Heauen to thy people and let many enter in that thou may be glorified And it is most certaine that col if a man haue entered himselfe in Heauen he will not inuy to haue others with him but he will stryue to make rowme if it were to all the world that they may enter in He will not be like the Pharisies that will not enter in Heauen themselues neither yet will let others enter in it A man that is once in the light he would haue all in the light As a man that is in darknesse would haue all in darknesse with him Now in the next verse he desires them to pray for his owne person and for the rest of his fellow-laborers that they may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men Marke something before we enter in the words Ye see the next care is of himselfe that he may be fred from his enemies The thing that man shold care for next after the Gospell that worthy thing should be the person of the men that caries this Gospell before the world for when she runnes she is borne vp in the harts and mouthes of men so next her selfe there should be a special care had of them that beares that glorious Queene that they that sees her may be safe Next that Heauenly treasure the Gospell that is the vnsearchable riches of Iesus Christ care I say should be had of the laime vessell wherein it is contained 2. Cor. 4. 7. A man is but a laime vessell wherein the Lord puts so rich a treasure But wherefore should there be a care of him Euen for the treasures sake for that pretious things sake The person himselfe or the Minister is bound to care for his owne person in respect of the treasure And the people to whom he distributes so pretious a treasure is bound as euer any man was bound to any thing to haue a speciall care of the person of the Pastor for the treasures sake for if he haue this treasure they will get more good of him nor he will get by any benefite in this world that they can bestow on him God himselfe for his treasures sake ere he suffer the vessell to be broken Mark the great care God hes of his pastors he will mingle Heauen and earth together and stupifie the world with wonders and by wonders he will worke the deliuery of the man in whom he hes put his treasure so long as he hes adoe with him for the dispersing and distributing of his treasure for the saluation of men Heauen and earth shall goe together ere that man perish Was not Peter casten in a strate prison were there not watches within and watches without was not the doore locked was he not in irons Act. 12. and yet in the night an Angell is sent from Heauen and he commes in the house with an exceeding light and calles vpon Peter and bids him rise he shakes off his fetters the doores are made open and all without doing of any man the watches perceiues not Peter escapes Wherefore does he this Peter vvas a vessell in the which the Lord had his treasure This vessell was not yet emptied of the treasure The Lords worke was yet in Peters hand but as soone as Peter had finished his worke he suffered him to die without much adoe so did he with Paul for albeit oft-tymes before wonderfully he deliuered him yet when he hes done his worke with him the Lord let him goe his way and suffer without any miracle So long as the Lord hes ought adoe with any man all the world shall not be able to to beat him off his seete he hes such a care of him Now to end this I dare say and affirme they that hes no care of the persons of men whom the Lord vses to be his mouth to preach this his Gospell that they had neuer care of the Gospell it selfe If thou hast no care of the preacher praise the Gospell as thou wilt thou art an enemy to the Gospell He that would breake the vessell he would scatter all the riches of Iesus Christ that is in that vessell that is he would make a lose of the glorious riches of the Gospell Therefore vvhen ye haue adoe vvith this base ministrie it is not vvith men that ye haue to doe but vvith the treasures of Heauen and vnsearchable riches of God Lord if men novv vvould once consider this Now to the words Pray for me sayes he and my fellow-laborers And wherefore that we may be deliuered in our owne person was he in any danger at this tyme wherefore he craues their prayer Appearandly he was in his journey towards Ierusalem and so he was to go among as
cruel and sauage by nature for by nature a lyon or tyger passes not a man in cruelty Now what turnes thee froÌ„ the nature of a beast nothing but this faith of Iesus Christ And thou shalt not haue faith so soone but thou shalt be changed O how good is it to liue in the company of the faithfull for thou must liue with them for euer take thee to such company in earth as thou wold haue to be with thee in heauen If thou delite not in their company in earth thou shalt neuer be with them in Heauen The wicked shal not be there Yet to go forward They might haue bene offended when he said al men hes not faith It is a rare gift giuen of God Now they might haue doubted whether they were of that number and if they wer whether they should stand or not For brethren as it is an hard matter to get faith so it is as hard a thing to keepe it for in keeping it a thousand doubts wil rise in the hart whether one will perseuere in it or not and especially they that are most carefull to keep it they are most assaulted with tentations for others that hes no care of it they wil not be moued with tentations and so a careful keeper of faith is most subject to doubts This tentation is met by the Apostle in the next verse he saies The Lord is faithful vvho shall stablish you and keep you from euilâ— As if he had said ye shal not lose your faith And wherfore because God who hes giuen you it is in mutable and repents him not of any gift giuen in Christ for his gifts are vvithout repentance Rom. 11. Therfore doubt not but leaning on that God ye shal be keept steedfast to the end Then I see here how ready the godly are to stumble they are so ready that whateuer they heare they fal in stumbling with it No so long as we are here we are subiect to doubting thy feet shall be euer subject to slyding It shal be impossible to go forward without offence al the the things thou shalt see al that thou shalt hear shal moue thee doubts and thou shalt offend at them These Thessalonians scarsly can heare one word of the Apostle but incontinent they are offended at it They wer offeÌ„ded at the multitude of the enemies of Paul and againe they are offended at the remedie he giues them therfore he giues another remedy The godly are very ready to offend But what is the duety of a Pastor Euen with Paul euer where he sees one to stumble to put out his hand to hold him vp the godly wil stumble but God forbid they fal to the ground theÌ„ bewar with speaches wheÌ„ thou vtters any thing by word thou suspects will offend the godly thou should goe about to meet it and to take it away for the Pastor had need to be a discreet man in speaking especially to the godly as for the reporbat they will not care what ye speake but the godly is sooneâ—â— moued euer ready to doubt Againe I see a man or woman once hauing receiued the faith of Iesus Christ shall neuer lose it altogether Faith once receiued can neuer be altogether 〈◊〉 againe get once true faith thou shalt neuer lose it altogether Indeede thou may be at sometimes without the sense of it but be assured true faith that once takes roote in the hart shall neuer be rooted out altogether of the hart againe Fy on these men that defendes that men hauing true faith and the Spirite of regeneration may lose it againe that is false doctrine For the grace of regeneration once giuen shall neuer be lâ—st againe altogether Come to the ground of this doctrine In the matter of faith there are two things first there is a giuer and next there is a receiuer God giues and the soule receyues Now what is the ground of the stabilitie of faith vvherefore it shall neuer be lost againe being once giuen Is it the receiuer No ground it not vpon the receiuer it is hut foly so to do as thogh thy soule wer so sure a keeper of the grace giuen thee but the ground wheron thou must leane is in the giuer He is vnchangeable true and neuer alters Heauen and earth shal turne vp side downe ere he alter one jote So the immutablenesse of faith and that it loses not in him that hes receiued it once depends on the stable nature of God onely and not in no receiuer nor power of man Therefore if thou would haue an assurance of â—aith that thou shalt not lose it anchor not thy selfe on thy selfe but on that immutable God thou euer alters because thou art not immutable in thy selfe no thou hast no stabilitie in thy selfe Therefore set thy soule on that that is immutable set it on God and stick by that immutable nature of his and thus doing thou shalt neuer lose the grace receiued for it is the nature of the elect and godly to set their hart on the giuer of grace and therefore they keepe the grace fast and are established I dare promise thee hold thy eyes on God and put thy confidence on him thou shalt neuer lose the grace receiued He sayes He shall stablish you and defend you from euill There are two actions of God here set downe first to establish secondlie to defend The one is in keeping vs in stabilitie the other in holding off all aduersary power I shall giue you the reasons of these two actions requisite in our standing The first is the infirmitie in our selfe for the ouldest of vsâ—â— not able to stand alone more nor an infant that is newe borne is able to stand alone The other cause supponing thou wert able to stand yet there is such an aduersary power so many enemies so mighty so powerfull that thou shalt not be able to stand against them of thy selfe and by thy strength Now God in holding vs vp respects both therefore as the nurse will hold vp the childe and defend it from falling So the Lord holdes vs vp by the one hand and by the other seeing the aduersary power comming on vs for o his inuasions are fearefull and mighty he holds it off he holds aback the deuill and all our enemies And therefore ye see two actions giuen to God one in holding vs vp by the one hand and the other in holding aback all the aduersary power Hast thou not matter to pray then first to hold thee vp against thy owne infirmitie and next against the aduersary power that wil haue thee to the earth if that hand of God hold it not aback Now he sayes from euill The word may be taine generally of al sort of euill yet I agree with this that it is vnderstood cheeflie of one Satan as 1. Iohn 2. 13. So then the lesson rises it is not with flesh and bloud we haue to doe Many thinks if they be free of men that they are well
them the presence of the Lord himselfe to be with them all Last he salutes them and the effect of the saluatation is a prayer for them The grace of our Lord Iesus be with you all Amen So all consistes in prayer Then learne He beganne this Epistle with prayer and salutation throughout the whole Epistle prayer is mingled Now in the end he multiplies prayer What meanes this Euen this that in vaine is all doctrine exhortation admonition and precept whatsomouer all preaching is nothing except the Lord by his Spirit worke inwardlie in the harts of the hearers all is nothing but vvinde except he moue their affections Now the way to obtaine this inward and secreete operation of the holy Spirite is oft-tymes to turne to God by prayer beseeching him to be povverfull and to joyne his Spirite vvith the vvord and to joyne vvorking vvith speaking And therefore hovv oft so euer we teach and ye hear the hart and eye should be lifted vp and set vpon him who hes keeped Spirit and power in his owne hand to giue as he pleases No man can giue you it neither the Preachour nor no Angell can giue you it It is onely in the hand of God and Iesus Christ to giue thee Spirite and povver and to joyne vvorking vvith speaking And therefore the eye in preaching should euer be set on Christ The Pastour should pray and haue his hart aboue to dravve dovvne grace to himselfe and the people that the vvord spoken may be effectuall in the hart othervvise preaching and all hearing is in vaine Now to come to the words The first thing he prayes for and wishes is peace The Lord of peace sayes he giue you peace for euer and euery vvay The thing then he wishes is peace that is quyetnes rest and tranquillity concord agreement all these words expresses the meaning of the word Peace The contrare is vnquyetnes What peace is dissention c. This Peace is the blessednes felicity happy estate of Christs kingdome which is his Church both in earth and Heauen And all the graces we haue in Iesus Christ tends to this end that his subjects may liue in peace quyetnesse and joy for euer and that shall be the end when we are in Heauen peace and joy for euer Ye see the happy estate of a worldly kingdome what is it When men liues in rest and enjoyes peace and quyetnes that is the happines of a worldly knigdom therefore in the 1. Timot. 2. 2. he commaundes prayer to be made for all men For Kings and superiour povvers To what end Euen to this same end that vve may liue a peaceable and quyet lyfe Euen so the blessed and happie estate of Christs kingdome is an heauenlie peace concord and quyetnesse And therefore Rom. 14. 17. he makes this peace to be essentiall to the kingdome of God that he defines it by this peace saying The kingdom of God is righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost This Heauenly peace is onely in Christs kingdome in his Church in Heauen and earth And the subjects of the kingdome of Iesus Christ are onely they that enjoyes this peace here and after this life for euer for without the Church of Christ there is no true peace If thou be no subject in his kingdome thou hast no rest no true peace for there is no true peace for the vvicked sayes the Prophet Esay 57. 21. If thou be of that number that is without the kingdome of Christ no peace for thee and the end shall proue thou hadst neuer true peace in this world Now to go forward He craues that it may be giuen to them Then Peace the gift of god it is a gift Heauenly peace is the gift of God thou hast it not by nature None is borne with peace but with warre and inimitie by nature all are borne with dissention strife and debate there is no heauenly peace by nature And the whole lyfe naturall what is it but a continuance in war debate and strife first against God next with thy selfe and thy owne conscience And againe a strife against the Angels in Heauen and men on earth and all the creatures of God thou art an enemie to them and they vnto thee vntill the tyme thou attaine to that new birth in Iesus Christ and then by vertue of that birth thou getst this heauenly and spirituall peace for then thou beginst to liue at peace first with God himselfe and next with the Angels in Heauen and men in earth and with all his creatures So looke how needfull it is for thee to haue regeneration for if thou want it thou shalt be at war for euer thou shalt haue no peace But how getst thou it It is a gift And who shold giue it The Lord of peace The giuer of it must be the Lord with dominion and power with command And as vnder his Lordship other things must be so peace must be at his command either to giue it or hold it Now who is this Lord that hes this power of peace and war Who is he that sayes All povver is giuen to me in heauen and earth Matt. 2â— 18. This Lord is Iesus Christ And therefore ere euer he came in this world and tooke on him our nature Esay 9. 6. he styles him the Prince of peace And Paul Ephes 2. 14 styles him peace it â—elfe he is our peace-maker And in Iohn 14. 27. Christ speaking to his Apostles takes on him to be the giuer of peace and sayes My peace I leaue to you and giues you So this Lord of peace is the Lord Iesus Christ who hes in his handes all grace and glorie in Heauen and in earth Yet to goe forward The lords style ansvver able to the grace 〈◊〉 praier Why is it that he makes a choise of this style rather then of any other Certainely this style he receiues here agrees with the petition and thing asked at his hands peace is craued he is styled the Lord of peace what euer we aske of Christ it should be in faith that he hes power to giue it aske iâ— thou peace aske it not but in an assurance that it is in his hand and that he is able to giue it Now this assurance that all is in his hand it cannot be better vttered then by the Name and style we giue him askest thou wisdome say Lord of wisdome giue wisdome askest thou peace say Lord of peace giue me peace askest thou mercie say Lord of mercy giue me mercy So the name and style we giue to the Lord when we craue ought at his hands should be answerable to the grace and mercy we aske for then we vtter our faith and assurance that he hes such a grace and power to giue vs. This hes bene the forme of Pauls prayer and of godly men of old and should be imitate by vs. The Lord hes many styles he is called the Lord of peace mercy and justice the Lord
But I say the Lord that is Lord ouer thee and him both giues thee an inhibition if the man that does wrong were neuer so vyle handle him not but beare with him vntill I reuenge it But to come to the precept it selfe What forbids he and what bids he He forbids one thing and bids another thing he forbids to doe euill for euill he bids doe good to all men and that at all tymes mutuallie doe good euery one euer to another extend not your beneficence to the faithfull onely but extend it to all from the King to the begger to the Turke to the Iew c. But to come to the negatiue that is forbidden Doe no euill for euill 4. Sortes of randering There are foure sortes of randering First randering good for good Secondly randering good for euil Thirdly randering euill for euill The fourth sort randering euill for good The first randering good for good is euery where commanded as for randering good for euill it is also here commanded As to the third to rander euil for euill here it is forbidden As to the fourth randering euill for good it is much more forbidden The Apostle speakes not here expresly of it for in a maner it is thought that such foull vngratitude could not be in a man I thinke the Apostle hes thought such a precept needed not as being contrare to the Law of nature The Philosopher made not a law against a man for slaying his Father because said he I cannot trow that there can fall our such an vnnaturall fact So to rander euill for good it is such a thing that it should not once be named But â— Scotland is full of such mishant ingratitude in randering euill for good and the man who hes done most for him in his greatest need he will abhor that man most Fy if vengence shall ouertake him that randers euill for euill what vengence shall ouertake such an vngrate reprobate that randers euill for good Brethren vnderstand in this doctrine do not euill for euill He forbids not only the action of the hand or the speach of the mouth to speake an euill word to doe an euill deed but he forbids also the inward hatred of the hart the Law of God touches the hart And he saies On paine of death looke that thou keepe no vengence nor rankor in thy hart to him that hes done euil to thee for suppose thou would not do him euill with thy hand and would hold thy tongue yet if rankor and vengence be in thy hart thou and thy hart for breach of this precept shall perish suppose the Magistrat cannot punish thee if thou keep thy mouth and hand from euill yet the Lord that sees the heart will reuenge the inward rankor of the hart he forbids likewise that thou should do euill for euill to another Men are now very vyle in this pointe they will seeme to do no euill themselues yet by another they are doing euil he is not reuenging with his own hand but yet he is reuenging wrong for wrong with the hand of another man O but God will not be scorned thou shalt pay for it surely The Lord sees all the conuoy very wel it is worse then the other thou doest thy selfe I will say further Abuse not the Majesty of God in reuenging thy querrel yea euen when at the Magistrats hand thou seekest justice of them who hes done any injury to thee be ware that thou respect not thy particular It is lawfull to the magistrate to take vengence of them that hes done wrong but take heede to thy selfe vpon what minde thou seekest it looke that it come not of thy priuat affection that thou seeke not the hurt of the man to satisfy thy hart being caried with the thirst of reueÌ„ge that thou hast For he whom other waies the magistrat justly punishes I tell thee if thou do any thing to him vpon malice thou art guilty of his death and God shall think thee a man-slaier but seeke reuenge in the loue thou hast to justice that God may be glorified in justice in randering vengence to him that hes done wrong It is weldone that the wickedman suffers punishmeÌ„t for his fault but thou hast to look to thy hart Seeke not the satisfaction of thy foull hart for if thou do so thou shalt be the sâ—ayer of the man but seeke that God may be glorified in randering justice on the sinner Lord if we could do this It is a good turne to cut away a murtherer Alwaies albeit he had slaine thy father looke to Gods glory and not to thy own affection yea I say further be ware in dealing with thy God in seeking vengeÌ„ce Thou wilt say the Lord acquiâ—e him It is not of the loue of God but of vengence in thy hart thou saiest it and I tell thee if thou make such a prayer vengence shall turne to thy selfe Dauid hes many sad imprecations in his Psalmes not onely against Gods enemies but also against his owne enemies And yet this came not of that priuat affection to be reuenged of them but Dauid respected this that God should be glorified in randring vengence to the sinner Beware of it Men may know by themselues how hard it is to get this loue to our enemies but I tell you if there be not a striuing to these things and a resisting and mortifying of thy nature thou and thy nature both shall perish Well is the body that can fight against their wicked nature in this life albeit they come not to perfection No there is not a tree that hes spread the 〈◊〉 so broad in this earth as rancour and vengence hes rooted themselues in our harts So our stryuing must be euer to pul out peece and peece this rancour This day pull out one peece to morrow another peece ay striue to the slaughter of it They that will not striue shall neuer get the victorie Now to the second part of this precept Do good sayes he to aâ—men First to brethren and christians and then next to all sort of men albeit they be enemies This is far more How can our nature beare this It is enough to me thou wilt say to do him no euill the man that hes dong me so many wrongs must I doe I am good for euill Yea the Lord sayes do him good for euill do no euill to him but doe him good There are the wordes I say to thee the man or woman that does no good to another when they may if their neede craues if it were to their enemie in not doing good they do euill in not sauing they kill Reade in the Gospell of Mark 3. chap. 4. vers When Christ healed a man on the Sabboth day the Pharisies found fault with it The Lord sayes Whether it is better to doe good or euill on the Sabboth day To saue a mans lyfe or kill him whereby he meanes that he that saues not a mans lyfe being in danger and able to
saue him he slayes him as it were with his owne hand This is thought hard dealing fleshe and bloude would wonder at this dealing and yet is the Lords will Men sayes commonlie he hes done me a wrong I will doe him no euill but as for my good he shall get none of it I will neither be friend nor foe to him Then he thinkes he hes done eneugh Christ telles thee heere If the man inlacks or if he be hurt through the holding back of thy good deed if it might haue helped him thou art the doer of it Alas why flatters thou thy selfe I tell thee albeit thou doe him no euill with thy hand if thou beare malice in thy hart thou art a murtherer and shall be challenged for a murtherer in that great day Degrees of patiēce in bearing vvrongs Brethren there are two degrees of patience in bearing with injuries The first degree of patience is not to doe euill for euill The second and higher degree is to doe good for euill if thou would haue perfite patience go vp these two steps do not only no euill to thy enemie but doe him good striue euer to a further perfection thy strife in this life shall be crowned with victorie in that life to come They who striues not to perfection in this earth shall neuer be perfite in the life to come Well is him that can striue to perfection albeit he come not to it heere he shall obtaine it heereafter Doe good saies he How long euer There is no word heere in vaine doe good to thy enemie euer on so long as thou hast an hand Galat. 6. chap. 9. vers he speakes this matter more planely let vs not wearie in doing good and he addes to the promise we shall reape the frute of our good deeds in our owne tyme if we long not but goe forward ay to the end This language is borrowed from the laboring of the husbandman He will till the land and goe forward and then cast the seede in the land but if he begin then to thinke he hes done eneugh alreadie and let the land be vnharrowed or when the corne commes vp he doe not weed it how shall the frute prosper shall he haue a great haruest if he harrow it not the foules shall gather it vp the weather shall wash it away and at haruest he shall get little of it to reape So it is with vs if we begin to do good and continue in well doing for a little space and then begin to close our hand and our purse and thinke we haue done eneugh Alas when it commes to the haruest tyme in that great day of the Lord there will be no shearing nor reaping to life euerlasting except by perseuerance we continue to the end no frute of our labours He that striues not continuallie he shall not ouer come therefore let vs euer perseuere while we liue and then when our haruest and reaping commes we shall haue a faire barn-yarde Blessed is that man that can perseuere Then hee saies in that 6. chap. to the Galath While wee haue tyme let vs ay doe good and he makes two rankes of them to whom we should doe good First to the familie of faith and then to all maner of men This tyme would be well marked For there is a season of all things a season of tilling a season of sawing and a season of reaping The season of sawing in the spring-tyme If thou saw not in that season thou shalt not reape frute in Haruest So it is in spirituall things in this life is the time of polwing sawing and harrowing The life to come is the time of reaping and reaping the frute of our labours Lose thou the tyme of thy sawing harrowing here thou wilt neuer get it againe and when thou commest to the season of reaping thou shalt not finde frute Alas I haue sene great men when they haue bene on death-bed and found death to be at hand wold say I haue abused my time Lord if I had my tyme againe I should spend it better nor I haue done Alwaies many neuer gets this repentance And well are they who hes repentance for the tyme that is mispent but where one gets this grace twentie gets it not Now all tends to this to go forward in well doing while that we meete our head Christ saw harrow and go forward vntill the tyme of our Haruest and reaping for if thou he sluggish here and saw not thou shalt not reape hereafter Now to whom should they do good To your selues First euerie one to other first to them whom he calles the family of faith Gallat chap. 6. verse 10. He that would showe a good deed let him begin at Christians for we are all of one familie euen of the familie of Christ I assure thee that name Christian bindes thee to show a good deed to them that caries it It is a sweete name I tell the more albeit that bodie be thy enemie yet that name of Christian in him bindes thee to loue and helpe him and do good for euill to him It is no small obligation binding euerie man to do good Then he ads to and sayes doe good to all men To Christian to no Christian to Iew Gentile Turke Pagane what euer he be Marke this The Lord requyres that this beneficence and liberalitie to men and wemen be extended to all men in the whole corners of the earth beare they the name of men and wemen thy liberalitie should ay extend to them Looke what reasons Paul Rom 12. 20. vers giues in recommending the same well doing to our enemies He saies If thy enemie thirst giue him drinke if he hunger giue him meate Giue him not it bitterly with the buffet but giue him it with chearefulnesse and pray the Lord to mend him the reason is For in so doing thou shalt heape coales on his head For if he repent not for all thy doing good to him the meate and drinke thou giuest him shall be as many firy coales on his head Another reason Be not ouercome vvith euill but ouercome euill vvith good He wins the better that suffers the wrong and renders good for euill for at last he shall be crowned with glory The Lord bring vs to this glorie for Christs sake To whom with the Father and holy Spirit be all honour and glorie for euer AMEN THE XXIV LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 16. 17. 16 Reioyce euermore 17 Pray continuallie THERE are three precepts heere brethren which the Apostle joines together The first is the precept of patience in suffering wrong and not rendering euill for euill but doing good for euill Of this we heard the last day There is next the precept of joy and peace of conscience in the first wordes we haue presentlie red Last there is the precept of prayer seeking to God and thanking God for the benefites resaued in the next