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
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 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
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
with a crosse on the backe of it for thou shalt not brooke it without a crosse Therefore maruaile not at this affliction for it is a meruaile that the Gospell should haue remainde so long without affliction in Scotland and all this affliction in Scotland is nothing in respect of other parts where affliction is And therefore if we brooke this Gospell looke for greater afflictions then these for who hes striuen yet to the blood for the libertie of the Gospell Now in the last words with the affliction he joynes the holy Spirite Anâ—â—oy sayes he of the holie Spirite Ye receyued the Gospell with affliction and with affliction ye receyued joy of the holie Spirite Ioy of the holie Spirite ioined vvith affliction Looke how surelie affliction is the companion of the Gospell as surelie is the joy of the Spirite the companion of affliction and this is most sure that the affliction of the Gospell is most joyfull aboue all other things in the world A man that suffers as an euill doer a man that suffers for theft a murtherer that suffers for murther an adulterer for adulterie he hes no joye in suffering he is ashamed and hangs dovvne his head because the querrell for which he suffers bringes an euill conscience theft bringes an euill conscience murther bringes an euill conscience adulterie brings an euill conscience therfore he hes no joy in suffering It is true a man that is to be execute for his his euill deedes in his execution will rejoyce but marke the ground It is it not the euill cause that bringes that joy but it is the assurance of the remission of sinnes in Christ that bringes the joy the euill turne bringes euer an horror of conscience but vvhen one suffers for Christ and the Gospels sake there is joye and comfort and they that hes suffered for Christs sake in suffering haue greater joy in the spirite nor euer they had in the fulnesse of their pleasures in the world Peter in his first Epist 1. 8. sayes In the midst of their suffring they suffred joyfully when there is a good conscience when men suffer for Iesus sake there was neuer joye comparable to that joy it is such a joye as vvill swalow vp al paine terror Experience of this we haue in manie godlie Martyres not that affliction brings joy with it for it is naturall to the affliction to worke sorrow and griefe but it is the good conscience that makes joye and the good conscience comes of the good cause When the conscience sayes Thou art suffering for Christ that suffered for thee and be assured after suffering thou shalt be glorified ô the joye that that man shall finde The Lord giues euerie man joye that suffers any thinge lesse or more for Christ the furnisher of the joye is the Spirite who will not suffer anie persone to beare anie thing for Christ but he will giue comfort and joy therein Brethren ye heare it commonlie said It is the cause or the querrell and not the paine that makes the martyre the paine the torment were they neuer so greuous will not make a man a martyre the ground is the good cause quarrel that they suffer for the Gospel Christ But I say farther if there be no more nor the cause or the querrell that makes not martyrdome if when thou art suffering for Iesus sake thou hast no joy no patience no faith and tolerance no joye in the holie Spirite and reioyse more in suffering and bonds nor he that goes free it is no martyrdome Ioyne me joye and the good cause vvith patience in torment all three together these make a Martyre Peter sets downe the rules of suffring saying Let no man suffer as a murtherer as a theefe as an euill doer or as a busie bodie in other mens matters Then he subjoynes If anie man suffer as a christian for a good cause let him not be ashamed therein but let him glorifie God 1. Epist 4. 15. 16. As in the I. Cha V. 8. he sayes They haue in suffering for a good cause a ioy â—â—speakable and glorious So here he forbids them to be ashamed in suffering but to reioyce and glorifie God who hes called them to that honour for this is the highest honour of all to suffer for Christ as the Apostles did Marke all these grounds These examples and rules commending suffering are not set downe in vaine and let none thinke to be a christian and to be exeemed from suffering Away with them who will say they will preach and receiue the word gladlie in calmnes but they will haue nothing to do with suffering but I say if thou prepare thee not for suffering after so long a calmnesse of the Gospell the end shall prooue that thou shalt curse the time that euer thou heard the Gospell Therfore in purpose let vs prepare our selues to suffer that nothing come to vs vnawares and let vs say when we rise here I am readie if it please thee ô Lord to lay any thing on me for the Gospell ere euening Lord giue me grace not to be ashamed but to suffer in joy my life is not heere but my life must be laid down And wel is him can be this way prepared and lookes for greater affliction for no doubt after so great calmnesse affliction must follow and all our suffering is but childrens play yet The Lord prepare vs for it and make vs readie when he pleases to visite vs. To this God be all praise for euer Amen THE THRIDE LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 7. 8. 9. 7 So that ye vvere as ensamples to all that beleeue in Macedonia and Achaia 8 For from you sounded out the vvorde of the Lord not in Macedonia and in Achaia onelie but your faith also vvhich is tovvarde God spread abroad in all quarters that vve neede not to speake any thing 9 For they themselues shevv of vs vvhat maner of entring in vve had vnto you and hovv ye turned to God from idols IN this part of this Epistle which presentlie we haue in hand ye haue heard brethren the Apostle rejoyses together with the Thessalonians for those graces of God which he vnderstood and knew to be in them geuing God thanks therefore rendering him the whole glorie thereof The graces wer as ye heard namely first their effectuall faith secondlie their laborious loue and charity thirdly their patient hope Then he comes to the ground of all these graces their election which was from all eternitie vttering an assurance of their election and of the chusing of them before the world was made The grounds of his assurance of their eternal election wer two the first in himself the second in the Thessalonians the ground in himselfe was that grace of God that libertie that power which he had in preaching Christ when he came among them which assured him the Lord had his chosen amongst theÌ„ The ground
day from the fearce wrath of God Consider this the world bindes vp mens eyes that they should not see Christes comming and it makes vs neuer to desire to heare nor know of an other life or of Christs comming Therefore take vp this necessitie and let all this lyfe be a preparation to a better life in al thy exercise in this life say Lord I am exercisde heere in this vocation or that vocation at thy command but Lord for all this bussines I am a pilgrime here my life is not in this world and my heart and eye is beyond this worlde vvith thee The Lord giue vs grace to haue this hope woe to that soule that must departe and hes no hope of a better life Now I will go forward in the Chapter following Wherein first the Apostle sets out a discourse of himselfe and of his own Ministrie and the successe the Lord gaue him in his Ministrie towards the Thessalonians This he telles in the two first verseâ— of this chapter Parts of the secoÌ„d Chap. Then he comes to the recounting of the graces of God wrought in them by his ministrie to the 17. verse Then vntill the end of the chapter he telles the great sorrow he had that he could not win to theÌ„ shewes the impediments Sathan vvithstoode him These are the three parts of the chapter To come to the first part he sayes For ye your selues knovve brethren that our entrance in vnto you vvas not in vaine When I came to Macedonia to vvin a number of soules that God had there my entrie was not in vaine without effect or power the reasone is in the next verse followinge For saieth hee vvee vvere boulde in our GOD to speake vnto you the Gospell of God vvith great stryuing The power of God vvas perceyued in my preaching and all my libertie in preaching of the gospell was of God He aggreadges this his libertie by telling of the stayes and impediments he got ere he came to them he suffered manie afflictions and was euill entertained at Philippi and comming to them he was not free of affliction but all his preaching was with fighting and daylie battell there is the meaning of these verses To come then shortlie to the lessons First Ise the people that hes beene grounded and edified in faith by the ministrie of the Pastor and by the grace and power of God they should not forget the graces of God they got by him and ere they should forget the Pastor him selfe is bound by the example of Paule for to stand vp and to bring them in remembrance of the grace not for his owne praise but for the glorie of God who hes geuen thee grace that the grace of God be not obscured but that his glorie may shine I will lay you a ground in the first Epistle Corinth 2. 4. 5. Your faith is builded vpon the power of God that is geuen to the Ministrie To the Ministrie yea to the Ministrie to the Ministrie man or else thou shalt neuer haue a ground of faith The Apostle sayes that your faith stands not in the vvisdome of men but vpon the povver of God And therefore brethren Faith stands vpon that same verie ground the power of God geuen to the Ministrie Thy eye should be drawn back to see the ground where-vpon thy faith hath beene grounded if thou forget to looke of it Pastors should draw thy 〈◊〉 about and let thee see that thy faith was grounded on the power of the word in the Ministrie I challenge your experience how oft ye remember the power of God in the ministrie whither ye rejoice or not saying well is me I haue not my faith grounded vpon the wisdom of man but vpon the power of God seeke it for the fondation of your faith that it be firme and sure for if thou haue not a sure foundation to ground thy faith on it shall fall And that thou may find it I counsell thee that thou neglect not the Pastor for if thou forget the Pastor his ministrie thou shalt not come to the fondation of thy faith I put it out of question the power of Gods word by his ministry is a ground wher vppon your faith is grounded If this ministrie go awaye faith saluation and all graces in this land will decay The second thing wheron stands this power is in the second verse It stands in a libertie boldnesse freedome in vttring the Gospell and speaking of Christ So brethren wher liberty wher boldnes in preaching the Gospell is there is effectualnes in it the man who hes this boldnes is a fectfull man his entry shall neuer be in vaine If the Lord giue thee libertie if all the worlde had said the contrair the effect shall not be in vaine and where the Lord geues not this libertie all the preaching is fectlesse and without frute I shall say nothing but that which Paul saieth where there is no liberty in the speaking of Iesus of his mercie and grace no freedome of mouth c. there is nothing but a dead Gospell Where there is no libertie in vsing all the parts of the ministrie in rebuking admonishing and comforting there is nothing but a dead Gospell I meane euer of a libertie grounded on God not on mans vaine affections where this liberte is not there is nothing but a dead ministrie I beleue this nation be come alreadie to the hight of this liberty not of the mouth only but of the heart And I think the Lord is binding vp the harts of men that they are not loused with that liberty if it were but in preaching the Gospel as they wer Lord be mercifull to vs. I beleue this worke be drawing to an end ye haue keped it long blessed shall they be that dies in the light And so when I looke a far off I pittie the posterity which appearantly shal be depâ—iued of that liberty al for our ingratitude we had a grace libertie which we contemned So God in justice is drawing it away Next marke againe In God sayes he not in man That is we vsed that libertie which God gaue vs. The libertie of the affection of man is nothing worth Looke then what euer be spoken by the Minister it be warranded by the word of God And looke againe that it ryse of the inward motions of the Spirite in the hart If a man speake of his owne priuate affection ô Lord if he should not haue a well sanctified affection that speaks in the name of the Lord it is better to him not to speake he indangers himselfe hes much to make account of But if thou hast warrands in the word break out with it with liberty for it is as great danger to thee to conceale it when thou hast a warrand as it is to speake it of thy owne affection And without question the Lord will controll them that will controll thy libertie here The Lord giue eyes to men that
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
vntill we see the Lord face to face and then we shall get saciety then we shall be filled when God who is loue himselfe shall be all in all thinges And therefore grovv euer get a peece of grouth this day another peece to morrovve and so day by day grovv vntill thy heart be filled vvith the grace of Christ As thou increasest in knovvledge so thou must increase in loue for these must be joined together knowledge and loue Knowledge is in the mynde and loue in the heart Ye see how pleasant it is to see the Sunne but the light of the mynde whereby we see the Sunne of glorie is more excellent it is the light that commeth from the Lord. Then joyne thereto the loue in the heart these tvvo should ansvvere other in proportion Growest thou in knovvledge of the vvay of Christ looke thou grovv in loue to God and man othervvayes I say thy knovvledge shall not auaile thee and the greater knowledge without loue grow there-with the greater damnation Now whom should they loue Loue euerie one among your selues loue next all men in the vvorld Loue all mankinde Ye are Christians loue together mutuallie Be ye among the Heathen loue them too who knows not Christ loue the Domestickes of faith but loue the strangers too loue the members of the bodie of Christ but loue them also vvho are out vvith the bodie but in a different maner The words lets vs see the loue of the domestick is mutuall As thou louest me so I loue thee as the hand loues the foote so the foote loues the hand So among the members of Christs bodie there is a mutuall loue The band of loue goes from my hart to thee and comes again from thy hart to me but it is otherwaies with the loue that reaches out beyond the body to strangers it is but a single loue going from my hart and not returning againe from them I loue him but he loues not me I loue the Iew but he loues not me I loue the Turke but he loues not me because he is not conjoined in a body with me we should loue them to saluation Then learne we should not be narrovv hearted in loue Say not I loue not him because he loues not me if Christ had done so vvhen thou vvas an enemie it had not beene well with thee He loued thee being his enemie Loue them then vvho hates thee and them vvho would slay thee I will not giue a penny for thy loue if thou loue them onely vvho loues thee And this telles that thou art a member of the bodie when thy loue reaches out with the bodie to others As Christ loues his enemie so thou if thou be of Christs bodie vvill loue thy enemie Alas the canker of our nature against loue If thou striue not to loue thy enemie and to get that rancor of thy nature slaine slaine shalt thou be Steuin when the Ievves vvere stoning him to death sayes Lord let it not be laid to their charge Act. 7. 60. Therefore as thou wouldst haue thy soule safe loue thy enemie He layes downe his owne ensample as I doe you He vses this commonlie when he bids them doe any thing I craue nothing but that ye should resemble me I loue you loue ye others There is a lesson Thou vvho vvilt bid anie other doe well doe vvell thy selfe vvilt thou bid me loue loue then first thy selfe and loue all men A Pastor vvho vvould teach his flock to loue let him shovv loue first in his life and actions himselfe othervvaies he shall not haue grace in his vvords let him cast himselfe to be full of loue and then his vvords shall edifie Let him euer seeke an hartie loue to their saluation and craue loue to them at the hands of the Father and Christ Iesus his Sonne To vvhom vvith the holie Spirite be all praise for novv and for euermore AMEN THE XIII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 13. 13 To make your hearts stable and vnblameable in holinesse before God euen our Father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ vvith all his Saints 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 1. 2. 3. 1 And furthermore vve beseech you brethren and exhort you in the Lord Iesus that ye increase more and more as ye haue receiued of vs hovv ye ought to vvalke and to please God 2 For ye knovv vvhat commaundements vve gaue vnto you by the Lord Iesus 3 For this is the vvill of God euen your sanctification and that ye should absteine from forâ—ication IN the wordes going before ye heard brethren the Apostle makes mention to the Thessalonians of that earnest prayer he vsed to God for them that once it would please God to graunt him a prosperous journey to them He fell out immediatly in a prayer The prayer containes thre parts the first part is that God the Father and the Lord Iesus vvould direct his vvay tovvardes them The second part is that how euer it should fall out vvhether he should come to them or not at Gods pleasure yet that they shoulde abound in loue euery one tovvardes another and not that onelie but in loue to all men yea tovvarde their verâ—e enemies Now shortly to come to our text In the last verse of this chapter ye haue the third head of his prayer he beseeches God to giue them holinesse holinesse in generall all kinde of holinesse As he prayed before that they might abound in loue and charitie vvhich is a part of holinesse So novv he prayes they should haue all sort of holinesse Thereafter in the chapter following he falles out in precepts of good maners and holie lyfe and conuersation and this he follovves out to the end of the Epistle sauing onely by the vvay he casts in one or tvvo informations resoluing them of certaine doubtes the first concerning the mourning for the dead the second concerning the day of Iudgement and the comming of the Lord Iesus Novv to returne He prayes for holinesse to them And vvhat should this holinesse doe To make your hearts sayes he stable and vnblameable before God And at vvhat tyme especiallie at the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ In vvhat companie should they be established with holinesse They alone No but vvith all his Saints in that happie societie of the Church of God and the Saintes There is the effect shortlie of this thirtienth verse Then brethren marke It is holinesse not a fashion of holinesse in outvvard behauiour Holines stablishes our harts before God but vvithin the heart of a man or vvoman that makes them stand vp in the presence of God that establishes them without feare terrour or trembling when they stand before the. Tribunall of a terrible Iudge Where there is no holinesse no sinceritie of heart in man but an heart filled vvith foull affections full of vncleannesse and filthinesse there the heart dare not present the selfe before the face of
that calles and God that is calling on you his vengeance shall sease vpon you And now it is no time to thee to ly in vncleannes when the Pest is at the doore woe to thee dying therein being in the puddle of vncleannes but well is thy soule that turnes to God howbeit thou die in the pest of the body Now followes another argument to moue vs to holines He who wil not be holie when God calles on him disobeyes not man but God As there are two thinges to moue vs to holinesse first our vocation to holinesse secoundlie the caller so there are two sinnes that accompanies the disobedience of that calling one sinne against the holie calling another sinne against the holie God the caller ConteÌ„pt of God the vvord the greatest sinne There is no sinne by the selfe allone One sinne must euer haue another with it and committing one sinne we sinne manie waies Compare these two the sinne against the calling and the sinne against the caller by all appearance the secound is the greatest The greatest sinne that can bee is to contemne God Thou that playest the harlote thy sinne is double first by thy harlotrie thou sinnest against thy calling thou was called to and this is a great sinne but the other is greater Thou contemnest the voyce of the high Majestie of God that called thee The oppressor sinnes by his oppression but his sin is the greater in that he contemnes his caller And in the latter day ye shall finde by experience the challenge shall not be so much against the adulterer for his adulterie as for that in sinning he contemned the voyce of God calling him from adultery This shall be a chiefe challenge dirtlay especially of christians who hes heard this word and Gospell of God that they contemnd the majestie of God who called them by this word Gospell And surely all these particular judgements of God that falles on men and these particular judgements on Scotland and on Edinburgh this day either the Pest or the famine fals not somuch for vncleannesse and other sins as for the contemp of the Gospel and God that calles thee by this base ministrie And therfore the right cause of all these judgements is the contempt of God calling vs to holinesse For we haue not onelie sinned in committing of sin but in contemning God calling vs from sin and we haue spitted as it wer in his face Put away the contempt of the word of God if ye put it away who wait but but God wil be mercifull If we contemne still looke for greater judgement The contempt of God and of this foode of the soule offred by the base ministrie hes caused this plague of famine and the Pest fall on this land The Apostle sayes In resisting ye resist not men but God There is no blessing in tyme that God giues but he ministers it by men He wil not come out of Heauen to speak to thee but he will speak to thee by the ministrie of selie simple men He tels thee of remission of sins of justification of sanctificatioÌ„ c. if thou dispise the ministry of base men though thou wer Monarch of all the earth thou shalt neuer get remission of sinnes sanctification nor glorification Now this is the thing that beguyles the world When they looke to the vyle ministrie of men they cannot see God in it They looke to the selie man they goe no farther Who speakes A selie man speakes Who calles me I heard a selie man and so through the man be looks not vp to heauen to se God speaking by the minister And from this flowes the contempt and resisting man thou resists God that is the principall worker The word is then contemned when the man is contemned in speaking it Resisting man thou resists God who sent the man Can any man resist God and not be plagued therefore if there be no repentance So they who are called to the ministrie let them care for nothing but to speake the word of God and open their mouth to glorify God And if he be resisted he is not resisted but God who sent him is resisted And at that last day it shall be seene it was not man thou resisted but God Happie are they therefore who gettes a sight of this in tyme and that giues obedience to the worde Happie is the bodie that receiues this word as the word of god and not of man Now the last argument followes Who saies he hes giuen vs his holy Spirite Looke now what he hes done He hes chosen vs from all eternitie to be holielie and hes giuen vs his Spirit and al graces to this end to be holy When the Lord hes begun to call vs to holinesse Spirite of god dâ—velling in vs bindes to holinesse if he stand there and doe no more it will not doe the turne if he giue vs ouer to our owne nature and free vvill and take away his Spirit when he hes broght thee on a point of holinesse and leaue thee there thou shalt neuer enter in Heauen And therefore when he hes done all these thinges to thee then he will put into thy soule and bodie his Spirit of grace to cleanse the foulnesse out of thy soule and bodie to bring in holie motions actions and speeches So that thou art made now as Paul speakes 1. Corint 6. 19. the Temple of the holie Spirit and then that same glorious person the holie Spirit comming from the Father and the Son will dwell within thee in soule and bodie as assuredlie as we are within this Church presentlie and thy soule and bodie shall be as sure Temples of this Spirit as this Church is to our bodies And is not this a great honour that in substance this glorious person will dwell within vs So this learnes vs that all is of grace the beginnig of grace the midst of grace the end of grace Our predestination in God our vocation our justification and sanctification all in God our glorification in God Brethren the highest estate we can come to in this life is sanctification We passe from predestination to vocation from vocation to justification from justification to sanctification we cannot reach higher so long as we are heere We may growe in this estate but we cannot come higher As to glorification we get it in the lyfe to come when we leaue this life All our actiones heere are impersite and all mingled with the corruption of nature but heereafter all will be perfited For when we leaue this lyfe we goe not backward Thinke not that bodie that sleepes in Christ that he goes backward That body is predestinat called sanctified heere in some measure after this life passes a degree vpward and commes to glorification for holinesse in this life it passes vp to glorie we are holie heere but glorious in the life to come We are not called to be glorified in this lyfe but to be sanctified when we
first Faith then Hope and Charitie then followes al other graces on them When God instructs a man in any grace he first layes down this fundamentall grace and teaches him to loue then he buildes another grace vpon it and puts on liberalitie on it and biddes thee bee beneficiall first he biddes him loue and then hee biddes him be beneficiall Therefore Paul 1. Corinth chap. 13. verse 3. Speaking of that same grace of beneficence saies If I should take all my substance and deale it to the poore if this liberalitie come not from the heart and proceed not from loue it auailes nothing Giue all that thou vvilt giue if thou loue not the person thou guest it to thou hast lost thy thankes at Gods handes Therefore in teaching liberalitie that thy beneficence may turne to thy selfe and doe thee good as it does to another man he teaches thee loue For if my gift redound not to my owne well woe is me Then the vvay to get goode of the gift thou giuest is to loue him thou giuest it to The Philosopher he teaches the childe vertue but as for loue he cannot worke it He will teache thee liberality and descriue it to thee but as for the hart he cannot instruct it It is the Lord that teaches this fundamentall grace of Charitie without the which all thy doinges are as an house builded without good ground In the next verse he proues that they are all taught of God by their doinges Yea saies he and that thing verelie ye doe to all the brethren that are in Macedonia Ye are not speakers and braggers but doers it is not speaking that wil do the turne but doing beneficence must be in the hand and not in the mouth This age is full of talke as euer any age was and all our goodnesse is only in our mouth and tongue our faith in our mouth our charitie in our mouth our liberalitie in our mouth little in heart as little in hand nothing in action Take head All this testifies for all the doctrin and preaching of the grace of God in Christ commonly God is not the teacher God when he teaches a man to be bountifull as he layes the fundamentall grace vvhich is loue so he makes it bud forth in the hand that is he drawes it out in action he draws it not out in the tongue to clatter of it but he draws it in the hand to doe well with it and ther cannot be a surer argument that God is the teacher of any grace nor when we see the action of the hand conformed to the profession Count of them by their workes Hast thou faith the best argument to knowe thy faith by is thy worke Iames saies chap. 2. verse 18. Let me see thy faith not in thy tongue but in thy vvorks Would thou knovve if a man hes a liberall heart Looke not to his tongue but to his hand So he who is instructed by God in any grace he is a doing man a doeâ— and not a speaker Yet ere I leaue the wordes marke this He saies to all the brethren Loue to all the brethren not to him nor to her nor to one part but all in whole Macedonia that is the whole Countrey about you As if the liberalitie of Edinburgh were extended to whole Scotland and to all the brethren in it Marke then the maner of Gods teaching As he layes downe the ground Charitie and builds ther on beneficencie and bringes the grace from the heart to the hand so he will not open one peece of the hand and shut it out to this bodie or that bodie onely and then draw it in againe but he opens out the hand wide to all the brethren and all the members of the bodie of Christ Looke all the doctoures of Philosophie when they discourse of this vertue of beneficence and liberalitie they lay doe goode to thy friendes and kins-men aduance them doe goode to them that doe well to thee thy enemie meete him againe with an euill turne yea vvith tvvo euill turnes for one And this precept is ouer vvell keeped in Scotland But God when he and his ministers teaches he bids thee be beneficiall to all men showe thy good deeds to all men yea to thy enemies Loue thy enemies show not only a good countenance to thy enemie albeit he loue thee not loue him by so doing coales of wraith shall be on his head Commit the vengence to God and he shall surely repay Rom. 12. 19. Vengence is mine sayes the Lord O would to God men could beleeue that that the Lord would take vengence on the oppressour and on such as are set on euill works we shall see that vengence powred on them in that great day The Lord ye heard is the auenger of harlotrie and wickednesse then let the Lord be the onely auenger Yet there is a great difference in showing liberalitie Respect saies the Apostle speciallie them vvho are of the familie of faith Galat. 6. 10. There is a difference of loue as there are degrees of liberalitie we are not bound to loue all men alyke albeit we be bound to loue all men yet we should loue them best who are members of that bodie with vs in Christ This difference must be keeped Now when he hes left off to exhort them to beneficence In the end of the verse he saies the least thing I can doe is to exhort you to increase more and more This should learne vs that when we see the grace of God in any person we should not insist long to exhort them to that grace for when God is teaching few wordes may serue them to stirre them vp to that grace but they whom the Lord teaches not by his Spirit a thousand wordes will not teach them So they that would releeue the Minister of paines let them seeke earnestlie that God vvoulde be the inward teacher in the heart and then thou shalt be taught Now Necessity of exhortation to perseuerance brethren albeit there be not a necessity to insist to exhort men to the grace they see in any person yet there is a necessity to exhort them to perseuerance in that grace There are none so indewed with any grace as with liberalitie patience loue yea faith it selfe the ground of all graces but he hes need euery day to heare the voice of exhortation to goe forward For none hes made such progresse in the course of Christianitie for we are all in the rinke running to the butt Christ when we haue runne all our dayes vntill vve be gray haired yet vve are farre from the butt and vve are ay falling back and so vve haue ay need of this voice crying after vs. Runne on thou art running thou hast ouercomde him who ranne with thee stryue to ouerrun thy self Ran thou fast the day run faster to morrow amend thy pace euery day There are none of vs who standes so fast in grace but we may fall back againe and therefore
vve haue great neede to be instructed in this because our nature is so bent to reuenge He sayes See that none recompence euill for euill vnto anie man There is an inhibition Whereof much might be spoken but I shall binde me to the words of the Apostle Then to come to the first words See beware look to it The word signifies an earnest care and studie As he would say take care be earnest beware in this turne for it will begyle you if you take not all the better heede to it This verie vvord he vses lettes vs see the great difficultie and hardnesse that is in obeying of this precepte in not randering euill for euill but by the contrarie randering goode for euill For brethren there is a wonderfull promptnesse and bentnesse in the nature of all men euer to reuenge the spirit of vengence is by nature in euerie one of vs yea in the silliest and simplest bodie that is This poynte of doctrine not to rander euill for euill but by the contrare good for euill abhorres from nature and nature abhorres it Say to a naturall man doe not euill for euill but doe good for euill he will scorne and laugh at it and many in Scotland scornes it Our nature abhors it so farre that the â—uld Philosophers who set down many good morall precepts neuer spoke one word of it among all their morall precepts ye will not get this precept Doe no euill for euill doe good for euill The Scrybes and Pharisies Matt. cha 5. vers 38. c. exponing the Law of God could not atteine to this but gaue out this meaning of the second table of the Law loue thy friend doe good to him that does good to thee hate thy enemie So they exponed the Law vntil Christ came and purged the Law Only then in the schole of Iesus only in the Gospell PatieÌ„â—â—in suffering vvronges bardle arâ—ed this pointe of doctrine is taught and learned that men should not doe euill for euill but good for euill Indeede brethren this lesson is very hard to be practised Good Christians who professes themselues to be schollers in Iesus schoole how long tyme will they spend ere they can get this lesson learned Who let see is brought to this poynte that gladly he can be content to suffer wrong or to suffer a double wrong ere he reuenge yea to doe good for euill ere he reuenge wrong Who can doe this No all these murtherers all these oppressors these contumelies wherewith the land is filled telles plainly that many thousands in the land hes neuer learned this precept of the Gospell that the Lord hes giuen to doe good for euill Who of our Lords and Lairds hes learned it If he hes gotten one slaine to him he will slay two yea come to the Gentle-men ye shall see that this lesson hes neuer beene learned of them Who of our wemen hes learned it for if were but with the bitternesse of their mouth they will reuenge their quarrell and they who hes atteined to any grace or any part of obedience of this precept yea the best of all the most patient soule how hardly can he with a patient mynde dejest injuries There is no grace of God no sort of obedience to Iesus but so long as we liue heere we keepe it with a battell hast thou any grace euer the canker of our corruption stryâ—â—s to put but the grace So that if we be not holden vp we shall lose this grace and among all graces that men gets I trow this grace of Patience we keep it with the greatest trouble There is no grace that hes so many assaults as this euer to stir vs vp to take vengence our own nature wicked company fy on on thee they wil cry beastly body thou hast receiued wrong and wil not reuenge it there is a thousand such instigations What matter if we could be content to rander wrong for wrong but our hart is so full of venome that it caÌ„not be satiat vntill we double and triple ten wrongs for one the hart is so full of hatred that if we could we would shut our enemy soule and body in Hell So this grace of Patience in not reuenging is the grace we keepe with the greatest assaults Read the 39. Psalme when Dauid had taine purpose to take heed to his waies that he should not speak an euill word against his enemies yet the hart begins to take fire and out goes the flame and he burstes out in murmuring against God himselfe All this telles vs how hard a thing it is to one to digest wrong and how much more hard to do good for euill And so we are to crâ—ue euer at God to giue vs this grace of Patience to suffer wrong Alas the company of this world is so wicked that we are euer stirred vp to vengence And so we should craue euer the Lord giue vs patience that with patience we may abide the wrong and the Lord will auenge The Lord sayes Vengence is mine and I vvill auenge it Deut. chap. 32. vers 35. Byde till this tyme come and surely will the Lord repay it And I darsay neuer man got wrong and with patience abode it but either he got reuenge here or else in that day he shall see his wrongs fully repayed by God This for the first words Now he sayes See that no man This precept perteines to all men it is generall he excemes no man no not the Kings of the world from the King to the begger no man exemed euery soule is inhibite to do wrong to rander euill for euil for it is the King of al kings that puts out this inhibition BrethreÌ„ the conceit men hes of their own estimation if the Lord cal them to any estate begyles them If a man be preferred to another he beguiles himselfe and he thinks he may do what he wil because of his preferment he may do double wrong and he will say I am such a man this is my estate will I suffer a wrong I cannot doe 〈◊〉 How can I suffer this indignitie The Lord sayes thy preferment is of me thou art no better nor the person that is vnder thee I command thee vnder the paine of death that thou patiently abide vntill it please me to auenge this deed Then he sayes doe no vvrong to any man without any exception thou art bound not to rander euill for euill to any man to the silliest and basest bodie that goes on the earth Measure not Gods Law by your owne discretion The holie Law of God forbids thee to rander injurie for injurie to the vylest bodie in the world And euen as the consait of men who are preferred begyles them euen so the opinion of the vyle estate of other men in their eyes begyles them How durst will they say such a vyle lowne or villaâ—e doe such a turne should I suffer such a wrong of such a raskall I shall wring my hands in his hart bloud
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
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
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
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
boast of thy will and reason If the Lord withdraw his hand from thy reason thou shalt be a plaine idiot thou shalt fall to filthie wickednesse So brethren these wordes are of great weight He sayes not that he prayed that he would keepe the Spirit but the whole spirit the soule but the whole soule the bodie but the whole bodie So we must not be keeped in the speciall parts but in the whole properties and inferior powers of the soule and body if the least haire of the head be not keeped by the Lord if the Lords prouidence extend not to the keeping of the smallest part of the bodie thou shalt not be able to stand Thinke not thou shalt stand except the Lord hold thee vp no growing but in God Therefore the Apostle sayes Thou that vvouldst glorie glorie in Christ 1. Corinth 1. chap. 31. verse He is our keeper and vve are not able to stand one moment of an houre vvithout his aide neyther in soule nor in bodie Now how long should we be keeped blamelesse He limits the tyme and sayes Vnto the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ Marke the tyme. Is it no longer but till Christ come againe No brethren euermore It is true our conferuation and perseuerance vses to be limited to Christs comming Paul 2. Tim. 4â— chap. 18. verse sayes God vvill keepe me to his heauenly kingdome that is vntill I enter in his heauenly kingdome Peter sayes 1. Epistle 1. chap. 5. verse We are keeped through the povver of God till the last tyme. I tell you the cause we are in greatest danger in this world infinite dangers are we in as it were hanging aboue Hell readie to fall downe euerie moment if the Lord hold vs not vp the deuill is seeking whom he may deuote and when we trow least then we are most suddenly assaulted by him Beside the deuill haue we nor this â—ankerd sin that is within vs Haue we not a this broad world about vs Haue we not the graue and death great enemies in their owne nature except the Lord sanctifie them Certainely they also would deuote vs except we were in Christ We are compast in this world about on euerie side with cruell enemies Therefore considering this dangerous estate the Scripture craues ay that we may be keeped vntill Christ come and then all enemies shall be slaine the deuill the worlde death and all shall be slaine Death shall die for euer This canker of nature shall be swallowed vp all our enemies shall be wreaked So our conseruation is craued vntill his comming but our conseruation shall not end then but euen in Heauen we shall be conserued by the hand of God for euer through Iesus Christ When thou commest to Heauen thou shalt not be thy selfe alone thou shalt not stand by the nature thou tooke of Adam nor by any power that is in thee no more nor a new borne childe can stand alone but when thou commest to Heauen thy standing shall be by Christ and God Then seeing all our conseruation and standing both heere and heereafter is by God we should rander all honor to his glorious Majestie for euer AMEN THE XXVII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 24 Faithfull is he vvhich calleth you vvhich also vvill doe it 25 Brethren pray for vs. 26 Greete all the brethren vvith an holy kisse 27 I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle he read vnto all the brethren the Saints 28 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be vvith you Amen WE haue in hand presently welbeloued in Iesus the conclusion vvhich is the last parte of this Epistle He begins it with a prayer crauing in his prayer euen that same thing hee had exhorted them to to vvitte holinesse sanctification continuance and perseuerance in holinesse and sanctification to the end and so acknowledging God to bee the giuer of that same very thing which he exhorted them to and that it lay not in their hands nor free will to will or doe any good but all stands in the hands of God who is the giuer of all grace He prayes that it would please God to giue them that grace he exhorted them to and he would stir them vp to seek that same grace at the hands of God for it is vanity to stryue to any grace without God And therefore as thou would do any thing pray to God to giue thee grace to doe it Let thy eye be euer on God and in the midst of the action when thou thinkst thou art best exercised craue grace of perseuerance for I assure thee he leaue thee in the best of thy action thou wilt fall backward Therefore there is such necessitie that the eye be euer on God that it is impossible to a man to do any thing that is good except his eye be euer on him begging grace and perseuerance in grace at his hands Now he goes forward and in the thinges that followes to the end of the chapter and Epistle there is such a varietie that euery thing here set downe is a seuerall heed of doctrine First he promises to them that same thing he had prayed for at God Then he maks a petition to them desiring them to pray for him Then to commend him to the brethren Then he adjures them that they read this Epistle to all the people And last he bids them fairewell recommending them to the grace of Christ Ye see what varitie of thing she hes I minde to be short in them seeing they are almost things common in euery Epistle making a choise of that I thinke best for our comfort and necessity Now he begins at the promise Faithfull is â—e vvhich calleth you vvhich also vvill doe it There is the promise The Apostle would say that that I pray God that he will grant you to wit he will preserue you in the end in faith that I am assured he will doe He will not leaue you vnto the tyme he perfite his worke begunne in you There is the promise Ye see first in this promise the prayes that he made immediatly before for them praying to God that he would preserue them in holinesse to the end is grounded vpon an assurance in the hart that God would grant that same thing which he prayed for to the Thessalonians Marke it And first learne concerning prayer All prayer for thinges heauenly and spirituall concerning the life to come I speak not of the worldly thinges ConfideÌ„ce in prayer but thinges heauenly and spirituall should arise on some certainty and assurance of the hart that God will grant to vs the things we aske Therefore Iames in his Epistle last chap. 15. verse he calles prayer the prayer of faith that is that ryses of faith and assurance in the hart that God will grant vs the thing we aske Iohn in his first Epistle last chap. 14. verse he joynes these two together confidence or assurance
thy hart but a contempt of the Gospel of the preachers of the Gospell But boast as thou wilt of the knowledge of Christ thou shalt finde if thou be impenitent in this pointe vengence shall light on thee Rebels to the Gospell and preaching thereof in earth rebels to Christ in the Heauen Think not when thou hungerst the Gospell out of the land by drawing away in thy â—lookes all the thing the Gospel should be sustained on that thou knowest God and Iesus Christ What matter of the hungring of the bodies of men in respect of the Gospell When thou closest the mouth of men so that for hunger they are not able to preach say not thou knowest Christ and loues the Gospell thou liest falslie WheÌ„ throgh thy gredines thou art an hinderer to the ministrie whom the Lord thrusts out to be dispensators of the foode to the soules of men thou hungerst the Gospell When thou doest this say not thou louest Christ Thou wilt say in that great day Lord where saw we thee hungring where saw we thee naked c. But the Lord then shall say What euer thou did to the Ministers of the Gospell thou did it to me thou stayed the planting and progresse of the Gospell throgh thy auarice O sacrilegious Abbot Bishop and Priour and the rest of that rable and ô ye rauening woolfes that deuoures the teinds to the prejudice of the plantation of this ministry and Gospel to the hungring of innumerable soules Look to this matter and tak vp your selues that the Lord meete you not in vengence looke to this at this tyme and with draw not the moyen whereby this Gospell may be propagated in the world I speak no more of this matter One day will show the trueth of these things Yet ere I leaue the words Marke further He is speaking of the godlie that were persecuted and he brings in the Lord Iesus rendring and yet he sayes not he shall render vengence to them that afflicted and troubled the godlie he speaks not of them that were afflicted But he sayes to them vvho obeyed not the Gospell of the Lord Iesus So he touches the groundes persecution and troubling of the saints rises euer on this ground rebellion to God rebellion to Christ no persecuter but a rebell to God a contemner of the Gospel of Christ be is a contemner of God and Christ And in the meane-tyme with this he comforts the persecuted Thessalonians they shall not escape trouble who hes troubled you because the Lord hes his entrest And therefore assure theâ— if there were no other thing but this rebelling against God and Christ of necessitie vengence must follow Trouble euer rises of misknowledge of God What matter of men in afflicting men they â—rebell against God and that rebelling shall not escape punishment Now in the next words he commes more particularly to the vengence To scaâ—se of these thinges oueâ— far it is but vaine curiositie Therefore it is expedient in these things to â—old fast the plaine words that we alter not to the one side nor to the other Curious spirites hes spoken much of this matter without any grounds It might haue bene asked What can this vengence be He answers and calles iâ— a perdition Then he cals it euerlasting perdition and wrack of the creature There are sundry sorts of vengences all vengences are not the vtter wrack of the creature for many men after punishment will get vp their heads againe and come throgh but after this punishment vtter wrack and perdition shall follow A beast when it dies and is feld it is wracked but looke the nature of this wrack it shall be euerlasting a wrack without an end a death without a death a death that shall neuer haue an end ay dying and neuer dead So first it shall be perdition and an vtter wrack and then neuer shall haue an end The hoâ—ling and vtter cry of the reprobat in Hell â— how dolorous is it But what matter of the extremity of it if it had an end but alas extremity without end of pain how dolorous is it Many wil neuer know this till they be shot in Hel Heauen and Hel is thoght mocking Many wil neuer know there is an Hel vntil they feele it in experience The Lord waken vs that once we may think of this Alas there is such a stupiditie in the hart of man that he can neuer beleue this So there the vengence a perdition and an endlesse perdition Now in one word He resolues this particular vengence in the own grounds there is first a perdition then an eternity of perdition In the next words he lets you see the groundes first of perdition and then of the eternitie thereof As to the perdition it selfe He sayes it commes from the face of God The wicked shall not see so soone the face of Iesus Christ the Iudge at that day but as soone they shall melt away as the waxe at the fire and as ye see the matter of melting is in the waxe it self so the matter of the melting of the wicked shall be in themselues But what matter if it had an end And therefore next he layes downe the ground of â—rernitie â—aine from the glory of the power of the infinite Iudge The power of the glorious Iudge is eternall infinit and endles the power of man hes an end He is a mighty monarch to day but to morrow euanishes his power lasts not But the power of the lord Iesus shal neuer hauean end and from once he begin to puâ— the finger of his power on the soule of the wicked they shall neuer be free of vengence It is a terrible thing to faâ—in the hands of an angry God from once he grip thee his hand shal neuer louse his power indures euer and therefore shall thy paine indure euer So ye that will thinke an endlesse paine cannot be lift vp your eyes and consider the eternitie of his power and infinitnes of God and then ye may see the great and euerlasting vengence that he hes to be poâ—red on the wicked and great and euerlasting mercy on them that pertaines to him in Christ The Lord giue vs eyes to see it euen for his Christs sake To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise for euer AMEN THE THIRD LECâ—TVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS â— THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 10. 11. 12. 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made marueilous in all them that beleue because our testimony towaryou was beleeued in that day 11 Wherefore vve also pray alvvayes for you that our God may make you vvorthie of his calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnes and the vvorke of saith vvith povver 12 That the name of the Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you 〈◊〉 in him according to the grace of our god of the Lord Iesus Christ THE last day ye heard brethren
The comming of the Lord shall be found effectual in that day to our recollection to the gathering and assembling of the whole elect vnto him The presence and the comming of Christ is euer effectuall to the meeting of the Saintes where he is there must be a meeting he cannot be his alone In the 24. of Matthevv 28. verse Christ sayes Where the â—arâ—on is the ther vvill the Egles resort So where Christ is there shall the elect resort He came no sooner in the world but some elect both Iew and Gentile resorted to him so that there was not a Church raised vp But at second comming there shall be another kinde of assemblie At that tyme all the elect from the foure quarters of the earth shall be gathered and neuer one shall be missed all shall be in that generall assemblie when the Lord shall come in that glorious day and that assembly shall be through the power and effectualnes of Christ At his comming there shall come a sweet smell from him that shall draw all the elect that euer was together vnto him Yet to insist These tvvo thinges are joyned together vvith great discretion He sayes not onely by the comming of the Lord but also by our assembling vnto him For if he had said by the comming of the Lord onely it had beene a great motiue to haue terrified vs For the speaking of Christs comming without any further consideration and mention of our lyfe and our assembling vnto him would rather terrifie thee nor comforte thee Therefore the vvicked desires neuer to heare of his comming for vvhen their consciences are vvakned they are terrified But when the godly heares that Christ shall come and that men shall be conjoyned to him and be partakers of his glory and that he shall not be glorified without them that is comfortable they neuer heare it without joy Therefore if euer thou would finde comfort at Christs comming looke that thou finde an assurance in thy hart that thou shalt be made partaker of his glory at his comming Further marke in this obtestation This vndoubted certainty of Christes comming and our assembling vnto him binds and oblises euery one of vs to beleue the trueth of the doctrine concerning his comming and to slee and eschew all false doctrine thereof As namely this pointe of false doctrine that stands in limitating and bounding his comming at a certaine tyme as they would say He will come in such an age in such a yeere such a day an houre all is false doctrine So I say the benefite of his comming and the glorie vve shall receyue at his comming bindes vs that vve beleeue nothing but the trueth in such sort that if we will beleue the trueth of his comming we shall be partakers of his glorie at his comming If we decline any thing from the trueth of the doctrine of his comming we shall hazard the glory which othervvayes we should haue This which I set downe vnto you in particulare concerning one Article of our faith is true in all the rest For there is not one blessing of God in Christ but it oblises vs to beleue the true doctrine concerning that blessing in such sort that if we will beleeue the truth concerning that blessing we shall be partakers of that blessing and if we beleue not the trueth spoken concerning that blessing we depryue our selues of that blessing To make it plaine The benefite of justification whereby we are justified before God onely by the bloude of Christ and his merite and not by the merites of men bindes vs to beleue the trueth of it in such sort that if we will beleeue and seeke justification in the bloud and merites of Christ onely we shall be justified If againe we refuse to vnderstand the true way of our justification and repose on our vvorkes vve hazard our justification In the 9. chapter to the Romans vers 31. 32. we reade the Iewes soght to be justified by the workes of the Law So does the Papists by their merites But vvhat came of it The Apostle sayes They attamed not to it And why Because they sought it not by faith but by the vvorkes of the Lavv. Ye see heere that peruerse and false opinion which the Iewes had concerning mans justification made them not to attaine to justification No more shalt thou be justified who will be justified by thy vaine workes The Prophet Esay saies Esay 64. 6 all our righteousnesse is lyke a menstruous clout scarcely to be looked on let be to be presented as a meane whereby to be justified by God if thou wilt seeke to be justified by thy works I denouÌ„ce to thee in the name of God that at that great day thou shalt finde thy self not to be justified The Lord giue vs grace to imbrace the trueth and the onely way of justification and saluation In the next verse he commes to the thing be requested them not to doe It is this that they should not suffer themselues to be deceyued as if Christes comming vvere at hand Novv for the better vnderstanding heereof I shall take vp this second verse in these three pointes First vve haue that thing which he requests them not to doe To wit That they be not suddenly moued in their mynde and be not suddenly troubled in one word that they suffer not themselues to be deceyued Then we haue the means which are thre in number by the which the false teachers vsed to deceyue them The first is by reuelation pretending falslie the reuelation of the spirit The second is by vvord or traditioÌ„ The third is by letter as it vver from him In the third place he sets down the Heresie which false teachers labored to perswad them to be true to witte that the day of the Lord was at hand Now to come back to the words In the beginning of the verse he sayes I request you that suddenly ye be not moued Consider the words and then he subjoynes nor yet troubled The first of these two respects the mynde next the hart mouing from the mynde respects the mynde trouble respects the hart for the hart and the affections are suddenly troubled Now by the mynde I vnderstand not euery minde for euerie man hes a minde an Heretike hes a minde an Idolater a minde but I vnderstand heere a sound minde and rightly informed and speciallie in this pointe of doctrine concerning Christs comming A minde that is inlightned not with the light of nature onely but also with the spirituall light of faith in Christ Now he requests them that they be not moued as it were a jaw of the sea for the word is borrowed And moued to what thing If the mouing be from a sound minde and informed by the light of Christ it must be to a minde that is without faith in Christ a minde peruerslie instructed without the light of God The maner is suddenly It is shame to be moued from that which is good but it is a greater
of the Spirit yea some of them hes pretended a reuelation to slay kings O but it is a false reuelation and it is not from Gods Spirit but from the Spirit of the deuill This is the first meane of deceyuing The next which hes euer troubled the world and broght men to madnesse is Traditions which the Papists extols so highly that they make them equall with the holy writ The last that hes made men madde is writtings that hes bene stolne in into the Church of God vnder the name of holinesse and yet written by wicked and profaine men Such as were the Gospels of Thomas Barthelmevv and Nicodemus and the Papists are full of such writtes bearing the names of men that neuer saw such paltrie So these three thinges hes made and makes men madde Now as these three makes men madde so there is one thing that keepes men in their myndes that is onely the Canonicall Scripture of the Olde and New Testament the writings of the Prophites and Apostles Keepe me the Scripture hold by it onely thou shalt be keeped in thy right minde and thou shalt haue an setled hart Trow therefore no spirits that is false reuelation of Spirits Trow nothing but that which is reueiled in the word for I lay thee this as a sure ground The Spirit of God will neuer reueale nor speake to thee any thing but that which is written in the olde and nevv Testament If any will come with a reuelation aske at him is that conteined in the Scripture Is it reueiled in the word Trow not these traditions and these vnwritten verities that is ascryued to the Apostles for vvith these the vvorld is deceyued Trow nothing but that which is in the word or may stand with the word And last as for writtes beleeue no writ but this writ which is conteined in the olde and new Testament and such as godlie men hes set dovvne agreeing vvith the olde and new Testament Keepe this ground of the Canonicall Scripture I assure thee thou shalt be keeped in thy minde and shall be reserued so till the glorious comming of the Lord Iesus Christ In the last parte of the verse The Heresie is set downe as though sayes he he day of Christs comming vver at hand Brethren it was an Heresie to say the comming of Christ was at hand Ye will wonder at thiâ— Sayes not Iames in his Epistle 5. chap. 8. verse The comming of the Lord dravves neare Sayes not Peter in his first Epistle chap. 4. verse 5. Christ is ready to iudge the quick and the dead and thereafter sayes he not The end of all thinges is at hand and are not these dayes called the last dayes Is not the Scripturefull of this and so is not the day of the Lord neare hand How count ye it an Heresie then to say The day of the Lord is at hand I answere There is a great difference betweene these two for these men who said the day of the Lord was instant prescryued a certaine and definite tyme to his comming at the least they thought that Christ should come in that age and generation wherein they were and so they bounded Christs comming till a certaine tyme. To say he will come in this yeere or that yeere in this age or that age it is Heresie These men went about to perswade the Thessalonians that the Lord Iesus should come in that age which was false and pernitions and that it was false experience teaches vs. There are past since that tyme sixtene ages that is sixteene hundreth yeere and yet they said then that the Lord should come in that age Againe it is pernitious and euill to limitate and bound Christs comming for if his comming be not in that age which they calculate it will fall out thât either the godly that would faine haue his comming for they sooke euer for it will faint and fall away through impatience or else it will make the people to think that this doctrine of Christs comming is but a fable They will say the tyme of Christs comming which they said was is by past and he is not come Therefore beware to prescryue to it a particulare tyme. Now I marke two pernitious Heresies in the new Testament concerning his comming One that prescryued a tyme and said Christ shall come shortly in such an age in such a yeere as in this place Another that said he shall neuer come 2. Peter chap. 3. vers 3. 4. Let vs prease therefore to holde vs by the trueth and keepe vs from these extremities that the deuill preases to draw vs to Now in the next verse and in the beginning thereof he repeats againe his request and that in few wordes Let no man deceiue you by any meanes It is the same thing which he said before but it is contracted in fewer words Now what needs this repetition and doubling ouer was it not eneugh to him to haue said once be not deceyued Brethren men can neuer beware eneugh of seducers and false teachers and therefore the watch-men can neuer ouer earnestly and oft eneugh warne them to beware of them And if I should stand vp from morne till night crying keepe you from deceyuers it will not be sufficient I speak not so oft as need craues Paul to the Philip chap. 3. verse 1. saies It greenetly me not to vvâ—â— to you the same things and for you it is a sure thing and then he subjoins Bevvare of dogs bevvare of euill vvorkers bevvare of the concision So I say we can neuer be earnest eneugh in warning you to beware of false teachers and namelie to beware of Papists for experience might haue teached vs within these few dayes what neede we haue to warne you to beware of Papistrie Now he sayes Let no man deceiue you that is be not deceiued with any man without exception of person in matters of Religion beleeue no man for his ranke Brethren experience teaches this daily The persons and authority of men deceiues many simple men The estimation of learning and dignitie deceiues many The Apostle knew this and therefore he sayes Let no man and againe he sayes he no meanes neither by this meane nor that meane as he excludes all persons so he excludes all the waies of deceit The waies of the deuill that he suggyres to false â—eachers to deceiue men by are infinite There is no end of his waies Hes he set one way failles that way he hes another way If that failles too he hes another and so forth without end So infinite are his waies to deceiue the godlie Therefore the Apostle knowing that the deuill hes many wayes to deceiue them forbids them to beleeue any of his meanes Now the argument whereby he deceiues them is all is deceite What euer be the person what euer be the way all is deceite Therefore be not deceiued There is such a great lose and domage in this one thing we call deceite that there is no other thing
that will vpset it The lose thou getst by deceite will neuer be vpset all the kings and doctors vnder Heauen will neuer set vp thy lose thou getst by defection Alas what hes that 〈◊〉 win when he hes win all the world and lost his soule by falling away from the trueth Now the Lord let euery man see that there is nothing comparable to this hurt of deceiuing What pleasure can thou haue of all the kingdomes of the world when thou hast a troubled hart and conscience when thou hast an vnquyet soule within thee Therfore as we say It is good to sleepe in a sound skinne Change not a setled minde and pacified hart with all the world and preferre a sound minde inlightned with the knowledge of Christ to all the honours and dignity in the world And because we are so vnstable mynded and so ready to alter that except we be surely anchored on Christ we shall be euer beatten away with euery light wind of false doctrine Therefore we haue to pray that our soules may be anchored by a sure faith on Christ The Lord therefore by his grace anchor our soules on Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise for euer AMEN THE FIFTH LEC TVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 34. for that day shal not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition 4 Which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is vvorshipped so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God shovving himselfe that he is God WELBELOVED brethren ye haue heard the request the Apostle makes in the beginning of this second chapter to the Thessalonians He requests and adjures them by the comming of the Lord Iesus and by our assembling vnto him at his comming that they suffer not themselues to bee deceyued or put by their mindes troubled in hart and affection especially in this head of doctrine that concernes the comming of the Lord in the latter day and that they should not be deceiued by false teachers who weÌ„t about to deceiue them in this point teaching that the day of the Lord is at hand he shall come incontinent ye shall be found aliue when he shall come This age and generation shall not be past when he shall come This pointe of false doctrine that these false teachers went about to perswade the Thessalonians and so to vnqiuet them held them ay in vexation of sprit and minde looking ay for Christs comming assuring them that he should come ere that presentage should end Now in this text the Apostle enters to a refutation of that false doctrine and he proues that the day of the Lord was not instant that the day of the Lord would not beat such a tyme that it should not fall out in that present age Now marke his reasons If the day of the Lord were instant then there should not bee an vniuersall Apostasie and defection from the faith of the Lord Iesus Christ before the day and comming of the Lord Vniuersal defection must goe before the Lords coÌ„ming For vvhy This Apostasie must craue a large space of tyme. Then he subjoines but so it is before that day shall come there shall be an vniuersall Apostasie and defection from the faith and trueth of Christ Iesus And so hee concludes Therefore it is not so as they say The day of the Lord is not instant and is not so neere hand as they goe about to perswade you Marke his reason The proposition and first part of the argument is not expressed in the text The next parte the assumption is sette dovvne in the text to witte The day of the Lord shall not bee before that an vniuersall defection be first Now before I come to the wordes take vp shortlie this one thing The Thessalonians to whom he wrytes being deceiued thought that incontinent Christ should come and that they should be rest to the Heauen with him and glorified from hand The Apostle to put them out of this consaite tels them ere they and the Church be rest vp to Heauen and glorified there that they shall suffer yet on the earth some trouble there shall be yet a great alteration and vexation in the Church of God Brethren mark it The battell must goe before the victory let none looke for the victory before he fight thou wilt not come sleeping to Heauen Thou must fight on earth ere thou come to glorie and ere thou triumph in Heauen thou must be victorious on earth throgh many tribulations we must enter in the kingdom of heauen This is that which the Apostle teaches the Thessalonians Novv to come to the vvordes of the text and to make this matter plaine we shall insist particularlie on euery word taking vp the meaning of Gods Spirite heere And first â—here occurres this vvord Apostasie which must be before the day of the Lordes comming This Apostasie is nothing but a falling avvay a flyding aback This Apostasie is not a particulare Apostasie or defection of this man or that man onely of any one person or any two or three persons onely But it is an vniuersal defection of multitudes of men and wemen in this world For the word ye see is generallie set downe in the text to be a departure without any restriction It is not said a departing of this man or that man but generallie a departing Therefore the Apostle must meane of a departing and falling away of multitudes and great multitudes Now all the question is what Apostasie meanes the Apostle of I am not ignorant how a great number of the olde Latine fathers in the Church vnderstandes this Apostasie to be meant of the defection of many Nations from the Empyre of Rome It is true indeede the Nations of the world fell away from the Romane Empyre But how well and rightly they vnderstood this Apostasie of that falling away from the Romane Empyre God knowes And it is a wonder that so many learned and quick spirited men should haue erred together in this pointe so long Indeede it is likly that when one of them fel in this error all the rest followed on in troupes without further discretion or judgement But I leaue them What Apostasie is this then that the Apostle meanes of heere I shall tell you It is an vniuersall defection not from an Emperour or earthly King but from the King of Heauen Iesus Christ and from his faith This agrees with the course of this text and with that which followes immediatly of the Antichrist the head of this Apostasie This agrees with the speaking of this same Apostle in sundry other places In the 1. Tim. chap. 4. verse 1. he foretels of this vniuersall defection from the faith The wordes are The spirit speakes euidently that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith and
trueth It is not thy eare in hearing of the word nor thy mouth in speaking well of it that will make thee a good receiuer of the trueth but it is the hart Looke there be an vnfained loue to the trueth in it and then hold vp thy eare and it will sinke in so sweetly in thy soule that thou shalt feede on it so joyfully as no tongue neither of man nor Angell can tell It is not the outward profession nor the outward receiuing if thou should sit a thousand yeeres hearing that will bring thee to life First thou must haue hart and soule disposed inwardly with an vnfained loue to God to Iesus Christ and his Gospell and then Heauen and earth shall got together ere thou perish An hart that loues Christ and this light shall neuer perish on the other part al the outward forme of doing the protestation subscription and the rest of these outward things shal not saue thee in the day of the Lord if there be not a peece of this loue in thy hart And so I end with this word 〈…〉 accursed be he that loues not Iesus Christ and his trueth And by the contrare blessed are they that loues Iesus Christ and his truth euen this word preached by this baâ—e ministrie and blessed shall they beforeuer To this Christ with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise for euer AMEN THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 11. 12. 13. 14. 11 And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes 12 That all they might bedâ—mned vvhich beleeued not the trueth 〈◊〉 had pleusure in vnrighteousnesse 13 But vve ought to giue thanks alvvay to God for you brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and the faith of trueth 14 Where-vnto he called you by our Gospell to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. THE dayes bygone beloued brethren in the Lord Iesus we haue heard a Prophecy of that uniuersall Apostasie that was to come and of the reueiling of the Antichrist who should be the head and ring-leader of this vniuersall Apostasie We heard of the Antichrist to be reueiled he is painted out and deferyued in his owne collours before he was reueiled euen as we see him this day For Paul could not haue set him out more viuely in his nature properties and actions if he had seene him nor he hes done in this Prophecie for he descryuos him euen as if he had seene him with his eyes He hes descryued him from his nature He shall be a man sayes he not a single man simplie but he meanes by this word one man a succession of men in one kingdome As for his properties he sayes he shall be a man of sinne and addicted slaue to sinne Next he shall be the sonne of perdition destinate to destruction and euerlasting perdition from al eternity As for his actions first in malice of his hart he shal oppone himselfe against all thing that is called God and is worshipped either in Heauen or in earth He shall oppone himselfe both against the Majestie of God in Heauen and against the majesties of Kings and Princes on earth Againe in pryde of his hart he shall lift himselfe aboue euery thing called God More in the pryde of hart he shall sit in the Temple of God as God in Gods seate vpon the consciences of men to control them which thing properly pertaines to God No creature hes power ouer the consciences of men it is proper to God onely More he shall showe himselfe in all his styles dignities and names as God He shall reaue these from God and shall cloath himselfe with them Last he is descryued from that effectualnesse and powerfull working which he shall receiue of Satan and which at his comming he shall haue in the harts of men partly by working wonders partly by false and fraudulent doctrine But in whom He sayes in them that perishes that is in them that are ordeined to destruction before the foundation of the world was laid in these he shall be powerfull they shall beleeue him in all that he does and sayes Then he sets down one cause of the perdition of these men in whom the Antichrist is and shall be effectuall To witte their owne merite and desert they will not receiue the loue of the trueth they contemne the light of the Gospell and therefore perish shall they God indeed hes decreed from all eternitie that they shall perish but before the decreete be put in execution their merite shall interuene and in tyme they shall contemne the trueth of God which shall procure that damnation to the which from all eternity they were predestinate In the first verse we read the Apostle showes by what order damnation and perdition shall follow vpon the contempt of the light of God in Iesus Christ Marke this Damnation shall not follow vpon the contempt of the trueth immediatly but something shal interueene first there shall follow one plague of God for he shall send vpon these men strange illusions that is he shall hound out the Antichrist with his effectualnesse and he comming with the effectualnesse of Satan shall deceiue them he shall blinde them as it were and put out their eyes What shall followe on that Being blinded they shall goe forwarde in their sinne and so goe downe toward Hell as it were by another steppe And as they contemned the light before so now being deceiued they shall embrace greedilie lies And what shall followe vpon this Embraceing lyes and vanities damnation shall ensue This is the meaning of this verse Then ye see a man is not shot in Hell at the first No when a man hes committed one sinne God will not put him in Hell at that same instant but he shall make him goe to Hell by degrees from steppe to steppe and from sinne to sinne in his just judgement he shall make him stop from a smaller sinne to a greater sinne and this he will doe by plaguing of him and inflicting on him either spiritual or temporall judgements and being beatten he will not amend No mark this A reprobate will neuer mend all the temporall judgements in the world will not better him but he will be ay worse and worse so that if he sinned before now being plagued he shal go to a greater sin and shal not make an end of sinning till he end in judgement Marke another thing here Ye see what the Antichrist is with all his force and effectualnesse his wonders and his doctrine whereby he is effectuall in them that perishes Is he without God trow ye No he is no other thing but a burrio sent from the Tribunal of God to plague the ingrate world as the king would send an hangman to hang a thiefe or murtherer God in his just judgement sends him to
execute justice vpon this ingrate world for the contempt of the light of the Gospell The Pope is Gods burrio whom God sendes for to plague this ingrate world for the contempt of the Gospell of Iesus Christ When this great vniuersal apostasie began the great Antichrist was sent by God to be the worker of it And brethren what trow ye is the cause of this trouble sent in our Church this day This high contempt of the light of the Gospel hes beene the cause and if we continue in this contempt troubles shall not leaue off This same Antichrist the Pope by his supposts shall make adoe amongst vs the Lord shall send an auenger to plague the soules of men that will not beleeue the Gospell Another thing marke here He sayes not that God shall suffer him and suffer strong illusions to be wrought by him but he sayes he shall send them he shal be an efficient a doer and a principall directer of this turne Then ye will aske Is God the author of euill I answere there are two sortes of euill there is one euill that they call the euill of a fault there is another euill that is called the euill of punishment according to that saying of the Prophet There is not one euill in the cittie that is there is no punishment in the cittie that the Lord doeth nor As to the euill of a fault in sinne he is not the author and worker of it but suffers it to be wrought by euill men And as to the other the Lord is the author of it as that saying of the Prophet before vttered by me witnesseth And therefore Hell as it is a punishment is ordeined by the Lord and so this place is to be vnderstood Who hardned the hart of Pharao Who giues vp men to a reprobate mind Is it not the Lord to punish their sinnes But I will not insist in this matter Lastly I note in this place that this plague the Apostle speaks of here is a blinding and deceiuing of the minde There are two powers of the soule the minde and the hart This plague is especially the plague of the minde I shall make this cleare to you There are two sortes of lightes in the minde there is a naturall light wherewith we are borne and ther is a supernaturall light which we get by the word and Spirit of Christ Now there is such a conjunction betweene these two that if a man when the supernaturall light is offered from Heauen refuse and contemne it looke what will follow The Lord from the Heauen in his just judgement shall pluck from him the naturall knowledge and set him vp blind in thinges naturall and common he shall pluck the common sense from him that is he shall render him ouer to a reprobate mynd without al judgement and discretion What shall follow then Then like a mad man he shall run here and there to fin he shall passe ouer the bounds of common honesty he shall leape ouer all the lawes of the second table he shall be a rebell to God and man he shall be a murtherer and a theefe and he shall follow all concupiscence in the world and as for the first Table which is concerning godlines he sets himself against He will be an Idolater an Heretike an Athist a man of no religion and all this commes of a reprobate mynde which is procured of Gods just judgement because that spirituall light was so contemned that he would not suffer it to be conjoyned with that naturall light Therefore when we see these lightmynded men and these that will be counted Lords and Peeres in the Land repyne to this glorious light of the Gospell take vp the judgement of God that lightes vpon them The Lord suffers them to passe the bounds of common honestie they are wrapped vp in a reprobat sense Count no more of them then of madde men whom the Lord in justice shall confound for euer No if they were here I would say they were mad men running headlong vnder the vengence of God to destruction The Lord giue them eyes to see this and harts to vnderstand that they may be reclaimed from this fearce wrath of the Lord. They want both naturall wit and supernaturall for he that will not suffer this light of the Gospell to be conjoyned with this natural light he hes no wit at all he is a madde bodie he will not care to doe whatsoeuer euill he may both to himselfe and others The Lord saue vs from this sort of men In the verse that followes first we haue the effect that ensues vpon this sinne of beleeuing of lies vpon the first sinne the contemning of the trueth followes the next sin of beleeuing errors and lies vpon this sin againe followes judgement and indignation that they may be condemned sayes he In the next part of the verse he repeats the two sinnes vpon the which damnation proceeds the first is insidelitie vvho beleeued not the trueth the second is beleeuing of lies and vntruth and all maner of vnrighteousnesse He joynes these two together not beleeuing the trueth and beleeuing lies and they go together necessarly for if thou beleeue not the trueth of necessity thou shalt beleue vntrueth If thy hart repose not on God and his trueth of necessity thy hart shall repose on the deuill and vntruth the hart cannot want some faith Thou must haue some faith and something to put thy confidence in â—shal make this plaine The hart of the creature cannot stand alone but especially the hart of the sinfull man cannot stand vp except it haue a leaning-stock or prop to vphold it The harts of all the kings of the earth cannot stand alone but they must repose on something MaÌ„shart must eyther stand on God or on Satan for this is the difference betweene God and the creature God will stand him alone he needes not a foundation or leaning stock as the creature needes for it must lean euer on something or else it is impossible to it to stand Now there are two thinges whereon man reposes either man reposes himself on God his truth or else on the deuil his falshood If thou leanst not on God on Iesus Christ and his Gospel of necessity thy confidence shal be on Satan the Antichrist vanities lies and falshood Wel then when thou hast leand thee ouer on Satan and lies thou wilt stand no longer nor does vanities and lies yea nor the deuill will stand and he will not stand ay albeit he haue strength for a time yet he and vanity and lies shal fal downe and thou shalt fal downe with them for if thou be found leaning on lies and on the Antichrist thou shalt perish with them The word he vses is to be marked He sayes not they that beleued lies but they that had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Euen as we see and finde by experience reposing on God and his trueth is with a joy of the soule So when a
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
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
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
care should be had of the bodie Now to come to the last verse Yet sayes he count him not as an enemie but admonishe him as a brother In this verse we haue a kinde of mitigation and tempering of the rigour and seueritie of Excommunication for brethren if Excommunication had the ovvne force in any man the stroke of Excommunication would be the sorest stroke that euer one felt Read 2. Cor. 2. 7. Excommunication threw the incestuous person in such an heauy displesure that his soule vvas almost svvallovved vp vvith in him for when once the soule is casten in an heigh displeasure which is the effect of Excommunication then the deuill is readie to bring that man to dispare Therefore he sayes here verse 7. Forgiue him and comfort him for vve are not ignorant of the enterprises of Satan It is marueilous that sin blinds men so that many cares no more to be excommunicate then if excommunication wer the lightest thing in the world There is such a deadnes and senslesnes in the harts of men that there is no displeasure now for sin but rather a delite and rejoycing in it Certainely the lesse sense of the sharpnesse of that sword of Excommunication the greater miserie If there were any displeasure for sinne in thee it were an argument that there were helpe for thee but if thou byde senslesse at that ordinance of God if thou be hardned against the word and discipline both shall turne to thy destruction But when God is powerfull with in thee with it for as God is powerfull with the Word so is he powerfull by the Discipline then it shall turne to thy well and saluation Therefore seeing there is such a force in it mitigation is verie meete for it Now here the way how it is mitigate Count him not as an enemie The next admonish him as a brother The first of these touches the inward thought the second concernes thy outward speaking to him The first is lose not a good opinion of him hate him not lightly him not as thogh he wer a conjurde enemie against Christ and his Church but loue him lose not the loue in thy hart towards him but loue him as a brother Now louing him in thy hart speak to him also think him not vnworthie of any speaking but flatter him not in his folie and humor for that will hurt him for if thou loue him thou wilt not nor thou ought not to flatter him But I tell thee what thou shalt doe admonishe him both sharply and louingly true admonition commes from the loue of the hart and whom we loue we admonish but yet admonition must be so louing that it must be sharpe also and so it is effectuall in the hart of the sinner Now louing him first and admonishing him next is the way to win him and to bring him home againe who hes gone astray And if he be curable certainely admonition will doe the turne if admonition will not doe the turne nor will not mooue him alas brethren it is ouer sure an argument that that man is vncurable and that the Lord hes not ordeinde him for saluation If the Gospell be hid it is hid to them that perishes sayes the Apostle 2. Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospell will not worke it is ouer sure an argument of perdition vvherevnto long before they vvere ordeined as Iude sayes 4. vers Therefore let a man suspect himselfe when he is admonished and obeyes not and let him say shall I be for damnation The Lord saue me and mollifie my stony hart that I may giue obedience to the word well giue obedience to wholesome admonition that by man is giuen thee out of the word of God as thou would haue a sure warrand thou art of the number of those that are appointed to saluation Marke againe Nature and vse of Excōmunication He will not haue him called an enemie but a brother This lets vs see the nature and vse of Excommunication of a brother it makes not an enemie he is now a brother ere he be Excommunicate and being Excommunicate he remaines a brother That which was a member of Iesus Christ before Excommunication makes it not altogether to perishe neither cuts it so the rotten member from the bodie that it shall haue no more adoe with the bodie of a sheepe it makes not a goate that is not the vse of it of a christian it makes not an vnchristian he keeps his name It shoots him not out of the Couenant of grace God forbid but he standes in the bonde being Excommunicate What does it then I shall tell you A man that hes fallen from Christ by sinne which seueres thee from Christ it bindes him againe it bringes him in repentance and calles him home againe being wandring from God it holdes him within the Couenant A man going to be an enemie to Christ and his Church it straits him to byde still a brother So it does him no euill it is not ordeined for his perdition but for his well and saluation This whole ministrie of Iesus Christ and all the parts of it Preaching and Discipline promises and consolation and threatning of judgement al the parts of Discipline yea this Excommunication it selfe are al ordeined to saue soules that is the proper vse of the ministrie to saue all and neuer to lose one man Therefore in the 2. Cor. 10. 8. Paul sayes that he got povver to edification and not to destruction Neuer Minister got power to destroy one bodie but to edifie and if any perishe if the Word or Discipline be the sauor of death to death as to many it is let him not blame the word but let him blame himself For men by their obstinacy and malice turnes the word maliciously in an vnproper vse to their destruction and of the Spirit of life they make it the letter of death Therefore the Lord keepe vs from al slubbornnes and all repying against this Word and Discipline for I assure thee repine thou against the Gospel and Discipline which should be the power of life to thee it shall kill thee thou shalt not need another to kill thee euerlastingly And therefore the Lord grant euerie soule submission vnder the word of God which is the meane that he hes ordeind to saluation in Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and holy Spirit be al praise for euer AMEN THE FOVRTENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 16. 17. 18. 16 Novv the Lord of peace giue you peace alvvayes by all meanes The Lord be vvith you all 17 The salutation of me Paul vvith my ovvvne hand vvhich is the token in euery Epistle so I vvryte 18 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be vvith you all Amen IN this text brethren we haue the end and conclusion of this Epistle it consistes wholly in prayer First he wishes peace to them from the Lord of peace for euer euery way Then he wishes to
be vvith them in his grace and vertevv but also that he may be vvith them in his ovvne presence and person vvhich is more then the first Then thou must not be content to pray for the benefites of Christ but the cheefe ihing vve ought to pray for to Christ is Lord giue me thy selfe giue me thy presence in thy ovvne person for if vve get any good of him it must be by himselfe he must giue himselfe to vs. In one vvord the first conjunction vve must haue vvith him must be vvith his ovvne person he must be our head and vve the members of his bodie My hand vvill not be the better of any povver or vertue in my head if my hand be not joined with my head the first thing then my hand must haue must be a conjunction with the head and so of the rest of the members of the body and then the conjunction being made vvith the head the vertue goes down from the head and is scatred throgh al the mēbers of the body It is euen so with Christ Iesus before we get grace or lyfe out of him motion spirituall out of hi peace out of him he is full of grace first that sweet conjunction must be made betvveene him and vs he must be conjoined vvith vs in a more strate conjunction then the mēbers vvith the head And therefore he goes to the ground of all peace the Lord Iesus that he may stand vvith them and they may be conjoined with him their head Now he prayes for this presence to them all not to one member to tvvo or three but to all and euerie one of them Then marke The Lord Iesus is a sufficient head and Sauiour for all the vvorld none being excepted all sufficiencie is in him he may serue to be the head to all the vvorld yea to a thousand vvorldes his presence is so ample that he may suffice to be a Sauiour to a thousand vvorldes yea to an infinite number of vvorldes Paul knevv this that he is not like an earthlie king vvhose presence serues but for so many and is contained vvithin narrow bounds and therefore he prayes for peace to all Now if thy head and Sauiour be so ample thy hart should not be narrovve nor thy mouth narrovve but as Iesus is a sufficient head for all so let thy hart desire his presence to all the vvorld if so it should be possible And as for my selfe I vvishe there vvere none but that they vvere partakers of this presence of Iesus Christ For vvhy should vve seeke the vvreak of any creature yet the Lord hes his ovvne and none vvill get his presence but they that are his O vvell is that bodie vvho is predestinate to lyfe for that bodie must haue his presence he vvill be an head and Sauiour to him But that body that is predestinat to destruction cannot haue his presence yet vve are bound to vvish his presence to euery one Novv he commes to the salutation and sayes The salutation of me Paul vvith my ovvne hand Then he subjoines the forme of it The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. He began vvith a salutation after his common forme and novv he ends vvith a salutation His first meeting vvith them vvas by a salutation the end of his conference is by a salutation Then looke vvhat example of his doing should learne vs for as vve are bound to obey the doctrine of the Prophets so we are bound to follow their fashion of doing Paul saluted salute thou The thing then I note here is this In all the meetinges and conferences of the faithfull either by vvord presence or vvritte there should be a mutuall beneuolence and an intere loue and affection that as ye see the bodies of men meete together so the harts may meete together joyned in kyndnesse and beneuolence Wilt thou meet in bodie and hold thy hart aback that is vvilt thou haue the half man meeting and not the whole man That is no meeting for the meeting should be of the vvhole man bodie and hart and this should be vttered all maner of vvay in thy gesture in thy doing salutatiōs of christians would be testimonies of their loue in thy speaking and all the vvordes of thy conference should smell of loue Among all other thinges that testifies of loue this salutation is one when thou bidst him good morrowe good night it is a testification of thy well willingnes and of thy loue towards the man and this hes bene the forme of the godly their meeting hes bene with a salutation and their sending with a salutation that if they could not haue a byding together here by their mutuall saluation they might abyde together for all the members that are true members in Iesus Christ are joyned together in their spirits harts and affections this exemple we should followe This maner of doing nowadayes is counterfaite Men will seeme to salute other gladly and yet the harts will be wishing the worst in harts they are enemies to other and so commonly al their doings becking and off-cap and good dayes both all their words and deeds are fained Looke therefore what euer thou doe doe it in sinceritie for the Lord heares and sees all and if thou doe fainedly the Lord shall judge thee for it in that day He sayes he wrote this saluation vvith his ovvne hand The whole Epistle before Paul hes dyted and appearantly another hes written it Now when it commes to the subscription Paul subscryues it with his owne hand Now wherefore was this The cause appeares to be that before this tyme there raise vp deceiuers that stole in wrytings vnder the name of Paul as appeares in the 2. chap. 2. verse be not deceiued sayes he c. And therefore to let them know what was his and what was not his he subscryues with his own hand This hes bene an old practick of Satan euer to corrupt Christs Church both by word and counterfaiting of writte and all maner of way and this same day we see the experience of it in the Romane Church Satan by 〈◊〉 instrumēts coūterfaits holy vvrits Now to the end that false writtes may be trowed the better looke the craft of the deuill he hes in his instruments stollen in bookes written vnder the name of Prophets and Apostles to the intent that the people reading the name of a Prophete or Apostle should giue credite to the writ Papistrie is full of deceite and the cheefe grounds of their doctrine is Apocryphe-books which hes bene stollen in vnder the names of holy men Now looke what hes beene the mercy of God he sees this well eneugh Therefore it pleased him to imprint a marke in his holy writte whereby it should be knowne to be authentike Scripture as in this place he subscryues with his owne hand which was not without the prouidence of God for there is not a part of Scripture but the Lord hes stamped it with such a sure
LECTVRES VPON THE FIRST AND SECOND EPISTLES OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS Preached by that faithfull seruant of God M. ROBERT ROLLOCK some-tyme Minister of the Euangell of Iesus Christ and Rector of the Colledge in EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT CHARTERIS Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie An. Dom. M. D. C. VI. Cum Priuilegio Regiae Majestatis TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL THEIR MOST LOVING FRIEND IN THE LORD MAISTER VVILLIAM SCOT OF ELY grace in this life and euerlasting glorie in the lyfe to come ALL knowledge and all sciences inuented by the wise men of this world without the knowledge of IESVS CHRIST by whom remission of sinnes is obtained to the miserable soule are but vaine and vnprofitable The Apostle reckoning out his prerogatiues Philip. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. which were many counts them all in respect of the excellency and knovvledge of Christ Iesus to be but losse and dung Euen so it is with all sciences if they be seuered from the knowledge of Iesus Christ in the Gospell For what auailes it a man to knowe the height of the Heauens the courses of the Starres the breadth of the earth if in the mean-tyme his conscience accuse him for his sinnes to be vnworthie both of Heauen and earth What auailes it a man to seeke by Physick to prolong afraile temporall life to the bodie if his conscience tell him in the mean-tyme that his soule shall perish for euer What auailes it a man to brag of the knowledge of the Lawe if his conscience accuse him to be most vnjust and worthie of eternal damnation In these and such like things the wise men of this world doe glorie and yet they make not the soule the better The knowledge of Iesus Christ in the Gospell is the onely knowledge that preserues the soule and makes it to liue for euer Ioh. 5. 39 as our Sauiour sayes Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall lyfe Ioh. 17. 3 and they are they vvhich testifie of me And againe This is life eternall that they knovv thee to be the onely verie God and vvhom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Then this science is to be sought praised and preferred to all others in all respects Look how highly PAVL commends it 1. Cor. 2. 6. 7. 8. 9. Wespeake sayes he vvisdome among them that are perfite Not the vvisdome of this vvorld neither of the Princes of this vvorld vvhich come to nought But vve speake the vvisdome of God in a misterie euen the hid vvisdome vvhich God had determined before the vvorld vnto our glory Which none of the Princes of this World hath knovvne for had they knovvne it they vvould not haue crucified the Lord of glory But as it is vvritten the things vvhich eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans hart are vvhich God hath prepared for them that loue him But God hath reueiled thē vnto vs by his Spirit Other sciences were inuented by men but God himselfe is the Author of this science he reueiled it Other sciences are all inuented in tyme but this science is before all tyme from all eternitie other sciences handles things corruptible and changeable the knoweledge whereof albeit it be pleasant and profitable for this present life yet it cannot reforme the soule to eternall life for all their vertue is but the couerture of vyce but this science settes out and reueiles to a broken harted sinner a fauorable and reconciled God in Iesus who is aduantage both in life and death and in whom the heigh and wonderfull things of God and all things that the soule of man can require for grace or glory pertaining either to this or to that other life Col. 2. 3. 9 10. is contained For in him are hid all the treasures of vvisdome and knovvledge in him dvvelleth all the fulnesse of the god-head bodily Now this pretious treasure the Lord hes committed to earthen vessels he hes set in his seruice base and contemptible persons to carie the message of reconciliation and to proclame to weary and loaden sinners the glade tydings of saluation he sendes out simple men to manure his husbandrie he sends them out as souldiers to that spirituall warfare vvith vveapons that are not carnall 2. Cor. 10 4. 5. but mightie through God to cast dovvne holdes to cast dovvne imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knovvledge of God and to bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ. Whom for the message they carie the Gospel they preach the word of life they offer that hid treasure that is committed to them the Lord craues we should haue in singulare account honour and loue And indeed if we had the sight of the fearcenesse of that eternall wrath of God for sinne it could not be possible but we would say O hovv bevvtifull are the feete of them vvhich bring glade tydinges of peace Rom. 18. 15. and bring glade tydinges of good things We cannot honour loue and highly esteeme of the Maister and respect the Gospell if we hate and contemne the seruant and messenger And if we loue our parents of whom we haue nothing but misery who hes conceiued vs in sinne nurirished and trained vs vp in sin and who by nature makes vs aires of wrath and hell for that vvhich is borne of the flesh is flesh Ioh. 3. 6. O how excedinglie should we loue these whom God makes instruments of our regeneration to beget vs to God to make vs his sonnes and to translate vs from darknesse to light from miserie to felicitie from death to life from hell to heauen And yet this vnworthie world neuer duely accounts of them but of all men they hate most malitiouslie the true seruants of Iesus Christ And to passe by other ages and Countries the Lord of the haruest stryuing against our ingratitude hes sent out from tyme to tyme into this Land sundry painfull laborers and faithfull preachers of the Gospell who preased in all respectes to approue themselues to God to a good conscience and to the consciences of so many as beleeued of whom the world was not worthie Among the rest whom God did bewtifie with singulare graces the Lord in the person of M. ROBERT ROLLOCK that faithfull and reuerent seruant of Iesus Christ gaue vs no sober token of his loue For we cannot tell if vpon any almest in this Land the Lord bestowed greater aboundance and varietie of graces of his Spirite if in any there was a more spirituall and heauenly soule if any spared themselues lesse and vndertooke greater paines that they might be found faithfull and finishe their course with joye if any preased more to approue themselues to God and a good conscience then he O what and how many giftes and graces were in the person of that man in conceiuing he was quick in judgement solide he vttered the Word with great libertie he preached with euidence
and demonstration of the Spirit and power in opening vp of the text and raising groundes of doctrine he had a speciall grace in teaching he was cleare and sententious in conuincing powerfull in exhorting earnest and pithie in correcting vehement who for graces being in account and honoured was more humble rara virtw humilitas honorata who being prouoked was lesse vindictine who preased more to keepe the chaire of Veritie cleane from corrupt passions that the word of God might haue free passage and be glorified Who sought the world lesse Who estemed lesse of these earthly thinges For he behaued himselfe as a faithfull seruant of God not seeking himselfe but Iesus Christ as a pilgrime heere yea and crucified to the world for knowing that here he had no continuing cittie he sought for one to come he had his conuersation in heauen from whence he looked for Iesus Christ his Sauiour to come And hauing liued such an holy life to the glorie of God there followed a most sweete and comfortable death in Iesus whom he counted alwayes to be his aduantage Reuel â—word 13. And blessed are they that dies in Iesus for they rest from their labours and their vvorkes follovv them O how great a wound did the church receiue by the losing of such a meÌ„ber Experience teaches vs this day when there is such distraction of harts in the Church what inlack we haue of this man whose labours in the like dayes and cases the Lord while he liued blessed wonderfully His life preached his death preached to the world Many one who heard him found in experience that he ranne not vnsent For he laboured not in vaine 1. Tim. 3. 2. c. but the grace of God was powerfull in him and by him to many Finally he as a viue exemplar represented to vs such qualities and conditions as the Spirite of God requires to be in a Bishop of Iesus Christ Tuâ— 7. 8 Put why insist we to speake to you Sir of this man who was wel knowne almost to all but most interely to you Neither was he steadable to the faithfull that heard him by his vine voice onely in his life preaching but also his workes yet teaches the posteritie For his learned and judicious writtings left behind him in latine hes acquired to him a famous name and reuerend account among the learned in sundry nations who professe that therby no smal edification redounds to the Church of God And therefore seeing that God did accompany his forme of teaching so powerfully with his spirit and made it so profitable we haue thoght meet to set out these his Lectures vpon the two Epistles to the Thessalonians that not only the simple may be instructed thereby but also the teachers may know and imitate his gratious forme of teaching as likewise because the other Sermons that were before imprinted hes bene receiued with great lyking by the humble and such as desire to be edified Now Sir whereas others in such cases vses to say that they were aduising as doubtsome to whose patronage they should recommend their worke we heerein are releeued of this care we need no deliberation for to whom in all respects can it belong but to you First in respect of that inteere and exceeding loue and familiaritie that was betweene you and the Author heereof For from once by his preaching the Lord wroght in your hart all who knew M. ROLLOCK knew also how ye loued him delyted in his companie and conference set your selfe in all thinges to pleasure him what testimonies of true loue and vnfained kindnesse ye would haue vttered to him how freely for the loue of Iesus ye would haue communicate to him temporall thinges if that man who was so well content with that he had could haue suffered you and had not stayed the course of your liberalitie Also when that last messenger and fore-runner of death did sease vpon his fraile and weakned bodie few are ignorant how carefull ye were for his greater ease to haue him transported to your owne house How liberallie ye and your bed-fellow whose praise ought not nor shall not be buried in obliuion bestowed on him all thinges necessare and commodious how chearefully ye receiued and intertained for his cause all them that came to visite him and what great benefite ye counted the Lord bestowed on you in that he offered the occasion which long ye wished to showe your liberalitie in temporall thinges towardes such a rate vessell of mercie and faithfull seruant of Iesus from whom he had receiued so many spirituall thinges Againe who is ignorant what affection and kyndnesse ye haue vttered and daily vtters towardes his relict and posthume for his cause yea and towardes all these who loued him in Christ Next to passe by that M. ROLLOCK in testimonie of his loue dedicate to you his commentare in Latine on the second of these Epistles as also that in his Testament he ordeined that all his bookes which he left to be printed after his decease should be dedicate to you and come out vnder your name and patrocinie that whosoeuer gote commoditie thereof next after God might giue the honour and thankes vnto you after a speciall sort this worke requyres your patronage For throgh your care moyen and expenses these Lectnres were collected and gathered from the handes of these who wraite them from his mouth by your moyen and procurement they were reuised corrected and made apt for the printing by your meanes they now see the light which they had neuer seene but had bene buried in darknesse if the Lord had not made you an instrument to publishe them Last if that the paines which hath bene taine in reuising correcting and making them apt for the printing might yeelde any right to make choise of a patrone to this work we would not nor could not offer it to any but to you Sir not onely because of the vndeserued loue and kyndnesse ye vtter daily towardes vs yea and towardes all the seruants of Christ both publikly and priuily as they themselues doe testifie but also in respect ye were the Author to mooue vs to vndertake such traueiles Indeeed such a propine is farre inferior either to your desertes or our desire and therefore we present it not so much thinking thereby to discharge and satisfie the debt as to acknowledge our obligation to you and to be a testimonie of our thankfulnesse For these causes Sir we desire you to receiue this work in your patronage and protection to defend it from the speaches of such as hes not learned yet to speake well of any person or their workes For we are not ignorant how much and oft they who set forth other mens works vse to be subject to the sharpe censure of men and how little thankes commonly either they get or may looke for of many so that few would be found to take trauaile in them except they were rather moued through the loue of the glorie