Constantinople Constantine 〈◊〉 being Pope of Rome at that tyme. Iohn in his first Epistle chapter 2. verse 18. sayes that the Antichrist is to come Then he subjoynes euen novv there are many Antichrists By the many Antichrists Iohn meanes these forerunners little Antichrists false Prophets and little Heretikes vvho vvere forerunners to prepare the vvay to this great Antichrist the monstrous beast of Rome against his comming By the Antichrist that vvas to come he vnderstandes the great Antichrist the head of the Apostasie the mid-man betvveene the Dragon and the Antichristian kingdome and the Church Reuelation chap. 13. verse 16. Novv to goe forvvard to the description of the Antichrist 〈◊〉 it follovves He is first descryued from his nature Secondlie from his properties Description of the antichrist And thirdly from his actions and effectes he bringes in the vvorld vvhen he commes Marke it This is a Prophecie not of the little false Prophets but of the great Anchrist and false Prophet that 〈◊〉 at Rome What is he of nature His nature A man like vnto other men of nature not a deuill nor substance of a deuill but he is of an humane and manlie substance Some thought that the Antichrist should be the deuill or a beast it is but solie He is not a beast of nature but he is called in the Reuelation a beast for his beastlinesse and for his filthinesse O how capable is the nature of man of euill if God giue it ouer to be guyded by the deuill Then what maner of man is he His properties The first propertie the Antichrist hes he is a man of sin He calles himselfe the seruant of the seruants of God No but he is a slaue to sinne his meate and drinke is sinne The second propertie he is the Sonne of perdition destinate from all eternitie to Hell and euerlasting damnation Peter in his second Epistle chap. 2. verse 3. sayes Long agoe his damnation is not idle or his destruction sleepes not but wakes He gettes this style that Iudas gettes in the 17. chapter of Iohn 12. verse the sonne of perdition adjudged to perdition from all eternitie in the secreete counsell of God These two properties standes well together the man of sinne addicted to sinne destinate to perdition The second is the ground cause of the firste For hee whom God from all eternitie destinates to perdition that man will neuer doe a good turne Nothing will come from his mouth hart or hand c. but all sinne Alas when we looke and see men who can doe nothing but sinne sinne in the house sitting eating drinking and in the field euer sinning what shall we speake of them who does so if they take not vp another course ere this lyfe be ended but they are men from all eternitie destinate for Helles fire Let euery man try himselfe Alas if thou looked to thy bloudie hart and hand thou would thinke thou had little warrand of thy salâ—ation Now this for his nature and properties Now to his actions and doinges What doing shall he haue The first action His actions He shall oppone himselfe against all that shall be called God and shall be vvorshipped This is the first action a plaine opposition to all thinges that keepes the name of God His first action and is worshipped in Heauen and earth He shall oppone him against all powers and magistrats and against all thinges that caries the name of a magistrat whether they be Princes or Emperors on the earth or in Heauen God and his Christ and from this opposition he is called an aduersary as the deuill is As the deuil is called Satan that is an aduersar so shall he get the name of an aduersar And he is called Antichrist that is an aduersar to Christ Now let vs see who must be this man I make my reason He that oppones himselfe to euery thing that hes the name of God or is worshipped either in Heuen or earth that man of necessity must be this Antichrist this is the action that properly is competent to that person Who is this man then look about al nations if ye can take vp such a man Who is it in Europ or out of Europ that oppones himselfe to Iesus Christ the Lord in doctrin first in life and conuersation next I tell you if ye finde such a man he is the Antichrist Now I shall tell you some points of Christs doctrine wher-vnto this aduersar oppones himselfe that by them ye may find out Pope the antichrist who is this Antichrist The Lord Iesus saies and teaches Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God onely and him onely shalt thou serue What man of this world is it that commes in and saies No thou shalt not worship him onely worship Angels worship men the soules of men departed this life worship Images dead mens bones called relicts do reuerence to graues and aboue all thou shalt giue that worship that is due to God only to that breadie God in the Masse Who does this and teaches it Is there any so ignorant that knows him not Againe Christ forbids to worship God with such worship as men hes inuented to worship him with men traditions inuentions Who is he that saies he must be worshipped by infinit traditions which are out with the book of the Scripture and many against the booke of the Scripture and bids serue him according to a rable of vyle traditions inuented by the brane of man Yet more Christ sayes this Scripture the olde and new Testament is perfite it is sufficient to make the man of God perfite it conteines all thinges necessarie to our saluation Who is he that sayes it is confused difficle mutilate manked the mother of all Heresies Who sayes this Looke ouer to Rome who but the Pope Woe to him and all his adherents Yet further Christ sayes I am the onely Mediatour betweene God and man Who is he that sayes No there must be many moe intercessours and mediatours Is it not the Pope Christ sayes Iustification is onely by true faith in me Who sayes No no thy merite and goode workes must be a parte of thy saluation and thou must deserue it Is it not the Pope Christ requyres of vs a sure confidence that in his bloude our sinnes are for giuen and that thereby we shall be safe and get lyfe euerlasting Who sayes it is an high presumption to beleeue so firmely and biddes thee doubt whether thou shalt get lyfe or not Is it not the Pope Christ sayes it is impossible to fulfill the Law of God Who sayes it is possible to fulfill iâ— is it not the Pope A plaine contradiction Christ sayes the onely price of remission of sinne is my bloud Who sayes I shall giue thee Indulgences and pardones for thy sinnes is it not the Pope Christ commanded to minister the Sacrament or the Supper vnder both the kindes Who sayes the bread may suffice the laikes let the
LECTVRES VPON THE FIRST AND SECOND EPISTLES OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS Preached by that faithfull seruant of God M. ROBERT ROLLOCK some-tyme Minister of the Euangell of Iesus Christ and Rector of the Colledge in EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT CHARTERIS Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie An. Dom. M. D. C. VI. Cum Priuilegio Regiae Majestatis TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL THEIR MOST LOVING FRIEND IN THE LORD MAISTER VVILLIAM SCOT OF ELY grace in this life and euerlasting glorie in the lyfe to come ALL knowledge and all sciences inuented by the wise men of this world without the knowledge of IESVS CHRIST by whom remission of sinnes is obtained to the miserable soule are but vaine and vnprofitable The Apostle reckoning out his prerogatiues Philip. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. which were many counts them all in respect of the excellency and knovvledge of Christ Iesus to be but losse and dung Euen so it is with all sciences if they be seuered from the knowledge of Iesus Christ in the Gospell For what auailes it a man to knowe the height of the Heauens the courses of the Starres the breadth of the earth if in the mean-tyme his conscience accuse him for his sinnes to be vnworthie both of Heauen and earth What auailes it a man to seeke by Physick to prolong afraile temporall life to the bodie if his conscience tell him in the mean-tyme that his soule shall perish for euer What auailes it a man to brag of the knowledge of the Lawe if his conscience accuse him to be most vnjust and worthie of eternal damnation In these and such like things the wise men of this world doe glorie and yet they make not the soule the better The knowledge of Iesus Christ in the Gospell is the onely knowledge that preserues the soule and makes it to liue for euer Ioh. 5. 39 as our Sauiour sayes Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe Ioh. 17. 3 and they are they vvhich testifie of me And againe This is life eternall that they knovv thee to be the onely verie God and vvhom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Then this science is to be sought praised and preferred to all others in all respects Look how highly PAVL commends it 1. Cor. 2. 6. 7. 8. 9. Wespeake sayes he vvisdome among them that are perfite Not the vvisdome of this vvorld neither of the Princes of this vvorld vvhich come to nought But vve speake the vvisdome of God in a misterie euen the hid vvisdome vvhich God had determined before the vvorld vnto our glory Which none of the Princes of this World hath knovvne for had they knovvne it they vvould not haue crucified the Lord of glory But as it is vvritten the things vvhich eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans hart are vvhich God hath prepared for them that loue him But God hath reueiled thē vnto vs by his Spirit Other sciences were inuented by men but God himselfe is the Author of this science he reueiled it Other sciences are all inuented in tyme but this science is before all tyme from all eternitie other sciences handles things corruptible and changeable the knoweledge whereof albeit it be pleasant and profitable for this present life yet it cannot reforme the soule to eternall life for all their vertue is but the couerture of vyce but this science settes out and reueiles to a broken harted sinner a fauorable and reconciled God in Iesus who is aduantage both in life and death and in whom the heigh and wonderfull things of God and all things that the soule of man can require for grace or glory pertaining either to this or to that other life Col. 2. 3. 9 10. is contained For in him are hid all the treasures of vvisdome and knovvledge in him dvvelleth all the fulnesse of the god-head bodily Now this pretious treasure the Lord hes committed to earthen vessels he hes set in his seruice base and contemptible persons to carie the message of reconciliation and to proclame to weary and loaden sinners the glade tydings of saluation he sendes out simple men to manure his husbandrie he sends them out as souldiers to that spirituall warfare vvith vveapons that are not carnall 2. Cor. 10 4. 5. but mightie through God to cast dovvne holdes to cast dovvne imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knovvledge of God and to bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ. Whom for the message they carie the Gospel they preach the word of life they offer that hid treasure that is committed to them the Lord craues we should haue in singulare account honour and loue And indeed if we had the sight of the fearcenesse of that eternall wrath of God for sinne it could not be possible but we would say O hovv bevvtifull are the feete of them vvhich bring glade tydinges of peace Rom. 18. 15. and bring glade tydinges of good things We cannot honour loue and highly esteeme of the Maister and respect the Gospell if we hate and contemne the seruant and messenger And if we loue our parents of whom we haue nothing but misery who hes conceiued vs in sinne nurirished and trained vs vp in sin and who by nature makes vs aires of wrath and hell for that vvhich is borne of the flesh is flesh Ioh. 3. 6. O how excedinglie should we loue these whom God makes instruments of our regeneration to beget vs to God to make vs his sonnes and to translate vs from darknesse to light from miserie to felicitie from death to life from hell to heauen And yet this vnworthie world neuer duely accounts of them but of all men they hate most malitiouslie the true seruants of Iesus Christ And to passe by other ages and Countries the Lord of the haruest stryuing against our ingratitude hes sent out from tyme to tyme into this Land sundry painfull laborers and faithfull preachers of the Gospell who preased in all respectes to approue themselues to God to a good conscience and to the consciences of so many as beleeued of whom the world was not worthie Among the rest whom God did bewtifie with singulare graces the Lord in the person of M. ROBERT ROLLOCK that faithfull and reuerent seruant of Iesus Christ gaue vs no sober token of his loue For we cannot tell if vpon any almest in this Land the Lord bestowed greater aboundance and varietie of graces of his Spirite if in any there was a more spirituall and heauenly soule if any spared themselues lesse and vndertooke greater paines that they might be found faithfull and finishe their course with joye if any preased more to approue themselues to God and a good conscience then he O what and how many giftes and graces were in the person of that man in conceiuing he was quick in judgement solide he vttered the Word with great libertie he preached with euidence
al in al thy speaking and doing on the glorie of that God I confesse there are many impediments casten in betwixt thy eyes and the glorie of God but striue to get a sight of that glorie or else thou shall neuer be partaker of that glorie Thou may haue a shadow of glorie in the world for a while but as the must before the Sunne vanishes away so shall thou and thy glorie vanish away to thy euerlasting confusion if thou striue not to haue the glorie of God before thy eyes Then hes thou anie good graces in thy selfe giue God the glory What hast thou that thou hast not receyued 1. Cor. 4. 7. Giue him the glorie and praise of all if it were eating and drinking at thy dinner looke that thou eat to his glorie and drinke to his glorie 1. Cor. 10. 31. And say in the meane-tyme I doe not this so much to feede this mortall bodie as I doe it to glorifie thy Majestie When thou liues liue to him deying die to him consecrate thy life and death to him Fye on vs that can not learne to giue the glorie of all to our Redeemer As for mee brethren I craue nothing more nor that the glorie of God may shine before my eyes in my vocation that when I speake or thinke all maye be to his glorie that in the end I may haue this assurance that I shall bee glorified vvith him for euer But yet to sticke to the wordes He sayes not I giue thanks but vve giue thankes I and Siluanus and Timotheus giue thanks Hee sayes not for an handfull or a certaine nomber of you but for you all He sayes not for a tyme but alvvayes Marke all these wordes He sayes vve all and that for all vve thanke euer It is a large thanking and it testifies that the graces shovvne on the Thessalonians vvere large When the graces of God are shovvne on me on thee or on anie people thy heart must not bee narrovv but it must bee enlarged and thy mouth must be oppenned vvyde to praise and magnifie God the geuer of all Or else I assure thee vvhen his grace is large if thy heart be narrovv and thy mouth be oppenned but a little the Lord shal draw in his hand diminish his grace to thee So is sene of it in Edinburgh this day the graces of god on thee ô Edinburgh were large but thy heart was narrow and thy mouh was not oppened wide Therefore the Lord is pinching his graces if it so continew woe will be to thee Go this grace of the Ministrie away and the Lord close mens mouthes and let them not speak to thee all thy grace is gone and I thinke the Lord is beginning to pinche his graces on vs for that glorious Gospell which was preached with great libertie and was so powerfull in the land hes lost the power and the nomber of the godlie of the land is contracted for the one depends vpon the other therefore cry that the Lord may make his grace abound and that he would continew with vs the light of his Euangell Now to the next words He joynes with thankes-geuing prayer Praier ioyned vvith thāks-geuing Making mention of you in our prayers It is not aneugh to thank God for the grace that eyther we or others haue receyued but also thou must pray Cry for grace and continuance of grace for I assure thee if vvith thankes-geuing there be not prayer for continuance the grace receyued shall decay Amongst all the rest of the meanes the Lord hes appoynted for continuance of grace earnest prayer to God is an especiall meane So as thou vvouldst haue thy selfe standing in grace pray euer for grace for there is no moment but vve are readie to fall away except the Lord hold vs vp The meane to entertaine grace is earnest prayer The Lord holde vs vp and let vs not fall but if the meane be not vsed fall shall vve thogh all the vvorld had said the contrair It is to be marked farther He sayes in our prayers As hee would say in our daylie prayers we are accustomed to pray to God in our daylie prayers we forget you not but we remember you Marke this Brethren He is not meete to pray for others that can not pray for himselfe nor hes no acquaintance nor accesse to God Who can solist for any man when he hes no accesse to him vvhom hee folists Canst thou pray for me to my God and thou haue no accesse to him He vvho vvill pray for others must be vvell acquainted vvith God and haue a daylie accesse to him And hovv svveete a thing is it to haue familiar accesse to him for all the joy of the world is not comparable to that joy which the soule findes when it is exercised with the Lorde familiarlie for when thy heart is with him no doubt he is with thee Alasse beastlie man fy on thee that euer thou was borne and thou haue not that svveete sense of joy that flowes from the meditation on the Lord wilt thou let thy soule be euer stupide and senslesse vvilt thou neuer be a Citizen of Heauen expecting for the glorious comming of Christ but ay ly as a sowe muzling and grountling vpon the earth vvilt thou neuer look vp with thy eyes to Heauen vvilt thou ay be looking dovvn If thou doe so thou shalt fall dovvn at last to that euerlasting damnation The Lord raise vs vp for heauy are we we are dead lumps ay tending downward can get no rising vp the Lord raise vp our soules therfore to heuen Now followes the cause wherefore he rejoyses with them in the next verse Without ceasing remembring your effectuall faith That is one and diligent loue that is tvvo the third is and the patience of your hope in the Lord Iesus Christ in the sight of God euen our Father Heere brethren not to escape the wordes I see first an vncessant and perfite remembrance of the graces God hes geuen his people as Faith Charitie and Patience I see then in the example of Paul Siluanus and Timotheus that in the memorie and heart of the godlie the graces of God showen eyther on themselues or others makes a deepe impression when they see the graces of God they take a deepe apprehension of them In the wicked it is otherwise let God raine down graces from Heauen on them selues and others also as they come so they goe they remember neuer a good turne doen to them Now on this remembrance followes prayer they remember with joy euer praying remembring by night euer praying remēbring by day euer praying at lest in the hart if not outwardly in words Marke it a man that would pray wel to God must be of a good remembrance vvould thou pray well remember well Prepare thee to pray by remembrance of the blessings of God and pray then What matter hast thou of prayer when thou remembers not his blessings So all tends to this that thou
an Idolater turne thy backe on an Idoll Thou makes an Idoll to thee of thy foull affection as murther theft adulterie vvhen thou obeyes them turne thy back on these Idoles Many thinkes to come to God in an instant vvith his Idole in his armes they vvill present to God prayers vvith the Idoll in their bosomes as Rachell would come dovvne from Padan-Aram and vvorshippe God but she keeped her Idoll No be not deceiued if thou leaue not the Idole behinde thee vvhither it be an Idole in deede or a foull affection that thou settest vppe in the rovvme of God I discharge thee of the Connention of the Sanctes of God for thou scornes him and one daye he shall be auenged on thee for it Turne thee therefore from that vvicked Idoll or else byde away Nowe followes the second part of the conuersion It is not eneugh to turne from an Idoll a false dead stocke vvhich is nothing but the inuention of thy ovvne braine Paul to the Corinthians calâ—es it nothing 1. Corinth 10. 19. but thou must turne to the true God Turne thee from Sathan to God Alas filthie creature whome to will thou turne thee if thou will not turne thee to thy ovvne Redeemer The lesson is It is not eneugh to turne from an Idole except thou turne to the true God of glorie the liuing God Brethren many men hes bene deceyed with this Amongst the Nations there were many who would scorne Iupiter condemne Apollo as Diogenes but they turned not to God but turned to plaine Atheiseme So there are many in these dayes who will mocke all the vanities of the Masse and yet for all this they will abyde Atheists and all Religion will be alyke to them Is he amongst the Papists he will scorne them amongst the Protestants he will scorne them also This is an euill sort of men Except thou be of mynde to â—mbraâ—â— the true God holde thee with thy Idoll be a Papist still an Atheiâ—t is most wicked and most dangerous for the scornes all men He is worse then an Idolater and he can not eschew a judgement For the Histories recordes that God oft-tymes hes punished euen the verie contâ—mners of the idoles that is such as preased to blot out of their heartes all sense of the Godhoode Learne here in these words that miserable estate that men lay into before their conuersion The Thessalonians what wer they before Paul came among them dead in sin dead in lustes without any sight of God or saluation I shall tell you how all mens sonnes euen the Kings sonnes are borne so that we haue no cause to glorie in our selues When he is borne first and comes out of his Mothers vvombe the backe of him is to God and his face to the Deuill and the burning eye of God is vppon him No infant vvhat estate so euer hee be is borne otherwise his face is to Hell his backe on God his Redeemer and thee seede of hatred vvith the gall of bitternesse against God in his heart and if hee remaine in nature there is no day he liues but there is in his heart some augmentation of the hatred of God Now in the meane tyme the eare of him is ay pulde the light of reasone beginnes not so soone in him but the conscience will round in his eare there is a God that created this world and oft he will looke ouer his shoulder to get a blenk of that God his Creator and seeing him faine would he be quite of that Creator and of that sight of God that reason chalenges his soule with looke to this our nature fy on them that begins to extoll this nature in their doctrine yet he can not be quite of the sight of God and he findes that nature pushes him to seeke a God And then he saieth seeing I can not be quite of God I shall make to my selfe a God and then he will change the glory of the true God in the Image of a foure-footed beast c. Rom 1. 23. Then the Lord seeing this malitiousnesse in the heart of man who sees a God and will not see him he putteth out his eyes geues him ouer to a reprobate sense and minde without all judgement the Lord makes him both blinde and wod as a blinde bodie running like as he were mad and waits not what way for he that is an Idolater is by nature a wod wauering bodie and all his race in that broad way adulterie murther and all other vices and â—unne where he will Hell is the end of his running Looke then to this nature that we are borne in it is worse nor I or the tongue of any man can expresse Then how is this matter remedied when the blinde man is running on in his fury there ryses a noyse that followes him see the mercie of God! what manner of noyse is this It is the voice of the Law crying ô miserable bodie Manner of conuersion thou art condemned Hell is thy lotte and portion and this begins to awalk him a terrible walking Now if God let him alone in this manner desperation would be his end But if it pleases God to haue mercie on that catiâ—â—e there followes an other sweete voice alas no other thing see I in Scotland but damnation if the Gospell be remoued This cry is out of the Gospell with 〈◊〉 the Baptist Sinner repent thee turne thee to the Lord Christ and thou shalt â—inde mercy The voice of the Euangell There is the cry of the Gospell Thy sinne shall be forgeuen thee thou shalt be safe Dâ—eth he heare this if the Lord be powerfull vnto him he will turne himselfe immediatlie about and looke with his face to that God and Christ with such a joy and mourning that no tongue can expresse it A joy beginnes in the conuersion because of Gods presence assuring him of the remission of all his sinnes a sorrovve beginnes because of the offending of God in tyme bypast So I crye this day Beleeue in God miserable men and ye shall finde mercie And if the idolaters in our North-countrie were heere I woulde crye to them Fy on thee idolater that hast runne on so long in diuelish wayes turne you from your idolatrie and vvicked nature to the veritie of the Gospell of Christ and you shall be saued but if you turne not damnation shall ouertake you and thou shalt be casten in vtter darknesse vvhere there shall be nothing but vveeping and gnashing of teeth The Lorde saue out of their vvicked and detestable companie all them that in their heart longes to see the most comfortable countenance of their blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ and the Lord concurre by his heauenlie Spirite vvith the Gospell that is preached that wee may be all in tyme conuerted thereby and see God in Christ and serue him in this life that at last we may haue the full sight of his face for euer AMEN THE FOVRTH LEC. TVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL
fall down before a stock or stone Slauery of Idolaters of all slaueries this is the greatest it is true it is a slauerie to be subject to a tyrannous man in this worlde to his foull affections to abyde all things he will injoine thee but in the meane tyme while as thou serues the liuing and true God thou art a free man and thou hast a singulare comfort and consolation in thy heart and if anie will call the a slaue care not for that for thou art a free man to God 1 Cor. 7. 21. but albeit he were a King and had all the vvorld vnder his dominion if he be a slaue to a false fained God an Idole of all slaues he is the greatest slaue for not to knovve the true God is the greatest slauerie that is for there is no consolation but in God if thou had all the libertie in the vvorld thy soule is in slauerie if thou serue not the liuing and true God I will not call a Nation a free Nation a King a free King if they serue not that liuing God Will I call a Kingdome a free Kingdome that is subject to a miserable slauerie of Idolatrie Woe to that slauerie and thou Scotland if thou lose the seruice of the liuing God of all slaues thou shalt be the greatest because so shamefullie thou hast lost it Dauid in the 16. Psal vers 4. telles of the miserie of the Idolaters and of the libertie of them who serues Iehouah As for the Idolaters saieth he They multiple sorrovv vpon sorrovv to themselues then he rejoyses in his owne felicitie who serues the liuing God Iehouah the Lord saieth he is the portion of my inheritance Therefore ere thou lose the seruice of this true God and Christ his Sonne lose thy life and all that thou hast in this world This is the onelie liberty to serue the liuing and true God Now followes the second end of their conuersion which is to looke for the Sonne and his comming the first was to serue the Father of this life the second is to awaite for the comming of the Son Marke euerie word It is not eneugh brethren to serue the Father the liuing and true God in faith in loue in all seruice that pertaines to him in this lyfe except thy eye throgh hope reach out beyonde this lyfe in the meane tyme of thy seruice Hope of life to cōe Thou art heere novv seruing him looke that thy eye reach out beyonde this life to see and to hope for an other life There are many in wealth in honour in ease in healthe of bodie in this worlde that vvould make a Couenant with God and say Lorde Let mee dwell still to serue thee heere and it were for euer and I oblishe me neuer to looke for more at thy hand giue me this lyfe and wealthe and pleasure thereof I shall serue thee to let me liue heere for euer and I shall binde my selfe neuer to craue more of thee alas I trovv there be many of this sort Fy on it this can not be rooted out of the hearts of the most godlie euen as if either God had gotten glorie sufficientlie or we could get perfite happinesse in this life Alas if our hope were onelie in this lyfe and our blessednesse reached not out beyonde this life of all men the christian man wer most miserable I had rather chuse to be a Turke nor a Christian except my hope reache out beyond this life all the pleasure and seruice I can do to God in it If thou prease to be a true christian think not with thy self I shall driue ouer this life quietly shal stand fast in al trouble but thou must bide tossing toyling otherwise thou can not be a christian for throgh many tribulations thou must enter into the kingdom of heauen Act. 14. 22. Thē ye who wold serue God serue him as pilgrimes in a strange country far frō him what euer thou be doing here in his seruice walking in thy godly exercise in the mean time let thy hart be with Christ let thy hart be wher thy life is hid vp with Christ Paul giues an example of this in his own person saying I liue here as a Citizen of Heauen Philip. 3. 20. A Citizen in the heauen is a pilgrime on the earth And therfore he subjoynes liuing as a pilgrime heere and a Citizen of Heauen I hope for my saluation in Christ A pilgrime hes euer his eye out of this world The second Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 5. vers 7. 8. he shovves that in this lyfe he walked in faith and confidence but saieth he I chuse rather to flit and remoue out of the bodie and to dvvell vvith my Lord Iesus Fy on thee that is so nailde throgh head and heart to this world that thou hes euer thy heart and sight heere Certainelie I am of this minde that the thing that euerie one of vs should most care for should be to steale away peece peece from this earth Lowse thy heart peece and peece and free thee from this wofull life Now this hope and looking is for the Sonne something pertaines to the Father thou must serue the liuing and true God something pertaines to the Son thou must looke for him from Heauen Thinke not to honour the Father without the Sonne The Iew is vaine that thinks to honour the Father without the Sonne No it will not be serue the Father but honour the Son also or else the Father shall accept no honour at thy hand Ioh. 5. 23. For all the honour of the Fathers is in the Sonne But marke the speciall honour that is geuen to the Sonne in this life The Sonne is honoured in faith in this life in beleeuing that he is alreadie come in the world that he is come in our nature and suffered the death for our sins that he died was buried rose againe from the death thou honoures him in beleeuing this But this is the speciall pointe of this honour to hope that he shall come againe as he come once so looke that he shall come againe But brethren neither hes his glorie yet appeared as it is in deed and shall appeare neither yet your grace appeares as it shall when he shall come againe And therefore the speciall seruice we can doe is to await for his comming ad to glorie vnder that hope No beleeue thou in the Father as thou wilt if thou hope not for that glorious returning of the Sonne thou honours him not This is all to stirre vs vp by hope to looke for an other life for all these things King and Kingdome vvill avvay and they who hoped for him in this lyfe shall shine in glorie with him in that life eternall Fromwhence shal we hope that he comes where shal we cast our eye if we looke for a man to come from one part our eye will euer be on that part where from he should come whither it be
day from the fearce wrath of God Consider this the world bindes vp mens eyes that they should not see Christes comming and it makes vs neuer to desire to heare nor know of an other life or of Christs comming Therefore take vp this necessitie and let all this lyfe be a preparation to a better life in al thy exercise in this life say Lord I am exercisde heere in this vocation or that vocation at thy command but Lord for all this bussines I am a pilgrime here my life is not in this world and my heart and eye is beyond this worlde vvith thee The Lord giue vs grace to haue this hope woe to that soule that must departe and hes no hope of a better life Now I will go forward in the Chapter following Wherein first the Apostle sets out a discourse of himselfe and of his own Ministrie and the successe the Lord gaue him in his Ministrie towards the Thessalonians This he telles in the two first verseâ— of this chapter Parts of the secoÌ„d Chap. Then he comes to the recounting of the graces of God wrought in them by his ministrie to the 17. verse Then vntill the end of the chapter he telles the great sorrow he had that he could not win to theÌ„ shewes the impediments Sathan vvithstoode him These are the three parts of the chapter To come to the first part he sayes For ye your selues knovve brethren that our entrance in vnto you vvas not in vaine When I came to Macedonia to vvin a number of soules that God had there my entrie was not in vaine without effect or power the reasone is in the next verse followinge For saieth hee vvee vvere boulde in our GOD to speake vnto you the Gospell of God vvith great stryuing The power of God vvas perceyued in my preaching and all my libertie in preaching of the gospell was of God He aggreadges this his libertie by telling of the stayes and impediments he got ere he came to them he suffered manie afflictions and was euill entertained at Philippi and comming to them he was not free of affliction but all his preaching was with fighting and daylie battell there is the meaning of these verses To come then shortlie to the lessons First Ise the people that hes beene grounded and edified in faith by the ministrie of the Pastor and by the grace and power of God they should not forget the graces of God they got by him and ere they should forget the Pastor him selfe is bound by the example of Paule for to stand vp and to bring them in remembrance of the grace not for his owne praise but for the glorie of God who hes geuen thee grace that the grace of God be not obscured but that his glorie may shine I will lay you a ground in the first Epistle Corinth 2. 4. 5. Your faith is builded vpon the power of God that is geuen to the Ministrie To the Ministrie yea to the Ministrie to the Ministrie man or else thou shalt neuer haue a ground of faith The Apostle sayes that your faith stands not in the vvisdome of men but vpon the povver of God And therefore brethren Faith stands vpon that same verie ground the power of God geuen to the Ministrie Thy eye should be drawn back to see the ground where-vpon thy faith hath beene grounded if thou forget to looke of it Pastors should draw thy 〈◊〉 about and let thee see that thy faith was grounded on the power of the word in the Ministrie I challenge your experience how oft ye remember the power of God in the ministrie whither ye rejoice or not saying well is me I haue not my faith grounded vpon the wisdom of man but vpon the power of God seeke it for the fondation of your faith that it be firme and sure for if thou haue not a sure foundation to ground thy faith on it shall fall And that thou may find it I counsell thee that thou neglect not the Pastor for if thou forget the Pastor his ministrie thou shalt not come to the fondation of thy faith I put it out of question the power of Gods word by his ministry is a ground wher vppon your faith is grounded If this ministrie go awaye faith saluation and all graces in this land will decay The second thing wheron stands this power is in the second verse It stands in a libertie boldnesse freedome in vttring the Gospell and speaking of Christ So brethren wher liberty wher boldnes in preaching the Gospell is there is effectualnes in it the man who hes this boldnes is a fectfull man his entry shall neuer be in vaine If the Lord giue thee libertie if all the worlde had said the contrair the effect shall not be in vaine and where the Lord geues not this libertie all the preaching is fectlesse and without frute I shall say nothing but that which Paul saieth where there is no liberty in the speaking of Iesus of his mercie and grace no freedome of mouth c. there is nothing but a dead Gospell Where there is no libertie in vsing all the parts of the ministrie in rebuking admonishing and comforting there is nothing but a dead Gospell I meane euer of a libertie grounded on God not on mans vaine affections where this liberte is not there is nothing but a dead ministrie I beleue this nation be come alreadie to the hight of this liberty not of the mouth only but of the heart And I think the Lord is binding vp the harts of men that they are not loused with that liberty if it were but in preaching the Gospel as they wer Lord be mercifull to vs. I beleue this worke be drawing to an end ye haue keped it long blessed shall they be that dies in the light And so when I looke a far off I pittie the posterity which appearantly shal be depâ—iued of that liberty al for our ingratitude we had a grace libertie which we contemned So God in justice is drawing it away Next marke againe In God sayes he not in man That is we vsed that libertie which God gaue vs. The libertie of the affection of man is nothing worth Looke then what euer be spoken by the Minister it be warranded by the word of God And looke againe that it ryse of the inward motions of the Spirite in the hart If a man speake of his owne priuate affection ô Lord if he should not haue a well sanctified affection that speaks in the name of the Lord it is better to him not to speake he indangers himselfe hes much to make account of But if thou hast warrands in the word break out with it with liberty for it is as great danger to thee to conceale it when thou hast a warrand as it is to speake it of thy owne affection And without question the Lord will controll them that will controll thy libertie here The Lord giue eyes to men that
and resolution he hes to suffer for there is no day that the Minister ryses but he is bound to take this resolution in his heart to render his blonde vp for Christ And therefore albeit he die not yet let him be dead in the resolution of his heart and say Lord 〈◊〉 I am readie to die for thy vvorde if it please thee so to call me This is the first argument whereby he showes his loue towards the Thessalonians In the next verse he sayes For ye remember brethren our labour 〈…〉 I will not onelie talke to you of my goodvvill but I will call to remembrance what labour and trauaile with what anguishe and giâ—se I haue suffered for your cause The vvordes are verie weightie in their owne language and speciallie the second the words signifies such trauaile as a man takes on him Labor 〈◊〉 the relefe of the flocke an argumeÌ„t of loue after he is vvearied vvith trauaile vvhen he takes on him trauaile againe This is great labour He labours while he was wearied and then he laboures againe to get rest He vses this vvord in sundrie places Alvvayes marke To testifie the inward affection of the heart the Pastor beares to the flock it is not eneugh to professe a good-will that he had a purpose to haue vsed liberall dealing with them and to say I vvill deale liberallie vvith you that is onelie vvordes but vvith the words the flock must haue an experience thereof an experience of bygone loue and of a good deed and there is nothing better to testifie the affection then the labour and trauaile the Pastor suffers for the flock Charitie is laborious and painefull chap. 1. vers 2. a man who loues an other he will vndertake paines for him His loue will not be in word but in action he will runne for him he will ryde for him night and day If a Pastor loue his flock he vvith trauaile day and night for it and it is a vvonder to see vvhat paines loue vvill endure Ye knowe this all well eneugh Farther the word is to be marked Ye remember He charges them with a remembrance and if they will forget it he will not let them forget it The people should remember of the paines of the pastor thou art bound to remember vpon the care and prouidence of God for thee thou should remember the Pastors paines for if the Lord had not taken care on thee he would neuer haue raised vp the Pastor to take such a care on thee and this is one of the ordinare meanes God vses to prouide for his people by raising of Pastors to take paines on them and if thou remembers not on the mans paines thou remembers not on the Lords prouidence The remembrance of the Lordes prouidence and paines of the Pastor for thee goe together and thou who lightlies the paines of the man thou lightlies Gods prouidence contemning the one thou contemnes the other remembring the one thou remembers the other Men â—ill say they remember on the Lords prouidence and yet they speake nothing of the instrument God hes sent to winne them No he can not be thankfull to God that forgets his Minister Now in the wordes following he makes plaine the labour pain that he bestowed on them First sayes he I preached vnto you the Gospell of God There is a part of my labour Preaching is a speciall labour what matter were it if there had bene no more but preaching I vvroght and laboured vvith my ovvn hands not in the day onele but in the night also day and night I laboured Paul was a craftsman and had a handie-craft he was a weuer of Tents and Pauilions and vpon that came familiaritie betweene him and Aâ—utla and Pâ—â—stillâ— who were of that same trade and he did dwell with them Act. 18. 3. Besides this he was a gentleman and for other sciences he was wel broght vp broght vp in the lawes at the feet of Gamahell who was a chiefe lawyer and yet for all this he was a craftsman an Hebrew of the trybe of Beniaemin of a good estimation he that got that benefite to be a citizen of Rome he was a gentleman Wel a genâ—lemaÌ„ nowadayes thinks it shame to put his sonne to any craft but perchance the next day he will be hanged for theft or murther if he haue not a craft to sustaine him Fy on this idle nation and thou Scotland bears the gree of idlenesse and loytering Wherefore was all this labouring Because saieth he I should not be chargeable vnto you Brethren an end of his working was for his sustentation an other end was that the Gospell shoulde not be sâ—â—ndered We see he was sparing of these Thessalonians and yet he preached carefully to them and al to this end that the Gospel should not be slandered he wroght with his own hands albeit they wer debt-bound to him Marke here the thing in the world all men should chieflie seeke is that the Gospell of Christ should haue the own progresse without any stop or stay And aboue al things a Pastor who is the instrument of this progresse is bound that by no meane hee be the stay of the Gospell given to win soules to the kingdome of Iesus left that which he is building vp with the one hand be not casle downe with the other as many doe they build on Sonday by their teachâ—ng all the week they cast down by their euill life they destroy more by their life maner of liuing nor they builde by their preaching The least offence in the world wil hinder the course of the Gospel because of the infirmitie of men wemen for they will start at a stray There was neuer a stumbling horse comparable in stumbling to the heart of man considering that so little a thing will cause men take offence at the Gospell and leape farther back nor they came forward We clim vp to Heauen verie softlie and slowlie but if vve runne to Hell vve shall fall dovvn in an houre more then vve did climme in a yeare Therefore we are all bound to flee all kinde of offence and slander Looke that thou offend not offend not the infirme to cause them goe aback neither in the word of thy mouth nor in any action vvith hand or foote or by the vvinke of thy eye to say the progresse of the Gospell And of al men the Pastor is bound to walke most warelie Paul renounces his own right to flee this occasion of offence The Thessalonians wer bound to giue him temporall thinges who ministered to them spirituall things but giuing ouer his right he laboured night and day with his hands for his sustentation Euerie man in their owne degree is bound to suffer all extremitie ere they be a stay to the Gospell but cheeflie the Minister For Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 9. vers 23. sayeth If for the Gospell they absteene not from their ovvne right they shall not be partakers
the waues of the sea dashed on them they shoulde stand fast in the faith of Christ Brethren all this worlde is full of tentations the diuell blowes and all his impes are euer blovving and raising a storme it is a stormie world and all the thuds light on the sillie creature Alas if we knevv the stumbering estate we stand into vvhat tentations are to assaile vs the windes of tentation from the East West North South all meeting aduersitie on one side prosperitie on the other side all meeting to dravve thee from Christ What remedie can be sought of this wofull estate we stand in by nature if we stand not in grace vve shall cursse the tyme that euer vve vvere borne and liued in this vvorld The remedie is Stablishing What remedie for a ship when windes blovv Stablishing And hovv shall the heart be established How is the ship made sure By casting the ankor in the sea the ankor of the soule is faith and hope thou must then cast it vpon Christ Cast it not down in the sand but vpward through the vaill to Iesus the sure ground of it and then all the windes how beit they may shake thee yet they shall not seuere thee from him Then where shall we get this ankor faith Faith is by hearing as is said Rom. 10. 17. Thou must hold to thy eare or else thou shalt be blowne away Hearing is by preaching So all resolves in this same ministrie the preaching of this glorious Gospell of the blessed God let this ministrie be heard and thou shalt get faith getting faith the ankor of the soule thou shalt stand fast and shalt not be thrust from the Rock Christ But cast away preaching as euer a ship was tossed to and fro vntill she perishe thou shalt be tossed vntill thou perishe euerlastinglie Now to go forward in the second part of the text in which he exhorts them patientlie to beare affliction And so he falles from the last purpose and goes to the former patience in affliction Sand fast be patient taken in patience what euer is laide on thee the reason isâ— because vve are appointed to affliction As God hes appointed vs in the vvoulde and ordained vs for glorie in the life to come so as certainelie hes he appointed vs to suffer in the meane time that by ignominie and crosses we may passe to glorie Heare this and looke the vvay to heauen that by ignominie tribulation vexation and affliction thou must come to heauen our place of long rest The Lord hes ordained this therfore beare it patiently Ther is the forme of the argument learne then It is of the will and decree of God from all eternitie that the creature shold suffer in this life Gods vvil that vve suffer in this life shoulde be reuereÌ„ced in one mesure or other TheÌ„ againe the creature should haue such reuerence to Gods will that when it thinkes that it is the will of God it should suffer it make no whispering but stoup there Paul Rom. 9. 20. speaking of the indured reprobate anent the induration reprobation and condemnation He teaches them that the reprobates when they are tolde it is Gods will that they shoulde goe to Hell their mouth should be shut vp that they querrell not the Lord. And he sayes in anger What art thou that vvhispers against God's vvill the put stand vp and speake to the potter that made it and say vvhy hast thou made me a veshell of dishonow No more should thou reprobate stand vp and say to thy maker why hast thou made me a reprobate o that reuerence we should haue to that blessed will and albeit the reprobates speakes now against Gods wil yet at last in the end their mouth shal be closde they shal not haue one word to say against the wil of God but in Hel shall be compelled to reuerence that solide will of God Now if the reprobate should reuerence this holie will of God then who art chosen of God and art afflicted for thy owne well for it is for thy sanctification and knowing well that there is a glorious prospect to thee therein wilt thou not reuerence Gods wil wilt thou not reuerence it vnder such a little burdene the momentâ—neall lightnesse of affliction when the reprobate shall doe it in such paine All is to this end That euerie onely with patience vnder Gods hand in affliction vntill the tyme come the Lord releeue them Necessary of afflictioÌ„ Then ye see heere a great necessitie of afflictions suffer must we Paul sayes we are appointed to suffer before al time Peter sayes we are called to suffer in time 1. Epist 2. 21. So when the Lord calles thee to glorie he calles thee by suffering and he sayes Come to the torment and sworde and sire and so by that way thou must euter in glorie Christ our head entred by the crosse to glorie so must thou Well then knowing this necessitie what should we do then Make vs for patience and ay prepare vs in the morning at euening at our meate and ay cry The Lord prepare vs for suffring I am going out I knowe not what shall befall me before my comming in Lord conduct me in this miserable life that I may raigne vvith thee I knowe there is nothing but trouble in this life in trouble Lord comfort me and conduct me while I raigne with thee and rest from all troubles This should be our daylie prayer Alas the vanities of this worlde so ouerrunnes our eyes that we can not see the tottering estate we are in There is no ankoring but in Christ The Lord oppin our eyes to see this more and more Now one word on the next argument the second argument is from the forewarning of the Apostle For the first time vve vvere vvith you vve tolde you vve should all suffer The Gospell can not be without affliction for affliction is an vnseparable companion thereof and therefore I tolde you before that ye might be patient It is a common prouerbe Once warned halfe armed an euill that is foreseene to come ere it light will hurt the lesse when it comes not to vs contrair our expectation vve will take it in better part but this euill that lights on a man sudainlie contrair his expectation ô it is a sore and heauie trouble and will make him to shake When a man is crying peace and thinkes all sure then saies the Apostle 1. Thess 3. 5. when the trouble ouertakes him vpon a sodainetie vvhat shall be his dolour His dolour shall be like to a vvomans trauailing in child-birth which is compared to the paine of hell for the exceeding fiercenesse and sharpnesse The Apostle knowing this vvhere euer he came to preache the Gospell of Christ vvith the Gospell he preached affliction and he did euer say O people prepare you for suffering thinke not but yee shall suffer that beeing forewarned they should not stoupe and let afliction passe ouer them Affliction foretolde
shalt not see a glorious member beside thee but of sight of it thou shalt haue such joy as no tongue can tell So I beseech you as ye would rejoice in Heauen beginne to joy and learne in tyme to rejoyce for the graces of God bestowed on others here and learne in time to loue thy nighbourâ—ó thou licentious bodie learne to loue ô contemner learne to loue thou back byter learne to loue thou who wouldst rejoice with a true joy learne to loue or thou shalt neuer rejoyce in Heauen What trow ye ` Paul is doing now when Timothie is turned back to him and makes this good report of this charitie and is rejoysing I tell you he is gathering vp the frutes of his trauell taking vp his rent and stipend from the Thessalonians Pastors stipend What is the rewarde of a faithfull Pastor and his proper stipend Is it this little thing on the earth his gleab and manse two or three chalders of victuall no. What then is the proper rewarde of the Pastor It filles not the hand but the heart not the mouth of this world but the mouth of the soule with joy Fill out my ioy sayes Paul Philipp 2. 2. fill it out I haue not gotten it all What is that that fils the hart of the Pastor with joy The grace of God fils the heart vvith ioy ye heare not that Timothie bringes any substance from the Thessalonians But the thing that filles Pauls heart is the grace of God in the Thessalonians the saith of the Thessalonians the loue and good affection the Thessalonians bare to him That is the matter of his joy Men standes on this earth and is loath to giue one penny to an other but to draw al in to them selues but I say to thee if thou be one of Gods and of his people he shall get more of thee nor al thy heritage nor all thy lands and riches in the world if he be a faithfull Pastor he shall get more of thee For thou shalt haue no grace nor faith nor charitie but he shall get the glorie of it thou shalt haue no glorie in Heauen but that glorie shall redound to his glorie for that chiefe Pastor of al Pastors hes communicate this to his Pastors that all the graces bestowed by him on the people shal redound to their glorie So he will haue all the trauels bestowed on the people by his Pastour to redound the glorie of his Pastor Paul sayes 1. Thessa 2. 19. What is our ioy or crovvne of 〈◊〉 are not ye Thessalonians my glorie and my joy The Lord shall take you by the hand giue you to me and say haue there the man thou hast win take the glorie thereof to thee and giue me the whole glorie of him and of all ô the shinning glorie that Paul shall haue in Heauen ô the shinning glorie of these men who hes trauelled on earth to get soules to God! they haue a glorious preferment but it is not seene heere in that day ye shall see it clearlie Now he aggreadges that joy he receiued of that report from the great trouble he had in Athens and sayes vve had consolation in all our affliction and necessitie In Athens he was troubled by the Epicurian and Stoick Philosophers Alas worldlie-wise men are not meete for the kingdome of God he that would be wise in God let him be a foole So he is in trouble HeaueÌ„lie ioy svvalovves vp vvorldlie payne yet this consolation through the report of Timothie swalowes vp the trouble ô that heauenlie consolation and joy how it will swalow vp the displeasure and heauines of the soule Albeit the soule wer filled with sorrow when this heauenlie joy comes in it swalowes vp that heauinesse it is true that this is not without a battell and a hard battell but in the end the spirituall joye vvill get the victorie Therfore thou vvho art in heauines prease to get some spark of that heauenlie joy prease to rejoice in Christ grow in rejoycing in God Thou who wouldst haue any paine mitigate that is laid on thy bodie if it were sicknesse or death it selfe if thou wouldst haue it made light seeke that spirituall joy for as it swalowes the dolor and displeasure of the hart so it swalowes vp the paine of the bodie trow ye thaâ— the Martyres could haue suffred so great paine as they did if that the joy of the heart had not swalowed vp the half of the paine No if the joy had not impared the paine they vvould haue curssed God and man So let a man or vvoman vvho would haue their paine mitigate seeke to get this joy We see how sweetlie they vvill depart out of this life vvho hes that joy in Christ and therefore differre not till the last houre thinking to get joy then but in tyme vvhen thou art neither sicke nor sore in soule nor bodie prepare thee to get a sense of that joye that may be steadable in trouble acquaint thee vvith heauen as euer thou vvouldst goe to heauen Avvaye with the securitie of men who playe the vvanton and will promise to them selues heauen if they get but leaue to aske mercie in their last breath Fy on them they shall be deceyued It is true Delay of repentaÌ„ce daÌ„gerous the theefe that hung at Christs right hand got mercie but the other theefe got none Therefore repent amend your liues in time for vvhere one gets repentance at the last houre of their death a thousand wants it Now ere I leaue this marke Certainelie it appeares that Paul loued the Thessalonians well for vvhen he heares the report of these good newes he who was in trouble is reuiued and if he had not loued the Thessalonians exceeding well hee had not receiued such exceeding joye Loue is the occasion of ioy Ye see who loues a man vvell when anie good report is made of him he will rejoice for it O the great loue of Paul in all parts it may be a mirror to all pastors Woulde to God that such loue or halfe loue were in our hearts wee are bounde to a Congregation and yet we can not loue them as he did hauing manie Congregations for he vvas minister as well at Corinthus Galatia Ephesus c. as Thessalonica Neuer did any man loue a sonne begotten of himself more intirelie nor Paul did all his Churches Surelie a Pastor should loue his flock so well that he should giue his life for them In the end of the verse he giues the reason wherefore he rejoyced vve liue sayes he if ye stand in the Lord. Ioy comes of life and naturall life brings naturall joy that heauenlie lyfe begun in this life brings joye vnspeakable He reasones Ye are nâ—y life what wounder then that hearing of your standing in the Lord which is my life I rejoice Then if he be a louing Pastor who loues the soule of the people well as Paul did the grace that the people gets of
then to finde no rest nor fruite of his labor at night but I say to thee if thy walking be not to please God thou shalt neuer get any frute of thy walking if thy walking be not euer to please thy God thou shalt neuer get the right way thou shalt goe like a doting bodie and be the farther from that glorious butt and in the end thou shalt effectuat nothing but in that great day thou shalt curse all thy labors and exercises and thou shalt say Alas my labours are all lost I haue wearied my selfe and now I am no better But if thy walking be to please God thou shalt finde a sweetnesse in thy labor and joy in the end thereof And when that blessed day of resurrection shall come thou shalt say Blessed am I in my labours that I wrought to please my God for now I haue gotten the butt I finde the frute of my laboures Paul sayes 1. Cor. 9. 26. I runne but not to an vncertaintie Learne neuer to runne to an vncertaintie but euer runne to a butt effectuat something by your doing The onely way to make you runne well is to please God A Minister or any other in the world who woulde runne right must run to pleasure their God and then they shall finde sweetnesse in their running Now well is the soule that can endeuore the selfe to pleasure God for ther is no joy in the creature but when it is set to glorify God night and day in this world for to this end are we set in the world 1. Cor. 10. 31. and if we doe this he shal set vs in the heauens to glorifie him Now in the next verse he takes themselues to be witnesses that he had set before them the preceptes and lawes whereby they should walke in the journey Ye knovve vvhat commandement vve gaue you by the Lord Iesus It is an happie thing to a Minister in his calling when with a good conscience he appeals the consciences of the people that he cried to them and saide ô people I bade you goe I prescriued you rules to goe into your blood be on your owne head I haue discharged a faithfull duetie to you Brethren what auailes it vs if we should euer preache the Gospell if we be not saued thereby And when we teache you the Gospell we also stir our selues forward to come to that butt Christ our owne teaching is the meane whereby we are saued as it is the meane whereby ye are saued Therefore let all goe forward together in the rinke Now in the verse following he beginnes to set down to them the rules of walking and going forward That which he had spoken by tongue being at Thessalonica the same thing he puts in writ by his pen. It is a foolish thing to a man to say The Apostle spoke one thing and wrote another No brethren Paul neuer spake one sentence to confirme any people but it is registrate to vs. It is blasphemie to thinke that Paul and Peter c. wrote not that which they spoke it is follie for there was no sentence they spoke pertaining to our saluation but it is written Then the rule is The vvill of God vvhich is your sanctification That is that ye be holie in your soules and the whole affections thereof in your bodie and all the members of your bodie and all the actions of your members So he drawes the whole rules which are to be obserued in this course and rinke we haue to Heauen and life euerlasting to holinesse and sanctification Then in one word there is the manner how thou shalt goe forward to this butt Be holie be holie thou must be holie holie in heart hand mouth foot in all the members of thy body separate thee from the worlde which is full of sinne full of foull affections displeasing the eye of thy God and put on holinesse Who euer they be that goe forward in holinesse assuredlie they shall come to the marke Liue thou an holie life what vocation that euer it be in assure thee thou shalt come to the prise of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Philipp 3. 14. To turne it ouer againe Busie thy self as thou wilt if that thy businesse be not in holinesse thou art foolishe the faster thou runnest thou art the farther behinde Alas how many are there who busies them selues in wickednesse and the more they wearie themselues the farther are they from Heauen Blessed are they who can goe forward to Heauen Stryue to holinesse and say Lord I am on my journey I cannot goe forward except I finde an holie heart to thinke an holie mouth to speake an holy hand to touch Lord sanctifie them that I runne not in vaine The way to runne holilie is to keepe euer before thy eies God that holie one in the face of Iesus and to cry O Lord guide me in holinesse And I assure thee if thou wilt striue to liue holilie and cry to God to guide thee in holinesse thou shalt come to that endlesse joy But if thou let God out of thy eye thou shalt perishe Brethren this life will away and therefore set your harts to run to that euerlasting life Nowe hauing set downe the generall he deduces it in parts and the first part he takes vp is cleannesse of the bodie as he would say fyle not the bodie with fornication fyle thou thy bodie with fornication thou shalt not thinke a cleane thought speake a cleane word or doe any cleane deed Surelie all sinnes pollutes and fyles The sinne that comes from the heart if it were but an euill motion it goes back againe and leaues a foull blot behinde it a rotten deed leaues a blot behinde it a foull worde in the mouth goes back and leaues a foull blot in the hart when thou hast spoken a word thou art not quite thereof but it comes back againe and fyles the soule It goes not from thee so lightlie as thou trowest no it leaues ay a foull blot behinde it So this corruption growes daily Brethren I tell you all sinnes fylles the bodie yet of all sinnes harlotrie especiallie fyles the bodie Looke the comparison the Apostle vses 1. Cor. 6. 18. The bodie of an harlote of all bodies is the foullest Alas such a fyling of the bodie and soule followes vpon adulterie that it is wonderfull to tell Seeing therefore speciall pollution of the bodie followes on fornication I beseech you as ye would present your selfe before God in cleannesse abstaine from harlotrie An harlot will trauell long ere he come to heauen thy heart and bodie must be sanctified before thou come to Heauen And so as thou would come forward to Heauen stryue to keepe a cleane bodie and soule to God and speciallie abstaine from this vyce of fornication Lord keepe vs from it vntill we come to the end of our journey that we may be presented clean before christ To whom with the Father and holie Spirit be honour and praise for
biddes vs we must not yeelde to the lustes of the fleshe there must bee abstinence and dyet And therefore Paul in that same ninth chapter to the Cor. verse 27. shovves how he vsed himselfe in running to be an ensample to vs. He sayes He held his bodie at vnder and redacted it in a seruitude and vvoulde not let it be his master Let thou thy bodie be thy master I promise thee thou shalt neuer see the butt But to come more speciallie What abstinence must it be He names it from fornication There are sundrie sortes of abstinence vvhich is requyred of them that runnes in this rinke but among them all this is a speciall Abstaine from harlotrie and pollution of the bodie vvith fornication Among all the sinnes that defiles the bodie and the members of the bodie of anie man or vvoman harlotrie is the cheefest sinne and makes all vncleane and polluted in Goddes sight The Apostle 1. Corinth chap. 6. verse 18. sayes All sinnes that a man committes is out-vvith the bodie but he vvho committe fornication he sinnes against his ovvne bodie he pollutes and defyles his bodie in a speciall manner Brethren the bodie of a man vvhich is not polluted vvith this filthinesse is a meete bodie to runne in this course it is svvift and readie to runne in this course but if the bodie be deâ—yled vvith harlotrie it is not svvift and meete for the course Learne it Ye shall see for common a goode turne falles neuer out in the hands of an harlote There is nothing vnder the Sunne that a bodie polluted vvith fornication can doe holilie As the person is vncleane in Gods sight so all thinges he does are polluted yea that same verie action that othervvayes is goode is sinne in Gods sight Commest thou to the Church and hearest the preaching if thou be an harlote all is polluted in Gods sight Deale all that thou hast to the poore lyest thou in harlotrie all is sinne So in a vvord an harlot can doe no goode and if he seeme to doe anie good it is nothing but sinne in Gods sight Looke then vvhat estate an harlote is in Now to goe forward to the next verse He sets downe the speciall remedie of this sinne and vyce whereby they may keepe their bodie from this pollution Remedie of fornication That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour The first thing that is requyred heere is a science an habite in doing not a light fassion in doing a doing as it vvere off hand but a setled doing of a setled grace in the heart a craft to possesse and to keepe the bodie in holinesse and godlinesse Thou that vvould keepe thy bodie cleane thou must haue an habite and setlednesse All thinges we doe in this life should come of a constant habite in the soule of an vse and setled grace in the hart to doe well For as the thing a Craftis-man does is of his craft the thing a Wright does is of the science of his craft so euerie one that vvould intende to do vvell must haue an habite and a grace in the heart to doe vvell And speciallie he that vvould keepe his bodie in cleannesse looke that he haue a craft of it otherwayes it may be he vvill not play the harlote this night or that night because he hes not the occasion but the first occasion offered hee shall be an harlote So all resolues in this The best thing in this vvorld to bannishe sinne is to get an heart setled and stablished vvith grace Get an heart once stablished vvith grace then thou shalt not be moued but thou shalt stand fast in all tentations and thou shalt keepe a solide course Let the Deuill the vvorlde and all the enemies of thy saluation vse all the tentations to dravv thee avvay thou shalt stand immoueable And therefore learne the craft of vvell doing and get once the habite in the heart of vvell doing and then vvell doing shall come with such facilitie to thee that thou shalt maruell thereat Then to come to the next words That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour He sayes euery one He exeemes none neither riche nor poore high nor lovve but he bindes euerie one of vvhat ranke so euer he be of to the science of possessing the bodie with cleannesse and holinesse Marke it brethren There are none priuiledged to be an harlot not a King nor Queen nor Earle nor Countesse no none of no estate hes this priuiledge but all are bound to keep the bodie cleane and they who wil exeem themselues and thinke their ranke to be a priuiledge to them they shall exeeme themselues also from the rank of them who runnes in this rinke to Heauen Thou goest not so soone to be an harlote but thou goest out of the right way and thou shalt neuer come to Heauen that way runne as long as thou wilt Now what should euerie one know Euerie one should know to possesse his vessell that is his bodie not to be possessed of the bodie but to possesse the bodie wilt thou be possessed of the bodie and be a slaue to it and wilt thou let the foule affections of the bodie possesse thee thou shalt find woe in thy bodie for euer Paul sayes I holde my bodie at vnder and redâ—ct it in seruice I will not let it be my Master 1 Cor. 9. 27. Alwaies the thing that euerie one should know is to possesse To speake of this possession it is a common saying it is no lesse practick to possesse a thing after it be gotten nor to acquire and conquesse it Yea I say there is greater practick to possesse that well which is gotten nor to get it And there are moe in the world that can find the way to get it nor the way to keepe that which is gotten But what thing is this they should knowe to possesse There are many possessions in the world but among all possessions the cheef is that a man possesse holilie his body which is a vessell to keepe the soule So the first possession that euer one gettes in this world is his own bodie and it is the longest possession that any man keepes Thou shalt be pulled from thy heritage lands goods and riches but as for thy bodie albeit for a time thou lay it down yet thou shalt take it vp againe and thou shalt possesse it for euer and it shall either be an house to honour or else to dishonour to thee for euer And so seeing this bodie is the first possession and the longest we haue therefore we should be carefull how we possesse this bodie Be not so carefull how thou keepest and possessest thy land as how thou possessest thy bodie There are ouer many that are so carefull to possesse their lands that they forget to possesse their bodies and yet their land shall they leaue behinde them So the cheefest thing thou
vve shall finde as many destroyed by deceit as by violence and a faire clocke of justice casten ouer deceite And in vvhat thing should they not circumveene In any manner of dealling or trafficking The Lord so long as it pleases him that we remaine in this worlde hes appointed a mutuall buying and selling otherwayes we could not liue and he hes ordained this buying and selling to be so that bothe the parties winne the buyer winne the seller-winne and he vvho blockes aright and deales vvithin his neighbour according to the word of God aright he vvill not be content to vvinne himselfe alone No the conscience of him will say and must say I vnderstand as I haue made my ovvne vauntage so shoulde my brother make his vauntage also But alas such is our selfe loue that vve can neuer thinke vve get aduauntage except our brother get losse Alas this sin is ouer much vsed in Scotland The Lord amend it The Lord is the auenger of sinne And if in blocking thou seeke not the aduauntage of thy neighbor that blocks with thee with thy aduantage thy aduantage shall be a curse to thee and thou shalt cursse the time that euer thou got that aduantage Whom should they not deceaue He sayes a brother Thou shouldst not beguyle any man neither Turke nor Pagane much more shouldst thou beware to beguile a Christian a brother or sister for I assure thee God will not see them wrongde The Lord that is thy master he vvill repaire the vvrong He that is made a brother to the first begotten of the Father the Lord vvill not see that brother vvrongde The Apostle 1. Corinth chap. 6. verse 8. settes dovvne that matter as a great indignitie saying Ye doe injurie ye doe hurt to your brother and them vvho hes giuen their names to Christ ye shame your selues to beguyle your brethren But to open the matter more deeplie There are manie conjunctiones the Lorde hes ordained to be among men as of bloude affinity ciuile societie c. and euerie one of these conjunctiones oblishes them to do no wrong to that person with whom they are conjoined But when this Christian conjunction commes in in our elder brother Christ when we are all members of one bodie in one head Christ not sundrie bodies as brethren on earth are this conjunction aboue all conjunctiones bindes me and thee to deale truelie in anie blocke vve haue vvith our brother So vvhen thou art dealing vvith anie man say this vvith thy selfe he with vvhom I deale is my brother and a member of that bodie of Christ and therefore farre be it from me to deceyue him Alas if men coulde thinke on this at their blocking that they vse to deale vvith a brother in Christ and member of that bodie for all the vvorlde they vvoulde not set themselues to beguile their brother Many testifies by their deceite they are not brethren in this bodie for if they vvere brethren indeed for all the world they vvoulde not deceaue them Novv there is heere another thing I see among all conjunctiones that euer hes beene in any societie or conjunction in this earth the most powerfull conjunction to keep men together in one societie and mutuall loue and concord is this spirituall conjunction of vs in the Lord All the lawes and conjunctions that euer hes been in any commonwel since the beginning are not so powerfull to keepe men in societie as this conjunction we haue together in one head Marke it I tell you if men and wemen be not joined together in one head by a spirituall vnion it may be there be a face of vnitie in the Countrie but no societie and sinceritie in loue except the Lord be the binder and conjoiner together no true conjunction If Christ be not the conjoyner and the binder of the man with the wife the father with the sonne no true conjunction I will not say that that Romane and Grecian Common-well that had no part in God through Iesus Christ had euer any true conjunction or sinceritie in loue No sinceritie in concorde but that that is made vp in Iesus the Lord when we runne all in to be members of one bodie and he sitting and joyning vs altogether as peeces of that bodie then there will be a sweete conjunction Alas ye see this sweete harmonie and vnitie is not among people yea alas among them that professes Christianitie greater outcasts nor among Turkes The cause is there are manie and ouer manie that call themselues Christians and takes vpon them to be in the bodie that hes no part in Iesus and hes nothing adoe with him It is shame that they should take this name vpon them for it is true if thou wert a true member of that bodie thou wouldst not seuere thy selfe from the rest of the bodie by thy murther oppression deceit c. These homicides and murtherers does testifie men and wemen are not truelie conjoyned in this bodie but keepes the name of Christianitie without effect Now he casts to one reason of these two thinges saying God is the anâ—â—ger of all such thinges bothe of deceitfulusse and oppression The reason is terrible and it telles vs God sees all and teaches vs that in this rinke to Heauen if we be not hedged in with terrors yea the best of vs with terrors on this side and terrors on that side we will runne out of the way And therefore as God hes appointed faire promises to exhort men to goe forward saying Goe forward thou shalt get a faire Crowne So on the other part knowing faire promises will not doe the turne he threatens judgements saying Goe thou out of the way my vengence shall ouertake thee yea he does more nor this and casts in greater terrors he knowes that wordes will not doe the turne whiles he takes an harlote as it were by the neck and and in the sight of the world he will teare him in peeces and let men see that the vengence of God followes on sin and wil strike him with such a sodaine death that men will feare to doe the like We see daily such experience of Gods judgements whiles he vvill take an oppressour vvho hes oppressed men in this world and wil tred on him with his feet to terrifie the world and this is his daily doing in this world Now taking this man and that woman now and then punishing them to let the world see that punishment is for sinne and sin craues judgement yea and let them see there is a day of judgement comming when he wil tak soule and bodie and cast them into hel For these temporall judgements are but as many tokens to tell vs there is a day comming when all oddes shall be made euen When ye see a man plagued temporallie stand not there but thinke on the last punishment vnlesse repentance interueene Ye will maruell when ye see a man running in wickednesse that the Lord in our sight instantlie strikes him not No knowe
ye not the patience of God He is patient and lets men runne in wickednesse vntill the cuppe be full and then he powreth out his wraith and judgement on them to the vttermost The Lord keepe vs from his judgements and wraith for Christ his Sons sake To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise and honor for euer AMEN THE XV. LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 6. 7. 8. 6 That no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter for the Lord is auenger of all such thinges as vve also haue tolde you before time and testified 7 For God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but vnto holinesse 8 He therefore that despiseth these thinges despiseth not man but God vvho hath euen giuen you his holie Spirit IN this part of this Epistle after the salutation and after that large congratulation wherein he rejoised for the grace the Lord had bestowed on the Thessalonians not after a common manner but in great aboundance He sets downe preceptes of manners concerning an holie lyfe and a godlie conuersation in this worlde and he comprehendes them all first in a generall and he calles it sanctification holinesse in lyfe and conuersation for whatsoeuer duetie appertaines to vs to be done in this lyfe the whole may be taken vp vnder this one word sanctification which standes in holinesse in soule and bodie When he hes sette downe the generall he diuydes it in parts and the first part of sanctification of holinesse of lyfe and conuersation he takes it vp to be in absteining from fornication it respects a man or woman in their owne person that they keepe the soule and bodie that God hes giuen them in holinesse vnpolluted vvith filthinesse The second part concernes our neighbour that we doe him no wrong He is an vnholie man that hurtes his neighbour that vvill vvrong him in anie dealling or trafficking with him He is hurt two manner of wayes first he is hurt by deceite vnder colour by fraude begâ—yling or circumvention He is secondlie hurt by plaine violence and oppression Both these two sortes of wronges and injuries are vnholie He that circumueenes his brother is vnholie he that oppresses his brother is vnholie Novve to persvvade them to this sanctification standing in these tvvo partes he vses sundrie argumentes The first argument ye heard of before vvas from the vvill of God This is the will of God sayes he your sanctification It is the Lords vvill that ye be holie It is not an hid vvill but a reuealed will and oft reuealed that ye be holie in your selfe holie in respect of your brethren and holie all manner of vvaye Brethren if there vvere not an argument to moue vs to be holy holie in respect of our selues holie in respect of our neighbour this onely reason to vnderstand it is Gods will we so doe may be sufficient For albeit we knovve of no other reason wherefore vve should be holie but onely that it is his vvill it bindes vs to holinesse For this reuerence tovvarde the Creator and Redeemer of the world should be in euerie creature that they vnderstanding anie thing to bee agreable to his holie vvill should stoup knovving his will they are bound to acquiescâ— and rest there seeking no farther and to close their eyes at all their reasones hovvbeit the thing that is injoyned to them should seeme to be an impossibilitie The Apostle speaking of his vvill Roman chap. 12. verse 2. sayes His vvill is euer goode it is good vvhat euer he vvilleth it is perfite yea it is the rule of all righteousnesse So euerie one should reason vvith themselues Is it the vvill of God Then it is most just I vvill follovve and obey it my reason shall not stay it my reason is vvrong and out of rule his vvill is the rule of righteousnesse I insist on this rather because I knovve how hard it is to make the vvill of man plyable and to frame it to Gods vvill and vvhat discrepance is betvveene the vvill of God and the vvill of man So if thou giuest thy selfe ouer to thy ovvne nature there is nothing God willes but thou willest the contrare therof And therfore our praier should be continually to God to conforme our froward will to his wil this should be our praier continuallie what euer come to vs be it prosperitie or aduersitie Lord do thy will giue me not my own will for if I get my own wil it will be my wreak but Lord rule my will according to thy will for thy will is onely the right will and the preseruer of my life and euen now while we haue time we should cry Lord thy will be done we are thy creatures Lord let thy will be done in vs. And I assure thee if thou get thy will conformable to his wil and be content with any thing he layes on thee life or death certainly thou shalt find comfort all shall come well to thee The second argument taine from the vengence that falles on the transgressours He saies For the Lord is the auenger of alâ— such thinges He auenges the deceit vsed by vs and the violence done against our neighbour This second argument followes well on the other for one of those two must be either the will of God must be done by vs or else vengence must be for disobedience If the will of God moue thee not to doe that which he craues of thee Punishement for disobedieÌ„ce to gods vvill to liue in holinesse before him let the feare of vengence and punishment moue thee For Brethren the will of our God is in the selfe a thing so holie and inuiolable that there was neuer person yet that disobeyed that will from ould Adam to this houre if it were but in a litle thoght of the heart let be a deed in a motion of the soule let be an action but that disobedience and transgression of that holie and inuiolable will of God was punished either in the persons self or in the Mediator Iesus Christ So inuiolable a thing is the just will of God that the disobeence to it cannot escape punishmeÌ„t God is not like man impossible it is that thy disobedience to him if it were but â—n a motion of thy heart should bee vnpunished either in thy bodie or soule or else thou must haue refuge to the Mediator and it shall be punished in him For if thou be in Christ thy disobedidience is taine away in his obedience And therefore thinke it no childish play to play with his will if it were but the least cogiâ—ation of the heart Play vvith man as thou wilt but one thought against Gods will importes damnation if thou hadst a thousand lyues He addes that reason in the end of this verse as vve also 〈◊〉 you before tyme and testified This was not the first tyme that he had tolde them of it of before and now he telles them
in the hour of their death had they any cōfort joy and when they saw there was nothing but death and all pleasure was away then there was nothing but sorowe Hadrian the Emperour I remember who was one of the most glorious Conquerours in the world when he was on death-bed he flatters with his owne soule to see if she would haue bidden within the body saying My litle soule wilt thou bide within the body thou waits not where thou art going to without hope he was and therefore comfortlesse and dies in dispair To let vs see there is none that deceasses without the hope of lyfe and of that glorious resurrection but they die all in dispare from the King to the begger Who euer died since the beginning of the world without Christ and hope in him yea before he was manifested in the world but they deceassed in dispare So as ye wold die in joy striue to get Christ It is a thing flesh and bloud wil not giue thee and it is a greater wonder to see Christ nor to see a man through a rock ther are so many impediments to hinder his fight from 〈◊〉 Therefore we haue to craue that the sprit of Iesus wold lighten the eye of the mynde in vs aboue nature to see him and then we shall see him and so haue comfort in death Now to go forward in the wordes and to come to the heades in particulare concerning them that are departed The first thing he instructs them in I take it vp when he saies Concerning them that are asleepe is in respect of their estate present while as they lye in graue Bodies of the godlie sleepe in the graue The bodies lying in the graue sayes he is not dead Ye beleeue they be dead No death is one thing and sleepe is another They are onely sleeping for if ye will speake of death what it meanes properlie The death of the creature properlie is the euerlasing punishment and destruction of it for euer And they vvho dies and are dead they shall neuer liue againe at the least they shall neuer haue a sense of joy So the bodies of the godlie are not dead but sleeping and lying in graue and they haue a verie being a man that is sleeping is a man and hes a being a bodie in the graue hes a being and bydes lying in the graue in substance and shall abide continuallie And if it should be burnt in the fyre or drovvned in the vvatter the dissolution of the bodie in the graue shall not destroye the being thereof The turning of it in ashes is no other thing to speake of it properlie but a fyning of it as the goulde is fyned by the fyre and the drosse burnt vp so the bodie is fyned in the graue and the drosse of the bodie is but at vp that at the latter day the substance of the bodie being purified may rise as gold glistering to be conjoined with the soule The Apostle 1. Cor. 15. 53. 54. 55. when he speakes of death he sayes that the graue is not able to svvalovv the bodie but that mortality which is sin death in the body may be svvalovved vp of immortalitie So it is the mortalitie and drosse of the bodie that is burnt vp and not the substance but the substance of the bodie is cleansed and purified that it may raigne with the head Christ in glorie for euer Now to speake of this word sleeping The Scripture when it speakes of death cals it sleeping And when Iesus speakes of Lazarus he saies Our friend Lazarus sleepes but I goe to vvake him vp Ioh. 11. 11. And it is said of Steuen Act. chap. 7. verse 60. He sleeped In the olde Testament commonly there is a word added to it he sleeped with his Fathers he was joined with his Fathers Now to come to the purpose There are two parts of man A bodie and a soule When it is said that a man sleepes thinke not that his soule sleepes referring this word sleeping to the soule Some vaine men thinkes that the soule after the deceasing sleepes vntill the comming of Christ No the soule liues and sleepes not it liues and shall liue in dispyte of all the world either in paine or pleasure for euer The soule of the vngodly is translated immediatlie after death to paine and hes a wonderfull sense of paine and a liuing in paine a continuall paine anguish and torment If there were no more to testifie this but the parable of Lazarus and the rich Glutton it may suffice It tels thee that the soule of the riche Glutton had in Hell the own paine Luc. 16. 19. The soule of the godlie againe after death liues in joy And so Paul Philip 1. verse 23. sayes I vvould be dissolued and be vvith Christ viz. liuing in soule And 2. Cor. chap. 5. verse 8 I loue rather to remoue out of the bodie and to goe to God to dvvell vvith him And God is said to be the God of the liuing that is to say of the soales that liues in glorie Matt. 22. 32. So the word of sleeping is not to be referred to the soule but to the bodyes of men and wemen for as a bodie lyes downe in his bed so the bodie after dissolution is laid downe in the graue to sleepe vntill the day of resurrection There is no sleepe that by nature is euerlasting and vvhen a man hes sleeped and is satisfied vvith sleepe he must waken So the bodie if it sleepe in the graue of necessitie it must waken againe If there were no more but this word sleeping it testifies that there shall be a resurrection Now vnderstand farther that the word sleeping in the Scripture is referred to the bodies both of the reprobat and elect The bodie of the reprobat is said to sleepe The bodie of the elect is said also to sleepe So Daniell sayes chap. 12. verse 2. Many of them that are a sleepe in the dust in the earth some of them shall rise to lyfe some of them to shame and ignominie We are all sleeping but I see a diuersitie in resurrection the bodie of the elect shall rise to euerlasting glorie the body of the wicked to eternall death and damnation And yet albeit this word be common to both yet most properly it is ascriued to the bodies of the godly For euen as a man sleeps to this end that he may rise vp again more chearfully and be more able to take in hand any handy-worke do his calling So it is the body of the godly onely that sleeps to rise more chearfully to the actions and doings of that life eternall It is a wonderful change It lyes down a weak and infirme body it will rise again a strong body it lyes down in ignominy it wil rise againe a glorious body and there was neuer a man so altered comforted by naturall sleepe as the body of the elect shall be altered and comforted by that sleep in
but that which they should haue done And Christ findes fault with the hypocrite Iewes that could take vp by the sky what maner of weether should be but searched not the tyme of his comming Luke 12. 56. But as to his second comming he neuer tolde of the tyme of it Yea in Daniell in his last chapter 4. verse there is a plaine inhibition to seeke out the tyme of it Therefore it perteines not to men to know it yea it is better not to know the tyme of it nor to know it And this Christ means Matt. 24. 42. Watch therefore for ye knovv not at vvhat houre your Master vvill come Where he teaches vs that the ignorance of the tyme of his comming is verie profitable for vs because it makes vs to watch and pray wheras the knowledge of it would make vs carelesse Ye may aske at me May we on no wayes speake or thinke of the Lords comming to judge the quick and the dead and the tyme thereof I answere To define a speciall tyme either in the cogitation or thought of thy heart or in the words of thy mouth thou canst not nor thou shouldest not doe it But generallie to thinke and to say the Lord will come shortlie whether this age or the next age I know not but I know well it shall not be long when the judge shall come it shall be soone it is lawfull for thee to thinke and say this For the Lord himselfe hes said When it is craued Reuel chap. 22. vers 20. Come Lord Iesus yes saies he I come shortly When he sayes he will come shortlie let vs beleue it The Historie in the Gospell Matt. 24. 25. c. of the euill and the good seruant teaches vs what vve shoulde doe vntill the Lords comming The euill seruant sayes My Master delayes his comming home therefore he will begin to play the wanton and to drinke and to smite his companions The good seruant will say I am looking for my Masters comming shortlie he will come at noone-tyde or midnight or Cock-crow I will wait for it and therefore I will be vigilant And so this good seruant tels that we should euer await for the Lords comming diligentlie And surelie his comming is neare and faine would the godlie haue his comming to end their miserie and to perfite the joy and glorie he hes appointed for them And therefore the Lord saies I come shortlie I shall not be long And albeit we thinke it be long since he promised this yet thinke not he delayes his comming For a thousand yeeres in the sight of the Lord are but as an houre 2. Pet. 3. 8. and in respect of him there is neyther long nor short tyme. So thinke euer with the good seruant the Lord will come shortlie and he is daily comming yea and we should desire him to come shortly euerie day and we should euer patientlie waite for it And therefore this clause is added in the Lords prayer Let thy Kingdome come Which desires that he would perfite that worke of glorie Ye see Paul sayes 2. Tim. 4. verse 7. 8. I haue fought a good fight I haue keeped the faith I haue runne out my course Then he subjoines But vvhat restes I shall 〈◊〉 the crovvne of glorie vvhich the Lord Iesus as Iudge generall vvill giue me and 〈◊〉 onely giuen to me but to all them vvith thirstes for his comming Assuredlie that bodie shall receiue the crowne of glorie Whereto are we so curious of the tyme of the generall judgement Knovve vve not that our ovvne death is our particulare judgement Know I not that within a short tyme I shall be called to an account before that Tribunall No sooner shall the soule depart out of the bodie but as soone shall my judgement beginne for the soule shall immediatlie departe to that place vvhere it shall remaine for euer Therefore seeing the day of my death is the day of judgement to me and how many of you that heares me this day will be liuing this day tvventie yeeres What needes vs to be curious anâ—ut the tyme of the generall judgement seeing our ovvne particulare judgement is at hand The Lord is alreadie vvarning vs to 〈◊〉 and yet the Lord vvill not haue vs more knowing the particulare tyme of death noâ— the day of judgement The Lord vvill haue vs vncertaine albeit men will be curious to knovve it The cause is that all may be in readinesse that there be not an houre in the day but thou be readie vvhen the Lord shall call on thee and vvill say to thee Goe I vvill haue thee carying heere no longer That thou may say Lord I vvill goe vvith thee and vve le come death The Lorde refuses to tell his Disciples particulare tymes but biddes them vvatche for that tyme. This doctrine is verie requisite to vs. They are liuing this day vvhome 〈◊〉 this daye eight dayes the Lord vvill call on Therefore let euerie one prepare them selues No in the second verse he giues the reason vvherefore it is not expedient that they should knovve of Christes comming to judge the worlde For sayes he ye your selues knovve perfectlie that the day of the Lord shall come 〈◊〉 as a thiefe in the night That is Sâ—daintie of Christs commiâ—g 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of it vncertain 〈◊〉 sodaintie Men shall neuer knowe vntill they see Christ come If hee come in the morning then ye may say when he is come The Lord is come in the morning And before that tyme thou shouldst not thinke noâ— speake of the certaine houre of Christes comming There are two thinges that cannot be knovvne both together The comming of Christ on a sodaintie and the certaine tyme of the comming of Christ If I knevv the Lord vvould come sodaintie it is follie to me to trauaile to knowe the speciall houre thereof vvhen thou hast calculate to see the verie houre of his comming it is but vanitie I tell thee the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night which tyme is most vncertaine and therefore all thy calculation failes thee Yet farther He sayes that ye yourselues knovve perfectlie that he shall come at a certaine tyme. Heere is a certaine tyme but there is not a certaintie of a certaine tyme but a certaintie of an vncertaine tyme. And if the Apostle settes downe a certaintie of an vncertaine tyme it is impossible to thee to get a certaintie of it Ye shall reade this in Matthevvâ— chap. 24. verse 42. And who euer hes trauailed in any age to count the houre and tyme of his comming the Lord hath lette them see they are confooted of error and the Lord hes condemned that labour It is a bolde thing to man to seeke out that thing the Lord hes hid Men will stand vp and calculat such a yeere of the Lords comming O vanitie thou passes thy boundes and thou had no such thing in commission giuen to thee The Lord keepe vs from such vanitie But to goe forward in the
the soule bound vp so that it cannot heare the vvorde of God In one vvorde When all the senses that should grippe God are bound vp and the soule is lying in a deadlie securitie That is shortlie the second sorte of sleeping Novv in this place I vnderstand not chieflie this bodilie sleepe but the spirituall sleepe also For this bodilie sleepe is naturall and is lavvfull the Lord hes ordained that these bodies of ours should be refreshed vvith sleepe and if thou be sanctified thy selfe thy sleepe is sanctified also and all thy actiones eating drinking sleeping and the rest are sanctified if thou be not sanctified all thy actiones eating drinking sleeping are vnhappie to thee Next I doubt not but at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ there shall be found some sleeping in the bodies who shall be waking in their soules Christ sayes in the 17. of Luke 34. verse Tvvo shall be in a bad sleeping one chosen and another forsaken And last albeit the bodie be a sleepe and all the outward senses closed yet the spirite of man will be waking the eye of the soule will be opened the eare opened and in the bodilie sleepe if it were at mid-night a man will be waking in Christ and apprehending him So I vnderstand that spirituall sleeping for he forbiddes not this bodilie sleeping onely but this spirituall sleeping when the soule is sleeping without sense eyther of Heauen or Hell and whosoeuer shal be found so sleeping with his a soule altogether senslesse of Heauen and of the lyfe to come that soule shall perishe without exception Sleepe on if the Lord come when thou art sleeping die shalt thou thou shalt not escape There is no escaping for thee But to speake of the bodilie sleeping something Men should be ware to yeelde ouer much sleepe to the bodie for certainelie where the bodie is ouer much giuen to sleeping it is a token of a sleeping soule and who delytes in sleeping in the bodie the soule appearantlie is sleeping and all moderation should be vsed The sluggisher the bodie be the sluggisher the soule is The vvalkrifer the bodie be thee vvalkrifer the soule is Now the next thing that is forbidden heere is drunkennesse Drunkennesse There are tvvo sortes of drunkennesse the one bodilie when a man takes on ouer much drinke oppressing the senses This is ouer well knowne in Scotland and we finde ouer great experience heereof Then there is secondlie a spirituall drunkennesse vvhen the soule is opprest vvith surfetting and immoderate care of the vvorld vvhen it drinkes in out of measure the pleasures of this vvorld through desire all the riches of this world through ambition all the honour through a foule appetyte all the lustes So the soule becommes drunken and stopped an auaritious bodie a dotting bodie a man set on pleasures a dotting bodie Trow ye when the soule is so opprest vvith this world that it will get the eye opened vp to see Christ No it is impossible Christ speakes of both these sortes of drunkennesse Luke chap. 21. verse 34. Novv brethren in this place ye shall vnderstand not so much the outvvarde bodilie drunkennesse as the invvarde spirituall drunkennesse of the soule Woe to that soule that shall bee founde drunken vvith the pleasures and lustes of this vvorlde and so consequentlie sleeping vvhen Christ commes Yea farther brethren the verie outvvarde bodilie drunkennesse is much to be eschevved For it is not onelie vvith drunkennesse as it is vvith sleeping for vve get licence to sleepe if vve vse it moderatlie But God gaue thee neuer leaue to vse drunkennesse So it is a dangerous matter to be found drunken It is a thing vnlavvfull and forbidden ye shall finde that a drunken bodie commonlie shall haue a drunken soule and vvoe to that soule vvoe to that bodie vvhere both are giuen to drunkennesse The Lord saue vs from this sort drunkennesse Novv before I come to the other tvvo thinges that are recommended vnto vs in this place the argument vvhereby he dissvvades them it vvoulde be marked Let vs not sayes he sleepe as others doe As if he vvould say Fy on you that ye should be haue your selues as infidels It is the Gentiles that are sleeping Let them sleep on but sleepe not thou The exemple of their sleeping should be an argument to you to watch The exemple of their drunkennesse should he an argument to you to be sober Now how reasons the world Is not this the fashion of all men therefore why should not I doe so all men sleepes why should not I sleepe He drinkes vntill he be drunken why should not I drinke vntill I be drunken Companionry is wondrous good I should do as others do But Paul reasons otherwaies It is the infidels that are sleeping and drunken therefore watch thou ô Christian and be sober Paul to the Romans chap. 12. verse 2 sayes Fashion not your selues after the maner of the vvorld but be ye changed throgh the renevving of the spirite Follow not this ould sleeping drunken world but be changed by the renewing Sprit and be waking sober And indeed let euery one looke to their owne experience they who are once translated and translated out of this world for transplanted must thou be in some measure if euer thou see Heauen the more they see men running on the course of the worlde the more they detest the world the more sinne they see the more they detest sinne the more drunkennesse and sleeping they see in men the more they abhorre it So the following of the multitude and the course of the world testifies that men were neuer transplanted out of this world out of darknesse vnto the kingdom of light nor renewed in spirite and if they continue on they shall perishe for this world will perishe and they who followes the world will perishe Now to come to the two thinges commaunded The first is waking Waking the other is sobrietie There are two sortes of watching the bodilie watching when all the senses are waking and opened to doe their owne functions naturall The second when the soule of man is opened the eye of the soule opened to see Christ and the lyfe to come and to see these thinges that the eye of the bodie cannot see It is a wonderfull light the soule hes for it sees thinges inuisible and sees in as it were to the verie heart of God to a bottomlesse deepe for God is infinite Yet for all this the heart that is once illuminate by the Spirite will see him So the spiritual watching is when all the senses of the soule are opened and hes the fruition of God in Iesus and all exercised about the graces of God through Christ that is the spirituall waking which is heere speciallie meant of not the watching of the bodie but of the Spirite For the bodie may be watching the eye looking vppe and all the senses exercised in their functiones And yet the soule of the bodie may
be sounde sleeping When the murtherer is busiest at his murther albeit he be ryding and running the quickell man in bodie that euer was the soule in the meane-tyme is lying in a deadlie sleepe So I doubt not but if the Lord Iesus would come in this houre alas the vengence that would ouertake many of them So they who are in harlotrie and their senses exercised most in harlotrie then they are most sleeping in soule Trow ye if the eye of the soule saw God that for all the world they would be exercised in such a filthie exercise So he meanes chieflie of the watching of the soule Indeede it is true as I haue said before it is good to be walkrife in bodie for if thou be sanctified thy bodie waking shall be exercised in some good exercise And therefore Christ in the garden immediatlie before his passion Matthevv chap. 26. verse 4. woulde haue his Apostles waking in bodie aswell as in soule least they should enter into tentation for they sleeped vntill his enemies came Sobrietie and so for feare they left him Then the second thing commaunded is sobernesse There are two sortes of it The one of the body the other of the soule The bodie when it is not surfetted with any excesse The soule when it is not drunken with the world and pleasurs therof is sober for as the bodie hes her sobrietie so the soule hes the owne sobrietie and heere I specially vnderstand the sobriety of the soule but indeed the sobriety of the body is to be joined to it For the sobriety of the body helps much to the sobriety of the soule As I said before when the body passes measure in drunkennes the soule is commonly drunken to so when the body is in sobriety the soule is in sobriety and applied to godlinesse So both the drunkennes of soule and body is forbidden In the 21. of Luke 34. He saies Be vvare least your harts be prest dovvn vvith surfetting and drunkennesse that is of the body and vvith the carefulnes of the vvorld that is of the soule Therfore keep sobriety in body and soule Then brethren there are two thinges forbidden and two thinges commaunded viz. sleeping excessiue and drunkennesse in soule and body forbidden watching and sobrietie in soule and bodie commanded Now in the next wordes he giues the reason wherefore they should not sleepe and be drunken but watch and be sober They that sleepe sleepe in the night and they vvho are drunken are drunken in the night Now he would subsume ye are not of the night therefore be ye not drunken but be sober So this argument is taine from the inconnenientnesse of the tyme it is no tyme to you to be drunken now ye are not in the night Men vses to sleepe and be drunken in the night men who does euill seekes darknesse Ye are not in the night but ye are the children of the day Therefore it settes not you to be sleeping or drunken but ye should watch and be sober I take vp the lesson shortly In all our actions and doings we should haue a speciall respect to the tyme for there is great moment and weight in the tyme when we should doe this thing or that thing and speciallie in the two tymes the day and the night All actions must be done in these two tymes The day hes the actions of the day The night hes the actions of the night The actions of the day shold not be done in the night The actions of the night should not be done in the day This should be commonly keeped albeit necessitie sometyme compels otherwaies There are some actions that are seemelie to be done in the day that is not seemelie to be done in the night As for exemple It settes a man to be wakng in the day it is not seemely to wake in the night except necessitie compell Againe there are some actions that are setting to be done in the night and not in the day as to sleep in the night and it settes a man better to drunken in the night if he would be drunken nor in the day It is a shame to be drunken before the Sun and day light Paul in the Rom. chap. 12. verse 11. 12. 13. sayes Men and wemen should vvalke in comelinesse all maner of way So soone as thou goest out to the sight of the Sun albeit none saw thee but the Sun it becomes thee to be comely So thou who would be drunken drinke in the night Fy oâ—â—t that a drunken bodie should come to the Sun if there were no more but the light of the Sun it cryes to God for vengence on drunkennesse albeit no man saw it Now brethren there are some vnnaturall men and wemen who will turne the action of the day to the night and the night to the day Fy on thee that preuents nature When this faire Sunne ryses in the morning to comfort them to let them see the face of it and to doe their duetie in that function the Lord hes called them to What will they then doe off their cloathes and goe to their beddes Nothing the most part of the day tyme but dead sleeping except they be constraint otherwaies Then when the Sun goes down they are glad and ryses to their villany And so they testifie that they detest the glorious light of the Sun which should rejoyse vs. Alwaies when others goe to their beds then they begin to rise to eat and drinke c. and to take their pleasure this is not comely and I tell thee the vengence of God will light on thee if it were onely for the preuenting of the order of nature Let the day be day and the night be night No question this peruerting of nature procures the heauy vengence of God to fall on them and their houses Trow ye that God of Heauen who ordained nature can suffer nature to be so abused without auengement No I dare say thou that doest slaye before the Sunne the Sun shall beare witnesse against thee and say Lord this villan so abhominably committed murther in my eye thou sette me in the Heauen that none should worke villany in my eye but he set me to litle auaile The Sun no doubt is wearied and groanes to see the wickednesse of men and wemen and the creatures groanes to see their vyle sins and faine would be releued thereof This earth they goe on groanes vnder the burdene and would as faine be releued of them as a woman with childe would be releued of her birth Well then if the Lord will reuenge so a sinne that is done before the light of this Sun that shynes and if the light of this same verie Sunne aggreadges their sinne before the Lord and maks their judgement the greater O what greatnesse must be in sin and how fearefull must the judgement be when sin is committed with an vplifted hand in the face of Christ that Sun of righteousnesse shyning to vs in his
a christian his sin shall be double and double shall be his damnation and he shall wish that he had neuer beene called in the world a christian man Let none therefore thinke they are well eneugh if they be called christians â—and come and sit in the Congregation of the Lord for if then they commit villanie and knauerie the greater shal be their damnation If thou be the childe of the day do the workes of the day if thou be the childe of the night doe the workes of the night Thou must doe one Now to goe forwarde in this verse As he recommendes to them these tvvo thinges vvakrifenesse and sobriety So he recommendes to them in the thirde place armour wherewith he will haue them inarmed Putting on sayes he the brest plate of faith and loue There is the first peece of the armor and the hope of saluation for an helmet There the next peece of the armor In al this place what is he doing Instructing a warriour a souldiour what he should doe teaching him to wake and not to sleepe to be sober and not drunken to be marmed and not to be naked Ye know in the worldly warriour there are three things requyred first wakrifenesse a sleeping souldiours is nothing worth Then with wakrifenesse sobrietie temperatnesse in his mouth and bellie othervvayes vvhen he is lying drunken the enemie vvill come on him in the night and cut his throate Novv the thirde thing that is requyred is that he haue his armour on him It is not eneugh to be vvakrife and sober but he must haue his armour on him Armour of a spiritual vvarrior faith loue and hope For if he vvant armour the armed enemies will come on him and slay him Euen so it is in a Christian vvarriour There is no Christian man nor vvoman but they are vvarriours and they must make them to fight vnder the banner of the Lord Iesus Christ their captaine And as it is requyred in the earthlie souldioures that they be vvakeryse Euen so it is requyred in the Christian souldiours The next thing that is requyred in the Christian souldiour is temperance haue not a drunken soule thou who wilt be a souldior vnder Christes banner thou must not be drunken with the pleasures of this vvorld Novv these tvvo thinges are not eneugh vvith vvakrifenesse and sobriety therfore thou must haue an armed soule as the bodie of the vvordly vvarriour must put on armour so thy soule must put on armour othervvaies vvhen the enemie makes the assault he vvill preuaile against thee if sinne make an assaulte if thou be vvithout thy armour sinne vvill preuaile Brethren ye knovve and it is heere meant by the Apostle The worldly vvarriour vvhen he armes himselfe he hes respect in speciall to these two partes of his bodie the first his brest where his heart lyes where the naturall life hes her chief residence therefore he puttes on his brestplate The next parte of the which he hes a speciall regarde is of the head where all the senses lyes The head is the fountain of all the senses and mouing of the body and so he will put on an Helmet to saue his head If these two parts be well preserued from wounds he will regard the lesse of the rest of the body If a wound be receyued in the heart no life A wound in the head and branes no lyfe but a wound in the leg c. may be mended againe So the Christian hes a chiefe regarde to two parts as it were to the heart vvhere his spirituall lyfe lyes vvhich is begunne in this lyfe and to the head vvhere all the spirituall senses hes their ground and where his spirituall mouing is to defend by armor the lyfe spirituall What euer other part of him be wounded he hes a speciall regarde to these two Now the Apostle bringes in this by a comparison taine from the worldlie armour vsed by earthlie souldiours The peece of armour that should be put on on the heart of the vvorldlie vvarriour is the brestplate The peece that couers the head is called the helmet The Christian vvarriour hes his owne brestplate and helmet Yet more ye see There are two parts of the vvarriours brestplate the brestparte and backparte and peece before another peece behinde that the heart receyue not a wound neyther at back nor brest So the brestplate of a Christian vvarriour is builded vp of tvvo partes the fore parte Faith that embraces Iesus the other parte vvhich vve may call the hinder and backparte Loue and it flowes from the other parte loue to our neighbour it hanges on Faith to our God As to the Helmet it is but a peece and it couers the vvhole head and senses round about So the Helmet of the Christian vvarriour is of one peece called the hope of saluation Hope that he shall be saued and liue vvith Iesus Christ And this is his head peece So long as he keepes this hope he shall saue his head and all his spirituall senses feeling and mouing c. keepe me hope nothing shall destroy thy spirituall seeing hearing and feeling and all the rest of thy senses And if thy head be bare of hope thy spirituall senses shall soone be ouerthrowne by the assaults of the enemie So the summe shortly the chiefe things whereby the spirituall life the spirituall feeling and mouing is keept within a man are these three thinges which is chiefly tolde of in the Scripture Faith Loue and Hope Faith in God and Christ Loue to thy nighbor Hope to be safe in the grace of Christ Keepe these three thou shalt stand inarmed to resist the Deuill and all his works keepe one of these thou keepest all lose one of these thou losest all Lose Faith thou losest Loue lose Faith and Loue thou losest Hope col It is otherwaies with the Christian warriour then with a worldly warriour he may haue his Helmet on and want his brestplait but I assure thee if thou want a peece of this christian armour thou hast no part of it hast thou a peece of this armour thou hast all hast thou Faith thou hast Hope and Loue The spirituall graces that are wrought by the Spirit of God wherein stands our regeneration are so linked together either must they be altogether in thee in some measure or else thou hast none of them Either must all the powers of thy soule and al thy affections be renewed or else none of them is renewed And therefore if thou would try if thou hast these graces looke if thou hast any one of them for then thou hast all Looke if thou hast Faith looke if thou hast a loue to thy nighbor For I assure thee if thou hast no loue to thy neighbor thou hast no Faith speak asmuch thereof as thou wilt Now to the next verse When he hes spoken of the hope of saluation he groundes this saluation vpon the owne fundation that they might see the fundation of it
is a labourer but a honourable labourer Euen so euerie one that labours and hes offices in the Church are laborers but yet they are honorable laborers So the Ministers are laborers but honorable laborers for he is ouer thee and is thy superior And he hes a burdeene but a honorable burdeene and at the appearance of Iesus Christ in spyte of thee that contemnes him thou shalt see his honor and glory and thou shalt wonder at that day that euer he shold be promoued to that honor for he shall shine in the Heauen as a star this shall stand in despyte of the world Well come on now to the duetie of the people to their Pastor A Kings Master-houshold will be accounted of the Master-housholde of Christes Church what maner of honour shold ye haue him in Dueties of the people to the Pastor The first words that expresses the duety of the flock are knovve them misknowe them not The people would misknow them very faine yet what knowing is this It is the knowledge of the mind when in mind we take vp know that calling of the Ministry to be the Pastor by Iesus Christ the great Pastor to the Church to be a dispenser of the misteries of God and the in searchable riches of Christ such a dispenser as neuer was in the world not of bread and drinke as these world lie stewards No but of the insearchable riches of Christ and that to saluation and feeding of the soule to that life euerlasting wherin soule and body shal liue for euer This is the knowing be speaks of heere What more It is not a simple knowledge to know that he is a Minister but with knowing to joine reuerence giue him his own honor Paul 1. Cor. 4. 1. saies Let a man count of him not as thou couâ—â—s of Christ but count of him as a Minister and dispenser of the misteries of Christ giue him no more and cursed be that beast of Rome that wold take the place and honor of Christ on him Now this part of duety of the flock in reuerencing of the Pastor is answerable to that part of the calling of the Pastor he is a superior a superiority craues reuerence who euer he be that is a superior whether in families citties or common-wels or in Church if he be set ouer you honor him this is the ordinance of the Lord if the Lord haue set him ouer you honor him look not to the man but to the Lords ordinance And this I continuallie persaue there is a naturall hatred and contempt in the hearts of the people euer toward any superior whether in Church or Policy a naturall ioâ—y we are bred with it and we entertaine it and incresse it Thou hast a naturall hatred against thy superiour if thou wert neuer so good if thou wouldst faine haue him away if thou wouldst cast of all yock but this is a thing the Lord is offended with For I affirme this all superiour powers that are set ouer vs whether in Church or Policie reuerence and honor is craued to them God ordaines it and God will auenge the contempt thereof Now to speake generallie There are tvvo sortes of superiours One in the Policie ouer the bodies of men in the world another superiour in the Church of God which is nothing else but a stewartrie Now say I reuerence should be euer giuen to both reuerence the Magistrat whisper not against him but reuerence him if it be possible holde out euill thoughts out of thy heart let be euill wordes in thy mouth honour all beginne at the King and come to the lowest honour euery one in their owne ranke Againe in the Church honour the Ministrie as stewartes in a great familie the familie of the Lord of Lordes honour him as a faithfull stewart in the house of the Lord. If yee compare these two together euery one of them are bound to reuerence other the Politick Magistrate to reuerence the superiours in the Church Againe the superiours in the Church to reuerence the ciuile Magistrate I tell you my minde mutuallie they are superiours to others The Church man is inferiour to the Magistrate in things ciuile and therefore as a common man is bound to reuerence him and should teach all reuerence to them in that estate And by the contrare the Magistrate if it were the King shoulde be ruled by the Minister in thinges spirituall and he who is a stewart in the Church of God the King is bound to take out of his hand the thing wherevpon his soule feedes and so he and all other Magistrates are bound to reuerence him as Gods stewart If this mutuall reuerence were keeped well were it to Church and Commonwel but where it is not keeped no well in Church nor Policie and I shall craue euer to get this mutuall reuerence keeped and my trauell and exercise hes been this yeere bygone to get it keeped God is my witnesse Now this is for the first part of the duetie of the people The second thing he sayes haue them in singulare loue for their vvorker sake Not in a common loue but in a singulare loue it includes all the whole affectiones of the heart and yet there is more to be vnderstood heere the consequentes of this loue and the effects that followe therevpon If loue be in the heart it will break out in the hand So there are two thinges heere The one the singular loue in the heart the other the outward good deed in the hand If the Ministers giue to you thinges spirituall to enterteine the heauenly lyfe is it a great matter to you to giue them thinges temporall thinges to enterteine this fraile lyfe Now brethren this point of the duetie of the people answeres to that parte of the duetie of the Pastour which standes in labour A labourer would haue loue of them he labours for if it were but the seruant that labours in your kitching ye ought to loue him loue them who loues you Now he who labours not in a vyle office but in an honourable labour to your saluation how much more should ye esteeme of him honourablie and reuerence him An honourable labour woulde be honourablie handled Ye see the meeting that the Apostle craues The Pastour lyes vnder a burdeene and an honourable burdeene On the peoples parte he craues a meeting because the burdeene is honourable and the Pastour should haue preferment therefore he craues reuerence And because the Pastour labours therefore he cranes loue and entertaining of the people It is a common saying Friendship wil not stand long on the one side If this meeting be not of the people to the Pastor the Ministry cannot staÌ„d and the men cannot be able to beare the burdeene Brethren what shal I say alas experience telles vs for fault of this meeting on the part of the people and specially of these in Policie to whom this matter appertaines this Ministry is not like for to stand And I
of Iesus Christ and of the thinges that concernes him not firmely persvvaded of them as vve shall heare 3. diseases vvith their remedies in the ovvne rovvme So there are heere three diseases or speciall sicknesses The first is vnrulinesse that is louse liuing the next feeblenesse of hart the thirde is vveakenesse and infirmitie in faith and in that persvvasion that vve should haue tovvardes Iesus Christ and the Gospell And as there are three diseases So the Apostle prescryues three seuerall remedies against these three diseases Marke it For euery disease he prescryues the ovvne proper remedie and cure for in ordinate liuing and vnrulie lyfe Admonition for feeblenesse of mynde and casting dovvne of the Spirite Comfort for weaknesse in faith and infirmitie bearing vvith to beare vvith the vveake and infirme in faith Now to goe throgh these and first to the diseases and next to the remedies thereof The first disease is vnrulinesse 1. Vnruelinesse inordinatnesse The Apostle 2. Thessa 3. chap. verse 6. telles vvho are these he calles vnrulie they that liue not according to that doctrine and instruction he gaue them The vvord of God is the rule of lyfe The man that liues not according to the vvord of God is vnruly Yet more plainely in that same place he descryues the vnruely He calles them 11. verse they vvho labours not for their liuing they vvho haue not a trade of lyfe Then he addes that are busie bodies busie in other mens turnes doing nothing in their ovvne and therefore they must be exercised in euill exercises in thinges that pertaines not to them pratling and babling here and there puting their hand to this mans and that mans offices There are tvvo properties idle and exercised idle in their ovvne tume exercised in other mens turnes An euill sort of men these men are vnruly Now to come to the remedie shortlie The remedie is admonishing reprouing This vnrulinesse it is an euill maladie and eneugh to cause a man die What medicine should vve vse to such men shall we foster and entertaine them in their folie No he sayes admonishe them vse them sharply and seuerely in admonishing tell them they are out of rule The 2. Thessa chap. 3. verse 10. he telles hovv hee vsed them hee denounced against them that if they vvrought not they should not eate but their mouth should be bound vp so that they should die for hunger Also in that same place he giues a charge to all men of seuere themselues from these men that they may be ashamed of that life it is a good and an honest thing to see a man well exercised and that in his owne calling Novve to come to the second disease and remedie for it The next disease is feeblenesse of mynde 2. Feeblenesse of mynde vvhen the heart of man is casten dovvne troubled assaulted heauie so that there is no spirite nor courage but ay going in the vvay of dispaire What is the medicine and remedie of this man Deale not roughlie vvith one vvho is diseased after this maner adde not affliction to affliction afflict not him vvho is afflicted trouble not the troubled the proper medicine to such is comfort Comfort them that are dejected in spirit Dauid in the 41. Psalme 1. verse he pronounces a speciall blessing to him that vvill comfort the afflicted Blessed is the man that iudges vvysoly of the poore that is that can haue compassion on a troubled conscience Now the arguments of consolation he vses in that Psalme are tvvo The first from the promises of God to be bestowed on them in Christ The other is prayer Promise then grace to the troubled heart in Iesus Christ and then pray for it If the hart be dejected no comfort for it but from God Al the world all the powers in Heauen and earth are not able to comfort and raise vp the soule but onely the power of God through Christ and his blessed Spirite Novv to the third disease and remedie thereof It is vveakenesse in faith 3. Weakenesse in faith vveakenesse in the knovveledge of Christ and the Gospell vvhen a man hes not a through sight and perswasion of these thinges that concernes Iesus and the Gospell when he knowes them not vvell neither is confirmed in them Such as concerning diuersitie of meates all meates are sanctified in Christ many knew not that and therefore made conscience in obseruing diuersitie of meates and likewise as concerning daies that put difference in daies and keeped them these he cals weak ones The remedy is beare with them breake not the brused reede quench not the smooking slax no enterteine the least beginning of grace in the weakest body A fire that hes smook in the beginning if thou enterteine it it will in end grow a faire fire What knowest thou but these that hes a little sparke of faith if they be enterteinde by processe of tyme will grow to an high measure of knowledge and will be as strong as thou Paul 15. chap. Rom. 1. verse speaking of these same weake ones sayes We vvho are strong in faith that is knowes the libertie in Christ Iesus let vs beare the infirmities of the vveake take their burdene off their back and lay it on our shoulders heape not on them burdene vpon burdene but releue them and that vve please not our selues and make off-casts of others Therefore he addes let euery one please their neighbour Please their neighbour and beare with him that is the word and he commes on with Christs exemple Christ he bare not vvith himselfe selfe-loue caried him not as it does vs but as it is written the reproches of them that rebuked thee fell on me He spared himselfe so little that these igneminies and reproaches that should haue lighted on vs sinners he tooke them on him He tooke our burdeene on him There are the wordes shortly Marke our lessons This world is all diseased men and wemen in this world are full of diseases yea and they that thinks themselues wholest are sickest I will not speake of the diseases of the bodie There are few without their owne diseases and that is the rewarde of sinne yea and death followes on the end of them but I speake of the sicknesse of the soules of men and wemen neuer one but they haue their owne diseases in their soule He hes this sicknesse in his soule she hes that sicknesse in her soule he is miserable in his soule another feeble in minde the third weake without a sure knowledge of Christ euery one of these sicknesses are deadlie euerie one of them eneugh to cause a creature die Art tho vnruely if it continue with thee and be not cured in tyme it shall cause thee die not such a death as the death of the bodie it is a sicknesse in the soule thy soule shall die The sicknesse of the bodie will cause the bodie die if it be not cured the sicknesse of the soule will cause the soule die if
vve haue great neede to be instructed in this because our nature is so bent to reuenge He sayes See that none recompence euill for euill vnto anie man There is an inhibition Whereof much might be spoken but I shall binde me to the words of the Apostle Then to come to the first words See beware look to it The word signifies an earnest care and studie As he would say take care be earnest beware in this turne for it will begyle you if you take not all the better heede to it This verie vvord he vses lettes vs see the great difficultie and hardnesse that is in obeying of this precepte in not randering euill for euill but by the contrarie randering goode for euill For brethren there is a wonderfull promptnesse and bentnesse in the nature of all men euer to reuenge the spirit of vengence is by nature in euerie one of vs yea in the silliest and simplest bodie that is This poynte of doctrine not to rander euill for euill but by the contrare good for euill abhorres from nature and nature abhorres it Say to a naturall man doe not euill for euill but doe good for euill he will scorne and laugh at it and many in Scotland scornes it Our nature abhors it so farre that the â—uld Philosophers who set down many good morall precepts neuer spoke one word of it among all their morall precepts ye will not get this precept Doe no euill for euill doe good for euill The Scrybes and Pharisies Matt. cha 5. vers 38. c. exponing the Law of God could not atteine to this but gaue out this meaning of the second table of the Law loue thy friend doe good to him that does good to thee hate thy enemie So they exponed the Law vntil Christ came and purged the Law Only then in the schole of Iesus only in the Gospell PatieÌ„â—â—in suffering vvronges bardle arâ—ed this pointe of doctrine is taught and learned that men should not doe euill for euill but good for euill Indeede brethren this lesson is very hard to be practised Good Christians who professes themselues to be schollers in Iesus schoole how long tyme will they spend ere they can get this lesson learned Who let see is brought to this poynte that gladly he can be content to suffer wrong or to suffer a double wrong ere he reuenge yea to doe good for euill ere he reuenge wrong Who can doe this No all these murtherers all these oppressors these contumelies wherewith the land is filled telles plainly that many thousands in the land hes neuer learned this precept of the Gospell that the Lord hes giuen to doe good for euill Who of our Lords and Lairds hes learned it If he hes gotten one slaine to him he will slay two yea come to the Gentle-men ye shall see that this lesson hes neuer beene learned of them Who of our wemen hes learned it for if were but with the bitternesse of their mouth they will reuenge their quarrell and they who hes atteined to any grace or any part of obedience of this precept yea the best of all the most patient soule how hardly can he with a patient mynde dejest injuries There is no grace of God no sort of obedience to Iesus but so long as we liue heere we keepe it with a battell hast thou any grace euer the canker of our corruption stryâ—â—s to put but the grace So that if we be not holden vp we shall lose this grace and among all graces that men gets I trow this grace of Patience we keep it with the greatest trouble There is no grace that hes so many assaults as this euer to stir vs vp to take vengence our own nature wicked company fy on on thee they wil cry beastly body thou hast receiued wrong and wil not reuenge it there is a thousand such instigations What matter if we could be content to rander wrong for wrong but our hart is so full of venome that it caÌ„not be satiat vntill we double and triple ten wrongs for one the hart is so full of hatred that if we could we would shut our enemy soule and body in Hell So this grace of Patience in not reuenging is the grace we keepe with the greatest assaults Read the 39. Psalme when Dauid had taine purpose to take heed to his waies that he should not speak an euill word against his enemies yet the hart begins to take fire and out goes the flame and he burstes out in murmuring against God himselfe All this telles vs how hard a thing it is to one to digest wrong and how much more hard to do good for euill And so we are to crâ—ue euer at God to giue vs this grace of Patience to suffer wrong Alas the company of this world is so wicked that we are euer stirred vp to vengence And so we should craue euer the Lord giue vs patience that with patience we may abide the wrong and the Lord will auenge The Lord sayes Vengence is mine and I vvill auenge it Deut. chap. 32. vers 35. Byde till this tyme come and surely will the Lord repay it And I darsay neuer man got wrong and with patience abode it but either he got reuenge here or else in that day he shall see his wrongs fully repayed by God This for the first words Now he sayes See that no man This precept perteines to all men it is generall he excemes no man no not the Kings of the world from the King to the begger no man exemed euery soule is inhibite to do wrong to rander euill for euil for it is the King of al kings that puts out this inhibition BrethreÌ„ the conceit men hes of their own estimation if the Lord cal them to any estate begyles them If a man be preferred to another he beguiles himselfe and he thinks he may do what he wil because of his preferment he may do double wrong and he will say I am such a man this is my estate will I suffer a wrong I cannot doe 〈◊〉 How can I suffer this indignitie The Lord sayes thy preferment is of me thou art no better nor the person that is vnder thee I command thee vnder the paine of death that thou patiently abide vntill it please me to auenge this deed Then he sayes doe no vvrong to any man without any exception thou art bound not to rander euill for euill to any man to the silliest and basest bodie that goes on the earth Measure not Gods Law by your owne discretion The holie Law of God forbids thee to rander injurie for injurie to the vylest bodie in the world And euen as the consait of men who are preferred begyles them euen so the opinion of the vyle estate of other men in their eyes begyles them How durst will they say such a vyle lowne or villaâ—e doe such a turne should I suffer such a wrong of such a raskall I shall wring my hands in his hart bloud
worke joy and sadnesse 〈…〉 how he wil make the hart sigh with sighes vnspeakable and in that moment with that same very sigh that same very Spirite will make the hart rejoyce with joy vnspekable Know ye not this This sadnesse is called contrition and brokennes of hart it is a sadnesse wroght in the hart with sighes vnspeakable conjoyned with joy that is vnspeakable if it be with faith in Iesus Christ Peter saies 1. Epist 1. cha 8. vers Beleuing in Iesus Christ vve reioyce vvith ioy vnspeakable and glorious So when thou art sad haue thy eyes set vpon Christ when thou art sad go from the sight of men but go not from the sight of Christ if thou wert in wildernesse if Christ be in thy eies with sadnesse vnspeakable joy shall be mingled Then weeping is recommended rejoycing is recommended and we must sorrow while we are here but looke that Christ in thy sorrowing be in thy eyes and that joy that is mingled with sadnesse in the end it shall swallow vp the sadnesse life shall swallow vp death But ye will say the best man and most faithfull will be some tymes so easten downe that he cannot get a sparke of joy looke to it Thou wilt say rejoyce thou he will say I cannot 〈…〉 I tell you if he had all the kingdomes of the world he would giue them for a sparke of joy the soule of him will be as it were beaâ—ten downe to Hell How then sayes he rejoyce euermoreâ— how can he bid this The answere is easie The Apostle speakes of that thing that should be indeed it is true a Christian should euer rejoyce and it is as true at some time there wil not appeare a spark of joy in him But I say if euer a person hes gotten the Spirit of Iesus and hes had this solide joy that person shall neuer altogether leese that sparke of comfort and joy Yea brethren that spark of comfort and joy will be lying as it were smored vnder an heap of ashes so that it will not be known by the persons self in whom it is and yet it will be lurking in this hart and in spite of the deuill and the world that would driue men to dispare it will break out Dauid felt this when he had angred the Spirite and saies Restore to me thy spirit againe Psal 51. vers 12. He had done foull factes adultery and murther he lay long in these sins yet the Spirit leaues him not but abode in him and yet he saies restore to me thy Spirit for yet he could scarce know that he had the Spirit albeit in the meantime this Spirit was within him The Lord keep vs from angering this Spirit if thou anger him he wil anger thee and wil draw himself aside in such sort that thou wilt not know thou hast him and in the meantime he will waken the conscience of sin and make it accuse thee and as a tortor within thee to torment thee as if thou wert in Hell Therefore anger not the Spirit of Iesus This much for this precept Now as to the precept of Prayer to touch it shortly When he said rejoyce euermore Then he saies Pray continually There the third linke of this chuiâ—e Prayer Praier The first patience The second Rejoycing The third Prayerâ— Pray continuallie saies he The Apostle 4. chap. Philipp 6. 7. verses He dravves out the peace of God out of Prayer Be 〈◊〉 carefull in any thing but in all thinges let your requests be shovven vp to God by prayer and thankes-giuing Then he sayes The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding shall be a guard to your myâ—des and consciences As if he had said when ye are troubled for any worldlie thing I tell you if ye can call to God for all thinges that falles out ye shall get contentment Gods Spirite shall guard you in all trouble the peace of God shall preserue you what hast thou lost when thou hast lost the world and gotten that heauenly joy When thou hast gotten an heauenly thing for an earthly what hast thou lost No neuer man in the want of an earthly thing praied to God effectually but he got coÌ„fort he got that peace of conscience So that if the got not the earthly thing he got heauenly thinges Thou wilt finde such joy in the hart after prayer that it is vnspeakable Then it is prayer that fosters joy For I tell you homelines with God in prayer makes joy and keepes Gods presence in our eyes Euer seeke from him and euer speake to him and that will keep the face of Iesus before vs. Now what is it that keeps joy in the hart Onely the keeping of the face of Iesus in the hart When thou hast not the face of Iesus no joy Turne thy hart from the face of Christ and turne thy speache from him thou shalt haue no joy in hart Againe turne thy hart to the face of Iesus hold thy hart before his face of necessitie thou shalt haue joy Felt ye euer the spirituall joy when ye felt not Christ in the hart Who euer felt comfort that felt not Christ dwelling in their hart None Therefore Peter sayes Beleeuing in him What is beleeuing in him but keeping him in hart vvere ioyce vvith ioy vnspeakbale 1. Epist chap. 1. verse 8. Would to God this were more nor wordes Our hart and minde is so blinde and senslesse that Christ and all his graces is but wordes and winde that strikes on the eare Seeke the solide feeling of Christ in the hart Thinke it not eneugh to prattle of him and to haue him in thy mouth but seek to finde him in thy hart Thou shalt neuer finde him if thou finde him not in thy hart it is in the hart he makes his residence and if he be inthy hart thou shalt know for thou shalt find a sensible ioy possessing thy hart and it shall open thy mouth to say dwel Lord in my hart The Lord worke these things that they be not words Now brethren there are two sortes of praier One in seeking to beg and seeke at God tvvo sorts of prayer for we are all beggers The other is in thanking him when we haue gotten any thing Seeking must come of need and necessity a begger must be a misterfull body otherwaies 1. Seeking he is a shamelesse begger He is shamelesse who can stand before God and seeke any thing if he haue no sense of his need and mister Our neede and mister is double For we mister ay a new grace euery moment a new benefite we neuer get so many graces at once but euer there is some new grace we stand in need of God giues thee not all benefites at once but he vvill haue thee euer seeking againe when we haue receiued any grace we haue need of a new grace to keepe it Alas we are so weake that we cannot but lose the grace that God hes bestowed on vs except the Lords hand
follow on and keep it in our hart There are two needs of praier One need of grace another need to keep the grace we haue receiued So there is two sorts of begging the first is for grace the next is for keeping of the grace Neuer wearie to aske The Lord wold haue thee euer begging Ay say Lord giue me Then say Lord keepe this grace thou hast giuen me otherwaies I will lose it For I assure thee if the Lords hand be not euerie moment holding grace in thy hart thou art ay ready to lose it Therefore the Apostle sayes Pray continually Alas if we knew what thing we are bound to we would discharge a better duety to our God we should not passe the time in playing but we should pray continually Ye vvill thinke it an hard thing to be euer praying ye vvill say should we do no other thing but ay pray should this be our exercise continually Take heed By praying is vnderstood not preceesly this outward forme of prayer the falling down on our knees the lifting vp of our hands and eyes so that we do not another turne No I meane not so Thou hast a lawfull vocation go win thy liuing according to thy calling He that said Pray continually The same said Go labour and win thy liuing otherwaies thou shalt not eat Avvay vvith Munkries and Nunries Then when continuall prayer is craued no other thing is craued but that thy hart and minde be euer exercised on God Let thy hart and contemplation of thy mynde be euer on him be neuer so distracted with any exercise of the world but keep God euer in some measure before thy eyes seeking his grace and blessing to thy exercise When thou art busiest in thy exercise let thy hart be seeking blessing thereto Paul saies 1. Cor. 10. chap. 31. verse Whether ye eat or drinke or what euer ye do all to the glory of God If I eat to the glory of God my hart must be blessing thanking him for the benefit receiued seeking a blessing of him that it may doe me good desyring also that heauenly foode I tell thee this earthly foode should be nothing else to thee but a remembrance of heauenly things and of Christ that is onely the foode of the soule Then in all thy exercises euer hold thy hart on God let thy hart be praying when thy tongue is speaking of these thinges that concernes thy exercise so thy exercise shall be in the Lord. The Apostle vses to say do this and do that in the Lord. What means he but only in that doing thy hart shold be set on the Lord Ay enterteine Gods Spirit Thinke not that the exercising of the hart on Christ shal hinder thee in any thing in thy exercise No but by the contrare the face of God looking on thee it brings blessing keep him in thy eie and think on him and so thy exercise shall be sweete keepe God in thy eye and thou shalt finde a wonderfull joy and an helpe in thy exercise Now I end with this prayer Lord seeing there is no blessing but when we keep Iesus Christ in our eyes Lord grant that the face of Christ go neuer out of our eyes let neuer the remembrance of Iesus depart from vs. To this Christ be honour and glorie for euer AMEN THE XXV LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 18. 19. 18 In all thinges giue thankes for this is the vvill of God in Christ Iesus tovvard you 19 Quench not the Spirit THE last part of this Epistle Brethren which we haue in hand presently stands in an exhortation to an holie lyfe and conuersation vvorthie of the Lord Iesus Christ The last day we shew you there are three preceptes joyned together the precepte of patience to beare vvrong and injuries in this vvorlde patientlie and not to rander euill for euill as we are bent by nature but to do good for euill Then next the precept of joy the inward joy and peace of soule and conscience that passes all vnderstanding that euermore we shold rejoyce And last the precept of prayer which standes in two partes the one in seeking at the hands of God the other in thanking him for the grace receiued at his handes We shew you that conjunction that is among these graces patience joy and prayer patience is the effect of joy and the inward joy that is heauenly and spirituall is the meane to enterteine patience and to make a man beare patiently the wrongs he suffers in this present world for in a maner it rauishes him vp aboue the world and all thinges in the world and makes him to looke ouer all these earthly thinges and injuries that falles out in the world as though they were not and in some measure he hes his contemplation with God in Heauen So that the joy he hes will swallow vp all these earthly troubles and the life of God in him will swallow vp mortalitie and death Againe praier is the meane to enterteine that joy we haue with God for it keeps Gods presence and the face of Iesus in our sight and the face of Iesus is so joyfull as no tongue can tell For all the light and joy we haue in our harts proceedes from the face of Iesus and from the face of God in Christ and then it shynes on vs. And this face of Iesus it shines in the Gospell And therefore blessed were we if we could looke euer in the mirrour of the Gospell where we shall get this light and the face of Christ that makes vs rejoyce it appeares in a mirrour now but we shall see him face to face when the body of Iesus shall be perfect all is but a beginning now that we haue here he is far from vs and al the sight we haue of him is but a blenke let euery one looke to experience there are so many thinges goes in betweene vs and him that we can skarcely keepe his face in the which standes our joy Alwaies it is prayer that enterteines this presence of God looke to it by experience take away prayer that men pray not to God take away mediatation and thanking of God take away this communing with God it shall passe thy power to haue any presence of him and without his presence no joy in him Then shortly to come to the matter in hand This prayer consistes in two parter In asking and seeking at him according to the needs and misters we haue we are ful of wants and misters There is none of vs all from the greatest to the lowest from the King to the begger but great is the need we haue so euery one of vs hes need to be begging neuer was there a begger at our doore that hes so great neede to beg as we haue neede to beg at Gods hand beg things spirituall and things temporall things for this life things for the life to come for if we beg not we
the verse going before he made mention of faith without patience but in this verse he maks mention of faith and patience ther eason is Because faith in effect is nothing but the anchor of the soule As the Apostle to the Heb. chap. 6. vers 19. calles hope the anchor of the soule and as an anchor is casten on sure ground to stick so is Faith casten on Christ and fastned on him Now there is nothing in this world that the deuill the world sin which are the enemies of Faith in this world enuyes more nor when they see the soule of a man anchored on Christ as on a sure ground And therefore they seeke euer to seuere thy soule from Christ and to breake the anchor He will spew out floods of persecution and tentation javv after javv to raise if it were possible the anchor of Faith in Christ that the anchor being away the man may flow and fleete and at the last perish Then what is the remedie It is needfull that faith be sure grounded if faith be not grounded on Christ she shall perishe and further she must haue a troup of graces about her she must be hedged on all sides with a varietie of graces IgnoraÌ„ce of God of Christ are the causes of vengence And so it is where euer true faith is in Christ there is a troup of graces about it Now all these graces that compasses her are as many branches that commes from her selfe as from the roote There stands about her Hope Loue Patience c. a number of graces of all sortes all commes from her for she is mother of all All serues her for she is Queene of all Hope Loue Patience and the rest are as many maids standing about her to serue her Now among all these graces Patience is one the duetie and seruice of Patience is to stand betweene faith and the jawes of tentations and persecutions and to receiue all the jawes of tentations on her shoulders that the anker of the soule which is Faith may stand sure So Patience standes vp and holds the jaw off Faith otherwaies thy faith will be broken and it is impossible to him that hes no Patience to abyde the speaches let be to sustaine the persecutions of men if Patience be not Faith will not abyde sure And by the contrare looke how needfull it is that Patience be joyned with Faith it is as needfull that Faith be joyned with Patience and therefore he joynes these your Patience and your Faith in all persecutions And as I told you Faith is the mother of Patience and where the mother is not the daughter cannot be and if this anchor of Faith be not anchored on Christ Patience will not hold off the jaw for the solide ground to rest on is Christ Where faith is not Christ is not and take him away no standing So the cheefe ground of all standing is faith grounded on Christ Iesus all the rest are but branches to Faith faith is the cheefe ground The standing of all is through Christ when the anchor of the soule is grounded on him Now one word in the end of this verse He speakes heere of a Faith in tribulation and persecution not of Faith in case rest and quyetnesse but of a Faith in trouble The Faith of the Thessalonians was not a Faith in ease and quyetnesse but a Earth that lay vnder a continuall exercise lay vnder persecution for the Church of Thessaloniea was exceedingly troubled as appeares in this Epistle Many will be content to beleeue faith in Christ is a wondrous faire thing He would beleeue and she would beleue but looke what kinde of faith men would haue a faith with quyetnesse in the world with honor eneugh with riches and all this worlds wealth This is the faith that all men would haue But brethren the faith of Christ which is the true faith must be casten in the fornace otherwayes it will be full of drosse Will ye get fine golde that is not casten in the fornace and fyned in it Trow ye to get a fyne and true faith that is not fyned in the fornace of trouble and persecution at the lest one vexation or other all troubles are not alike but of necessity faith must be casten in some fornace Faith fined by troubles thou must be in some tribulation either within thee or without thee in goods riches or some thing and this is the faith that hes the commendation here a fyned faith as gold hes the fynesse throgh the fire Peter 1. Epist 1. chap 7. vers tels the excellency of this faith compared with gold gold when it is casten in the fire and the drosse of it burnt vp will be far better nor it was and yet there was neuer gold so fâ—ire but it wil perrish fine it oft-times ouer it may be ever the finer but it shal perrish in the end but he sayes faith that is fined and tryed shall be found to your praise glory and honor vvhen Christ shall be manifested As he wold say it shal not perish but at that great day of Christ it shal tend to thy euerlasting glory Let vs not prease to feed our selues in our fantasies thinking that we shall haue a faith in ease quyetnes honor No lay this ground down if thou wold haue a faith to abide till Christ come assure thee thou must suffer and thou must abide the jawes of tentations till all thy faith be tryed and the whole dros washen away and the fine gold stand vp At these are but dreames to think that thou would hold Heauen in the one arme and the world in the other arme No thou must let the world go and take Heauen in thy whole armes with affliction or else thou shalt lose Heauen and get the world in thy armes with damnation Now this for the thanks-giuing and congratulation for their increase of faith and aboundance in loue Now come to the second part Consolation Making mention of their persecutions he takes occasion to comfort them and I thinke that be the principall purpose he hes to doe with them and the first argument he vses heere is that just and latter judgement that generall judgement He sayes the persecution that ye suffer for Christes sake for the kingdome of Heauen they are sure arguments that there shall be a just judgement and that Christ shall come to judge the world and render to euerie one according to his works And therefore vpon the remembring of this just judgement that shall be ye Thessalonians comfort your selues Persecutiones of the godlie a sure argumeÌ„t of the day of iudgment to come for it shall try who did right and who did wrong Then take vp this The persecutions the godly suffers in this life what are they they are very ocular demonstrations that is the force of the word of the generall judgement to come wherein Christ shall judge the world And in the persecution of the godly
as it were in a mirror I may see or thou may see Christ comming to judge the world to render to euery one according to their deserts for looke how I or thou may reason When I see a person troubled for righteousnes sake I will conclude here is an innocent man here are godly people troubled wrongously therefore of necessitie there must be a judgement wherein all ods must be made euen I looke certainly for a judgement to come God cannot be God if there be not a judgement wherein he shall be anenged for the wrong done to this man I will not conclude a particulare and an earthly judgement I will not say when I see a godly man troubled therefore the troublers of him shall be plagued ere they go off the world it is ouer high Indeede the Prophetes of olde had this reuelation but it is ouer high for vs because experience in all ages hes proued that some of the greatest persecutors hes died in peace and no visible judgement hes ouertaine them heere But this I am sure of when I see godly men opprest I may say there shall be a day of generall judgement vvherein God shall be anenged of the persecutours if repentance interceede not Novv vvold ye knovv any token that Christ shall come againe and put an end to the vvorld and that there shall be a generall judgement Looke if ye see or heare tel that the godly and innocent are troubled in the world take that for as sure an argument as can be that a generall judgment shal be And as surely as the master is comming after the forerunner as surely shall the general judgment come after the suffring of the godly they must dravv on a judgment and at the last they must draw Christ out of Heauen to take vpon him the place of a Iudge to rander to euery man according to his doing Now another thing He comfortes them taking his reason from the generall judgement he telles them there shall be a terrible judgement when a terrible judge shall come and sit downe in a judgement seat What comfort is this Ye see many vvill shake and shudder when they heare of it and faine would desire neuer to heare of it It is true the promise of the generall judgement will neuer comfort the wicked and they that troubles others the more that they heare of it the more will they trimble and shiuer But it is as true that the most comfortable voice they that suffers wrong can heare is the hearing of the comming of Christ in that latter day and it is the matter of patience it vvill make them ly vnder affliction with exceeding joy the thought of the comming of Christ giues patience in all troubles and this may be found in experience the cheefe joy of the godly is the remembring of Christs comming It is not mens judgement their absolution and condemnation that we should stand vpon What cares me if all the world would absolue me if I be condemned by God And againe vvhat careâ— me if all the vvorld condemne me if God absolue me It is not mens absoluing or condemning that bringes the true joy or heauinesse to the hart but it is Gods absolution and condemnation that will doe this And therefore as thou would haue comfort in that terrible judgment doe well and suffer wrong and byde patiently for surely it will not be long there is such a crying of bloude and such vvronges in this vvorld that truelie in this decrepite age Christ must come shortlie Then this is the first argument of consolation The other is more effectuall I shall touch it Ye that suffers shall be thought vvorthie of the kingdome of God for the vvhich ye suffer He commes nearer as he would say ye haue no cause to trimble and feare ye shall be absoluted from that terrible judgement and ye shall be counted worthie of the kingdome of God The enemies of the trueth gathers of these words that there is a merite and worthinesse for suffering But Paul Rom. chap. 8. verse 18. sayes All this suffering is not vvorthie this vveight of glorie So I answere This worthinesse is not our owne but that which is Christs worthines and properly pertaines to him heere is improperly ascryued to vs for throgh that strate conjunction we haue with Christ he and we are made one and therefore his graces after a sort are ascriued to vs. I hauing Christ may challenge his merite and worthines his graces that he hes conquised as life euerlasting c. to me as euer man might challenge any land or heritage Therefore gather not here any worthines simplie without Christ Alwayes I see the cheefe cause of consolation to the godly that suffers here is not so much that the wicked shall be punished for euer as that the godly shal be adjudged to glory There is the cheefe ground of my consolation Let a man doe all the euill he can to me my comfort is not that he shal be punished at that latter day but that then God shall glorifie me at that latter day Desire not so much the latter judgement that then the wicked may be punished as that thou may be glorified Look Gods purpose he hes appointed this latter day onely to this end that the godly may be glorified The other end of the punishment of the offenders is not the cheefe end for the cheefe end that God looks to is that he may be glorified in mercy It is true he will be glorified in justice but he delytes most to be glorified in mercy He seeks to be glorified in all his properperties in his wisdome power c. But the mercy of the Lord passes all and he seekes aboue all that his glory should shyne in his mercy toward sinners And certainely Christ was sent in the world that his glory should shine in mercy His preaching was to mercy God hes greater glory in sauing one sinfull soule in Christ nor he hes in condemning of millions of the wicked So brethren wonder not that many goes to Hell but wonder that euer a sinner should be safe and maruell more at the mercy of God in sauing of one sinner nor at his justice in the perdition of ten thousands So the mercy of God is wonderfull his power and all is wonderfull but his mercy passes all his properties To him be glory for euer AMEN THE SECOND LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 6. 7. 8 9. 6 For it is a righteous thing vvith God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 7 And to you vvhich are troubled rest vvith vs vvhen the Lord Iesus shall shovv himselfe from heauen vvith his mighty Angels 8 In flaming fire rendring vengence vnto them that doe not knovv God and vvhich obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ 9 Which shall be punished vvith euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
shame suddenly as it were with euerie light winde to be caried away Thefore the Apostle marueiles that the Galathians was so suddenlie caried away to another Gospell Galat. chap. 1. verse 6. Now to come to the lesson Who is the man that is in his right minde Who is he that is in his witte Is euery man in his wit No. Onely that man is in his wit whose mynde is inlightned by the supernaturall light of the faith of Iesus Christ Onely the beleuer is in his right wit Who is the man that is by his mynde and is mad Tharman albeit otherwaies he had all the wit of the world in his head that wants this light of faith in Christ is madde and the end shall kythe and declare it and the vviser in worldlie thinges if he be without this supernaturall wit he it 〈◊〉 the madder 〈…〉 This then must followe By nature we are all borne mad and by our myndes mad foolishe witlesse no otherwaies borne Therefore the Apostle to Titus chap. 3. vers 3. saies We also lewes aswell as the Gentiles vvere vnvvyse madde and by our myndes meaning that without Christ we are all mad fooles Brethren there are two sorts of this spirituall madnesse one naturall common to all the sonnes of Adam all are euer madde till they know Christ euer continuing in madnesse till they beeleue in Christ The other sort of madnesse is that is acquyred by the defection and falling away from the knowledge of Christ euery Apostate is mad euery one that hes known the trueth and falles therefrom becommes mad Of this madnesse Paul speaks Gal. 3 chap. 1. verse O foolish Galathians c. Now if ye will compare these two madnes the one naturall the other by defection The second is more dangerous nor the first Madnes that commes by Apostasie of all other is the most dangerous madnes and therefore Peter 2. Epistle chap. 2. verse 20. sayes The latter condition is vverse nor the former Madnes that commes of the defection from the knowne trueth is worse nor the madnesse we had before we knew Christ And so he subjoynes It had bene better neuer to haue knovvne the vvay of Christ nor after knovvledge to haue fallen back againe It is better to a man euer to haue bidden in the naturall madnes nor once to haue bene wise and inlightned and then to haue made defection There is a recouerie after the first madnes but after the second it is verie hard to get recouerie An apostate hardly recouers but oft the Apostate will fall to blasphemie against the holy Spirit Therefore let euery one striue by al means to keepe the trueth Now the next thing he requestes is that they be not troubled The vvord is borrovved and in the ovvne language it signifies that horror that ryses in the hart of man through the clamor or noyse of any tumult Ye see men will be afrayed when they heare any tumulte So vvere the Thessalonians afrayed vvhen they heard that Christes comming vvas at hand Novv vvill ye compare this terrour vvith the mouing out of the mynde it follovves verie vvell For the man vvho hes his mynde euill informed and not inlightned by the faith of Christ can haue no rest and peace in hart For ye see a madde man hes neuer quyetnesse in his hart but his affections are euer in trouble So a man spiritually madde without the light of Christ and saluation is neuer setled in his hart An Idolater is neuer setled in hart an Herotike hes neuer a setled hart euer his affectiones on feare Therefore he who would haue that peace and joy that passes all vnderstanding let him seeke light to knowe Christ and to know the trueth concerning him otherwaies shall he neuer get peace and joy Then in one word I aske the question Who is he that is happie Who is he that hes a stable and setled hart Who is he that hes peace in his affectiones and hes them set in order so that he may take rest both day and night I answere The faithfull who beleeues the trueth in Christ This man is blessed being iustified by faith vve haue peace tovvards God sayes the Apostle Rom. chap. 5. verse 1. If thou be not justified by faith in Christ no peace but euer trouble and vnquyetnesse both with thy selfe and vvith God God shall make one affection to fight with another and to harle thee before his fearefull tribunall Then who is he that hes not a stable and setled hart Who is he that hes not his affections setled He that beleeues not in Christ he that beleeues not in the trueth of God in Christ he that knowes not the way of saluation he hes not a setled hart It is truely said Es 7 cha 57 verse 21. No true peace for the vvicked for they haue vnstable harts and when thou seest the jawing and mouing of the raging sea thou may say this is nothing in respect of the trouble that the vvicked hes in conscience for the trouble of the hart and vnquyetnesse in the affectiones of all troubles is the greatest and surelie he vvho hes not the peace of God but is troubled in hart vvould gladlie be turned in any thing When it pleases the Lord to make one affection rise against another ô vvhat paine trovvest thou that person sustaines And againe ô hovv prerious a thing is faith in Iesus Hast thou it nothing shall trouble thee So prease euer to haue faith in Christ Hast thou faith thou shalt in joy peace and a quyet minde What euer be thy estate in the world be thou rich both on poore hast thou faith in Iesus Christ thou rests by day and night nothing troubles thee yea euen in these things that appears to bring some greefe to thy body outwardly as siknes c. Yet in thy soule in some measure thou shalt injoy peace and joy in Iesus Christ that shall make the patiently beare the outward crosse Now in the second part of the verse we haue the meanes set downe which the deceiuers vsed to deceiue the Thessalonians with concerning Christs comming 〈◊〉 of deceyuing men They are thre first Neither by spirit that is to say by dreames which men pretended to be reuelations of the Spirit The next is neither by vvord that is by any tradition that they said they had of Paul The third is neither by forged wryting or Epistle as if they had any which Paul had written to them concerning Christs comming Now what are the thinges that cheefly euer from the beginnig hes made men madde and hes troubled the harts of the people and the Church of God Euen these same three things In all ages men hes risen vp that hes said We haue receiued reuelation extraordinar from the Spirit of God Such as of olde were the Valentinians and Montanists such are the Anabaptists this day such are many Papists and Monkes in their closters When they dreame they pretend the reuelation
that will vpset it The lose thou getst by deceite will neuer be vpset all the kings and doctors vnder Heauen will neuer set vp thy lose thou getst by defection Alas what hes that 〈◊〉 win when he hes win all the world and lost his soule by falling away from the trueth Now the Lord let euery man see that there is nothing comparable to this hurt of deceiuing What pleasure can thou haue of all the kingdomes of the world when thou hast a troubled hart and conscience when thou hast an vnquyet soule within thee Therfore as we say It is good to sleepe in a sound skinne Change not a setled minde and pacified hart with all the world and preferre a sound minde inlightned with the knowledge of Christ to all the honours and dignity in the world And because we are so vnstable mynded and so ready to alter that except we be surely anchored on Christ we shall be euer beatten away with euery light wind of false doctrine Therefore we haue to pray that our soules may be anchored by a sure faith on Christ The Lord therefore by his grace anchor our soules on Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise for euer AMEN THE FIFTH LEC TVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 34. for that day shal not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition 4 Which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is vvorshipped so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God shovving himselfe that he is God WELBELOVED brethren ye haue heard the request the Apostle makes in the beginning of this second chapter to the Thessalonians He requests and adjures them by the comming of the Lord Iesus and by our assembling vnto him at his comming that they suffer not themselues to bee deceyued or put by their mindes troubled in hart and affection especially in this head of doctrine that concernes the comming of the Lord in the latter day and that they should not be deceiued by false teachers who weÌ„t about to deceiue them in this point teaching that the day of the Lord is at hand he shall come incontinent ye shall be found aliue when he shall come This age and generation shall not be past when he shall come This pointe of false doctrine that these false teachers went about to perswade the Thessalonians and so to vnqiuet them held them ay in vexation of sprit and minde looking ay for Christs comming assuring them that he should come ere that presentage should end Now in this text the Apostle enters to a refutation of that false doctrine and he proues that the day of the Lord was not instant that the day of the Lord would not beat such a tyme that it should not fall out in that present age Now marke his reasons If the day of the Lord were instant then there should not bee an vniuersall Apostasie and defection from the faith of the Lord Iesus Christ before the day and comming of the Lord Vniuersal defection must goe before the Lords coÌ„ming For vvhy This Apostasie must craue a large space of tyme. Then he subjoines but so it is before that day shall come there shall be an vniuersall Apostasie and defection from the faith and trueth of Christ Iesus And so hee concludes Therefore it is not so as they say The day of the Lord is not instant and is not so neere hand as they goe about to perswade you Marke his reason The proposition and first part of the argument is not expressed in the text The next parte the assumption is sette dovvne in the text to witte The day of the Lord shall not bee before that an vniuersall defection be first Now before I come to the wordes take vp shortlie this one thing The Thessalonians to whom he wrytes being deceiued thought that incontinent Christ should come and that they should be rest to the Heauen with him and glorified from hand The Apostle to put them out of this consaite tels them ere they and the Church be rest vp to Heauen and glorified there that they shall suffer yet on the earth some trouble there shall be yet a great alteration and vexation in the Church of God Brethren mark it The battell must goe before the victory let none looke for the victory before he fight thou wilt not come sleeping to Heauen Thou must fight on earth ere thou come to glorie and ere thou triumph in Heauen thou must be victorious on earth throgh many tribulations we must enter in the kingdom of heauen This is that which the Apostle teaches the Thessalonians Novv to come to the vvordes of the text and to make this matter plaine we shall insist particularlie on euery word taking vp the meaning of Gods Spirite heere And first â—here occurres this vvord Apostasie which must be before the day of the Lordes comming This Apostasie is nothing but a falling avvay a flyding aback This Apostasie is not a particulare Apostasie or defection of this man or that man onely of any one person or any two or three persons onely But it is an vniuersal defection of multitudes of men and wemen in this world For the word ye see is generallie set downe in the text to be a departure without any restriction It is not said a departing of this man or that man but generallie a departing Therefore the Apostle must meane of a departing and falling away of multitudes and great multitudes Now all the question is what Apostasie meanes the Apostle of I am not ignorant how a great number of the olde Latine fathers in the Church vnderstandes this Apostasie to be meant of the defection of many Nations from the Empyre of Rome It is true indeede the Nations of the world fell away from the Romane Empyre But how well and rightly they vnderstood this Apostasie of that falling away from the Romane Empyre God knowes And it is a wonder that so many learned and quick spirited men should haue erred together in this pointe so long Indeede it is likly that when one of them fel in this error all the rest followed on in troupes without further discretion or judgement But I leaue them What Apostasie is this then that the Apostle meanes of heere I shall tell you It is an vniuersall defection not from an Emperour or earthly King but from the King of Heauen Iesus Christ and from his faith This agrees with the course of this text and with that which followes immediatly of the Antichrist the head of this Apostasie This agrees with the speaking of this same Apostle in sundry other places In the 1. Tim. chap. 4. verse 1. he foretels of this vniuersall defection from the faith The wordes are The spirit speakes euidently that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith and
trueth It is not thy eare in hearing of the word nor thy mouth in speaking well of it that will make thee a good receiuer of the trueth but it is the hart Looke there be an vnfained loue to the trueth in it and then hold vp thy eare and it will sinke in so sweetly in thy soule that thou shalt feede on it so joyfully as no tongue neither of man nor Angell can tell It is not the outward profession nor the outward receiuing if thou should sit a thousand yeeres hearing that will bring thee to life First thou must haue hart and soule disposed inwardly with an vnfained loue to God to Iesus Christ and his Gospell and then Heauen and earth shall got together ere thou perish An hart that loues Christ and this light shall neuer perish on the other part al the outward forme of doing the protestation subscription and the rest of these outward things shal not saue thee in the day of the Lord if there be not a peece of this loue in thy hart And so I end with this word 〈…〉 accursed be he that loues not Iesus Christ and his trueth And by the contrare blessed are they that loues Iesus Christ and his truth euen this word preached by this baâ—e ministrie and blessed shall they beforeuer To this Christ with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise for euer AMEN THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 11. 12. 13. 14. 11 And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes 12 That all they might bedâ—mned vvhich beleeued not the trueth 〈◊〉 had pleusure in vnrighteousnesse 13 But vve ought to giue thanks alvvay to God for you brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and the faith of trueth 14 Where-vnto he called you by our Gospell to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. THE dayes bygone beloued brethren in the Lord Iesus we haue heard a Prophecy of that uniuersall Apostasie that was to come and of the reueiling of the Antichrist who should be the head and ring-leader of this vniuersall Apostasie We heard of the Antichrist to be reueiled he is painted out and deferyued in his owne collours before he was reueiled euen as we see him this day For Paul could not haue set him out more viuely in his nature properties and actions if he had seene him nor he hes done in this Prophecie for he descryuos him euen as if he had seene him with his eyes He hes descryued him from his nature He shall be a man sayes he not a single man simplie but he meanes by this word one man a succession of men in one kingdome As for his properties he sayes he shall be a man of sinne and addicted slaue to sinne Next he shall be the sonne of perdition destinate to destruction and euerlasting perdition from al eternity As for his actions first in malice of his hart he shal oppone himselfe against all thing that is called God and is worshipped either in Heauen or in earth He shall oppone himselfe both against the Majestie of God in Heauen and against the majesties of Kings and Princes on earth Againe in pryde of his hart he shall lift himselfe aboue euery thing called God More in the pryde of hart he shall sit in the Temple of God as God in Gods seate vpon the consciences of men to control them which thing properly pertaines to God No creature hes power ouer the consciences of men it is proper to God onely More he shall showe himselfe in all his styles dignities and names as God He shall reaue these from God and shall cloath himselfe with them Last he is descryued from that effectualnesse and powerfull working which he shall receiue of Satan and which at his comming he shall haue in the harts of men partly by working wonders partly by false and fraudulent doctrine But in whom He sayes in them that perishes that is in them that are ordeined to destruction before the foundation of the world was laid in these he shall be powerfull they shall beleeue him in all that he does and sayes Then he sets down one cause of the perdition of these men in whom the Antichrist is and shall be effectuall To witte their owne merite and desert they will not receiue the loue of the trueth they contemne the light of the Gospell and therefore perish shall they God indeed hes decreed from all eternitie that they shall perish but before the decreete be put in execution their merite shall interuene and in tyme they shall contemne the trueth of God which shall procure that damnation to the which from all eternity they were predestinate In the first verse we read the Apostle showes by what order damnation and perdition shall follow vpon the contempt of the light of God in Iesus Christ Marke this Damnation shall not follow vpon the contempt of the trueth immediatly but something shal interueene first there shall follow one plague of God for he shall send vpon these men strange illusions that is he shall hound out the Antichrist with his effectualnesse and he comming with the effectualnesse of Satan shall deceiue them he shall blinde them as it were and put out their eyes What shall followe on that Being blinded they shall goe forwarde in their sinne and so goe downe toward Hell as it were by another steppe And as they contemned the light before so now being deceiued they shall embrace greedilie lies And what shall followe vpon this Embraceing lyes and vanities damnation shall ensue This is the meaning of this verse Then ye see a man is not shot in Hell at the first No when a man hes committed one sinne God will not put him in Hell at that same instant but he shall make him goe to Hell by degrees from steppe to steppe and from sinne to sinne in his just judgement he shall make him stop from a smaller sinne to a greater sinne and this he will doe by plaguing of him and inflicting on him either spiritual or temporall judgements and being beatten he will not amend No mark this A reprobate will neuer mend all the temporall judgements in the world will not better him but he will be ay worse and worse so that if he sinned before now being plagued he shal go to a greater sin and shal not make an end of sinning till he end in judgement Marke another thing here Ye see what the Antichrist is with all his force and effectualnesse his wonders and his doctrine whereby he is effectuall in them that perishes Is he without God trow ye No he is no other thing but a burrio sent from the Tribunal of God to plague the ingrate world as the king would send an hangman to hang a thiefe or murtherer God in his just judgement sends him to
eneugh put me from his gun and pistolet sayes he I am sure eneugh and in the mean-tyme there is neuer suspition of the deuill stronger and subtiller then al the men in the world He wil get on a croslet and plateglufe ô miserable catiue what armour hast thou for the enemy of thy soule It is not with men we haue to do but with powers we haue not to do with flesh and bloud but with Empyres and Principalities Gouernours Princes of the world rulers in the Air. If thou hast adoe with Princes and Kings earthly they wil sute the field with thee but if thou hast adoe with the deuill as euery vnbeleeuer hes he will not sute the field with thee but he will be aboue thy head where thou shalt not get one stroke of him but he vvith great fetches and force will beate thee downe and vse thee at his pleasure Therfore it is not eneugh to pray to giue thee grace to stand and to keepe thee from such as are enemies bodily to thee but thou should say Lord keepe me from that euill one Satan from spirituall powers from that deuill thou art neuer free of him night nor day for he is going about like a roaring lyon seeking vvhom he may deuore 1. Pet. 5. 8. and when thou hast thus praied to be saued from the deuil then say Lord keep me from these bodily enemies Alas men liues carelesse of Satan as thogh there wer not a spiritual enemie while as there are millions of them to deuore thee for euer Ye see then this that is spoken to the Thessalonians is applyed to the whole Church of God in the world for this that he speaks of the Church of Thessalonica he meanes of the Church of God euery where that the Church hes many enemies the Church of Christ hes and euer had and shall haue many enemies The 〈◊〉 â—es many enemies the Church it selfe is but an handful in respect of the multitude both of spirituall and bodily enemies multitudes of deuils multitudes of wicked men and wemen in the world and therfore she cannot be without some noy and hurt no think it not But there is a consolation The Church of Iesus Christ shal neuer be tread vnder foote the deuill and all his supposis shall neuer tread on her nor ouercome the Church of God Hold that fast for a sure ground The Church of God shal neuer be vtterly ouerthrowne and this is a wonderfull thing And yet brethren as the might and omnipotency of God appeares in other things so especially his might appears in holding vp a poore handful of the poorest and vilest bodies in the world in appearance against such multitudes of strong and mighty both spiritual and bodily enemies and the Lord will be glorified in this few number and in end he shall make that handfull to tread on the necks of the multitude of the wicked vpon Princes necks and on Powers and Principalities and on the deuill himselfe The cause of her standing is because she is grounded on Iesus Christ who is immutable and vnchangeable she reposing and leaning on Iesus shall stand still and be vnalterable as long as he is vnalterable which is euerlastingly all the power of the world and Hell shal neuer ouerthrow her and bring her at vnder This is her joy that she shall neuer finally fall but shall stand notwithstanding of all assaults for euer And at last be victorious ouer oer enemies through the strength of him on whom she reposes Now to this God the Father Sonne and holy Spirit be praise and honor AMEN THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 4. 5. 6. 4 And vve are persvvaded of you through the Lord that ye both doe and vvill doe the things vvhich vve command you 5 And the Lord guide your harts to the loue of God and the vvaiting for of Christ. 6 We command you brethren in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye vvithdravv your selues from euery brother that vvalleth inordinatly and not after the instruction vvhich he receiued of vs. THIS last part brethren of the Epistle of Paul written to the Thessalonians containes precepts and admonitions to liue an holy and christian lyfe The last day wel ad in hands the first precept which concerneth prayer to God which is the cheefest exercise that a christian man can haue in this world there is none before it Therefore he began to pray and as he had prayed for them immediatlie before so he craues of them a recompence which is pray for me againe and good reason that when I pray for thee thou pray for me againe When the Pastor prayes for the flock the flock should interceede againe with God by prayer for him So the Apostle sayes Pray for vs for me and my fellow-laborers from whom in common this Epistle was directed But for what things should they pray to him The first thing is the Gospel and what of it Pray that it may runne and haue a free course through the world And what more That the Gospel of Christ running throgh shold not run through the mouthes and eares of men onely that is a small matter if there be no more but that in running it may haue the course with power and effectualnesse in the hearts of the hearers working lyfe and saluation in them and so consequently she may be glorified that is that men and wemen feeling the great force may be inforced to glorifie her in this world for none will glorifie the Gospell but he that feeles the power of it in his hart and to whom the Gospell is the power of God to saluation The next thing that he craues they should pray for is for his person the persons of his fellow-laborers that we sayes he may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men He giues the reason of this desire All men hes not â—aith When we goe abroad preaching the Gospell we will haue great opposition of many wicked men euil inclined in hart euil disposde in hand so that our persons must be oft in great danger Therefore pray for vs And the ground is all men hes not faith Howbeit some will professe God and religion yet in very deed God is not in their hart Christ dwelleth not in them by faith they are not elect and therefore they beleeue not It is dangerous to be amongst them yea euen for the persons of men for without Christ the hart of a man is as cruell as is the hart of a Tyger and Lyon or any wylde beast before it be drawen away from that cruelty and tamed by faith in Iesus Christ this is the nature of all men Then in that third verse lest that matter concerning faith and the scarcitie of it should haue offended them and moued them to doubt and to thinke it might be that they should fall away from the faith He sayes the Lord is faithfull and he shall
of glorie There is not a Monarch that prydes himself in honourable styles and names that is comparable with the great Creator the Lord of the world yea set them altogether all are nothing in comparison with him because all are his all grace power and dominion in Heauen and earth is his and therfore look by how many graces his Majestie hes spread it selfe through Heauen and earth look how many graces he hes in his hand to giue so many seuerall and honourable styles may he receiue there is no end of his glory nor no end of his Names from his wisdome he is called the Lord of wisdome from his justice the Lord of justice from his mercy the Lord of mercy from his peace the Lord of peace from his glory the Lord of glory Now to goe forward Tvvo properties of peace 1. It is euerlasting There are two properties giuen to this peace The first It is for euer alvvayes it is not for a tyme onely but for all tymes It is not for this lyfe onely but for the lyfe to come This worldly peace serues but for this lyfe onely but the peace of Iesus Christ serues for the lyfe euerlasting The peace of God is not peace in prosperitie onely but in aduersitie also It is not peace in life onely but in death also And therefore Symen in his song when he had seene Iesus he sayes Novv Lord 〈…〉 depart in peace Luke 2. 29. the seruant of God as he liued in great peace so also departed in peace so this peace lastes for euer And therefore Esay 9. 7. when he hes called him the Prince of peace he sayes the largenesse of his dominion and increase of his 〈◊〉 at and peace shall haue no end his kingdome is an endles kingdome and there is an endles peace in that kingdome I called this peace our blessednesse Now this is the nature of blessednesse it cannot be bounded within any tearms if it be true selicitie bound it not compasse it not within a yeere within twentie yeeres or within a thousand yea within ten thousand yeeres for the nature of true blessednesse is euerlasting And therefore ye see worldly men that places their happinesse in worldly peace will dreame an eternity and perpetuitie to that peace of theirs that neither they nor their peace will haue an end That rich man in the Gospel Luke 12. 19. said to his soule Liue at ease eate and drinke and take thy pastime thou hast store laid vp for many yeeres trow ye not but he thought to liue for euer and thought that that aboundance should abyde with him for euer and so faires it with all worldlings they dreame a rest and peace for euer but the end will proue that they wer dreaming all their dayes Therefore Lord set our harts on that peace of Iesus Christ that lastes for euer This is then the first propertie of this peace of his It lasts for euer The second propertie of it is It is 〈…〉 of vvay It is peace in all respects not in one respect onely nor in some respects onely 2. It is in al respects but in euery respect I shall make this plaine The peace of Iesus Christ is peace in respect of God when our soules standes in friendship with him when we are reconceiled to him by the bloud of Iesus as it is said Rom 5. 1. Being iustified by faith vve haue peace tovvards God Then it is peace in respect of our selues an euill conscience is an euill enemie when thou stryuest not against thy owne affections but satisfies them then thy conscience will let thee get little rest it will ay be accusing thee but when once this peace of Iesus be giuen thee so that thou beginst to be regenerate and to lead an holy and sanctified lyfe then thy conscience rests and thou beginst to enjoy a joyfull peace in thy soule Philipp 4. 7. The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding preserue your harts and myndes in Christ Iesus and Col. 3. 15. Let the peace of God rule in your harts And againe it is peace in respect of the creatures of God with Angels in Heauen with men on earth man is enemie to man by nature then hauing this peace thou art at peace with Heauen and earth man and Angell for all are enemes to thee so long as thou art outwith Iesus Christ we are enemies to them all and they all to vs but being in Christ all things are reconciled to vs in heauen and earth Ephes 1. 10. Col. 1. 20. so in all respects it is peace Looke how many sortes of enimities was as many sortes of peace must be we are enemies to God to our owne conscience to Angels and men yea and that that is most conjoyned to vs by nature be it bloude asfinitie or any other bond if there be no more but nature there is nothing but enimitie the conjunction of man and woman if there be no more but their natural bond is enimity the parents and the children without this spirituall peace of Iesus are at enimitie So looke how many sorts of enimitie there is there are as many sorts of peace and our blessednesse standes in this peace Now looke the nature of it As blessednesse must indure for euer so our blessednes must be perfite If thou hast that peace of Iesus thou must haue it in all respects if thou hast peace with God thou hast peace with all men so far as lyes in thee Rom 12. 18. otherwise thou hast no true peace with God Men oft-tymes beguyles themselues I will haue peace with God will he say and yet I shal be this man or that mans enemie I shall slay him folie folie if thou glorie in debate with man and does not that lyes into thy power to be at peace with all men thou shalt haue no peace with God that thing which the Lord joynes seuere not thou the Lords peace is with al if thou seuere it and pryde thee in enimitie with any thou shalt not haue peace with God nor with thy self What peace hes a murtherer with God or with his owne conscience Aske at him I demand thee ô murtherer knew thou what that peace of God meanes when that bloudie affection raged and caried thee to bloude Thou lookest for friendship with God folie thou art neither at friendship with God nor his Angels nor none of his creatures It is a wonder that the Heauens falles not on thee The earth is thy enemy and it is a vvonder that it swallows thee not vp for al that bloud that thou hast shed on it but once it shall present it to thy damnation if thou repent not This far concerning prayer for peace I goe to the next words The Lord be vvith you all He goes to a deeper ground Before he wished the grace of the Lord Iesus to them Novv he vvishes the Lord himselfe to them the presence of Iesus Christ in his ovvn person not onely that he shall
meddle not vvith it doe neuer thing vvith a doubting conscience And therefore I say to thee if thou doubt of the verie least thing that is good if thy conscience be not perswaded it is good doe it notâ— I say to thee it is better to doe the thing that is euill and haue a persvvasion in thy conscience that it is good nor to doe the thing that in it selfe is good if thy conscience thinke it euill If thou doe against thy conscience it is euer euill Doe neuer against conscience What euer is not of faith it is sinne if thou be not perswaded in conscience it is good if it vvere neuer so good it is sin to thee So if there lyes any suspition in thy hart of the doctrine that it is not altogether sound abstaine from it and meddle not vvith it As for other things any thing in the vvorld that hes appearance of euill Appearance of euill to be eshevved suppose it be not euill yet if it appeare to be euill touch it not meddle not with it If thy conscience tell thee this is sin on paine of thy lyfe doe it not Fight neuer with thy conscience what euer thou fight with suppose it be euill informed for it is sin If it seeme to thee to be euill meddle not with it More if it seeme to be euill to others namely to those that the Apostle calles vveake ones albeit thou be persvvaded of thy christian liberty yet for their sake that thou make them not doe contrare their conscience abstaine abstaine for their sake albeit not for thy owne sake from these things may offend their conscience as meate drinke c. Iude in his Epistle verse 23. goes further in this and sayes and hate euen the garment spotted by the flesh that is the outward coat that is spotted with sin touch not once the coat of sin Lay not thy finger to the outward slugh of it for it wil spot thee if thou lay thy finger on it Then brethren take it vp in one word Ye see here how ware men shold be of sin thou art bound to abstaine from it yea to hate and detest the very appearance of it the mowe of it let be the inward body of it Thou sinst when thou layest thy finger end on the coat of it Alas then how sinst thou when at all thy senses thou drinkst it in as it were water The murtherer drinks in bloud as it were water the harlote drinkes in harlotrie at all his senses as it were water If it be euill to allow of the appearance of it how great euill is it to take the whole bodie of sin in thy arme and lay it with pleasure to thy hart Neuer man will take thing so sweetly in their armes as men will take this viper of sin in their hart A murtherer can neuer be satiat with bloud an harlot can neuer be satiat with harlotrie A blasphemer can neuer be satiat vvith blaspheming Ye that would doe no euill the common word is doe no euill like abstaine from the hew and collour of it touch it not once let be to embrace or suffer it to reigne in thee Now brethren to go forward to that which followes In the last verse we haue red heâ— concludes the whole exhortations of this Epistle with a prayer to God I shal be short in it Novv saies he the God of peace sanctifie you throughout I pray God that ye may be keept in soule and bodie in sanctification to Christ Exhortation concluded vvith praier that is the effect of the words All his exhortation is to holinesse and sanctification For that is the generall he laid downe in the 4. chap. 3. vers This is the vvill of God euen your sanctification Now in the conclusion what does he He prayes What prayes he That the Lord would grant them that same thing he was exhorting them to He was exhorting them to sanctification and he praies God to giue them sanctification This is the Apostles fashion in other places to the Ephes 3. chap. 13. verse He beseches them to stand constant in the faith of Christ and faint not for his tribulation And then he subjoynes For this cause I hovv mykrees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye grovv not faint So he exhortes them to constancie and he prayes God to giue them it Paul and the rest of the Apostles neuer exhorted any Church to sanctification to any good thing as though it had lyen in the handes of the people and Church to haue done it But in the meane tyme while he exhortes them he was perswadod that it behoued God to giue them grace to doe it and that it lay in the hands of God onely whether they should do it or not do it And therefore when he exhortes them to doe any thing he addes praier I beseech God to giue you the grace to do it The Papists thinks it lyes in the hands of a mans selfe to doe godd they euer extoll free will Fy â—n them it lyes not in the powâ—r of fleshe and bloud to do any thing that is acceptable to God No it is a poisonable doctrin and this vanity they gather vpon these preceptes and exhortations If say they there were no power in mans hand why should the Lord commandâ— it is vanity to command that which cannot be done I answere in one word This is a foolish conclusion if there were no more but this that the Apostle sayes first it is the vvill of God your sanctification Then he subjoynes I pray to God that he vvould giue you the graâ—e of sanctification as if he would say I bid you not as though inlay in your owne hands but I pray to God that he would worke it It showes the vanity of this conclusion Now to the wordes Whom to prayes he To the God of peace The God of peace sayes he sanctifie your soules Read all the Canonicall scriptures ye shall neuer finde that any of the ould fathers directed their prayers to any Saints either to Abraham Isaac or Iacob or to any other holy men or Angels But this by the way In all the praiers of the ould fathers and all the Psalmes there is neuer a prayer but to God onely Now how styles he him He calles him the God of peace The God who is the Author and giuer of all peace Peace What peace is this Euen the peace that he calles The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding that guardes your harts and myndes in Christ Iesus Philipp 4. chap. 7. verse No other thing but that same peace of the conscience when we are surely perswaded that all our sinnes are freely remitted vnto vs in the bloud of Christ and that through him we shall get glorie for euer Then if we haue this peace we will be quyetnesse in all the miseries of this world Then end of all grace is peace Iustification ends in peace our calling and predestination from
all eternitie ends in this peace of conscience in the soule regeneration ends in this peace Now looke how this style agrees with the matter he is praying for sanctification and he styles him the God of peace who is the Author of all peace Both the means the end arâ— of God and he askes at his hand sanctification Marke this He who is the giuer of our felicity is he that giues vs all the meanes that brings vs to that felicity he that must giue thee the crowne of glorie he must giue thee sanctification to glorie In one word he that giues thee felicitie is the giâ—eâ— also of all the meanes whereby we attaine to felicitie So thou hast no cause to glorie in thy selfe The beginning of grace is of God the meanes is of God the end is of God nothing in our selues all in God To goe forward to the petition There are two thinges he craues in this petition Sanctification conseruation therof craued of God The first is sanctification or holinesse The next is conseruing and keeping in that same sanctification and holinesse First he prayes that they may be sanctified Next he prayes that they may be keept vntill Christ come againe Paul 12. Rom. 2. verse Be not fashioned that is shapned lyke the vvorld and men of this world but be transchanged that is turned away from that thing to another and that though the renuing of the mynde that ye may proue vvhat that good and acceptable vvill of God is What â—row ye then sanctification is It is no other thing but a new shaping ouer of them againe as ye will shaip a garment The Apostles takes that similitude Brethren we were all well eneugh shapen in Adam and Eue ere they fell and we had an exceeding good shape but since they fell we become all wanshapen creatures and monsters When thou seest an vnregenerate creature a murtherer rejoycing in murther then say thou art a curst monster of a man So in Adams fall vve became monsters of nature Thou saw neuer such a monster as an vnregenerate man Now we being monsters through Adams fall in Christ we begin to take on vs a new shape according to the glorious Image of God So our sanctification is onely as a renewing of vs againe according to the first shape of the Creator in holinesse and righteousnesse Novv vvhat is it must be shapen ouer againe What parte of vs is it that is wanshapen The Apostle sayes The God of peace sanctifie you throughout The whole man through that foull apostaâ—ie in Adam is become a monster Not a finger in thy hand but it is become a monster The eye a monster or else such a foull looke would not be The tongue a monster or else such foull language would not be The ear a monster or else we would not desyre to heare foull and euill speaches No part of thee but all are monstrous except thou be renewed And therefore he prayes that they may be renewed and made ouer againe throgh Christ euen in the whole parts of the body and soule Therefore pray thou and say Lord renew not this part or that part onely but renew me wholly The Lord renew the mynde and begin there The Lord renew the body the Lord renew the eye the ear the hand The Lord renew all ouer againe For I tell thee if therebe any part of thee vnrenewed thou shalt al go to Hel for that vnruely part The Lord vses not to renew one part not another but he renews altogether This shortly for the first part of the petition Now in the next part he beseches the Lord of peace to sanctifie them throughout and that their vvhole spirit soule and body may be keeped vvithout spot or blame to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. He prayes that they may be keeped in holinesse So it is not eneugh to get one grace to get sanctification and holinesse but thou must be keeped still on in that grace vntill thou come to glorie TheÌ„ again as grace is of God al grace is of God So the perseuerance in grace to the end is of God Thou hast no more in thy power when thou hast gotten grace to stand one moment in grace if God hold not his hand about thee nor thou had to tak that grace before thou got it Thou hast no power in nature to stand in grace So perseuerance in grace is of God only aswell as the grace is in Gods hand to giue And as we must pray for the grace before we get it and say Lord sanctifie vs so we must pray for the continuance of it and say Lord continue vs in it if thou Lord hold it not into my armes I will not get it keeped Therefore Lord keepe thou it Now to go forward What shold be keeped blameles without spot All the partes of man to be keeped blameles One part or peece or the whol man should I pray to God to keepe my soule onely in holines and not my bodie my body onely and not my soule Wilt thou part them or thinkest thou that God wil keep one part of thee in holines and not the whol When men goes to Idolatrie they will pray to keepe their hart holie When they will bow their bodie to Baall they will say my hart is to God No if he keepe not all if thou dedicate not all to him all shall goe to Hell So the Apostle sayes I pray the God of peace that he vvould keepe blamelesse your spirit your soule and bodie In these three thinges he takes vp the whole man within and without I will onely speake this far By the Spirit he vnderstands the cleannest part of the soule Ephes 4. chap. 23. vers He calles it the Spirit of the mynde that is the light of the mynde which is reason The reason is not common with the beasts but it is common with the Angels So it is the speciall part of a man and thou may thanke God that hes it and thou should pray to the Lord to keepe it The next is the soule whereby he vnderstands the inferior part wherein are the senses that part of the soule that hears sees c. Then he saies the bodie So ye see God must keep all in holines and he that would be keeped of God must seeke to be keeped whole and euery part of him without exception For I tell thee no part of thee is able to keepe another The olde Philosophers made a Queene of reason as thogh she should keepe all and should keepe the soule and body in her light It is solie who can keepe her God must keepe the Spirit that is the reason aswell as the bodie and the Spirite hes as great need to be keept as the foote for sinne will begin at the reason it is the first breaker of so craue that he keepe all or he shall keepe none Alas what is man without grace What hes he to boast of Thou wilt