shall die for hunger and plaine want of grace and we shall not onely lose this lyfe present but a better life life euerlasting The next part of Praier is thanksgiuing we spoke the last day of seeking Now this day first in this text we haue red we haue to speak of thanksgiuing which we should rander to God The wordes are In all thinges giue thankes for this is the vvill of God When he hes said pray continuallie immediatlie he subjoynes in all thinges giue thankes Marke it So he joynes these two together Sec. part of prayer thanksgiuing Prayer or asking at God and then thanking of him Brethren I see not onely in this present text these two thinges Prayer and thankesgiuing joyned together but in sundrie other places Philippi chap. 4. verse 6. Be not carefull for any thing but in euerie thing let your requestes bee shovven foorth to God by prayer and supplication vvith thankesgiuing To the Colossians 4 chap. 2. verse Continue sayes he in prayer and vvatching vvith thankesgiuing there they are conjoyned Seking thanksgiuing euer ioined together the one of these should not be seuered from the other Prayer should not be seuered from thanksgiuing thanksgiuing should not be seuered from prayer The neede and necessity we haue in this world that mooues vs to prayer is not so great but euer there is matter of thanksgiuing to God for the graces that is giuen euery moment of our lyfe day and night For there are none of vs but we haue experimented in some measure the bountifulnesse of our louing God who dare say otherwaies but in the greatest strate that euer he was in he â—and by experience of the mercy of God a measure of grace for reliefe Alas if it wer no more but this grace in thy need to get grace to seek grace it is a speciall grace thou art oblist to thanke God for that grace thou getst to beg grace Againe the blessing and mercy of God is neuer showen on vs in such aboundance in this world but in the me and 〈◊〉 thou hast neede and mister and in the most floorishing estate thou art in thou standest in neede The greatest Monarch that is in his greatest floorishing he standes in neede and therefore as he hes cause to thanke that God that hes exalted him so hes he cause to be a begger to seeke more For there is a Kingdome that is aboue all Kingdomes a glorie aboue all this glorie riches aboue all these riches a pleasure aboue all earthlie pleasure so as long as thou art not come to this hight yet beg for none shall come to that hight neyther King nor Monarch shall come there but by continuall begging Ye see Dauid in his Psalmes he prayes and askes when he is in neede and in his necessitie But at that same very tyme he also thankes Ye see he will begin a Psalme with great heauinesse of hart but ere he come to the end ye will see in that same Psalme how he will rejoce and with joy he will thanke Then looke Paul in the beginning of all his Epistles he commonly sayes I thank God for you but what more are ye in such estate that I need not pray for you No. Therefore he subjoynes euer praying for you As he would say as I am thanking God for you so I am a begger for you Brethren learne to pray by example of these old fathers who were better learned nor we When thou seekest any thing at God thanke him also there is not a more forcible argument to God to mooue God to graunt any thing nor to thanke him I cannot knowe what tune a prayer can haue without thanking For effectuall prayer cannot be vvithout thanking To let you see this in one word Read Rom. chap. 8. verse 36. and there ye shall finde that the Spirit of Iesus interceedes for vs. Well if the Spirit of Iesus raise vp in the hart sighes and furnishes thee prayer it shall not be without thanksgiuing And if thy prayer be any thing worth it must come from the Spirite of God Many vvill make a forme of prayer but vvithout the Spirite it is but praâ—ling and therefore their prayer is abhoâ—â—nable Therefore enter neuer to prayer but aske the Spirite of Iesus to pray with It is impossible to man to open his mouth to pray feruentlie except the Lord open it by his Spirite Dauid say in his 51. Psalme verse 15. Lord open thou my mouth and then I shall preache thy praise And Paul to the Corinthians sayes None can name the name of Iesus and call him Lord but by the holie Ghost 1. Cor. 12. chap. 2. vers if the Spirit open not thy mouth thou may bable of that glorious name but to speake of it to thy comfort and as thou should doe without the Spirite teach thee it is impossible Now to returne to the matter If the prayer be any thing worth if the Spirit of Iesus request for vs with sighes vnspeakable then impossible it is but God must answere thee The Spirit of 〈…〉 neuer seeke any thing at God without effect If the Spirite 〈◊〉 prayer to thee it is impossible but thou must resaue an answere Rom. chap. 8. vers 26. it is said The spirt interceeds vvith sighes vnspeakable And the Lord knovves the meaning of his ovvne spirite A man sighes not so soone with the Spirite of God but as soone is the sigh conueyed vp to the presence of God And to speake it plaine the sigh touches not the hart of man so soone but as soone it touches the hart of God so of necessitie he must receiue an answere The very prayer makes a way and accesse to the presence of God And brethren all the joy in this world is in that sight and presence of God Thou neuer knew what joy was that neuer got a sight of God in Christ Then what must joy bring out Prayer to God gets Gods presence the presence bringes joy What must joy bring out Of necessitie an hart that rejoyces must burst out in thankfulnesse If the hart rejoyce the mouth must be opened to thanke Go to experience Your harts was neuer touched with joy but either hart or mouth bursted out in thanking Ioy cannot be without thanking and the proper effect of joy it thankfulnesse Then ye see neither should these two Prayer and thankfulnesse be seuered one from another neither can they be seuered It may be our Spirit will make vs pray and vtter not thankes-giuing but all that is partling and vttering of griefe and not prayer but the Spirit of God prayes not without thanking God and againe he thankes not without prayer Now to go forward I haue made you see how these two goes together But to come neerer the purpose We said whatsoeuer forte of prayer it be whether it be asking or thanking it serues to bring out joy all tendes to joy for in joy is our blessednesse I â—ould you the last day the blessednesse
giue me grace to loue thee as thou bidst me hope so worke thou hope in me otherwise I will neuer be answerable to thy command Now to the words I pray God to direct your harts to the loue of God Ye see here wherfore he praies not for their mouth or tonge nor for their eies nor for none of these outward members but his prayer is for their harts that the Lord would direct their harts What meanes this To wit that the directer the guider and ruler of all these outward members of the eyes tongue and mouth of the hand and foote is the hart she sittes in the midst and guides all so that if she her selfe be first well guyded ruled and disposed it shall be well with all the members of thy bodie she shall guide thy tongue and brydle thy mouth in speaking and guide thy hand in doing it shall be well with thy eyes and eares she shall not suffer thee to looke or heare wrong and so well is the person that hes a well guyded hart and well disposed mynde For then as for the outward members they shal be all made wapons of righteousnesse to serue God but if the hart be euill disposed but if it be backward and peruerse as it is of nature there shal not be so much as the least member of the bodie but al shal goe the wrong way thy foote shall goe to mischieefe a murtherers hart stirres his foote to murther thy hand shall be a wapon of vnrighteousnesse to fight against God thy eye shall be looking to euill and likewise all the rest all shall be set to do wickednesse And therefore as the hart craues heere prayer for guiding of it so euery part of the bodie craues prayer for it As the Apostle prayes so let vs pray Lord guide my hart my hand my foote No the least member craues prayer but begin at the first stirrer the hart and say Lord guide my hart that all the rest of my members may followe her Alas the neglect of this prayer to God that he would guide the hart makes the hart a foule stinking puddle There is no stinking flewer to the stinke of a foule hart ô if thou felt it that thou might detest it If it be not purged thou shalt neuer see the face of God if thou ly still in the filth of thy hart and euery day in thy hart contract some further filth remember I forewarne thee the intolerable judgement of God shall be heaped on thy head as thou heapest filth vpon filth Now what craues he to their harts I pray the Lord sayes he to direct your harts The word in the owne language signifies a straightning as it wer an euen lyne for brethren consider the hart of man as it is disposed by nature and by this foule birth of ours all within vs is foule without that renuing Spirit of Iesus Christ it comes in this world crooked manshart crooked by nature and bowed in as a crooked tree bowed away from God to the deuill from al good things to all euil and mischiefe It is backward that is the terme that the Scripture giues it euery man is borne vvith a backvvard hart bowed downward from God And therefore what thing should thou craue to the hart what should thou aske for it It is not euen eneugh no so long as thou liuest there shall be ay a crooke in it What should thou pray for it then Euen this Lord make it euen put this peruersnesse out of it for so long as it bydes in this backvvardnesse it is not possible but thy vvraith must be on it Then pray for two things to thy hart First to mak straight thy crooked hart and say Lord I finde my hart crooked vvithin me bovving avvay from thee Lord put in day holy Spirit in it and straighten it And againe because it is impossible so long as I liue that I can attaine vnto an hart altogether straight Lord hyde the crookes of my hart with that mantle of the righteousnesse of Christ Trovvest thou that thou could stand one moment before that Majestie that cannot looke on a crooke except thy crook were couered with that mantle of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ Therefore our prayer should be Lord let Christ my Mediator euer stand betweene me and thee to hold off thy wraith and fire of thy countenance Now folovves in the end of the verse tvvo pointes vnto the vvhich the hart should be directed manshart should be directed to tvvo things 1. the loue of God The thing that is made straight must be directed to a pointe The first pointe whereinto the hart must be directed is the loue of God the next is the patient avvaiting for of Christ. To speake of the first The hart as it is bowed and alienated from euerie good thing so first it is bowed from God and his loue be assured as thou art borne thou louest not God No thy nature inclines to hate him so deadlie that thou hast no vvill nor pleasure once to thinke of him the hart abhortes by nature the verie cogitation of him and faine vvould thou haue that conscience that aduerises thee of him to be pulled avvay Many vvould be quyte of their conscience that is euer sounding to them of God thou would giue a kingdome if thou had it to be quite of it And as thou wold not think of him by nature so thou vvould neuer heare of him there is such a naturall hatred against God in the hart of man for all are borne as it were with their face away from God and their backs turned to God and the longer thou liuest the farther thou runnest from him except by his Spirit he turne thee and say to thee turne thee and looke on my face And therefore the first thing we should pray for should be Lord turne my hart to thee to loue thee and set it on thee This is the praier of the Apostle and it should be our prayer night and day What thing canst thou loue with any joy or delectation if thou first loue not God Will the Husband loue the wife if he loue not God first fy on thee and thy loue both for thy loue vvill be turned in hatred and thou vvilt cursse thy vvyfe and thy children if thou louest not God first and then them in God for this cause This is the first pointe vnto the which the hart should be directed Now the next pointe he calles Patience that is a patient hope Of vvhom Of Iesus Christ that is of his comming and consequently of thy euerlasting saluation that shall be reueiled at his comming 2. Patient avvaiting for Christ Brethren it is craued that the hart of man be set beyond any thing in this lyfe I tell thee thy hart must be directed farther nor any grace thou can get in this lyfe farther nor faith nor the loue of God vvhich is the preciousest thing thou can haue thy hart must be set on things
as miserable catiffes appointed to damnation What auailes this life and al that we haue if we misse that glorie to come In all our proceedings looke what serues for the life to come for all our liues will away our life is not heere this death temporall is not death this life temporall is not life but death eternall is death and life eternall is life But to come to the words and marke them For our Gospell saieth he vvas not vnto you in vvordes onelie but in povver Then it is not preaching in vvordes onelie that vvorkes saluation I see there are tvvo sortes of preachings some preachings in vvordes onelie as these Orators vvho preached to the Corinthians for inuy of Paul had nothing but vvordes There he sayeth When I come I vvill cognosce these men not in their vvordes but in their povver if they haue anie for the Kingdome of God standes not in vvordes but in povver of the Spirite 1. Corinth 4. 19. 20. There is an other preaching of the Gospell not in vvordes onelie but vvith vvisdome and povver Theefore seeing this difference is in preaching that some preachinges are in vvordes onelie and some preachings in vvordes vvith power I must confesse the cause wherefore there is onelie vvordes vvithout povver geuen to the teachers is oft tymes not onelie in the people themselues although they be wicked but in the preacher that vtters nothing but wordes without power to worke into the hearts of the hearers Therefore he that speakes in the name of the Lord looke that he haue power and aske power of God that his words may be effectual in the hearts of the hearers to saluation or else let him holde him silent Either seeke that power of God may be joyned with words or else close thy mouth and speake not one word in the name of the Lord. This power is not gotten lightlie looke to the groundes of this power Paul sets them down heer In the holie Spirite there is one and in full assurance there is an other The first the preaching of the Spirite 2. groundes of povver in preaching the second a full assurance that is in the heart of man that speaks to the hearers Looke that he haue assurance in his owne heart that remission which he preaches to others is gotteu to himselfe Is he promising life to the people looke that he haue assurance that that lyfe is in him The first and chiefe ground of all power is the holie Spirite of Christ if the Spirite of Christ speake not but onlie the spirite of man the humane power in the teacher there shall be no power no vertew in that word to edifie And therefore Paul 1. Cor. chap. 2. vers 13. when he hes spoken of the mysterie of Christ which the wisdome of the vvorlde could not comprehende he subjoynes The vvhich vve speake not vvith speaches and vvordes vvhich the vvisdome of man teaches but vvith vvordes vvhich the holie Spirit teaches vs ioyning spirituall vvords vvith spirituall matters By the which words he meanes plainly that except the Spirit of Christ be the principall speaker of a spirituall matter be the matter neuer so true of it selfe it shall haue no power yea farther in the 1. cha v. 17. he saieth the preaching of Christ with the wisdom of words humane eloquence makes the crosse of Christ ineffectual 1. Cor. 2. 5. he saieth that faith stands not in the vvisdom of mē and therfore who euer teaches in the name of christ let him beg earnestlie that that holy Spirite may be in the heart to tune the heart may be in the tongue to tune the tongue that the matter and words that he vtters may both be of the holie Spirite It is a dangerous thing to a man to speake in the name of the Lord except first he pray and say I am going to this place Lord giue me matter giue me words and let not the speach be so much my speache as the speache of thy Spirite in my heart If the Spirite be in thy heart he will speake but if he be out of thy heart it will be the voice of a man onelie No nothing will conuert men but that which comes of the Spirit A natural eare may take pleasure to heare a naturall thing a naturall heart to speak of a naturall matter but a spirituall eare and hart wil take pleasure in a spirituall matter which comes from the heart of a spirituall man Now to come to the second ground of this power It is the full assurance of grace and mercie that he preaches by his own feeling he speaks nothing but of faith and particular assurance a generall assurance is naught for before I preache the grace of Christ I must seeke my warrand in my heart that that grace righteousnes life I teach is setled in my minde and vpon this assurance I must speake to others and if the speaker albeit the grace were neuer so good haue not in his heart an assurance of that grace all his words will be vnsauory words So he must striue alwayes to participate of that grace he teaches to you either in teaching or before Dauid sayes I beleued and therefore I spake Psal 116. 10. And Paul sayes We beleue to ryse againe and to be joyned to Christ and therfore vve speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. As he would say I am speaking to you of the rysing of the bodie but all this comes of an assurance in my hart that this bodie of mine shall be dissolued and at that last day shall liue and be glorified and vpon this assurance of mine I preache to you this resurrection All tends to this He who speakes of God to vs would be a man that in his owne heart hes a full assurance of grace and aboue all men a Minister that stands vp and speaks to others shoulde haue this assurance and shoulde seeke all vvarrandes of his ovvne saluation And of the assurance of his heart he should speake and say Because I haue felt remison of sins in Christ Iesus and lyfe in him therefore I may assure you of them in him if ye earnestlie by faith seeke them So look that none that is faithles on pain of his life stand vp to vtter one word in the name of Iesus to offer life or remission of sinnes his speaking is but like the clattering of a Parocket his heart is dead and his head onelie sounds The Apostle sayes Because I am assured in my heart of this therfore I spake vvith a great libertie Then there are the two groundes first the holie Spirite secoundlie the assurance if these two be of necessitie the worde must be profitable and thogh a man can not get the ful measure of these two well is he that can sigh and say Lord giue mee an assurance in my heart ere euer I vtter it to others In the end of the verse he takes them to be witnesses of his doing manner of speaking and povver they savv in his preaching
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
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
avvay this word and prophecying euen this word preached take me away the ministrie Meanâ— to 〈◊〉 the spirit in spyte of thy hart the Spirite shall die out The world would faine haue this word away but this is a maine violence done to Iesus to put the light of Iesus out of the hart O Lord vvhat count shall there be at that great day for the contempt of this word But is there no more to be had but the hearing of this word to enterteine the Spirit of Iesus Yea. It will not be the hearing only that wil hold in the Spirit Thy lyfe must be answerable to the word Thou must feede him with holy motions and thoughts within the hart feede him with holy speaches in the mouth Paul Ephesians 4. chap. 29. verse speaking of certaine vyces to be contempned he meanes planely that rotten talke puts out the Spirit Last he is fed within the soule with holy actions that holds in the light of Iesus Spirit As the oile holds in the fire take away these materials the Spirit shall die within thee The other meane to put him out is not onely to draw away from him the matter he feeds on but to giue him as it were poison to feede on An harlot poysons him with an harlatrous hart A murtherer with a bloudie hart A blasphemer with a blasphemous hart we poyson him with foull thoughts in the hart foull speaches in the mouth wicked actions in the hands this is water to put out the fire Then brethren learne one lesson As euery one should take heed to the graces of the Spirit to keepe patience joy prayer and thankfulnesse continually these are the graces of the spirit So specially and before all we should take heed to the workâ— of all the holy Ghost that dwels in our soules as a temple Take heed how thou treatst him what enterteinment thou giuest him looke that thou treat him well doe euery thing thou thinkest may pleasure him absteine from all thinges may offend him Set thy hart to please him and let thy pleasure be in pleasing him and pray euer Lord if thou hast giuen me thy Spirit giue me grace to enterteine him that I anger him not Lord giue me grace to doe all thinges to please him to doe nothing to offend him Alas if a honourable man would come in thy house and take a nights ludging thou would looke diligently that all the house and family were in good order So hold thy bodie and soule in reuerence and order for the holy Spirits sake that dwels in thee othervvaies he vvll not ludge with thee Murtherer fyle not thy hands vvith bloud if thou vvould haue him to dvvel vvith thee Paul sayes 1. Cor. chap. 6. verse 19. 20. The Lord hes boght thee out of the deuils hands out of thy ovvne hands for thou vvould lose both thy soule and thy body if it vvere in thy hand He hes boght thee with the bloud of the immaculat Lambe and to this purpose to be a ludging of the holy Spirit to dwell in He is speaking to harlots he sayes Thou art not thy ovvn Thou art boght vvith a pryce God hes boght thee with the bloud of Christ to be a temple of the holy Spirit Where the Spirit ludges there is the Father and the Son the whol Trinitie So in effect the man boght with the bloud of Christ is a ludging to the Trinitie the Father Son and holy Ghost Alas if thou could looke to this for all the world thou would not destroy that ludging of God If once this trueth of God could sinke in mens harts for all the world they would not quenche this Spirit and defyle this temple of God Alas the blindnesse of men vvho knovves not vvhat estate they stand in for vvant of sight and attention for want of regarding of the trueth we go to Hell And if euer thing was to be deplored in this world this is to be deplored that the Spirit of God is abused when he commes to sanctifie men and wemen he gets villanie and wrong done to him they wold pollute him when he commes to sanctify them Indeed he is disludged of his ludging These murtherers takes him by violence as it were and with their hands puts him out of their hart by the shoulders God keepe vs from the sin against the holy Ghost Goe thou on this way ay conteâ—ning the Spirit thou shalt enter in this sin vvhich shall neuer be for giuen thee in this life nor in the lyfe to come Now to speake of the way how we may know that we haue this Spirit These things cannot be told by words thou must go to experience and there is none of you that hes had a taste of the sweetnesse of the Spirit but ye will feill him dwell in you if ye haue him thou wilt knowe him aswell as euer thou knew any guest that ludged with thee for he brings with him such a faire light such a lyfe and joy c. that thou may easily know him He commes in joy in prayer in thanks-giuing thou wilt knowe him in these but thou wilt finde him in experience if thou growest in his seruice to honour and reuerence him as he dwels in thee To treat him as thou wouldst treat a honorable man that ludges with thee he will dwell with thee but if thou be â—â—uggish in these things thou wilt finde he will draw himselfe to a nuke of thy soule as it were for a tyme thou wilt find him cease from his working of regeneration within thee if thou cease to enterteine him by praier godlines in hart holy speaches in the mouth holy actions in the hand he will ly closse within thee for a time and do nothing And then if the man be godly he will be â—ad and sory For no ioy in the godly but when he feeles the Spirit within him Now if when he is not well 〈◊〉 he depart How much more when we striue as it were to poyson him when we bring vp euill motions in spite of him when we fall out in euill language in mouth euill deeds in the hand shall he withdraw himselfe and depart so that we will finde no sense of joy When a man failes to harlotrie he smores the Spirit As for exemple Dauid if euer man felt the Spirit of Iesus in him he felt him yet when he fell to adulterie and murther the spirit lay so closse in him that he found him not Then he wakens and sayes I haue bene sleeping I find not the joy that I was wont and so he saies Restore to me thy spirit again Psa 51. verse 12. Would he haue said restore except he had found the Spirit of God which he had before withdrawen in working within him What shall I say No joy nor rest without this Spirit be enterteinde within vs. The Lord giue vs grace to enterteine him in soule and bodie in holy speaches thoughts and deeds To this Lord be glorie and
Peter and the rest of them there is no standing but on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Paul writing to the Ephes 2. 20. speakes of their building Being builded sayes he vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Thou shalt neuer be builded on Iesus Christ if thou be not builded vpon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and if that be not then there is no saluation for thee goe to Spaine goe to Rome as thou wilt thou hast noght ado with Iesus Christ if thou stand not grounded on the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles Then would ye see what ye call true perseuerance in faith VVhat is perseuerance and apostasie Euen that is true perseuerance that is in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles onely and no more and no lesse Then what is Apostasie that is contrare to perseuerance If perseuerance be in keeping of the doctrine of the Apostles then that is Apostasie when thou falles away from their doctrin No brethren the falling away from that Roman Antichrist is no Apostasie The Lord at his comming in that great day shall justifie this and shall judge that Church to be a false and an adulterous Apostatike Church and whoeuer joines with it if they repent not shall be adjudged that day to damnation and they that departs from it and stickes to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles shall be judged to be the holy ones of God Now followes in the end of the verse two sortes of teaching of them that the Apostle vsed The first is by word when he spoke to them face to face The other is by his Epistle The lesson is easie Men are taught aswell by writ as word all teaching is not tied to the personall presence of men No men are as surely taught by writ as by word And seeing it hes pleased the Lord to showe this mercy on vs that the writtes of the Apostles are comde in our hands which are read in your audience therefore we haue Paul to be a teacher to vs aswell as the Thessalonians had Therefore conclude surely that it is not so much this Minister or that Minister teaches you as it is the Apostle Paul and Christ Iesus in him for euery Minister is not so guyded as he was the ministers may erre and hes erred but the Apostles could not erre for they were immediatly called of Iesus Christ and were in their writting direct fully by the holy Spirit Therefore think that ye haue the Apostle Paul and the rest to be your teachers and as for a Minister if he goe a stray breadth off that ground of the Apostles he teaches false doctrine and so the surest teachers that we haue are the olde Prophets and Apostles that cannot erre Thinke it not a small mercy that the Lord hes made their writs to come to vs and no doubt Christ when he tooke good-night of the Apostles had respect to this Matt. 28. chap. 19. vers Goe your vvay and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and the holy Ghost and loe I am vvith you vntill the end of the vvorld as he would say ye in a maner shall bide and liue till I come againe if not in your persons yet in your writte and I shall accompanie your writte as I did accompany your persons in the world and surely the Spirit of Christ accompanies this same writ and word as euer he did their dresence on earth Now I will answere one doubt that he ere occurres before I go forward Ye that hes red any thing knowes that the aduersars preases to make aduantage of this place keepe that that I haue taught you by word or writ Then cry they out traditions traditions The Apostles say they hes left traditions besides their writs verities vnwritten and therefore as great credite should be giuen to them as to the written verity and they should be receiued with as great reuerence as their writs Brethren it is true the words importes a diuersity but if ye will looke well about you ye shall find that there is no diuersity in the matter and substance but onely in the maner and forme of teaching as if he should haue said Keep that which I haue teached you either by word or writ which is all one thing for that which I spoke I wrote and that which I wrote I spok this is certaine But giuing this to them supponing the Apostle had spoken something which he had not written at this time what is it to the purpose Ergo wrote he iâ— not afterward Supponing the Apostle had not written this whole doctrine to the Thessalonians yet wrote he it not to the Romans Ephesians c and in one word the Apostle spoke nothing by mouth which he registred not in writte The same doctrine he spoke by mouth the same he left in register in writ to be red by the world Now then to return to the matter When he hes ended the exhortation he subjoines prayer and the same perseuerance he exhorted them to he begs to them froÌ„ the hands of God BrethreÌ„ al exhortation Teaching vvithout the spirite povverlâ—s all this doctrine and preaching all preceptes and admonitions are but winde and vaine voyces shal sounds in the eare and goes not to the hart except with the word the Lord concur by his spirit If the Lord by his power and spirit inwardly moue not the hart and affections of men all is but vanity and winde Now the meane ye see to get the Spirit to the preaching and hearing of the word is prayer And therefore take the lesson A man should neuer preach nor heare preaching but the eie of his soule should be lifted vp to him that is able onely to giue the power and increase In preaching the Minister should be begging power and the people praying and saying Lord as this is thy word which is thy power vnto saluation so by thy Spirit make it powerfull in me If thy eye be on the man and thy hart be not lifted vp to God thou shalt goe as empty home as thou came abroad Therefore set thy eye and hart on him who is only able to giue power to thy life and vpon him who giues only consolation when thou hast need and finally on him that giues saluation to all that beleues aright to wit the Lord Iesus for without him there is no grace to be bestowed on man be what he wil. Prayer is the meane to get the presence of the Spirit concurring with the word for the word without grace and power be giuen to it to open the hart is powerfull to close the hart The Gospell is an instrument to obdure thy hart if it be heard without praier to God and presence of his Spirit Therefore pray that in hearing ye may vnderstand and that ye may walke according to the knowledge thereof Now then to come to the wordes There are three thinges in this prayer First
them the presence of the Lord himselfe to be with them all Last he salutes them and the effect of the saluatation is a prayer for them The grace of our Lord Iesus be with you all Amen So all consistes in prayer Then learne He beganne this Epistle with prayer and salutation throughout the whole Epistle prayer is mingled Now in the end he multiplies prayer What meanes this Euen this that in vaine is all doctrine exhortation admonition and precept whatsomouer all preaching is nothing except the Lord by his Spirit worke inwardlie in the harts of the hearers all is nothing but vvinde except he moue their affections Now the way to obtaine this inward and secreete operation of the holy Spirite is oft-tymes to turne to God by prayer beseeching him to be povverfull and to joyne his Spirite vvith the vvord and to joyne vvorking vvith speaking And therefore hovv oft so euer we teach and ye hear the hart and eye should be lifted vp and set vpon him who hes keeped Spirit and power in his owne hand to giue as he pleases No man can giue you it neither the Preachour nor no Angell can giue you it It is onely in the hand of God and Iesus Christ to giue thee Spirite and povver and to joyne vvorking vvith speaking And therefore the eye in preaching should euer be set on Christ The Pastour should pray and haue his hart aboue to dravve dovvne grace to himselfe and the people that the vvord spoken may be effectuall in the hart othervvise preaching and all hearing is in vaine Now to come to the words The first thing he prayes for and wishes is peace The Lord of peace sayes he giue you peace for euer and euery vvay The thing then he wishes is peace that is quyetnes rest and tranquillity concord agreement all these words expresses the meaning of the word Peace The contrare is vnquyetnes What peace is dissention c. This Peace is the blessednes felicity happy estate of Christs kingdome which is his Church both in earth and Heauen And all the graces we haue in Iesus Christ tends to this end that his subjects may liue in peace quyetnesse and joy for euer and that shall be the end when we are in Heauen peace and joy for euer Ye see the happy estate of a worldly kingdome what is it When men liues in rest and enjoyes peace and quyetnes that is the happines of a worldly knigdom therefore in the 1. Timot. 2. 2. he commaundes prayer to be made for all men For Kings and superiour povvers To what end Euen to this same end that vve may liue a peaceable and quyet lyfe Euen so the blessed and happie estate of Christs kingdome is an heauenlie peace concord and quyetnesse And therefore Rom. 14. 17. he makes this peace to be essentiall to the kingdome of God that he defines it by this peace saying The kingdom of God is righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost This Heauenly peace is onely in Christs kingdome in his Church in Heauen and earth And the subjects of the kingdome of Iesus Christ are onely they that enjoyes this peace here and after this life for euer for without the Church of Christ there is no true peace If thou be no subject in his kingdome thou hast no rest no true peace for there is no true peace for the vvicked sayes the Prophet Esay 57. 21. If thou be of that number that is without the kingdome of Christ no peace for thee and the end shall proue thou hadst neuer true peace in this world Now to go forward He craues that it may be giuen to them Then Peace the gift of god it is a gift Heauenly peace is the gift of God thou hast it not by nature None is borne with peace but with warre and inimitie by nature all are borne with dissention strife and debate there is no heauenly peace by nature And the whole lyfe naturall what is it but a continuance in war debate and strife first against God next with thy selfe and thy owne conscience And againe a strife against the Angels in Heauen and men on earth and all the creatures of God thou art an enemie to them and they vnto thee vntill the tyme thou attaine to that new birth in Iesus Christ and then by vertue of that birth thou getst this heauenly and spirituall peace for then thou beginst to liue at peace first with God himselfe and next with the Angels in Heauen and men in earth and with all his creatures So looke how needfull it is for thee to haue regeneration for if thou want it thou shalt be at war for euer thou shalt haue no peace But how getst thou it It is a gift And who shold giue it The Lord of peace The giuer of it must be the Lord with dominion and power with command And as vnder his Lordship other things must be so peace must be at his command either to giue it or hold it Now who is this Lord that hes this power of peace and war Who is he that sayes All povver is giuen to me in heauen and earth Matt. 2â— 18. This Lord is Iesus Christ And therefore ere euer he came in this world and tooke on him our nature Esay 9. 6. he styles him the Prince of peace And Paul Ephes 2. 14 styles him peace it â—elfe he is our peace-maker And in Iohn 14. 27. Christ speaking to his Apostles takes on him to be the giuer of peace and sayes My peace I leaue to you and giues you So this Lord of peace is the Lord Iesus Christ who hes in his handes all grace and glorie in Heauen and in earth Yet to goe forward The lords style ansvver able to the grace 〈◊〉 praier Why is it that he makes a choise of this style rather then of any other Certainely this style he receiues here agrees with the petition and thing asked at his hands peace is craued he is styled the Lord of peace what euer we aske of Christ it should be in faith that he hes power to giue it aske iâ— thou peace aske it not but in an assurance that it is in his hand and that he is able to giue it Now this assurance that all is in his hand it cannot be better vttered then by the Name and style we giue him askest thou wisdome say Lord of wisdome giue wisdome askest thou peace say Lord of peace giue me peace askest thou mercie say Lord of mercy giue me mercy So the name and style we giue to the Lord when we craue ought at his hands should be answerable to the grace and mercy we aske for then we vtter our faith and assurance that he hes such a grace and power to giue vs. This hes bene the forme of Pauls prayer and of godly men of old and should be imitate by vs. The Lord hes many styles he is called the Lord of peace mercy and justice the Lord
As ye knovv after vvhat manner I vvas among you for your sake As ye know then they knew the power So brethren there will be no Congregation of the Lord that will be so senslesse and dead but there wil be some that vvill haue that Spirite of discretion in them know who speakes with power and who not Euerie man in the Congregation will not haue it but certainlie in all congregations there will be some that will know emptie words and discerne them And therefore let euerie man that speakes in the name of the Lord speake so that he may take the people to whom this discretion is geuen to be witnesse of the power and the Spirite where-with he preached Now all this is for their cause all the graces Paul had was for their cause All grace is giueÌ„ to meÌ„ for the Church they were not for himselfe Matter word power spirite all was for their cause what euer grace any member gets all is gotten and geuen for the whole bodie the grace that the eye of the bodie gets the grace the hand gets all is for vpholding the bodie and if the Lord had had no other regarde but of the hand onelie he would not haue geuen it the grace to grip So is it in the bodie of Christ for if he had not had an other respect to Paul but for himselfe onelie he had neuer receyued these graces So Iames Peter Iohn c. all their graces are for the well of the Church The Apostle 1. Cor. 3. 21. sayes All is yours whither it be Paul Apollos or Câ—phas al is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Then the man that hath gotten the Spirite and excels aboue his neighbours in graces looke that in pride he contemne not the least menber of the bodie the eye must not lightlie the foote for if it looke to the skyes and let the foote stumble it shall perishe it selfe so who hes gotten great graces let him take them and lay all down at the feete of the Church and distribute them to the well of the Church and say I got them all for your cause The Apostle hauing gotten a reuelation and assurance he sayeth God gaue it for the Church So when thou hast gotten any grace giue it out to the Church in humilitie whither the gift be spirituall or temporall or else it had beene better thou had neuer receyued it yea let a King bestow all his graces vpon the Church for his calling is for the Church and except there wer a Church there should not be a King woe to them that knowe not this end that all Kingdomes and policies standes for the well of the Church Daniel tolde Nabuchadnezar an heathen King that his Kingdome was for the standing of the Church The Lord oppen the eyes of men to se that they do their duetie in their vocation that at that last day they may be found to be members of that bodie To goe forward the Apostle gathers the election of the Thessalonians first from that power he had to vtter the word that for their cause secondly by the effectualnes powerful working of this God within them Brethren if the power that God hes geuen the preacher for vttering of his Gospell for their well be an argument to them of their saluation hovv much more must the effectual working of the Gospell be an argument of their well Ioyne these two together the powerfull preaching of the Spirit the working therof these two makes the assurance of the election of the hearers And by the contrair if there be nothing but speaking without power no effectualnesse in the heart it will not be the speaker that will auaile it wil be ineffectuall to them to their saluation So thou must finde the effectuall working of the Spirite in thee which must be thy warrand But to come to the words And ye are become follovvers of vs and of the Lord and receyued the vvord in great affliction and vvith ioy of the holie Ghost These are the words ye se this effectualnesse in the Thessalonians stands in imitation and following not so much of him as of the Lord of whom he was a follower Well to be short the effectualnesse of the Gospell in the hearer ye fe consists in the imitation of the speaker when the hearer imitates in lyfe the preacher and aboue all imitates in life and conuersation the Lord Iesus Christ followes Pastors as they follow the Lorde onelie and no otherwise If then the effectualnesse of the Gospel in the people stands to imitate thee looke thou that there be matter of imitation of thee looke how thy mouth speaks looke thou speake as Christ speaks otherwise speake not except thou may say as Paul sayes when he hes preached to the people ye are followers of me I am made a guide to you going before ye are followers at the least if they wil not follow thee look that thy life be good thogh they shold run away go thou forward in the way of life Preaching wil not do the turne if thou be not a light going before the people all thy words shall do no good and thou shalt neuer be partaker of that glorie thou speaks of Then mark againe Wherin stands this imitation And receyued sayes he the vvord vvith great affliction There the imitation of the Preacher not only in receyuing the word deliuered by him not onlie by following him in doing but chieflie by following him in suffering affliction Is he afflicted for the delyuering of it thou that receiues it follow him in affliction I remeÌ„ber Paul in the second Epist to Timothie Cha. 3. v. 10. 11. 12. where he layes downe many things in himselfe to be followed but chieflie his doctrine maner of liuing his purpose his life lenitie patience then he sayes my persecution and affliction in Christ Now he sticks on this last he specially bound Timothie to that and he sayes in generall as it were to euery godlie man All that is vvilling to liue godlie in Christ shall suffer affliction thou must be one of that nomber Timothie Brethren we will be all content to follow in doing the Pastor Hes he faith we will follow his faith hes he any other thing in him we follow him in it but wheÌ„ it comes to the crosse then we will leaue him we will let him alone no if it were Christ himself going out of Ierusalem to Golgatha wher he suffered we wil let him go all alone will abide in Ierusalem It is vaine to thinke that affliction onlie pertaines to the speaker and not to the hearers The Apostle sayes hauing receyued the word of God with great affliction No affliction is the vnseparable companioÌ„ of the Gospel in this life heares thou and receiues thou the word make thee for affliction And so Paul to Timothie makes affliction the necessare companion of the Gospell 2. Timoth 1. 8. It bydes with thee heere on the earth
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
his heart he wold haue bought the graces of the holie spirit and therfore Peter meetes him and wishes that he should perish and his money to There are manie of this sort who vvill be content to heare allovve it to say The Minister hes said vvel this day all is true yea but what hast thou reported and what hast thou applyed to thy heart Thou heard to thy condemnation except thou apply some thing to thy self of that grace thou didst heare Yet ther is a fourth degree to receiue it as God vvord Not onlie to heare allow embrace but to receiue it as the word of God Albeit Paul spoke it 4. Receiuing of the vvord as the vvord of God yet they looked vp aboue Paul and tooke it out of his hand not as his vvord but as the vvord of God that is a greater grace There are manie that rest to much vpon the man that teaches and set their hearts on the mouth of him that speakes more nor on God that giues the speaker the grace Manie will heare this vvritten vvorde allow it embrace it but they make it to them the vvord of man rather nor the word of God because they count the Scripture to be authentick not because God did speake it but because the Church sayes it as the Papists do say this day So they make the New and old Testament to be the vvord of men The Lord keepe vs from such an error for it is not possible to builde faith vpon that ground I appeale thy conscience that sayest this if euer thou didst finde that constant faith in thy heart faith can not rest except it haue an assurance that the word is from God and not from men how manie in this countrie faile in this There are manie that receiue and embrace it not with that reuerence they should when they hear it spoken they giue no reuerence nor obedience thereto more nor it were the word of man for when they goe out they are as wanton in wickednesse as euer they were before This testifies their want of due reuerence If this were setled in the hearts of men that the word that is spoken were the word of God and that it is not the man that speaks it but Gods Spirite in the man◠they would receiue it embrace it and obey it with greater reuerence O the obedience he would giue to that word There is naturallie such a reuerence of God in the heart that when they are assured it is of God they will reuerence it Now brethren ye see in all these degrees nothing but faith All is expressed in faith ye see the beginning of it the progresse of it the ending where it rests It begins at the outward senses It begins at the eare Faith is by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Then it goes next to the minde which allowes and approues it It sticks not there but it goes downe to the heart and there in very deed is the right sait of faith there is the proper loding of faith Look that thy faith be not in thy head and eare onelie there are many hes it so and it goes away with the winde Looke that it goe to the minde and be not content with that but see that it goe down to thy hart This faith ye see then it exercises the whole soule of man it exercises both the reasonable powers the affections Take head to it The thing whereinto this faith is exercised is the word of God Faith in the eare is exercised about the word faith in the minde is exercised about the word faith in the heart is exercised about the word of God The word of God should fill the whole head mynde and heart This is it that the Apostle to the Coloss sayes chap. 3 16. Let the vvord of God dvvell in you plenteouslie not sparinglie but powerfullie And certainelie thinke on I tell you if thou stryue not so long as thou art heere to be filled with the word of God looke not after this lyfe for his presence if thou preasse not in some measure in this lyfe to haue thy soule filled with him looke not that God shall be a father to thee in the life to come Alas we can not get that fulnesse and our soules so wel exercised as we should haue by the word but if we striue to this our willingnesse is acceptable to God Where there is a desire to thinke and meditate of it and to repent that thou canst not haue that desire therof as thou wouldst it repares that want we haue of that fulnesse There is yet one thing heere to be marked The speciall ground of his thanks-giuing is for the imbracing of this word not as the worde of men but as the worde of God Wherein ye see it is a rare thing and a speciall blessing of God vvhen a man is not offended vvith that goode vvorde of God What care I for him some vvill say oft-tymes I vvill heare the vvord of God and receyue it but this companion vvho teaches hes offended me I vvill not heare him Againe he is of so meane graces he can not speake two words right he is babling Well thou art stumbling and thou wilt breake thy neck if thou doest so for thou must not thank that the word of God hangs on the mouth of man but the mouth of man doth hang on the word of God This is the fault we measure euer the word of God by the instrument and counts ay of the word of God as of the word of man that speakes it and preaches it 2. Cor. 10. 7. Enter in comparison The 〈◊〉 God and the 〈◊〉 of man are contrarie and I will let you see Gods doing is far from mans doing and mans doing is contrair to Gods doing There is the wisdome of God It hes pleased him from the beginning to put his power in the weakest creature in the silliest and basest to looke to the hes not chosen the wise in the world the potent and noble to put his power in them when it pleased him to vtter his omnipotent power When he vttered his power against Pharao he puts his power in frogs in lyce in flees and he is auenged on proude Pharac by those vylde things All this is and was that his power shoulde be seene that men should not thinke this is the power of a frogge louce or flee but is the power of the great God that made all thinges And when he meanes to destroy Goliath he will not haue the armie of the Israelites nor Saul◠slaying him but he will haue sillie Dauid slaying him without armour with a sling onelie All this was that the world might see it was not Dauids power but Gods that slew Goliath So the richest treasure that God hes in Heauen vvhich is Christ Iesus in the word he puts it in vylde veshelles the Ministers thereof The vnsearchable riches of Christ the power and justice of God in Christ and all the
glorie of God in Christ he takes it and puts it not in veshelles of siluer and golde no but in a veshell of earth 2. Corinth 4. 7. and all this is that the vvorlde shoulde not esteeme the treasure according to the veshell Therefore the Lorde will put in a veshell of claye the treasure that is Heauen in Christ Now will ye see mans famous wisdome When he heares the vvord comming out of this base and infirme man he sayes the veshell is nothing worth it is made of clay it serues for no purpose a sillie fellow from whence came he therefore this word that is in his mouth it can not be the word of God would euer he haue put so pretious a thing in so vylde a veshell O rebellious man that is euer contrarie to God in all thinges and speciallie in the Gospell Experience teaches vs of the enimitie that the wicked men in this Realme caries in their heart against God and his Ministers they will not let God be wise in his wisdome he hes in his Ministerie but they will be wiser Well fight on his wisdome will winne the fielde and thou wilt lose it to thy euerlasting destruction Now to goe forward He casteth in a parenthesis saying As it is in deed the vvord of God Ye esteemed it not as the word of men but of God as it is in deed Receyue it as ye please account it Gods vvorde or mans as ye please it is and shall abyde Gods vvord and thy mouth in the end shall be shutte vp so that thou shalt not vtter one vvord if thou account anie otherwise of it So vvhat euer be the opinion of men in the vvorlde and their speaches their saying or gainesaying alters nothing Th' instrument neither adds nor diminishes the glorie of the vvord The vvord of Iesus abydes and shall abyde the true vvord and shall retaine the ovvne authoritie and glorie thy vvordes vvill neuer be able to make any change No brethren the mouth of man for as infirme and gracelesse as it is will not be able to impare a jot of the glorie of that God and by the contrair put it in the mouth of neuer so glorious a creature if it wer in the mouth of an Angell nothing will be added to the glorie of it it is powerfull in the selfe the creature will not be able to make any alteration In deed it will honour the mouth when it is put in the mouth of a man it will make him honourable but he can not honour it if he were neuer so noble or eloquent Set vp a king to preache trow ye he will honour the Gospell no but he shall get honour by the preaching of it No if it were all the Angels of Heauen that would preache this glorious Gospell they can not giue it honour but they are honoured by it And when the Angels came and cryed to men this word of God they got a singulare honour Paul to the Galat. chap. 4. vers 14. sayes ye receiued me as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus Wherefore was this for Pauls ovvne presence no but for the word of God in his mouth which made him to be accounted as an Angell of God Neuer man shall be able to ad any honour to the word or diminishe the honour thereof Now blessed is he who gets this grace to deliuer this word with an earnest zeale to glorifie God and Christ by preaching thereof Now in the end of the verse He thinkes it not eneugh to call it the word of God but he giues a proofe of it The vvord of God vvher euer it be Pâ—â—er of the vvord will euer prooue it selfe to be the vvord of God it can not be idle it must be quicke and effectuall in the hearer it must vvorke liuelie it vvill pearce lyke a tvvo edged svvord and therefore it is said vvhich also vvorketh in you that beleeue Hovvbeit it vvas vttered by an infirme man yet the vveakenesse of the persone hinderes not the povverfull operation of the vvorde It vvill not be the mouth of the speaker that vvill holde back povver from the vvord of God But vvhen the Lord puts his vvord in his mouth and sayes I will put my vvord in thy mouth go thy vvay if all the world had said the contrare that vvord shal be powerfull Well is that man in whose mouth this word is put and vvell is that people that hes a man in vvhose mouth the Lord hes put his word the basnesse and infirmitie of the man will not be able to hinder the povver thereof If the Lorde once put his vvorde in his mouth it is so vvonderfull a thing Set vp eloquent Dememosthenes diuine Plato facunde Cicero c. vvho vvere like as manie vvonders in the vvorld let them come in vvith their eloquence they shal not haue such operation in the harts of men as a sillie fellow and simple of speache shall haue vvhen he speakes the vvord in the name of the Lord. And if there vvas euer a vvorke in the vvorlde maruellous that vvorke vvhich the Minister by the Spirite and vvorde of God workes is most maruelous For to regenerate a man vvho vvas once dead it is not a mans tongue his eloquence his instancie that can doe it but onelie that powerfull and blessed vvord of God that all glorie and praise of his povverfull operation may be giuen to his Majestie Marke a word farther He sayes not that workes in euerie one of you but he sayes in you vvho beleeues In the 1. chap. Rom. vers 16. The Gospell is called the povver of God to saluation to them that beleeues In the first to the Corinthians chap. 1 vers 24. It is the povver and vvisdome of God to them that hes that effectuall calling and hes gotten the heart oppinned to take head and drinke in the worde onelie in these is the worde of God effectuall to saluation Brethren it is true it is offered with power to the vnbeleeuers as well as to the beleeuers but this is the difference If thou hast not an heart hand to take it when it is offred to thee with power thou shalt neuer receiue its thou wantst power to receiue it but there is power in the word very sufficient vnto saluation Alas how manie heare the vvord with their heart so hardened that the word strikes on their hart as an hammer on the studdie The hardnes of thy heart beats it backe againe so that it is not powerfull to thee My counsell is except thou preasse to haue thy heart mollified and crauest at God to mollifie it hear not the word or I le assure thee the more thou hearest the more thou vvilt be hardened Manie make a showe of hearing the Lord and the Laird will come and sit in their daskes and heare the worde and will come forth without anie profite because their hearts were not attentiue to heare Ieast not with the word it shall eyther saue thee
countenance and that the countenance of his terrible vvraith may be turned from vs that that vve may studie to please him in our lyfe and conuersation through Iesus Christ To vvhome vvith the Father and the holie Spirite be al praise honour and glorie for euer and euer AMEN THE NINTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 17. 18. 19 20. 17 Forasmuch brethrer as vve vvere keept from you 〈…〉 concerning â—ight but not in the heart vve enforced the more to see your face vvith great desire 18 Therefore vve vvould haue come vnto you I Paul at least once or tvvyse but Sathan hindered vs. 19 For vvhat is our hope or ioy or stovvne of reioy forgiune not 〈◊〉 you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming 20 Yes ye are our glorie and ioy THESE dayes bygone brethren we haue insisted vpon this rejoysing of the Apostle together with the Thessalonians for the graces of God he vnderstoode to be in them and so we haue alieâ—die ended his part of the Epistle which â—â—ands in a â—â—ngratulation Now in this text presenlie red the Apostle excuseth himselfe to the Thessalonians because he came not to them to visâ—e them after that tyme that first he planted the Gospell among them For they might haue said to the Apostle Well thou professest a great loue towards vs and giuest vs a goode 〈◊〉 and vtterst a great 〈…〉 vs and the graces we 〈◊〉 of God yet then 〈…〉 the Gospel 〈…〉 confirme the worke begun This 〈…〉 of vs notwithstanding of all presâ—â—â— inword The Apastle answeres this and giues two excuses The first is from that earnest desire he had to visite them the second is from that purpose he tooke after the desire to come to them and visite them yea for that purpose he made once or twise to come for once or twyse he was on his journey and was impeaded by Sathan In the end of the chapter he giues a reason of that desire and purpose he tooke to come to them Because sayes he Ye are my hope my ioy and the coovvne of my glorying in the presence of the Lord Iesus Christ at his comming And therefore why should not I desire and take purpose to visite you There is the summe of this present text Now to returne and passe throgh euery verse and expone it as God shall giue the grace His first excuse is that earnest desire he had to see them In the beginning of the 17. verse he giues the reason thereof Because on a sodaine he was rest from them otherwise then he expected the more sodanlie he was rest froÌ„ them the greater was his desire to see them and to visite them Of this parting and seuering of the Apostle from the Thessalonians after that he had bene with them a certaine space of tyme ye may read Act. 17. The obstinate Iewes seeing that Christ and his Gospell was receiued of the Thessalonians and the Lord blessed Pauls trauels among them by the instigation of the Diuell stirred vp such a vehement sedition that Paul is compelled to slee to Beroea The word he vses heere hes a great pith It signifies not onelie to be seuered but it signifies to be made an orphanne a puple destitute of father and mother and spoiled of his parents and therefore the seuering of him was as the spoyling of an orphane or puple from the father whom he loued best in the world The text is easie and the obseruations fall out as easie Ye may se first the delite and pleasure the godly haue to dwell with other to haue a mutuall presence one of an other that euerie one may receiue of other consolation in Iesus Christ Rom. 1. 11. 12. especiallie a Pastor or a Minister when he see the Lord hes blessed his laboures among any people or congregation his pleasure is to abyde with that people his delyte is in the presence of that people and when he is seuered from that people it is as sore to him as to a childe or young one when he is seuered from the parents and spoiled of the presence of father and mother Againe we may note The Deuill the enemie of mans saluation muyes nothing more then the mutuall societie of the godlie and especiailie aboue all other societies he inuyes the presence of a faithfull Pastor vvith his people for he knows that by this ministrie saluation is vvrought Novv would to God men and wemen knew aswell this ministrie as he does He knowes this ministrie of saluation is so necestarie that if thou contenâ—ne it thou shalt neuer be safe thou shalt neuer see the face of God I haue giuen this doome ofttymes Therefore he invying mans saluation his whole indeuore is to seuere him that is the Pastour 〈◊〉 his people knowing that hee being seuered the people shall be a pray to him This is his oulde craft and no noueltie Now the Deuill is euer lyke himselfe he can raise seditions and trmults and that to seuere the ministrie that caries the message of saluation before the people that they being seuered the people may be a pray to him Now the word vsed heere is to be marked He sayes he was seuered in the momeÌ„t of an hour Meaning he was seuered vpon a sodantie far from their his expectation sodainly he and they wer seuered well an euil turne is soone done in the twinkling of an eye a breake will be made euill is soone done but not so soone mended Paul could not come so soone to them againe as he was put from them and when he is aback the Deuill holdes him aback and when he would haue câ—mde to them he did cast in impedimeÌ„ts Yet albeit he seuered Paul in body his hart abode with the Thessalonians they possest his hart the enemie could not get it seuered from them Then there are two sorts of profences of men with meÌ„ as there are two sorts of absence of men froÌ„ one in bodie an other in spirite a mans heart will be where his bodie is not and by the contrare the bodie will be present 〈◊〉 he heart 〈◊〉 not It is easie to seuere the godlie in bodie 〈…〉 Deuill will easilie do that It is easie to him to seuere 〈…〉 of the vngodlie for there is no true conâ—â—ction but in Christ 〈…〉 the hearts of the godlie it is not easie 〈…〉 The bonde that joynes them is not naturall 〈…〉 it comes not of 〈…〉 of the Spirite of God vvho 〈…〉 member vvith an other member As it is an hard matter to breake that bonde that joynes the members vvith the head vvhich is faith so it is an hard matter to breake that bond that joynes the member vvith the member that is loue and charitie vvhich joynes vs together Who shall seuere vs from the loue of Corist Rom. 8. 35. A naturall bond is soone cutted but no hammering will breake the bonde of Christ Therefore seeke not to
seuere them that should be joined as it is the worke of God to joine them together Now let vs goe to the last part of this text containing a weightie reason first of his desire and next of his purpose to come to them These are the wordes For vvhat is our hâ—pe ioy vvhat is crovvne of my glorying There is the question and demand The answere of it is Are not ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus at his comming Then he doubles it yea sayes he yee are my ioy and my glorie and so he endes Where a mans hope is there is the thinge he hopes and lookes for where his joye and crowne and glorie is there he would be that is to say where his blessâ—â—â— is there wold he be Noâ— Paul vvold say Ye Thessalonians are my hope my joy my crown of the which I glorie therefore I woulde be with you There is the force of the argument Now the style of the language would be marked for the same Spirite that dytes the matter dytes the style and spirituall matter craues a Spirituall style 1. Cor. 2. 13. The holie spirite of Iesus must be the speaker as wel as the dyter His language ryses vp by degree by degree the lowest degree is in the vvord hope the next degree is in the word joy the last and hiest degree is in the vvord crowne vvhereby is meaned a most high and excellent glorie This learnes vs this lesson Heauen would haue an high style that crowne would haue an hie style the grace of Iesus Christ woulde haue an hie style when it is spoken of And brethren if Heauen be in the heart as it is in the mouth and if glorie be in the heart as it is in the mouth and if the Crovvne of glorie be in the heart as it is in the mouth the mouth vvill euer be readie to speake of grace of joye and of glorie in a glorious style for it is true Of the aboundâ—nce of the heart the mouth speaketh And I vvould demaund of you what is the occasion that men doe speake so couldlie and careleslie of the Lord of glorie and so baselie of so glorious thinges as of heauen and of the joye thereinto Alas the occasion is the vvant of sense in the heart the heart is not filled with such thinges and therefore an emptie heart an emptie mouth if thy hear be full of vanitie thy mouth vvill be full of vanitie and euanish in painting out of vanitie for looke as thou art disposed in heart in like manner shalt thou bee disposed in mouthe Therefore seeke to haue thy heart furnished fullie vvith the Spirite of Iesus No man sayes the Apostle can call Iesus Lord but by the Spirite 1. Epist Corin. 〈◊〉 12. 3. Yee more Speaking of this joye he passes vp by degrees The lowest is hope then he comes to an higher my â—oy then the highest is 〈…〉 on their glorie The greatest glorie in the earth is a crowne and when a man is crowned in the earth he can be no higher But there is the difference The crowne in the earth is corruptible but the crowne of heauen is incorruptible It is of this crown of heauen he speaks Yet not these three degrees for I marke this passing vp by degrees in sundry 〈◊〉 parts for when the Apostle begiâ—â—nes to speake of Iesus he can be satisfie himselfe in vvords and 〈…〉 Praying iâ— God 〈◊〉 yee may 〈◊〉 sayes hee vvhat is theâ— hope of his calling there is the first step he stands not there he goes vp to see what the 〈…〉 his glorie what glorie of his 〈…〉 〈◊〉 among his saints this is the second degree yet he stands not there and vvhat is that excellent greatnes of his power according to the efficacie of his strong strength There he stands Brethren these are not vvords but this rising vp tels vs the hight of the glory of heaueÌ„ is wonderful that thou mayest attaine to it thou must rise to it by degrees that is thou must passe from sense to sense from grace to grace from light to light from oye to joye from glorie to glorie as the Apostle speakes 2. Corinth 3. 18. So long as thou liuest thou must finde this climming of thy heart sensiblie that thou growest in joye and that thou hast more joye this yeere then before and so striue continually vntil thou come to the point euer striuing for perfection in this lyfe which shall be compleat when we shall see our Lord Iesus Christ Now he calles it the crowne of glorying that is that makes him to glorie in God who crownes him Brethren when the heart is filled with glorie in Iesus christ the mouth shall not be dumbe but it shall oppin and vtter that passing joy and the persone shall euer glorie in him vvho hes set that crowne on him O that infinite glorie and rejoysing that shall be in that glorious Majestie now we tyre searcelie are we begun to glorie in him but the heart beginnes as soone to tyre but then there shall be no tyring nor wearying the voice shall neuer cease but glorie in that Creator for euer and ever Byde in patience while ye attaine vnto this glorie and in all troubles let the hope of this glorie comfort thee Rom. 5. 2. For there is nothing that abydes but this glorie col Now if hope made vs to rejoyce how much more present sight present joy and the crovvne put on our heads vvill make vs to rejoyce and vvith gladnesse and loude voyce to praise him who â—â—es crowned vs for euer In the latter end of the verse he makes an answer to his owne demand are not ye sayes he c. He calles the Church â—isâ—oy and his crowne not that properlie his blessednesse was in them for onelie Iesus Christ is called our hope our joy our glorie and crowne Onelie Iesus Christ is our lyfe onelie Christ is our solace he hes no companion but he calles them his hope and joy in an other sense Because they wer the meane and matter wherby he attained to the joy solace and crowne which is in Iesus Christ It is then an improper fashion of speaking for the people in whom our ministrie is effectuall to saluation is the meane whereby we shal be glorified in the Heauen Marke this speaking of the matter of his joy He speakes not of his Apostleship and sayes not it is the meane of my joy but he sayes the blessing giuen me in my Apostleship in sauing you is the meane of my joy Faithfull discharge of a calling a mater of ioy The matter of thy joy in the lyfe to come and of thy crowne where-with thou shalt be crowned in Heauen it is not so much a calling if it were the calling of a King it will not be that that wil make thee be crowned in Heauen no it must be the faithfull discharge of thy calling toward them with whom thou hast adoe Art thou a King the faithfull
sent Timothius our brother and minister of God and our labour-fellovve in the Gospell of Christ to establishe you and to comfort you touching your faith 3 That no man should be moued vvith these afflictions for ye your selues knovve that vve are appointed therevnto 4 For verely vvhen vve vvere vvith you vve told you before that vve should suffer tribulations euen as it came to passe ye knovv it AFTER the salutation ye haue heard brethren a congratulation and rejoising of the Apostle with the Thessalonians for the graces of God in Christ that were bestowed on them Thereafter followed an excuse of the Apostle wherfore he came not to visie the Thessalonians he excused himself from that great desire purpose he had to visite them face to face He entred in the journey once he was impeaded he entred the second tyme Sathan impeaded him he could do no more Now shortly to come this text He followes out the same purpose and continewes his excuse showing them the desire yet left him not but albeit he was impeaded in his owne person to come to them yet his desire was 〈◊〉 toward them And therefore that which he could not bring to passe in his owne person he thought good to performe by another by a deare brother and fellow laborer Timothie Therfore he tooke purpose being at Athens in Grecia and Timothie with him to abyde at Athens himselfe alone and to send away Timothie to them and all to this end to establishe them in that word which they had receiued To exhort them that they should not be commoued or dasht with the afflictions which ouertooke them and wherewith they were exercised Vpon this he salles out in an exhortation exhorting them to beare patientlie those afflictions that fell vpon them The first argument to moue them thereto is knowing well they were appointed thereto God had ordained from all eternâ—â—ie those afflictions for them a necessitie was imposed vpon them and why should they not then suffer and beare them patientlie The next argument wherewith he comfortes them There is nothing come to vs sayes he but that wherewith ye were forewarned Therefore take it patientlie This is shortlie the summe of the text standing in these two partes in a purpose he tooke because of his owne not comming to them to send Timothie to them and in an exhortation to beare affliction patientlie Now to make euerie sentence The naâ—â—ation is verie plaine and therefore it farnishes plaine doctrine 〈◊〉 sayes the Apostle I thought it best 〈…〉 to send him to you so to remaine alâ—ue at Athen This is to be marked this earnest desire of the Apostle to doe that which became him in viâ—ying these Thessalonians it lesâ— him not notwithstanding or any opposition he got Sâ—han did cast in stayes to hinder him he stayed him to come to Thessalonica yet Sathan could not get the desire of his heart stayed he desired 〈…〉 he is not able to performe that which he desired so earnestlie 〈…〉 It is a hard matter to put out of the heart of the godlie an holy desire to doe well to do that which they should doe of 〈◊〉 yea it is an hard matter to Sathan himselfe to quench the holie desyre of the heart of the godlie Paul in the Rom. 7. 18. vvhere he sets out the battell he had betvvene the Spirite and the fleshe he confesses in plaine wordes that he could not get that thing done that he would haue done In the meane tyme he sayes To vvill is preseâ—t to me that is say I haue in the meane tyme a good vvill to doe vvell albeit I can not attaine to the performance of vvell doing the flesh in Paul stayed the action and perseuerance in well doing but the flesh vvas notable to quenche the good-vvill he had to doe vvell And brethren most certaine it is vvhere the desyre abydes in the heart vvhen a vvillingnesse to doe well abydes the battell is not lost the Diuell hes not gotten the victorie the flesh hes not gotten the victorie Lose thou once the desyre and will of well-doing if there be in thee no repugnance to Sathan but his worke goes forward 〈…〉 the Diuell then hes gotten the vpper hand the 〈◊〉 is lost and thou art gone keep well therfore the desire in the heart to do well how euer thy hand feet be bound so that thou canst not do with thy hand any good nor can not go with thy foote to do good yet it this will of well doing remaine the victorie shall be thine in the end It is most certaine the desire of the godlie albeit it be impeaded for a time yet in the end it shall be victorious Therefore the Lord himselfe promises them certaine victorie Blessed are they vvho hungers and thrists for righteousnedsse Matt. 5. 6. there is the desire for they 〈…〉 there is the victorie The heart that desires grace continewing in the desyre shall be filled with grace and glorie This for the first The desyre continevving vvith Paul vvhen he is not able to visie the Thessalonians in his ovvne persone he takes him to the next best and that vvhich he could not doe by himselfe he tooke purpose to doe by Timothie vvhich vvas his fellovv-labourers Where there is an earnest desyro to doe well in the heart of any man that thing he can not attaine to at the first he assayes it ouer againe and if he can not get it done in his ovvne person he preasses to doe it in an other As Paul assayed the first and second tyme in his ovvne persone and vvas tvvyse in the journey vvhen he is impeaded in his ovvne persone that he is not able to performe it himselfe he purposes to doe it by others and so he sends Timothie to performe that which he might not doe himselfe Then ye may see an earnest holie desyre hes such a force that it rests not it must break out in some effect at one tyme or other by one way or other it can not still remaine in the heart nor the Deuill will not be able to impead the action for euer No but an holie desyre of goode in the heart shall take effect once in despite of all the worlde Then marke The great necessitie joyned to euerie one of vs to do the thing we should do must not be left off for one or two or three or foure impediments and when we are not able in our ovvne persone to doe it then prouide some other meane to doe it for it may be the Deuill will not be so busie to impead others as he will be to impead thy selfe for it is certaine the Deuill is euer busie working but he was not so busie to stay Timothie as he was to stay Paul Now in the next wordes he sayes he thoght it best to abyde solitare all alone at Athens where he was for the tyme for from Thessalonica he went to Beroea and from Beroea to Athens and there he abode as
God it is a quickning grace to him it is a viuifying of him if he be in dolour and distiesse it is a walkning of him Therefore looke what aduantage thou gettest through loue Art thou a pastor thou shalt get life Art thou one of the people if thou loue thou shalt get life to and thy loue shall euer report to thee a joye in thy greatest dolour If thou be departing off this life and hast beene a faithfull pastor the report of the standing of thy flocke shall comfort thee if thou be one of the people thou shalt euer haue comfort for the grace of any member of the Church reported to thee shall bring joy to thee But the man who hes nothinge but inuie can haue no joye hee knowes not what this spirituall joye meanes Therefore as thou wouldst liue in joye and consolation striue to be louing charitable and tender hearted to euerie one in whome thou â—eest the graces of God and so thou shalt get infinite matter of joy thou shalt get peace heere and life euerlasting hereafter The Lorde for his great mercies sake bring vs to this life through Christ To whom be all praise and honour for euer Amen THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 9. 10. 11. 12. 9 For vvhat thanks can vve recompense to God againe for you for all the ioy vvherevvith vve reioyce for your sakes before our God 10 Night day praying exceedinglie that vve might see your face and might accomplish that vvhich is lacking iâ— your faith 11 Novv God himselfe euen our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you 12 And the Lord increase you and make you abound in loue one tovvard an other and tovvard all men as vve doe tovvard you IN the Text immediatlie going before welbeloued in Christ wee heard of the sending forth of Timothie to the Thessalonians we heard of his returning and what tidings he brought hee reported to Paul of the Thessalonians concerning their faith and perseuerance in faith concerning their loue and particularlie of that remembrance they had of Paul who had founded them in the faith of Christ in his absence desiring most earnestly to haue his presence againe Last ye heard what effect these tidings reported by Timothie vvrought in Paul they wrought consolation and joy notwithstanding all the afflictions and miserie he lay in in Athens for the present Now brethren to come to the text vve haue in hand In this text he does two things first he showes vvhat thanksgiuing he gaue to God for them and for all that joye he had conceiued of the glad newes he heard of them he showes how earnest instant he was in prayer for them crauing day and night that hee might see them face to face notwithstaÌ„ding that report he heard of them by Timothie Then in the secound part of the text he falles out in a prayer continewing to the end of the chapter first beseeching God the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ to direct his journey toward them next desiring God to increase them and make them to abound in loue euerie one toward an other and toward all men in the worlde thridlie beseeching God that he would establish their hearts before him in all holinesse at the comming of Iesus Christ with his Sancts There is the effect of the text shortlie Novv to returne and to speake of the first part he shovves his thanks-giuing and prayer to God for them He sayes For vvhat thanks can vve recompense to God againe for you for all the ioy vvherevvith vve reioyce for your sakes before our God I can not get a heart would he say to thanke my God for it Ioy in the hart burstes out in thanksgiuing as I shoulde doe The text is verie plaine So the doctrine is easie First heere vve see vvhen the heart of any man conceaues a spirituall joy for the grace of God eyther bestowed on him selfe or vpon others it is not able to conteine that joy but it must breake out and it must open the mouth to giue thankes and praise to the Lord for of the abâ—ndance of the heart the mouth must speake If the heart 〈…〉 be it good or euill the harâ— must opened mouth and 〈…〉 must speake either good or euill Then the second thing â— be marked in this text is wâ—eÌ„ the joy of the hart opens the mouth to vtter thankes what euer be the 〈◊〉 and meane of joy the first thanks that are giuen will not be giuen to it especially Paul heere giues not the glorie of this joy to the Thessalonians but the mouth will be opened to glorifie the author of all grace and joy which is God for without him there is no grace neither haue we our selues any grace neither hes any other any grace in him selfe Thankesgiuing to God only and without God there is no joy except he worke the joy there can be no joy in the heart Yea albeit the grace be giuen yet if he giue not a new grace to worke joy in the heart for the grace there can be no joy And therefore the mouth when it is opened to praise glorifie first of al it shold be opened to glorifie him who is the giuer of all honour the instrument as the instrument honour the Minister as the Minister but let the author worker of al haue the glory thanks Then thridlie mark In a maner he complaines that he can not get a mouth to thanke God sufficientlie for all that grace they had receiued and joy he had receiued and gotten through their graces Marke then our thanking and glorifying of God for the grace receiued and joy conceiued in heart it is not answerable in greatnes to the grace nor to the joy receiued For will ye coÌ„pare these two together the grace of God and thy thankfulnes for it the grace of God passes thy thankfulnes yea the verie joy that we haue in heart for the grace bestowed on vs or others will be greater nor the thankfulnesse can be and the tongue of man is not able to vtter all that joy conceiued nor to thank God sufficientlie for it Peter 1. Epist 1. 8. he calles it a joy vnspeakable The joy the faithfull heart will conceiue is an vnspeakable joy So Paul of the sighs of the godly Rom. 8. 28. The mouth of man is not so wyde nor so capable of grace as the heart is I meane of the regenerate man If the spirit of Iesus dwel in the heart all the tongues of men and Angels can not be able to tell nor expresse the thousand part of that joy the hart wil haue in Gods grace for all that ioy saies he vvhat thanks shall â— giue to God As he wold say my mouth can not get words to vtter thanks to God the author for the graces receiued and joy that is conceiued there throgh Now farther we haue to learne in the wordes
part of sanctification As for exemple Even this one grace of almous deeds of beneficence showing our liberalitie on them that haue need if this be not in some measure in anie man or woman Liberalitie if there be nothing in the person but gredines auarice and a closed hand who can say that that person hes anie true or solide grace of God If one of these vices raigne in thee as auarice raigning in the highest degree if thou be a slaue to it who can saye that anie true grace is in thy soule Thou mayest wel count thou hast this grace or that grace but I can not say that anie grace of that spirite raigne vvithin thy soule make no account that ther is anie grace within thee if any sinne raigne in thee without controlement Count not of thy abstenance thou wilt bee abstinent in mouth and then an auaritious man But look that euerie grace of God in some measure be within thee and that sanctification goe through thy vvhole soule and bodie Peter in his sec Epist 1. chap. linkes together all the graces of God amongst the rest he countes this brotherlie loue he linkes this linke among the rest to help faith for I assure thee faith will not stand it self alone Cast to sayes he to faith vertue to vertue science and so forth vntill ye come to this brotherlie loue Adde to thy brotherlie loue charitie and so forth vntill all graces be linked together Paul 2. Corinth chap. 8. verse 7. hes a speciall regarde to this grace showing our liberalitie to our poore brethren As ye abound in all thinges in faith knovvledge 〈◊〉 â—â—oke sayes he that ye abound also in liberalitie and doing of almous deedes And as in all the graces of the holie Spirite in vs there is a resemblance of the Image of Christ So ospeciallie in this grace of beneficence Ye knovv sayes Paul â— Corinth chap 8. verse 9. the bountifulnesse of the Lord vvho vvhen he vvas 〈◊〉 vvas made poore for our saâ—es that vve might be made riche in his pouertie Novv this is the grace that is heere recommended and novv I recommend it to you for if it was in any age craued now certainlie at this tyme thou hast more nor matter to shovve thy well doing and almous deedes to the poore Certainlie charitie vvas neuer so colde and mens handes vvere neuer so hard contracted and men vvere neuer nearer to themselues nor they are now The latter dayes are neare for the nearer the end of the world be we are the nearer our selues and the nearer our selues the farther from God The Apostle when he exhorts them to this grace he comes not on so plainlie but he vses an holy colour and kinde of simulation He exhorts them and yet he lets not on him he exhortes And as it vvere obscurelie and passing by he giues them a watch-ward and wakens them vp to be beneficiall To teach 〈◊〉 Ministers to be wyse in speaking to the people We should not leaue off to exhort any person in whom there is grace to do any duetie but yet we should doe it so discreetly that our exhortation 〈◊〉 not so much an exhortation as a commendation For the grace of God in any person shoulde not be misknown but known and reuerenced both for his sake that is giâ—er and for his sake that hes gotten it both that God may be glorified in giuing him that grace and the person may be stirred vp to perseuere in that grace For it is an old prouerb Vertue being commended increasse Ioh. 1. Epist 2. 27. vses this same wisdom I need not saies he teach you the holy spirit hes taught you all thinges and in the mean time he is teaching them continually yet when he is teaching them he saies he needed not to teach theÌ„ So Paul when he is making a coÌ„mendation of the grace in them he saies it is not needful to exhort you to the grace ye haue a better teacher nor I Teaching of the holy spirite God teaches you therfore I need not to teach you the Lord teaches you by working in your harts by his holy Spirit what needs me to teach you by my pen Brethren Ther are two sortes of teachers God and man Men teaches Philosophers in schooles teaches Ministers out of pulpets teaches many sorts of teachers If man be the onely teacher of grace and vertue to be embraced by the auditor and if Gods Spirit should not concur inwardly to instruct the soule and heart there would neuer be a good scholler in the schoole of christ none of you to the worlds end would get good by teaching It may be men teaching thee vvill informe thy minde and make thee to vnderstand vvhat is spoken but man can neuer teach the hart that is to embrace that is spoken no it will passe mans power to reforme the hart if the holy spirit moue thee not to embrace that which is spoken thou wilt neuer embrace it for all that man can say As for example I may stand vp and lay out before you this whole grace of liberalitie and beneficence and paint it out in all the colours thereof and make you vnderstand this whole vertue in all the parts But when it commes to the heart to be practised in your life and conuersation if the holy Spirit go not down to reforme the hart ye shall neuer be the better but the worse for the knowledge shal but serue to aggreadge your condemnation Then be neuer content with the voice of men but euer cry for the inward doctour the Spirit of God from Heauen And say Lord come with this word and teach my heart otherwaies all is but winde and shall be an aggreading of my condemnation at the last day It is thou Lord who is the onely inward teacher and therefore except thou teach me I shall not be taught So except that holie teacher be with vs in teaching all is but lost tyme. Now to come to the wordes What is this the Lord craues of them what teaches the Lord them that euerie one should loue another He teaches not onely loue but loue that meetes loue he will not teache thee onely to loue him but him to loue thee againe This is mutuall loue As he teaches thee to loue me so he teaches me to loue thee loue must be mutual Friendship standes not in the one side but friendship must be conjoyned to friendship There is no bond in that blessed bodie of Christ except there be a mutuall bond if I loue thee neuer so well if thou loue not me thou shalt neuer be in the bodie For as the rest of the members of Christ loues thee so thou must loue them againe or else thou hast no fellowship in the bodie Marke the order which the Apostle vses in teaching When he instructes men in any grace there are some fundamentall graces that are so called because they are the grounds of al graces to wit Faith Hope and Charitie
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
affirme if there be not a better meeting and greater care to reuerence this calling and to loue and honour it and to prouyde sustentation for them that laboures the eyes of our posteriue shall see this Ministry decay It is going away Men beleeues it is well if they get the teyndes If the Lord and Laird get the teyndes Teinds he will indent and subscryue all with you But either must these things be redressed or else certainly there shall be a decay and then farewell all grace Shame and confusion to Scotland Trowes Scotland that the common-well shall floorishe or that the estate shall be good if this Ministrie goe away No there shall be nothing but desolation If they were heere to whom this matter and this admonition pertaines I woulde charge them in the name of God that they would show a better meeting to entertaine this Gospell or else shame shall ouertake them Now this farre as the wordes of the text furnishes to me I haue spoken of the duety of the people Nowe there is another precept added to this exhorting to peace Peace cōmanded Be at peace sayes he among your selues This is agenerall precept giuen to Ministers to people and to all men commaunding peace loue vnitie and concord of mynde This is the fountaine of other graces She goes before vs as a mother other graces as children followe her If she goe not before no following of graces Where peace is there is grace where peace is not there is no grace And therefore Paul first to Tim. chap. 2. verse 1 sayes Pray for Kings for what end that vve may lead a quyet and a peaceable lyfe in all godlinesse and honestie Where he meanes where peace is these two followes godlinesse which is the ground of the first table and honestie which is the ground of the second table Where peace goes avvay farevvell these tvvo Will ye looke to your ovvne families if there be not peace betvveen the Husband and the Wyfe tell me what grace can be in the familie tell me can godlinesse can grace be in the familie vvhere there is nothing but stryfe and enuy can common honestie be there No no grace Go to a Cittie where there is nothing but dissention can therebe grace godlines or honesty there Goe to a Kingdom or common-well where a Kingdom is rent in peeces can there be grace holinesse or honestie there So it is the peace in Iesus Christ vvhich is the mother and conquerour of all graces where the hearts of men and wemen are bound vp in peace there is floorishing either in Citty or houshold But yet vvhat peace should this be Wherein standes it It stands not in a faire vvord in a faire goode morrow nor in an outvvard behauiour or false fained smiling vvith thy mouth vvhen thou hast no loue in thy heart but this peace standes chieflie in the lenitie and conjunction of myndes and heartes Paul to the Eph. chap. 4. vers 3. sayes Studie to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace where he earnestly recommends an vnion of myndes Paul to the Philippians in the 2. chap. vers 1. sayes If there be any consolation in Christ if any solace if any communion of the spirite if any bovvels of pittie fill vp my ioy and wherein standes it Be sayes he of lyke minde and affection There my joy let your affection be one haue one loue haue one minde dwell with all your soules together Ioyne so your hearts together as if they were one heart joyne your soules together and make vp one soule of all And as concerning your judgements he sayes be not of contrare opinions and judgementes There are some that euer delytes in contradiction When one will say one thing they will make a contradiction to it Now ye see wherein this peace stands and this is the peace that makes vp the Kingdom of God Paul sayes to the Romanes 14. 17. The Kingdom of God standes not in meate and drinke but in peace and righteousnesse tovvards God Indeed the Kingdom of men will be made vp of an outward counterfaite peace The Grecian Kingdom the Roman Impire stoode of an earthly peace but all vanitie the Kingdom of Christ is made vp of an vnitie of our soules knit together in Christ When our conscience is peaceable then our souls is knit to him Reade the 4. chapter to the Ephesians ye shall not finde so many arguments in no place as there to exhort men to vnitie There is sayes he but one bodie one spirite one hope of your vocation one Lord Iesus one faith one baptisme one God one Father of all Then if there be so many one thinges why should ye not be one Now the whole blessing of men standes in vnion Yea the blessednesse of God standes in an vnion the Father the Sonne and the holie Spirite vnited together in one God-hood The blessednesse of our nature standes in the vnion with our head Christ and in the vnion of the members among our selues Where this vnion is not there is nothing but miserie In the Kingdom of Heauen there is nothing but vnity by the contrare there is no peace in Hell If the father and the sonne goe to Hell together trow ye there shall be any loue betweene them No nothing but inuy all inuy and hatred is among the Deuils all peace and vnity is in God who drawes the soules of men and wemen together and makes one soule as it were in that glorious bodie of Christ The Lord giue vs this bond of vnitie and loue that we may be joyned with the rest of the members in one bodie to our head Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Spirite be immortall praise honour and glore world without end AMEN THE XXIII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 14. 15. 14 We desire you brethren admonish them that are vnruely comfort the feeble mynded beare vvith the vveake be patient tovvarde all men 15 See that none recompense euill for euill vnto any man but euer follovv that vvhich is good both tovvard your selues and tovvard all men WE goe forward brethren in these exhortations and preceptes concerning goode maners and godly conuersation vvhich the Apostle settes downe heere to the Thessalonians As for these whereof we haue alreadie spoken as that wakrifnesse that should be in them that sobernesse that spirituall armour vvherevvith they shold be armed concerning that mutuall exhortation euery one of them ought to other concerning that duetie that the flocke and the people ought to their Pastour concerning that mutuall peace that should be among them we speake nothing now recommending all to your memories who heard vs. Now in this text we haue reade presently first we haue three particulare directions concerning three estates of persones first concerning vnruely men secondly concerning feeble minded men and last concerning them that are infirme and vveake in saith vveake in the knovvledge
fleshly and carnall joy 〈…〉 that will be in the mouthes of prophaine people be merie eat drinke Is that this joy no no. When Paul bids thee rejoyce he bids thee not passe the time like the Epïcurians Eate drinke and be merie The joy that he craues the nature thereof is not fleshly but it is cleane holie and spirituall To speake the trueth it is in the hart all joy is in the hart of a bodïe but it is not so much the joy that is of the naturall affection as it is the motion of the spirit of Christ within vs vsing the affectiones of our hart as a parte to reioyce in when he is dwelling in vs. When a man reioyces naturallie it is his heart that reioyces but this is another kinde of reioycing It is the Spirite of consolation that comforts the Spirite of Iesus that dwelles in the hart and wakens vp the affection aboue nature and makes it It is 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that was naturall as supernaturall it cannot be so well tolde as felt Rom. chap. 8. verse 26. The Spirite of God requests for vs vvith sighes vnspeakable Then the Spirite sighes within the heart If the Spirite of God be within the heart the sighe will not be so much the sighe of the bodie as of the Spirite of God 〈◊〉 It is so with that spirituall ioy the ioy in the hart if will not be so much the ioy of the heart as the ioy of the Spirite of God a ioy vnspeakable No no tongue can tell the greatnesse of it And brethren if there vvere no more but this that it cannot be toulde it telles you the nature of it it is not a naturall ioy the naturall ioy can be all toulde the heart of man is comprehensible and the affectiones of the hart can be toulde but the joy of the Spirite of God is incomprehensible The joy of the Spirite of God in the heart of the poore sinner cannot be toulde by all the Angels of Heauen let be by the tongue of man For no man can reâ—â— the infinitnesse of Gods Spirite Therefore put a difference betweene it and all other ioyes The property of this ioy is here expressed Propertiâ— of this ioy It is continuall it lastes euermore it is continuall it alters not it is without interruption it is not broken off prosperitie will not breake it aduersitie vvill not breake it lyfe vvill not breake it death vvill not breake it it abydes in lyfe it abydes in death yea euen to the verie poynte of death vvhen it pleases the holie Spirite to vvorke it vvill be in a greater measure in his soule than nor it vvas in the life-tyme When we thinke the body should be heauiest and saddest then it is most joyfull This earthly joy is soone broken off he is now in joy in the twinkling of an eie it shall be broken off this houre glade the next houre wo. Balthazar was a mery man when he was prophaning the vessels of the Lord and banketting in the meane tyme of his merinesse came the hand writting vpon the wall and then he beginnes to shake and his countenance is changed with shuddering and shaking 〈…〉 Ye heard in this same chapter when the wicked saies Peace all things are sure then a sudden destruction ouertakes them So this worldly joy is ay interrupted it is ay turned in sorrow if thou be content with a worldly joy proceeding of a worldly thing if it were all the kingdomes of the earth thy joy shall be turned in a weeping for euer but the spirituall joy is continuall without interruption Then if this be the nature of it it is spirituall it is cleane and pure heauenly not rude fleshly nor earthly If this be the property of it Matter of spirituall ioy it continues ay for this propertie must follow on the nature of it a spirituall thing must euer abide What can be the matter of it there must be some cause of this joy No joy but there must be some cause and matter that moues it Then what is the matter of it There are two sorts of things in the world that wakens vp joy in the heart of man The first is earthly things ye know the things worldlie honor riches they waken vp joy in the hart Another sort is called spritual heuenly clean There is no other but these two either things heuenly or earthlie to cause men to rejoyce Then are these earthly things the matter of this spirituall joy he speaks of Examine the nature of it it is spirituall it is the joy of Christ Will these worldly things if there be no further consideration of them cause the Spirit of Christ rejoyce within thee Will a kingdome make Christes Spirit within the hart of a man to rejoyce if there be nothing more but as it is a worldly kingdome No I say they will not be the matter of this joy looke to these worldly things how thou resauest them if they be not resaued out of Gods hand as arlespennies of heauenlie thinges and tokens of better benefites and of life euerlasting they shall neuer make the Spirit of Christ to reioyce in thee Thy hart may be blyth for worldly thinges because thou art an earthly bodie A King may rejoyce in a kingdome c. but if they be not taine out of Gods handes as arlespennies of heauenly and spirituall benefites the Spirite of Christ shall not rejoice in thee Take heed if it wer but a morsell of meate if thou take it out of Gods hand as a token of that heauenly food to life euerlasting the Spirit of Christ shall rejoyce in thee Therefore be neuer content of earthly things as earthlie things onely nor of the naturall joy of the hart of man A sow hes a naturall joy 〈◊〉 in filling the bellie No beast in the field but it hes a sensuall joy in the selfe by nature in the foode thereof Fy on thee that cannot haue more joy nor a beast Thou art made for Heauen and not for Kingdomes here Therefore rejoyce in heauenly thinges and I say the Kow and other beasts are better nor thou if thou rejoyce not with that heauenly joy for the kingdome prepared for thee in Iesus Christ Woe to thee that hes not the joy that proceeds of the Spirit of Iesus Againe this joy lasts euermore it is continual it bides in the night it bides in the day it perishes not These worldly things are al perishing He will be a King the day and will be casten down to morrow He is riche the day and will be begging to morrowe How can thinges changeable be matter to me of joy that standes euermore No they cannot If my joy restes on earthly things when earthly things failes me of necessity my joy must faile me When the ground of joy failes my joy must faile Worldly things must faile therefore the joy in worldly things must faile and specially in death Either shall earthly things
to Christ and are translated from this vvorld that ye thanke him in prosperitie and aduersitie in vvell and vvoe there is the meaning Then ye see in this place a speciall vvill of God concerning this calling vve stand in and the speciall vvill of God concerning vs Christians is that vve thanke him Christian men and vvemen are most debtfull to thanke him and ought aboue all creatures to thanke him Fy on thee that vvill take the name of Christ on thee and not thanke him Thanke him in all things he can lay before thee It is his will that thou thanke him at least striue to thanke him for well and woe prosperity and aduersity for death aswell as life As for other men Iewes Turkes and Pagans c. that are not Christians God craues not this thanksgiuing at them A maruelous thing The Turke he hes the glory and wealth of the vvorld and yet the Lord sayes I vvill haue no thankes of thee neither in vvell nor in vvoe because thou art not in Christ all my glory is in Christ all the seruice I craue in the vvorld is in Christ So the pratling of the Turke and Ievv that makes them to thanke God is all but vanitie he craues it not of them O hovv great a honour is it to call a man to thanke and to serue him No neuer King got such great honour as vve get vvhen vve are called to thanke and to serue that King of Kings all our glory standes in seruing and making homage to God so blessed are they that are called to this honour through Iesus Christ Therefore he sayes through Christ meaning that in Christ is the matter of all thanksgiuing There is matter in Christ of all thanksgiuing In vvell and vvoe Christ is to me aduantage both in lyfe and death sayes Paul If thou hast aduantage in death vvhy should not thou thanke him In one word where Christ is there is matter of thanksgiuing to God in the greatest misery we can be in the world Againe where Christ is not and who are not in him as members of that glorious body ioyned in society with that glorious head if they had all this broad world they haue no cause to be merie nor to thanke no to open their mouth to praise And to speak the trueth they cannot be merie They may laugh but the true ioy is in God he is the Lord of ioy a man may well laugh but he can haue no true ioy except he haue Iesus in his hart That man in aduersitie and in the point of death will laugh more sweetly and vtter greater ioy nor the greatest worldly man in the midst of his prosperitie So I say and I command thee looke that thou reioice not without Christ I say to all men reioyce not but be sad if thou hast not Christ The Lord hes not ordeined thee to be glad it is his will onely that they that are in Christ reioyce and be neuer glad vntill thou get Christ I counsell you if ye had all the world if ye find not Christ in the hart be neuer glad What matter hast thou to be glad when the great God turnes his back on thee It may be he will cast a kingdome to thee ouer his shoulder as it were a bone casten to a dog what is that to thee if thou get not his ioyfull presence Read Dauid in all his Psalmes he was neuer glad but when he had the presence of God Now I come to the next precept Quench not the spirit The wordes are few but they conteyne great matter Quench not the spirit put not out the holy Spirit of Christ Take heed He â—es bene speaking before of the graces of God What is patience in suffering wrong What is joy What is thankfulnesse but the graces of the Spirit He hes beene before speaking of his graces and recommending them to thee Now he commes to that glorious person himselfe vvho is the giuer and vvorker of all these graces of Patience of Joy of Prayer and Thanks-giuing The holie Spirit the third person of the Trinitie that God giues to me and thee if thou be Gods seruant It is vanity to think that a true Christian man gettes onely the graces of the Spirit they get the verie Spirite No it is not the graces of the Spirite that will dwell in the hart and soule and bodie of a man no but the Spirit it selfe The Spirit will dvvell as surelie vvithin thy hart as euer a man dvvelt in an house That Comforter that Christ promised to his disciples when he was going vp to Heauen was not the graces of the Spirit no but the Spirite it selfe to dwell in our hart and to work it in al the graces So it is not the graces but the spirit he speaks of here when he saies quench not the spirit Paul saies Ephes chap 4. vers 30 Grieue not the holy spirit It is a simple guestning to make thy guest sad make not the spirit of Christ sad Paul saies in another place that the spirit is giuen thee as an arlispenny of thy saluation Ephes cha 1. vers 14. Thou â—oses the arles-pennie if thou make him sad But to the wordes The speache when he saies Quenching of the spirit quenche not the Spirit appeares to be metaphoricall It is borrovved and not proper and it is borrovved from a fyre or candle that vses to giue light and heate Then if it must not be quenched It must follovve that the Spirite of Christ must be a fyre vvithin vs It must follovve he must be a light inlightning our soules as a lanterne and lampe of light set vp within the darke and dead soule to let the soule and affectiones haue light and the Spirite of Iesus shynes vvithin the darke soule of a man as a lanterne shynes in a darke night and puttes out that masse of darknesse that is in the soule of man And therefore because it is as a fyre he sayes Quench not And Paul to Timothie 2. Epistle chap. 1. vers 6. sayeth stir vp or kindle the gift that is in thee it is lyke a flamming fyre the gift of it is but a light or flam that commes from this fyre So he sayes Stir vp kindle vp the gift that thou hast receiued Now ye see by experience a fire or light is two maner of waies quenched take me away coales timber or such other matter to burne take me away the nourishment that holdes in the fire it will die out Another way cast water on it smore it it will also die out albeit ye take not burning thinges from it So it is with this heauenly fire First draw me away the meanes whereby the Spirit is fostered and the fyre of the Spirit is holden in for as the fire feeds on the subject so the fire of the Spirit feeds on the own nutriture and foode take me away this foode of the Spirit as thou seest a fire die out so he will die out Take me
praise for euer AMEN THE XXVI LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 20. 21. 22. 23. 20 Despise not prophecying 21 Try all things and keepe that vvhich is good 22 Abstaine from all appearance of euill 23 Novv the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your vvhole spirit and soule and body may be keept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. IN this parte of this Epistle brethren there are certaine exhortations and precepts so linked together that the next is ay the cause and meane of the former He beganne at Patience in suffering and not randering euill for euill but recompencing good for euill Then he came to joy Rejoyce euermore Ioy is the meane and cause of Patience from joy he came to Prayer in asking that which we neede at the hands of God and in thanking him for the grace and benefite receyned Prayer is the meane that interteines joy in the hart from Prayer he came to the Spirit the holy Spirit of God who is the worker of all these graces in our hart The Spirit workes Patience the Spirit it workes Ioy the same Spirit 〈◊〉 vp the hart to Prayer and to thankfulnesse This Spirite the worker of all grace in the hart should not be quenched by leauing off of well doing or by doing euill for both these two quenches the Spirit Now â—hortly to come to ouâ— purpose In the first verse vve we haue read presentlie He commes to the meane whereby the Spirit of Christ the worker of all graces with vs especiallie is interâ—ind in the soule and hart of a man and woman And he saies Despise not Prophecying The thing he recommends is Prophecying To make the words plaine to you By Prophecying here I vnderstand not the foretelling of things to come as there was raised vp from tyme to tyme Prophetes in the Church of God that fortold either wel or wâ— that was to fal on the church in the own time this prophecying was not such foretelling of things to come it is no other thing in this place but the opening vp of the Scripture and so this word Prophecying is taine in the 1. Cor. 14. chap. throghout all that chap. But he that Prophecyes sayes he he speakes to men to edifing to exhortation and consolation That is he applyes the word of God to the present vse for the tyme So that if a man needes to be edified he edifies to be comforted he comfortes to be exhorted the exhortes So then to make the words plaine ` Despise not Prophecying It is asmuch as he would say despise not the preaching of the word despise not this ministrie whose calling is to preach this word Now brethren ye see heere among all the meanes whereby the Spirit of Christ is enterteinde in the hart of a man the Apostle makes a choise in this place of preaching hearing the word of God set downe in the Scripture opened vp and applyed to the right vse Certainelie this is to the great commendation of this same visible ministrie and of this teaching of the word in the presence of the congregation and people of God Shall I tell you There is such a necessity of the preaching of this word for as base as it semes to men that if it be not holden vp farewell the Spirit of Iesus Christ If it be not there shall not be in the earth a visible Church for the word preached is the slandart that is holden vp on high to the world that men and women that would be safe may goe in vnder it and make vp a Church Take me away this slandart where shall men goe to who shall knowe the Church So take me away this outward preaching of the word vnto the which men should resort to seeke saluation no Church Will men goe to experience I shall but touch it there is but ouer great experience of this in this Countrey this day Abstaine 〈◊〉 hearing of the word let it be of negligence or of malice yet thou shalt in proces of time feele thy hart voyde of all sense and feeling of God thou shalt lose thy eyes thy light and sight of God thou shalt lose the sight of lyfe and Heauen if that thou doe it in contempt and malice thou shalt grow as prophane as a prophaine dog and wallow in all kinde of wickednesse and euill deed after euill deed shall fal out in thy hand Looke to the great men of this land What is the cause he is such a murtherer Onely the contempt of this word preached What is the cause he is such an adulterer only the contempt of the word I cannot tell if there be any great mens houses at least there is verie few but thou may see the contempt of this word hes heaped judgement on judgement on them Ye who wold read of Prophecying which is the opening vp of the word in the face of the Church of God and who would read of the powerfull working of it in the hart of men read 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 1. Seeke after spirituall things but specially after Prophecying And in that same chapter 24. verse by supposition he lets vs see by comparison betweene Prophecying and strange language what prophecying works When a man is teaching the word then commes in at the doore an infidle that hes no vnderstanding he layes to his eare and heares and he hears himself rebuked incontinent his conscience wakens and lets him see the filth that is within him So the poore man hauing his conscience wakned he falles down on his face and seeks mercy and then he will be mooued to make a confession and say It cannot be but this man hes the Spirit of God that maks my sin so manifest to me it cannot be the spirit of man but it must be the power of God whereby he speakes I will not insist Brethren I shall summe vp to you in few words the diuersitie of the disposition of men coÌ„cerning this word of God Al is not alike disposed Diuersity of mens disposition concerning the vvord toward the Spirit and the word which two things onely saues men There are some that cares neyther for the Spirit nor the word such 〈…〉 dogges atheists men liuing without God in the world speake of a Spirit to them they will scorne it a prophane bodie that hes not the Spirit the name of a spirit is but a scorne vnto him tell him of spirituall lyfe he will laugh an heedfull laughter Lykevvise speake to him of the vvord and tell that saluation must be by the word the prophaine dog vvill laugh and scorne at it These are the vvorst men in the world There is another sort that clames to a Spirit They will acknovvledge the Spirite of God but vvhen it commes to the vvord of God they vvil feuere so the vvord from the Spirit as though the vvord had nothing adoe vvith the Spirit nor the Spirit vvith the
vvord And as though all the speaking to the Church vvere not by the vvord preached but by other reuelations they will binde the Spirit to vaine fantasies illusions and dreames These are Anabaptists that dependes on these illusions of the deuill and their owne fantasies and foolish reuelations The third sort wil acknowledg the Spirit so wil they the word and Scripture but they think it is eneugh to read the word He will say I will sit at home in my chamber and I will read sometime of the olde and sometime of the nevv Testament and what will the Minister tel me in the Pulpet but I will get it here and as for the opening vp of this word he wil scorne is This sort of men is verie euill and they will finde in the end that the word read and not preached vvill doe them little good Novv the last and best sort vvho will get grace are they who reuerences the Spirit and word and seeke by all means to haue them ludging in their soules not only reads themselues if they haue knowledge but hes a pleasure to haue it opened vp to the vse of the Church and their vse in the congregation It is these men that by the Spirit truely imbraces the word for faith is by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Now I goe forward to the text In the next verse is another exhortation Try all things and keepe that vvhich is good reteine it after try all Tryall of doctrine In these wordes the Apostle settes downe the order after the which a man or woman shall allowe or disalow of prophecying that is preaching when they heare it The allowance or disallowance of it must be after a certaine order The order is this in one word Try 〈…〉 and then either allow or disallow There are two sortes of extremities in hearing of prophecying There are some that wil allow ere euer they try at the first hand These are vaine heades Peter calles them vnstable soules 2. Epistle 2 chap. 14. vers These are men that hes soules euer fleeting and flowing and wil be euer caried away with euery light winde of doctrine This is the cause that so many becommes Heretikes and I beleeue there be some among vs that delites in new faces if a stranger step out in the midst of them and speake incontinent will they fay there was neuer such a man in the world this is an extremitie Another sort is of them that will not heare preaching and giue audience that there after they may try when a man presents himselfe to speake in the name of the Lord they will not giue him audience and certainly if there were no more but the reuerence we ought to God we ought to heare him that speaks in his name but then try his doctrine and allow or disalow thereof as it agries with the word Now these are the two extremities The midst is betweene them and this midst is to be tain as best of al. Heare and when thou hast heard try after tryell if thou findstâ—it sound good and wholsome keep it if not farewell it lend not thy care any longer to it This is the rule Iohn sets out in his first Epist chap. 4. vers 1. Welbeloued beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirit vvhether it be of God or not If thou finde not the doctrine agreable to the analogie of faith away with it The Iewes at Berea are commended for this Act. chap. 17. verse 12. when Paul and Sylas came among them they heard but beleeued him not vntill they ran to their bookes and conferred that which they had heard with the â—ould canonicall Scripture and found that they agreed then they allowed of their doctrine Now brethren in this Church of Thessalonica among all the rest of the gifts of the Spirit that they had this was one the gift of discretion and judgement to disceâ—â—e betweene true doctrine and false doctrine betweene spiritual doctrine and carnall naturall doctrine Paul knowing this wrytes 〈◊〉 them and desires them according to the gift of the Spirit of discretion to discerne right doctrine from wrong Iâ— is euen so with all the Church of God on the earth The Lord among all the giftes he giues to the members of this Church he giues this gift also to judge of that which they heare to judge betweene true and false doctrine the doctrine that is lyke stubble that may not bide the fire and the doctrine that is like gold The Lord in the Church hes giuen some this discretion and certainly if it were not so the Church should spoue be poysoned Some gets this gift to taste the doctrine whether it be wholsome or not A man that wants the taste will â—eceiue poyson for 〈◊〉 So if the Church want this taste they would receiue poison for food But marke againe â—uerie one gets not this gift and the Church is beholden to them who gettes it for they try doctrine and saues the Church from poyson And I say where one hes it foure wants it And where one is spirituall and hes it ten will be carnall and flestilie The Corinthians as we may see in Paul Alas there are many lyke the Corinthians amongst vs tooke vpon them being carnall harted to judge of spirituall thinges and so they preferred vaine men that came in with â—â—ratorie to the Apostle Paul who spake with the power of the holy Spirit Alwaies among the Church there are some that hes it and ye that wants it seeke it for it is a speciall gift to decerne betweene the trueth and falset and when ye go to heare a preaching among all your prayers say Lord giue me grace to discerne what is spirituall and what not that I may embrace that vvhich is spirituall and may leaue that vvhich is carnall Some will haue it in some greater measure nor others In the 8. chap of the Actes Philip a good man being in Samaria Simon Mâ—guâ— the sorcerer was with him Philip tooke him not vp but yet when Peter came he perceyved him and he sayes knaue I see thee in the gall of bitternesseâ— repent thee or destruction shall suddenly ouertake thee Marke it Further this place is not to bee vnderstoode of false teachers vvho are alreadie damned neyther of them vvho hes not a calling to speake in the Church but of them vvho hes an ordinarie calling the doctrine of such men onely should bee tryed by the Prophetes and euerie one that hes the spirit of discretion 1. Cor. 14. 32. Now brethren to goe forvvard shortly to the next verse Theâ— vvordes are these Abstaine frem all appearance of euill This precepte is generall and concernes asvvell doctrine as any other thing in the vvorld that can haue the appearance or any shovve of euill As for the doctrine vvhen thou hast heard it and hast tryed it if after tryall thou be not satisfyed vvith it but yet there abydes a doubt in thy hart Then vvhat should thou doe Abstaine from it
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
man is leaning on the deuill and on vanitie he hes a kinde of pleasure and delite in his reposing on them but it is a false and deceitfull pleasure a fained rest and joy and heere I take vp the plague of the hart as I did before of the mynde when he makes the hart with a pleasure to rest on Satan and vanitie vvhen the hart is beatten with a senslesnesse that it cannot grippe a solide thing but grippes vanitie and leanes on it as if it vvere a solide thing vvhen it thinkes fleeting vanitie to be solide vvhen it is fleeting in the Aire it beleues it be on the ground So that the plague of the hart is when it is made senslesse that it cannot grippe a solide thing but vanitie and lies and this plague is of Gods just judgement Marke then here the order Wickednes and malice begins at the hart first so that when the truth is offred to the minde the malice of the hart oppugnes and will nor let it enter in the minde Rom. 1. 28. Ephes 4. 18. vpon this God beattes first the minde and casts the man away in a reprobate sense But lets he the hart alone No the hart that beganne the mischeefe escapes not but he beattes the hart that would noâ—let the trueth enter with a senslesnesse to liue vpon lyes and vanities and ere she knovve of her selfe she and her leaning-stock shall be both beatten downe to Hell So beware of this malitiousnesse to the trueth for if thou haue a malitious hart against this trueth oâ— God assure they selfe thou hast a blinde ignorant mynde plagued of God and thou thy hart and mynde and all thou leanest to shall be plagued with Gods euerlasting destruction Lord saue vs from a malitious hart for all standes in the disposition of the hart if it be plyable to embrace the trueth thou shalt get true knowledge and solide joy otherwayes woe to thee for euermore Now in the next verse the Apostle leauing off this doctrine and prophecy concerning the Antichrist and this 〈◊〉 Apostasie turnes him to the Thessalonians and beginnes to comfort them thinking well that the Thessalonians vnderstanding 〈…〉 these that the 〈…〉 Apostasie from Iesus Christ and that the Antichrist shall come with effectualnesse to deceiue the world should be discouraged with such doctrine Therefore he beginnes to comfort them And certainely if we knew what Apostasie were and 〈◊〉 danger is 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 what is the 〈…〉 Antichrist what a deceiues he were and what false doctrine were when it is sowne among people and what domage it imported the verie name of Apostasie and of the Antichrist and false doctrine would terifie vs and discourage vs altogether For I trow therebe none of vs but if a canker enter in a joint of our finger we would 〈…〉 for it Brethren false doctrine is a canker and there is as neuer a canker that wil consume so as the canker of false doctrine and so when it enters in the Church there is not a member of the Church but it should be fearde for it and astonished to see it but alas there is not feeling of the spirituall canker we 〈◊〉 so groâ—â—e in our 〈…〉 that we cannot â—eele the 〈◊〉 spirituall things But to come to the words 〈◊〉 sayes he should thank God 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 Wherefore Because that God 〈…〉 from the beginning 〈…〉 As he would say be not feared with these thinges 〈…〉 and on a 〈…〉 He sayes Brethren Our eternalelectioÌ„ proceds of Gods loue 〈…〉 The cause of this style is in the word following 〈…〉 for this eternall election commes of a speciall loue of God for if he had not loued thee he had 〈…〉 came of an vnspeakable loue of God towards thee as the reprobation came of 〈◊〉 hatred to the reprobate Therefore Rom. 9. 13. It is said Iocob I haâ—e loued but as for Esau I haue hated him from all eternitie and therefore I cast him away Well since election commes of loue it is not without cause when we speake to the elect that we call them the beloued of God This is a token of loue when God hes elected a man from all eternitie and there is not a man looke to your experience there is not one I say when they â—eele their election for thou should feele it and finde in thy hart that thou art chosen of God but they will feele it with such a joy and sense of loue of him that hes chosen them as is vnspeakable for there is noâ—one gift of God but when we feele it and consider it it brings with it a sense of the loue of him that gaue thee the gift and it wakens vp the joy of the hart exceedingly What matter of the benefite it with the benefit bestowed on vs the sense of loue be not communicated for the least and smallest benefit giuen with a sense of loue is 〈…〉 not a great benefit and gift without the sense of loue When God castes a kingdome to a man in hatred there is no joy nor sweetnesse in it because there is no sense of loue no if it were but a morsell of meate giuen of loue that loue will make it so sweete to â—ee that thy hart shall be vnable to 〈◊〉 the sweetnesse of it Therefore whateuer God giues thee be it little or much labour to feele that it is giuen of loue to thee otherwayes there is no true pleasure or joy in it for all true joy is when the loue of God is shed abroad in the harts of men by the holy Spirit Rom. chap. 5. verse 5. Now what sayes he We to wit I and they who writes with me thank God and not that onely but vve should thank God Mark it All offices of thankfulnesse that we can doe are debt and no merite if thou lost thy lyfe for Gods cause there is no merite in thy part all merite and desert is on the part of God as for thy part it is but debt and thankes-giuing is a debt we ought to God not for our selues onely but we are debt-bound to thâ—nke God for the graces bestowed on another and a Pastour is cheeflie bound to thanke God for the graces bestowed on the people He saies more alvvayes not for one time or two but euer and euer Thanks-giuing is a debt that should be euer in paying euer counting and telling downe as Paul sayes to the Rom. 13. 8. Pay loue euer for thanks-giuing is a debt will neuer be paâ—de neither in this world nor in the world to come Now he subjoynes the cause wherefore he thankes God that is the argument of consolation he ministers to them Because sayes he the Lord hes chosen you from all eternitie Blessed is that bodie that the Lord hes made a choise of Paul in the 2. Tim. 2. chap. 18. 19. vers when he hes spoken of the defection of some and that there were some Heretikes namely Humineus and Philetus thereafter he subjoines a comfort but sayes
wrought by the Spirit of God thou must liue holilie in his sight and then thou must beleeue thou must haue faith that is throgh the trueth of Iesus Christ or else thou wert neuer chosen If thou hast not faith if thou hast not an holy life no saluation for thee Then shortly in the next verse Hauing spoken of faith he showes how a man commes by faith how he gets it He sayes vnto the vvhich ye are called Faith thou is gotten by calling if a man be not called and cryed on as it were with a shout from Heauen O the dead bodie will not waken for if thou be not cry edon thou wilt not get grace to beleeue if thou be not cried vpon by the cry of God in his word thou shalt neuer get faith for faith is kindled vp by the voice of the Euangell The Lord sayes Iohn 5. 28. 29. The houre shall come and novv iâ— vvhen the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue meaning the dead in sinne So faith rises by a crye and call when he sayes come out of that death thou that sâ—eepest if thou heare thou shalt incontinent arise and beleeue O the power of the voice of God! It is his voice onely that makes the dead soule heare and to beleeue It is not thy free-will that makes thee to answere it is the cry of God onely that kindles vp faith in thee and what meanes vses he to call men by Euen the Gospell of Iesus Christ which is the voice of God For what is the word of God but the voyce of God shouting and crying vpon thee So calling is by a word and voice Now calles he thee by the voyce of the Law No long would thou haue lyeâ— ere thou had answered to the voyce of the Law the more it cry vpon thee thou wiltly the longer dead What is the voice then The sweet voice of the Gospell of Iesus Christ when it is tolde to thee that the Sonne of God is incarnate for thy sake he hes suffered and is risen that thou may get remission of sinnes and life euerlasting in one word the speach of the crosse of a dead man it is the speach that puts life in thee and so no faith without calling and no calling without the voice of the Gospell and no life without the voice of the Gospell Thou shalt neuer see the face of God without thou heare the voice of the Gospell Yet marke He sayes our Gospell that is that I Paul and my fellow laborers ministred Then I aske what is the mouth out of the which the voice of the Gospell sounds and by the which the Lord calles the dead man Euen the mouth of sillie simple men and therefore Paul cals it his Gospel Pauls mouth Peters mouth and the mouth of all the faithfull ministers are the voice of God to the end of the world calling thee to faith and therefore doe they call this Gospell their Gospell The Lord hes so ordeined that without the mouthes of sillie men no voice of God should be heard in the earth Goe to thy chamber read as thou wilt thou shalt nor come to Heauen if thou contemne the mouth of sillie men for without the voice of sillie men that soundes this Gospell there is no voice of God calling thee to faith And therefore without this base ministrie is no saluation for thee I say farther If the mouth of this ministrie whereby the Lord speaks be contemned by thee there is no faith no life appointed for thee God hes so bound himself to this ministrie that if thou contemne this ordinance thou shalt neuer see Heauen He will haue thee safe by a foolish preaching or else thou shalt neuer see heauen Say not might he not send Angels No close thy mouth for by foolish preaching thou shalt be safe and by no other means Mark this ye that contemne the preaching of the word of God out of the mouthes of sillie men Now in the end of the verse he sets downe another end of this calling the first end was faith the other is the participation of the glorie of Heauen in Iesus Christ all is in Christ glorie is in him so thou shalt not get either grace or glorie if thou get not Christ alwaies this is an end both of election and vocation life euerlasting Election is from all eternitie vocation is in tyme and lyfe euerlasting followes as the onely effect and end of both Now the calling beginnes here and what other thing is al our preaching but this come to Iesus Christ the Anchor of your faith and life and this cry holds 〈◊〉 till Christ Iesus come and then he will cry out that last cry Come ye blessed of my Father and inherite the kingdome prepared for you and then the chosen shall enter in the participation of that glorie through Christ that neuer shall end And therefore to this Iesus the Anchor of our life and the caller of vs to life and glory with the Father and holy Spirit we render al praise and honor for now and euermore AMEN THE NINTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 15. 16. 17. 15 Therefore brethren â—tand fast keep the instructions vvhich ye haue bene laught either by our vvord or by our Epistle 16 Novv the same Iesus Christ our Lord and our God â—â—en the Father vvhich hath loued vs and hath 〈◊〉 vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace 17 Comfort you harts and stablishe you in 〈…〉 and good vvorke AFTER the Apostle heâ— ended that Prophecy of the vniuersall defection from the trueth and faith of Christ Iesus and of the reueiling and manifesting of the Antichrist and his power he doeth three things in the end of this chapter First he comforts the Thessalonians against this Apostaâ—ie and defection assuring them it should not touch them because they were grounded vpon that stable foundation of the eternall election of God of the which they had sure tokens and testimonies the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the trueth the calling of God to faith and participation of the glory of Iesus Christ Next in the text we have red there are conteined two things The first is 〈◊〉 exhortation to the Thessalonians to stand and perâ—euere to the end The other is a prayer conceiued by the Apostle to God the Father and to the Lord Iesus that it would please them first to comfort the harts of the Thessalonians next to establish them in euery good word and worke Then shortly to come to the text We haue set downe in the first words an exhortation to the Thessalonians that they should standfast But first we shall consider how this exhortation followes on the doctrine passing before Therefore sayes he Then it must be inferred by a consequent vpon the doctrine preceeding The cause of their standing and perseuerance must be in the text preceding
cannot loue him except he loue vs first 1. Iohn 4. 19. There is none that loues him but he that hes the sense of Gods loue in his hart furnished by the Spirit of God O the joy and consolation in the hart when it findes the Lords hart powred out on it And without this sense of Gods loue towardes thee fy on thee if thou wert a king for all thy kingdomes if thou wert ruler ouer all fy on thy glorie and pleasure for all the things vnder Heauen may well minister to thee a false joy and peace in thy hart but they shall neuer giue thee the true joy for there is no true joy but through the sense of the loue of God in thy hart So there is the first gift and argument whereby he assure these Thessalonians that the thinges he askes for them shall be graunted to them without all doubt The next argument is And hes giuen vs consolation eternall In this word he summes vp all the blessinges giuen to man in Iesus Christ in tyme The secoÌ„d is eternall coÌ„solatioÌ„ our effectuall calling our justification through his righteousnesse forgiuenesse of sinnes and an acceptation in his fauor our sanctification by his Spirit the resurrection of the bodie and life eternal in glorie al these we haue in him to whom Paul maks this prayer So all the blessinges of God commes and meetes in the hart of man as in a centre they end all in consolation our effectual calling ends in consolation our justifying ends in consolation Therefore sayes Paul Rom 5. 1. Being iustified by faith vve haue peace tovvard God Then in one word As all blessing beginnes at the hart of God and at that loue he powres our on vs so al blessing ends in our hart The beginning is Gods the end is ours and our end is this that peace that passes all vnderstanding This loue of God is as a floode through the which slowes downe all these blessinges bestowed on vs which are as as many springs and conduits comming from that great and vnspeakable loue of God and entering once in vpon our harts wakens vp an infinite and vnspeakable joy in vs For from once that waâ—eâ— of the loue of God touch the hart there flowes such a consolation as is vnspeakable The Lord of Heauen giue euery one earnestnesse to seeke this consolation for it is the arlespenny of these euerlasting joyes which once we shall haue in Heauen throgh Iesus Christ He calles it eternall because it is a fontaine that neuer is stopped it neuer goes dry but euer runnes when the fountaine euer â—â—mes the riuer that runnes from it will neuer goe dry And therefore when that fountaine of loue in the hart of God commes in thy hart thy consolation must laste for euer his loue running down in thy hart makes thy joy euerlasting The thinges of this world when thou gettest them will waken vp some joy in thy hart but that joy which thou hast the day thou wilt want to morrow for it is not permanent but as for that joy which proceeds of the loue of God it hes no end it is eternall and therefore they that will seeke consolation in Iesus shal neuer haue an end of joy Indeed sometymes this our joy seemes to be troubled heere because it is compassed with many crosses and afflictions but the Lord from tyme to tyme makes our joy sensible and wakens it vp in vs and when thou shalt be in Heauen thou shalt haue an endles consolation without any vicissitude or alteration for euer Seek then I pray you for this loue of God as ye wold be euerlastinglie blessed with this joy vnalterable Now the third benefite is good hope He calles it good because it is of the best thing The third good hope that euer was that is it is of that cheefe felicitie for vvhat is it vve hope for Euen that consummation of our cheefe and euerlasting felicitie vvith our God vve hope for that possession of the glorie of our Lord Iesus and therefore it is not vvithout reason that it is called good hope Wherefrom flowes it Euen as consolation flowes from loue so hope flowes from consolation Rom. 15. 4. and consolation is as an arlespenny that God puttes in thy hand that thou shalt get theÌ„ full payment of the whole summe And therefore it wakens vp thy hart to hope so that when I get a peece of consolation I am induced to hope certainely that that Lord that hes giuen me that arlespenny shal not leaue me till he fil my hart with the fulnesse of consolation for the saciety and full contentment is not till we see Christ face to face and vntill this tyme we must liue by hope In end he sayes all these thinges are by grace Loue is by grace consolation is by grace hope is by grace that is of the free fauour of God without any desert or merite on mans part And it is vvell vvith vs that it is noâ— so that all is of free grace vvithout out merite for if any blessing of God hang vpon a mans merite vpon his doing and deseruing alas vveak vvould this ground be and there vvould not be one day but vve should fall from the grace If it 〈◊〉 depended on me I vvould lose it euerie moment of the day So the ground of thiâ— suretie and stabilitie of Gods blessinges is onely in God euen his free grace and loue When the Lord regardes thee not for ought that is in thee but lookes to himselfe then thou hast stedfastnesse by the grace of God as ye may collect of the 4. chap. to the Rom. verse 16. Therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede If the inheritance hang vpon thy stinking vvorkes for thou fylest the vvorkes of the holy Spirit in thee thou shouldst neuer see Heauen And thou that vvilt stick by such a ground and say Heauen and saluation depends on thy vvorks thou shalt find thy selfe frustrate in that day and shall not attaine to that inheritance that thou looked for for there is no blessing of God in Christ but that that hangs vpon the free fauor and mercy of God to vs in Iesus Christ All the vvorld shall not louse this ground In the last verse vve haue the thinges he prayes for to these Thessalonians I pray the Lord Iesus Christ and God euen our Father that they would comfort your harts The next establishe you in euerie vvord of the trueth and euerie good vvorke Praier for consolation These are the tvvo thinges he prayes for consolation and perseuerance in well doing Hes he not said before that God the father had giuen them eternall consolation what is the crause then he praies for it as though they had not gotten it He sayes he hes giuen vs eternall consolation and now he sayes I pray the Lord Iesus that he would comfort you How can these two stand Mark brethren
therfore let vs come to some obseruations Ye see heere first of all great matter of thanksgiuing to God Grace in 〈◊〉 people dâ—uble mater of thanksâ—guing when this sweete harmonie is betweene the pastor and the people when as he teaches and instructs them louingly and faithfullie they receiue that worde he deliuers to them and therto they conforme their life conuersation There is a sweet meetting and if euer there was matter of thanksgiuing in this world heere is matter in the faithfulnes of the pastor and in the faith of the people meetting that faithfull discharge of the Pastor in his office It is true when the pastor findeth the grace of God in him selfe allone albeit he finde no meeting in the people he hes matter of thanks-giuing to God for hovve so euer it be if that he doe playe the part of a faithfull pastor he is a sweet smell to God as vvell in them that perishe as in them that shall be saued by the vvord 2. Cor. 2. 15. If ye meete him not he will be safe if that hee discharge a faithfull dewtie but your bloude shall be vpon you owne heades So he hath matte through the grace he hath receiued to rejoyce in God But brethren when grace meetes grace when the faith of the people doth meete the faithfulnes of the pastor when hee is not onelie a svveete smell to God but he is the sauour of life to life to the people there is the double matter of reioysing and thankesgiuing to God double grace and meetinge of grace craue double rejoysinge and thankes-giuing to God for the mercie double bestovved vppon them If anie man had euer anie grace Paule had it yet the man is neuer satisfied in his owne persone except he finde grace in those to whom he vttered grace meeting his grace except he finde his ministrie povverfull to them whom he teaches for otherwise he counts all his labour and running to be in vaine Therefore all teachers should striue to finde the povver of the worde in the people for wherefore are Ministers sent in the worlde but to see that that word be effectuall in the people to vvinne them to God and in verie deede he may rejoice when he sees the saluation of the people wrought by his teachinge This in generall Now to come to the words Their faith is set downe in sundrie degrees and marke them the first degree is hearing they heare the word of the Apostle 4. degries of saith there is the first grace in the people meetting the pastor when they giue their presence heare him patientlie It is of the grace of God that a man or woman can sit and heare the vvord of God and it appeares that it is the grace of God ye see manie in Scotland that gets neuer the grace to heare no preaching 1. Hearing of the vvord no hearing in many parts of the land miserable are they without preaching without hearing No question what euer other causes be of the lacke of preaching hearing it is a just judgement of God on the people and woe be to them that drawes away the moyen of preaching and hearing from the people miserable shall their end be For I see not how saluation shall be without preaching and hearing There are many againe that albeit occasion of hearing bee offred to them and the teacher be at hand yet they will not come to heare they may heare and will not heare Some will come to sit down but if any thing touch their affection they will heare with impatience all this showes you hearing is of grace First to get the occasion of hearing is grace next to heare patientlie to heare sin and vice rebuked in all estates of men and vvomen it is a grace for some in hearing their sinne rebuked they heare impatiently with grudging and as soone as they remoue and go out that impatience breakes out in bitter vvords As when Steueâ— in the 7. chap. Acts ver 57. 58. is speaking to that Councell of the Iewes that vvere conueened as soone as he speakes against them they put their fingers in their eares and rusâ—ing on him stone him to death The 19. chapt Acts verse 33. when Alexander stands vp among the Ephesians certaine people beeing conueened together when he begins to speake to them of the way of God against Demetrius they cry out all vvith one shoute immediatlie Great is Diana of the Ephesians The 22. chapter Acts verse 23. when Paul makes a discourse of his ovvne life and comes to this that he vvas called to be a teacher to the Gentiles they rent their clothes and cast dust vp in the aire All this telles vs the fury and rage of the heart against God against Christ his word And by the contrair it is a speciall grace of God that men and vvemen gets when they can sit still and heare the word of God patiently There is the first degree The second degre of their faith and meeting of the Apostle is receyuing of the vvord That is to say a receyuing and approuing of the word of God 2. generall allowance to be true and good euen a generall allowance therof When this man will say vvithin himselfe this is true that is spoken Many gets not this grace for many when they heare suppose they lend their eare to the vvorde in their minde they disalovv that which is spoken and albeit thy mouth be close yet the minde vvill be making contradiction The naturall man saies the Apostle 1. Cor. 2. 14. vvhen he heares of heauenlie things he vnderstands them not yea more he thinks them all but foolishnesse Set vp a naturall man he will scorne all that is spoken of Christ and of spirituall things and will laugh at them in his owne heart When Paul came to Athens Act. 17. vers 18. and entered among those high headed Philosophers and begouth to speake of the way of God They met him againe with scorning and they said What meanes this bablor they thought all that he spoke babling There are many of them in Scotland who thinks vvhen a man speaks of Christ that all is but babling Then it is a grace of God to geue an allowance to that vvhich is spoken There is farther heere 3. 〈…〉 heart The third degree of grace is embracing the word in the heart There are many that can heare that is a grace when they haue heard will giue a generall allowance that all is good all is true there is the second grace but in the meane tyme they will shoote it all out of their heart they will say it is true and good but what is that to me they neuer emembrace it in their owne heart Simon Magus as it is tolde Acts 8. 21. allowed of that which was spoken it is said he had faith in the meane time no application in his ovvne heart for shortlie after he vttered that gall of bitternesse which was in