the waues of the sea dashed on them they shoulde stand fast in the faith of Christ Brethren all this worlde is full of tentations the diuell blowes and all his impes are euer blovving and raising a storme it is a stormie world and all the thuds light on the sillie creature Alas if we knevv the stumbering estate we stand into vvhat tentations are to assaile vs the windes of tentation from the East West North South all meeting aduersitie on one side prosperitie on the other side all meeting to dravve thee from Christ What remedie can be sought of this wofull estate we stand in by nature if we stand not in grace vve shall cursse the tyme that euer vve vvere borne and liued in this vvorld The remedie is Stablishing What remedie for a ship when windes blovv Stablishing And hovv shall the heart be established How is the ship made sure By casting the ankor in the sea the ankor of the soule is faith and hope thou must then cast it vpon Christ Cast it not down in the sand but vpward through the vaill to Iesus the sure ground of it and then all the windes how beit they may shake thee yet they shall not seuere thee from him Then where shall we get this ankor faith Faith is by hearing as is said Rom. 10. 17. Thou must hold to thy eare or else thou shalt be blowne away Hearing is by preaching So all resolves in this same ministrie the preaching of this glorious Gospell of the blessed God let this ministrie be heard and thou shalt get faith getting faith the ankor of the soule thou shalt stand fast and shalt not be thrust from the Rock Christ But cast away preaching as euer a ship was tossed to and fro vntill she perishe thou shalt be tossed vntill thou perishe euerlastinglie Now to go forward in the second part of the text in which he exhorts them patientlie to beare affliction And so he falles from the last purpose and goes to the former patience in affliction Sand fast be patient taken in patience what euer is laide on thee the reason isâ— because vve are appointed to affliction As God hes appointed vs in the vvoulde and ordained vs for glorie in the life to come so as certainelie hes he appointed vs to suffer in the meane time that by ignominie and crosses we may passe to glorie Heare this and looke the vvay to heauen that by ignominie tribulation vexation and affliction thou must come to heauen our place of long rest The Lord hes ordained this therfore beare it patiently Ther is the forme of the argument learne then It is of the will and decree of God from all eternitie that the creature shold suffer in this life Gods vvil that vve suffer in this life shoulde be reuereÌ„ced in one mesure or other TheÌ„ againe the creature should haue such reuerence to Gods will that when it thinkes that it is the will of God it should suffer it make no whispering but stoup there Paul Rom. 9. 20. speaking of the indured reprobate anent the induration reprobation and condemnation He teaches them that the reprobates when they are tolde it is Gods will that they shoulde goe to Hell their mouth should be shut vp that they querrell not the Lord. And he sayes in anger What art thou that vvhispers against God's vvill the put stand vp and speake to the potter that made it and say vvhy hast thou made me a veshell of dishonow No more should thou reprobate stand vp and say to thy maker why hast thou made me a reprobate o that reuerence we should haue to that blessed will and albeit the reprobates speakes now against Gods wil yet at last in the end their mouth shal be closde they shal not haue one word to say against the wil of God but in Hel shall be compelled to reuerence that solide will of God Now if the reprobate should reuerence this holie will of God then who art chosen of God and art afflicted for thy owne well for it is for thy sanctification and knowing well that there is a glorious prospect to thee therein wilt thou not reuerence Gods wil wilt thou not reuerence it vnder such a little burdene the momentâ—neall lightnesse of affliction when the reprobate shall doe it in such paine All is to this end That euerie onely with patience vnder Gods hand in affliction vntill the tyme come the Lord releeue them Necessary of afflictioÌ„ Then ye see heere a great necessitie of afflictions suffer must we Paul sayes we are appointed to suffer before al time Peter sayes we are called to suffer in time 1. Epist 2. 21. So when the Lord calles thee to glorie he calles thee by suffering and he sayes Come to the torment and sworde and sire and so by that way thou must euter in glorie Christ our head entred by the crosse to glorie so must thou Well then knowing this necessitie what should we do then Make vs for patience and ay prepare vs in the morning at euening at our meate and ay cry The Lord prepare vs for suffring I am going out I knowe not what shall befall me before my comming in Lord conduct me in this miserable life that I may raigne vvith thee I knowe there is nothing but trouble in this life in trouble Lord comfort me and conduct me while I raigne with thee and rest from all troubles This should be our daylie prayer Alas the vanities of this worlde so ouerrunnes our eyes that we can not see the tottering estate we are in There is no ankoring but in Christ The Lord oppin our eyes to see this more and more Now one word on the next argument the second argument is from the forewarning of the Apostle For the first time vve vvere vvith you vve tolde you vve should all suffer The Gospell can not be without affliction for affliction is an vnseparable companion thereof and therefore I tolde you before that ye might be patient It is a common prouerbe Once warned halfe armed an euill that is foreseene to come ere it light will hurt the lesse when it comes not to vs contrair our expectation vve will take it in better part but this euill that lights on a man sudainlie contrair his expectation ô it is a sore and heauie trouble and will make him to shake When a man is crying peace and thinkes all sure then saies the Apostle 1. Thess 3. 5. when the trouble ouertakes him vpon a sodainetie vvhat shall be his dolour His dolour shall be like to a vvomans trauailing in child-birth which is compared to the paine of hell for the exceeding fiercenesse and sharpnesse The Apostle knowing this vvhere euer he came to preache the Gospell of Christ vvith the Gospell he preached affliction and he did euer say O people prepare you for suffering thinke not but yee shall suffer that beeing forewarned they should not stoupe and let afliction passe ouer them Affliction foretolde
He sayes all this joy is before God All ioy in the face of Iesus all the joy that the heart conceyues is in the sight of God and in his presence it is all in the sight of christ No libertie sayes Paul but when the heart is turned to God and laid oppin to him 1. Cor. 3. 16. 17. No no light of the knowledge of the glorie of God but in the face of Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 46. No sacretie of joy but in his countenance sayes Daâ—â—d Psal 16. 11. And Peter in his 1. Epist 7. 8. sayes that beleeuing in Iesus and keeping him in our presence vve reioyce vvith a ioy vnspeak 〈◊〉 and glorious So no joye for thee except thy eye be fixt in some measure on the face of Iesus Looke not for it turne thou thy back to him and thy face from him no joy for thee if thou were all the Monarches in the earth No no joye peace nor tranquillitie of conscience but in the face of God And therfore who euer would haue joy and rejoyce and be glad in heart in this world let him cast an eye on Christ and be humelie with him for his face is joyfull And what is all this joy we conceyue in heart but as little sparkles of the plenitude and fulnesse of that heauenlie joy in Christ all proceedes as blenks from it Experience teaches vs that neither by day nor night can the soule rejoyce but when it hes the presence of the liuing God in the face of Christ for there is no sight of him but in Christ Now last I gather of all this He can not thanke the Lord eneugh for their perseuerance Then all perseuerance in faith and loue comes of God if thanks must be giuen to God for it of necessitie it must follow that God is the giuer of it and therefore it is a vaine tale to say that mans perseuerance is in his owne hand he has a free will he may stand if he will he may fall if he will All is vanitie all our standing is onelie in God if he holde vs in his hand we shall stand if he pull away his hand we shall fal therefore seeke at God that we may stand and perseuere for without him we shal not stand one moment euerie one who stands is bound to praise him who is the author of all perseuerance So brethren by Pauls example a Pastor when he sees his flock perseuere in the faith of Christ aboue all men he is bound to praise God Now to the next verse shortlie As he hes showen he thanked God for that grace they haue gotten and the joy he had conceiued of it so he addes to and showes that as he thanked he prayed and asked more Prayed how long Night and day After what maner Excedinglie vvith all feruenâ—â—e To whom praâ—es lie to God the Father and his Sonne Christ. What prayed he that he night see their face And to what end haâ— he might accomplish that vvhich is looking in their faith That is the effect of his prayer So the Apostle vvould haue prayer continualie joyâ—ed with thankes-giuing And there is not so great matter of thankes-giuing for the grace which is receiued and for the joy that ryâ—es of the grace Prayer should be ioyned vvith thankesgiuing but yet there rests great neede to seeke more grace and more joy So long as we liue heere there is ay a want and inlaâ—k in the best liuer in this world Faith is not perfite heere Regâ—nerat on newnes of life is not perfite heere no perfection in this life and they who haue come farthest toward that glorious face of God yet they are farre from the marke Albeit thou hast run before others yet so long as thou liuest here thou art far froÌ„ the mark and therefore night and day thou must ask grace and furtherance say Lord further me fil out the grace it is not ful yet Lord the thankes-giuing is not full yea the faith is not perfite Lord fill it out Lord augment that heauenlie life in me Now behold the maner of his prayer and his continuance of it He sayes he prayed night and day instantlie After what maner Not coldlie but feruenthe with exceeding great earnestnes in praying So ye see Paul hes bene a man much exercised in praier partlie for himselfe partly for others And certainelie a Minister in his calling should be much exercised in prayer not for himselfe onlie but for the people he hes adoe with night and day Prayer 〈…〉 and not for the fashion but with feruencie Then note two properties in praier The first in respect of the tyme Praier would haue a instantnesse and continuance 〈◊〉 must not be one word and away no but it must be 〈…〉 night and day Then againe Prayer would haue an 〈…〉 Be instant in tyme be feruent and earnest 〈…〉 if it haue not feruencie it is little we use it is 〈…〉 on seem morning to euening 〈◊〉 thy beeds without 〈…〉 in the heart al is vaine Then againe feruencie without 〈◊〉 is but a vaine blast and will blaw away So if thou wouldst pray to God and vvoâ—ldst haue him to heare thee for he of purpose holdes backe his eye to make thee instant and earnest pray earnestlie and not for the fashion And when thou commest before that Majestie present thy selfe with an ardent desire of that that thou crauest wilt thou compeare before him and not desire that thing thou crauest ' so thou scornest him Novv the thâ—â—d thinge in this verse is that he might see their face and that to this end that he might fill out that which vvas inlacking in their faith It may be demanded Coulde not their faith be supplyed without Paule that is vvithout his ministrie was it not eneugh that Paul had once grounded them in their faith and reuealed to them the counsell of God No marke this No increase no growing in the faith of Iesus Christ without this ministrie In plaine wordes contemnest thou it thou shalt neuer grow one inche in faith but thou shalt goe backward It is true it is God that giues thee the increase and growth Increase of faith onelie by the ministrie 1. Cor. 3. 7. but it is as true he giues no growth in faith and grace but by the ministry God giues the growth to the corne but if the corne be not wattred vvith raine which is the ordinarie meane thereto the corne will not grow So if thou be not continuallie wattred with this ministrie thou shalt not growe I saye ordinarelie and not extraordinarelie The Lord let vs see the miserable estate vve are into through contempt of the ordinare meane that the Lord hes appointed Paul Ephes 4. 11. sayes When the Lord past vp to heauen he gaue some to be Apostles some to be Prophets c. And how long is it needfull that this ministrie shold abide with thee for a day a month a yeere or twentie yeeres
concerning those vvho are at sleepe That is I vvoulde not haue you ignorant of their estate vvhat is their estate while they lye in graue vvhat their estate shall be thereafter Of these and such things I vvould not haue you ignorant Now the lesson is easie There are none of vs but in some measure vve shoulde knowe what is the estate of them who are dead vvhat is their estate in the graue vvhat shall be their estate after the graue It appertaines to euerie Christian to know the estate of the dead in some measure as well as it pertaines to them to know the estate of the liuing not passing the reuelation that the Lord hes made therin Dreame not anie estate to the dead knovve no more of it nor it pleases God to reueale nor desire to know no more The Papistes passes in curiositie and can not be satisfied with the Lords reuelation but let vs be content with the reuelation of the Lord vntill that great reuelation come Alwaies it pertaines to vs in some measure to knovve the estate of the departed IgnoraÌ„ce brings sorrovv and knovvledg ioy Ignorance brings a great deale of sorrow vvith it The effects of ignorance in things vve should know are displeasure and sorrow Knowledge of the things vve should know and especially of the estate of those departed this life brings joy consolation Ignorance made Iacob excessiuelie to mourne for his sonne Ioseph without anie cause thinking he was dead when he was aliue Being fred from his ignorance and knowing the estate of his son and that he was aliue he found joy and consolation So light and knowledge brings joy The blinde opinion of this dreame of Purgatorie that the Papists hes inuented hes brought exceeding great displeasure to many To thinke that the soule lovvsed from the bodie should be tormented in Purgatorie ere it enter in glorie But men being fred from this ignorance and knowing assuredly that the soule immediatlie after it seueres from the bodie passes to eternall joy men and vvemen knovving this in the pointe of death no question they are exceeding glad Then brethren to speake it againe Ignorance brings great displeasure knowledge bringes joy when vve knowe the estate of thinges as they are indeed then there is joy Therefore the Apostle sayes That ye 〈◊〉 not as others vvho hes no hope That is as the Gentiles An ignorant and hopelesse bodie who hes no hope of the resurrection who knowes nothing of the resurrection and therefore hopes not for it his mourning and sorrowe will be excessiue This is the meaning of the Apostle Ignorance bringes 〈◊〉 in death it makes a man hopelesse not to hope for a lyfe after this lyfe nor for a resurrection to lyfe and being 〈◊〉 what joy can he haue a bodie dying without hope no 〈◊〉 if thou bee not in hope when thou art dying all the world shall not make thee to rejoyce By the contrair ye heare by the Apostle knowledge bringes hope for hope is the effect of knowledge and hope bringes joy and comfort in the houre of death None euer yet died in the hope of that glorious resurrection but in the houre of death they rejoyced with joy vnspeakable The joy that hope bringes being grounded on knowledge is wonderfull It will not be conteined in the heart but the mouth will open and glory in the joy it apprehendes throgh the hope of the resurrection in Iesus Christ The Apostle Rom. chap. 5. verse 2. saies We rejoyce vnder the hope of the glory of God I meane not brethren that that knowledge that workes hope and that hope that workes joy will take away from a man altogether all displeasure all heauinesse all mourning in the departure of our friendes and them we loue well No it will nor nor should not doe that There is no grace of God in Iesus that puts out any naturall affection none will take away either naturall joy or displeasure no faith and hope will not doe it but it makes that naturall affection sanctified and puts it in order Our dolour which by nature is immoderate it moderates hope will bring with it a measure knoweledge will bring with it a measure and faith which is the fountaine of all graces will bring with it a measure In a word Faith hope and knowledge will temper and mingle the affection of displeasure which is bitter with the affection of joy and make a sweete temperature in that bodie so that the bodie that hes knowledge and hope when it is mourning fastest it will haue greatest joy Beware of your mourning and looke that it be neuer altogether without some joy Sobst thou sighst thou vnspeakablie Looke that thy â—ighs be mingled with joy vnspeakable Will ye haue my counsell Let neuer joy be the alone but let euer joy be tempered with sorrow Haue not srrow the alone but let it 〈◊〉 be mingled with some joy So long as thou liuest thou art naturallie inclined to sinne and sinne procures sorrow And therfore so long as sinne dwelles in thy bodie let euer thy joy be tempered with sorow but let neuer thy sorow for sinne be it alone but tempered with some joy in the mercie of God This shoulde be the estate of a christian in laughing forget not sin but sorow for it be not vvanton vnder the burden of sin Againe in mourning let joy be for the mercie of Christ to vs. The Apostle sayes 1. Thess 5. 16. Reioice euer yea euen when thou art mourning for there is matter of eternall joy offered in Christ and therfore rejoice vvith a sanctified and with an holie joye This is the first lesson Then brethren I gather on the vvords of the Apostle As the Gentiles vvho haue no hope of resurrection where there is no hope there is no comfort vvhere a mans hope is bounded within the compasse of this life and reaches not out beyond the same there is no comfort make him king of all the worlde if his hope be onelie on the kingdomes of this earth if he hope not for that heauenlie kingdome Want of hope doth bring dispaire in death to be an inheritour there he hes no joye nor comfort I meane that solide joye and comfort vvhich the world neuer ministers to men Al the kingdoms in the earth will neuer minister to thee solide joy comfort consolation Novv brethren this is the estate of the Gentiles Paul Ephes 2. 12. speaking of their estate sayes they liued in the world without God aliants from the Common-well of Israell from the Church of God strangers from the couenants of promise without hope without God in the world and so hopelesse coÌ„fortlesse I can not say that euer any Gentile that liued as a Gentile what euer was their ranke on the earth that euer they had any comfort all these Monarches that liued without grace in the world I can not say that in the midst of their triumph greatest glory they had any comfort much lesse
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
al in al thy speaking and doing on the glorie of that God I confesse there are many impediments casten in betwixt thy eyes and the glorie of God but striue to get a sight of that glorie or else thou shall neuer be partaker of that glorie Thou may haue a shadow of glorie in the world for a while but as the must before the Sunne vanishes away so shall thou and thy glorie vanish away to thy euerlasting confusion if thou striue not to haue the glorie of God before thy eyes Then hes thou anie good graces in thy selfe giue God the glory What hast thou that thou hast not receyued 1. Cor. 4. 7. Giue him the glorie and praise of all if it were eating and drinking at thy dinner looke that thou eat to his glorie and drinke to his glorie 1. Cor. 10. 31. And say in the meane-tyme I doe not this so much to feede this mortall bodie as I doe it to glorifie thy Majestie When thou liues liue to him deying die to him consecrate thy life and death to him Fye on vs that can not learne to giue the glorie of all to our Redeemer As for mee brethren I craue nothing more nor that the glorie of God may shine before my eyes in my vocation that when I speake or thinke all maye be to his glorie that in the end I may haue this assurance that I shall bee glorified vvith him for euer But yet to sticke to the wordes He sayes not I giue thanks but vve giue thankes I and Siluanus and Timotheus giue thanks Hee sayes not for an handfull or a certaine nomber of you but for you all He sayes not for a tyme but alvvayes Marke all these wordes He sayes vve all and that for all vve thanke euer It is a large thanking and it testifies that the graces shovvne on the Thessalonians vvere large When the graces of God are shovvne on me on thee or on anie people thy heart must not bee narrovv but it must bee enlarged and thy mouth must be oppenned vvyde to praise and magnifie God the geuer of all Or else I assure thee vvhen his grace is large if thy heart be narrovv and thy mouth be oppenned but a little the Lord shal draw in his hand diminish his grace to thee So is sene of it in Edinburgh this day the graces of god on thee ô Edinburgh were large but thy heart was narrow and thy mouh was not oppened wide Therefore the Lord is pinching his graces if it so continew woe will be to thee Go this grace of the Ministrie away and the Lord close mens mouthes and let them not speak to thee all thy grace is gone and I thinke the Lord is beginning to pinche his graces on vs for that glorious Gospell which was preached with great libertie and was so powerfull in the land hes lost the power and the nomber of the godlie of the land is contracted for the one depends vpon the other therefore cry that the Lord may make his grace abound and that he would continew with vs the light of his Euangell Now to the next words He joynes with thankes-geuing prayer Praier ioyned vvith thāks-geuing Making mention of you in our prayers It is not aneugh to thank God for the grace that eyther we or others haue receyued but also thou must pray Cry for grace and continuance of grace for I assure thee if vvith thankes-geuing there be not prayer for continuance the grace receyued shall decay Amongst all the rest of the meanes the Lord hes appoynted for continuance of grace earnest prayer to God is an especiall meane So as thou vvouldst haue thy selfe standing in grace pray euer for grace for there is no moment but vve are readie to fall away except the Lord hold vs vp The meane to entertaine grace is earnest prayer The Lord holde vs vp and let vs not fall but if the meane be not vsed fall shall vve thogh all the vvorld had said the contrair It is to be marked farther He sayes in our prayers As hee would say in our daylie prayers we are accustomed to pray to God in our daylie prayers we forget you not but we remember you Marke this Brethren He is not meete to pray for others that can not pray for himselfe nor hes no acquaintance nor accesse to God Who can solist for any man when he hes no accesse to him vvhom hee folists Canst thou pray for me to my God and thou haue no accesse to him He vvho vvill pray for others must be vvell acquainted vvith God and haue a daylie accesse to him And hovv svveete a thing is it to haue familiar accesse to him for all the joy of the world is not comparable to that joy which the soule findes when it is exercised with the Lorde familiarlie for when thy heart is with him no doubt he is with thee Alasse beastlie man fy on thee that euer thou was borne and thou haue not that svveete sense of joy that flowes from the meditation on the Lord wilt thou let thy soule be euer stupide and senslesse vvilt thou neuer be a Citizen of Heauen expecting for the glorious comming of Christ but ay ly as a sowe muzling and grountling vpon the earth vvilt thou neuer look vp with thy eyes to Heauen vvilt thou ay be looking dovvn If thou doe so thou shalt fall dovvn at last to that euerlasting damnation The Lord raise vs vp for heauy are we we are dead lumps ay tending downward can get no rising vp the Lord raise vp our soules therfore to heuen Now followes the cause wherefore he rejoyses with them in the next verse Without ceasing remembring your effectuall faith That is one and diligent loue that is tvvo the third is and the patience of your hope in the Lord Iesus Christ in the sight of God euen our Father Heere brethren not to escape the wordes I see first an vncessant and perfite remembrance of the graces God hes geuen his people as Faith Charitie and Patience I see then in the example of Paul Siluanus and Timotheus that in the memorie and heart of the godlie the graces of God showen eyther on themselues or others makes a deepe impression when they see the graces of God they take a deepe apprehension of them In the wicked it is otherwise let God raine down graces from Heauen on them selues and others also as they come so they goe they remember neuer a good turne doen to them Now on this remembrance followes prayer they remember with joy euer praying remembring by night euer praying remēbring by day euer praying at lest in the hart if not outwardly in words Marke it a man that would pray wel to God must be of a good remembrance vvould thou pray well remember well Prepare thee to pray by remembrance of the blessings of God and pray then What matter hast thou of prayer when thou remembers not his blessings So all tends to this that thou
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
in them was a faire meeting receiuing the word that with affliction as he deliuered the word with affliction so they wer followers of him and receiued the word with great affliction but yet with joy also for as affliction accompanies the word so the joy of the holie Ghost accompanies the affliction This shortlie for that which ye haue heard alreadie Now to come to the text we haue red In the first verse therof the Apostle amplifies the grace that God had geuen to them in receyuing the word with great affliction yea saith he yee haue receiued the word with such affliction that ye vvere examples to all that beleeued in Macedonia that is in the countrie round about you for Thessalonica where they dwelt it was chiefe Cittie in Macedonia and not onelie were ye examples to them in Macedonia but to them in Achaia that is in the countrie next adjacent to Macedonia so that euen as the Thessalonians in patience and grace followed Paul who was the teacher of grace to them so the Thessalonians wants not their ovvne followers all those that beleued in Macedonia and Achaia followes them as examples of faith patience al graces Marke it Paul goeth before them in good example they againe go before al the Macedonians those of Achaia in their good exāple Then ye see examples of life hes great force Exāples are forcible either to well doing or euil doing for wel doing euil doing in this world come for the most part by example imitation following others a good man wil follow a good man a wel doer wil follow a wel doer a thefe wil follow a theefe a murtherer wil folow a murtherer they that are inclinde to harlotrie and filthines will follow them that exercise harlotrie and filthines so they that intend to haue grace will followe them that are gratious they who doe long and thirst for heauen wil follow them whome they thinke to be going to heauen they that will run to vvickednes will run to hell after them that runne before them thereto so that our vvell and woe stands greatlie in imitation of others and therefore he who walks let him take head to euerie foote-step especiallie he that is in any high rowme in the sight of the people let him take good head to his walking and to euerie foote he sets down how he goes where he goes what he is doing for certainlie he shall not goe alone walks he well he shall haue followers walks he euill he shall haue followers falles he in the myre moe shall fall with him breaks he his neck some shall follow him who shall break their necks with him stands he vpright moe shall follow him and stand vpright Therefore the Apostle doubles ouer the precept Walke vviselie vvalke circumspectlie Eph. 5. 15. 17. Colloss 4. 5. Each foote thou sets to the earth looke where thou sets it and looke who followes thee And Christ sayes Matth. 18. 7. Woe be to that man by vvhom offence commeth that is that walks not warelie but runnes himself to destruction and drawes men and wemen thereto This is a world wherein men had need to take head to their walking God graunt that they who are in high rowmes may take head to their walking for they that goes before others may saue many if they walke well and may lose many by their walking and going in wickednesse if they walke euill Farther marke Who are these that followes the Thessalonians or to whom are they patterns of grace patience in suffering The Macedonians the Contrie about them beside that the Achaians they of the nighbour Countrie for Achaia is next to Macedonia And vvho vvere these They that beleeued in Christ before the Thessalonians were called they who were called first followed them who were called to grace last Marke then the Thessalonians who were called last outranne in the course of grace the rest of the Macedonians and Achaians and left them behinde them albeit they broke off before them It is to be noted We are all running in one course and we are all in one rinke running towards the marke for in the tyme of our lyfe there is none sitting thou deceaues thy selfe that sayes thou hast a stablisht mansion heere all must be on foote and all must be running and we must runne to the place where our mansion is to the But of our glorious resurrection and life euerlasting if thou sit still thou shalt stinke rotte and perishe but if thou run and runne on while thou come to the But thou shalt be safe in the end and shalt receyue the Crowne and pryce of immortall glorie Now in this course and rinke of christianitie it falles out so that they that start last shall out-runne them that start and break off a good space of tyme before them and ouercome them in faith patience affliction and joy Ye se this plainlie in this example of the Thessalonians with the rest the Macedonians and them of Achaia So that is most true which Iesus said The last is first and the first is last Math. 20. 16. There is a great alteration the last outrunning them who brake off firste they that broke off first are made last and ly behinde and is ouercomde in grace The Iewes entred in this rinke long before yea many hundreth yeeres ere the Gentiles thought of any rink or to come to heauen but so soone as the Gentiles come in and breakes off in the rinke they did outrun the Iewes left them behind them as far as they might look to them they were speedie in the beginning After Iesus came in the world and the Apostles were teaching it is wonder to thinke hovv speedie they were So this hath beene oft times seene that in the Church of God they who were called last hes ouercomde them who were called first And I thinke that nation of France hath ouercomde all the Churches in Europe in suffering a continuall frequent affliction thinke not they are behinde vs in our course no they are farre before vs. And as to our nation in this part of affliction that Paul speakes of I thinke it is behinde all nations Alas what haue we suffered our tyme is yet abyding vs. The Lord prepare vs thereto and I thinke it is comming on yea it is a wonder we should haue heard the word so long without affliction Yet to the words he calles them examples patterns going before others He sayes not ye were a patterne singularlie the words hes a great force but ye were patterns meaning that so many heads of men and wemen as there were of the Thessalonians they were as many patterns euerie person was a pattern a patterne in grace in faith in patience and suffering Manye alled 〈…〉 So that ye may marke when Iesus come in the world when the Apostles went out to the Nations to draw the Nations to Christ to conuert them the Haruest was great the world was full of
part to sinceritie in hearing it will be a great stay to the worke Now into the next verse when he hes remoued from him the opinion of all kinde of vnsinceritie and hes purged himself thereof either in doctrine affection or in manner of delyuerie He sets downe the contrair to wit the sinceritie he vsed in doctrine The sinceritie he vsed was this that he spake how spake he Not as they doe who are set to please men but to please God There is the sinceritie in speaking he had not men before his eyes he respected not the pleasure of men but in speaking and preaching his God was before his eye and his heart was set to please God Sinceritie in preaching and hearing is to be measured by the end that thou respects in doing thereof for if God and his glorie be not before thy eyes as the Butte wherat thou shootes albeit that which thou doest and speakest had neuer so faire a face yet al is vnsincere and vncleane The thing I marke heere speciallie is a Pastor that stryues to be sincere in speaking and preaching must set himselfe to please some in his speaking but heere a caueat to be keeped in the persone whom thou studies to please either by doing or by speaking this is all the weight of the matter if thy heart be set in speaking preaching and doing to please men and to satisfie the humours of men first of all if that be the butte thou shootes at because this man likes of this speaking therefore I wil speake this if this speaking please this woman therefore I will speake this If that be the end of thy speaking all thy speaking is vnceritie flattery if thou seeke to pleasure any creature if it were the Angels let be a man all thy pleasant talke is but vaine talke and flatterie I deny not but men may be pleasured to Rom. 12. 18. but looke that thy butte be not to please men of what estate so euer they be but onelie to please God First please God and in God please them then thou can not go wrong If men and wemen what rank so euer they be of can not be pleased in God and will not let God haue the first place then please thou God and anger all the world If thou studies to please any persone onelie in God in speaking and doing there can be nothing there but sinceritie A sure rule a man can neuer faile in setting his heart to please God in thoght word and deed The Lord giue vs vpright hearts to study to please our God and then all creatures onelie in him Now he layes down a good ground why in his preaching he stryued to please his God it was not without a good cause and the ground is God pleased him first why should he not indeuour himself to do all things to please him againe render him the lyke duetie But as vve saieth he vvere allovved of God in such sort that the Gospell should be committed vnto vs so vve speake That is that he hes placed vs in this calling made vs Apostles who wer vnworthie bodies of one who was vnable of such a calling hes made vs able as it hes pleased him so to please me and as he hes allowed of me who was altogether vnworthie my speaking shall be to please him There was neuer a Minister that euer receiued grace for that calling at the hands of men neither at king nor subject but onlie at Gods hand and therefore let him studie to please not men but God who geues him al graces and if men can not be pleased in God let him not studie to please theÌ„ Now to speake of this allowance there is a difference betwene the allowance of men when they allow of men and God when he allowes of men man allowes of man because he sees some good qualities in him which qualities he neuer gaue him for God gaue him them But when God allowes of man he allowes not for any good thing he sees in him to moue him to allow of him but al the allowing of God is of fre grace all is according to the good pleasure of his will Gods allovvance of free grace he allowes not of man because he is able to do good but because God allowes of him therfore he is made meet and able to do good when God choised thee before all eternitie to glorie what saw he in thee The Apostle saieth He predestinate vs in himselfe Eph. 1. 5. Of his own fre loue he called vs to grace Before he called vs to grace what saw he in vs to moue him to make vs partakers of his grace He saw matter of hell and damnation in vs. And therfore his allowance of vs was not for any grace was in vs if he had allowed of vs conforme to that which was in vs he would haue shot vs with his hand to hel for euer So when he calles one to be a Minister and teacher of the Gospell allowes he of him because he hes a grace before hand No the best Minister that is chosen he hes no more grace by nature to this holy function nor the vildest sinner in the world So it is the allowance of God himselfe that makes man meet to that office so this allowance of God was in himself no matter thereof in Paul matter contrarie to grace was in him he was a blasphemer 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul had neuer bene an Apostle but an impe of the Deuill if God had not allowed of him first The note is Gods free loue binds vs to plese him the vndeserued loue of God when he allowes of vs when he calles vs to faith or places vs in any calling if it were a King in his calling either in Church or common-wel bindes oblishes vs to spende our liues in that calling that God may be pleased If euer thing bound thee this vndeserued lyking God had of thee who first lyked thee when thou was full of â—inne bindes thee to set thy heart to please God for thy blessednesse joy and felicitie is to please him and he that studies not to please him knew neuer what joy was Alas if we coulde apprehend our owne miserie before Gods allowance of vs We are not placed so soone in any calling but immediatlie we conceate vvith our selues that God hes seene in vs something worthie of it and then againe if we could apprehend that free mercy of God after the sight of our own vnworthines then we would set our hearts to pleasure him For neuer apprehending our miserie and Gods mercie and free calling we set our selues in our calling to please men and our owne foull affections The Lorde waken vs for appearantlie the tyme of tryall drawes neere we haue beene vnthankfull for the vndeserued graces of God bestowed on vs. Therefore he is begun to draw them from vs and lets vs follow our own affections Now next In what thing striues Paul to please God
therfore let vs come to some obseruations Ye see heere first of all great matter of thanksgiuing to God Grace in 〈◊〉 people dâ—uble mater of thanksâ—guing when this sweete harmonie is betweene the pastor and the people when as he teaches and instructs them louingly and faithfullie they receiue that worde he deliuers to them and therto they conforme their life conuersation There is a sweet meetting and if euer there was matter of thanksgiuing in this world heere is matter in the faithfulnes of the pastor and in the faith of the people meetting that faithfull discharge of the Pastor in his office It is true when the pastor findeth the grace of God in him selfe allone albeit he finde no meeting in the people he hes matter of thanks-giuing to God for hovve so euer it be if that he doe playe the part of a faithfull pastor he is a sweet smell to God as vvell in them that perishe as in them that shall be saued by the vvord 2. Cor. 2. 15. If ye meete him not he will be safe if that hee discharge a faithfull dewtie but your bloude shall be vpon you owne heades So he hath matte through the grace he hath receiued to rejoyce in God But brethren when grace meetes grace when the faith of the people doth meete the faithfulnes of the pastor when hee is not onelie a svveete smell to God but he is the sauour of life to life to the people there is the double matter of reioysing and thankesgiuing to God double grace and meetinge of grace craue double rejoysinge and thankes-giuing to God for the mercie double bestovved vppon them If anie man had euer anie grace Paule had it yet the man is neuer satisfied in his owne persone except he finde grace in those to whom he vttered grace meeting his grace except he finde his ministrie povverfull to them whom he teaches for otherwise he counts all his labour and running to be in vaine Therefore all teachers should striue to finde the povver of the worde in the people for wherefore are Ministers sent in the worlde but to see that that word be effectuall in the people to vvinne them to God and in verie deede he may rejoice when he sees the saluation of the people wrought by his teachinge This in generall Now to come to the words Their faith is set downe in sundrie degrees and marke them the first degree is hearing they heare the word of the Apostle 4. degries of saith there is the first grace in the people meetting the pastor when they giue their presence heare him patientlie It is of the grace of God that a man or woman can sit and heare the vvord of God and it appeares that it is the grace of God ye see manie in Scotland that gets neuer the grace to heare no preaching 1. Hearing of the vvord no hearing in many parts of the land miserable are they without preaching without hearing No question what euer other causes be of the lacke of preaching hearing it is a just judgement of God on the people and woe be to them that drawes away the moyen of preaching and hearing from the people miserable shall their end be For I see not how saluation shall be without preaching and hearing There are many againe that albeit occasion of hearing bee offred to them and the teacher be at hand yet they will not come to heare they may heare and will not heare Some will come to sit down but if any thing touch their affection they will heare with impatience all this showes you hearing is of grace First to get the occasion of hearing is grace next to heare patientlie to heare sin and vice rebuked in all estates of men and vvomen it is a grace for some in hearing their sinne rebuked they heare impatiently with grudging and as soone as they remoue and go out that impatience breakes out in bitter vvords As when Steueâ— in the 7. chap. Acts ver 57. 58. is speaking to that Councell of the Iewes that vvere conueened as soone as he speakes against them they put their fingers in their eares and rusâ—ing on him stone him to death The 19. chapt Acts verse 33. when Alexander stands vp among the Ephesians certaine people beeing conueened together when he begins to speake to them of the way of God against Demetrius they cry out all vvith one shoute immediatlie Great is Diana of the Ephesians The 22. chapter Acts verse 23. when Paul makes a discourse of his ovvne life and comes to this that he vvas called to be a teacher to the Gentiles they rent their clothes and cast dust vp in the aire All this telles vs the fury and rage of the heart against God against Christ his word And by the contrair it is a speciall grace of God that men and vvemen gets when they can sit still and heare the word of God patiently There is the first degree The second degre of their faith and meeting of the Apostle is receyuing of the vvord That is to say a receyuing and approuing of the word of God 2. generall allowance to be true and good euen a generall allowance therof When this man will say vvithin himselfe this is true that is spoken Many gets not this grace for many when they heare suppose they lend their eare to the vvorde in their minde they disalovv that which is spoken and albeit thy mouth be close yet the minde vvill be making contradiction The naturall man saies the Apostle 1. Cor. 2. 14. vvhen he heares of heauenlie things he vnderstands them not yea more he thinks them all but foolishnesse Set vp a naturall man he will scorne all that is spoken of Christ and of spirituall things and will laugh at them in his owne heart When Paul came to Athens Act. 17. vers 18. and entered among those high headed Philosophers and begouth to speake of the way of God They met him againe with scorning and they said What meanes this bablor they thought all that he spoke babling There are many of them in Scotland who thinks vvhen a man speaks of Christ that all is but babling Then it is a grace of God to geue an allowance to that vvhich is spoken There is farther heere 3. 〈…〉 heart The third degree of grace is embracing the word in the heart There are many that can heare that is a grace when they haue heard will giue a generall allowance that all is good all is true there is the second grace but in the meane tyme they will shoote it all out of their heart they will say it is true and good but what is that to me they neuer emembrace it in their owne heart Simon Magus as it is tolde Acts 8. 21. allowed of that which was spoken it is said he had faith in the meane time no application in his ovvne heart for shortlie after he vttered that gall of bitternesse which was in
due time to learne to be prepared for suffering for Christs cause The Lord giue vs grace that we may suffer patientlie that he may be glorified in our suffering To this God be glorie and praise for euer AMEN THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 15. 16. 15 Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their ovvne Prophets and haue persecuted vs and God they please not and are contrary to all meÌ„ 16 And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alvvaies for the vvrath of God is come on them to the vtmost IN this rejoysing of the Apostle Paull together with the Thessalonians for the graces of God that were bestowed vpon them ye haue heard brethren the Apost thanked God instantlie for that meeting he founde in them when he preached to to them exhorted comforted besought them to walke as worthie of that God that had called them to his kingdome and glorie Their meeting was they heard him and not onelie they heard him but they receiued the thing they heard and not onelie receiued it but in heart embraced it and laide it vp as a treasure and the seede of life and immortalitie they imbraced it not as the word of man but as the word of God as it is indeede and not onelie imbraced they it as the word of God but in life and conuersation vttered it it was effectual in their life He proued this because they were followers of the Church in Iudea conuerted to Iesus Christ The speciall thing wherein they followed them was that euen as these Churches were troubled by their owne Countrie the Iewes euen so they that were conuerted at Thessalonica were troubled not by forrainers but by their oâ—ne Citizens Not to repeat any thing we spak the last day but to go to the text red In this text the Apostle hauing spoken of these Iewes malicious and obstinate doing wherby they euer impeaded the progresse of the Gospell of Christ and hindered mans saluation scattring themselues among the Gentiles throgh al the â—â—â—mane Prouinces and when anie of the Apostles came stirring vp insurrection and not suffring the Gospell to haue place so farre as they might stop it Therefore he digresses heere and aggâ—eages the sinne of these malicious Iewes making vp a dittay against them and therafter he giues out the doome and pronounces the sentence of wraith and condemnation against them And therefore to returne and to oppen vp euerie sentence They haue slaine sayes he the Lord Iesus There is the first point of their dittay These men the Iewes that trouble the Church of Christ in Iudea are they that haue slaine the Lord Iesus himself They haue in their extreame persecution slaine and crucified to the death the Lord of glory 1. Cor. 2. 8. That is they haue dispatched him not after a common manner but after a most cruell and shamefull manner by a cruell sore and shamefull death Whom haue they slaine the Lord of glorie and honourable personage all the glorie of God is dwels in him as it wer Who is this by name It is Iesus the Sauior of the world euerie word aggreages their fault There is the first point of their dittay The first crime laid to their charge is the crucifying of the Lord Iesus Christ this is the thing he begins at there are mo pointes of dittay laid against them but he beginnes at this the persecution of the Lord himself Persecution beginnes not at the bodie nor at the members of the bodie Persecution begins at the head of the Church nor at the seruants but it beginnes at the head the Lord Iesus him selfe if not in action in deede yet in intention in the malice and hatred of the heart The Prophetes in deede were slaine and persecuted in action and died before the Lorde Iesus came in the world but these same men that slew the Prophets with their hand ere they slew the Prophets they slew the Lord of the Prophets the Lord Iesus in their hearts because that all the Prophets that were slaine were his seruants sent before him that was to come Now to come forward The second thing is They slevv the Lord Iesus they slew the Lord of glorie that in his slaughter so farre as in them lyes the worlde should be slaine for they that vvoulde slay Iesus vvould slay all men so farre as lyes in them and they slay him after a most cruell and shamefull manner The greater grace the greater the persecution Brethren this is the ingyne and nature of persecutors the worthier the personage be who is persecuted the greater grace of God be in him the greater glorie and innocencie be in him the greater will be the extremitie of their persecution None of the Prophets of olde were so extremelie persecuted as the Lord Iesus was neither yet the Apostles that followed him were so persecuted as he was and all because of the greatnesse of the glorie of his personage If ye will search the grounde of this it must no question come of great blindnes for if men savv vvell the grace and the glorie of God that is in the persones of them that are persecuted for all the vvorlde they durst not persecute them And therefore he sayes in the 1. Corinth 2. chap. 8. verse If they had knovvne they had not crucified the Lord of glorie No if the glorie of the Church were seene vvicked men durst not stirre her There is yet a greater and an higher ground The malice of the heart comes in and blindes and putteth out the eye of the minde Eph. 4. 18. Throgh ignorance sayes Paul that comes through the hardnes of the heart for this is the nature of the hardnes of the heart to hate the light and to delite in darknes which is enemie to the light of God All our pleasure is in darknes by nature and so it is caried against the light and the first thing it does it puts out the light of the minde yea euen the very natural light and so when the heart is blinded it caries him against all light and chieflie against the light of God and the Lorde of light him selfe And this is the vvorke of this faâ—e nature of man so highlie accounted of by the Philosophers Seeke therefore to shutte out of thy heart this maliciousnes that blindes it or else thou shalt be blind folde throvvne down to hell The thride thing to be marked heere is When he is laying out this persecution before the Thessalonians he is comforting theÌ„ that wer afflicted Haue they not slain your Lord c. what vvounder is it hovvbeit they persecute you Brethren all the affliction is not layde vpon one man hovvbeit he get his burdene heauie enough Comfort through Christes persecutioÌ„ The Lord hes measured to euerie one his owne part and he vvho is afflicted should looke ouer his shulder and see who
see him why should not our desire be to see him wherefore should all this feare be of this latter day seeing thou wilt neuer be established in heart nor get thy full glorie vntil his comming at that day thy blessednesse shall be perfite there I finde in the Scripture the perfection of all graces differred vntill that time Ye shall finde no grace PerfectioÌ„ of al graces differred til the â—utter day but the perfection thereof is remitted vntill that day Paul in the same Epistle 2. chap. 19. vers My joy is in the sight of God and of Iesus Christ at his comming He gets not perfection of joy vntill he come And therefore he will not promise to the Thessalonians their joy vntill that day no perfection of grace mercie and peace vntill God put an end to sinne to death and wickednesse Looke then if we should long for that latter day we looke heere and there for this thing and that thing but who lookes for that comming of the Lord Alas if we knevv vvhat grace and joy Christs comming brought to vs vve vvould looke for nothing so much as for his comming We are earthlie and therefore all our lookes are for earthlie thinges we are not spirituall and so we cannot looke for that spirituall grace The Lord prepare vs to looke for and desire that glorious comming All these earthlie thinges goes away Heauen onelie abydes What foolishnesse is this seeing we are subject to mortality that we should set our hearts on this world our dwelling must not be here but in Heauen in endliesse joy Seeke it earnestly therefore Novv in the end of this verse he telles vs in vvhat company and with whom we shal be established in holinesse before God thou shalt not be holy thy selfe alone thou shalt not be an a per se in holinesse doe as thou wilt either shalt thou be in a societie in a companie vvith many more nor thou All graces in the societie of the sants or else thou shalt neuer be holie nor see the face of God This is plaine Either thou shalt be in the Church which is the communion of the Saintes of God or else thou shalt neuer see Gods presence He will leape out of it at this side and he at that side but if thou come not in again in that same societie yea and to the number of this church and of the Saintes that professes Christ this day in Scotland thou shalt neuer see Gods face All blessinges grace mercie and peace euerlasting before God is in the companie of the Church that professe the truth and puritie of the Gospell of Christ not in the company of them who will take the name of a Church or that false Church the Romane Church So let him vvho vvill stand vvith holinesse in the number of the Saintes seuere from Babylon or else he shall be partaker of the judgement So brethren to come againe ye shall not read in the Scripture of any grace giuen to any man but ye shall finde that it is giuen to him as a member of that bodie as one of the Saintes in the societie of the Saintes In the first to the Ephesians verse 18. speaking of the riches of the glorie of the inheritance of Heauen he sayes thou shalt neuer get it but among the Saintes Then againe he sayes chap. 3. vers 18. Who shall vnderstand the loue and charitie of God None but they that are in the societie of the Saintes No light mercie nor knowledge of God but to them that stands knit vp as members in the bodye of Christ ye see cut off a member of the body and cast it away no sap can follow from the body to it So if thou be cut off from the number of the Saintes vvho are the Church of God thou shalt neuer get any grace of Christ Now to the next chapter In the fourth and fift chapters followes the last part of this Epistle containing the doctrine of maners exhorting to holinesse of lyfe and godlinesse But to the wordes He sayes And furthermore As he would say all is not tolde I will tell that which rests which is the doctrine of maners precepts of godlie lyfe and conuersation When we haue teached all the yeere ouer when we haue tolde you the doctrine of justification sanctification c. so long as there is no speaking of a godly lyfe and conuersation and so long as we haue not tolde you how ye should lead your lyfe there is euer something behinde vnspoken of Neuer a full and perfite preaching wher there is nothing spoken of a good or of an euill lyfe and conuersation For there is such a necessitie laid on men and wemen in this world that all serues for nothing except they liue a good holy life Thy profession of loue righteousnesse mercie all the rest is but vanitie and winde if thy conuersation toward thy neighbour be not aunswerable to thy profession it is a shame to thee to speake of Christ of holinesse of righteousnesse of life euerlasting except thou liue conforme thereto And therefore ye shall neuer read any Epistle of Paul but euer vvhen he hes spoken of faith justification c. then in the end he subjoynes precepts charging vs to liue a godlie lyfe And more then this Trow ye in the end at Christs comming to judgement that the pretence of faith or righteousnes will be sufficient to thy eternal saluation No but we must liue holie for al the blessinges of God in Christ tends to this end that we may liue holie yea this is the end of election it selfe Ephes 1. 4. Paul sayes We are chosen from all eternitie that we should be holie Then we should liue soberlie and justlie with our neighbour Tit. 2. 12. And therefore either cast avvay profession of Christianitie and heare neuer a word of faith righteousnesse c. or else striue to liue conforme thereto This in generall Now to the wordes I beseech and exhort you and that in the Lord Iesus Christ What exhorts he that they increase more and more in godlie lyfe and conuersation As for the forme of your going forward I haue tolde you the forme hovv ye should vvalke in this world walke conformable thereto The words would be well marked I beseech and exhort you sayes he in the Lord Iesus He might haue well said I command you as wrytting to Philemon vers 8. 9. he sayes When I might command thee in the name of Iesus yet rather for loues sake I pray thee Loue turnes the command in a prayer All doctrin that comes from any person must come of loue or else it is deare of the hearing Now he showes his loue in speaking for the wordes comes from the heart and so among al the rest of the wayes whereby he vtters the loue he had in his heart this is one when precept and commaund is turned ouer to requeesting When he may commaund he will not but he turnes it ouer and
biddes vs we must not yeelde to the lustes of the fleshe there must bee abstinence and dyet And therefore Paul in that same ninth chapter to the Cor. verse 27. shovves how he vsed himselfe in running to be an ensample to vs. He sayes He held his bodie at vnder and redacted it in a seruitude and vvoulde not let it be his master Let thou thy bodie be thy master I promise thee thou shalt neuer see the butt But to come more speciallie What abstinence must it be He names it from fornication There are sundrie sortes of abstinence vvhich is requyred of them that runnes in this rinke but among them all this is a speciall Abstaine from harlotrie and pollution of the bodie vvith fornication Among all the sinnes that defiles the bodie and the members of the bodie of anie man or vvoman harlotrie is the cheefest sinne and makes all vncleane and polluted in Goddes sight The Apostle 1. Corinth chap. 6. verse 18. sayes All sinnes that a man committes is out-vvith the bodie but he vvho committe fornication he sinnes against his ovvne bodie he pollutes and defyles his bodie in a speciall manner Brethren the bodie of a man vvhich is not polluted vvith this filthinesse is a meete bodie to runne in this course it is svvift and readie to runne in this course but if the bodie be deâ—yled vvith harlotrie it is not svvift and meete for the course Learne it Ye shall see for common a goode turne falles neuer out in the hands of an harlote There is nothing vnder the Sunne that a bodie polluted vvith fornication can doe holilie As the person is vncleane in Gods sight so all thinges he does are polluted yea that same verie action that othervvayes is goode is sinne in Gods sight Commest thou to the Church and hearest the preaching if thou be an harlote all is polluted in Gods sight Deale all that thou hast to the poore lyest thou in harlotrie all is sinne So in a vvord an harlot can doe no goode and if he seeme to doe anie good it is nothing but sinne in Gods sight Looke then vvhat estate an harlote is in Now to goe forward to the next verse He sets downe the speciall remedie of this sinne and vyce whereby they may keepe their bodie from this pollution Remedie of fornication That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour The first thing that is requyred heere is a science an habite in doing not a light fassion in doing a doing as it vvere off hand but a setled doing of a setled grace in the heart a craft to possesse and to keepe the bodie in holinesse and godlinesse Thou that vvould keepe thy bodie cleane thou must haue an habite and setlednesse All thinges we doe in this life should come of a constant habite in the soule of an vse and setled grace in the hart to doe well For as the thing a Craftis-man does is of his craft the thing a Wright does is of the science of his craft so euerie one that vvould intende to do vvell must haue an habite and a grace in the heart to doe vvell And speciallie he that vvould keepe his bodie in cleannesse looke that he haue a craft of it otherwayes it may be he vvill not play the harlote this night or that night because he hes not the occasion but the first occasion offered hee shall be an harlote So all resolues in this The best thing in this vvorld to bannishe sinne is to get an heart setled and stablished vvith grace Get an heart once stablished vvith grace then thou shalt not be moued but thou shalt stand fast in all tentations and thou shalt keepe a solide course Let the Deuill the vvorlde and all the enemies of thy saluation vse all the tentations to dravv thee avvay thou shalt stand immoueable And therefore learne the craft of vvell doing and get once the habite in the heart of vvell doing and then vvell doing shall come with such facilitie to thee that thou shalt maruell thereat Then to come to the next words That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour He sayes euery one He exeemes none neither riche nor poore high nor lovve but he bindes euerie one of vvhat ranke so euer he be of to the science of possessing the bodie with cleannesse and holinesse Marke it brethren There are none priuiledged to be an harlot not a King nor Queen nor Earle nor Countesse no none of no estate hes this priuiledge but all are bound to keep the bodie cleane and they who wil exeem themselues and thinke their ranke to be a priuiledge to them they shall exeeme themselues also from the rank of them who runnes in this rinke to Heauen Thou goest not so soone to be an harlote but thou goest out of the right way and thou shalt neuer come to Heauen that way runne as long as thou wilt Now what should euerie one know Euerie one should know to possesse his vessell that is his bodie not to be possessed of the bodie but to possesse the bodie wilt thou be possessed of the bodie and be a slaue to it and wilt thou let the foule affections of the bodie possesse thee thou shalt find woe in thy bodie for euer Paul sayes I holde my bodie at vnder and redâ—ct it in seruice I will not let it be my Master 1 Cor. 9. 27. Alwaies the thing that euerie one should know is to possesse To speake of this possession it is a common saying it is no lesse practick to possesse a thing after it be gotten nor to acquire and conquesse it Yea I say there is greater practick to possesse that well which is gotten nor to get it And there are moe in the world that can find the way to get it nor the way to keepe that which is gotten But what thing is this they should knowe to possesse There are many possessions in the world but among all possessions the cheef is that a man possesse holilie his body which is a vessell to keepe the soule So the first possession that euer one gettes in this world is his own bodie and it is the longest possession that any man keepes Thou shalt be pulled from thy heritage lands goods and riches but as for thy bodie albeit for a time thou lay it down yet thou shalt take it vp againe and thou shalt possesse it for euer and it shall either be an house to honour or else to dishonour to thee for euer And so seeing this bodie is the first possession and the longest we haue therefore we should be carefull how we possesse this bodie Be not so carefull how thou keepest and possessest thy land as how thou possessest thy bodie There are ouer many that are so carefull to possesse their lands that they forget to possesse their bodies and yet their land shall they leaue behinde them So the cheefest thing thou
ye not the patience of God He is patient and lets men runne in wickednesse vntill the cuppe be full and then he powreth out his wraith and judgement on them to the vttermost The Lord keepe vs from his judgements and wraith for Christ his Sons sake To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be praise and honor for euer AMEN THE XV. LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 6. 7. 8. 6 That no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter for the Lord is auenger of all such thinges as vve also haue tolde you before time and testified 7 For God hath not called vs to vncleannesse but vnto holinesse 8 He therefore that despiseth these thinges despiseth not man but God vvho hath euen giuen you his holie Spirit IN this part of this Epistle after the salutation and after that large congratulation wherein he rejoised for the grace the Lord had bestowed on the Thessalonians not after a common manner but in great aboundance He sets downe preceptes of manners concerning an holie lyfe and a godlie conuersation in this worlde and he comprehendes them all first in a generall and he calles it sanctification holinesse in lyfe and conuersation for whatsoeuer duetie appertaines to vs to be done in this lyfe the whole may be taken vp vnder this one word sanctification which standes in holinesse in soule and bodie When he hes sette downe the generall he diuydes it in parts and the first part of sanctification of holinesse of lyfe and conuersation he takes it vp to be in absteining from fornication it respects a man or woman in their owne person that they keepe the soule and bodie that God hes giuen them in holinesse vnpolluted vvith filthinesse The second part concernes our neighbour that we doe him no wrong He is an vnholie man that hurtes his neighbour that vvill vvrong him in anie dealling or trafficking with him He is hurt two manner of wayes first he is hurt by deceite vnder colour by fraude begâ—yling or circumvention He is secondlie hurt by plaine violence and oppression Both these two sortes of wronges and injuries are vnholie He that circumueenes his brother is vnholie he that oppresses his brother is vnholie Novve to persvvade them to this sanctification standing in these tvvo partes he vses sundrie argumentes The first argument ye heard of before vvas from the vvill of God This is the will of God sayes he your sanctification It is the Lords vvill that ye be holie It is not an hid vvill but a reuealed will and oft reuealed that ye be holie in your selfe holie in respect of your brethren and holie all manner of vvaye Brethren if there vvere not an argument to moue vs to be holy holie in respect of our selues holie in respect of our neighbour this onely reason to vnderstand it is Gods will we so doe may be sufficient For albeit we knovve of no other reason wherefore vve should be holie but onely that it is his vvill it bindes vs to holinesse For this reuerence tovvarde the Creator and Redeemer of the world should be in euerie creature that they vnderstanding anie thing to bee agreable to his holie vvill should stoup knovving his will they are bound to acquiescâ— and rest there seeking no farther and to close their eyes at all their reasones hovvbeit the thing that is injoyned to them should seeme to be an impossibilitie The Apostle speaking of his vvill Roman chap. 12. verse 2. sayes His vvill is euer goode it is good vvhat euer he vvilleth it is perfite yea it is the rule of all righteousnesse So euerie one should reason vvith themselues Is it the vvill of God Then it is most just I vvill follovve and obey it my reason shall not stay it my reason is vvrong and out of rule his vvill is the rule of righteousnesse I insist on this rather because I knovve how hard it is to make the vvill of man plyable and to frame it to Gods vvill and vvhat discrepance is betvveene the vvill of God and the vvill of man So if thou giuest thy selfe ouer to thy ovvne nature there is nothing God willes but thou willest the contrare therof And therfore our praier should be continually to God to conforme our froward will to his wil this should be our praier continuallie what euer come to vs be it prosperitie or aduersitie Lord do thy will giue me not my own will for if I get my own wil it will be my wreak but Lord rule my will according to thy will for thy will is onely the right will and the preseruer of my life and euen now while we haue time we should cry Lord thy will be done we are thy creatures Lord let thy will be done in vs. And I assure thee if thou get thy will conformable to his wil and be content with any thing he layes on thee life or death certainly thou shalt find comfort all shall come well to thee The second argument taine from the vengence that falles on the transgressours He saies For the Lord is the auenger of alâ— such thinges He auenges the deceit vsed by vs and the violence done against our neighbour This second argument followes well on the other for one of those two must be either the will of God must be done by vs or else vengence must be for disobedience If the will of God moue thee not to doe that which he craues of thee Punishement for disobedieÌ„ce to gods vvill to liue in holinesse before him let the feare of vengence and punishment moue thee For Brethren the will of our God is in the selfe a thing so holie and inuiolable that there was neuer person yet that disobeyed that will from ould Adam to this houre if it were but in a litle thoght of the heart let be a deed in a motion of the soule let be an action but that disobedience and transgression of that holie and inuiolable will of God was punished either in the persons self or in the Mediator Iesus Christ So inuiolable a thing is the just will of God that the disobeence to it cannot escape punishmeÌ„t God is not like man impossible it is that thy disobedience to him if it were but â—n a motion of thy heart should bee vnpunished either in thy bodie or soule or else thou must haue refuge to the Mediator and it shall be punished in him For if thou be in Christ thy disobedidience is taine away in his obedience And therefore thinke it no childish play to play with his will if it were but the least cogiâ—ation of the heart Play vvith man as thou wilt but one thought against Gods will importes damnation if thou hadst a thousand lyues He addes that reason in the end of this verse as vve also 〈◊〉 you before tyme and testified This was not the first tyme that he had tolde them of it of before and now he telles them
part of sanctification As for exemple Even this one grace of almous deeds of beneficence showing our liberalitie on them that haue need if this be not in some measure in anie man or woman Liberalitie if there be nothing in the person but gredines auarice and a closed hand who can say that that person hes anie true or solide grace of God If one of these vices raigne in thee as auarice raigning in the highest degree if thou be a slaue to it who can saye that anie true grace is in thy soule Thou mayest wel count thou hast this grace or that grace but I can not say that anie grace of that spirite raigne vvithin thy soule make no account that ther is anie grace within thee if any sinne raigne in thee without controlement Count not of thy abstenance thou wilt bee abstinent in mouth and then an auaritious man But look that euerie grace of God in some measure be within thee and that sanctification goe through thy vvhole soule and bodie Peter in his sec Epist 1. chap. linkes together all the graces of God amongst the rest he countes this brotherlie loue he linkes this linke among the rest to help faith for I assure thee faith will not stand it self alone Cast to sayes he to faith vertue to vertue science and so forth vntill ye come to this brotherlie loue Adde to thy brotherlie loue charitie and so forth vntill all graces be linked together Paul 2. Corinth chap. 8. verse 7. hes a speciall regarde to this grace showing our liberalitie to our poore brethren As ye abound in all thinges in faith knovvledge 〈◊〉 â—â—oke sayes he that ye abound also in liberalitie and doing of almous deedes And as in all the graces of the holie Spirite in vs there is a resemblance of the Image of Christ So ospeciallie in this grace of beneficence Ye knovv sayes Paul â— Corinth chap 8. verse 9. the bountifulnesse of the Lord vvho vvhen he vvas 〈◊〉 vvas made poore for our saâ—es that vve might be made riche in his pouertie Novv this is the grace that is heere recommended and novv I recommend it to you for if it was in any age craued now certainlie at this tyme thou hast more nor matter to shovve thy well doing and almous deedes to the poore Certainlie charitie vvas neuer so colde and mens handes vvere neuer so hard contracted and men vvere neuer nearer to themselues nor they are now The latter dayes are neare for the nearer the end of the world be we are the nearer our selues and the nearer our selues the farther from God The Apostle when he exhorts them to this grace he comes not on so plainlie but he vses an holy colour and kinde of simulation He exhorts them and yet he lets not on him he exhortes And as it vvere obscurelie and passing by he giues them a watch-ward and wakens them vp to be beneficiall To teach 〈◊〉 Ministers to be wyse in speaking to the people We should not leaue off to exhort any person in whom there is grace to do any duetie but yet we should doe it so discreetly that our exhortation 〈◊〉 not so much an exhortation as a commendation For the grace of God in any person shoulde not be misknown but known and reuerenced both for his sake that is giâ—er and for his sake that hes gotten it both that God may be glorified in giuing him that grace and the person may be stirred vp to perseuere in that grace For it is an old prouerb Vertue being commended increasse Ioh. 1. Epist 2. 27. vses this same wisdom I need not saies he teach you the holy spirit hes taught you all thinges and in the mean time he is teaching them continually yet when he is teaching them he saies he needed not to teach theÌ„ So Paul when he is making a coÌ„mendation of the grace in them he saies it is not needful to exhort you to the grace ye haue a better teacher nor I Teaching of the holy spirite God teaches you therfore I need not to teach you the Lord teaches you by working in your harts by his holy Spirit what needs me to teach you by my pen Brethren Ther are two sortes of teachers God and man Men teaches Philosophers in schooles teaches Ministers out of pulpets teaches many sorts of teachers If man be the onely teacher of grace and vertue to be embraced by the auditor and if Gods Spirit should not concur inwardly to instruct the soule and heart there would neuer be a good scholler in the schoole of christ none of you to the worlds end would get good by teaching It may be men teaching thee vvill informe thy minde and make thee to vnderstand vvhat is spoken but man can neuer teach the hart that is to embrace that is spoken no it will passe mans power to reforme the hart if the holy spirit moue thee not to embrace that which is spoken thou wilt neuer embrace it for all that man can say As for example I may stand vp and lay out before you this whole grace of liberalitie and beneficence and paint it out in all the colours thereof and make you vnderstand this whole vertue in all the parts But when it commes to the heart to be practised in your life and conuersation if the holy Spirit go not down to reforme the hart ye shall neuer be the better but the worse for the knowledge shal but serue to aggreadge your condemnation Then be neuer content with the voice of men but euer cry for the inward doctour the Spirit of God from Heauen And say Lord come with this word and teach my heart otherwaies all is but winde and shall be an aggreading of my condemnation at the last day It is thou Lord who is the onely inward teacher and therefore except thou teach me I shall not be taught So except that holie teacher be with vs in teaching all is but lost tyme. Now to come to the wordes What is this the Lord craues of them what teaches the Lord them that euerie one should loue another He teaches not onely loue but loue that meetes loue he will not teache thee onely to loue him but him to loue thee againe This is mutuall loue As he teaches thee to loue me so he teaches me to loue thee loue must be mutual Friendship standes not in the one side but friendship must be conjoyned to friendship There is no bond in that blessed bodie of Christ except there be a mutuall bond if I loue thee neuer so well if thou loue not me thou shalt neuer be in the bodie For as the rest of the members of Christ loues thee so thou must loue them againe or else thou hast no fellowship in the bodie Marke the order which the Apostle vses in teaching When he instructes men in any grace there are some fundamentall graces that are so called because they are the grounds of al graces to wit Faith Hope and Charitie
For vvhere any sparke of the light of God is the light raignes and God raignes in thee albeit thou haue great darknesse in thee For vvhereuer God is in any measure he euer raignes He sayes Ye are all the children of the light and the children of the day Marke the vvordes For they import a pithie meaning They meane that not onely they are in a light but that in substance in a maner they are light As I am light and thou art light if thou be the chylde of light in substance thou art light euen so as in substance thou art a bodie in substance likevvise a soule So in a maner in substance thou art light For ye must vnderstand this the chylde is euer by nature of the substance of the Father and Mother Then if ye be the children of light of necessitie ye must be in some maner of the substance of light Paul Ephes chap. 5. verse 8. sayes to the Ephesians that some tymeye vvere Gentiles sometyme ye vvere darknesse but novv ye are light in the Lord vvalke as children of light He sayes not ye vvere in darknesse but he sayes in verie deed ye vvere in a maner a verie lumpe of darknesse Then againe he sayes not ye are in the light but ye are light your substance and nature is changed in the conâ—rarie vvhere ye vvere in substance darknesse novv ye are in substance light turned from the substance of daknesse to the substance of light Now the words this way exponed take vp an higher ground and of the escaping of judgement at the comming of Christ It is not enough to be found in the light onely but thou must be found to be light it selfe and the child of light I shall make this plaine There are two sorts of thinges and bodies in this world that hes light There are some bodies that in themselues hes no light in the worlde they are darke in themselues yet they will be in the light As for example Ye see the black floore ye sit on it hes no light of it selfe it is black but when the Sun shynes on it it hes light and shynes There are other bodies that are not onely in the light but in the owne nature are light as the Sun it is not onely in the light but it is light the selfe and there is no other light to giue it light except the selfe Now to apply this There are two sortes of men and wemen in the Church of God I leaue Pagans Turkes and Iewes and I speak of these who are in the Church and professes themselues to be Christians There are some of them in the light in the midst of the Saintes of God and professing the worde as the Saintes does that hes no light of themselues the light they haue is the light of others as for themselues they are but black bodies and black soules Hypocrites that hes nothing in themselues but blacknesse an hypocrite hes nothing but blacknesse and yet he will be in the Church and as farre in as any man but shynes in the light of the word and of the Saintes of God Againe there are some who are not onely in the light shynes not onely in the light of others but in themselues are light and shynes in their own light and there are beames that commes from them and lightens both themselues and others that sittes with them as the Sun both shynes the selfe and makes other inferiour creatures to shyne Of the which sort were the Philippians Paul writes to them Philip 2. 15. and sayes Ye are compast with Pagans and Heathen and ye shyne in the midst of them So who euer gets this grace to haue this light and to carie it out to the world they are the children of light Now in the day of judgement it will not be enough to be in the Church to be among the faithfull and renewed creatures and among them who are light to be at preaching of the word except thou be light of thy selfe what care I if the light wherein I shyne be not my owne but the light that shynes from another If thou haue no more thou shalt be suddenlie destroyed Therefore if thou wouldest be fred from this sudden destruction seeke light regeneration illumination and neuer rest nor be glad vntill thou find in some measure the regeneration of thy nature and thy selfe to be light in Christ Againe marke heere the vniuersall partickle ye all He sayes not some but he cals all the Thessalonians the children of light and of the day he maks no exception he is not so precise as men are now This learnes vs both Pastor and people a good lesson to be obserued to thinke and to judge the best of euerie man and woman that hes once receiued the seale of Baptisme and hes giuen their names in baptisme to Christ and professes christ outwardlie For albeit many of them will be hypocrites yet it is our part after the exemple of Paul to call them the children of light Thou art ouer seueare a censurer to call them who hes taine the name of Christ vpon them the children of darknesse Seuere not thou the popple from the wheet the caffe from the corne the goates from the sheepe vntill the Lord come and he shall seuere them Put not men in Heauen vvhen thou vvilt and men in Hell vvhen thou vvilt but be ware vvith this rashe judgement Now to come to the next verse Vpon the groundes he hes laid that all are in light and not in darknesse and that which is more that they are the children of light and not of darknesse he gathers his exhortation Then sayes he if it be so that we are the children of light let vs not sleepe but let vs vvatch and be sober This is the effect of the wordes There are two thinges that heere are forbidden and two things that are commaunded The two things that are forbidden are sleeping and drunkennesse for vnder sleeping as the text that followes makes plaine is comprehended drunkennesse These two thinges goe commonlie together a drunken bodie is ay doting and sleeping for the senses of him are so burdened with surfet he can doe nothing but ly downe and sleepe Now there are two thinges recommended watching and sobernesse these two agree also together for a temperate man who hes moderation in drinking that man is able to watch when others sleepe and to do a good turne in the night But to goe through euerie one of them and to begin at sleeping for he beginnes at it heere There are two sortes thereof First a bodilie sleeping vvhen the senses of this bodie are chosed Sleeping the eyes closed the eare closed and all the senses closed so that they leaue their function that is called a bodilie sleepe There is another called a spirituall sleepe and it is the sleeping of the soule and spirite vvhen the eye of the soule is bound vp so that it hes no sight of God the eare of
of Iesus Christ and of the thinges that concernes him not firmely persvvaded of them as vve shall heare 3. diseases vvith their remedies in the ovvne rovvme So there are heere three diseases or speciall sicknesses The first is vnrulinesse that is louse liuing the next feeblenesse of hart the thirde is vveakenesse and infirmitie in faith and in that persvvasion that vve should haue tovvardes Iesus Christ and the Gospell And as there are three diseases So the Apostle prescryues three seuerall remedies against these three diseases Marke it For euery disease he prescryues the ovvne proper remedie and cure for in ordinate liuing and vnrulie lyfe Admonition for feeblenesse of mynde and casting dovvne of the Spirite Comfort for weaknesse in faith and infirmitie bearing vvith to beare vvith the vveake and infirme in faith Now to goe throgh these and first to the diseases and next to the remedies thereof The first disease is vnrulinesse 1. Vnruelinesse inordinatnesse The Apostle 2. Thessa 3. chap. verse 6. telles vvho are these he calles vnrulie they that liue not according to that doctrine and instruction he gaue them The vvord of God is the rule of lyfe The man that liues not according to the vvord of God is vnruly Yet more plainely in that same place he descryues the vnruely He calles them 11. verse they vvho labours not for their liuing they vvho haue not a trade of lyfe Then he addes that are busie bodies busie in other mens turnes doing nothing in their ovvne and therefore they must be exercised in euill exercises in thinges that pertaines not to them pratling and babling here and there puting their hand to this mans and that mans offices There are tvvo properties idle and exercised idle in their ovvne tume exercised in other mens turnes An euill sort of men these men are vnruly Now to come to the remedie shortlie The remedie is admonishing reprouing This vnrulinesse it is an euill maladie and eneugh to cause a man die What medicine should vve vse to such men shall we foster and entertaine them in their folie No he sayes admonishe them vse them sharply and seuerely in admonishing tell them they are out of rule The 2. Thessa chap. 3. verse 10. he telles hovv hee vsed them hee denounced against them that if they vvrought not they should not eate but their mouth should be bound vp so that they should die for hunger Also in that same place he giues a charge to all men of seuere themselues from these men that they may be ashamed of that life it is a good and an honest thing to see a man well exercised and that in his owne calling Novve to come to the second disease and remedie for it The next disease is feeblenesse of mynde 2. Feeblenesse of mynde vvhen the heart of man is casten dovvne troubled assaulted heauie so that there is no spirite nor courage but ay going in the vvay of dispaire What is the medicine and remedie of this man Deale not roughlie vvith one vvho is diseased after this maner adde not affliction to affliction afflict not him vvho is afflicted trouble not the troubled the proper medicine to such is comfort Comfort them that are dejected in spirit Dauid in the 41. Psalme 1. verse he pronounces a speciall blessing to him that vvill comfort the afflicted Blessed is the man that iudges vvysoly of the poore that is that can haue compassion on a troubled conscience Now the arguments of consolation he vses in that Psalme are tvvo The first from the promises of God to be bestowed on them in Christ The other is prayer Promise then grace to the troubled heart in Iesus Christ and then pray for it If the hart be dejected no comfort for it but from God Al the world all the powers in Heauen and earth are not able to comfort and raise vp the soule but onely the power of God through Christ and his blessed Spirite Novv to the third disease and remedie thereof It is vveakenesse in faith 3. Weakenesse in faith vveakenesse in the knovveledge of Christ and the Gospell vvhen a man hes not a through sight and perswasion of these thinges that concernes Iesus and the Gospell when he knowes them not vvell neither is confirmed in them Such as concerning diuersitie of meates all meates are sanctified in Christ many knew not that and therefore made conscience in obseruing diuersitie of meates and likewise as concerning daies that put difference in daies and keeped them these he cals weak ones The remedy is beare with them breake not the brused reede quench not the smooking slax no enterteine the least beginning of grace in the weakest body A fire that hes smook in the beginning if thou enterteine it it will in end grow a faire fire What knowest thou but these that hes a little sparke of faith if they be enterteinde by processe of tyme will grow to an high measure of knowledge and will be as strong as thou Paul 15. chap. Rom. 1. verse speaking of these same weake ones sayes We vvho are strong in faith that is knowes the libertie in Christ Iesus let vs beare the infirmities of the vveake take their burdene off their back and lay it on our shoulders heape not on them burdene vpon burdene but releue them and that vve please not our selues and make off-casts of others Therefore he addes let euery one please their neighbour Please their neighbour and beare with him that is the word and he commes on with Christs exemple Christ he bare not vvith himselfe selfe-loue caried him not as it does vs but as it is written the reproches of them that rebuked thee fell on me He spared himselfe so little that these igneminies and reproaches that should haue lighted on vs sinners he tooke them on him He tooke our burdeene on him There are the wordes shortly Marke our lessons This world is all diseased men and wemen in this world are full of diseases yea and they that thinks themselues wholest are sickest I will not speake of the diseases of the bodie There are few without their owne diseases and that is the rewarde of sinne yea and death followes on the end of them but I speake of the sicknesse of the soules of men and wemen neuer one but they haue their owne diseases in their soule He hes this sicknesse in his soule she hes that sicknesse in her soule he is miserable in his soule another feeble in minde the third weake without a sure knowledge of Christ euery one of these sicknesses are deadlie euerie one of them eneugh to cause a creature die Art tho vnruely if it continue with thee and be not cured in tyme it shall cause thee die not such a death as the death of the bodie it is a sicknesse in the soule thy soule shall die The sicknesse of the bodie will cause the bodie die if it be not cured the sicknesse of the soule will cause the soule die if
vve haue great neede to be instructed in this because our nature is so bent to reuenge He sayes See that none recompence euill for euill vnto anie man There is an inhibition Whereof much might be spoken but I shall binde me to the words of the Apostle Then to come to the first words See beware look to it The word signifies an earnest care and studie As he would say take care be earnest beware in this turne for it will begyle you if you take not all the better heede to it This verie vvord he vses lettes vs see the great difficultie and hardnesse that is in obeying of this precepte in not randering euill for euill but by the contrarie randering goode for euill For brethren there is a wonderfull promptnesse and bentnesse in the nature of all men euer to reuenge the spirit of vengence is by nature in euerie one of vs yea in the silliest and simplest bodie that is This poynte of doctrine not to rander euill for euill but by the contrare good for euill abhorres from nature and nature abhorres it Say to a naturall man doe not euill for euill but doe good for euill he will scorne and laugh at it and many in Scotland scornes it Our nature abhors it so farre that the â—uld Philosophers who set down many good morall precepts neuer spoke one word of it among all their morall precepts ye will not get this precept Doe no euill for euill doe good for euill The Scrybes and Pharisies Matt. cha 5. vers 38. c. exponing the Law of God could not atteine to this but gaue out this meaning of the second table of the Law loue thy friend doe good to him that does good to thee hate thy enemie So they exponed the Law vntil Christ came and purged the Law Only then in the schole of Iesus only in the Gospell PatieÌ„â—â—in suffering vvronges bardle arâ—ed this pointe of doctrine is taught and learned that men should not doe euill for euill but good for euill Indeede brethren this lesson is very hard to be practised Good Christians who professes themselues to be schollers in Iesus schoole how long tyme will they spend ere they can get this lesson learned Who let see is brought to this poynte that gladly he can be content to suffer wrong or to suffer a double wrong ere he reuenge yea to doe good for euill ere he reuenge wrong Who can doe this No all these murtherers all these oppressors these contumelies wherewith the land is filled telles plainly that many thousands in the land hes neuer learned this precept of the Gospell that the Lord hes giuen to doe good for euill Who of our Lords and Lairds hes learned it If he hes gotten one slaine to him he will slay two yea come to the Gentle-men ye shall see that this lesson hes neuer beene learned of them Who of our wemen hes learned it for if were but with the bitternesse of their mouth they will reuenge their quarrell and they who hes atteined to any grace or any part of obedience of this precept yea the best of all the most patient soule how hardly can he with a patient mynde dejest injuries There is no grace of God no sort of obedience to Iesus but so long as we liue heere we keepe it with a battell hast thou any grace euer the canker of our corruption stryâ—â—s to put but the grace So that if we be not holden vp we shall lose this grace and among all graces that men gets I trow this grace of Patience we keep it with the greatest trouble There is no grace that hes so many assaults as this euer to stir vs vp to take vengence our own nature wicked company fy on on thee they wil cry beastly body thou hast receiued wrong and wil not reuenge it there is a thousand such instigations What matter if we could be content to rander wrong for wrong but our hart is so full of venome that it caÌ„not be satiat vntill we double and triple ten wrongs for one the hart is so full of hatred that if we could we would shut our enemy soule and body in Hell So this grace of Patience in not reuenging is the grace we keepe with the greatest assaults Read the 39. Psalme when Dauid had taine purpose to take heed to his waies that he should not speak an euill word against his enemies yet the hart begins to take fire and out goes the flame and he burstes out in murmuring against God himselfe All this telles vs how hard a thing it is to one to digest wrong and how much more hard to do good for euill And so we are to crâ—ue euer at God to giue vs this grace of Patience to suffer wrong Alas the company of this world is so wicked that we are euer stirred vp to vengence And so we should craue euer the Lord giue vs patience that with patience we may abide the wrong and the Lord will auenge The Lord sayes Vengence is mine and I vvill auenge it Deut. chap. 32. vers 35. Byde till this tyme come and surely will the Lord repay it And I darsay neuer man got wrong and with patience abode it but either he got reuenge here or else in that day he shall see his wrongs fully repayed by God This for the first words Now he sayes See that no man This precept perteines to all men it is generall he excemes no man no not the Kings of the world from the King to the begger no man exemed euery soule is inhibite to do wrong to rander euill for euil for it is the King of al kings that puts out this inhibition BrethreÌ„ the conceit men hes of their own estimation if the Lord cal them to any estate begyles them If a man be preferred to another he beguiles himselfe and he thinks he may do what he wil because of his preferment he may do double wrong and he will say I am such a man this is my estate will I suffer a wrong I cannot doe 〈◊〉 How can I suffer this indignitie The Lord sayes thy preferment is of me thou art no better nor the person that is vnder thee I command thee vnder the paine of death that thou patiently abide vntill it please me to auenge this deed Then he sayes doe no vvrong to any man without any exception thou art bound not to rander euill for euill to any man to the silliest and basest bodie that goes on the earth Measure not Gods Law by your owne discretion The holie Law of God forbids thee to rander injurie for injurie to the vylest bodie in the world And euen as the consait of men who are preferred begyles them euen so the opinion of the vyle estate of other men in their eyes begyles them How durst will they say such a vyle lowne or villaâ—e doe such a turne should I suffer such a wrong of such a raskall I shall wring my hands in his hart bloud
part of the text The Apostle Paul not onely in this place joines these three together but also in the 4. chap. to the Philipp ye shall finde the same three precepts joined together howbeit not in this order he beginnes there Patience ioye and praier ioined together at joy and he sayes reioice in the Lord alvvaies againe I say reioice then he commes to patience in suffering wrong let your patient minde let your moderation be knovvne 〈◊〉 all men for the Lord is at hand And last he commes to prayer and saies be not carefull for any thing but in all things let your requests be shovvne to God in prayer and thankes-giuing Then he commes to peace of conscience again and the peace of God vvhich passes all vnderstanding shall preserue your harts c. These three are joined together The precept of patience joy and prayer because these three graces of God patience joy and prayer are vnseparable euerie one of them joined vnseparably with another tak one away thou shalt not get the other tak praier away thou shalt not haue joy take joy away thou shalt not get patience in suffering So these three are so vnseparably lined together that if they be not altogether in the hart of a man none of them can be in the hart and if one be in the hart all shall be in it Howbeit patience be set down first here yet it is not the first grace praier is first joy next and then patience for praier first bringes joy then this heauenlie joy being broght forth and entertainde by praier it bringes patience in suffering troubles Now brethren what shal we mak of this ere we come to the words Only this the graces of God which are parts of our new-birth called Regeneration are so inseparably locked together that they cannot be seuered and therefore he that would haue any one of them let him seeke them al he that would haue patience let him seeke joy and he that would haue joy let him seeke praier let him seeke them altogether either seeke them all and get them all in some measure or it shall passe thy power to keepe any one of them either keepe all or want all this is their nature ye saw neuer a chaine so linked together as these graces of regeneration are linked It may be that a man haue the outward showe of a grace but indeed it shall passe his power to haue a true grace except he haue the whole graces of this new-birth in some measure Many will seeme to suffer wrong and yet they will not haue the joy of the holy Spirit but they that wants the joy of the Spirit albeit they seeme to suffer many wrongs yet they are but hypocrites Therefore seeke one seeke all want one want all either haue all or want all But to come to the text and speake of this joy Reioice sayes the Apostle euermore True rejoicing or joy is that joy that entertaines patience in suffering Goe to experience and try it There is none of vs that hes tasted of this heauenlie joy but we will finde by experience it raise vp the hart of man and woman aboue all these thinges earthlie in some measure It raises vp the hart to an higher kingdome nor all the kingdomes in this earth this heauenly joy raises vs vp to the kingdome of God This kingdome of God saies the Apostle Rom. chap 14. vers 17. Is peace and ioy in the holie Ghost So that they who hes this joy are in another kingdome as far aboue these earthly kingdomes as the heauen is aboue the earth and by this joy they are lifted vp to heauen and being vp there they look downe to all these things on the earth the troubles afflictions and persecutions as thogh they were nothing and thinkes them nothing joy being in the hart it swallowes vp the heauiest displeasure that can be looke this by experience A little measure of it in the hart will swalow vp sadnesse suffering of wrongs and injuries in this world This world is but a world of suffering In the 5. chapter of the Acts verse 41. ye see the Disciples of Christ after his ascension are drawen in before the Councell there they are scourged manassed and threatned that they should not speake in the name of Christ But what doe they when they are dimitted They go away with joy is there matter of joy heere they are beatten scourged and boasted yet they goe away with joy reioicing that they vvere counted vvorthiâ— to suffer for Christs sake Brethren if joy had not swallowed vp sadnesse the Apostles had not rejoyced Reade the Psalmes of Dauid He beginnes with such a sadnesse in many of them all that he would appeare to be in Hell and ere the Psalme be ended ye will see that he burstes out with exceeding great thankfulnes This meanes that there was a joy and an exceeding great heauines in the hart and there was a battell betwixt them and in the end joy got the victorie and swallowed vp sadnesse But now what is this joy that he meanes of when he saies Reioyce euermoâ— It is no other thing but that which he calles in the fourth chapter to the Philippians Description of â—oy The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding standing about the hart as a guard And to speake the trueth of this it is the end and crowne of all the graces of God in Iesus Christ it is that end whereto all the graces of God tends and when they come there they go no further Wherfore came Christ in the world but that we should haue peace and joy in conscience Wherefore died he that we should haue joy Wherefore rose he that we should haue joy in his resurrection Wherfore are we all called to be Christians that we shold rejoice Wherefore are our sins remitted onely to rejoyce This is the end of all joy What is Heauen but joy What is life euerlasting but joy vnspeakable What is glorie but joy Paul joynes these two together joy and the crowne of glorie 1. Thess chap. 2. vers 19. Therefore in one word what is true happines nothing but joy joy in God throgh Iesus Christ What is any thing vnder Heauen without joy in the hart If a man haue all the world and all the honour and riches of the world except he haue joy in them what auaill they So joy is the blessednesse of men and women And therefore when the Apostle bids vs rejoice euermore what craues he but that we should prease euer forward to our blessednes and Heauen begin thy blessednes here or thou shalt neuer get blessednes hereafter Life euerlasting begins here in a measure of joy that is not persite and ends in the next life in glory which shall be perfited Yet brethren the nature of joy would be better seene and knowen that men be not deceiued with it The joy that is craued of what kinde is it There are sundrie kindes of joy Is it a
faile thee or else thou shalt faile them if thou were a King thou must faile in thy kingdome thou must leaue 〈◊〉 either shall the worldly things be taine from thee or thou from them What Monarch euer yet since the beginning of the world for al their dominions if they had not God and Christ had euer a sparke of joy at the houre of his death A dram weight of this joy is worth all the kingdomes of this earth and if thou hast gotten a little peece of this joy thinke it better nor thou wert made Monarch of all the world No question the least peece of Christes graces and of this regeneration is worth all the Kingdomes of this world Euen so these earthlie thinges cannot bee the matter of this joye Thou shalt neuer get the joy of the holy Spirite if thou seeke it in the world Then wherein standes this joy Paul 4. chap. to the Philippians verse 4. sayes Reioyce in the Lord. He sayes not rejoyce in the world or kingdomes of the world but he sayes rejoyce in the Lord and in all those graces he hes broght with him in remission of sins in life euerlasting c. Take heed compare this joy with the matter thereof This joy is spiritual Iesus is a Spirit all his graces are spirituall Then these two agrees very well a spirituall matter a spirituall joy Then againe this joy is continuall Christ is for euer Heb. 13. 8. His graces standes for euer Al the mercies of God in Christ are eternall and vnchangeable How well then standes these two a joy continuall a matter continuall a joy that is eternall a matter that is eternall But thou wilt say 〈…〉 albeit that matter of my joy Christ Iesus neuer perishes yet we must perish and albeit he stand yet we must fall No no. Paul to the Rom. chap. 8. vers 35. saies What shall separate vs from the loue of God in Christ No if thou be once well imped in him by his Spirite and a lyuely faith all the world shall neuer bring thee back againe thou shalt neuer be separate heauen and earth shall first perishe ere they who are imped in Christ be separate from him death shall not separate them Paul sayes Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage Philipp chap. 1. vers 21. These earthly thinges may vantage thee in this naturall and transitory lyfe 〈…〉 riches may vauntage thee in this lyfe honour may be pleasant to thee here but when death commes then may thou justly say I will get no more vantage of my riches I will shake all off me and go naked to the graue but Christ will go to the graue with me yea euen to the resurrection he shall accompany thee and then soule and body shall be joined together and thou shalt be with him for euer In one word the matter of this joy are not earthly things but spirituall It is Christ and his graces that is the ground of all this joy vntill thou come to that lyfe euerlasting And this for the opening vp of the words Learne Vseâ— then There are none of vs that walkes in the light of the Gospell of Christ and hes taine the name of Christians vpon vs but we are bound and oblist to rejoyce and be glade and that not for one tyme onely one day or one night or one yeere or one season but euermore and at euery occasion in prosperitie in aduersitie in life and death euer rejoyce and weulde ye know the paine all obligations are vnder some paine the paine of it is vnder the paine of banishing vs out of Gods Kingdome out of heauenly Ierusalem He that would not rejoyce vnder the hope of heauenly Ierusalem must be banished out thereof Rom. 14. verse 17. Gods Kingdome in righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost if thou prease not to rejoyce in Christ and his Kingdome in life and death prosperity and aduersitie thou shalt be shut out of it I say they who neuer felt of this heauenly joy and neuer rejoyced in Christ in his Redemption of vs from sin in that life purchast to vs by his bloud who neuer rejoyces in these but ay is glad when he is exercised about these earthly things that man neuer yet saw Christs Kingdome And albeit he be outwardly in the Church the Church is called the Kingdome of God in the Gospell yet indeede he is not one of the Kingdome he is going vp and downe in company with them of the Church but he was neuer in the Church for thou must be spiritually in it and not bodily And if there be a great sin in the world this is one not to rejoyce in such a matter of joy God offers thee saluation in Christ if thou rejoyce not therein thou cannot doe a greater contempt to the light of the Gospell wherein life and saluation is offered noâ— a greater injury to God thou bereaues God of his glory for what shall be the chiefe glorifying of God but a rejoycing in his mercies through Iesus Christ Alas what great blessednesse we defraâ—d our selfes of when we rejoyce not in the worke of our Redemption It is wonder what joy the Angels haue in looking in to this worke of the Redemption of man Peter in his 1. Epistle chap. 1. vers 12. sayes The Angels desires to looke in to this misterie Were not the Angels preachers to the shiephirds of that joy and blessing that came to the world Luke chap. 2. verse 13. 14. Fy on thee Christ is come to redeeme thee and not the Angels and yet they rejoyce and wilt not thou rejoyce The earth and heauen leapes and rejoyces for the hearing of their deliuerance by Christes comming againe and thou cannot rejoyce fy on thee When all the dumme creatures aboue vnder and about thee rejoyces and thou cannot rejoyce Waken vp that dead hart of thine and rejoyce in God or else the spirit of sorrow and sadnesse shall waken thee that thou shalt weepe for euer The tyme of joy is pretious if thou rejoyce not heere thou shalt neuer get that joy in Heauen hereafter Now ye will say should we rejoyce ay The wise man sayes Ecclest chap. 3. vers 4. 〈…〉 All thinges hes the tyme there is a tyme of vveeping a tyme of laughing How should we ay be glad I aunswere it is true there is a tyme of mourning and a tyme of sadnesse and I trow this same verie tyme is the tyme of sadnesse But I tell thee againe for all this sadnesse rejoyce must thou and when thou art commanded to be sad for sin thou art commanded to rejoyce in Christ for remission thereof where nothing is in the hart but sadnesse it will bring a man to dispare Sadnesse would euer be mingled with joy sadnesse for miserie would be mingled with joy for hope of reliefe or else the end shal be dispare And it is wonderfull to see the Spirit of Iesus at â— tyme to
follow on and keep it in our hart There are two needs of praier One need of grace another need to keep the grace we haue receiued So there is two sorts of begging the first is for grace the next is for keeping of the grace Neuer wearie to aske The Lord wold haue thee euer begging Ay say Lord giue me Then say Lord keepe this grace thou hast giuen me otherwaies I will lose it For I assure thee if the Lords hand be not euerie moment holding grace in thy hart thou art ay ready to lose it Therefore the Apostle sayes Pray continually Alas if we knew what thing we are bound to we would discharge a better duety to our God we should not passe the time in playing but we should pray continually Ye vvill thinke it an hard thing to be euer praying ye vvill say should we do no other thing but ay pray should this be our exercise continually Take heed By praying is vnderstood not preceesly this outward forme of prayer the falling down on our knees the lifting vp of our hands and eyes so that we do not another turne No I meane not so Thou hast a lawfull vocation go win thy liuing according to thy calling He that said Pray continually The same said Go labour and win thy liuing otherwaies thou shalt not eat Avvay vvith Munkries and Nunries Then when continuall prayer is craued no other thing is craued but that thy hart and minde be euer exercised on God Let thy hart and contemplation of thy mynde be euer on him be neuer so distracted with any exercise of the world but keep God euer in some measure before thy eyes seeking his grace and blessing to thy exercise When thou art busiest in thy exercise let thy hart be seeking blessing thereto Paul saies 1. Cor. 10. chap. 31. verse Whether ye eat or drinke or what euer ye do all to the glory of God If I eat to the glory of God my hart must be blessing thanking him for the benefit receiued seeking a blessing of him that it may doe me good desyring also that heauenly foode I tell thee this earthly foode should be nothing else to thee but a remembrance of heauenly things and of Christ that is onely the foode of the soule Then in all thy exercises euer hold thy hart on God let thy hart be praying when thy tongue is speaking of these thinges that concernes thy exercise so thy exercise shall be in the Lord. The Apostle vses to say do this and do that in the Lord. What means he but only in that doing thy hart shold be set on the Lord Ay enterteine Gods Spirit Thinke not that the exercising of the hart on Christ shal hinder thee in any thing in thy exercise No but by the contrare the face of God looking on thee it brings blessing keep him in thy eie and think on him and so thy exercise shall be sweete keepe God in thy eye and thou shalt finde a wonderfull joy and an helpe in thy exercise Now I end with this prayer Lord seeing there is no blessing but when we keep Iesus Christ in our eyes Lord grant that the face of Christ go neuer out of our eyes let neuer the remembrance of Iesus depart from vs. To this Christ be honour and glorie for euer AMEN THE XXV LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 18. 19. 18 In all thinges giue thankes for this is the vvill of God in Christ Iesus tovvard you 19 Quench not the Spirit THE last part of this Epistle Brethren which we haue in hand presently stands in an exhortation to an holie lyfe and conuersation vvorthie of the Lord Iesus Christ The last day we shew you there are three preceptes joyned together the precepte of patience to beare vvrong and injuries in this vvorlde patientlie and not to rander euill for euill as we are bent by nature but to do good for euill Then next the precept of joy the inward joy and peace of soule and conscience that passes all vnderstanding that euermore we shold rejoyce And last the precept of prayer which standes in two partes the one in seeking at the hands of God the other in thanking him for the grace receiued at his handes We shew you that conjunction that is among these graces patience joy and prayer patience is the effect of joy and the inward joy that is heauenly and spirituall is the meane to enterteine patience and to make a man beare patiently the wrongs he suffers in this present world for in a maner it rauishes him vp aboue the world and all thinges in the world and makes him to looke ouer all these earthly thinges and injuries that falles out in the world as though they were not and in some measure he hes his contemplation with God in Heauen So that the joy he hes will swallow vp all these earthly troubles and the life of God in him will swallow vp mortalitie and death Againe praier is the meane to enterteine that joy we haue with God for it keeps Gods presence and the face of Iesus in our sight and the face of Iesus is so joyfull as no tongue can tell For all the light and joy we haue in our harts proceedes from the face of Iesus and from the face of God in Christ and then it shynes on vs. And this face of Iesus it shines in the Gospell And therefore blessed were we if we could looke euer in the mirrour of the Gospell where we shall get this light and the face of Christ that makes vs rejoyce it appeares in a mirrour now but we shall see him face to face when the body of Iesus shall be perfect all is but a beginning now that we haue here he is far from vs and al the sight we haue of him is but a blenke let euery one looke to experience there are so many thinges goes in betweene vs and him that we can skarcely keepe his face in the which standes our joy Alwaies it is prayer that enterteines this presence of God looke to it by experience take away prayer that men pray not to God take away mediatation and thanking of God take away this communing with God it shall passe thy power to haue any presence of him and without his presence no joy in him Then shortly to come to the matter in hand This prayer consistes in two parter In asking and seeking at him according to the needs and misters we haue we are ful of wants and misters There is none of vs all from the greatest to the lowest from the King to the begger but great is the need we haue so euery one of vs hes need to be begging neuer was there a begger at our doore that hes so great neede to beg as we haue neede to beg at Gods hand beg things spirituall and things temporall things for this life things for the life to come for if we beg not we
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
that this Epistle was directed cheefly to the Pastor Elders c. and in one word to the Presbyterie that vvas there Therefore lest the inferior and common sort of Christians should be defrauded of this benefite the Apostle showes that it is his vvil that this Epistle be communicate to the vvhole vulgar sort of christians that vveâ— in Thessalonica neuer one should be defrauded of the benefite of it He sayes not simply I vvill you to do this but he vses another vvord I charge you in the Lord I binde and oblishe you vnder a paine the paine is the vvraith of the Lord Marke it There must be great grounds and causes of this straite charge vnder al highest paine First this straite charging lettes vs see the great necessitie that vvas that the common people at Thessalonica should heare of this Epistle asvvell as the rulers of the Church Secondly it lettes vs see that the Apostle perceyued there should be impedimentes casten in that should hold aback this vvryting of his from the people he knew the deceite of the deuil that he would be busie to haue this letter closed vp and neuer to be communicate to the common people and therefore he charges theÌ„ that it shold be read to the people Now I obserue This that he speakes of this Epistle which is but a part of the Scripture I draw it to the whole Scripture canonicall of the olde and new Testament Necessity of reading and bearing the Scripturs and I obserue the need that all sort of men and wemen so long as they liue in this lyfe hes to vnderstand the scripture to read it or if they cannot read it to heare it red there is a plaine necessity laid on euery one of you men and wemen in all rankes to read the scripture and if ye cannot read them to heare them red Searche the Scriptures sayes the Lord in Iohn 5. chap. 39. verse for by them ye shall obtaine saluation it stands men on their saluation and damnation to know the Scriptures Then secondly learne The deuil the enemie of mans saluation knowing how necessarâ— the Scripture is to the saluation of men hes euer striuen to holde the Scripture hid as a closse booke from the common people What caâ—es he of the chiefe of the Clergie to let them knowe the Scriptures he will let them passe if he can get the multitude of people to carie to Hâ—ll with him This wicked doing of his continues still in the world and the word is closed vp among the Papists and it is forbidden to be red by laikes that is by simple men and wemen and it is forbidden to be translated in their owne language Marke yet further They who are rulers in the Church teachers of the common sort are bound vnder the paine of the wraith of the Lord Iesus to light on them that they communicate these Scriptures to the common people and put the booke in the hand of them that can read and if they cannot read themselues to read to them The rulers of the Thessalonians are charged to read this Epistle to all the common sort So all the rulers in the Church to the end of the world shall be oblished to instruct the common people and therefore the translating of the Bible in euery common language is ordained that the idiots who hes the mother tonge only may vnderstand what is the will of the Lord in the Scripture Then if it be so the Doctors in that harl or Church in Papistriâ— that hes closed the booke of God to the people and clasped it with double claspes O what damnation abydes them if ye haue an English new Testament to the fire with you dare thoâ— be bould to read the Scripture thy selfe in thy owne language thou shalt die for it Alas the wraith of Christ bindes 〈◊〉 and holdes them 〈◊〉 to their vtter destructions If it were but for letting the people of God remaine in ignorance without knowledge Now to the last wordes The grace of our Lord Iesus be vvith you and he seales it vp with this word Amen When he entered in with them in the beginning of the Epistle what was his salutation Nothing but a recommendation of them to the grace of Christ at his first meeting with them he prayes that they should receiue the grace of Christ Grace vvithout merite vvishes both in the beginning and ending When he bids them fare-well he bids the same grace of God be with them he wishes grace in the beginning and grace in the end Learne this If the Apostle had thoght that there had bene a greater thing in the world nor the grace of Christ he had wished it either at the beginning or at the ending but knowing well the best thing he could wishe to the people is Christs grace as he began with it so he ends with it And alas what can we wishe more for vnder the grace of Christ all the graces and blessinges we can haue heere and in the life to come are comprehended If one would set himselfe to wish the best thing in the world to another what can he wish better nor the grace of Christ for all is in it Now it is to be vnderstood what is the grace of Christ No other thing but the free fauour of God in Iesus Christ I call it free because it is without desert or merite on our part a fauour that commes not on our deseruing for we merite nothing but Hell Then brethren what is this he hes bene speaking to these Thessalonians Certainly I read not in all Pauls Epistles of so high a praise of Faith Loue and Charitie of any Church as he hes of this Church of Thessalonica and yet for all this in the end he sayes not I beseech God that he consider your merite for ye haue deserued well and he is much oblist to your deseruing as that presumptuous villaine the Pope will say Lord reward you according to your deseruing No he ends not so but he sayes Indeede Thessalonians ye haue done well but yet I commit you to the free mercy of God The thing I wish to you is not for your deseruing but against your deseruing I wish to you the free grace of Christ according to Christs saying in Luke 17. chap. 10. vers When thou hasâ— done all that thou can doe say I am but an vnprofitable servant I deserue not so much as a faire looke of Christ Hell shall ouertake thee for all thy doing except mercy come betweene thee and thy God Then onely mercie without deseruing is our saluation In the 2. Tim chap. 1. verse 16. he names one Onesiphorus and he reckons out great kindnesse that he had done to him and that which was done to Paul was done to his Master he saies he hes refreshed me when I haue beene exceeding wearie be thought no shame of my fetters and bonds and hearing tell I vvas at Rome he sought me out very diligently Yet for all this
no merite vnder the Sunne but Gods merite when God hes to doe with man As for vs there is nothing but debt no deseruing in vs all that we can doe to our God is meere debt as euer a man was addebted to another All the thanks-giuing vve can giue him is debt all vvorkes vve can worke are debt what euer he gettes of vs he merites and deserues it This is the trueth and yet the enemies of the trueth will turne this euer againe and will ascryue the merite to stinking fleshe and the debt to God The debt that appertaines to vs they ascryue to God and the merite that appeartaines to God they ascryue to vs. They sette vs aboue God for he who merites is aboue the debtor Lord what a change is this Paul to the Romans chap. 11. verse 35. sayes Who gaue him first that hes bound him to giue them againe Wilt thou be before him gaue thou him first any good if thou can doe it then thou merites if not then it is a blasphemie to thinke that thou can merite Fy on thee there is nothing in the part of the creature but debt yea meere debt nothing on the part of God but merite Now to goe forward in the matter of this thanks-giuing that neuer hes an end that should be without intermission and that God deserues at our handes The matter and cause of thanks-giuing is grace The first grace is Faith not a simple faith but an exceeding grouth in faith Because sayes he your faith grovves exceedinglie The next grace is loue not simple loue but aboundance of loue and abounding in mutuall loue so that the hearts of them ranne ouer in loue as a veshell will doe when it is ouer full Well then there is the matteâ— and cause of this thankes-giuing an exceeding grouth of sure faith al â—undant mutuall loue that euery one bare to other Then compare this place with that which is in the first Epistle chap. 1. verse 3. He thanked God for their faith and loue not for their grouth now his style is higher and he thankes God not for faith simply but for grouth not for loue simply but for abounding in mutuall loue Then ye see since the first tyme the Apostle wrote the first Epistle to them the Thessalonians hes growen in faith and loue There is the lesson Grouth in faith in loue There must be a grouth in grace grace must grow in vs and we must grow in grace If thou grow not in grace faith and loue if thou goe not forvvard of necessity thou must goe backward Thinke not that a man will stand still in one estate of faith and loue so that he will say I wil fix my stalfe here and I will goe no further nor this pointe If thou fix down thy stalfe in faith and loue thou shalt fall faster backward nor euer thou came forward and thou shalt neuer come to the end nor mark If thou fix thy stalf and neuer prease to go forward thou shalt neuer come to that glorious resurrection in plaine talke thou wilt neuer come to Heauen To be homely with you We should haue a care euer to grow in this lyfe for so long as we liue we are either children or at the farthest we are springels to vse that word Then I aske will a childe come to the stature of a man or woman if there be not grouth No Euen so if is impossible to one to come to the stature of that spirituall man without growing we are men when we come to Heauen and are joyned to our head and no sooner and there our grouth ends Can thou come to a spirituall mans stature if thou grow not in faith and loue in this earth And therefore as euer ye vvould come to Heauen and obtaine that glory prease to grow in grace to spring in faith and loue in this world in some measure marke your grouth in grace as euer ye did in stature He will be busie to see it he be higher this yeere nor he was the last yeere but whom marks if he be growne higher in spirituall things this yeere nor he was the last yeere This stature will away these earthly things will away but this grouth â— Christ abydes for euer Of this grouth read Ephes 4. chap. vers 13 14. 15. where he exhorts vs to grovven faith to the 〈◊〉 age of Christ and to grow in loue vntill we be joyned with our head Yet marke more As â—n the first Epistle 1. chap. verse 3. he thanked the Lord for faith simplie and loue simplie so here he giues him all thankes for the grouth therein Marke it He thankes not them for the grouth he giues them not one part of the thankes and God the other but he thankes God for all And good reason for who is able to put one inche to his stature Art thou able to make thy selfe growe in this bodily grouth No it is impossible Then far lesse is there any grouth in the spirituall man but that allanerly which God giues No standing nor perseuerance in grace but that which God giues Al is giuen by God Fy on that stinking doctrine of the Papists When God say they hes giuen man a grace he permits a man to his free will to goe forward as it were in mans owne option whether to goe forward or not I only touch this As the graces commes of God so of necessity the increase grouth of graces commes of God and not of any grace left in vs. In one word Giue him the praise of the beginning of grace giue him the praise of thy progresse in grace giue him the end giue him the praise of all For he it is that giues the grace the progresse and grouth therein it is he that crownes his worke in thee it is he that works all that all the glory of grace may be giuen to him Yet to insist What is this Faith Faith is nothing but a joining of vs with God in Christ What is Loue this mutuall loue Nothing but a joyning of vs with the Church here on earth What is grouth of Faith Nothing but a growing nearer and nearer to God to dravv him nearer and nearer to vs. What is the growing in Loue Nothing but a drawing nearer and nearer to the Church which is the bodie of Christ Then draw neare to the head draw neare to the bodie seuere not thy selfe from it Then what is the matter of thanks-giuing Euen this that they were drawen nearer nor they were before to Christ and to his Church Then brethren when haue we matter of thanking God for any man for any people Euen when we see any man or people drawing nearer to Christ and the body of Christ nor they wer If a man had al the kingdomes of the earth there is no matter to rejoice for in him if we see him ly aback from Christ and from his Church if he draw not nearer and nearer to Christ and his church in
this life I will neuer rejoyce for all his kingdomes Vnhappie is that man that sunders from Christ what euer he be is he a Lord an Earle a King and in the meane-tyme hes he nothing adoe with God vnhappie is he For the greater blessinges worldly if he be not joyned with God and the Church the greater shall be his damnation Then last here looke what he speakes of loue and of the aboundance of loue it is not single loue but loue that is double and mutuall Mâ—tuall loue that is to say the loue that commes from my hart to thy hart and againe the loue that commes from thy hart to my hart that is mutuall and double this is the loue that he praises the double bond of loue and it must not be a double bond onely betweene two there are sundry thinkes they loue wel-eneugh if they loue one and that one loue them again No the Apostle sayes here Euery member of the body must loue all from the highest to the lowest The hand of a man in the owne sort loues the whole members of the body from the head to the foot honorable or vnhonorable high or low be what it wil no member in the body but it loues all So the loue the Apostle craues is that loue that one hes to all and againe that loue that all hes to one So that there should be no member in the body of Christ but it should be linked in with loue to Christ and euery member of his body There is no member of the body of man but it hes a certaine linke whereby it is linked to the rest The finger of the hand hes a link with the toe of the foot albeit they be far distant So there should be no member of the body of Christ but it shold be linked with euery one of the rest of the members albeit they lay ten thousand myles sundrie It lyes not in our power to cause all men loue 〈◊〉 it lyes not in my power to cause al men loue me nor in thy power to cause all men loue thee but I tell thee what thou should doe looke thou loue all for thy part and if they loue not thee againe they haue to answere to God For he cranes this mutuall loue of vs. This is the mutuall loue that holdes the brethren together if it be not the members cannot be joyned together in the bodie It is true we will neuer get it perfite in this earth for so long as the deuill the flesh and our lulles abydes there wil be euer distraction yet we should striue against the deuill and our owne cankerd nature to be linked and joyned with the members of the bodie vntill we be perfitely joyned with Christ where there shall be no seuering If we were once perfitly joyned with him we shal neuer be seuered hereafter There shall neither be deuil nor canker in nature to leuer vs then Therefore this should be our prayer Lord joyne vs to thee that we may no more be seuered from thee and thy Church by the deuâ—le by sin nor our owne corruption Now in the next verse he amplifies this their faith and great loue Their faith and loue was so great that he was forced to preach their praises in all the Churches wherein he resorted he came to no Church but remembring their great faith and loue he was compelled to preach their praises and to set them forth as an example to be followed Before he thanked God for them and for their faith and loue now he glories in the graces they had receiued before the world men and the churches wher he came in his journey When he thanked God concerning them he vtters neuer one word of their praise but comming among men and speaking to men and to the Church there he praises them Mark this difference Then brethren there is a great difference in speaking of the graces of men when we speake to God and before him when we speak to men and before men When thou speakst to God of man let no praise of man be heard before him be ware of that but let God haue al praise and glory if thou be speaking to God if it were of all the kings of the earth vtter no praise of any king there for in comparison with God kings are but dust and worse nor the dust that is trode vnder foote So let God haue al the praise of any grace he hes giuen to any man and say not Lord I praise thee for this parte of the grace and I giue man praise for that parte of the grace No but say Lord I giue thee the vvhole praise of the grace because all the grace he hes gotten is of thee But when we speak to men and tels them of the graces of God men hes gotten then we may glory in men but with this prouision that it be in God We may commend men before men for their faith loue patience but looke that all this commendation be in God first and then to this end to make men whom thou commendst as examples in wel doing See that thou look to the well of them thou speakst to that they should follow them whom thou praisest for wel-doing If thy minde be puft vp without reuerence of God without respect to the wel of him thou speakst to thou derogatst Gods glory we should be ware when we speak to the praise of any man that we derogate nothing from the glory of God Yet marke further the order he vses He glories not first before men and then begins to thank God but first he turnes to God and giues God the glory of the grace he hes giuen to them We ought to thank God sayes he alvvaies for you as it is 〈◊〉 Then he commes to men and glories of their graces in the presence of men Then brethren it is dew tyme to praise men and to giue them their owne commendation for the graces God hes giuen them when first thou hast glorified God giuing him the first praise and commendation This is the order When thou giuest God the first praise and then commes to men and praises the graces in them before men that praise is in God and he allowes of it But vvhen thou beginnes in praising men to men and remembers not God the giuer of all thou spoilest God of his glorie So vve should take verie good heed hovv vve praise godlie men for verie narrovvlie shall vve escape derogation to Gods glorie except the Spirite connoy the vvhole hart and mouth And therefore in praysing men vve should be vvart vve derogate nothing to the glorie of God vvho is the cheefe giuer of all All the kings of the earth should stoup and giue all honour and glorie to God Now in the end of this verse he sets dovvne the matter of this his glorying Faith namely and with Faith he joynes Patience because of your patience and faith in all your persecutions that ye suffer In
sayes 14. vers the Lord 〈◊〉 come vvith thoulands of his Sâ—ints And I say as I think there shall not be an Angell in Heauen but all shall come with Iesus And what shall be then habite They shall come like an armie al as it were in aâ—mes Men who are in their armour in their harnes they appeare most glorious to the world So all the Angels shall come as an army armed with power and therefore it is said Angels of his povver terrible to the wicked because they shall be enarmed against them comfortable to the godly for they come for their defence The Angels in their owne nature are strong by their creation potent they are principalities powers by vertue of their own nature But the word would import more They shall not onely be strong with their owne power but they shall come enarmed with the power of Christ with an exceeding and extraordinary kinde of power such a power that they were neuer sene in before in such a majesty as neuer was seene of before and al to the glory of that glorious Lord Iesus who is Lord and judge blessed for euer An earthly king when he is in his greatest glory is but accompanied with selie infirme creatures who hes little strength But the Lord Iesus who is King of kings shall be accompanied at his comming with Angels of such an infinite strength that the deuill and all the world shall not be able to withstand any one of them Now to goe forward the next companie that shall be with him shall be creatures something inferior Not so glorious as the Angels Flaming fyre shall accoÌ„pany Christ. but very glorious a flamming fire a fire with a great flame and therefore fire that shall cast downe from it exceeding great heat and light to the world Ye will aske what fire will this be I will not be curious heerein but I think that that fyre that shall be at that day shall be that same naturall element that the Lord created when he made the rest of the creatures This appeares very vvell of Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. vers 6. 7. When he sayes the first world was destroyed by vvater and the second vvorld shall be destroyed vvith fyre Certainely as the first vvorld vvas destroyed by a naturall vvater so shall the second vvorld be destroyed by a naturall fyre This fyre shall then appeare in such a glorie quantitie and light as it vvas neuer of before because it is imployed in the seruice of a most glorious Lord. Would ye knovve vvhat shall be the vse of this glorious fyre Read 2. Epist of Peter chap. 3. This fire going before him shall burne first the heauens then it shall come to the elements and melt them all vvith heat It shal next come to the earth and shall burne vp the earth and all the works Would ye know what shall come after There shall be a new heauen and a new earth And so this fire shall serue for the purifying and burning of the drosse of the creatures for all the creatures the Heauen the Earth the Sunne the Moone heâ— drawen on a corruption through our sinnes But is there no other vse of this fire This fire shall also in the Lords justice be a fire to deuoure the aduersaries Heb. chap 10. verse 27 to burne the reprobate for eeuer And therefore vaine man who takes pleasure in thy sinnes let â—he memorie of this flamming fire terrifâ—e thee that in tyme thou may repent Now this much for that glorious companie where-with the Lord Iesus shall be accompanied in that glorious comming Now come to the effects in the next words When he is come from the Heauen accompanied with the glorious Angels and flamming fire certainely he will not come for nothing Kings in the earth may fliâ— their campes for nothing but the King of glorie will not doe so Now the effect in one word is rendering repaying recompencing the judgement is in rendering to euery one his owne due In rendering first he beginnes at the godles and wicked after his comming in such a glorie He shall render the wicked that which is due to them that is vengeance To whom To them that knovv God on this earth 〈◊〉 them that obeyed not the Gospell of the Lord Iesus Marke it The Lord keepe vs from the causes of this rendering There shall be none that knew not God Faith accoÌ„panied vvith a troup of graces and obeyed not the voyce of Christ in the Gospell but vengence shall ouertake them in that glorious appearing of that judge in the world These are the two great â—aultes and sinnes that shall procure in the day of judgement vengence from Iesus Christ Now as there are two thinges that procures this vengence so there are two things that brings life at that great appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ The first is the knowledge of God The next is the knowledge of his Sonne the Lord Iesuâ— Christ Iohâ— chap. 17. verse 3. This is lyfe euerlasting to know thee to be the onely God and whom thou hast 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ knowe these two knowe God knowe Christ in his Gospell 〈◊〉 vengence shall not ouertake thee Then by the plaine contrare There are two grounds and causes of death and damnation The misknowing of God and the 〈…〉 of Iesus heere 〈◊〉 in his Gospell and these two are 〈…〉 gether Then brethren in one word Let not the Iew be bold to say he knowes God when he knowes not his Son all the knowledge a man can haue of God when he knowes not his Sonne is nothing for God the Father cannot be knowne but in his Son Iesus Christ and without the knowledge of God in his Son there is no saluation from judgement The Son is the Image of God and God will be knowne in him Heb. chap. 1. verse 3. He is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingraued forme of his person So that there can be no sight of God but in the face of Christ the man Ioyne these two together know God know the Son know the Son that thou may know the Father for no sight of the Father but in the Son This further wold be marked When he speaks of obedience to Christ He sayes not they that obeyed not the Lord Iesus but he sayes They vvho obeyed not the Gospell of the Lord Iesus This is spoken to the commendation of the Gospell and of the preaching of it and this base ministry which men esteemes so litle of Looke how he rankes this Gospell and the preaching of it with Christ himselfe He counts them that obey the Gospell to obey Christ and he counts them who are rebellious to the Gospell to be rebels to Christ And therefore say I boast as thou wilt of Christ and of the knowledge of him if thou despise this Gospel and this base ministry vengence shall light on thee Thou wilt say thou knowest Christ and in the meane time there wil be nothing in
This is in effect that same which he spok of before euen the glorifying of God for it is one thing the Lord to be glorified and to wonder at him The meaning is shortly When he shall come First he shal make the faithful wonderful in the sight of the world and then in their wonderfulnes all the world shall wonder at him who hes made them wonderfull Now marke The Lord Iesus in Esay 9. chap. 6. vers among all the names he gets there he is called the vvonderfull and the maruellous one Now this name in effect shal show the selfcheefly in that day of judgement for cheefly in that day Christ shall be wonderful and all the world shall wonder at him It is but a litle wondring we haue here Christ at his comming vvoÌ„derfull Ye know wondring presuppones nouelties things of exceeding great importance Then it must followe that the Lord Iesus at that day shall be reueiled to the world in such a wonderful glory at neuer man nor Angel saw yetâ— it shal be such a glory as neuer eye saw ear heard or once entered into the hart of man as the Apostle â—aies 1. Cor. 2. chap. 9. vers They who saw him â—â—aniâ—ed in a vyle habite judged condemned scourged and crucified vnder Pontius Pilat they shall wonder when they shall see that Lord whom they thoght once so vile raised vp and exalted to such a sublimity and hight of glory Pilat then shal wonder the Priests shall wonder they that with their wicked handâ— crucified him shall wonder at that day And in one word there shall be nothing in that day in Heauen and earth but a wondering at the Lord Iesus Christ and his Saintes glorified Ye see here next the cheefe mean that shall make the Lord wonderful to be the wonderfulnesse of the glorie of his Saintes and elect whom in that day he shall make wonderfull The world shall looke in and wonder at them and then they shall looke to the Iudge and wonder at him Then in that day they who hes beleued in Iesus in this life looke what faith brings with it shall be blessed and made glorious For first these faithfull shall be made so maruelous in glory that they shall astonish the whole world I tell thee more when thou shalt be so translated when thy vyle bodie shall be so changed thou shalt wonder at thy selfe for the eare hath not heard the eye hath not seene c. that wonderfull glorie which then thou shalt enjoy As for the wicked of the world the troublers and afflicters of the godly when they shall looke to any one of the glorious elect they shall weepe and wonder This is set downe in the 5. chapter of the booke of wisdome albeit Apocrypha First they shall mourne and weepe when they shall see the glorie of the godly and say O we fooles and sensles bodies esteemed we not the life of these godly in the world a miserable lyfe Then they shall come on with wondering How is this that this vyle bodie so shynes and that he is so exalted So they shall both mourne at this sight and wonder and vveeping and vvondering they shall count themselues to haue bene fooles and sensles bodies The Lord giue vs grace to seeke that true wisdome in tyme. For certainly that true wisdome is esteemed foolishnesse in this world and he that would be wise let him be a foole first he shall neuer be counted wise that day except he haue bene a foole first and humbled vnder this foolish preaching of the Gospell It is true the condemnation of the reprobate shall be a meane to make the world wonder and to make the Iudge wonderfull O the paines that shall be inflicted on the reprobate shall be wonderfull and they shall be set vp as spectacles of shame at that day and the godly shall wonder at their shame and confusion O wonderfull shall that weightinesse of judgement be they shall wonder that euer there should be such a wraith in God they shall wonder that euer the arme of God should be so heauy vpon them O Hell is lighted now will they say the wraith of God is lighted now O what a masse and weight of wraith is this that we see now Men will now leape here and there and make litle count of the weightinesse of the Lords hand and securely contemne threatnings and judgement but in that day to their euerlasting woe they shall finde it the heauiest thing that euer was for by the weight of it they shall be so pressed downe that they shall neuer be able to prease vp againe Alas what a dead senslesnesse is this of men in this world that they regarde neither Heauen noâ— Hell liuing like beastes and not as men Lord waken vs in tyme to acknowledge these thinges Now to goe forward Who are these that shall be made wonderfull that in them the Lord Iesus may be made wonderfull In one word He calles them beleeuers a base and simple style among vs. He called them before Saintes holy ones and now he commes to the ground of their holinesse and calles it faith It will not be a faire honest ciuile dealing with our neighbour that will doe the turne albeit many men thinks so No but faith in Christ must be the ground any man that in any measure hes had a sense and feeling of that lyfe he will finde in his experience he can not haue hope or assurance of lyfe in the fairest outwarde dealing that euer men did except he finde his hart setled on God and his anchor casten on Christ This is the onely cause of thy saluation faith in Christ As for all thy good workes they are onely effects and tokens that thou hast that faith in Christ which will doe the turne and is the onely cause of thy saluation O blessed for euer is that hart that hes faith keeped let neuer thy remembrance be off it What euer thou thinke or speake keepe it hast thou it be assured of thy saluation lackest thou it doe all thou can thou shalt die Seeke euer to haue Christ in thy hart And seeing we who are now liuing may die in one moment Lord if we should not seeke earnestly to haue Christ dwelling in our harts It is onely his merites that saues vs. In the next wordes he defines them that he calles beleeuers and pointing them out he sayes not they that beleeues in Iesus Christ but they vvho in this lyfe hes beleeued my testimony the Gospell teached by me by my fellowâ—seruants by the rest of the Apostles and Pastors So take vp the nature of this faith and be not â—egyled with it It is not faith in Christ barely but faith in Christ preached By whom by a selie bodie What was Paul a selie bodie So looke neuer for lyfe nor saluation in that great day except thou humble thy selfe vnder the foolishe preaching as men thinkes it and beleeue the foolishe teaching of the Gospell Thou shalt
earth that the Church of God could not stand one day except the Lord did cast in impediments in the way of the deuil and wickedmen to hold them off And so all the glorie of the standing of the Church in the earth is to be ascriued to that God that holdes off and shall hold off by his prouidence â—ill they will they the deuill wicked men from their wicked interpryses and the Lord forbid the Antichrist should preuaile for if he preuaile assure thy selfe if thou stand steedfast in the faith thy bloud shall pay for it for of all Tygers in the earth he is the most bloud-thirstie Now the wordes following telles wherefore these in pediments are casten in That he should be reveiled in his ovvne tyme As he would say his tyme is not yet come that article of tyme God hes appointed and decreed from all eternitie he should be reueiled in is not yet come Brethren this is true and al the Scripture makes it manifest The Lord from all eternitie hes appointed tymes opportunities houres moments when euerything should be done that falles out in this world euery action hes the owne moment prescriued to it be it good or bad The Lord hes written the houre of it in his booke when it should be done Now ye see by experience the deuill euer seekes to preuent the tyme yea the best of vs all when the Lord hes appointed a time to our deliuerance or to doe anything cannot byde that tyme but are euer freatting and fuming Therefore the Lord castes in stayes both to the deuill and to men on earth When they are running forwarde he will cast in a stay and thou must stand there and thou must stand vntil that same tyme and article come that he hes appointed and it shall not ly in the power of the deuill and of all the earth to preuent that tyme. Now to come to the next verse There are two things concerning the Antichrist The first his comming in the world The second his reueiling after his comming There is a difference betweene these two His comming to the height and his reuelation As concerning his comming to his height it might haue bene asked by the Thessalonians Is he come yet we vnderstand by thy speaking he is not reueiled yet but is he come yet He answeres Euen novv the misterie of iniquitie is in doing shortlie the meaning is The Antichrist the Antichristianisme false religion Heretical doctrine is come alreadie albeit it be not reueiled and come to the hight He calles Antichristanisme iniquitie for of all iniquitie false doctrine is the greatest iniquity and of all sinners on the earth a false teacher and deceiuer of the people of God is the greatest sinner Therefore he is called the man of sinne a man addicted to sinne as a slaue to his master Further he calles it the misterie of iniquitie It is called a misterie because it came not to the light at the first but lay vp hid in a misterie It was not knowne not detected in the owne cullour nor came not to an height that men might know it Then marke ye see the Antichrist and Antichristianisme that is false religion beganne verie soone Euen novv there are many Antichrists sayes Iohn 1. Epist 4. chap 3. vers It beganne in Pauls and the Apostles dayes It was conserued as it were in the mothers bellie in those dayes but it lay long and many yeeres hid vp in a misterie and it lay long time lurking in Rome and in the Church thereof and then at last broke vp there the great Antichrist It lay so hid vp not comming to the perfection to the yeere of the Lord six hundreth and three yeeres and then it was broght to a great maturitie and perfection by Phocas the Emperour and Pope Bonifacius the third It layth the mothers wombe getting forme and grouth ere it came to the reuelation so the Antichrist is an olde childe Mark it there are many misteries in the world and among all the rest there is a mistery of sin as there is a mistery of godlinesse 1. Tim. 3. chap. 16. verse so there is a mistery of vngodlinesse and sin lyes very long hid ere it break out and appeare in the owne cullor in any person Alas thy sin will ly long hid as it were clocked vnder a clock in thee ere it come to an height for sin is a deceyuing thing but at last it will bud out in spyte of thy teeth And to speake of this sinne of false doctrine in particulare It lay hid many yeeres ere men knew of it No question in the dayes of the olde fathers Chrysâ—stome Augustine and the rest of them many corruptions broke in which they saw not because they lay hid vp in a misterie so that they could not see them vntill it hes pleased the Lord now to reueile them Wonder not that the doctors reproued not this Heresie and that Heresie no sin lyes hid vp wonderfully The greatest sin will ly hid vp vnder the greatest holinesse Then in the end of the verse he returnes againe to the impediment and he speaks two thinges of it First how long it shal lust and then what shal follow from once it shal be â—aine away to wiâ— that man of sin shall be reueiled Now to the words ye layes He that vvithholds shall let till he be taken out of the vvay that is to say the Romane Emperor for he speaks of the succession of Emperours as of one man because there was one kingdome to wit the Romane Empyre as before he spoke of the Antichrist He shall withhold that head of the Romane beast from using vnto the time he be taken away Then what time shall he be taken out of the way Euen at that article the Lord hes appointed then the Lord suffred him to be taken out of the way Who took him one out of the way Mahomet with his 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 and Turks in the East wer the first subuerted the Romane Empyre and then Boniface and his successours ouerthrewit in the West Mark this When as the point of time prescriued by the Lord to things to be done commes then all impediments that hold back that thing if it were the Empyre of all the world shall be put out of the way and shall haue no standing but will vanish away By the contrare before that point of time come I shal mak one stray stay a man one word shal hold him the least thing in the world shall hinder him were he raging neuer so fast To let you see that al goes by the effectuall working and dispensation of God that workes all Iâ—standis not in this man or that man albeit he were an Emperour or Monareli but onely in God who hes appointed a tyme to euery thing that all glory may be giuen him That men say not I did this or that No it is the Lord that from time to time hes wrought it Ye will see some times a
the persons to whom it is directed The second is the arguments whereby he will assure the Thessalonians that the praier shal be granted to them And the last is the things that he prayes for to them To come to the persons I pray sayes he the Lord Iesus Christ. He names him first for the sweetnesse of grace he had found in him euer since first he knew him his soule was so filled with the swetnes of Christ that in nothing he could forget him neither in his praier nor exhortations to others as euery one that is touched with such a feeling of Christ will doe Know ye not this ye that make a glorious profession of Christ 〈◊〉 is thee that euer took the profession of Christ in thy mouth if thou find not a sweetnes of his grace towards thee in thy hart if thou finde it thou wilt neuer speake of any matter concerning grace and saluation but Iesus Christ shall be first in thy mouth Next he commes to the Father and he sayes and God our Father There then the two persons which are the two fountaines of all grace that comes to mā in the world Mark here a double honor giuen to Christ First he is joined with the Father as a fontaine of all grace and next he is first named for he sayes I pray the Lord Iesus and then he sayes and God our Father He puts the Father in the second rowme Iesus Christ god equal vvith the Father albeit in other places he puts God the father in the first rowme as ye may finde in all his salutations Now what must followe on this Euen this that Iesus Christ is very God as he is very man coessential of the same nature with God coequall of the same dignity and majestie with the Father and coeternall with him if this were not he could not haue giuen him such a style without blasphemy against God The olde Heretikes thought they got a great aduantage of such places of the Scripture that placed the Father in the first rowme to conclude that Iesus Christ was not onely inferior but far vnequall to God the Father and especially they gather it out of these wordes I baptise thee in the name of the Father and of the Son c. Ergo say they the Sonne is inferiour But looke here and ye will finde that Christ is named in the first rowme That olde doctor Chrysostome when he hes reasoned against this fond opinion at last he concludes They are equall in eternitie dignitie and in euerie thing that is or may be called truely God Indeed the Father is the first person but that makes not that the Father is aboue the Sonne for there is equalitie in dignity and essence and therefore he whiles puts the one before the other and that not in respect of any supremacy but to testifie that Iesus Christ our Sauior and the Father is one and equall in euery respect Now to come to the argumentes which are not set downe so much to mooue God as to assure the Thessalonians that the thinges shall be granted that he craues for them The arguments are from the effects of God First Who hes loued vs. Secondly vvho hes giuen vs euerlasting consolation And the last who hes giuen vs good hope and all throgh grace and mercy contrare vnto our deseruing Marke bethren a generall He bringes these Thessalonians to remembrance of these graces of God bestowed on them before Argumentes to assure vs that God vvill grāt vs benefits craued in prayer to assure them the Lord wil grant them these benefits he praies for to them When God begins to show his mercy on men or wemen and in Iesus Christ to powre out his blessings vpon them he giues as it were an obligation subscriued with his own hand I shall be with you for euer neuer man bond himself as the Lord binds himselfe from once he begin to deale mercifully with vs if he begin once to giue vs faith in Iesus christ and to minister that inward consolation and to giue vs hope of life euerlasting in so doing he giues vs an obligation that that mercy shall continue with vs for euer Therefore mark the graces of God giuen to thee and neuer forget them for they vvill hold thee vp That God that hes comforted thee once shal comfort thee for euer He is not like man I am sayes he Iehoua not changeable and therefore ground thy hart on that vnchangablenes of God For he who hes once begunne with thee to giue thee mercy assure thy self he shal not leaue thee How was Dauid and the godly of olde holden vp but by this same obligation Would euer any of the olde fathers haue stood without this No. There only prop vp-hold was the experience of the mercy of God once showne on them and diligently remembred by them Now to come to the particulare Who hes loued vs not as a Creator does a creature The first Gods loue but as the father does the son that is an higher degree of loue for he called him Father immediatly before then he subjoines he loued vs. Brethren would ye come to the thinges we haue of God throgh Christ The first is grace mercy and free fauour He is bound to no creature but what euer he giues he giues it freely The first blessing that God bestowes on man on earth and the first effect of grace and of his free fauor is loue this loue is giuen to make the creature to powr out as it wer the hart on his Creator againe He hes loued vs ere euer we wer of this loue proceeds eternal election as ye may read in sundry places of the new Testament This loue stayes not here but after he bringes vs in the world at his owne appointed tyme he makes the loue that was in his hart before all tyme towardes vs to break out and he sheds it abroad in our harts And the first effect of it is our effectuall calling He will say Come hither out of the foule pollution of the world and I wil exceme thee from the damnable end of the world and so from thence forth mercy hes no end but from calling he proceeds to justification from justification to regeneration and last to glorification So the first thing God giues thee is his hart and harty loue He will not giue thee any of these blessinges that are in Iesus Christ vntill with them he giue thee his hart He is not like man who will giue thee a faire countenance alone and will take no further thought what become of thee but God will giue thee his hart as the first gift and giuing thee his hart what can he deny thee When he hes giuen thee his hart can he deny thee life And therefore Rom. 5. 5. it is said that the loue of God is shed abroad in vs by his holy Spirit Now as he embraces vs with loue Lord if we could meete him with halfe loue againe We
stampe that is with such a Majestie in speaking with such gratiousnesse and spiritualnesse both in words and matter that they that hes a spirituall eye to discerne betweene light and darknesse will take it vp to be of God I pray you tell me how was the olde Scripture tane vp to be of God The Papist will say because the Church said it they were of God Is that all the warrand And who told the Church If the olde and new Scripture bare not the markes of the Spirit in themselues the Church had neuer tane them vp to be of God So the marke of the Scripture is that stampe of the Spirit that Majestie in such a simplicitie of wordes that gratiousnesse and power which shows both in the wordes and matter these things telles vs they are not mans writs for mens writtes hes not the gratiousnesse and power that is in the Scripture Brethren this marke of Pauls subscription is away albeit we haue the Epistle but a better marke bydes the stampe of the Lord bydes and this telles that it is the Scripture of God and Pauls writing Now followes the saluation The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be vvith you all I see the affection of the man in the end of his writ is powred out on this Church of Thessalonica and when he takes his leaue he burstes out in frequent prayer and al his praier is for heauenly and spirituall thinges Then first we learne we must not euer bide al together and we cannot haue euer conference either by word or writ But how is our sundring recompensed To wit with greatnesse of affection let thy loue grow And how shalt thou vtter it In prayer to God for them with whom thou may not dwell affection is nothing worth without praier And what should we pray for Especially for heauenlie things Pray for heauenly peace for the presence of Iesus Christ and that the grace of Christ may be with him Pray also for things earthly but so that they may further him to heauenlie thinges And I say the man that cannot pray for heauenly things cannot pray truely for earthly thinges Dare thou pray if thou seeke not first the kingdome of Heauen no thou cannot pray if it were for thy dinner except thou pray first for the kingdome of God Now the next word is grace that is free fauour of God I reade not of such a commendation of any people as of these Thessalonians He commended them in both these Epistles from their faith hope loue and all the dueties of loue Yet he sayes not The Lord render you a rewarde for your merite but he sayes grace be vvith you This is contrare to all merite Read the 2. Timo. 1 16. there ye will finde a very notable exemple to this purpose There he sayes Onesiphorus vvas very beneficiall to me he oft refreshed me he thought no shame of my bondes he sought 〈◊〉 Rome very diligently How should he be requyted for this He sayes The Lord grant that Onesiphorus may finde mercy vvith the Lord at that day He is but a miserable man when he hes done all this And therefore this shall be my prayer for him for it will not be his merite that will do him good but it is the free grace and fauour of God O foole all thy merites shall stinke in that great day and then thou shalt see what free grace shall do for in that day none shall stand but such as stands by free grace Now whose grace is it he prayes for It is Iesus Christs No there is no grace but Christs grace How is it the Lord Iesus Christs He hes boght of the hand of the Father all grace al gifts of the holy Spirit all glorie in Heauen and earth with a pryce euen the pryce of his precious bloude And therefore the Father hes giuen him all So there is no sparke of grace giuen to any creature but it must come through Christ his hand euen the hand of the man Iesus All righteousnesse sanctification and glorie must come from him he must be the giuer thereof Therefore it is said he gaue gifts to men Ephes 4. 8. The Father giues no graces immediatly but all are giuen through the hand of Iesus Christ Therefore let vs haue recourse to this Lord of grace and seeke not to the Father without him but seek all from the Father in him Now how far should this grace extend Euen as Iesus Christ is an head that extends himselfe to al so the grace that commes from him is sufficient for all it is sufficient if it were for a thousand yea infinite worlds Rom. 5. 15. The Heauens are not capable of the greatnes of the grace of Iesus Christ Greatnes of the grace of Christ so that if there were a thousand worlds there is sufficiency of grace in him for them all There is no inlack in him but the inlack is in thy narrow hart it is capable but of a very small portion Learne here then by the exemple of Paul that we should not haue narrow harts to wish this grace to a few but we should wish it to be giuen to all Looke what he sayes of himselfe 2. Cor. 6. 11. My meuth sayes he hes bene vvyde open vnto you my hart is dilated ye dvvell not narrovvly in my hart So all men should haue an open and a dilated hart in wishing grace spare not to be liberall in wishing fill thy hart and mouth with his grace and 〈…〉 with liberalnesse to others seeke that grace of Iesus to all that if it were possible all the world might be saued For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour vvho vvill that all men shall be saued and come vnto the acknovvledging of the trueth 1. Tim. 2. chap. 3. 4. vers Yet the Lord hes his owne and so many as he hes written in his booke shall be saued Therefore thou should seeke all the warrands thou can to assure thee that thou art Iesus Christs fore-ordeinde to lyfe euerlasting for if thou be of the number of the elect the grace of Christ shall extend to thee and thou shalt haue glorie with him for euer To this Iesus be all praise honour and dominion for euer and euer AMEN FINIS