day from the fearce wrath of God Consider this the world bindes vp mens eyes that they should not see Christes comming and it makes vs neuer to desire to heare nor know of an other life or of Christs comming Therefore take vp this necessitie and let all this lyfe be a preparation to a better life in al thy exercise in this life say Lord I am exercisde heere in this vocation or that vocation at thy command but Lord for all this bussines I am a pilgrime here my life is not in this world and my heart and eye is beyond this worlde vvith thee The Lord giue vs grace to haue this hope woe to that soule that must departe and hes no hope of a better life Now I will go forward in the Chapter following Wherein first the Apostle sets out a discourse of himselfe and of his own Ministrie and the successe the Lord gaue him in his Ministrie towards the Thessalonians This he telles in the two first verseâ— of this chapter Parts of the secoÌ„d Chap. Then he comes to the recounting of the graces of God wrought in them by his ministrie to the 17. verse Then vntill the end of the chapter he telles the great sorrow he had that he could not win to theÌ„ shewes the impediments Sathan vvithstoode him These are the three parts of the chapter To come to the first part he sayes For ye your selues knovve brethren that our entrance in vnto you vvas not in vaine When I came to Macedonia to vvin a number of soules that God had there my entrie was not in vaine without effect or power the reasone is in the next verse followinge For saieth hee vvee vvere boulde in our GOD to speake vnto you the Gospell of God vvith great stryuing The power of God vvas perceyued in my preaching and all my libertie in preaching of the gospell was of God He aggreadges this his libertie by telling of the stayes and impediments he got ere he came to them he suffered manie afflictions and was euill entertained at Philippi and comming to them he was not free of affliction but all his preaching was with fighting and daylie battell there is the meaning of these verses To come then shortlie to the lessons First Ise the people that hes beene grounded and edified in faith by the ministrie of the Pastor and by the grace and power of God they should not forget the graces of God they got by him and ere they should forget the Pastor him selfe is bound by the example of Paule for to stand vp and to bring them in remembrance of the grace not for his owne praise but for the glorie of God who hes geuen thee grace that the grace of God be not obscured but that his glorie may shine I will lay you a ground in the first Epistle Corinth 2. 4. 5. Your faith is builded vpon the power of God that is geuen to the Ministrie To the Ministrie yea to the Ministrie to the Ministrie man or else thou shalt neuer haue a ground of faith The Apostle sayes that your faith stands not in the vvisdome of men but vpon the povver of God And therefore brethren Faith stands vpon that same verie ground the power of God geuen to the Ministrie Thy eye should be drawn back to see the ground where-vpon thy faith hath beene grounded if thou forget to looke of it Pastors should draw thy 〈◊〉 about and let thee see that thy faith was grounded on the power of the word in the Ministrie I challenge your experience how oft ye remember the power of God in the ministrie whither ye rejoice or not saying well is me I haue not my faith grounded vpon the wisdom of man but vpon the power of God seeke it for the fondation of your faith that it be firme and sure for if thou haue not a sure foundation to ground thy faith on it shall fall And that thou may find it I counsell thee that thou neglect not the Pastor for if thou forget the Pastor his ministrie thou shalt not come to the fondation of thy faith I put it out of question the power of Gods word by his ministry is a ground wher vppon your faith is grounded If this ministrie go awaye faith saluation and all graces in this land will decay The second thing wheron stands this power is in the second verse It stands in a libertie boldnesse freedome in vttring the Gospell and speaking of Christ So brethren wher liberty wher boldnes in preaching the Gospell is there is effectualnes in it the man who hes this boldnes is a fectfull man his entry shall neuer be in vaine If the Lord giue thee libertie if all the worlde had said the contrair the effect shall not be in vaine and where the Lord geues not this libertie all the preaching is fectlesse and without frute I shall say nothing but that which Paul saieth where there is no liberty in the speaking of Iesus of his mercie and grace no freedome of mouth c. there is nothing but a dead Gospell Where there is no libertie in vsing all the parts of the ministrie in rebuking admonishing and comforting there is nothing but a dead Gospell I meane euer of a libertie grounded on God not on mans vaine affections where this liberte is not there is nothing but a dead ministrie I beleue this nation be come alreadie to the hight of this liberty not of the mouth only but of the heart And I think the Lord is binding vp the harts of men that they are not loused with that liberty if it were but in preaching the Gospel as they wer Lord be mercifull to vs. I beleue this worke be drawing to an end ye haue keped it long blessed shall they be that dies in the light And so when I looke a far off I pittie the posterity which appearantly shal be depâ—iued of that liberty al for our ingratitude we had a grace libertie which we contemned So God in justice is drawing it away Next marke againe In God sayes he not in man That is we vsed that libertie which God gaue vs. The libertie of the affection of man is nothing worth Looke then what euer be spoken by the Minister it be warranded by the word of God And looke againe that it ryse of the inward motions of the Spirite in the hart If a man speake of his owne priuate affection ô Lord if he should not haue a well sanctified affection that speaks in the name of the Lord it is better to him not to speake he indangers himselfe hes much to make account of But if thou hast warrands in the word break out with it with liberty for it is as great danger to thee to conceale it when thou hast a warrand as it is to speake it of thy owne affection And without question the Lord will controll them that will controll thy libertie here The Lord giue eyes to men that
vvho reades his vvorkes will vvonder that there coulde be such an affection in his heart to the Church of God Well brethren all grace 〈…〉 loue all the blessinges of God in Christ 〈…〉 of God 〈…〉 Iohn 3. 16. The giuing and death of Christ and all the blessinges in Christ came or the loue of God to vs 〈◊〉 Christ All 〈◊〉 and duetie of men that man can doe to 〈…〉 of the loue of the heart otherwise itâ— all a vanâ—â—hing 〈◊〉 not a thing in deed but a vaine sâ—oâ—e albeit it be neâ—er so glistring in the eyes of men if thou would giue all that thou hast to the poore iâ— it come not of loue and affection of the heart all is lost all iâ— for noght Now in the wordâ— following to the end of the tenth verse the Apostle bringâ— in 〈◊〉 arguments testifying his inâ—re affection he had to them Loue must not stand in words but it must be vâ—tered in testimonies so that the world may see it in very deed The worke wilâ— let men see the hart albeit it be God who is the 〈◊〉 searâ—her of the heart Men will not be so blinde but in the hand they 〈…〉 hand be closed thy haâ—â— is closed 〈…〉 testifying his loue affection is a good-wilâ— he haue to them such a good-will that he was 〈◊〉 to imparte and deâ—â—ie to them 〈…〉 precioâ—s 〈…〉 and all because of the loue he bare to them 〈…〉 〈◊〉 heere the first argument of the 〈…〉 〈…〉 and liberall 〈…〉 〈◊〉 A 〈◊〉 vvho loue 〈…〉 〈◊〉 he vvill giue them 〈…〉 comparision A mother who loues her childe she will not be sparing to him but liberall so a Pastor that hath anie tender affection to his flocke will not be sparing but liberall and free to them When the heart of man is open with the affection of loue it will open the hand also and if he be niggard-handed sparing on his flocke those graces God hes geuen him it is a sure argument there is no loue in his heart But come to the good things whereof the Apostle was liberall The first thing was the Gospell of God a pretious thing the glorious Gospell of the blessed Lord. That is the thing that is concredite to him and it is the foode of the soule of man so that his liberalitie beginnes at the foode of the soule he must be liberall of the foode of the soule of men which is concredite to him to giue it to his flock The mother beginnes to nourish her childe with the milke of her owne breast her own substance So the Pastor must beginne at the foode of the soule he must begin at the sincere milke of the word without the which there is no growing and if they be not fed with this milk of the word first they shal neuer come to the grouth stature of man but shall be like dwarsses and we so long as we dwell heere are onelie infants in heauenlie things and all our thinking of heauen is but infancie all our speaking thereof the blabling of infancie So we must be fed with that milk or else we shal neuer come to the stature of men and perfection of heauenlie things The Apostle counts this but a smal thing to deale the gospel of God albeit it be pretious in respect of the other thing his soule he had to deale to them 1. Cor. 9. 16. He saieth if I preach not the Gospell I haue not vvherin to reicice and vvoe is to me if I preach not the Gospell He who will not be liberall in preaching of the Gospell which coast him not a penny it will be long ere he geue his life for his flock if they were in Hell he would neuer redeeme them with his 〈◊〉 Then the next thing whereof he is liberall it is his 〈…〉 the liberalitie of a louing Pastor will end in 〈…〉 It will begiane at the preaching of the 〈…〉 his life which is more if it be 〈…〉 This is the affection of 〈…〉 to her childe she 〈◊〉 for 〈…〉 affection he 〈…〉 for his flock This is counted a greater thing not the other to die for the flocke greater not to deale the Gospell Not that Pauls soule was more pretious then the Gospel of God no the Gospel of God was more precious then the soules of Paul Peter and of all the Apostles and of all the men in the world but he counts it greater because it was an harder thing to him to do it was an easier thing to him to preache the Gospell nor to giue his lyfe for them Yet brethren albeit it was an easier thing to a man to preache the Gospell nor to giue his life thinges will fall out so that all the bygone preaching shall be in vaine except in the end thou seale vp thy bygone preaching with thy bloude if God call thee therevnto the Gospell shall not haue that sweet smell except it haue the perfume or thy bloude The Apostle to the Philipp 2. 17. sayes that the vvould rejoyce If he vvere offered vp vpon the perfume of their faith When the Lord thinks it expedient he must lay dovvne his soule and vvith his bloud he must perfume the Gospell he hes preached otherwise he hes lost all his trauell and his life to and it is better to suffer then to lose all his trauaile and in the end his life This tyme is yet to come to vs the Lorde knovves hovv neare it is The Lorde giue vs grace that vvee lose not our tyme bygone but that vve may laye dovvne our lyfe for the Gospell if that neede requyre In the end of the verse he turnes againe to the ground of his liberall dealling This my liberalitie is not for any liberalitie of yours toward me nor for any respect of commoditie I will get at your hands This my liberalitie is set onelie vpon louing affection So that hee declareth the cause thereof to be loue It is necessare to the people to be perswaded of the loue of the Pastor otherwise except they be assured of his loue albeit he should vtter the fairest doctrine that is there will be no edifying And so I see Paul ay seekes to show them of his loue that they might be edified Particular gaine will make a man preach There are sundrie Ministers who wil be diligent to preache for game but wheÌ„ it comes to lyfe geuing they faile there Worldlie gaine will neuer cause him be liberall of his lyfe onelie loue makes a man liberall of his lyfe And therefore Paul sayeth It was onelie for loue and not for gaine because ye vvere deare vnto vs. He vvho hes not this loue he may vvell flatter men a vvhile but the end that â—rye he had no true loue The Lord giue men especiallie the Ministrie this affection that in the end they may proue to bee true Pastors for if they haue not this loue the end shall try they haue bene hyrelings The Lord giue euerie man grace to trye-vvell vvhat reacaâ—esle
and resolution he hes to suffer for there is no day that the Minister ryses but he is bound to take this resolution in his heart to render his blonde vp for Christ And therefore albeit he die not yet let him be dead in the resolution of his heart and say Lord 〈◊〉 I am readie to die for thy vvorde if it please thee so to call me This is the first argument whereby he showes his loue towards the Thessalonians In the next verse he sayes For ye remember brethren our labour 〈…〉 I will not onelie talke to you of my goodvvill but I will call to remembrance what labour and trauaile with what anguishe and giâ—se I haue suffered for your cause The vvordes are verie weightie in their owne language and speciallie the second the words signifies such trauaile as a man takes on him Labor 〈◊〉 the relefe of the flocke an argumeÌ„t of loue after he is vvearied vvith trauaile vvhen he takes on him trauaile againe This is great labour He labours while he was wearied and then he laboures againe to get rest He vses this vvord in sundrie places Alvvayes marke To testifie the inward affection of the heart the Pastor beares to the flock it is not eneugh to professe a good-will that he had a purpose to haue vsed liberall dealing with them and to say I vvill deale liberallie vvith you that is onelie vvordes but vvith the words the flock must haue an experience thereof an experience of bygone loue and of a good deed and there is nothing better to testifie the affection then the labour and trauaile the Pastor suffers for the flock Charitie is laborious and painefull chap. 1. vers 2. a man who loues an other he will vndertake paines for him His loue will not be in word but in action he will runne for him he will ryde for him night and day If a Pastor loue his flock he vvith trauaile day and night for it and it is a vvonder to see vvhat paines loue vvill endure Ye knowe this all well eneugh Farther the word is to be marked Ye remember He charges them with a remembrance and if they will forget it he will not let them forget it The people should remember of the paines of the pastor thou art bound to remember vpon the care and prouidence of God for thee thou should remember the Pastors paines for if the Lord had not taken care on thee he would neuer haue raised vp the Pastor to take such a care on thee and this is one of the ordinare meanes God vses to prouide for his people by raising of Pastors to take paines on them and if thou remembers not on the mans paines thou remembers not on the Lords prouidence The remembrance of the Lordes prouidence and paines of the Pastor for thee goe together and thou who lightlies the paines of the man thou lightlies Gods prouidence contemning the one thou contemnes the other remembring the one thou remembers the other Men â—ill say they remember on the Lords prouidence and yet they speake nothing of the instrument God hes sent to winne them No he can not be thankfull to God that forgets his Minister Now in the wordes following he makes plaine the labour pain that he bestowed on them First sayes he I preached vnto you the Gospell of God There is a part of my labour Preaching is a speciall labour what matter were it if there had bene no more but preaching I vvroght and laboured vvith my ovvn hands not in the day onele but in the night also day and night I laboured Paul was a craftsman and had a handie-craft he was a weuer of Tents and Pauilions and vpon that came familiaritie betweene him and Aâ—utla and Pâ—â—stillâ— who were of that same trade and he did dwell with them Act. 18. 3. Besides this he was a gentleman and for other sciences he was wel broght vp broght vp in the lawes at the feet of Gamahell who was a chiefe lawyer and yet for all this he was a craftsman an Hebrew of the trybe of Beniaemin of a good estimation he that got that benefite to be a citizen of Rome he was a gentleman Wel a genâ—lemaÌ„ nowadayes thinks it shame to put his sonne to any craft but perchance the next day he will be hanged for theft or murther if he haue not a craft to sustaine him Fy on this idle nation and thou Scotland bears the gree of idlenesse and loytering Wherefore was all this labouring Because saieth he I should not be chargeable vnto you Brethren an end of his working was for his sustentation an other end was that the Gospell shoulde not be sâ—â—ndered We see he was sparing of these Thessalonians and yet he preached carefully to them and al to this end that the Gospel should not be slandered he wroght with his own hands albeit they wer debt-bound to him Marke here the thing in the world all men should chieflie seeke is that the Gospell of Christ should haue the own progresse without any stop or stay And aboue al things a Pastor who is the instrument of this progresse is bound that by no meane hee be the stay of the Gospell given to win soules to the kingdome of Iesus left that which he is building vp with the one hand be not casle downe with the other as many doe they build on Sonday by their teachâ—ng all the week they cast down by their euill life they destroy more by their life maner of liuing nor they builde by their preaching The least offence in the world wil hinder the course of the Gospel because of the infirmitie of men wemen for they will start at a stray There was neuer a stumbling horse comparable in stumbling to the heart of man considering that so little a thing will cause men take offence at the Gospell and leape farther back nor they came forward We clim vp to Heauen verie softlie and slowlie but if vve runne to Hell vve shall fall dovvn in an houre more then vve did climme in a yeare Therefore we are all bound to flee all kinde of offence and slander Looke that thou offend not offend not the infirme to cause them goe aback neither in the word of thy mouth nor in any action vvith hand or foote or by the vvinke of thy eye to say the progresse of the Gospell And of al men the Pastor is bound to walke most warelie Paul renounces his own right to flee this occasion of offence The Thessalonians wer bound to giue him temporall thinges who ministered to them spirituall things but giuing ouer his right he laboured night and day with his hands for his sustentation Euerie man in their owne degree is bound to suffer all extremitie ere they be a stay to the Gospell but cheeflie the Minister For Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 9. vers 23. sayeth If for the Gospell they absteene not from their ovvne right they shall not be partakers
aboue measure for the departure of their friendes by the way falles out in a discourse of the estate of the faithfull departed this life of the comming of the Lord of the rysing againe of the dead of the tyme of the Lords comming from the 13. verse of the fourth chapter to the 6 verse of the fifth chapter The fourth part of the Epistle is the Conclusion containing a prayer for them a promise of sanctification made to them with some other purposes from the 23. verse of the fifth chapter to the end of the Epistle MAISTER ROLLOCKS LECTVRES VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS THE FIRST LECTVRE THESSA CHAP. 1. Vers 1. 2. 3. 1. Paul and Siluanus and Timotheus vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Iesus Christ Grace be vvith you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. VVe giue God thanks alvvayes for you all making mention of you in our prayers 3. Without ceasing remembring your effectuall faith and diligent loue and the patience of your hope in our Lord Iesus Christ in the sight of God euen our Father WE purpose welbeloued in the Lord Iesus Christ by the grace of God as his Spirite shall assist vs to expone this Epistle which is the first Paul doth write to the Thessalonians Which furnishes to vs doctrine seruing for vnderstanding instruction admonition consolation c. Then to come to the purpose shortlie We shall speak something of these Thessalonians to whom he wrytes of the Argument of this Epistle and the purpose of the Apostle in it The Thessalonians were those who inhabited a towne called Thessalonica which as the Historie â—eares was a chiefe towne in the Countrie of Macedonia sounded and builded by Philip King of Macedonia after the victorie he had gotten ouer Thessalia for returning home victorious he builded at towne and named it Thessalonica to be a perpetuall memorie of that excellent victorie he had obtayned But to leaue this Paul as ye may read in the 17. Chap. of the Acts of the Apost in his peregrination together with Sylas who is heere named Siluanus comes to this towne in Macedonia called Thessalonica and entring into the Synagogue of the Iewes three Saboth dayes preached vnto them and all his preaching tended to this to proue that it behoued the Messias when he should come in the World first to suffer then to ryse againe in glorie Vpon this he subsumes that that Iesus whom he preached had suffered had risen vp in glorie And therfore he concludes that Iesus and no other to be the Messias and Redeemer of the World At Paules preaching sundrie of the Iewes who dwelt in Thessalonica were conuerted a great multitude also of the Grecians who abode there and of the chiefe women of the towne not a few Yet notwithstanding of all this sedition is moued against the Apostle and that by certaine obstinate Iewes who would not be conuerted so he is compelled to flee out of Thessalonica fleeing he comes to Beroea where he gets better entertainment and conuertes sundrie Occasion of the Epistle Yet persecution ryses and he is led to Athens where he abiding word comes to him that the Brethren who were conuerted at Thessalonica were heauilie troubled and persecuted by the obstinate Iewes there Vpon this the Apostle sendeth Timothie to them to confirme them and comfort them in their trouble Timothie returning and reporting the grace of God he saw there Paul would haue gone to Thessalonica but as he sayeth Sathan withstoode him and therefore he takes purpose to write this Epistle vnto them which should be in steede of his presence This is the occasion of the writing of this Epistle Then to come to the Epistle it selfe Partes of the Epistle and to speak of the parts thereof First there is a salutation after the salutation he hath a congratulation and rejoysing with them for the graces he vnderstoode to be in them by the report of Timothie He continewes his congratulation a long tyme almost to the end of the second chapter Then he comes to his exhortation and exhorts them notwithstanding of al trouble to preseuere constantlie to the end This he doth in the third chapter In the fourth and fift chapters he comes to the matter and as before he had exhorted them to perseuerance so he exhorts them to godlinesse and holinesse of life such as becomes them who haue receyued the Lord Iesus This is the substance of the Epistle Now in this chapter First we haue the salutation then the congratulation and rejoysing for the graces of God in them which continewes all this chapter and the most part of the next chapter Now to come to the salutation wherein the Apostle salutes the Thessalonians I will speake shortlie of it because it is a common forme vsed by the Apostle in his Epistles and hath beene oft exponed The persons from whom this salutation comes are Paul an Apostle Siluanus Timotheus two Euangelists They who are saluted are the Thessalonians that is the Church of God that was made vp of the Thessalonians who were inhabitants of this towne of Thessalonica The blessings or good things that are wished from Paul and the rest to the Church at Thessalonica are grace and peace the Author of this grace and peace from whom as from the fountaine Paul with the rest of his associates wisheth these things to the Thessalonians is the Father first the Sonne our Lord Iesus next The cause wherefore grace and peace is wished from the Father and the Sonne to the Thessalonians is because the Thessalonians stoode in that blessed conjunction with the Father and the Sonne and therefore it is said in the text To the Church of Thessalonica which is in God the Father and in the Lord Iesus Christ that is to say which is in that holie societie and conjunction with the Father and the Sonne Now to marke something of the salutation Note This forme of salutation that is vsed in this place and in other places by this other Apostles al these general salutations vsed by godlie men vnto godlie men what are they they are testimonies of that good minde and good-will that the godlie beares to the godly They are more too they are meanes and powerful instruments ordained by God wherby the grace of God the mercie of God in Christ is conuoyed from God Christ to them to whom the salutation is directed There are many meanes whereby grace is conuoyed from God to man amongst all the rest these salutations are meanes ordained by God to that end Brethren it is no small matter to wishe well to a man or woman if thou haue a godlie heart when thou wishes well to a godlie person of necessitie the affection of thy heart and mouth must bee effectuall The to goe fordward Grace and Peace is wished But from whome From God the Father and from the Sonne Iesus Christ
consolation or to thy damnation accordinglie as thou liuest and thou making men to follow thy euill example in doing shalt aggredge thy judgement looke how little a thing will do much euill we should then walke warelie this life will away blessed is he that can make his name to serue to the glorifying of God Thou Scotland hadst a glorious name in many Countreyes Scotlands glorious name the rose-garland of Scotland was the puritie of the Gospell of Christ taught therein and goe it away the Kings honour shall passe and I feare grace also shall goe avvay The Lord oppen mens eyes to see this and lette vs not lose this name vvhich vve haue in the mouthes of good men in other countries Novve the last vvordes of this verse That vve need not to speake any thing As he would say the fame of your faith spred so abroade that vvhere euer I come it mette me so that my mouth vvas closed that I needed not to speake of your graces The Apostle vvhen he had conuerted anie people he euer commended them to the people he vvent to and tolde of their graces as the Acts beares Novv comming to other Countries after the conuerting of the Thessalonians before he coulde speake one vvorde of them the brute of them mette him so the Thessalonians did holde in that parte of his trauaile It is most true the people may disburdeene the Pastor of many thinges for euerie one of them shoulde edifie an other as he preaches and edifyes in publict if euerie one of them would edifie others in priuate conference they vvoulde releeue him of a great burdene The end of his whole trauailes is to edifie and if euerie one of you edifie others yee releeue him of a great part of his burdene His office is to builde vp the house of the Lorde and euerie one of you is bound to take a stone in your armes to lay vpon the building and euerie one in their own vocation is bounde to helpe vp the building of the house of the Lord by conference communication and such other meanes But alas hovv is this practised in this nation they burdene the builder not onelie to build but also to build without an helper for none there is that builds with him The bloodie murtherer will come in with a foul slander and will beat down all that the builder hes builded in the hearts of many the foull adulterer with a foull slander and he will beat down that which the builder hes builded the blasphemer with a foull mouth and he will beat down that which is builded This is the fashioÌ„ of Scotland in building the house of the Lord. Woe to thee adulterer murtherer blasphemer c. thou art a destroier of the house of God and shalt be chalenged in that great day therefore Now he make 〈◊〉 more plain in the next verse I neded not to speak any thing for ereâ— open my mouth he or she comes to tel me that thing I should haue spoke so he brings in their narration vvich spoke of his labour in conuerting the Thessalonians For they themselues shevv vnto vs vvhat manner of entering vve had vnto you and hovv yeturned to God from Idols Ere they spoke of you Thessalonians they spoke of my selfe vvhat manner of entering I had amongst you vvith povverfull preaching and libertie as I haue tolde you before There is his part So that vvhere euer the Country-men amongst whom he was spoke to him of the Thessalonians and of the grace they receyued by his preaching they spake to him of him selfe of the grace God had geuen them by him The commendation of grace Commendation of the people pastor 〈◊〉 patience and charitie in the people should not be without commendation of the Pastor whom God hes imployed as his instrument to their well This commendation ye se beginnes at Paul they speake of the grace of God in him ere they speake of the Theslalonians And in that great day when the true praise shall be the people shall not be glorified without the Pastor If he hes had care in winning of you to Christ he shal be crowned standing by you Paul saith A Crovvn of righteousnesseâ—â— as laid vp for him 2. Tim 4. 8. and in this same Epist to the Thess 2. 19. What is my hope my ioy my Crovvâ— ye are my glory my ioy Meaning they could not be glorified without him and his glorie and joy consisted in their glorie All this telles vs in that great day what glorie and honour the faithfull Ministers of Christ shall haue for they shall shine as starres byde a little while it is not long to If thou be an instrument to make the people faithfull if they get a crowne thou shalt get a crowne also This for his own part Then he comes on to their part And as concerning you vvhere euer I trauelled they shevv me the manner of your conuersion and hovv ye turned from Idols to serue the true God So the thing that was reported to the Apostle of the Thessalonians is their turning Brethren the first effect that is required in a man or woman in this world is to turne them round about to turne their face where their backe was to turne them off the course they were on they are in an euill course running to destruction and their eye is on Hell There is the first effect of the Gospell Connersiâ— the first effects of the Gospel to turne them about to take their eye off the Deuill and set it on God thy heart thy soule and thy affection that is set on the Deuill must be turned about within thy breast and set on God if this turning be not wroght in thee by the Gospel looke not for grace remission of sinnes and lyfe euerlasting Art thou a murtherer and hast thy heart set on blood-shed at the hearing of the Gospell if thy heart be not turned thy sinne shall neuer be taken avvay He vvho is nevv comde from murther he vvill come in and holde vp his eare to the Gospell and heare of remission of sinnes and lyfe euerlasting through Christ and he will take all to him and in the meane tyme he will haue his foull heart stuffed with murther and reuenge Away with thee ô foole it is impossible to get pardon remission of sinnes when thy heart remaines yet vnturned from sinne thou hast no part in Iesus I debar thee from him Trowest thou to get remission and lyfe vvhen thy heart bydes vnturned lying still in that stincking filth In a vvord thou shalt get no effect of the Gospell except thy heart be turned to God So as thou vvoulde haue lyfe after this lyfe looke thy heart be turned avvay from sinne and turned to God So then there is the first effect that the Gospell vvorkes Parts of conuersion Repentance and turning Wherein stands it Looke to the vvordes it stands first in this pointe in leauing off Idols if thou be
fall down before a stock or stone Slauery of Idolaters of all slaueries this is the greatest it is true it is a slauerie to be subject to a tyrannous man in this worlde to his foull affections to abyde all things he will injoine thee but in the meane tyme while as thou serues the liuing and true God thou art a free man and thou hast a singulare comfort and consolation in thy heart and if anie will call the a slaue care not for that for thou art a free man to God 1 Cor. 7. 21. but albeit he were a King and had all the vvorld vnder his dominion if he be a slaue to a false fained God an Idole of all slaues he is the greatest slaue for not to knovve the true God is the greatest slauerie that is for there is no consolation but in God if thou had all the libertie in the vvorld thy soule is in slauerie if thou serue not the liuing and true God I will not call a Nation a free Nation a King a free King if they serue not that liuing God Will I call a Kingdome a free Kingdome that is subject to a miserable slauerie of Idolatrie Woe to that slauerie and thou Scotland if thou lose the seruice of the liuing God of all slaues thou shalt be the greatest because so shamefullie thou hast lost it Dauid in the 16. Psal vers 4. telles of the miserie of the Idolaters and of the libertie of them who serues Iehouah As for the Idolaters saieth he They multiple sorrovv vpon sorrovv to themselues then he rejoyses in his owne felicitie who serues the liuing God Iehouah the Lord saieth he is the portion of my inheritance Therefore ere thou lose the seruice of this true God and Christ his Sonne lose thy life and all that thou hast in this world This is the onelie liberty to serue the liuing and true God Now followes the second end of their conuersion which is to looke for the Sonne and his comming the first was to serue the Father of this life the second is to awaite for the comming of the Son Marke euerie word It is not eneugh brethren to serue the Father the liuing and true God in faith in loue in all seruice that pertaines to him in this lyfe except thy eye throgh hope reach out beyonde this lyfe in the meane tyme of thy seruice Hope of life to cōe Thou art heere novv seruing him looke that thy eye reach out beyonde this life to see and to hope for an other life There are many in wealth in honour in ease in healthe of bodie in this worlde that vvould make a Couenant with God and say Lorde Let mee dwell still to serue thee heere and it were for euer and I oblishe me neuer to looke for more at thy hand giue me this lyfe and wealthe and pleasure thereof I shall serue thee to let me liue heere for euer and I shall binde my selfe neuer to craue more of thee alas I trovv there be many of this sort Fy on it this can not be rooted out of the hearts of the most godlie euen as if either God had gotten glorie sufficientlie or we could get perfite happinesse in this life Alas if our hope were onelie in this lyfe and our blessednesse reached not out beyonde this life of all men the christian man wer most miserable I had rather chuse to be a Turke nor a Christian except my hope reache out beyond this life all the pleasure and seruice I can do to God in it If thou prease to be a true christian think not with thy self I shall driue ouer this life quietly shal stand fast in al trouble but thou must bide tossing toyling otherwise thou can not be a christian for throgh many tribulations thou must enter into the kingdom of heauen Act. 14. 22. Thē ye who wold serue God serue him as pilgrimes in a strange country far frō him what euer thou be doing here in his seruice walking in thy godly exercise in the mean time let thy hart be with Christ let thy hart be wher thy life is hid vp with Christ Paul giues an example of this in his own person saying I liue here as a Citizen of Heauen Philip. 3. 20. A Citizen in the heauen is a pilgrime on the earth And therfore he subjoynes liuing as a pilgrime heere and a Citizen of Heauen I hope for my saluation in Christ A pilgrime hes euer his eye out of this world The second Epistle to the Corinthians Chap. 5. vers 7. 8. he shovves that in this lyfe he walked in faith and confidence but saieth he I chuse rather to flit and remoue out of the bodie and to dvvell vvith my Lord Iesus Fy on thee that is so nailde throgh head and heart to this world that thou hes euer thy heart and sight heere Certainelie I am of this minde that the thing that euerie one of vs should most care for should be to steale away peece peece from this earth Lowse thy heart peece and peece and free thee from this wofull life Now this hope and looking is for the Sonne something pertaines to the Father thou must serue the liuing and true God something pertaines to the Son thou must looke for him from Heauen Thinke not to honour the Father without the Sonne The Iew is vaine that thinks to honour the Father without the Sonne No it will not be serue the Father but honour the Son also or else the Father shall accept no honour at thy hand Ioh. 5. 23. For all the honour of the Fathers is in the Sonne But marke the speciall honour that is geuen to the Sonne in this life The Sonne is honoured in faith in this life in beleeuing that he is alreadie come in the world that he is come in our nature and suffered the death for our sins that he died was buried rose againe from the death thou honoures him in beleeuing this But this is the speciall pointe of this honour to hope that he shall come againe as he come once so looke that he shall come againe But brethren neither hes his glorie yet appeared as it is in deed and shall appeare neither yet your grace appeares as it shall when he shall come againe And therefore the speciall seruice we can doe is to await for his comming ad to glorie vnder that hope No beleeue thou in the Father as thou wilt if thou hope not for that glorious returning of the Sonne thou honours him not This is all to stirre vs vp by hope to looke for an other life for all these things King and Kingdome vvill avvay and they who hoped for him in this lyfe shall shine in glorie with him in that life eternall Fromwhence shal we hope that he comes where shal we cast our eye if we looke for a man to come from one part our eye will euer be on that part where from he should come whither it be
they may see what danger they incurre by controlling the libertie of the worde in the Church There is his moderation in teaching Now one thing more Al this power is in the beginning in his enterance to them The Apostle is now afflicted in Macedonia when he comes to Theslalonica all his preaching is but a battaile last shamefully is he put away and goes to Berâ—â—a What shall I say of this If Paul had had no more but the spirite of a man he would not haue immediatlie gone to Thessalonica and there teached and being in Thessalonica he would not haue vttered any thing that would haue displeased them No but he does otherwise the power of God neuer so well appears in men as vnder affliction for when man is weakest God is strongest in them My strength sayes the Lord 〈◊〉 shovven in infirmitie 2. Cor. 12. 9. And in the fourth chapter of the same Epistle vers 7. he showes the Lord hes put a treasure in earthen veshels that the excellencie of his povver may be knovven Then he falles out in a probation of this power My bodie is daylie slaine where euer I go there is nothing but afflictioÌ„ But saith he by this I know the lyfe of Iesus is manifest in me He hes not a better token to knowe the life of Iesus nor by affliction and none can know the life of Iesus so well as in the last agonie of death Other countries hes experimented this power of God that appeares in affliction better then we haue done Scotland hes no manifestation thereof in respect of other Churches Well brethren our tyme is comming fast on The Lord of Heauen that is strongest when man weakest giue vs strength and courage to abyde that tyme and holde vs vp in our infirmities that he may be glorifyed in our affliction To this God the Father Son and the holie Spirite be honour and praise for euer AMEN THE FIFTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 3. 4 5. 6. 7. 3 For our exhortation vvas not by deceite nor by vncleannesse nor by guile 4 But as vve vvere allovved of God that the Gospell should be committed vnto vs so vve speake not as they that please men but God â—vâ—o trieth the hearts 5 Neither did vve euer vse stattering vvordes as ye knovve nor coloured couetousnesse God is record 6 Neither soght vve praise of men neither of you nor of others 7 Wheâ— vve might haue bene chargeable as the Apostles of Christ but vve vver gentle amoÌ„g you euen as a nource cherisheth her childreÌ„ BRETHREN the purpose we haue in hand and hes had these dayes bygone is the rejoysing of the Apostle together with the Thessalonians for the graces of God bestowed on theÌ„ The Apost falles out in a narration concerning himself the manner of his entrie among the Thessalonians setting out the grace of God that vvas vvith him vvhen he entered in among them to this end to let them see the ground wherevpon their faith vvas builded vvas not faire vvordes but that effectuall grace of God that was hid vp in the 〈◊〉 The last day vve shevve the Apostle proponed his manner of his entrie among them it vvas not in vaine it vvas not fectlesse but fectfull and when he come and entered amongst them he come vvith a libertie and boldnesse vttering the Gospell of Christ and a libertie not grounded on man or on his ovvne affection but on the power of God This boldnesse he amplifies in respect of the afflictions vvhich before he had suffered at Philippi in respect of that suffering he had while he preached that word of the Gospell with libertie among them Now to come to this text we haue in hand The Apostle in the third verse of this chapt answeres to that which might haue bene thoght and objected by the Thessalonians for he meetes the thoght of the heart Thou sayes thy entrie amonge vs was with libertie boldnes but looke with what sincerity thou entered among vs it is not eneugh to preach with boldnes libertie but there must be sinceritie looke that thy preaching hes not bene with deceat to deceiue vs with vncleaÌ„nes with guile If any of these thre things haue concurred with thy preacing exhorting al thy liberty in preaching exhorting auails not The Apostle answeres marke euerie word for our exhortation vvas not by deceit nor by vncleannes nor by guile Look to the vvords Our exhortation our doctrine or preaching for by a speciall part of the doctrine which is exhortation he vnderstandes the whole and that because all doctrin ends in exhorting Exhortation is the coÌ„clusion of all doctrine exhortation sayeth he was not with deceat with vncleannes nor with guile that is to say was not with any kind of fainednes neither in substance of doctrin which is called deceat false doctrine deceiues Neither in affection in vttering the Gospell which is called vncleannesse neither in the manner of delyuerie which here is called guile In a word our exhortation was voide of all sort of vnsinceritie no part was simulate Marke the lesson on this verse Ye see here this meeting the Apostle makes to the verie thoght of the heart and to the opinion they might haue conceyued that he was not sincere in doctrine vtters plainlie that there is oft-tymes a verie opinion and suspition in the heartes of the hearers that there is vnsinceritie in the teacher in delyuering the doctrine and this will make such a doubt in the heart that it will hinder edification and faith And therefore the teacher had much neede to take head to himselfe in teaching to his affection and to eschew all sort of vncleannesse if it were but in his thoght and affections before he speake he should striue to get a sanctifyed heart and in word let him meete the verie thoght and suspition of the people to remoue all blame of vnsinceritie in preaching and vttering the Gospell that edification and faith may increase His end in preaching is faith that the people may beleeue and be edified Let him therefore put away all occasions that may stay the edification of the people that the worke and building may goe vp and faith may grow Then secondlie ye se there are sundrie sorts of vnsinceritie A man may be vnsincere in teaching many wayes he may teache and yet teache false doctrine he may be vnsincere in his heart in teaching he may be vasincere in delyuering and thereby deceyue thee And there is none of these wayes but they will stay edification if the people take a suspition if it were of an vnsinceritie of the heart it will stay the worke And therefore in all manner of way the teacher should striue to be sincere in vttering the Gospell that if there be any stop it may be in him that heares and not in him who teaches for if the preachers stryue not for his part to sinceritie and the people for their
what was his calling He sayes The Gospell vvas committed to me That is his calling Therefore saye he so vve speake Looke what is euery mans calling Euery man in a faithful discharge of his own calling is bounde to please God He saieth not God allowed of me therefore I please him in playing the part of a king or magistrate but he hes called me to be a minister therfore I wil please him in speaking Then let euerie man set his heart to please God in his owne calling So there are two things vve should respect in seruing God First do all to please him Secondlie in the calling he hath placed thee into chieflie studie to please him Keep these tvvo and then thou shalt be acceptable vnto him In the end of the verse he subjoynes But God vvho approoueth our hearts These vvordes containe an assurance that Paule had in his heart that in speaking and discharging of his calling hee pleased God God within me had his secreete allowance God in my hart as he allowed of me first ere I had grace and placed me in the Ministrie so now when he has geuen me grace to please him he allowes of me There are two sorts of Gods allowing The first is when God allowes of any man before he haue anie grace 2. sorts of Gods allovving and by his allovvance makes him able to doe good the second is vvhen he allowes of him in the vvorke he hes geuen him by his grace The first allowance moues a man to serue his God and to do all things in his calling the second allowance is a warrand to him that he hes done well Alwaies the lesson is If thou set thy selfe to please God thou shalt neuer vvant a vvitnesse of thy doings thou shalt neuer want a secreete testimonie within thy selfe albeit all the vvorld should close their mouth and neuer speake to thee thou doest well settest thou thy selfe to serue God he shall round in thy eare and tell thee of thy wel-doing and giue thee a secreete joye By the contrair doest thou euill art thou an harlote settest thou thy selfe to displease God who hes geuen thee all things thou shalt get a bitter witnesse in thy hart saying false villaine thy pleasure is in displeasing God ô catiffe thou art adjudged to condemnation Iohn 1. Epist 3. 20. sayes If thy heart condemne thee God is greater then thy heart much more will he condemne thee take head to thy conscience if thy conscience tell thee thou doest well the Lord approues thy doing otherwise if thy conscience telles thee thou does euill the Lord disallowes thee Now as he hes remooued from him before all sortes of vnsincere doing and tooke to him sinceritie in speaking to please God in all things who gaue him his allowance he goes deeper in the verse following and he remoues from him the soull vyces out of the which springs the vnsinceritie in dealing The first is called flattering words the second auarice the third ambition insatiable greed of honour and estimation Foūtaines of vnsinceritie He remoues all these three which are as as many fountaines wherefrom vnsinceritie springs It is not my purpose to insist largelie on these vices Onelie I shall speake as accords to this place The first then is flatterie Flatterie for no man vsed he anie flattering wordes in preaching Marke the lesson When a Preacher is inclyned to flatter and fletche on earth either King Queene Councell or subject man or woman he is not sincere in his calling There is none of vs in no degree but we may be yea and would be flattered The Apostle is speaking heere of flatterie not of Kings or Princes but of the flattering of the Thessalonians Neither did vve vse flattering vvordes sayes he But my lesson is Where any Minister is set to flatter and fletche on the earth that man ere all be done will fall out in false doctrine he will frame himself so to the affection of them whom he would flatter that he wil be vnsincere in doctrine Why The fountaine of flatterie is the foull crooked affection of man or woman and so if the vaine man wil apply himself to the crooked affection of man the doctrine shall be crooked ere he faile in flatterie he shall fall out in false doctrine The heart of them who speakes in the name of the Lord Iesus must be set onelie on God and not vpon any man on earth Well the Apostle takes them to be witnesses of this and sayes As ye knovv It easie to knowe a flatterer his wordes will bewray him he will commonlie call God to witnesse but not men Men shold behaue themselues so that they take not ay God onelie but also good men to be witnesses to their doinges Paul heere takes not God but the people of Thessalonica to be witnesse saying ye knovv It is true brethren albeit the words wil bewray the flatterer yet such is the blindnes of man who vvith selfe-loue is set to pleasure his foull affection that if a man wold neuer so plainelie flatter him in his face yet oft times he can not perceiue the flattery and he beleues this fained flatterer to be his greatest friend The Lord keepe vs from such flatterers lighten our eies vs grace that we may discerne them The next verse The seconde vice is auarice and he calles it the pretence of auarie Auarice your books turnes it nor coloured couetousnes Auarice in anie man is dangerous but chieflie in a Minister it will make him to do much euill for if his heart be set on auarice and that be his end and purpose to vvin the worlde he will in the end fall out in corrupt doctrine for the rule of his teaching being his ovvne bellie and gaine ere he faile to get his purpose hee will teach false doctrine It maye be there be some men in this lande vvhose hearts are so set on this sort of auarice that they vvould say masse ere they should vvant their gaine After that this vice of auarice raigne in anie man it vvill misguide him maruellouslie he wil leaue nothing vndone to get his filthy hart satisfied in anie estate in the vvorld an auaritious heart workes much mischiefe In the next words he takes God to be witnes sayes God is my record Auarice is not sodanely perceiued because it comes in with so faire a colour the colour of godlines the fairest colour that is and the sight of man is so short that it can not looke in to the corners of the heart full of guile But the Lorde hes an eye that can looke through thy bodie in to thy hart and he can tell thee whether auarice be in thee or not And therfore Paule takes God to be vvitnes that his heart was cleane of auarice Then learne there is nothing so hid in man but he will get a witnes thereof if man can not be vvitnes God vvho sees all things hee shall be vvitnes to thee and
childe so he takes a similitude from a mother toward her infant there is no busines nor care the mother wil leaue vndone for the infant nor respecting her hyre or gaine but vpon an inteere affection to the infant Then learne shortlie A pastor must be like a mother Paul Gall. chapter 4. verse 19. compares him selfe to a mother trauailing in birth vntill Christ be reformed in them O my little children vvith vvhom I trauaile in birth vvhile Christ be reformed in you Novv he coÌ„pares the pastor to a nource taking paines to nourish them when they are borne vpon a motherlie affection without eyther respect to goods or honor and he compares the people who by the pastor are fed in Christ nourished by the sincere milk of the vvord to infants As a yong infant craues no other nourishment but milke no more shouldst thou craue to be nourished with any other food but the sinceere milke of the word and as the infant would die except he be fed with milke so all they that refuses to be nourished with this sincere milke of the word if they continew die shall they Thou Lord Laird or Barron Husband-man die shall thou if thou be not nourished with this sincere milke of the worde If it be so betweene the people and the Pastor Affection of the Pastor to the flocke as betwene the childe and the mother the Pastors lesson is Looke what tender affection the mother hes to her birth to cherishe it to take paines and trauaile to wake and watch ouer it and all vpon a motherly affection without respect of honour or gaine the lyke shoulde thy affection be towards thy flocke and on paine of thy lyfe looke thou seeke them and not theirs The Mother seekes the well of her childe and not his goods nor honour so seeke thou the well of thy flocke and not their goods nor honour and let thy affection be motherlie and when thou sees the motherlie affection of the mother to the childe say The Lord giue me such an affection to my people as this mother hes to her childe let my honour and gaine be to get them nourished The honour of a Minister is in Heauen and not in earth his gaine is in Heauen So Paul sayeth 1. Thess 219. What is our hope or ioy or crovvn of reioysing are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming to glorifie his elect To this Christ with the Father and the holy Spirite be glorie and honour for euer AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 8 Thus being affectioned tovvard you our good vvill vvas to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of God onelie but also our ovvne soules because ye vvere deare vnto vs. 9 For ye remember brethren our labour and trauaile for vve laboured day and night because vve vvould not be chargeable vnto any of you and preached vnto you the Gospell of God 10 Ye are vvitnesses and God also hovv bolilie and iustlie and vnblameablie vve behaued our selues among you that beleeue 11 As ye knovve hovv that vve exhorted you and comforted and besoght euerie one of you as a father his children 12 That ye vvoulde vvalke vvorthie of God vvho hath called you vnto his kingdome and glorie THE Apostle ye remember brethren leauing off for a tyme the purpose that was in hand to witte that rejoysing he had with them for the graces of God was in them In the second chapter he falles out to a discourse concerning himselfe making mention of his manner of entrie among them how it was not in vaine For when he entred among them he entred with libertie although that hee had suffered immediatlie before at Philippi notwithstanding of the battaile he had in the meane tyme while he preached to them Thereafter ye heard the last day he remoued from him selfe all suspition of vnsincere dealing in preaching the Gospell chalenging to him self sincerity in preaching Seing in preaching and speaking he had not man before his eyes but God not content onlie to remoue from him vnsinceritie in 〈◊〉 he discends to the fountaines of vnsinceritie and vncleane dealing which are three namelie flatterie auarice 〈◊〉 and these three rootes of vnsincere and vncleane dealing in the 〈◊〉 he remoues from him he flattered them not he was not greedie of their goods he was not greedie of honour Albert saieth he I might haue beene chargeable to you as the Apostle of Christ ye were addebted to me both of your goods and honour yet I would haue none of them but I liued in the midst of you vnburdensome submitâ—ing my selfe to all fashâ—ie and paines for your sakes as a mother nourishing her childe will vndertake all paines for the childe so did I for you Now in the first vvords of this text we haue red that vvhich he spoke of the nource cherishing her childe he applyes to him selfe Thâ—â— sayes he 〈…〉 tovvardâ— you The vvord is in the first language I was desirous of you I had a longing desire of you such desire as a mother hes to her infant she can not suffer her infant to be out of her sight to be absent from her incontinent she grieâ—es for it she is not well vvhile thee haue it in her sight The same affection sayes the Apostle I beare tovvards you I loue you I can searcelie vvant your presence for being absent from you I haue a continual care of you There is the meaning of the wordes in the which ye see that loue that motherlie affection to call it so the Apostle bare to this Church of Thessalonica The first grace in the Pastor is to loue his flock this is the ground of all the rest if he want it all the rest is deare of the hauing if he had all the learning and eloquence and vtâ—â—â—ance of men and Angels all is nothing if there be not loue and affection in his heart to his flock Paul 2 Cor. 6. recounting our many marks of the Apostle which he bare amongst the rest in the 6. verse of that chapter he accountâ— vnfamed loue to be one for nombring those marks he declares what spirituall loue he bare to the Corinthians saying in the 11. verse O 〈◊〉 my mouth is open to you our heart is made large so that if it were possible I vvould take you in my heart ye dvvell not narrovvlie in me but ye dvveâ—l 〈◊〉 in your ovvne bovvelles I loue you but ye loue not me so intirelie as I doe you In the 11. chapter of that Epistle verse 28. stryuing vvith the â—alse Apostles he shovves vvhat carefulnesse he had of the Church Beside sayeth he 〈…〉 I haue the care for 〈…〉 of the vvorlde 〈…〉 but I am afflicted I vnderstand there are none afflicted but I am afflicted vvith him 〈…〉 It is vvonderfull to knovve vvhat affection hee bare to the Church of Christ Ye
his heart he wold haue bought the graces of the holie spirit and therfore Peter meetes him and wishes that he should perish and his money to There are manie of this sort who vvill be content to heare allovve it to say The Minister hes said vvel this day all is true yea but what hast thou reported and what hast thou applyed to thy heart Thou heard to thy condemnation except thou apply some thing to thy self of that grace thou didst heare Yet ther is a fourth degree to receiue it as God vvord Not onlie to heare allow embrace but to receiue it as the word of God Albeit Paul spoke it 4. Receiuing of the vvord as the vvord of God yet they looked vp aboue Paul and tooke it out of his hand not as his vvord but as the vvord of God that is a greater grace There are manie that rest to much vpon the man that teaches and set their hearts on the mouth of him that speakes more nor on God that giues the speaker the grace Manie will heare this vvritten vvorde allow it embrace it but they make it to them the vvord of man rather nor the word of God because they count the Scripture to be authentick not because God did speake it but because the Church sayes it as the Papists do say this day So they make the New and old Testament to be the vvord of men The Lord keepe vs from such an error for it is not possible to builde faith vpon that ground I appeale thy conscience that sayest this if euer thou didst finde that constant faith in thy heart faith can not rest except it haue an assurance that the word is from God and not from men how manie in this countrie faile in this There are manie that receiue and embrace it not with that reuerence they should when they hear it spoken they giue no reuerence nor obedience thereto more nor it were the word of man for when they goe out they are as wanton in wickednesse as euer they were before This testifies their want of due reuerence If this were setled in the hearts of men that the word that is spoken were the word of God and that it is not the man that speaks it but Gods Spirite in the man◠they would receiue it embrace it and obey it with greater reuerence O the obedience he would giue to that word There is naturallie such a reuerence of God in the heart that when they are assured it is of God they will reuerence it Now brethren ye see in all these degrees nothing but faith All is expressed in faith ye see the beginning of it the progresse of it the ending where it rests It begins at the outward senses It begins at the eare Faith is by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Then it goes next to the minde which allowes and approues it It sticks not there but it goes downe to the heart and there in very deed is the right sait of faith there is the proper loding of faith Look that thy faith be not in thy head and eare onelie there are many hes it so and it goes away with the winde Looke that it goe to the minde and be not content with that but see that it goe down to thy hart This faith ye see then it exercises the whole soule of man it exercises both the reasonable powers the affections Take head to it The thing whereinto this faith is exercised is the word of God Faith in the eare is exercised about the word faith in the minde is exercised about the word faith in the heart is exercised about the word of God The word of God should fill the whole head mynde and heart This is it that the Apostle to the Coloss sayes chap. 3 16. Let the vvord of God dvvell in you plenteouslie not sparinglie but powerfullie And certainelie thinke on I tell you if thou stryue not so long as thou art heere to be filled with the word of God looke not after this lyfe for his presence if thou preasse not in some measure in this lyfe to haue thy soule filled with him looke not that God shall be a father to thee in the life to come Alas we can not get that fulnesse and our soules so wel exercised as we should haue by the word but if we striue to this our willingnesse is acceptable to God Where there is a desire to thinke and meditate of it and to repent that thou canst not haue that desire therof as thou wouldst it repares that want we haue of that fulnesse There is yet one thing heere to be marked The speciall ground of his thanks-giuing is for the imbracing of this word not as the worde of men but as the worde of God Wherein ye see it is a rare thing and a speciall blessing of God vvhen a man is not offended vvith that goode vvorde of God What care I for him some vvill say oft-tymes I vvill heare the vvord of God and receyue it but this companion vvho teaches hes offended me I vvill not heare him Againe he is of so meane graces he can not speake two words right he is babling Well thou art stumbling and thou wilt breake thy neck if thou doest so for thou must not thank that the word of God hangs on the mouth of man but the mouth of man doth hang on the word of God This is the fault we measure euer the word of God by the instrument and counts ay of the word of God as of the word of man that speakes it and preaches it 2. Cor. 10. 7. Enter in comparison The 〈◊〉 God and the 〈◊〉 of man are contrarie and I will let you see Gods doing is far from mans doing and mans doing is contrair to Gods doing There is the wisdome of God It hes pleased him from the beginning to put his power in the weakest creature in the silliest and basest to looke to the hes not chosen the wise in the world the potent and noble to put his power in them when it pleased him to vtter his omnipotent power When he vttered his power against Pharao he puts his power in frogs in lyce in flees and he is auenged on proude Pharac by those vylde things All this is and was that his power shoulde be seene that men should not thinke this is the power of a frogge louce or flee but is the power of the great God that made all thinges And when he meanes to destroy Goliath he will not haue the armie of the Israelites nor Saul◠slaying him but he will haue sillie Dauid slaying him without armour with a sling onelie All this was that the world might see it was not Dauids power but Gods that slew Goliath So the richest treasure that God hes in Heauen vvhich is Christ Iesus in the word he puts it in vylde veshelles the Ministers thereof The vnsearchable riches of Christ the power and justice of God in Christ and all the
sent Timothius our brother and minister of God and our labour-fellovve in the Gospell of Christ to establishe you and to comfort you touching your faith 3 That no man should be moued vvith these afflictions for ye your selues knovve that vve are appointed therevnto 4 For verely vvhen vve vvere vvith you vve told you before that vve should suffer tribulations euen as it came to passe ye knovv it AFTER the salutation ye haue heard brethren a congratulation and rejoising of the Apostle with the Thessalonians for the graces of God in Christ that were bestowed on them Thereafter followed an excuse of the Apostle wherfore he came not to visie the Thessalonians he excused himself from that great desire purpose he had to visite them face to face He entred in the journey once he was impeaded he entred the second tyme Sathan impeaded him he could do no more Now shortly to come this text He followes out the same purpose and continewes his excuse showing them the desire yet left him not but albeit he was impeaded in his owne person to come to them yet his desire was 〈◊〉 toward them And therefore that which he could not bring to passe in his owne person he thought good to performe by another by a deare brother and fellow laborer Timothie Therfore he tooke purpose being at Athens in Grecia and Timothie with him to abyde at Athens himselfe alone and to send away Timothie to them and all to this end to establishe them in that word which they had receiued To exhort them that they should not be commoued or dasht with the afflictions which ouertooke them and wherewith they were exercised Vpon this he salles out in an exhortation exhorting them to beare patientlie those afflictions that fell vpon them The first argument to moue them thereto is knowing well they were appointed thereto God had ordained from all eternâ—â—ie those afflictions for them a necessitie was imposed vpon them and why should they not then suffer and beare them patientlie The next argument wherewith he comfortes them There is nothing come to vs sayes he but that wherewith ye were forewarned Therefore take it patientlie This is shortlie the summe of the text standing in these two partes in a purpose he tooke because of his owne not comming to them to send Timothie to them and in an exhortation to beare affliction patientlie Now to make euerie sentence The naâ—â—ation is verie plaine and therefore it farnishes plaine doctrine 〈◊〉 sayes the Apostle I thought it best 〈…〉 to send him to you so to remaine alâ—ue at Athen This is to be marked this earnest desire of the Apostle to doe that which became him in viâ—ying these Thessalonians it lesâ— him not notwithstanding or any opposition he got Sâ—han did cast in stayes to hinder him he stayed him to come to Thessalonica yet Sathan could not get the desire of his heart stayed he desired 〈…〉 he is not able to performe that which he desired so earnestlie 〈…〉 It is a hard matter to put out of the heart of the godlie an holy desire to doe well to do that which they should doe of 〈◊〉 yea it is an hard matter to Sathan himselfe to quench the holie desyre of the heart of the godlie Paul in the Rom. 7. 18. vvhere he sets out the battell he had betvvene the Spirite and the fleshe he confesses in plaine wordes that he could not get that thing done that he would haue done In the meane tyme he sayes To vvill is preseâ—t to me that is say I haue in the meane tyme a good vvill to doe vvell albeit I can not attaine to the performance of vvell doing the flesh in Paul stayed the action and perseuerance in well doing but the flesh vvas notable to quenche the good-vvill he had to doe vvell And brethren most certaine it is vvhere the desyre abydes in the heart vvhen a vvillingnesse to doe well abydes the battell is not lost the Diuell hes not gotten the victorie the flesh hes not gotten the victorie Lose thou once the desyre and will of well-doing if there be in thee no repugnance to Sathan but his worke goes forward 〈…〉 the Diuell then hes gotten the vpper hand the 〈◊〉 is lost and thou art gone keep well therfore the desire in the heart to do well how euer thy hand feet be bound so that thou canst not do with thy hand any good nor can not go with thy foote to do good yet it this will of well doing remaine the victorie shall be thine in the end It is most certaine the desire of the godlie albeit it be impeaded for a time yet in the end it shall be victorious Therefore the Lord himselfe promises them certaine victorie Blessed are they vvho hungers and thrists for righteousnedsse Matt. 5. 6. there is the desire for they 〈…〉 there is the victorie The heart that desires grace continewing in the desyre shall be filled with grace and glorie This for the first The desyre continevving vvith Paul vvhen he is not able to visie the Thessalonians in his ovvne persone he takes him to the next best and that vvhich he could not doe by himselfe he tooke purpose to doe by Timothie vvhich vvas his fellovv-labourers Where there is an earnest desyro to doe well in the heart of any man that thing he can not attaine to at the first he assayes it ouer againe and if he can not get it done in his ovvne person he preasses to doe it in an other As Paul assayed the first and second tyme in his ovvne persone and vvas tvvyse in the journey vvhen he is impeaded in his ovvne persone that he is not able to performe it himselfe he purposes to doe it by others and so he sends Timothie to performe that which he might not doe himselfe Then ye may see an earnest holie desyre hes such a force that it rests not it must break out in some effect at one tyme or other by one way or other it can not still remaine in the heart nor the Deuill will not be able to impead the action for euer No but an holie desyre of goode in the heart shall take effect once in despite of all the worlde Then marke The great necessitie joyned to euerie one of vs to do the thing we should do must not be left off for one or two or three or foure impediments and when we are not able in our ovvne persone to doe it then prouide some other meane to doe it for it may be the Deuill will not be so busie to impead others as he will be to impead thy selfe for it is certaine the Deuill is euer busie working but he was not so busie to stay Timothie as he was to stay Paul Now in the next wordes he sayes he thoght it best to abyde solitare all alone at Athens where he was for the tyme for from Thessalonica he went to Beroea and from Beroea to Athens and there he abode as
he would say to the Thessalonians I tooke purpose to hurt my selfe for you I forgot my selfe for your profite and the care which I had of you that ye shoulde haue good companie I choosed to be alone my selfe among the infidels without fellow-helpers The lesson is plaine Where there is loue in the heart of the Pastor to the church or any person he will be content to be solitare without good company euen in the midst of infidels that that Church may haue good companie he will be content to be poore that the Church may be riche he will be content to die that the Church may liue he will wishe to be an Anathema and accursed for his brethren that the Lord may be glorified in the saluation of his Church No it is an vnspeakable loue that a faithfull Pastor hes first to the Lord Iesus who hes sent him and next to the Church that is bought with the bloude of Iesus he will forget himselfe to remember them he will not not onelie seuere from good companie for their cause but he will forget his owne lyfe to haue them well Marke next Ere he comes heere to the sending of Timothie to the Thessalonians he telles of the purpose he tooke I thought it best to abyde at Athens myne alone And vpon this purpose I entered in action and sent him Ye shall finde this commonlie in Paul vvhen he speakes of his doing he speakes euer of a purpose and decree going before and then the action follovving I decreed to knovve nothing among you but Christ and him crucified 1. Cor. 2. 2. All vvell doing should proceede of a purpose of the mynde Purpose and consultation shold preceede action well doing would not come rashlie to our hand but as the Lorde hes giuen a man a mynde to conclude and resolue so well doing should come of the resolute purpose of the mynde without the purpose of the mynde in well doing the action hes not the full praise God himselfe did nothing but by purpose and counsell preceeding He elected vs of a purpose before all eternitie in tyme of purpose he calles vs of purpose he justifies vs and of purpose he glorifies vs. In a vvord he does all things according to the purpose of his will Ye may read this in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians So vvhen God giues grace to any man to doe anie thing the first grace he giues is a willingnesse in the mynde to doe well Grace beginnes at the heart and mynde and not at the hand Philipp 2. 13. it is said God is he vvho giues the inward vvill and purpose that is first and the performance that is next Ere he giue thee the performance of vvell doing he giues thee the purpose of the heart to doe it Therefore before thou put out thy hand to doe vvell looke thou haue the purpose in thy heart and then the vvell-doing is perfite otherwise not Many will put out their hand to doe some good thing vvhen the heart will be fighting against the hand Put both purpose in minde and action in hand together to do well or else hold altogether to thy selfe Now to the next verse Hauing taken a purpose he sayes He sent Timothie Hauing taken purpose he goes to the action he sends him The lesson is easie After purpose is taken then goe to the action aduyse thee well and then stay not but goe to and execute thy purpose There are manie vvho are ay purposing and consulting but their purpose is ay fectlesse and vvhen they haue taken purpose they stand still there their purpose in nothing vvorth It is verie true euen as the purpose to doe vvell is of grace it is not of mans selfe to doe it it is God vvho giues the purpose so the action of the hand is of God in such sort that when thou hast gotten grace to will well thy hand shall be bound hard and fast that thou shalt not be able to doe it except thou be furnished with an other grace also When God hes giuen thee the purpose except he also giue thee the performance thou shalt neuer doe it for the Apostle saies 〈◊〉 God vvho giues the purpose and the doing vvell Whereto speak â— this euen to learne vs that euer in all our actions and lyfe we continue in begging of grace begge good purpose by prayer then stand not there thinke not thou hast gotten all there are many graces begge the meanes to effectuate it begge earnestlie the 〈◊〉 When thou hast begged the purpose and gotten it begged the performance and gotten it begge the blessing to continue in it or else all shall faile If grace 〈◊〉 not multiplied grace after grace we shall fall when we haue gotten the fast grace we shall 〈◊〉 the second grace we shall 〈◊〉 yea the third grace we shalt 〈◊〉 except God vp holde 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 graces except we continue the greater is our fall And so begge grace after grace that we may be filled with his fulnes in Christ and get the perfection of all 〈…〉 What man is this Timothie He is set onâ— in his owne styles he calles him hast our brother from that common calling of all Christian men and wemen for in Christ we all are brethren and sisters a Minister must first be a brother before hee be a Minister Then secondlie he is sette 〈…〉 that particulare calling and he is called the Minister of 〈◊〉 and vvhat 〈…〉 Paul In vvhat 〈…〉 Christ. There is a faire Ministrie a faire exercise hee is exercised in the seruice of God in the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ Then he sends this Timothie Good meÌ„ Could be depute to the performance of God actions Then vvhat man is this Timothie that he puttes in his place to visie the The 〈◊〉 to confirme and establishe them in that faith A good man 〈◊〉 man and a brother and yet more then that a Minister of God and a 〈◊〉 labouret vvith Paul in the Gospel of Iesus Christ Then the lesson is That vvhich vvee can not get done in our ovvne persone vve must doe it by others whether 〈…〉 or in the Common vvealthe But looke that euer thy 〈…〉 whom thou appointest to do that which thou shouldest doe in thy own person be a godlie man like Timothie Mâ—ses when he could not ouertake all the affaires of the people himselfe he chose out at the desire of Iethro his father in law good men to doe the turne send not out a cyphere appoint men that are able to doe it as thou wilt be answerable to God In the worke of the Lord do nothing negligentlie but earnestly hauing euer thy God before thy eyes Woe to that man that does the vvorke of the Lord negligentlie Ierem. 48. 10. Let men therefore take head to their own doings and to those men whom they set vnder them that they be not cyphers but meete to do the work of the Lord. Alas this is far from the forme
No it is not eneugh but it must abide with thee ay vntill thy breath go out and vntil thou giuest vp the last gaspe thou hast ay neede of the gospell Therefore the Apostle in that place he limites the time vvhile ye come altogether to the vnitie of the faith and vnto the perfite man in Christ When commest thou to that perfite man Not so long as life is in thy lippe So thou hast need of the ministrie so long as thou liuest But in deede when all thy senses goe away when speaking and hearing go away then the ministrie leaues thee thou feellest a sense of these things that thou heardst before but if thou lay not to thine eare to heare in time thou shalt neuer see them Brethren ye will wonder at this earnest desyre he had to see them Might not the sending of Timothie and wryting of this Epistle satisfie him No he thinkes he can not doe them that goode that he would vntill he see them and speake them and that for this purpose to fill out then faith Well brethren when once Sathan gets a seuering of the pastor from the people it is hard to get them together againe Do what Paul could do he could not meete with these Thessalonians For he sayes Sathan held him away when he would haue bene at them Then ye see the remedie against Sathan to stay his course is prayer and instant prayer night and day Presence of the Pastor verie povverful But to the purpose There is much in the presence of him who hes the grace of God in him for augmenting the faith and grace of God in men his message will do much but his presence will do more the lyuelie voice of man vvill be more effectuall nor the written word will be his presence will edifie more nor his letter And so it is no small matter to haue the presence of a man that is gratious Paul knew this well and therefore he is so instant in praying to haue their presence If the Lord hes chosen out a man to win soules there is nothing in that man but it will edifie his tongue his eye his behauiour his countenance all will edifie and further men to Christ Novv in the second part of this text he falles out in a prayer There are thre parts thereof The first part is that yet God the Father and the Lord Iesus should direct his journey tovvard them that he would giue him that grace to see them and haue that mutuall presence Then when he is speaking of the prayer he vsed to God looke what fell out Showing them he vsed to pray instantlie for them in the meane tyme he leaues off this narratiue and he bursts out in prayer to God There is a sodaine change Now take head If that earnestnesse and feruencie to pray be in the heart the least occasion in the world wil walken it vp and make a man hold vp his hands and fall on his knees immediatlie The verie name of ardent prayer vvill raise him vp to prayer for as of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speakes so the words in the mouth will walken the heart if there be anie spark of grace in it and the hart being walkned the mouth will fall out immediatly to prayer Looke to thy heart mouth both Looke that thy heart be filled with God looke that godly speaches be in thy mouth for certainlie as thou speakest so thou vvalknest the heart speake well a good affection will rise in thy hart speak euil a foul affection wil rise in thy hart and thy words shall be as bellowes to blow vp thine owne heart and the hearts of them that knovv the sinne and vncleannesse To the purpose he prayed to whom To God the Father To whom next To Iesus Christ the Lord. He giues them both their owne styles Christ hes bought vs vvith his bloude and so hee is our Lord and wee his seruanes And the Apostle sayes For this cause is Christ risen againe that he should haue 〈◊〉 ouer all creatures Rom. 14. 9. Nowe brethren marke their styles more narrowlie and shortlie God is a name of majestie but Father is a name of loue Paul vses to set downe the majestie of God vvith loue to cause vs to imbrace it This style the Lord is a style of superioritie dominion The style then that Paul vses telles you what disposition was in his heart in praying he spoke to a Majestie he spoke to a Lord therefore reuerence was in his heart He spoke to a louing father Disposition of the heart in prayer therefore loue and homelines was in his heart This telles vs vvhat disposition shoulde be in our hearts is when vve speake to God In prayer thy heart shoulde be disposed with feare and reuerence with loue and homelines Reuerence and feare would not be allone for then it were a seruile feare Loue and homelines woulde not be allone for then thou wouldst grow in contempt So joyne together homelines and feare loue and reuerence and then in exceeding sweetnes shall follow And this was 〈◊〉 fashion and the fashion of all the godlie fathers and this should be our fashion in prayer Looke the persones he directs his prayer not to prayes not to the father allone nor to the Sonne 〈◊〉 allone he prayes God the Father 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 Lord. What showes this to vs If there were no other place in the Scripture yet this declares â—â—sufficientlie vnto vs Iesus the mediator is equal with God the father else 〈◊〉 had neuer prayed to him joyned him with that glorious Majestie of the Father Now to open this more plainelie to you The Father and the Sonne are one in nature essence and substance next as they are one in nature Iesus eternall God so both their doing is but one that that the father does the sonne does and that that the sonne does the father does also In Iohn he sayes My Father vvorkes to this day and I vvorke vvith him Iohn 5. 17. Farther the Father vvorkes with the Sonne when he is incarnate cled with our nature and Iesus Christ God and man being in our nature workes together with the Father and the Father giues vs all the graces out of the fleshlie hand of Christ the man all the goodnesse that flovves to thee it flowes through the vaile of the man-hood of Christ Looke their thou seuere not Christ and his Father and look that all thy duetie thou doest to them be a common duetie beleeuest thou in the one beleeue in the other Ioh. 14. 1. Praiest thou to the one pray to the other seruest thou and glorifies thou onâ— glorifie and serue both together honor euer the Father and the Son together for if thou seuer the Sonne from the Father or the nature of the man from the Sonne Father nor Son shall doe thee no good For when thou praiest to the Father seuering him from Christ as the Iewes do or to Iesus seuering
vntill we see the Lord face to face and then we shall get saciety then we shall be filled when God who is loue himselfe shall be all in all thinges And therefore grovv euer get a peece of grouth this day another peece to morrovve and so day by day grovv vntill thy heart be filled vvith the grace of Christ As thou increasest in knovvledge so thou must increase in loue for these must be joined together knowledge and loue Knowledge is in the mynde and loue in the heart Ye see how pleasant it is to see the Sunne but the light of the mynde whereby we see the Sunne of glorie is more excellent it is the light that commeth from the Lord. Then joyne thereto the loue in the heart these tvvo should ansvvere other in proportion Growest thou in knovvledge of the vvay of Christ looke thou grovv in loue to God and man othervvayes I say thy knovvledge shall not auaile thee and the greater knowledge without loue grow there-with the greater damnation Now whom should they loue Loue euerie one among your selues loue next all men in the vvorld Loue all mankinde Ye are Christians loue together mutuallie Be ye among the Heathen loue them too who knows not Christ loue the Domestickes of faith but loue the strangers too loue the members of the bodie of Christ but loue them also vvho are out vvith the bodie but in a different maner The words lets vs see the loue of the domestick is mutuall As thou louest me so I loue thee as the hand loues the foote so the foote loues the hand So among the members of Christs bodie there is a mutuall loue The band of loue goes from my hart to thee and comes again from thy hart to me but it is otherwaies with the loue that reaches out beyond the body to strangers it is but a single loue going from my hart and not returning againe from them I loue him but he loues not me I loue the Iew but he loues not me I loue the Turke but he loues not me because he is not conjoined in a body with me we should loue them to saluation Then learne we should not be narrovv hearted in loue Say not I loue not him because he loues not me if Christ had done so vvhen thou vvas an enemie it had not beene well with thee He loued thee being his enemie Loue them then vvho hates thee and them vvho would slay thee I will not giue a penny for thy loue if thou loue them onely vvho loues thee And this telles that thou art a member of the bodie when thy loue reaches out with the bodie to others As Christ loues his enemie so thou if thou be of Christs bodie vvill loue thy enemie Alas the canker of our nature against loue If thou striue not to loue thy enemie and to get that rancor of thy nature slaine slaine shalt thou be Steuin when the Ievves vvere stoning him to death sayes Lord let it not be laid to their charge Act. 7. 60. Therefore as thou wouldst haue thy soule safe loue thy enemie He layes downe his owne ensample as I doe you He vses this commonlie when he bids them doe any thing I craue nothing but that ye should resemble me I loue you loue ye others There is a lesson Thou vvho vvilt bid anie other doe well doe vvell thy selfe vvilt thou bid me loue loue then first thy selfe and loue all men A Pastor vvho vvould teach his flock to loue let him shovv loue first in his life and actions himselfe othervvaies he shall not haue grace in his vvords let him cast himselfe to be full of loue and then his vvords shall edifie Let him euer seeke an hartie loue to their saluation and craue loue to them at the hands of the Father and Christ Iesus his Sonne To vvhom vvith the holie Spirite be all praise for novv and for euermore AMEN THE XIII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 13. 13 To make your hearts stable and vnblameable in holinesse before God euen our Father at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ vvith all his Saints 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 1. 2. 3. 1 And furthermore vve beseech you brethren and exhort you in the Lord Iesus that ye increase more and more as ye haue receiued of vs hovv ye ought to vvalke and to please God 2 For ye knovv vvhat commaundements vve gaue vnto you by the Lord Iesus 3 For this is the vvill of God euen your sanctification and that ye should absteine from forâ—ication IN the wordes going before ye heard brethren the Apostle makes mention to the Thessalonians of that earnest prayer he vsed to God for them that once it would please God to graunt him a prosperous journey to them He fell out immediatly in a prayer The prayer containes thre parts the first part is that God the Father and the Lord Iesus vvould direct his vvay tovvardes them The second part is that how euer it should fall out vvhether he should come to them or not at Gods pleasure yet that they shoulde abound in loue euery one tovvardes another and not that onelie but in loue to all men yea tovvarde their verâ—e enemies Now shortly to come to our text In the last verse of this chapter ye haue the third head of his prayer he beseeches God to giue them holinesse holinesse in generall all kinde of holinesse As he prayed before that they might abound in loue and charitie vvhich is a part of holinesse So novv he prayes they should haue all sort of holinesse Thereafter in the chapter following he falles out in precepts of good maners and holie lyfe and conuersation and this he follovves out to the end of the Epistle sauing onely by the vvay he casts in one or tvvo informations resoluing them of certaine doubtes the first concerning the mourning for the dead the second concerning the day of Iudgement and the comming of the Lord Iesus Novv to returne He prayes for holinesse to them And vvhat should this holinesse doe To make your hearts sayes he stable and vnblameable before God And at vvhat tyme especiallie at the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ In vvhat companie should they be established with holinesse They alone No but vvith all his Saints in that happie societie of the Church of God and the Saintes There is the effect shortlie of this thirtienth verse Then brethren marke It is holinesse not a fashion of holinesse in outvvard behauiour Holines stablishes our harts before God but vvithin the heart of a man or vvoman that makes them stand vp in the presence of God that establishes them without feare terrour or trembling when they stand before the. Tribunall of a terrible Iudge Where there is no holinesse no sinceritie of heart in man but an heart filled vvith foull affections full of vncleannesse and filthinesse there the heart dare not present the selfe before the face of
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
affirme if there be not a better meeting and greater care to reuerence this calling and to loue and honour it and to prouyde sustentation for them that laboures the eyes of our posteriue shall see this Ministry decay It is going away Men beleeues it is well if they get the teyndes If the Lord and Laird get the teyndes Teinds he will indent and subscryue all with you But either must these things be redressed or else certainly there shall be a decay and then farewell all grace Shame and confusion to Scotland Trowes Scotland that the common-well shall floorishe or that the estate shall be good if this Ministrie goe away No there shall be nothing but desolation If they were heere to whom this matter and this admonition pertaines I woulde charge them in the name of God that they would show a better meeting to entertaine this Gospell or else shame shall ouertake them Now this farre as the wordes of the text furnishes to me I haue spoken of the duety of the people Nowe there is another precept added to this exhorting to peace Peace cōmanded Be at peace sayes he among your selues This is agenerall precept giuen to Ministers to people and to all men commaunding peace loue vnitie and concord of mynde This is the fountaine of other graces She goes before vs as a mother other graces as children followe her If she goe not before no following of graces Where peace is there is grace where peace is not there is no grace And therefore Paul first to Tim. chap. 2. verse 1 sayes Pray for Kings for what end that vve may lead a quyet and a peaceable lyfe in all godlinesse and honestie Where he meanes where peace is these two followes godlinesse which is the ground of the first table and honestie which is the ground of the second table Where peace goes avvay farevvell these tvvo Will ye looke to your ovvne families if there be not peace betvveen the Husband and the Wyfe tell me what grace can be in the familie tell me can godlinesse can grace be in the familie vvhere there is nothing but stryfe and enuy can common honestie be there No no grace Go to a Cittie where there is nothing but dissention can therebe grace godlines or honesty there Goe to a Kingdom or common-well where a Kingdom is rent in peeces can there be grace holinesse or honestie there So it is the peace in Iesus Christ vvhich is the mother and conquerour of all graces where the hearts of men and wemen are bound vp in peace there is floorishing either in Citty or houshold But yet vvhat peace should this be Wherein standes it It stands not in a faire vvord in a faire goode morrow nor in an outvvard behauiour or false fained smiling vvith thy mouth vvhen thou hast no loue in thy heart but this peace standes chieflie in the lenitie and conjunction of myndes and heartes Paul to the Eph. chap. 4. vers 3. sayes Studie to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace where he earnestly recommends an vnion of myndes Paul to the Philippians in the 2. chap. vers 1. sayes If there be any consolation in Christ if any solace if any communion of the spirite if any bovvels of pittie fill vp my ioy and wherein standes it Be sayes he of lyke minde and affection There my joy let your affection be one haue one loue haue one minde dwell with all your soules together Ioyne so your hearts together as if they were one heart joyne your soules together and make vp one soule of all And as concerning your judgements he sayes be not of contrare opinions and judgementes There are some that euer delytes in contradiction When one will say one thing they will make a contradiction to it Now ye see wherein this peace stands and this is the peace that makes vp the Kingdom of God Paul sayes to the Romanes 14. 17. The Kingdom of God standes not in meate and drinke but in peace and righteousnesse tovvards God Indeed the Kingdom of men will be made vp of an outward counterfaite peace The Grecian Kingdom the Roman Impire stoode of an earthly peace but all vanitie the Kingdom of Christ is made vp of an vnitie of our soules knit together in Christ When our conscience is peaceable then our souls is knit to him Reade the 4. chapter to the Ephesians ye shall not finde so many arguments in no place as there to exhort men to vnitie There is sayes he but one bodie one spirite one hope of your vocation one Lord Iesus one faith one baptisme one God one Father of all Then if there be so many one thinges why should ye not be one Now the whole blessing of men standes in vnion Yea the blessednesse of God standes in an vnion the Father the Sonne and the holie Spirite vnited together in one God-hood The blessednesse of our nature standes in the vnion with our head Christ and in the vnion of the members among our selues Where this vnion is not there is nothing but miserie In the Kingdom of Heauen there is nothing but vnity by the contrare there is no peace in Hell If the father and the sonne goe to Hell together trow ye there shall be any loue betweene them No nothing but inuy all inuy and hatred is among the Deuils all peace and vnity is in God who drawes the soules of men and wemen together and makes one soule as it were in that glorious bodie of Christ The Lord giue vs this bond of vnitie and loue that we may be joyned with the rest of the members in one bodie to our head Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the Spirite be immortall praise honour and glore world without end AMEN THE XXIII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 14. 15. 14 We desire you brethren admonish them that are vnruely comfort the feeble mynded beare vvith the vveake be patient tovvarde all men 15 See that none recompense euill for euill vnto any man but euer follovv that vvhich is good both tovvard your selues and tovvard all men WE goe forward brethren in these exhortations and preceptes concerning goode maners and godly conuersation vvhich the Apostle settes downe heere to the Thessalonians As for these whereof we haue alreadie spoken as that wakrifnesse that should be in them that sobernesse that spirituall armour vvherevvith they shold be armed concerning that mutuall exhortation euery one of them ought to other concerning that duetie that the flocke and the people ought to their Pastour concerning that mutuall peace that should be among them we speake nothing now recommending all to your memories who heard vs. Now in this text we haue reade presently first we haue three particulare directions concerning three estates of persones first concerning vnruely men secondly concerning feeble minded men and last concerning them that are infirme and vveake in saith vveake in the knovvledge
fleshly and carnall joy 〈…〉 that will be in the mouthes of prophaine people be merie eat drinke Is that this joy no no. When Paul bids thee rejoyce he bids thee not passe the time like the Epïcurians Eate drinke and be merie The joy that he craues the nature thereof is not fleshly but it is cleane holie and spirituall To speake the trueth it is in the hart all joy is in the hart of a bodïe but it is not so much the joy that is of the naturall affection as it is the motion of the spirit of Christ within vs vsing the affectiones of our hart as a parte to reioyce in when he is dwelling in vs. When a man reioyces naturallie it is his heart that reioyces but this is another kinde of reioycing It is the Spirite of consolation that comforts the Spirite of Iesus that dwelles in the hart and wakens vp the affection aboue nature and makes it It is 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that was naturall as supernaturall it cannot be so well tolde as felt Rom. chap. 8. verse 26. The Spirite of God requests for vs vvith sighes vnspeakable Then the Spirite sighes within the heart If the Spirite of God be within the heart the sighe will not be so much the sighe of the bodie as of the Spirite of God 〈◊〉 It is so with that spirituall ioy the ioy in the hart if will not be so much the ioy of the heart as the ioy of the Spirite of God a ioy vnspeakable No no tongue can tell the greatnesse of it And brethren if there vvere no more but this that it cannot be toulde it telles you the nature of it it is not a naturall ioy the naturall ioy can be all toulde the heart of man is comprehensible and the affectiones of the hart can be toulde but the joy of the Spirite of God is incomprehensible The joy of the Spirite of God in the heart of the poore sinner cannot be toulde by all the Angels of Heauen let be by the tongue of man For no man can reâ—â— the infinitnesse of Gods Spirite Therefore put a difference betweene it and all other ioyes The property of this ioy is here expressed Propertiâ— of this ioy It is continuall it lastes euermore it is continuall it alters not it is without interruption it is not broken off prosperitie will not breake it aduersitie vvill not breake it lyfe vvill not breake it death vvill not breake it it abydes in lyfe it abydes in death yea euen to the verie poynte of death vvhen it pleases the holie Spirite to vvorke it vvill be in a greater measure in his soule than nor it vvas in the life-tyme When we thinke the body should be heauiest and saddest then it is most joyfull This earthly joy is soone broken off he is now in joy in the twinkling of an eie it shall be broken off this houre glade the next houre wo. Balthazar was a mery man when he was prophaning the vessels of the Lord and banketting in the meane tyme of his merinesse came the hand writting vpon the wall and then he beginnes to shake and his countenance is changed with shuddering and shaking 〈…〉 Ye heard in this same chapter when the wicked saies Peace all things are sure then a sudden destruction ouertakes them So this worldly joy is ay interrupted it is ay turned in sorrow if thou be content with a worldly joy proceeding of a worldly thing if it were all the kingdomes of the earth thy joy shall be turned in a weeping for euer but the spirituall joy is continuall without interruption Then if this be the nature of it it is spirituall it is cleane and pure heauenly not rude fleshly nor earthly If this be the property of it Matter of spirituall ioy it continues ay for this propertie must follow on the nature of it a spirituall thing must euer abide What can be the matter of it there must be some cause of this joy No joy but there must be some cause and matter that moues it Then what is the matter of it There are two sorts of things in the world that wakens vp joy in the heart of man The first is earthly things ye know the things worldlie honor riches they waken vp joy in the hart Another sort is called spritual heuenly clean There is no other but these two either things heuenly or earthlie to cause men to rejoyce Then are these earthly things the matter of this spirituall joy he speaks of Examine the nature of it it is spirituall it is the joy of Christ Will these worldly things if there be no further consideration of them cause the Spirit of Christ rejoyce within thee Will a kingdome make Christes Spirit within the hart of a man to rejoyce if there be nothing more but as it is a worldly kingdome No I say they will not be the matter of this joy looke to these worldly things how thou resauest them if they be not resaued out of Gods hand as arlespennies of heauenlie thinges and tokens of better benefites and of life euerlasting they shall neuer make the Spirit of Christ to reioyce in thee Thy hart may be blyth for worldly thinges because thou art an earthly bodie A King may rejoyce in a kingdome c. but if they be not taine out of Gods handes as arlespennies of heauenly and spirituall benefites the Spirite of Christ shall not rejoice in thee Take heed if it wer but a morsell of meate if thou take it out of Gods hand as a token of that heauenly food to life euerlasting the Spirit of Christ shall rejoyce in thee Therefore be neuer content of earthly things as earthlie things onely nor of the naturall joy of the hart of man A sow hes a naturall joy 〈◊〉 in filling the bellie No beast in the field but it hes a sensuall joy in the selfe by nature in the foode thereof Fy on thee that cannot haue more joy nor a beast Thou art made for Heauen and not for Kingdomes here Therefore rejoyce in heauenly thinges and I say the Kow and other beasts are better nor thou if thou rejoyce not with that heauenly joy for the kingdome prepared for thee in Iesus Christ Woe to thee that hes not the joy that proceeds of the Spirit of Iesus Againe this joy lasts euermore it is continual it bides in the night it bides in the day it perishes not These worldly things are al perishing He will be a King the day and will be casten down to morrow He is riche the day and will be begging to morrowe How can thinges changeable be matter to me of joy that standes euermore No they cannot If my joy restes on earthly things when earthly things failes me of necessity my joy must faile me When the ground of joy failes my joy must faile Worldly things must faile therefore the joy in worldly things must faile and specially in death Either shall earthly things
be vvith them in his grace and vertevv but also that he may be vvith them in his ovvne presence and person vvhich is more then the first Then thou must not be content to pray for the benefites of Christ but the cheefe ihing vve ought to pray for to Christ is Lord giue me thy selfe giue me thy presence in thy ovvne person for if vve get any good of him it must be by himselfe he must giue himselfe to vs. In one vvord the first conjunction vve must haue vvith him must be vvith his ovvne person he must be our head and vve the members of his bodie My hand vvill not be the better of any povver or vertue in my head if my hand be not joined with my head the first thing then my hand must haue must be a conjunction with the head and so of the rest of the members of the body and then the conjunction being made vvith the head the vertue goes down from the head and is scatred throgh al the mēbers of the body It is euen so with Christ Iesus before we get grace or lyfe out of him motion spirituall out of hi peace out of him he is full of grace first that sweet conjunction must be made betvveene him and vs he must be conjoined vvith vs in a more strate conjunction then the mēbers vvith the head And therefore he goes to the ground of all peace the Lord Iesus that he may stand vvith them and they may be conjoined with him their head Now he prayes for this presence to them all not to one member to tvvo or three but to all and euerie one of them Then marke The Lord Iesus is a sufficient head and Sauiour for all the vvorld none being excepted all sufficiencie is in him he may serue to be the head to all the vvorld yea to a thousand vvorldes his presence is so ample that he may suffice to be a Sauiour to a thousand vvorldes yea to an infinite number of vvorldes Paul knevv this that he is not like an earthlie king vvhose presence serues but for so many and is contained vvithin narrow bounds and therefore he prayes for peace to all Now if thy head and Sauiour be so ample thy hart should not be narrovve nor thy mouth narrovve but as Iesus is a sufficient head for all so let thy hart desire his presence to all the vvorld if so it should be possible And as for my selfe I vvishe there vvere none but that they vvere partakers of this presence of Iesus Christ For vvhy should vve seeke the vvreak of any creature yet the Lord hes his ovvne and none vvill get his presence but they that are his O vvell is that bodie vvho is predestinate to lyfe for that bodie must haue his presence he vvill be an head and Sauiour to him But that body that is predestinat to destruction cannot haue his presence yet vve are bound to vvish his presence to euery one Novv he commes to the salutation and sayes The salutation of me Paul vvith my ovvne hand Then he subjoines the forme of it The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. He began vvith a salutation after his common forme and novv he ends vvith a salutation His first meeting vvith them vvas by a salutation the end of his conference is by a salutation Then looke vvhat example of his doing should learne vs for as vve are bound to obey the doctrine of the Prophets so we are bound to follow their fashion of doing Paul saluted salute thou The thing then I note here is this In all the meetinges and conferences of the faithfull either by vvord presence or vvritte there should be a mutuall beneuolence and an intere loue and affection that as ye see the bodies of men meete together so the harts may meete together joyned in kyndnesse and beneuolence Wilt thou meet in bodie and hold thy hart aback that is vvilt thou haue the half man meeting and not the whole man That is no meeting for the meeting should be of the vvhole man bodie and hart and this should be vttered all maner of vvay in thy gesture in thy doing salutatiōs of christians would be testimonies of their loue in thy speaking and all the vvordes of thy conference should smell of loue Among all other thinges that testifies of loue this salutation is one when thou bidst him good morrowe good night it is a testification of thy well willingnes and of thy loue towards the man and this hes bene the forme of the godly their meeting hes bene with a salutation and their sending with a salutation that if they could not haue a byding together here by their mutuall saluation they might abyde together for all the members that are true members in Iesus Christ are joyned together in their spirits harts and affections this exemple we should followe This maner of doing nowadayes is counterfaite Men will seeme to salute other gladly and yet the harts will be wishing the worst in harts they are enemies to other and so commonly al their doings becking and off-cap and good dayes both all their words and deeds are fained Looke therefore what euer thou doe doe it in sinceritie for the Lord heares and sees all and if thou doe fainedly the Lord shall judge thee for it in that day He sayes he wrote this saluation vvith his ovvne hand The whole Epistle before Paul hes dyted and appearantly another hes written it Now when it commes to the subscription Paul subscryues it with his owne hand Now wherefore was this The cause appeares to be that before this tyme there raise vp deceiuers that stole in wrytings vnder the name of Paul as appeares in the 2. chap. 2. verse be not deceiued sayes he c. And therefore to let them know what was his and what was not his he subscryues with his own hand This hes bene an old practick of Satan euer to corrupt Christs Church both by word and counterfaiting of writte and all maner of way and this same day we see the experience of it in the Romane Church Satan by 〈◊〉 instrumēts coūterfaits holy vvrits Now to the end that false writtes may be trowed the better looke the craft of the deuill he hes in his instruments stollen in bookes written vnder the name of Prophets and Apostles to the intent that the people reading the name of a Prophete or Apostle should giue credite to the writ Papistrie is full of deceite and the cheefe grounds of their doctrine is Apocryphe-books which hes bene stollen in vnder the names of holy men Now looke what hes beene the mercy of God he sees this well eneugh Therefore it pleased him to imprint a marke in his holy writte whereby it should be knowne to be authentike Scripture as in this place he subscryues with his owne hand which was not without the prouidence of God for there is not a part of Scripture but the Lord hes stamped it with such a sure