God for feare that wrath come out from his angrie face and burne it vp The Apostle Heb. 12. 14. sayes Without holinesse no man shall see God for if they see him at shall be to their destruction When he looks 〈◊〉 the heart and findes not holinesse and cleannesse there his looke shall destroy the heart and he shall make it tremble and shake at his presence Brethren many hes experience of an euill conscience vncleannesse makes euer an euill conscience and a man with an euill conscience is not able to stand in the sight of God There is not an vncleane body but he findes this in experience They runne euer to some hole and cannot abide the holie sight of God he is holie thou vnholie he looks throgh thee thou canst not abide his sight Now it is true our compearance before God and his Tribunal shall stand in the righteous merits of Christ Iesus except we be cled with that perfit righteousnesse of Christ imputed to vs by faith ther is no slanding for vs. Rom. 5. 1. But it is as true if thou findst not again in some measure some holinesse and cleannesse inherent in thy self thou shalt neuer stand before God for where the righteousnesse of Iesus is wher remission of sins is in any man there of necessitie must be some measure of holinesse purenesse of life in him also If thou be justified by the fre mercy of God in Christ of necessitie thou must be sanctified must haue some spark of godlinesse in thy selfe for those whom he hes justified he also hes sanctified So when euer a man hes the justice of Christ imputed vnto him of necessitie he must haue a share of this justice inherent in himself wants he a part of this holinesse brag as he will he hes no cleannesse throgh the blood of Christ Iames sayes If thou hast faith let me se it thy vvorks 2. 18. If any by grace be sanctified in Christ let them vtter it in some measure in works otherwaies they lie So this holds sure No standing to vs before God except there be holinesse in vs. Now the stiles are to be marked in the text which are giuen to God First he is called God then our Father The name of God a name of Majestie and of great glorie The name of Father a name of homelinesse and louingnesse Marke it If God vvere nothing else to vs but God that is to say but an high Maiestie full of all glorie if that Majestie dimmitted not himselfe to be a louing Father to vs through Iesus there were no standing for vs before him our heart durst neuer present the selfe before him A sinne is not able to looke vpon God as he is God onelie in Majestie Honour Glorie and Iustice No the whole Majesties of the world dare not face him as he is God onely All our compearing before him is because as he is God in Majestie and glorie so in Christ he is become a louing Father to vs and if vve receiue not the Spirite that is called the Spirite of adoption testifying to our spirite that he is become our Father in Iesus Christ and we are adopted in Christ and therefore opens our mouthes to cry Abba Father vve would neuer haue a face to looke to him nor a mouth to speake to him And so as he is become a Father to vs in Christ so craue that thou mayst get that Spirite of adoption that thy mouth may be opened wide with sweetnesse to cry Abba Father Moreouer these very stiles learns vs how our harts should be disposed when we come and stand before him euen heer in his congregation church where his presence is We are now in his sight and presence He is a God in Majestie A Majestie would haue feare and reuerence So ther is the first thing stand before this Majesty of God in feare and reuerence Then there must be more then this he is a Father and therefore thou shouldst loue him so thou shouldst both reuerence and loue him together If these two be together they shall mak thee to be in good temper to stand before God Now come to the time when the hart shal be established It is at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ It is true brethren euen in this life before that glorious appearing of Christ we stand before God in holinesse and our hearts are established before him without rebuke in a manner and euen now at this present time who euer they be who hes holinesse in their hearts they finde in effect their harts standing in his presence when they looke to that face of his Majestie shining in the Gospell with the eye of faith the heart is established before the face of God and God is pacified and beholds them in quietnesse Let all men discend in their hearts and if they haue holinesse I assure them they will haue peace and quyetnesse in the hart when they think on him Then this is true Euen in this life before the great day we stand before him established in holinesse but it is as true so long as we liue in this life ther is euer a peece of vnquyetnes in the harts of the most godlie and there are none of vs who can find so peaceable an heart before God as we should haue There is euer so long as we liue heere a peece of euill conscience for sinne The cause is because so long as we liue heâ—r we are but holy in a part and that in a verie sober part sinne leaues vs neuer and therfore the prick in the conscience for sinne leaues vs neuer And where this euill conscience is there must euer be a peece of feare and terrour to stand before that heauenlie presence But vvhen the Lord shall come in that latter day which is called the day of judgement when Christ shall appeare in that great day the heart of the godlie shall be established before him without any feare or terrour If thou be one of the chosen of God thou shalt stand before the face of God vvith an heart in peace vvithout any terrour But ô how great shall the feare of the heart of the wicked men be the cause is because thou shalt not so soone see the face of the Lord Iesus that faire glorious face but as soone in the moment of thy resurrection thou shalt be transformed in a perfite holinesse both in body and soule And therefore the Apostle sayes Philip. 3. 21. When we shall see him We shall be transformed and this vyle body of ours shall be made conformable to his glorious body and vvhen vve shall see him vve shall be made like him in glorie and holinesse vvithout any spot or vvrinckle or any part of deformitie in bodie or soule What then is it that puts this terrour in our heart to stand before God Onely sinne So when all sinne shall be taken away all feare shall be taken away Then seeing there is no perfite quyetnesse vntill vve
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
of this countrie They thinke it eneugh here if they put in any man to be a show in their offices ô if thou knew what count thou must giue to the Lord for thy doing thou wouldest doe the worke of the Lord more carefullie Yet to insist on this commendation of Timothie It is an high commendation and all tends to this that he shoulde be well accepted of the Thessalonians to whom he was directed that so he might doe them the more good Therefore the Apostle sent him adorned with this faire testimone Good meÌ„ deserue good commendatioÌ„ Brethren When we see good men in Church or common-weal we should giue them their own commendation why should not the Prince haue his ovvne commendation in sight of the people vvithout flattrie why should not the Pastor haue his honour but to this end Paul looked to that they might be well accepted among the people the next end that being honoured among them they may get obedience So euerie good man should haue his owne authoritie among the people to doe his goode turnes The Lord grant that euerie man who hes office may haue matter of recommendation within himselfe that when he is praised he be not flattered The Lord grant that the Prince may haue matter of his commendation and the Pastor matter of his commendation to this end that their labours be not in vaine Now to go forward with the words Wherefore is this good man Timothie sent to the Thessalonians not to play him not to looke about him but to confirme the Thessalonians in that faith in the which they were grounded by the Apostle The office of the Euangelist vvas to confirme men in that faith which was had down by the Apostles to watter that which the Apostles had planted Paul planted Apollo vvattred 1. Cor. 3. 6. So Timothie was sent to do his ovvne office his owne office was to confirme them vvho were grounded Brethren ye haue heard heere before a great deale spoken of that singulare faith which the Thessalonians had and read in the whole Epistles of Paul ye shall not finde such a commendation giuen to anie Church as to these Thessalonians they were examples to the whole Churches about them as to Macedonia Achaia c. the word of them went abroad to all people and yet Timothie must be sent to them to establishe them Marke it There is none in this life so vvell grounded on the faith of Iesus ConfirmatioÌ„ of faith necessarie to all men on this life but night and day they haue neede of confirmation yea euen at the last breathe when thou art going out of this world thou must craue a confirmation for there is no perfection in this lyfe nothing in this lyfe but beginning of grace Let none thinke he standes if he thinks so he deceyues himselfe and the man who thinkes he stands he is readiest to fall There is nothing heere but either to grow or decay no standing So we haue neede continuallie of a confirmation faith in Christ is set downe to vs as a ground wherevpon we are established Continuallie euerie houre and moment we craue a setling on that ground for why the sea of the ovvne nature is not so subject to commotion and slovving as the heart of a man When it is set dovvne once in that faith vvhich is the foundation leaue it there it shall returne to the ovvn nature againe Then ye see the sea vvhen it flowes on a rock immediatlie the jaw returnes backe againe in the sea So our heart set on Christ except by grace it be daylie hourlie momentlie setled it vvill returne backe againe to the ovvne nature of it There vvas neuer moe vvindes nor stormes on the sea to cause it rage nor is daylie and hourelie brangling our faith if it were possible to beate thy faith off the grouÌ„d-stone Thou neuer seest thing with thy eye but it is a blast of wind to beat thee off thy ground thou neuer hearst thing but it is a blast to beate thee off thy ground Prosperitie a blast of wind to thee aduersitie a blast off winde to beate thee off thy rocke Christ Iesus the scorning vvorld is a winde to beate thee from Christ all â—â—nâ—ations are as manie windes to tosse thee heere and there that thou settle not Looke then if we haue neede to be confirmed more and more in the faith of Christ The next words telles the maner of the establishing of our faith And to comfort The first word was borrowed the next vvorde makes it plaine The maner is seeing the heart of man is ay fleeting Therefore we haue sent to comfort you touching your faith The verie same ministrie which Paul had for the tyme Timothie for his tyme the Pastors and Doctors hes this day That same ministrie which consistes in instructing exhorting comforting admonishing and rebuking them for their misdeedes for all are included within this word exhorting and all these serues to confirme men in the faith of Christ Paul to the Ephesians 4. 11. sayes When the Lord Iesus ascended to heauen after that glorious resurrection leauing this earth he left behinde him some to be Apostles some Euangelists some Pastours and Doctours to the end vve should not be ay children fleeting flovving and caried avvay vvith euerie light vvinde of doctrine What meanes all this That the vse of the ministrie is to establishe the heart of man to holde the heart that the winde of affliction and tentation blovve it not avvay and to settle it on Christ vvho is the ground-stone Then turne it ouer take avvay the ministrie that men vvoulde haue so faine avvay giue men their teyndes they vvould be content neuer to heare a Minister no stablitie shall be in the heartes of the people thy heart shall be blovvne avvay from Christ and thou shalt perishe Alas vve haue ouer great experience of this and especiallie in this Cittie of Edinburgh the Lord amende it Count all thinges vanitie but to be established in Christ Alas that vvee are so senslesse of this A vaine heart vvaites not vvhat this word meanes but a solide heart mournes for the vvant of the meanes of the vvorde Now to come to the next verse The end of this establishing confirming and exhorting of these people by the ministrie of Timothie is this that none of them should be commoued for the affliction vvherevvith they vvere exercised for the present For the Thessalonians at that tyme were afflicted by the Iewes enemies to God and man Then the end is that they should not be commoued with the afflictions that laye on them It is easie to a man to stand in a calme but when winde blowes it is hard to stand sure It is easie to professe Christ in calmnesse but when the blast of tentation strikes on thee then it is much to stand and hold Christ In tentations vve must staÌ„d on Christ by faith We are not yet wel acquainted with this So all tends to this Albeit
is a labourer but a honourable labourer Euen so euerie one that labours and hes offices in the Church are laborers but yet they are honorable laborers So the Ministers are laborers but honorable laborers for he is ouer thee and is thy superior And he hes a burdeene but a honorable burdeene and at the appearance of Iesus Christ in spyte of thee that contemnes him thou shalt see his honor and glory and thou shalt wonder at that day that euer he shold be promoued to that honor for he shall shine in the Heauen as a star this shall stand in despyte of the world Well come on now to the duetie of the people to their Pastor A Kings Master-houshold will be accounted of the Master-housholde of Christes Church what maner of honour shold ye haue him in Dueties of the people to the Pastor The first words that expresses the duety of the flock are knovve them misknowe them not The people would misknow them very faine yet what knowing is this It is the knowledge of the mind when in mind we take vp know that calling of the Ministry to be the Pastor by Iesus Christ the great Pastor to the Church to be a dispenser of the misteries of God and the in searchable riches of Christ such a dispenser as neuer was in the world not of bread and drinke as these world lie stewards No but of the insearchable riches of Christ and that to saluation and feeding of the soule to that life euerlasting wherin soule and body shal liue for euer This is the knowing be speaks of heere What more It is not a simple knowledge to know that he is a Minister but with knowing to joine reuerence giue him his own honor Paul 1. Cor. 4. 1. saies Let a man count of him not as thou couâ—â—s of Christ but count of him as a Minister and dispenser of the misteries of Christ giue him no more and cursed be that beast of Rome that wold take the place and honor of Christ on him Now this part of duety of the flock in reuerencing of the Pastor is answerable to that part of the calling of the Pastor he is a superior a superiority craues reuerence who euer he be that is a superior whether in families citties or common-wels or in Church if he be set ouer you honor him this is the ordinance of the Lord if the Lord haue set him ouer you honor him look not to the man but to the Lords ordinance And this I continuallie persaue there is a naturall hatred and contempt in the hearts of the people euer toward any superior whether in Church or Policy a naturall ioâ—y we are bred with it and we entertaine it and incresse it Thou hast a naturall hatred against thy superiour if thou wert neuer so good if thou wouldst faine haue him away if thou wouldst cast of all yock but this is a thing the Lord is offended with For I affirme this all superiour powers that are set ouer vs whether in Church or Policie reuerence and honor is craued to them God ordaines it and God will auenge the contempt thereof Now to speake generallie There are tvvo sortes of superiours One in the Policie ouer the bodies of men in the world another superiour in the Church of God which is nothing else but a stewartrie Now say I reuerence should be euer giuen to both reuerence the Magistrat whisper not against him but reuerence him if it be possible holde out euill thoughts out of thy heart let be euill wordes in thy mouth honour all beginne at the King and come to the lowest honour euery one in their owne ranke Againe in the Church honour the Ministrie as stewartes in a great familie the familie of the Lord of Lordes honour him as a faithfull stewart in the house of the Lord. If yee compare these two together euery one of them are bound to reuerence other the Politick Magistrate to reuerence the superiours in the Church Againe the superiours in the Church to reuerence the ciuile Magistrate I tell you my minde mutuallie they are superiours to others The Church man is inferiour to the Magistrate in things ciuile and therefore as a common man is bound to reuerence him and should teach all reuerence to them in that estate And by the contrare the Magistrate if it were the King shoulde be ruled by the Minister in thinges spirituall and he who is a stewart in the Church of God the King is bound to take out of his hand the thing wherevpon his soule feedes and so he and all other Magistrates are bound to reuerence him as Gods stewart If this mutuall reuerence were keeped well were it to Church and Commonwel but where it is not keeped no well in Church nor Policie and I shall craue euer to get this mutuall reuerence keeped and my trauell and exercise hes been this yeere bygone to get it keeped God is my witnesse Now this is for the first part of the duetie of the people The second thing he sayes haue them in singulare loue for their vvorker sake Not in a common loue but in a singulare loue it includes all the whole affectiones of the heart and yet there is more to be vnderstood heere the consequentes of this loue and the effects that followe therevpon If loue be in the heart it will break out in the hand So there are two thinges heere The one the singular loue in the heart the other the outward good deed in the hand If the Ministers giue to you thinges spirituall to enterteine the heauenly lyfe is it a great matter to you to giue them thinges temporall thinges to enterteine this fraile lyfe Now brethren this point of the duetie of the people answeres to that parte of the duetie of the Pastour which standes in labour A labourer would haue loue of them he labours for if it were but the seruant that labours in your kitching ye ought to loue him loue them who loues you Now he who labours not in a vyle office but in an honourable labour to your saluation how much more should ye esteeme of him honourablie and reuerence him An honourable labour woulde be honourablie handled Ye see the meeting that the Apostle craues The Pastour lyes vnder a burdeene and an honourable burdeene On the peoples parte he craues a meeting because the burdeene is honourable and the Pastour should haue preferment therefore he craues reuerence And because the Pastour labours therefore he cranes loue and entertaining of the people It is a common saying Friendship wil not stand long on the one side If this meeting be not of the people to the Pastor the Ministry cannot staÌ„d and the men cannot be able to beare the burdeene Brethren what shal I say alas experience telles vs for fault of this meeting on the part of the people and specially of these in Policie to whom this matter appertaines this Ministry is not like for to stand And I
euening nor midday c. thou shalt neuer get grace looke neuer for this perfection Thou cannot go forward in the rinke without prayer and so thou shalt neuer come to the butt And as ye see heere it is not onely man 's owne prayer that is requisit to bring them to the rinks end but it must be mutuall prayer I must pray for thee to helpe thee forward thou must pray for me to help me forward So prayer must be mutuall and as it were euery one must be taking others by the hand and lifting them vp from the filth of the earth to heavenly things So he that will contemne mutuall prayer and say I will pray for my selfe I am familiar with God I haue a bâ—â—ad back to beare all their curlings if they were neuer so many Alas the curslinges will thrust him downe to Hell and his prayer shall not auaile And thou who contemnest the pray or of the silliest bodie in the Church for thee if thou shouldst 〈◊〉 all day on thy knee thou shalt get small â—â—therance The prayer of the Church is a neceâ—â—ar meane to bring thee to Heauen For as he appoynted thee to Heauen so heâ— no appoynted prayer of the Church to bring thee to it Now he commes to the 〈…〉 sayes he one another vvith an holy kisse As he would say I cannot be present with them I cannot speake to them face to face but 〈◊〉 you to whom I direct this Epistle conâ—oy my salutation to them and in my name salute them as it were with my mouth Brethren what is a salutation A testification of our loue that we beare so them we salute Now there are sundrie fortes of salutations a man will salute one with his owne mouth then when he cannot get him saluted with his owne mouth he will send his commendations with another man There are two fortes I will testifie my good will by my owne mouth in his presence and againe I will testifie it by another and will send my 〈◊〉 good will by his hand And truely looke how sure euer thing in this earth was caryed by a mediat person as sure this loue will be caryed by one to another he will take my loue on his back and cary it to another and as sure as any gift is presented to any person as sure will my loue be presented to 〈…〉 I send it And what good will it doe The chiefe thing we â—aue is the conjunction of the members one with another Now the band that conjoynes the members is loue and â— may send this same band by an other He may tak my band that commes from my hart and eary to any man Then the band that commes to him it kindles vp his hart and he loues me againe and so his hart is giuen to me againe So seeing this happinesse in this lyfe standes in this conjunction euery thing should be vsed that may enterteine this conjunction if it were but a good morrow or a good night euery thing holds this conjunction together vntill we be fully joyned to Christ in the which conjunction standes our ful happinesse Yet to insist This salutation is to all the brethren none excepted To speake it in one word Such familiar salutations as these salute them with a kisse and an holy kisse they are not competent betweene all sorts of men I perceyue not that the Apostle salutes this way any of the Gentiles and Heathen it is true we are bound to wish well to all to the prophainest in the world yea to the enemies of Christ and I will say the Lord turne euery enemy of Christ to him but certainely when it commes to such salutations as these that Paul vses as to say salute with an holy kisse they are proper onely to the domesticks of faith and therefore he sayes salute all the brethren not all that ye meete with but all the brethren Loue pertaines to all but there as a speciall loue that pertaines to the members of the bodie as to brethren and sisters there are special salutations that specially pertaines to the members in the bodie and therefore discretion must be had all salutations must not be had to al alike we should haue a regarde of the condition of the person whom we salute There may be a fault aswell in this vndiscreete doing as when we leaue it vndone giue euery one their owne duety Thou art addebted to a brother in a speciall kindnesse and salutation and is not addebted so to a Turke and to one that is not in Christ In the end held esires that they salute all the brethren vvith an holy kisse We know it was a fashion of olde ere Christ came theÌ„ Iewes at meeting they wold kisse other euen men wold kisse men the same fashion continued in Christes dayes and after Christ it was lâ—fed also as 〈◊〉 may see in the Epistâ—â— of Paul and in the primitiueâ— Church at their meeting together at the Supper of the Lord they would kisse in token of their vnitie Now this holy kisse is called by Peter the kisse of charme 1. Epistle 5. chapter 14. verse Ioyne 〈…〉 an holie kisse is nothing but a 〈◊〉 that â—yfes of an 〈◊〉 loueâ— when loue is in the 〈◊〉 it is sinceere without by 〈◊〉 other â—ife it is not sinceere â—ad is kisse was not holy because loue was not in his hart vvhen he kissed his Master Sinceritie to be vsed in salutation so this kisse vvas in hypocrisie So in our fashion that is novv vsed albeit vve kisse not one another vvhen vve â—id good-marrow or good-night vve make 〈◊〉 outvvard testification of the loue of the hate invvardly if there be not loue in the hart all is but hypocrisie And except helsing ryse of loue in the hart it were better to thee to hold thy tongue thou art but an hypocrite when thou salutest vvith thy mouth if thy hart would eate him vp thou wilt appeare to haue hony in thy mouth and the gall of bitternesse is in thy hart Alas many Iudasses now Sweete sleeked lippes false malitious inuyfull harts Alwayes the lesson is in all these outward testifications of loue looke euer that there be 〈◊〉 loue in the hart that the testification may be sinceere and thou may get good of them For I assure thee this loue to thy neighbor does good to thee ô Lord if sincerity be not good in the members of Christ Alas this decreeped age is turned to a plane hypocrisie and al are but words of office thy vylde salutation returnes to thy owne hurt As it does him no good nor euil whom thou salutest so it does thee euill and returnes to thy own hurt Hypocrisy euer hurts the hart it came from Now to the next words I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle be read to all the brethren the Saints This is another purpose For in the end as I tolde you there is varietie of things casten together Appearandly by the wordes it would seeme
and demonstration of the Spirit and power in opening vp of the text and raising groundes of doctrine he had a speciall grace in teaching he was cleare and sententious in conuincing powerfull in exhorting earnest and pithie in correcting vehement who for graces being in account and honoured was more humble rara virtw humilitas honorata who being prouoked was lesse vindictine who preased more to keepe the chaire of Veritie cleane from corrupt passions that the word of God might haue free passage and be glorified Who sought the world lesse Who estemed lesse of these earthly thinges For he behaued himselfe as a faithfull seruant of God not seeking himselfe but Iesus Christ as a pilgrime heere yea and crucified to the world for knowing that here he had no continuing cittie he sought for one to come he had his conuersation in heauen from whence he looked for Iesus Christ his Sauiour to come And hauing liued such an holy life to the glorie of God there followed a most sweete and comfortable death in Iesus whom he counted alwayes to be his aduantage Reuel â—word 13. And blessed are they that dies in Iesus for they rest from their labours and their vvorkes follovv them O how great a wound did the church receiue by the losing of such a meÌ„ber Experience teaches vs this day when there is such distraction of harts in the Church what inlack we haue of this man whose labours in the like dayes and cases the Lord while he liued blessed wonderfully His life preached his death preached to the world Many one who heard him found in experience that he ranne not vnsent For he laboured not in vaine 1. Tim. 3. 2. c. but the grace of God was powerfull in him and by him to many Finally he as a viue exemplar represented to vs such qualities and conditions as the Spirite of God requires to be in a Bishop of Iesus Christ Tuâ— 7. 8 Put why insist we to speake to you Sir of this man who was wel knowne almost to all but most interely to you Neither was he steadable to the faithfull that heard him by his vine voice onely in his life preaching but also his workes yet teaches the posteritie For his learned and judicious writtings left behind him in latine hes acquired to him a famous name and reuerend account among the learned in sundry nations who professe that therby no smal edification redounds to the Church of God And therefore seeing that God did accompany his forme of teaching so powerfully with his spirit and made it so profitable we haue thoght meet to set out these his Lectures vpon the two Epistles to the Thessalonians that not only the simple may be instructed thereby but also the teachers may know and imitate his gratious forme of teaching as likewise because the other Sermons that were before imprinted hes bene receiued with great lyking by the humble and such as desire to be edified Now Sir whereas others in such cases vses to say that they were aduising as doubtsome to whose patronage they should recommend their worke we heerein are releeued of this care we need no deliberation for to whom in all respects can it belong but to you First in respect of that inteere and exceeding loue and familiaritie that was betweene you and the Author heereof For from once by his preaching the Lord wroght in your hart all who knew M. ROLLOCK knew also how ye loued him delyted in his companie and conference set your selfe in all thinges to pleasure him what testimonies of true loue and vnfained kindnesse ye would haue vttered to him how freely for the loue of Iesus ye would haue communicate to him temporall thinges if that man who was so well content with that he had could haue suffered you and had not stayed the course of your liberalitie Also when that last messenger and fore-runner of death did sease vpon his fraile and weakned bodie few are ignorant how carefull ye were for his greater ease to haue him transported to your owne house How liberallie ye and your bed-fellow whose praise ought not nor shall not be buried in obliuion bestowed on him all thinges necessare and commodious how chearefully ye receiued and intertained for his cause all them that came to visite him and what great benefite ye counted the Lord bestowed on you in that he offered the occasion which long ye wished to showe your liberalitie in temporall thinges towardes such a rate vessell of mercie and faithfull seruant of Iesus from whom he had receiued so many spirituall thinges Againe who is ignorant what affection and kyndnesse ye haue vttered and daily vtters towardes his relict and posthume for his cause yea and towardes all these who loued him in Christ Next to passe by that M. ROLLOCK in testimonie of his loue dedicate to you his commentare in Latine on the second of these Epistles as also that in his Testament he ordeined that all his bookes which he left to be printed after his decease should be dedicate to you and come out vnder your name and patrocinie that whosoeuer gote commoditie thereof next after God might giue the honour and thankes vnto you after a speciall sort this worke requyres your patronage For throgh your care moyen and expenses these Lectnres were collected and gathered from the handes of these who wraite them from his mouth by your moyen and procurement they were reuised corrected and made apt for the printing by your meanes they now see the light which they had neuer seene but had bene buried in darknesse if the Lord had not made you an instrument to publishe them Last if that the paines which hath bene taine in reuising correcting and making them apt for the printing might yeelde any right to make choise of a patrone to this work we would not nor could not offer it to any but to you Sir not onely because of the vndeserued loue and kyndnesse ye vtter daily towardes vs yea and towardes all the seruants of Christ both publikly and priuily as they themselues doe testifie but also in respect ye were the Author to mooue vs to vndertake such traueiles Indeeed such a propine is farre inferior either to your desertes or our desire and therefore we present it not so much thinking thereby to discharge and satisfie the debt as to acknowledge our obligation to you and to be a testimonie of our thankfulnesse For these causes Sir we desire you to receiue this work in your patronage and protection to defend it from the speaches of such as hes not learned yet to speake well of any person or their workes For we are not ignorant how much and oft they who set forth other mens works vse to be subject to the sharpe censure of men and how little thankes commonly either they get or may looke for of many so that few would be found to take trauaile in them except they were rather moued through the loue of the glorie
al in al thy speaking and doing on the glorie of that God I confesse there are many impediments casten in betwixt thy eyes and the glorie of God but striue to get a sight of that glorie or else thou shall neuer be partaker of that glorie Thou may haue a shadow of glorie in the world for a while but as the must before the Sunne vanishes away so shall thou and thy glorie vanish away to thy euerlasting confusion if thou striue not to haue the glorie of God before thy eyes Then hes thou anie good graces in thy selfe giue God the glory What hast thou that thou hast not receyued 1. Cor. 4. 7. Giue him the glorie and praise of all if it were eating and drinking at thy dinner looke that thou eat to his glorie and drinke to his glorie 1. Cor. 10. 31. And say in the meane-tyme I doe not this so much to feede this mortall bodie as I doe it to glorifie thy Majestie When thou liues liue to him deying die to him consecrate thy life and death to him Fye on vs that can not learne to giue the glorie of all to our Redeemer As for mee brethren I craue nothing more nor that the glorie of God may shine before my eyes in my vocation that when I speake or thinke all maye be to his glorie that in the end I may haue this assurance that I shall bee glorified vvith him for euer But yet to sticke to the wordes He sayes not I giue thanks but vve giue thankes I and Siluanus and Timotheus giue thanks Hee sayes not for an handfull or a certaine nomber of you but for you all He sayes not for a tyme but alvvayes Marke all these wordes He sayes vve all and that for all vve thanke euer It is a large thanking and it testifies that the graces shovvne on the Thessalonians vvere large When the graces of God are shovvne on me on thee or on anie people thy heart must not bee narrovv but it must bee enlarged and thy mouth must be oppenned vvyde to praise and magnifie God the geuer of all Or else I assure thee vvhen his grace is large if thy heart be narrovv and thy mouth be oppenned but a little the Lord shal draw in his hand diminish his grace to thee So is sene of it in Edinburgh this day the graces of god on thee ô Edinburgh were large but thy heart was narrow and thy mouh was not oppened wide Therefore the Lord is pinching his graces if it so continew woe will be to thee Go this grace of the Ministrie away and the Lord close mens mouthes and let them not speak to thee all thy grace is gone and I thinke the Lord is beginning to pinche his graces on vs for that glorious Gospell which was preached with great libertie and was so powerfull in the land hes lost the power and the nomber of the godlie of the land is contracted for the one depends vpon the other therefore cry that the Lord may make his grace abound and that he would continew with vs the light of his Euangell Now to the next words He joynes with thankes-geuing prayer Praier ioyned vvith thāks-geuing Making mention of you in our prayers It is not aneugh to thank God for the grace that eyther we or others haue receyued but also thou must pray Cry for grace and continuance of grace for I assure thee if vvith thankes-geuing there be not prayer for continuance the grace receyued shall decay Amongst all the rest of the meanes the Lord hes appoynted for continuance of grace earnest prayer to God is an especiall meane So as thou vvouldst haue thy selfe standing in grace pray euer for grace for there is no moment but vve are readie to fall away except the Lord hold vs vp The meane to entertaine grace is earnest prayer The Lord holde vs vp and let vs not fall but if the meane be not vsed fall shall vve thogh all the vvorld had said the contrair It is to be marked farther He sayes in our prayers As hee would say in our daylie prayers we are accustomed to pray to God in our daylie prayers we forget you not but we remember you Marke this Brethren He is not meete to pray for others that can not pray for himselfe nor hes no acquaintance nor accesse to God Who can solist for any man when he hes no accesse to him vvhom hee folists Canst thou pray for me to my God and thou haue no accesse to him He vvho vvill pray for others must be vvell acquainted vvith God and haue a daylie accesse to him And hovv svveete a thing is it to haue familiar accesse to him for all the joy of the world is not comparable to that joy which the soule findes when it is exercised with the Lorde familiarlie for when thy heart is with him no doubt he is with thee Alasse beastlie man fy on thee that euer thou was borne and thou haue not that svveete sense of joy that flowes from the meditation on the Lord wilt thou let thy soule be euer stupide and senslesse vvilt thou neuer be a Citizen of Heauen expecting for the glorious comming of Christ but ay ly as a sowe muzling and grountling vpon the earth vvilt thou neuer look vp with thy eyes to Heauen vvilt thou ay be looking dovvn If thou doe so thou shalt fall dovvn at last to that euerlasting damnation The Lord raise vs vp for heauy are we we are dead lumps ay tending downward can get no rising vp the Lord raise vp our soules therfore to heuen Now followes the cause wherefore he rejoyses with them in the next verse Without ceasing remembring your effectuall faith That is one and diligent loue that is tvvo the third is and the patience of your hope in the Lord Iesus Christ in the sight of God euen our Father Heere brethren not to escape the wordes I see first an vncessant and perfite remembrance of the graces God hes geuen his people as Faith Charitie and Patience I see then in the example of Paul Siluanus and Timotheus that in the memorie and heart of the godlie the graces of God showen eyther on themselues or others makes a deepe impression when they see the graces of God they take a deepe apprehension of them In the wicked it is otherwise let God raine down graces from Heauen on them selues and others also as they come so they goe they remember neuer a good turne doen to them Now on this remembrance followes prayer they remember with joy euer praying remembring by night euer praying remēbring by day euer praying at lest in the hart if not outwardly in words Marke it a man that would pray wel to God must be of a good remembrance vvould thou pray well remember well Prepare thee to pray by remembrance of the blessings of God and pray then What matter hast thou of prayer when thou remembers not his blessings So all tends to this that thou
in sanctifying of the heart by faith of the hand by charitie that refuses suffering in hope let him not thinke he hes these graces of God Thou that hast no work no faith no laboring no charitie thou that can not beare patientlie and who at euerie thing comming to thee art readie to dispare thou that can not ly vnder the crosse thou hes no hope And therefore as thou would finde grace in the life to come looke that thou be exercised in this life for if thou be not exercised heere thou shalt enter in that damnation where there shall be no end of thy labour thou that wil be exercised in faith charitie and hope assure thee in the life to come thou shall not be pyned with worke thou shalt cease from thy labour and the teares shall be wyped from thy eyes all paine and anguish shall be put away Looke then how ye will spend a moment to eschew an eternitie if thou passe thy tyme idle and do no good heere neither to thy selfe nor to thy neighbor thy labour shall endure euerlastinglie Thou who wilt not spend a moment in labour looke not to obtaine rest for euer In the end of the verse he places and groundes this patient hope on Iesus Christ there is her ground foundation Looke the words And the patience of your hope in our Lord Iesus Christ in the sight of God the Father The faith and hope being begunne on Iesus Hope gruÌ„ded on Christ a ground immoueable all the worlde can not shake it He setteth to her witnesse God the Father He must be witnesse and must stand looking into the heart to see what sinceritie is in the heart So beside the patience wherewith hope must be indewed she must be enarmed to dree out this destinie she can not sustaine trouble except she be grounded The ground is the Lord Iesus immoueable for euer who is able to shake him If my hope be set on Iesus I defye all the worlde shake me as thou wilt no more nor thou is able to moue him out of his place no more art thou able to moue my hope out of my hart There is the foundation she must haue Yet more she must haue a witnesse he who hopes must hope before the Father for the Father seeth all and there is no sinceritie but in the Spirit of God and thou who wilt hope consider God is before thee looking into thine heart and haue him euer before thy eyes otherwayes thou shalt do nothing in thy life-tyme sincerelie but all thy cogitations motions and actions of thy hand are all in hypocrisie Therefore when thou doest any thing do it sincerelie and say My God is looking on me and therefore Lord prepare my heart to doe it sincerely let me not seeke no approbation of men but let me seek the approbation of thee my God It is a miserie to se men in the world they wil steale from God as it were to a backside because they can not abide his eye euery man taketh counsaile at it were to hate God and he flyes from God because his pleasure is in hypocrisie and thou vaine man likes neuer to do any thing in sincerity but would as it wer â—yle thy own eyes and Gods eyes and the eyes of all the world with thy counterfaite falshood therfore as thou would be approued in conscience flee not from the sight of God but craue his presence that light may come from him lighten thee that in that light thou may walke and studie to be acceptable to God with whom thou must be bid all this world farewell Wo to them that studies not to be approued of God gettes not that approbation in their consciences To this God the Father with the Son and the holy Spirite be all praise for euer AMEN THE SECOND LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 4. 5. 6. 4. Knovving beloued brethren that ye are the elect of God 5. For our Gospell vvas not vnto you in vvord onely but also in povver and in the holie Ghost and in much assurance as ye knovv after vvhat maner vve vvere among you for your sakes 6. And ye became follovvers of vs and of the Lord and receyued the vvord in much affliction vvith ioy of the holie Ghost THE last day Brethren we spake of the first part of this Epistle written to the Thessalonians to witte the salutation that the Apostle with Siluanus and Timotheus directs to them We entered in the second part which continewes the congratulation wherein he rejoyses together with them for the graces of God bestowed on them geuing God the glorie of all making him the chiefe Author of all grace Namelie for their faith which is imployed in clensing and purifying their hearts for their loue and charitie which was imployed in laboring with painefulnesse for their brethren and nighbours to their profite and well and last for their hope which was imployed in suffering and taking things patientlie grounded on the Lorde Iesus Christ hauing God the Father for an witnesse of her sinceritie This far for the matter going before Now followes in the fourth verse an other cause of this thankes-geuing to God and of this rejoysing a more effectuall cause nor any that was named yet their eternall election before all worlds All the graces told before were in tyme but as for this election it is before all tyme from all eterniâ—e Vpon this as vpon a foundation all grace that is receyued by vs in tyme is grounded as ye would ground an house vpon an fondation None getteth faith but those that are chosen of God from all eternitie None true loue but those whom God loueth from all eternitie None hope of lyfe but those who are chosen of God from all eternitie So all grace geuen in tyme is grounded on this ground of election that was before all tyme. But to come to the words Knovving saith the Apost brethren beloued of God your election He styles them brethren first then he calleth them beloued of God for I lyke that reading best The second is the cause of the first Because they are beloued of God therefore they are Brethren to him to Timothie and to Siluanus Marke this Note Whom God loueth and vpon whom he powreth forth his grace as he did on these Thessalonians we are bound to loue them to powre out our affections vpon them to call them Brethren in Iesus Christ to speake kindlie and louinglie to them for the graces of God we see in men hes force to conciliate the loue of men so that men when they see them in others are bound of dewtie to loue them If thou see the grace of God in any man thou art bound to loue the man for the grace as thou would vtter thou louest God the geuer of the grace The loue thou carries to a man for the graces of God thou sees in him vtters the loue thou carries to
as miserable catiffes appointed to damnation What auailes this life and al that we haue if we misse that glorie to come In all our proceedings looke what serues for the life to come for all our liues will away our life is not heere this death temporall is not death this life temporall is not life but death eternall is death and life eternall is life But to come to the words and marke them For our Gospell saieth he vvas not vnto you in vvordes onelie but in povver Then it is not preaching in vvordes onelie that vvorkes saluation I see there are tvvo sortes of preachings some preachings in vvordes onelie as these Orators vvho preached to the Corinthians for inuy of Paul had nothing but vvordes There he sayeth When I come I vvill cognosce these men not in their vvordes but in their povver if they haue anie for the Kingdome of God standes not in vvordes but in povver of the Spirite 1. Corinth 4. 19. 20. There is an other preaching of the Gospell not in vvordes onelie but vvith vvisdome and povver Theefore seeing this difference is in preaching that some preachinges are in vvordes onelie and some preachings in vvordes vvith power I must confesse the cause wherefore there is onelie vvordes vvithout povver geuen to the teachers is oft tymes not onelie in the people themselues although they be wicked but in the preacher that vtters nothing but wordes without power to worke into the hearts of the hearers Therefore he that speakes in the name of the Lord looke that he haue power and aske power of God that his words may be effectual in the hearts of the hearers to saluation or else let him holde him silent Either seeke that power of God may be joyned with words or else close thy mouth and speake not one word in the name of the Lord. This power is not gotten lightlie looke to the groundes of this power Paul sets them down heer In the holie Spirite there is one and in full assurance there is an other The first the preaching of the Spirite 2. groundes of povver in preaching the second a full assurance that is in the heart of man that speaks to the hearers Looke that he haue assurance in his owne heart that remission which he preaches to others is gotteu to himselfe Is he promising life to the people looke that he haue assurance that that lyfe is in him The first and chiefe ground of all power is the holie Spirite of Christ if the Spirite of Christ speake not but onlie the spirite of man the humane power in the teacher there shall be no power no vertew in that word to edifie And therefore Paul 1. Cor. chap. 2. vers 13. when he hes spoken of the mysterie of Christ which the wisdome of the vvorlde could not comprehende he subjoynes The vvhich vve speake not vvith speaches and vvordes vvhich the vvisdome of man teaches but vvith vvordes vvhich the holie Spirit teaches vs ioyning spirituall vvords vvith spirituall matters By the which words he meanes plainly that except the Spirit of Christ be the principall speaker of a spirituall matter be the matter neuer so true of it selfe it shall haue no power yea farther in the 1. cha v. 17. he saieth the preaching of Christ with the wisdom of words humane eloquence makes the crosse of Christ ineffectual 1. Cor. 2. 5. he saieth that faith stands not in the vvisdom of mē and therfore who euer teaches in the name of christ let him beg earnestlie that that holy Spirite may be in the heart to tune the heart may be in the tongue to tune the tongue that the matter and words that he vtters may both be of the holie Spirite It is a dangerous thing to a man to speake in the name of the Lord except first he pray and say I am going to this place Lord giue me matter giue me words and let not the speach be so much my speache as the speache of thy Spirite in my heart If the Spirite be in thy heart he will speake but if he be out of thy heart it will be the voice of a man onelie No nothing will conuert men but that which comes of the Spirit A natural eare may take pleasure to heare a naturall thing a naturall heart to speak of a naturall matter but a spirituall eare and hart wil take pleasure in a spirituall matter which comes from the heart of a spirituall man Now to come to the second ground of this power It is the full assurance of grace and mercie that he preaches by his own feeling he speaks nothing but of faith and particular assurance a generall assurance is naught for before I preache the grace of Christ I must seeke my warrand in my heart that that grace righteousnes life I teach is setled in my minde and vpon this assurance I must speake to others and if the speaker albeit the grace were neuer so good haue not in his heart an assurance of that grace all his words will be vnsauory words So he must striue alwayes to participate of that grace he teaches to you either in teaching or before Dauid sayes I beleued and therefore I spake Psal 116. 10. And Paul sayes We beleue to ryse againe and to be joyned to Christ and therfore vve speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. As he would say I am speaking to you of the rysing of the bodie but all this comes of an assurance in my hart that this bodie of mine shall be dissolued and at that last day shall liue and be glorified and vpon this assurance of mine I preache to you this resurrection All tends to this He who speakes of God to vs would be a man that in his owne heart hes a full assurance of grace and aboue all men a Minister that stands vp and speaks to others shoulde haue this assurance and shoulde seeke all vvarrandes of his ovvne saluation And of the assurance of his heart he should speake and say Because I haue felt remison of sins in Christ Iesus and lyfe in him therefore I may assure you of them in him if ye earnestlie by faith seeke them So look that none that is faithles on pain of his life stand vp to vtter one word in the name of Iesus to offer life or remission of sinnes his speaking is but like the clattering of a Parocket his heart is dead and his head onelie sounds The Apostle sayes Because I am assured in my heart of this therfore I spake vvith a great libertie Then there are the two groundes first the holie Spirite secoundlie the assurance if these two be of necessitie the worde must be profitable and thogh a man can not get the ful measure of these two well is he that can sigh and say Lord giue mee an assurance in my heart ere euer I vtter it to others In the end of the verse he takes them to be witnesses of his doing manner of speaking and povver they savv in his preaching
As ye knovv after vvhat manner I vvas among you for your sake As ye know then they knew the power So brethren there will be no Congregation of the Lord that will be so senslesse and dead but there wil be some that vvill haue that Spirite of discretion in them know who speakes with power and who not Euerie man in the Congregation will not haue it but certainlie in all congregations there will be some that will know emptie words and discerne them And therefore let euerie man that speakes in the name of the Lord speake so that he may take the people to whom this discretion is geuen to be witnesse of the power and the Spirite where-with he preached Now all this is for their cause all the graces Paul had was for their cause All grace is giueÌ„ to meÌ„ for the Church they were not for himselfe Matter word power spirite all was for their cause what euer grace any member gets all is gotten and geuen for the whole bodie the grace that the eye of the bodie gets the grace the hand gets all is for vpholding the bodie and if the Lord had had no other regarde but of the hand onelie he would not haue geuen it the grace to grip So is it in the bodie of Christ for if he had not had an other respect to Paul but for himselfe onelie he had neuer receyued these graces So Iames Peter Iohn c. all their graces are for the well of the Church The Apostle 1. Cor. 3. 21. sayes All is yours whither it be Paul Apollos or Câ—phas al is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Then the man that hath gotten the Spirite and excels aboue his neighbours in graces looke that in pride he contemne not the least menber of the bodie the eye must not lightlie the foote for if it looke to the skyes and let the foote stumble it shall perishe it selfe so who hes gotten great graces let him take them and lay all down at the feete of the Church and distribute them to the well of the Church and say I got them all for your cause The Apostle hauing gotten a reuelation and assurance he sayeth God gaue it for the Church So when thou hast gotten any grace giue it out to the Church in humilitie whither the gift be spirituall or temporall or else it had beene better thou had neuer receyued it yea let a King bestow all his graces vpon the Church for his calling is for the Church and except there wer a Church there should not be a King woe to them that knowe not this end that all Kingdomes and policies standes for the well of the Church Daniel tolde Nabuchadnezar an heathen King that his Kingdome was for the standing of the Church The Lord oppen the eyes of men to se that they do their duetie in their vocation that at that last day they may be found to be members of that bodie To goe forward the Apostle gathers the election of the Thessalonians first from that power he had to vtter the word that for their cause secondly by the effectualnes powerful working of this God within them Brethren if the power that God hes geuen the preacher for vttering of his Gospell for their well be an argument to them of their saluation hovv much more must the effectual working of the Gospell be an argument of their well Ioyne these two together the powerfull preaching of the Spirit the working therof these two makes the assurance of the election of the hearers And by the contrair if there be nothing but speaking without power no effectualnesse in the heart it will not be the speaker that will auaile it wil be ineffectuall to them to their saluation So thou must finde the effectuall working of the Spirite in thee which must be thy warrand But to come to the words And ye are become follovvers of vs and of the Lord and receyued the vvord in great affliction and vvith ioy of the holie Ghost These are the words ye se this effectualnesse in the Thessalonians stands in imitation and following not so much of him as of the Lord of whom he was a follower Well to be short the effectualnesse of the Gospell in the hearer ye fe consists in the imitation of the speaker when the hearer imitates in lyfe the preacher and aboue all imitates in life and conuersation the Lord Iesus Christ followes Pastors as they follow the Lorde onelie and no otherwise If then the effectualnesse of the Gospel in the people stands to imitate thee looke thou that there be matter of imitation of thee looke how thy mouth speaks looke thou speake as Christ speaks otherwise speake not except thou may say as Paul sayes when he hes preached to the people ye are followers of me I am made a guide to you going before ye are followers at the least if they wil not follow thee look that thy life be good thogh they shold run away go thou forward in the way of life Preaching wil not do the turne if thou be not a light going before the people all thy words shall do no good and thou shalt neuer be partaker of that glorie thou speaks of Then mark againe Wherin stands this imitation And receyued sayes he the vvord vvith great affliction There the imitation of the Preacher not only in receyuing the word deliuered by him not onlie by following him in doing but chieflie by following him in suffering affliction Is he afflicted for the delyuering of it thou that receiues it follow him in affliction I remeÌ„ber Paul in the second Epist to Timothie Cha. 3. v. 10. 11. 12. where he layes downe many things in himselfe to be followed but chieflie his doctrine maner of liuing his purpose his life lenitie patience then he sayes my persecution and affliction in Christ Now he sticks on this last he specially bound Timothie to that and he sayes in generall as it were to euery godlie man All that is vvilling to liue godlie in Christ shall suffer affliction thou must be one of that nomber Timothie Brethren we will be all content to follow in doing the Pastor Hes he faith we will follow his faith hes he any other thing in him we follow him in it but wheÌ„ it comes to the crosse then we will leaue him we will let him alone no if it were Christ himself going out of Ierusalem to Golgatha wher he suffered we wil let him go all alone will abide in Ierusalem It is vaine to thinke that affliction onlie pertaines to the speaker and not to the hearers The Apostle sayes hauing receyued the word of God with great affliction No affliction is the vnseparable companioÌ„ of the Gospel in this life heares thou and receiues thou the word make thee for affliction And so Paul to Timothie makes affliction the necessare companion of the Gospell 2. Timoth 1. 8. It bydes with thee heere on the earth
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
an Idolater turne thy backe on an Idoll Thou makes an Idoll to thee of thy foull affection as murther theft adulterie vvhen thou obeyes them turne thy back on these Idoles Many thinkes to come to God in an instant vvith his Idole in his armes they vvill present to God prayers vvith the Idoll in their bosomes as Rachell would come dovvne from Padan-Aram and vvorshippe God but she keeped her Idoll No be not deceiued if thou leaue not the Idole behinde thee vvhither it be an Idole in deede or a foull affection that thou settest vppe in the rovvme of God I discharge thee of the Connention of the Sanctes of God for thou scornes him and one daye he shall be auenged on thee for it Turne thee therefore from that vvicked Idoll or else byde away Nowe followes the second part of the conuersion It is not eneugh to turne from an Idoll a false dead stocke vvhich is nothing but the inuention of thy ovvne braine Paul to the Corinthians calâ—es it nothing 1. Corinth 10. 19. but thou must turne to the true God Turne thee from Sathan to God Alas filthie creature whome to will thou turne thee if thou will not turne thee to thy ovvne Redeemer The lesson is It is not eneugh to turne from an Idole except thou turne to the true God of glorie the liuing God Brethren many men hes bene deceyed with this Amongst the Nations there were many who would scorne Iupiter condemne Apollo as Diogenes but they turned not to God but turned to plaine Atheiseme So there are many in these dayes who will mocke all the vanities of the Masse and yet for all this they will abyde Atheists and all Religion will be alyke to them Is he amongst the Papists he will scorne them amongst the Protestants he will scorne them also This is an euill sort of men Except thou be of mynde to â—mbraâ—â— the true God holde thee with thy Idoll be a Papist still an Atheiâ—t is most wicked and most dangerous for the scornes all men He is worse then an Idolater and he can not eschew a judgement For the Histories recordes that God oft-tymes hes punished euen the verie contâ—mners of the idoles that is such as preased to blot out of their heartes all sense of the Godhoode Learne here in these words that miserable estate that men lay into before their conuersion The Thessalonians what wer they before Paul came among them dead in sin dead in lustes without any sight of God or saluation I shall tell you how all mens sonnes euen the Kings sonnes are borne so that we haue no cause to glorie in our selues When he is borne first and comes out of his Mothers vvombe the backe of him is to God and his face to the Deuill and the burning eye of God is vppon him No infant vvhat estate so euer hee be is borne otherwise his face is to Hell his backe on God his Redeemer and thee seede of hatred vvith the gall of bitternesse against God in his heart and if hee remaine in nature there is no day he liues but there is in his heart some augmentation of the hatred of God Now in the meane tyme the eare of him is ay pulde the light of reasone beginnes not so soone in him but the conscience will round in his eare there is a God that created this world and oft he will looke ouer his shoulder to get a blenk of that God his Creator and seeing him faine would he be quite of that Creator and of that sight of God that reason chalenges his soule with looke to this our nature fy on them that begins to extoll this nature in their doctrine yet he can not be quite of the sight of God and he findes that nature pushes him to seeke a God And then he saieth seeing I can not be quite of God I shall make to my selfe a God and then he will change the glory of the true God in the Image of a foure-footed beast c. Rom 1. 23. Then the Lord seeing this malitiousnesse in the heart of man who sees a God and will not see him he putteth out his eyes geues him ouer to a reprobate sense and minde without all judgement the Lord makes him both blinde and wod as a blinde bodie running like as he were mad and waits not what way for he that is an Idolater is by nature a wod wauering bodie and all his race in that broad way adulterie murther and all other vices and â—unne where he will Hell is the end of his running Looke then to this nature that we are borne in it is worse nor I or the tongue of any man can expresse Then how is this matter remedied when the blinde man is running on in his fury there ryses a noyse that followes him see the mercie of God! what manner of noyse is this It is the voice of the Law crying ô miserable bodie Manner of conuersion thou art condemned Hell is thy lotte and portion and this begins to awalk him a terrible walking Now if God let him alone in this manner desperation would be his end But if it pleases God to haue mercie on that catiâ—â—e there followes an other sweete voice alas no other thing see I in Scotland but damnation if the Gospell be remoued This cry is out of the Gospell with 〈◊〉 the Baptist Sinner repent thee turne thee to the Lord Christ and thou shalt â—inde mercy The voice of the Euangell There is the cry of the Gospell Thy sinne shall be forgeuen thee thou shalt be safe Dâ—eth he heare this if the Lord be powerfull vnto him he will turne himselfe immediatlie about and looke with his face to that God and Christ with such a joy and mourning that no tongue can expresse it A joy beginnes in the conuersion because of Gods presence assuring him of the remission of all his sinnes a sorrovve beginnes because of the offending of God in tyme bypast So I crye this day Beleeue in God miserable men and ye shall finde mercie And if the idolaters in our North-countrie were heere I woulde crye to them Fy on thee idolater that hast runne on so long in diuelish wayes turne you from your idolatrie and vvicked nature to the veritie of the Gospell of Christ and you shall be saued but if you turne not damnation shall ouertake you and thou shalt be casten in vtter darknesse vvhere there shall be nothing but vveeping and gnashing of teeth The Lorde saue out of their vvicked and detestable companie all them that in their heart longes to see the most comfortable countenance of their blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ and the Lord concurre by his heauenlie Spirite vvith the Gospell that is preached that wee may be all in tyme conuerted thereby and see God in Christ and serue him in this life that at last we may haue the full sight of his face for euer AMEN THE FOVRTH LEC. TVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL
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
part to sinceritie in hearing it will be a great stay to the worke Now into the next verse when he hes remoued from him the opinion of all kinde of vnsinceritie and hes purged himself thereof either in doctrine affection or in manner of delyuerie He sets downe the contrair to wit the sinceritie he vsed in doctrine The sinceritie he vsed was this that he spake how spake he Not as they doe who are set to please men but to please God There is the sinceritie in speaking he had not men before his eyes he respected not the pleasure of men but in speaking and preaching his God was before his eye and his heart was set to please God Sinceritie in preaching and hearing is to be measured by the end that thou respects in doing thereof for if God and his glorie be not before thy eyes as the Butte wherat thou shootes albeit that which thou doest and speakest had neuer so faire a face yet al is vnsincere and vncleane The thing I marke heere speciallie is a Pastor that stryues to be sincere in speaking and preaching must set himselfe to please some in his speaking but heere a caueat to be keeped in the persone whom thou studies to please either by doing or by speaking this is all the weight of the matter if thy heart be set in speaking preaching and doing to please men and to satisfie the humours of men first of all if that be the butte thou shootes at because this man likes of this speaking therefore I wil speake this if this speaking please this woman therefore I will speake this If that be the end of thy speaking all thy speaking is vnceritie flattery if thou seeke to pleasure any creature if it were the Angels let be a man all thy pleasant talke is but vaine talke and flatterie I deny not but men may be pleasured to Rom. 12. 18. but looke that thy butte be not to please men of what estate so euer they be but onelie to please God First please God and in God please them then thou can not go wrong If men and wemen what rank so euer they be of can not be pleased in God and will not let God haue the first place then please thou God and anger all the world If thou studies to please any persone onelie in God in speaking and doing there can be nothing there but sinceritie A sure rule a man can neuer faile in setting his heart to please God in thoght word and deed The Lord giue vs vpright hearts to study to please our God and then all creatures onelie in him Now he layes down a good ground why in his preaching he stryued to please his God it was not without a good cause and the ground is God pleased him first why should he not indeuour himself to do all things to please him againe render him the lyke duetie But as vve saieth he vvere allovved of God in such sort that the Gospell should be committed vnto vs so vve speake That is that he hes placed vs in this calling made vs Apostles who wer vnworthie bodies of one who was vnable of such a calling hes made vs able as it hes pleased him so to please me and as he hes allowed of me who was altogether vnworthie my speaking shall be to please him There was neuer a Minister that euer receiued grace for that calling at the hands of men neither at king nor subject but onlie at Gods hand and therefore let him studie to please not men but God who geues him al graces and if men can not be pleased in God let him not studie to please theÌ„ Now to speake of this allowance there is a difference betwene the allowance of men when they allow of men and God when he allowes of men man allowes of man because he sees some good qualities in him which qualities he neuer gaue him for God gaue him them But when God allowes of man he allowes not for any good thing he sees in him to moue him to allow of him but al the allowing of God is of fre grace all is according to the good pleasure of his will Gods allovvance of free grace he allowes not of man because he is able to do good but because God allowes of him therfore he is made meet and able to do good when God choised thee before all eternitie to glorie what saw he in thee The Apostle saieth He predestinate vs in himselfe Eph. 1. 5. Of his own fre loue he called vs to grace Before he called vs to grace what saw he in vs to moue him to make vs partakers of his grace He saw matter of hell and damnation in vs. And therfore his allowance of vs was not for any grace was in vs if he had allowed of vs conforme to that which was in vs he would haue shot vs with his hand to hel for euer So when he calles one to be a Minister and teacher of the Gospell allowes he of him because he hes a grace before hand No the best Minister that is chosen he hes no more grace by nature to this holy function nor the vildest sinner in the world So it is the allowance of God himselfe that makes man meet to that office so this allowance of God was in himself no matter thereof in Paul matter contrarie to grace was in him he was a blasphemer 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul had neuer bene an Apostle but an impe of the Deuill if God had not allowed of him first The note is Gods free loue binds vs to plese him the vndeserued loue of God when he allowes of vs when he calles vs to faith or places vs in any calling if it were a King in his calling either in Church or common-wel bindes oblishes vs to spende our liues in that calling that God may be pleased If euer thing bound thee this vndeserued lyking God had of thee who first lyked thee when thou was full of â—inne bindes thee to set thy heart to please God for thy blessednesse joy and felicitie is to please him and he that studies not to please him knew neuer what joy was Alas if we coulde apprehend our owne miserie before Gods allowance of vs We are not placed so soone in any calling but immediatlie we conceate vvith our selues that God hes seene in vs something worthie of it and then againe if we could apprehend that free mercy of God after the sight of our own vnworthines then we would set our hearts to pleasure him For neuer apprehending our miserie and Gods mercie and free calling we set our selues in our calling to please men and our owne foull affections The Lorde waken vs for appearantlie the tyme of tryall drawes neere we haue beene vnthankfull for the vndeserued graces of God bestowed on vs. Therefore he is begun to draw them from vs and lets vs follow our own affections Now next In what thing striues Paul to please God
in that great day he vvill reueale all and discouer the secreetes of all hearts thou shalt not vvant a vvitnesse thinke nor vvhen thou art sinning thou shalt ay lurke still in sinne no the Lord at last will take thee out and make thee a spectacle to the vvorld The last vice here is ambition Ambitiō Neyther sayes he sought I the praise of men I sought no honor neyther of you nor of others and so I am free of all kinde of ambition To speake this by the vvaye It is not eneugh to be free of anie sinne in anie respect at this time onelie in this place onelie in the sight of some onelie but he that vvould be free of anie vice as ambition let him in all respects be free of it in respect of all persones all times all places for otherwise he is an hypocrite and he vvill begyle men So we should studie to please God in all wayes in respect of all places and persones and as if there vvere in the vvorld no moe but thy selfe allone thou shouldst doe as he commanded thee The lessone is It is dangerous for anie man to be ambitious but in him that teaches the Gospell in the name of the Lord whose calling should be to seeke the Lord his glorie ambition is most dangerous if this man be ambitious if the thinge he seekes by his preaching be his honour and estimation if his heart be inclyned that way in the end if occasion serue he will proue an euil man he will be a papist an hereticke and so forth It is a most sure thing he that is geuen to ambition will applye all his actions to obtaine honour because he serues that sinne as a slaue I confesse there are none free of vice we are all borne in sinne except the Lord Iesus and naturallie we are inclyned to al vyce to auarice to ambition we woulde all be Kings and rulers c. no none of vs is free thereof but blessed is that soule that getteth a peece of mortification that his sinnes raigne not ouer him as lords for if sinne raigne ouer thee thou shalt be compelled to serue thy appetite Wee are all foull aswell ministers as people but the Lord keepe vs from ambition raigning in vs and tyrannizing ouer vs. For then there is no vyce nor mischeefein ths worlde that can be deuised but we shall be compelled to commit it and all to serue that foull sinne and a Minister in his calling of all men ought to haue the greatest care to flee this ambition Alas the raigning of these sinnes what they haue wroght in this age experience hes told this black darknes and this corruption that is in the kingdome of Antichrist hes risen on flattery auarice ambition among all the Princes on earth who ouercomes this Antichrist in auarice who ouercomes him in ambition who goes before him in flatterie Miserable experience showes well eneugh that these vyces hes broght in all heresies and darknes and these are thre rootes to all other vices Now in the wordes following he amplifies that which he hes spoken of the sins of auarice and ambition He saieth I soght not goods nor honour of you nor no others he amplifies it In deed I might haue ben chargeable to you I might haue soght goods of you being the Apostle of Christ my calling might haue made me chargeable to you to haue taken goods and honour or you but I did it not Brethren this is a maruellous thing Men hes this sentence in their mouth ministers right to temporall things The Minister of God hes no right nor title to these thinges which other men enjoyes But I say to thee he hes a title to the riches and goods of this world to his own share of the honour of this world in his calling Yea Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinthians 9. 11. sayes If vve haue sovve vnto you spirituall things is it a great thing if vve reape your carnal things If or hers vvith you be partakers of this povver are not vve rather Which wordes importes a greater right we haue nor other men hes If ye be addebted in any of these things to any man much more to him that ministers spirituall things And Paul charges Philemon vers 19. not with a common pleasure or goods but with a debt of himselfe a Minister hes a right in a man to his lyfe if he be faithfull But that ye should not thinke this maruelous the things as Paul sayes that are geuen by the Minister are things spirituall he ministers to thee that spirituall lyfe and woe is to that man that gettes not this spirituall lyfe and thou may say cursed be the houre that euer I was born in thogh thou were the Monarch of the whole earth if thou get not this spirituall lyfe the lyfe of God the lyfe of Christ Then he sayes as by Ironia is it a faire matter to thee to minister to them temporal things this world thinks they get ouermuch if they get a drinke of colde water or an aiker of land but would to God men had an eye to see what these spirituall things meanes There is no sense of heauenlie things amongst the most part of men now in those dayes Yet againe the speciall commendation a Minister can haue is euen for Christs sake and for the Gospels sake to renounce some part of this right he hes to worldlie thinges ere the Gospell should be slandered And therefore Paul sayes we haue not vsed our right but we suffer all thinges that in no maner of vvay the Gospell shoulde be stayed and so the course of mans saluation left off Marke it If anie man for the Gospels sake let a peece of his right passe aswell an other man as a Minister that the Gospel may be furthered and the course of mans saluation goe forvvard it is vvell done The Apostle sayes Why suffer ye not vvronge rather nor before heathen magistrates ye shoulde cause the Gospell to be slandered 1. Corinth 6. 7. Well is hee that can let some part of these vvorldlie goodes goe that the Gospell may encrease hee shall receyue a faire recompence and he shall get a part of that heauenlie inheritance with Christ his Sauiour Novv to end In the last verse we red he sets downe a vertue contrarie to auarice and ambition leauing auarice leauing ambition what follovved he sayes But vve vvere gentle among you euen as a nource cherisheth her children So the vertue that Paul vsed contrarie to these two vices is pleasantnes this pleasantnes vnderstand what it is it is a gentlenes in all manner of dealing in behauiour submitting him selfe to them for the winning of them submitting him selfe to al kinde of trauell and paine as the paine the nource takes for the childe to be a seruant to them that he might vvinne them not respecting the honour and care of the world but onlie vpon such affection as the mother hes to her
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
glorie of God in Christ he takes it and puts it not in veshelles of siluer and golde no but in a veshell of earth 2. Corinth 4. 7. and all this is that the vvorlde shoulde not esteeme the treasure according to the veshell Therefore the Lorde will put in a veshell of claye the treasure that is Heauen in Christ Now will ye see mans famous wisdome When he heares the vvord comming out of this base and infirme man he sayes the veshell is nothing worth it is made of clay it serues for no purpose a sillie fellow from whence came he therefore this word that is in his mouth it can not be the word of God would euer he haue put so pretious a thing in so vylde a veshell O rebellious man that is euer contrarie to God in all thinges and speciallie in the Gospell Experience teaches vs of the enimitie that the wicked men in this Realme caries in their heart against God and his Ministers they will not let God be wise in his wisdome he hes in his Ministerie but they will be wiser Well fight on his wisdome will winne the fielde and thou wilt lose it to thy euerlasting destruction Now to goe forward He casteth in a parenthesis saying As it is in deed the vvord of God Ye esteemed it not as the word of men but of God as it is in deed Receyue it as ye please account it Gods vvorde or mans as ye please it is and shall abyde Gods vvord and thy mouth in the end shall be shutte vp so that thou shalt not vtter one vvord if thou account anie otherwise of it So vvhat euer be the opinion of men in the vvorlde and their speaches their saying or gainesaying alters nothing Th' instrument neither adds nor diminishes the glorie of the vvord The vvord of Iesus abydes and shall abyde the true vvord and shall retaine the ovvne authoritie and glorie thy vvordes vvill neuer be able to make any change No brethren the mouth of man for as infirme and gracelesse as it is will not be able to impare a jot of the glorie of that God and by the contrair put it in the mouth of neuer so glorious a creature if it wer in the mouth of an Angell nothing will be added to the glorie of it it is powerfull in the selfe the creature will not be able to make any alteration In deed it will honour the mouth when it is put in the mouth of a man it will make him honourable but he can not honour it if he were neuer so noble or eloquent Set vp a king to preache trow ye he will honour the Gospell no but he shall get honour by the preaching of it No if it were all the Angels of Heauen that would preache this glorious Gospell they can not giue it honour but they are honoured by it And when the Angels came and cryed to men this word of God they got a singulare honour Paul to the Galat. chap. 4. vers 14. sayes ye receiued me as an Angell of God yea as Christ Iesus Wherefore was this for Pauls ovvne presence no but for the word of God in his mouth which made him to be accounted as an Angell of God Neuer man shall be able to ad any honour to the word or diminishe the honour thereof Now blessed is he who gets this grace to deliuer this word with an earnest zeale to glorifie God and Christ by preaching thereof Now in the end of the verse He thinkes it not eneugh to call it the word of God but he giues a proofe of it The vvord of God vvher euer it be Pâ—â—er of the vvord will euer prooue it selfe to be the vvord of God it can not be idle it must be quicke and effectuall in the hearer it must vvorke liuelie it vvill pearce lyke a tvvo edged svvord and therefore it is said vvhich also vvorketh in you that beleeue Hovvbeit it vvas vttered by an infirme man yet the vveakenesse of the persone hinderes not the povverfull operation of the vvorde It vvill not be the mouth of the speaker that vvill holde back povver from the vvord of God But vvhen the Lord puts his vvord in his mouth and sayes I will put my vvord in thy mouth go thy vvay if all the world had said the contrare that vvord shal be powerfull Well is that man in whose mouth this word is put and vvell is that people that hes a man in vvhose mouth the Lord hes put his word the basnesse and infirmitie of the man will not be able to hinder the povver thereof If the Lorde once put his vvorde in his mouth it is so vvonderfull a thing Set vp eloquent Dememosthenes diuine Plato facunde Cicero c. vvho vvere like as manie vvonders in the vvorld let them come in vvith their eloquence they shal not haue such operation in the harts of men as a sillie fellow and simple of speache shall haue vvhen he speakes the vvord in the name of the Lord. And if there vvas euer a vvorke in the vvorlde maruellous that vvorke vvhich the Minister by the Spirite and vvorde of God workes is most maruelous For to regenerate a man vvho vvas once dead it is not a mans tongue his eloquence his instancie that can doe it but onelie that powerfull and blessed vvord of God that all glorie and praise of his povverfull operation may be giuen to his Majestie Marke a word farther He sayes not that workes in euerie one of you but he sayes in you vvho beleeues In the 1. chap. Rom. vers 16. The Gospell is called the povver of God to saluation to them that beleeues In the first to the Corinthians chap. 1 vers 24. It is the povver and vvisdome of God to them that hes that effectuall calling and hes gotten the heart oppinned to take head and drinke in the worde onelie in these is the worde of God effectuall to saluation Brethren it is true it is offered with power to the vnbeleeuers as well as to the beleeuers but this is the difference If thou hast not an heart hand to take it when it is offred to thee with power thou shalt neuer receiue its thou wantst power to receiue it but there is power in the word very sufficient vnto saluation Alas how manie heare the vvord with their heart so hardened that the word strikes on their hart as an hammer on the studdie The hardnes of thy heart beats it backe againe so that it is not powerfull to thee My counsell is except thou preasse to haue thy heart mollified and crauest at God to mollifie it hear not the word or I le assure thee the more thou hearest the more thou vvilt be hardened Manie make a showe of hearing the Lord and the Laird will come and sit in their daskes and heare the worde and will come forth without anie profite because their hearts were not attentiue to heare Ieast not with the word it shall eyther saue thee
due time to learne to be prepared for suffering for Christs cause The Lord giue vs grace that we may suffer patientlie that he may be glorified in our suffering To this God be glorie and praise for euer AMEN THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 15. 16. 15 Who both killed the Lord Iesus and their ovvne Prophets and haue persecuted vs and God they please not and are contrary to all meÌ„ 16 And forbid vs to preach vnto the Gentiles that they might be saued to fulfil their sinnes alvvaies for the vvrath of God is come on them to the vtmost IN this rejoysing of the Apostle Paull together with the Thessalonians for the graces of God that were bestowed vpon them ye haue heard brethren the Apost thanked God instantlie for that meeting he founde in them when he preached to to them exhorted comforted besought them to walke as worthie of that God that had called them to his kingdome and glorie Their meeting was they heard him and not onelie they heard him but they receiued the thing they heard and not onelie receiued it but in heart embraced it and laide it vp as a treasure and the seede of life and immortalitie they imbraced it not as the word of man but as the word of God as it is indeede and not onelie imbraced they it as the word of God but in life and conuersation vttered it it was effectual in their life He proued this because they were followers of the Church in Iudea conuerted to Iesus Christ The speciall thing wherein they followed them was that euen as these Churches were troubled by their owne Countrie the Iewes euen so they that were conuerted at Thessalonica were troubled not by forrainers but by their oâ—ne Citizens Not to repeat any thing we spak the last day but to go to the text red In this text the Apostle hauing spoken of these Iewes malicious and obstinate doing wherby they euer impeaded the progresse of the Gospell of Christ and hindered mans saluation scattring themselues among the Gentiles throgh al the â—â—â—mane Prouinces and when anie of the Apostles came stirring vp insurrection and not suffring the Gospell to haue place so farre as they might stop it Therefore he digresses heere and aggâ—eages the sinne of these malicious Iewes making vp a dittay against them and therafter he giues out the doome and pronounces the sentence of wraith and condemnation against them And therefore to returne and to oppen vp euerie sentence They haue slaine sayes he the Lord Iesus There is the first point of their dittay These men the Iewes that trouble the Church of Christ in Iudea are they that haue slaine the Lord Iesus himself They haue in their extreame persecution slaine and crucified to the death the Lord of glory 1. Cor. 2. 8. That is they haue dispatched him not after a common manner but after a most cruell and shamefull manner by a cruell sore and shamefull death Whom haue they slaine the Lord of glorie and honourable personage all the glorie of God is dwels in him as it wer Who is this by name It is Iesus the Sauior of the world euerie word aggreages their fault There is the first point of their dittay The first crime laid to their charge is the crucifying of the Lord Iesus Christ this is the thing he begins at there are mo pointes of dittay laid against them but he beginnes at this the persecution of the Lord himself Persecution beginnes not at the bodie nor at the members of the bodie Persecution begins at the head of the Church nor at the seruants but it beginnes at the head the Lord Iesus him selfe if not in action in deede yet in intention in the malice and hatred of the heart The Prophetes in deede were slaine and persecuted in action and died before the Lorde Iesus came in the world but these same men that slew the Prophets with their hand ere they slew the Prophets they slew the Lord of the Prophets the Lord Iesus in their hearts because that all the Prophets that were slaine were his seruants sent before him that was to come Now to come forward The second thing is They slevv the Lord Iesus they slew the Lord of glorie that in his slaughter so farre as in them lyes the worlde should be slaine for they that vvoulde slay Iesus vvould slay all men so farre as lyes in them and they slay him after a most cruell and shamefull manner The greater grace the greater the persecution Brethren this is the ingyne and nature of persecutors the worthier the personage be who is persecuted the greater grace of God be in him the greater glorie and innocencie be in him the greater will be the extremitie of their persecution None of the Prophets of olde were so extremelie persecuted as the Lord Iesus was neither yet the Apostles that followed him were so persecuted as he was and all because of the greatnesse of the glorie of his personage If ye will search the grounde of this it must no question come of great blindnes for if men savv vvell the grace and the glorie of God that is in the persones of them that are persecuted for all the vvorlde they durst not persecute them And therefore he sayes in the 1. Corinth 2. chap. 8. verse If they had knovvne they had not crucified the Lord of glorie No if the glorie of the Church were seene vvicked men durst not stirre her There is yet a greater and an higher ground The malice of the heart comes in and blindes and putteth out the eye of the minde Eph. 4. 18. Throgh ignorance sayes Paul that comes through the hardnes of the heart for this is the nature of the hardnes of the heart to hate the light and to delite in darknes which is enemie to the light of God All our pleasure is in darknes by nature and so it is caried against the light and the first thing it does it puts out the light of the minde yea euen the very natural light and so when the heart is blinded it caries him against all light and chieflie against the light of God and the Lorde of light him selfe And this is the vvorke of this faâ—e nature of man so highlie accounted of by the Philosophers Seeke therefore to shutte out of thy heart this maliciousnes that blindes it or else thou shalt be blind folde throvvne down to hell The thride thing to be marked heere is When he is laying out this persecution before the Thessalonians he is comforting theÌ„ that wer afflicted Haue they not slain your Lord c. what vvounder is it hovvbeit they persecute you Brethren all the affliction is not layde vpon one man hovvbeit he get his burdene heauie enough Comfort through Christes persecutioÌ„ The Lord hes measured to euerie one his owne part and he vvho is afflicted should looke ouer his shulder and see who
hes beene afflicted before him and scarcelie shall he see a godlie man but vvith his burdene on his backe all is not laid on him alone But aboue all let the persone that is afflicted first set his eye on the Lord Iesus Let him looke ouer to Golgotha vvhere Christ is hanging on the Crosse and in Christ let him looke to tvvo thinges first to the glorie worthinesse of that personage who sufferes next to the extremitie and ignominie of that passion looke to these two things in him and then looke down to thy selfe and looke what thou art first not a Lord if thou were a King but a seruant all the Kings on the earth are but seruants in respect of him then go to the affliction thou suffers and thou shalt finde thou suffers not the thowsand part of the affliction he suffred for thee there is great inequalitie betweene thee and him and then beginne to reason The seruant is not greater nor his Lord the disciple is not greater nor his Maister The Lord Iesus is my Lord I am not but a seruant yet the Lord Iesus my Lord suffers and in such great extremity then may I not be content to suffer the thousand part of his suffering Of this comes contentment of heart and patience to suffer for the Lord. For except thy eye be set vpon that personage of Iesus Christ it is not possible for thee to suffer with joy the simplest crosse that is for the Lords sake The next point of their dittay they haue slaine their ovvn Prophets Persecution of the Prophets This they did ere they slevv the Lord albeit it be set in the second rovvâ—â—e They haue slaine vvhom Prophetes vvorthie men Whose Prophets not strangers but men of then own nation Iewes as they vvere their ovvne Prophets sent by God to them to teach and prophecie to them to bring them to the way of life yet they haue runne vpon them and haue slaine them all aggreages their fact Ye vvill aske vvas these Ievves that slevv the Prophets the same that slevv the Lord Iesus they wer not in the Prophets dayes they came long after I answer he vnderstands the whole bodie of that people fathers and children which makes vp a bodie The fathers slew the Prophets Therfore Steuen sayes Act. 7. 52. Which of them is he vvhom your fathers haue not persecuted Then he comes to the children as for you that are children ye haue betrayed and slaine the iust one This is it that Christ sayes in the 23. chap. of Matt. vers 32. Ful 〈◊〉 out that or follow out that that your fathers haue left vndone slay me and my Apostles Yet there may be an other answere made to this It may be that he will lay to the charge of them that slew the Lord Iesus the slaughter of the Prophets as though they had slaine them with their owne hands Posteritie guilty through their fathers For ye must vnderstand that the children that come after their Fathers are inuolued in the whole guiltinesse that their fathers were in before them Was he a murtherer thou art guiltie of murther were thy Grandfather and his father murtherers thou art inuolued in the same guiltinesse and except thou by grace be transplanted out of the rotten stock of thy fore-fathers in Iesus thou shalt die for that murther of thy fathers All the sinnes of thy progenitors shal be hung about thy neck if thou be not exeemed and â—lanted in Iesus Christ Yea that sinne of Adam for eating of the frute shall be laid to thy charge and thou shalt pay for it if thou be not transplanted out of rotten Adam and ingraft in Iesus Christ the second Adam Rom. 5. 14. Not onelie is this naturall corruption drawen to children throgh propagation but the children are inuolued in the guiltinesse of the verie action of the progenitours All serues to this to make fathers to be waie and to take head to their actions that they slay not themselues allone but the multitude of their posteritie as Adam slew vs all Yet there is an other ground and answere to this These Iewes that slew the Lord Iesus are counted to haue slaine the Prophets before them The ground and cause is this I would that all murthereis did heare this Slayest thou an innocent man such as Abel the whole innocent bloud that was shed since the beginning lights vpon thee thou art guiltie of it And therefore Christ Matt. 23. 36. layes to the Ievves charge the whole innocent bloud shedde since Abell vnto Zacharias that vvas slaine betweene the temple and the altar Therfore murtherer take head thou shalt drowne in bloud for by thy act thou giuest approbauen to al those murtherers that were from the beginning Thou makest it a pastime to dip thy hand in innocent bloud but wo to thee if thou be not washed in the bloud of christ This for the answer to the question Now marke brethren When he speakes of the slaughter of the Lord Iesus committed by these Iewes he forgets not the old Prophets and with the Lords he joines his seruants neither forgets he the Apostles Both the persecution the persecutors are recent in Gods memorie and vs also haue they persecuted al are put in one catalogue the olde Prophetes the Lord Iesus the Apostles and Martyres that were slaine And who doeth this It is not so much Paul as the holie Spirite that doth it which is a token that all the martyrdomes that haue bene is and to be was not is not nor shal not be forgot of the Lord they are all in recent memorie And suppose there were not a booke of Martyres vvritten in the earth yet there is a booke in Heauen written and all the Martyres from the beginning are registrate in it and that book shall be laid oppen before man Angels ye shall see them not in pictures but in face And again he remembers the Iewes who did it so as there is a booke of Martyres in heauen so is there a booke of persecuters wherein all their names are written and in that great day the booke shall be laide oppen and shall be presented to their eyes to their rebuke shame and eternall confusion So the Lord hes all in remembrance the Lord hes a recent memorie a thousand yeeres are but like a day to him and a day as a thousand yeeres albeit we will forget all yet all is recent in his memorie And this is verie comfortable to the afflicted and it is terrible to the persecutors Woe is that man that hath not his sinnes forgote and pardoned of the Lord. There is not one teare of the sufferer but it is put vp in his bottle This for the second point of their dittay Let vs novve come to the third point The Iewes vvere not content with the slaying of the Prophetes and of the Lord Iesus himself but when he is away they persecute his Apostles A wonderful thing that this people can not hold
a man might see one jote In a word he that is in Heauen translated out of this darknesse of nature he woulde haue all in Heauen with him And by the contrair He that is yet in darknesse and so in Hell he would haue all with him So looke what condition the man is of he would haue all lyke to him Therefore I will neuer thinke well of men that impeades the progresse of the Gospell of Christ they argue what is within them for were this loue of the light within their hearts for all this worlde would they not hinder the progresse of the Gospel Alas ye shall finde this ouer true in the end woe woe to them that hinders the planting of the Gospell Alas if there were this loue of the light in their hearts there would not be so many churches vnplanted so many soules fuffred to perishe Now I draw to an end When he hes set down these six points of their dittay whereof the least is worthie damnation for what judgement must light on the slayers of the Lord of the Prophets and Apostles He sets down the end of all that euer they should I fill out their sinnes As though he said they are euer exercised this vvay to this end that the measure of their sins should be filled out and then the judgement should ouertake them This is the end of the counsell of God They had an other end But to make this plaine all things fall out to man by measure vvhole the fulnes come All thinges that fall as it vvere out of Heauen out of the counsell of God vpon men fall in a measure and in a quantitie The grace of God in Iesus Christ is giuon in a measure to euerie one Ephesâ— 4. 7. The afflictions of the godlie is giuen in a measure and peece and peece this measure is filled out vntill it come to the heape and then the affliction shall cease The filling of them did begin at the creation and Abell felt them first and euer since the measure of them hes beene incressing vntill it came to Iesus and he tooke an heauier vveight of affliction vpon him nor euer was before him Yet the measure of the afflictions of the Church is not filled out In comes the Apostles and they get their part after them comes the Pastores and they get their part and enerie persone that is in Christ gets his part and so euerie one hes his ovvne burdene So long as the world shall stand this measure shall be in filling out when it shall be full the world shall fail and the pillers of it shall be cutted and an end shall be put to all teares Reuel 21. 4. This measure is long in filling It did begin soone it must be 〈◊〉 out sayes 〈…〉 1. Epist 5. 9. So euerie one hes his owne part Likewise some goe by a measure and since the beginning this measure hes beene in filling euerie age hes casten to their their owne part It is not one age that hath â—â—lled vp the measure of sinne but euerie generation hes casten to the ovvne part to fill vp sinne and in this age euerie one is bearing their arme-fall and burdene of sinne he vvith murther the with harlotrie and he with oppression and persecution and he comes in with blasphemie yet the cup is not full and the measure of sinne shall not be filled vp so long as the worlde doeth stand When the father dies the sonne will liue to fill out this measure he makes his testament yet the sin is not filled vp but the thing he could not doe himselfe he bids his sonne do it and he will say to his sonne Sonne I could not get this man slaine nor this euill deed nor that euill deed ouertaken if I had liued I should haue done this or that doe thou therefore that I coulde not do So doe the Iewes and therefore the Lord sayes Fill out the measure of your fathers sinnes Matt. 23. 32. Now when this measure is full the vvorld shall take an end and all shall fall down but vvoe is the sinner and vvell is the godlie for the sinner shall be destroyed for euer and the afflicted bodie shall finde saluation Take head There are none that knovve when this measure shall be filled out but he who in his vnsearchable counsell hes appointed this measure of sinne that is God I know it not thou knovvest it not and therefore it is ouer presiumptuous a thing when thou seest a man iâ— sin to say this man hath filled the measure of sinne for it may be the Lord will let him hue to commit greater sinne And in deed it is a vvonder to consider the patience of God in suffering of sinne and so it is called the riâ—hes of the â—enignitie of God Rom. 2. 4. And this should learne vs patience to sit still and abyde Gods leasure and glorifie him Farther this vvould be marked heere there are sundrie measures of sinne one of all the wicked that euer vvas is or shall be to the end an other is of any certaine nation or countie as of the Ievves heere the thrid is of the particulare persone vvhereof Paul speakes Act. 3. 10. And in lyke manner vve may consider the same measure of grace There is now the dittay Will ye heare the doome the vvrath of God is come on them to the vtmost As he would say the vvrath of God ouertooke them long since It holdes on and shall holde on vntill it bring them to a miserable end There is the doome and judgement It is set dovvne as a cause of the filling vp of their sinne ProportioÌ„ betvvene vvraith sinne because the wrath of God leaues them not When once Gods wrath begins to light on a bodie that bodie will neuer doe a good turne but sinne on still vntill in end the vvrath light on him and beaâ—e â—ut all his bâ—aines And againe when once God beginnes to looke on a creature vvith a fauourable eye that creature will be exercised in vvell doing for it is the mercifull face of God that makes the man to doe vvell And for this cause it is said that God hated Esau and therefore he neuer did a goode turne and againe he loued Iacob and therefore hee did all to pleasure his God All serues to this end that men and vvemen should seeke to stand in the fauour of God seeke tokens of his loue And on the other part seeke to be free of the vvrath of God for if it possesse thee thou shalt doe nothing but sinne vnder it and as thou sinnest vvraith after vvraith shall follovv on thee vntill it come to an height and then it shall be heaped on thee to thy euerlasting destruction vvhen thou art crying peace peace the vvrath of God vvill come on tumbling on thee as a Mountaine as vvas seene on these Ievves fourtie yeeres after this Novv to end The Lord giue vs euer grace to seeke to be vnder his fauourable
seuere them that should be joined as it is the worke of God to joine them together Now let vs goe to the last part of this text containing a weightie reason first of his desire and next of his purpose to come to them These are the wordes For vvhat is our hâ—pe ioy vvhat is crovvne of my glorying There is the question and demand The answere of it is Are not ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus at his comming Then he doubles it yea sayes he yee are my ioy and my glorie and so he endes Where a mans hope is there is the thinge he hopes and lookes for where his joye and crowne and glorie is there he would be that is to say where his blessâ—â—â— is there wold he be Noâ— Paul vvold say Ye Thessalonians are my hope my joy my crown of the which I glorie therefore I woulde be with you There is the force of the argument Now the style of the language would be marked for the same Spirite that dytes the matter dytes the style and spirituall matter craues a Spirituall style 1. Cor. 2. 13. The holie spirite of Iesus must be the speaker as wel as the dyter His language ryses vp by degree by degree the lowest degree is in the vvord hope the next degree is in the word joy the last and hiest degree is in the vvord crowne vvhereby is meaned a most high and excellent glorie This learnes vs this lesson Heauen would haue an high style that crowne would haue an hie style the grace of Iesus Christ woulde haue an hie style when it is spoken of And brethren if Heauen be in the heart as it is in the mouth and if glorie be in the heart as it is in the mouth and if the Crovvne of glorie be in the heart as it is in the mouth the mouth vvill euer be readie to speake of grace of joye and of glorie in a glorious style for it is true Of the aboundâ—nce of the heart the mouth speaketh And I vvould demaund of you what is the occasion that men doe speake so couldlie and careleslie of the Lord of glorie and so baselie of so glorious thinges as of heauen and of the joye thereinto Alas the occasion is the vvant of sense in the heart the heart is not filled with such thinges and therefore an emptie heart an emptie mouth if thy hear be full of vanitie thy mouth vvill be full of vanitie and euanish in painting out of vanitie for looke as thou art disposed in heart in like manner shalt thou bee disposed in mouthe Therefore seeke to haue thy heart furnished fullie vvith the Spirite of Iesus No man sayes the Apostle can call Iesus Lord but by the Spirite 1. Epist Corin. 〈◊〉 12. 3. Yee more Speaking of this joye he passes vp by degrees The lowest is hope then he comes to an higher my â—oy then the highest is 〈…〉 on their glorie The greatest glorie in the earth is a crowne and when a man is crowned in the earth he can be no higher But there is the difference The crowne in the earth is corruptible but the crowne of heauen is incorruptible It is of this crown of heauen he speaks Yet not these three degrees for I marke this passing vp by degrees in sundry 〈◊〉 parts for when the Apostle begiâ—â—nes to speake of Iesus he can be satisfie himselfe in vvords and 〈…〉 Praying iâ— God 〈◊〉 yee may 〈◊〉 sayes hee vvhat is theâ— hope of his calling there is the first step he stands not there he goes vp to see what the 〈…〉 his glorie what glorie of his 〈…〉 〈◊〉 among his saints this is the second degree yet he stands not there and vvhat is that excellent greatnes of his power according to the efficacie of his strong strength There he stands Brethren these are not vvords but this rising vp tels vs the hight of the glory of heaueÌ„ is wonderful that thou mayest attaine to it thou must rise to it by degrees that is thou must passe from sense to sense from grace to grace from light to light from oye to joye from glorie to glorie as the Apostle speakes 2. Corinth 3. 18. So long as thou liuest thou must finde this climming of thy heart sensiblie that thou growest in joye and that thou hast more joye this yeere then before and so striue continually vntil thou come to the point euer striuing for perfection in this lyfe which shall be compleat when we shall see our Lord Iesus Christ Now he calles it the crowne of glorying that is that makes him to glorie in God who crownes him Brethren when the heart is filled with glorie in Iesus christ the mouth shall not be dumbe but it shall oppin and vtter that passing joy and the persone shall euer glorie in him vvho hes set that crowne on him O that infinite glorie and rejoysing that shall be in that glorious Majestie now we tyre searcelie are we begun to glorie in him but the heart beginnes as soone to tyre but then there shall be no tyring nor wearying the voice shall neuer cease but glorie in that Creator for euer and ever Byde in patience while ye attaine vnto this glorie and in all troubles let the hope of this glorie comfort thee Rom. 5. 2. For there is nothing that abydes but this glorie col Now if hope made vs to rejoyce how much more present sight present joy and the crovvne put on our heads vvill make vs to rejoyce and vvith gladnesse and loude voyce to praise him who â—â—es crowned vs for euer In the latter end of the verse he makes an answer to his owne demand are not ye sayes he c. He calles the Church â—isâ—oy and his crowne not that properlie his blessednesse was in them for onelie Iesus Christ is called our hope our joy our glorie and crowne Onelie Iesus Christ is our lyfe onelie Christ is our solace he hes no companion but he calles them his hope and joy in an other sense Because they wer the meane and matter wherby he attained to the joy solace and crowne which is in Iesus Christ It is then an improper fashion of speaking for the people in whom our ministrie is effectuall to saluation is the meane whereby we shal be glorified in the Heauen Marke this speaking of the matter of his joy He speakes not of his Apostleship and sayes not it is the meane of my joy but he sayes the blessing giuen me in my Apostleship in sauing you is the meane of my joy Faithfull discharge of a calling a mater of ioy The matter of thy joy in the lyfe to come and of thy crowne where-with thou shalt be crowned in Heauen it is not so much a calling if it were the calling of a King it will not be that that wil make thee be crowned in Heauen no it must be the faithfull discharge of thy calling toward them with whom thou hast adoe Art thou a King the faithfull
discharge of a King in keeping the people in good order and peace will be the meane of thy crowning in heauen Art thou a pastor intending to win manie soules to the kingdome of heauen it shall be a meane of thy crowning in that great day When a crowne shall be set on a kings head or a pastors head it shal not be his calling that shal be the cause of his crowning he was an Emperor therefore he must haue a crovvne in heauen it vvill not follow if there be no more He vvas a pastor therfore he must haue a crovvne in heauen no it shall be that blessing and frute that God gaue thee in the faithfull discharge in thy calling heere that shall be the meane of thy crowning And therefore let neuer fleshe glorie in any calling if there be no more if the blessing of the Lord be not with thy calling thou hast cause of mourning and thou shalt say in that day woe to me that euer I was a King an Emperour a Pastor if there be not a faithfull discharge of thy calling the greater damnation falles vnto thee the greater thy calling be Now to end he is speaking of this rewarde that he was to receiue at Christs comming and he speakes not of these earthlie stipends how beit their be much adoe and stryfe for them in the land if they wer neuer so selie he speakes not of these goods or anie thing that pertained to them but the reward of his Apostleship he speaks of is that he claimes themselues ye are my hope sayes he ye are my ioy euen ye your selues So in one worde the rewarde of a faithfull Apostle shall not be the 〈◊〉 of this earth for as niggard as men are of it no it shall not be his manâ—e his 〈◊〉 two or three â—halders of â—â—â—uall or an hndreth marke rest all not be this but it shall be the soules of all them hee did vvinne heere on earth and the Lord shall say to him take them and let them be a matter of joy of glorie and honour for euer to thee Well he will not wishe ought of the durt of the earth but their owne selues whom he will professe as the rewarde of his faithfull calling to his euerlasting joy I goe forward before whom and in whose presence shall this joy and crowne of glorying be He sayes before the Lord Iesus Christ it must be done in his sight hee must be before hee must be the doer of all it must be he that shall take thee by the hand and giue thee to the Apostle and pastor and saye Take man there is the matter of thy glorie and crowne make it a matter to thee of thy joy for euer Brethren there is no joy but in the face and presence of Iesus there is no light but that that comes from his face and countenance It is true the pastor ministers light but if in the meane time the light of Iesus shine not in thy heart all is but vaine and lost labour And therefore Paul 2. Cor. 4. 6. sayes all this light must come from Iesus Christ and thou must holde vp that heart of thine that the light of Iesus may shine in it And he sayes also as soone as the heart is turned the vaâ—le is remoued 2. Cor. 3. 16. and the face of the Lord illuminates thee For what trow you the light be the joy be the glorie be that we shall receiue in one word vvhat trow you heauen be Al the light in heauen is nothing but as a reflexe of that light that is in Iesus Christ al the light and glory of heauen is 〈◊〉 like sparkles scattred from him for all glorie is in him And therefore if ever thou looke for joy and glorie addresse thy selfe for Ieses Christ and as thou wouldst liue either here or hence 〈◊〉 to his presence and thinke neuer thou art well vntill you get 〈…〉 that presence Let nothing so bewitch thee 〈…〉 of heart vntill thou getst some light of Iesus Christ 〈…〉 is no life nor joye within him I aske thy conscience Didst thou euer feele that solide joy and life but when thy heart was set on that countenance of Iesus Foole thou mayst rejoice like a dog or beast with a sensuall pleasure but woe to thy joye and peace there is no peace to the vvicked for when thou art so passing thy time out of Iesus the judgement shall sodainelie ouertake thee for there is no saluation out of Iesus When shal this be At this comming It is true we vvalke heere in his presence and that joye that comes downe from Heauen it comes through that glorious bodie wherewith he is cled but the sacietie of all shall not be vntill the eye see it thy glorie shall not be perfited while then I tell you all the light we haue now the Apostle calles it the light of the Euangell of the glorie of God it is his face that shines in a mirror thou seest him no otherwise but then this mirror shall be taine avvay and the face of Iesus shall be holden vp in your sight Brethren while we are here the light coÌ„mes from heauen and ouer shadowes and transformes the soule onlie and that not fullie but in a part but when he shall come he shall transforme not the soule onelie but these vilde bodies and make them conforme to his glorious bodie Phil. 3. 21. And so there must be a greater force in his owne presence nor is in the mirror of the Gospell And thou that takest a pleasure to see Iesus in the mirror of the Gospell and to be ouershadowed with the light of the Gospell the face of Iesus shall shine on thee and by the contrair thou that takest no pleasure in the mirror of the Gospell thou shalt neuer attaine to the sight of Iesus Wilt thou continue in hatred of the ministrie of Iesus Christ thou shalt neuer see the glorious countenance of Iesus In the end of this chapter not being content to tell this once he sayes it againe yes ye are my ioy This doubling proceedes of a persuasion that he had of that glorie in a word let a Minister be faithfull to winne many soules to pleasure God and Iesus Christ who will recompence him so aboundantlie The glorie is sure the joy is sure and if he finde faithfulnesse and a blessing in his calling in this lyfe as the joye and glorie is certaine so when he is going out of this lyfe he may be sure and may say with confidence I shall enter in my joy and my soule and bodie shall be crowned with his crowne of joy and glorie and all in the presence of the Lord Iesus To whom with the Father the holie Spirite be all praise AMEN THE TENTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 1. 2. 3. 4. 1 Wherefore since vve could no longer forbeare vve though it good to remaine at Athens alone 2 And haue
God it is a quickning grace to him it is a viuifying of him if he be in dolour and distiesse it is a walkning of him Therefore looke what aduantage thou gettest through loue Art thou a pastor thou shalt get life Art thou one of the people if thou loue thou shalt get life to and thy loue shall euer report to thee a joye in thy greatest dolour If thou be departing off this life and hast beene a faithfull pastor the report of the standing of thy flocke shall comfort thee if thou be one of the people thou shalt euer haue comfort for the grace of any member of the Church reported to thee shall bring joy to thee But the man who hes nothinge but inuie can haue no joye hee knowes not what this spirituall joye meanes Therefore as thou wouldst liue in joye and consolation striue to be louing charitable and tender hearted to euerie one in whome thou â—eest the graces of God and so thou shalt get infinite matter of joy thou shalt get peace heere and life euerlasting hereafter The Lorde for his great mercies sake bring vs to this life through Christ To whom be all praise and honour for euer Amen THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 9. 10. 11. 12. 9 For vvhat thanks can vve recompense to God againe for you for all the ioy vvherevvith vve reioyce for your sakes before our God 10 Night day praying exceedinglie that vve might see your face and might accomplish that vvhich is lacking iâ— your faith 11 Novv God himselfe euen our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ guide our iourney vnto you 12 And the Lord increase you and make you abound in loue one tovvard an other and tovvard all men as vve doe tovvard you IN the Text immediatlie going before welbeloued in Christ wee heard of the sending forth of Timothie to the Thessalonians we heard of his returning and what tidings he brought hee reported to Paul of the Thessalonians concerning their faith and perseuerance in faith concerning their loue and particularlie of that remembrance they had of Paul who had founded them in the faith of Christ in his absence desiring most earnestly to haue his presence againe Last ye heard what effect these tidings reported by Timothie vvrought in Paul they wrought consolation and joy notwithstanding all the afflictions and miserie he lay in in Athens for the present Now brethren to come to the text vve haue in hand In this text he does two things first he showes vvhat thanksgiuing he gaue to God for them and for all that joye he had conceiued of the glad newes he heard of them he showes how earnest instant he was in prayer for them crauing day and night that hee might see them face to face notwithstaÌ„ding that report he heard of them by Timothie Then in the secound part of the text he falles out in a prayer continewing to the end of the chapter first beseeching God the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ to direct his journey toward them next desiring God to increase them and make them to abound in loue euerie one toward an other and toward all men in the worlde thridlie beseeching God that he would establish their hearts before him in all holinesse at the comming of Iesus Christ with his Sancts There is the effect of the text shortlie Novv to returne and to speake of the first part he shovves his thanks-giuing and prayer to God for them He sayes For vvhat thanks can vve recompense to God againe for you for all the ioy vvherevvith vve reioyce for your sakes before our God I can not get a heart would he say to thanke my God for it Ioy in the hart burstes out in thanksgiuing as I shoulde doe The text is verie plaine So the doctrine is easie First heere vve see vvhen the heart of any man conceaues a spirituall joy for the grace of God eyther bestowed on him selfe or vpon others it is not able to conteine that joy but it must breake out and it must open the mouth to giue thankes and praise to the Lord for of the abâ—ndance of the heart the mouth must speake If the heart 〈…〉 be it good or euill the harâ— must opened mouth and 〈…〉 must speake either good or euill Then the second thing â— be marked in this text is wâ—eÌ„ the joy of the hart opens the mouth to vtter thankes what euer be the 〈◊〉 and meane of joy the first thanks that are giuen will not be giuen to it especially Paul heere giues not the glorie of this joy to the Thessalonians but the mouth will be opened to glorifie the author of all grace and joy which is God for without him there is no grace neither haue we our selues any grace neither hes any other any grace in him selfe Thankesgiuing to God only and without God there is no joy except he worke the joy there can be no joy in the heart Yea albeit the grace be giuen yet if he giue not a new grace to worke joy in the heart for the grace there can be no joy And therefore the mouth when it is opened to praise glorifie first of al it shold be opened to glorifie him who is the giuer of all honour the instrument as the instrument honour the Minister as the Minister but let the author worker of al haue the glory thanks Then thridlie mark In a maner he complaines that he can not get a mouth to thanke God sufficientlie for all that grace they had receiued and joy he had receiued and gotten through their graces Marke then our thanking and glorifying of God for the grace receiued and joy conceiued in heart it is not answerable in greatnes to the grace nor to the joy receiued For will ye coÌ„pare these two together the grace of God and thy thankfulnes for it the grace of God passes thy thankfulnes yea the verie joy that we haue in heart for the grace bestowed on vs or others will be greater nor the thankfulnesse can be and the tongue of man is not able to vtter all that joy conceiued nor to thank God sufficientlie for it Peter 1. Epist 1. 8. he calles it a joy vnspeakable The joy the faithfull heart will conceiue is an vnspeakable joy So Paul of the sighs of the godly Rom. 8. 28. The mouth of man is not so wyde nor so capable of grace as the heart is I meane of the regenerate man If the spirit of Iesus dwel in the heart all the tongues of men and Angels can not be able to tell nor expresse the thousand part of that joy the hart wil haue in Gods grace for all that ioy saies he vvhat thanks shall â— giue to God As he wold say my mouth can not get words to vtter thanks to God the author for the graces receiued and joy that is conceiued there throgh Now farther we haue to learne in the wordes
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
him from our nature thou drawest down a plague in stead of a blessing Then joyne all together in prayer Pray to God the Father and the Son manifested in our nature and looke in vnto God the Father throgh the Sonne Then he prayes to the Father and to the Sonne What seekes he In the first part of his praier he seeks that his iourney should be directed to the. Thessalonians Prouerb cha 16. vers 9. The heart of man vvill dispone his ovvne vvay but God vvill direct his steps Man will say I will byde heere to morrow and there other morrovv and he vvill be at the fire side and no thought of God who hes the journey in his hand Man dispones his waies but God directs them Without God when thou hast taken all thy purposes thou hast not a foote to lift to doe them and if he giue thee leaue to lift thy foote vvithout him and not knovving him thou shalt not be able to set down thy foote in the hie way a curse shall be on thee and thou shalt runne and ride to destruction and either thou shalt goe back or else goe to this side or that side and not in the right vvay Brethren vvaite ye not what ye haue to doe When thou takest any journey in hand thou wilt not come to the doore so soone in the morning but the Deuill vvill meete thee and if Gods Angell doe not conuoye thee the Deuill vvill conuoy thee Alas haue ye adoe vvith fleshe and bloode onelie vvill ye not looke to him vvho is working aboue All this telles vs that we should hang on that holie will God which is the rule of all our doing Paul sayes Romanes 15. 32. I vvould be at you if by any meane the vvill of God vvill permit Men vses this prophainnesâ—e in speaking as Iames sayes 4. 13. 24. I vvill goe to 〈◊〉 and buy and sell c. But he sayes to the what art thou doing hast thou thy journey in thy owne hand thy lyfe is vncertaine I say farther then Iames. Suppose thou liue vvhat if he giue thee not legges to trauell with and suppose he giue thee legges what if he curse thy journey and send Satan in the way All this learnes vs to haue God before vs and depend vpon him and to speake with houes â—f it please God I vvill doe this or that Alwayes I submit my selfe to his holie vvill knovving that vvhether I goe or byde all shall be to my well and comfort Hang on God for there is no prosperous succes except thou striue to haue an hart lifted vp to God in all thy doinges For all this vvorld vvill vanishe avvay but to him who depends on God what euer falles out al comes for the best This is the rule of the Apostle Now the second part of the Prayer is Seing he can not come to them as he vvould he prayes to God the Father and to the Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ that those thinges he could not get done by his prefence the Lord wil do them in his absencer that is That the Lord vvold make them abound in loue and charitie first among them selues and then among all men The example he giues is euen as I loued you Then when thou canst not get that which first thou wouldst haue leaue not off to pray for the next best There are many that when they pray for any thing and cannot get it they leaue off all praying No but vvhen thou canst not get that first thing thou prayest for pray for the second it may be if thou get not the first thou shalt get the second and well is the soule that gets any peece of grace So vvhen one thing failes thee Loue the gift of god oâ—ely seeke an other and neuer leaue off suting Then he prayes for loue and charitie Alas for loue and charitie in this age fare well loue thou hast gone away out of Scotland There is a vaine name of faith among vs he beleeues and she beleeues but loue vvhich is the true vvitnesse of faith is gone Fare vvell loue These are the latter dayes all loue is dead But to the purpose Ye see that he begges loue from God to them Then it must follovve of necessitie As faith is the free gift onelie and grovves not in our foull stinking nature so loue and charitie is the gift of God and growes not in nature Thy loue by nature is a foull stincking selfe loue thou hast that rooted in thy heart thou wilt hate God and all the world for that loue and if thou â—akest a shovve of loue to any vvho is conjoyned to thee all it for thy selfe and not for Christ Thou wilt loue thy vvyfe and children but not for Christ but for thy selfe No sinceritie in that loue The Papist will say God commands vs to loue therefore it is in our owne hand to loue or not to loue Is this a faire argument But I reasone by the contraire out of this place Paul begges loue at God to them therefore it followes well loue is the gift of God onelie For if it were in nature whereto should I aske it from God Marke one rule It is a foolish thing to measure the commaund of God by the strength of nature and the strength of nature by the command of God and to reason God hes bidden me doe this therefore I haue free-vvill vvithin my selfe to doe it this reasoning will deceiue thee The Lord when he commaunds thee who stands in that Couenant made with vs in Christ with the verie command by his Spirite he workes in thy heart aboue nature the same thing he commaunds thee he workes that loue that he commaunds thee O the greatnesse of this loue of God Say Lord doe that thing in me thou bidst me doe bid me doe nothing Lord but that vvhich thou vvorkest in me for I can doe nothing without thee The Lord open mens eyes to see this The next thing is the measure of loue that he askes of God He seekes not loue in a small measure he seeks not little loue but aboundant loue Seeke euer these spirituall giftes in as great measure as thou canst seeke aboundance for thou canst not seek so much with thy mouth Measure of loue nor conceiue so much in thy heart as the Lord is able to giue thee His hand is larger nor thy heart and so be greedie of those spirituall graces and neuer leaue off to seeke or to begge till thou findst thy heart running ouer vvith grace full of loue full of knovvledge and light Paul to the Coloss 3. 16. prayes that the Lord would fill them vvith knovvledge Looke Ephes. 3. 10. 20. Col. 1. 9. For our perfection standes in abundance our glorie standes in fulnesse and our fulnesse goes forward degree by degree There is nothing in this life but a growing in faith in knowledge c we are neuer filled with loue knowledge c. but we must grow peece and peece
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
then to finde no rest nor fruite of his labor at night but I say to thee if thy walking be not to please God thou shalt neuer get any frute of thy walking if thy walking be not euer to please thy God thou shalt neuer get the right way thou shalt goe like a doting bodie and be the farther from that glorious butt and in the end thou shalt effectuat nothing but in that great day thou shalt curse all thy labors and exercises and thou shalt say Alas my labours are all lost I haue wearied my selfe and now I am no better But if thy walking be to please God thou shalt finde a sweetnesse in thy labor and joy in the end thereof And when that blessed day of resurrection shall come thou shalt say Blessed am I in my labours that I wrought to please my God for now I haue gotten the butt I finde the frute of my laboures Paul sayes 1. Cor. 9. 26. I runne but not to an vncertaintie Learne neuer to runne to an vncertaintie but euer runne to a butt effectuat something by your doing The onely way to make you runne well is to please God A Minister or any other in the world who woulde runne right must run to pleasure their God and then they shall finde sweetnesse in their running Now well is the soule that can endeuore the selfe to pleasure God for ther is no joy in the creature but when it is set to glorify God night and day in this world for to this end are we set in the world 1. Cor. 10. 31. and if we doe this he shal set vs in the heauens to glorifie him Now in the next verse he takes themselues to be witnesses that he had set before them the preceptes and lawes whereby they should walke in the journey Ye knovve vvhat commandement vve gaue you by the Lord Iesus It is an happie thing to a Minister in his calling when with a good conscience he appeals the consciences of the people that he cried to them and saide ô people I bade you goe I prescriued you rules to goe into your blood be on your owne head I haue discharged a faithfull duetie to you Brethren what auailes it vs if we should euer preache the Gospell if we be not saued thereby And when we teache you the Gospell we also stir our selues forward to come to that butt Christ our owne teaching is the meane whereby we are saued as it is the meane whereby ye are saued Therefore let all goe forward together in the rinke Now in the verse following he beginnes to set down to them the rules of walking and going forward That which he had spoken by tongue being at Thessalonica the same thing he puts in writ by his pen. It is a foolish thing to a man to say The Apostle spoke one thing and wrote another No brethren Paul neuer spake one sentence to confirme any people but it is registrate to vs. It is blasphemie to thinke that Paul and Peter c. wrote not that which they spoke it is follie for there was no sentence they spoke pertaining to our saluation but it is written Then the rule is The vvill of God vvhich is your sanctification That is that ye be holie in your soules and the whole affections thereof in your bodie and all the members of your bodie and all the actions of your members So he drawes the whole rules which are to be obserued in this course and rinke we haue to Heauen and life euerlasting to holinesse and sanctification Then in one word there is the manner how thou shalt goe forward to this butt Be holie be holie thou must be holie holie in heart hand mouth foot in all the members of thy body separate thee from the worlde which is full of sinne full of foull affections displeasing the eye of thy God and put on holinesse Who euer they be that goe forward in holinesse assuredlie they shall come to the marke Liue thou an holie life what vocation that euer it be in assure thee thou shalt come to the prise of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Philipp 3. 14. To turne it ouer againe Busie thy self as thou wilt if that thy businesse be not in holinesse thou art foolishe the faster thou runnest thou art the farther behinde Alas how many are there who busies them selues in wickednesse and the more they wearie themselues the farther are they from Heauen Blessed are they who can goe forward to Heauen Stryue to holinesse and say Lord I am on my journey I cannot goe forward except I finde an holie heart to thinke an holie mouth to speake an holy hand to touch Lord sanctifie them that I runne not in vaine The way to runne holilie is to keepe euer before thy eies God that holie one in the face of Iesus and to cry O Lord guide me in holinesse And I assure thee if thou wilt striue to liue holilie and cry to God to guide thee in holinesse thou shalt come to that endlesse joy But if thou let God out of thy eye thou shalt perishe Brethren this life will away and therefore set your harts to run to that euerlasting life Nowe hauing set downe the generall he deduces it in parts and the first part he takes vp is cleannesse of the bodie as he would say fyle not the bodie with fornication fyle thou thy bodie with fornication thou shalt not thinke a cleane thought speake a cleane word or doe any cleane deed Surelie all sinnes pollutes and fyles The sinne that comes from the heart if it were but an euill motion it goes back againe and leaues a foull blot behinde it a rotten deed leaues a blot behinde it a foull worde in the mouth goes back and leaues a foull blot in the hart when thou hast spoken a word thou art not quite thereof but it comes back againe and fyles the soule It goes not from thee so lightlie as thou trowest no it leaues ay a foull blot behinde it So this corruption growes daily Brethren I tell you all sinnes fylles the bodie yet of all sinnes harlotrie especiallie fyles the bodie Looke the comparison the Apostle vses 1. Cor. 6. 18. The bodie of an harlote of all bodies is the foullest Alas such a fyling of the bodie and soule followes vpon adulterie that it is wonderfull to tell Seeing therefore speciall pollution of the bodie followes on fornication I beseech you as ye would present your selfe before God in cleannesse abstaine from harlotrie An harlot will trauell long ere he come to heauen thy heart and bodie must be sanctified before thou come to Heauen And so as thou would come forward to Heauen stryue to keepe a cleane bodie and soule to God and speciallie abstaine from this vyce of fornication Lord keepe vs from it vntill we come to the end of our journey that we may be presented clean before christ To whom with the Father and holie Spirit be honour and praise for
embrace and to kisse Idoles wer euer truelie illuminated with that glorious face of Christ for they that hes seene the glorious face of Iesus Christ the more they see the vaniâ—ies and filthe of the Papistrie the more they will dispise it Fy on thee that vvill jouke and kneele to an Idoll thou neuer saw the face of Iesus Christ Thou who wilt follow the harlot in 〈◊〉 the murtherer in murther the drunkard in drunkennesse the chiefe in thift thou neuer saw the face of Christ So the grounde of all mischief is this darke ignorance in the soules of men they know no more of God nor the Gentiles did Thou who wilt follovve an harlot knovves no more of God nor a Pagane or Heathen Yet more I learne heere The cheef vice that rang among the Gentiles was the vice of lust Read the Histories and ye shall finde it to be true Looke the 1. chap. Rom. There the Apostle speakes of the pollution of the bodie that rang among the Gentiles Fornication the fin of the gentiles Will ye looke to murther it raignes more in Scotland nor it did there oppression falshood and such sinnes raignes more in Scotland nor euer they did among the Gentiles So the chiefe sinne raigning among the Gentiles was the pollution of their bodies one with another Now the ground of this the Apostle makes the ignorance of God they saw not nor knew not God in Christ and therefore each one runne and straue to pollution Paul Ephesians chap. 4. verse 18. 19 sayes They had their mindes darkned as strangers from the life of God the light of God vvas not in them the cause vvas throgh ignorance vvhich vvas throgh hardnesse of heart and vvhen they had lost sense and lost conscience too then they gaue themselues to vvantonnesse and to commit all kinde of vncleannesse and that vvith all greedinesse A vvanton bodie is greedie of filthinesse it vvill svvallovv vp sinne and can neuer be satisfied In the 1. Rom. he telles the Gentiles vvere vvilfullie ignorant they vvould not knovv God nor the light Such vvas the maliciousnesse of their heart they put out their eies and vvoulde not see him they knevv him in nature the Sunne the Moone the Heauens all testifies there is a God Yet the Gentiles for all that sight they would not knowe God Therefore the Lord gaue them vp to a reprobat sense to follow their owne counsell and their foull affections So the Apostle telles vs that the pollution of the bodie is the plague and vengence of God that followes on impietie it is not onely a sinne but a punishment that followes vpon sinne When one wil not know him nor heare him the Lord commonlie plagueâ— that bodie vvith the sinne of pollution It is the plague vvherewith the Lord plagues many of the Earles houses in Scotland It is the plague that eates vp men wyfe and children and all things that the great men of the land hes because the Earle the Lord the Laird the Ladie they are prophaine they will not heare God nor know him Therefore the Lord giues them ouer to pollution to be a punishment to their bodie The Lord will a great deale more plague vs who haue so great a light of God knovvledge offred to vs if we contemne God and his precepts seeing the Gentiles had onelie that naturall light and was plagued for the contempt thereof Now to go forward shortly He hes done with the first point of holinesse that concernes a man himselfe and his owne person in this rinke which is to keepe an holie bodie and specially from harlotrie Then the next is keepe thy heart and hand from wrong The first is concerning thy owne selfe the next is concerning thy neighbour Sec. part of sanctification absteening froÌ„ vvroÌ„g He sayes Let no mâ—â—oppresse ouercome ouerhaile or circumveen another man or defraude his brother in any matter Why The Lord is the auenger of all such things Then ye see the first It is not eneugh to him that would runne in this rinke to Heauen to be cleane one way but he must be cleane many waies There are many who beguyles themselues they thinke if one vertue be in them if they haue one grace that that one grace will vpset many vyces and sinnes If he be a courteous Gentle man and haue a faire behauiour a liberall hand he will thinke what matter althoughâ— be an harlote in bodie this vertue will hide the vyce and I will be borne with Who will beare with thee Men may well beare with thee but God will not beare with thee Another man will pride him in abstinence and temperatnesse in mouth and otherwaies abstaining from harlotrie also In the meane time he will be an oppressour and deceauer and he will thinke that this one vertue of temperance will hide all other vices No brethren the Apostle sayes 1. Cor. 6. verse 9. Beguyle not your selues He who suyes the harlote shall neuer inherite the kingdom of God he sayes also the greedie auaritious man shall neuer inherite the kingdome of God Iames sayes chap. 2. verse 10. He who sinnes in one of the commandements is guiltie of all Count me all the preceptes of the commandements ouer keepe nyne of them breake the tenth of them be a murtherer or an harlote breake one thou art guiltie of all and if thou repent not thou shalt die as well as if thou had broken all I tell you truelie if there be a foull affection or a raigning sinne which hes dominion ouer the bodie as for ensample If fornication raigne in thee if murther raigne in thee I cannot say thou hast any sparke of Regeneration or true sanctification thou mayest play the hypocrite thou in vvhom harlotrie raigneth thou mayest counterfait liberalitie but I say it is no true liberalitie for if this vyce of harlotrie raigne and rule in thee thou art an hypocrite for in him who is truelie renewed there is no affection in the bodie but in some measure it will be renevved The vyce may be in thee but looke that it raigne not in thee No let no man thinke he hes anie true grace all are but shadovves of grace if anie sinne raigne in thee Now to marke euerie word shortlie Let no man oppresse or circumveene his brother in any matter He exceptes no man The Earle the Lord the Laird beleeues his power be giuen him to ouerhaile to oppressemen No no if thou runnest so thou shalt neuer win to Heauen Thou thinkst the Lord hes strengthned thy hand to oppresse the poore no not so no man is exeemed looke thou oppresse none or else renounce the name of Christ for thou cannot be an oppressour and his member The word signifies to climme vp vpon a bodie and to tread him downe The second thing is that they shoulde not circumveene not by deceite beguyle anie man The first is that none doe violence The next is that none deceyue The one as euill as the other and
part of sanctification As for exemple Even this one grace of almous deeds of beneficence showing our liberalitie on them that haue need if this be not in some measure in anie man or woman Liberalitie if there be nothing in the person but gredines auarice and a closed hand who can say that that person hes anie true or solide grace of God If one of these vices raigne in thee as auarice raigning in the highest degree if thou be a slaue to it who can saye that anie true grace is in thy soule Thou mayest wel count thou hast this grace or that grace but I can not say that anie grace of that spirite raigne vvithin thy soule make no account that ther is anie grace within thee if any sinne raigne in thee without controlement Count not of thy abstenance thou wilt bee abstinent in mouth and then an auaritious man But look that euerie grace of God in some measure be within thee and that sanctification goe through thy vvhole soule and bodie Peter in his sec Epist 1. chap. linkes together all the graces of God amongst the rest he countes this brotherlie loue he linkes this linke among the rest to help faith for I assure thee faith will not stand it self alone Cast to sayes he to faith vertue to vertue science and so forth vntill ye come to this brotherlie loue Adde to thy brotherlie loue charitie and so forth vntill all graces be linked together Paul 2. Corinth chap. 8. verse 7. hes a speciall regarde to this grace showing our liberalitie to our poore brethren As ye abound in all thinges in faith knovvledge 〈◊〉 â—â—oke sayes he that ye abound also in liberalitie and doing of almous deedes And as in all the graces of the holie Spirite in vs there is a resemblance of the Image of Christ So ospeciallie in this grace of beneficence Ye knovv sayes Paul â— Corinth chap 8. verse 9. the bountifulnesse of the Lord vvho vvhen he vvas 〈◊〉 vvas made poore for our saâ—es that vve might be made riche in his pouertie Novv this is the grace that is heere recommended and novv I recommend it to you for if it was in any age craued now certainlie at this tyme thou hast more nor matter to shovve thy well doing and almous deedes to the poore Certainlie charitie vvas neuer so colde and mens handes vvere neuer so hard contracted and men vvere neuer nearer to themselues nor they are now The latter dayes are neare for the nearer the end of the world be we are the nearer our selues and the nearer our selues the farther from God The Apostle when he exhorts them to this grace he comes not on so plainlie but he vses an holy colour and kinde of simulation He exhorts them and yet he lets not on him he exhortes And as it vvere obscurelie and passing by he giues them a watch-ward and wakens them vp to be beneficiall To teach 〈◊〉 Ministers to be wyse in speaking to the people We should not leaue off to exhort any person in whom there is grace to do any duetie but yet we should doe it so discreetly that our exhortation 〈◊〉 not so much an exhortation as a commendation For the grace of God in any person shoulde not be misknown but known and reuerenced both for his sake that is giâ—er and for his sake that hes gotten it both that God may be glorified in giuing him that grace and the person may be stirred vp to perseuere in that grace For it is an old prouerb Vertue being commended increasse Ioh. 1. Epist 2. 27. vses this same wisdom I need not saies he teach you the holy spirit hes taught you all thinges and in the mean time he is teaching them continually yet when he is teaching them he saies he needed not to teach theÌ„ So Paul when he is making a coÌ„mendation of the grace in them he saies it is not needful to exhort you to the grace ye haue a better teacher nor I Teaching of the holy spirite God teaches you therfore I need not to teach you the Lord teaches you by working in your harts by his holy Spirit what needs me to teach you by my pen Brethren Ther are two sortes of teachers God and man Men teaches Philosophers in schooles teaches Ministers out of pulpets teaches many sorts of teachers If man be the onely teacher of grace and vertue to be embraced by the auditor and if Gods Spirit should not concur inwardly to instruct the soule and heart there would neuer be a good scholler in the schoole of christ none of you to the worlds end would get good by teaching It may be men teaching thee vvill informe thy minde and make thee to vnderstand vvhat is spoken but man can neuer teach the hart that is to embrace that is spoken no it will passe mans power to reforme the hart if the holy spirit moue thee not to embrace that which is spoken thou wilt neuer embrace it for all that man can say As for example I may stand vp and lay out before you this whole grace of liberalitie and beneficence and paint it out in all the colours thereof and make you vnderstand this whole vertue in all the parts But when it commes to the heart to be practised in your life and conuersation if the holy Spirit go not down to reforme the hart ye shall neuer be the better but the worse for the knowledge shal but serue to aggreadge your condemnation Then be neuer content with the voice of men but euer cry for the inward doctour the Spirit of God from Heauen And say Lord come with this word and teach my heart otherwaies all is but winde and shall be an aggreading of my condemnation at the last day It is thou Lord who is the onely inward teacher and therefore except thou teach me I shall not be taught So except that holie teacher be with vs in teaching all is but lost tyme. Now to come to the wordes What is this the Lord craues of them what teaches the Lord them that euerie one should loue another He teaches not onely loue but loue that meetes loue he will not teache thee onely to loue him but him to loue thee againe This is mutuall loue As he teaches thee to loue me so he teaches me to loue thee loue must be mutual Friendship standes not in the one side but friendship must be conjoyned to friendship There is no bond in that blessed bodie of Christ except there be a mutuall bond if I loue thee neuer so well if thou loue not me thou shalt neuer be in the bodie For as the rest of the members of Christ loues thee so thou must loue them againe or else thou hast no fellowship in the bodie Marke the order which the Apostle vses in teaching When he instructes men in any grace there are some fundamentall graces that are so called because they are the grounds of al graces to wit Faith Hope and Charitie
eate none It is the will of God that they who vvill not vvorke and may worke that they should die for hunger They who are strong and may get labour and will not vvorke there should be an inhibition laid on them not to eate and they who eate if they eate not the bread conquest with their owne labour their eating is cursed to them It is not permitted to a King to eate bread except he labour for it and surelie his labour is an heauie labour No for al the warrands Charters and securities which thou hast of thy lands be thou Earle or Lord or Barron except thou eate the labour of thy owne hands thou eatest not lawfullie but thy eating is accursed This Inhibition is not to beggers onelie but to the greatest dominators of the earth for it was injoined to Adam Thou shalt eate thy breade vvith the svveate of thy brovve and all Lords and great men were then in the loynes of Adam Goe keepe sheepe or nolt or digge dykes if it please God thou haue no other trade and be ay doing something Now Labour both honest and profitable in the end he addes two reasons to cause them labour the first for honestie the other for commoditie He is the honester man that will put to his hand to labour and will sit downe vvith gray bread conquest by his labour nor he who eates all delicates with idlenesse When thou hast laboured and win thy dinner then thou art an honest man idlenes is no honestier an idle bodie I cannot count him honest He that eates without labour set him at the table head he hes no honestie Now this honesty should be seene by them that are without euen the heathen Brethren we should be honest if it were no more but onely for our enemies cause for regard of our holy profession The Enemie the Pagane lookes vpon thee vvho art an idle body and labours not and sees nothing but a bellie and a denourer of the creatures of God and then will he not slander thy profession Therefore if it were but to saue this profession from the slanders of wicked men labour continuallie ere thou should be idle labour in any exercise Yea more nor this Labour is the moyen vvhere by the Lord hes ordained thee to win thy enemy vvhen he sees thee labour and win thy liuing vvith the sweat of thy browes and by the contrare thy idlenes holds others back vvho vvould embrace the Gospell Woe to them vvho are stumbling blocks to holde men back from Christ As for the profit the laborer gets I not will insist in it he who in his labor hes God before his eies labors not so much to win his liuing thereby as to glorifie God according to the command of the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. 31. Whither ye eate or drinke what euer ye doe doe all to the glorie of God he vvho vvorkes let him not worke as an Oxe or an Asse but to glorifie God He who in labour sets himselfe to glorifie God to be holie be it to 〈◊〉 pottes to hold the pleugh to dig dykes those men they shall neuer vvant the thing the Lord thinkes may suffice them at the least they shall haue coâ—â—enâ—ment When they sit at dinner they shall haue greater contentation then they that are fed with most daintie dishes Therefore haue ay God before thy eyes labour ay to God and then thou shalt haue here in this life sufficient to serue thee and hereafter shalt haue heauenlie riches in aboundance Therefore stand not be not idle in thy calling but labor And how euer to God and his glorie and then thou shalt not want thou shalt haue plentie and sacietie of joy in that full sight of the countenance of Christ all this worlde will away Then blessed is that man who will set himselfe to serue God in his calling while he is heere for when this worlde goes away he shall obtaine that glorious kingdome that lastes for euer not by him selfe but onelie by Christ for in him onelie we and our labours are blessed And therefore to him with the Father and the holie Spirite be all praise for euer AMEN THE XVII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 13. 14. 15. 13 I vvoulde not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them vvhich are a sleepe that ye sorrovv not as others vvhich haue no hope 14 For vve beleeue that Iesus is dead and is risen euen so them vvhich sleepe in Iesus vvill God bring vvith him 15 For this vvee say vnto you by the vvord of the Lord that vvee vvhich liue and are remayning in the comming of the Lord shall not preuent them vvhich sleepe THese Thessalonians brethen to vvhom the Apostle writes they were not altogether ignorant of the estate of them vvho departed this life No question they vnderstoode and knew the resurrection of the dead for not knowinge that vvhat could they know of Christianitie Yet as appeares of this place by the Apostle it was not a setled knowledge in the heart they had they knevv no so as they shoulde haue done the resurrection of the bodie And therefore when their friends whom they loued wel departed their dolour was excessiue When they saw the godlie who professed in the beginning drawne to torments martyred and execute they tooke displeasure out of measure euen as if they who departed this life had perished altogether and shold neuer haue bene more The Apostle vnderstanding this among other things he writes to them he casts in this doctrine of the estate of them that are departed to the end they should leaue off that excessiue sorrow and lamentation and not lament as the Gentiles who were vvithout hope Then to come shortly to the wordes and purpose of the Apostle He settes downe this proposition I vvould not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them vvhich are a sleepe the end wherefore he would not haue them ignorant is that they sorrovv not as others vvho hes no hope Now concerning the estate of those that are departed he instructs them in sundry heads of it First he telles them that they are but a sleep that is now their present estate in graue Then he teaches them what shall follow the rising again when that they haue sleeped a time as one after sleep awakes so shal they awake Next he instructes them of the honor they shall haue in the resurrection vvhen they shall meete the Lord of glorie Suppose they be dead first they shal not be last in meetting the Lord yea they who shall be aliue at that day shall not be first but they who are departed shall be in the first rank to meete the Lord in the clouds Of this he taks occasion to speak of the Lords comming of the glory thereof to this end that euery one in thinking vpon these things shold receiue comfort Ther is the summe of this doctrine I vvoulde not haue you brethren ignorant as
so stagring as thou art except thou leane on Christ This is most true It is not so much our apprehension we haue of Christ as his apprehension of vs that holds vs vp A chylde that is learning to goe albeit he grippe he cannot holde himselfe vp but it is the grip of the Nourse that holdes vppe the chylde It is so betweene God and vs We are all infantes Iesus hes vs in his hand we make a glifring to grip him againe but when he lettes vs goe then we fall So this is our comfort that vve are gripped by God and his grip vpholdes vs for vvhen he grippes to the heart of any man his hand neuer lowses againe and thou shalt neuer goe out of his grippe yea euen in that time when thou thinkest thou art gone and the Lord hes casten thee offyn the meane-time he hes thee in his grip and in that meane-tyme vvhen thou appearest to be left call to remembrance that he hes gripped thee and then assure thee yet he grips thee And say Who shall be able to separate me from the loue of Christ Rom. 8. 35. And Iesus sayes None is able to reaue my sheepe out of my hand Iohn 10. 28. Who shall be able to lowse his hand This is all in one vvorde Seeke this apprehension and stand fast in Christ and death shall not seuer thee from him but lyfe shall follow death glorie shall follow ignominie immortalitie shall svvalovv vp the mortalitie that vve are heere subject to Well then brethren who wait when we shall be striken Therefore let vs euer be prepared and let vs not looke to the Pest Nothing shall be able to seuere vs from God if he haue gripped vs ` Paul sayes Philipp 3. 8. 9. that he counted all thinges but dongue that he might be found of him and knowe him and the force of his resurrection Yet to insist in the words expressing this resurrection he saies that God shall bring vs vvith him that is with Christ So our resurrection what is it VVhat is our resurrection but a bringing of vs to God to be joyned with him in that blessed societie Our felicitie and blessednesse both in body and soule is to be joined with God For vnderstand so long as thy bodie lyes in the graue lyes in ignominie in a maner it is seuered from God it is apart from God in some maner it is not so near him as it wil be it is yet lying in ignominy Now in the resurrection of the dead that body that was separated frō God and lay in ignominie for a tyme ryses to be joyned with God to the end it may be glorified for euer This is the resurrection of the bodies of the godlie But it is farre otherwaies with the resurrection of the vngodly They rise indeed and must rise for they shall be pulled out of the graue for faine would they ly still they must ryse to receiue that paine of damnation they shall ryse but neuer to be brought to God The Scripture indeed speakes that they shall rise but neuer to be broght to God but they rise to be seuered from God more nor they were They are seuered when they are in the graue but when the body shall be joyned to the soule then they shall be farther seuered And looke how far is betweene the hie Heauens and the low Helles as far distance shall there be betweene God and the reprobate They shall not be conuoyed vp to meete Christ in the cloudes as the bodies of the godly are No but they shall stand on the earth Yet to insist Are the bodies of the elect broght them alone to God No what euer bodie must be brought to God in the resurrection it must be broght in companie it must be in a societie and conjunction ere that bodie be conjoined with God He saies vvith Christ. That bodie must be brought to that glorious societie with God but first it must be joyned with Iesus otherwaies thou shalt neuer rise to God Then would ye haue the order Paul speaks of in this resurrection for euerie one shall rise in order The first is Christ Christ the first of them that rises his glorious body rose first Then after that they who are in Christ that is they who stands in that conjunction with him as imps in the tree vvho are ingraft in his bodie then they shall ryse with him Therefore in one word Wouldst thou knowe whether thou shalt be joined with God or not looke if thou standst fast in that conjunction and vnion with Christ in this lyfe and if thou finde thy selfe vnited with Christ in this lyfe then in the glorious resurrection with God shalt thou be And so this is a thing that I euer aduertise you of Looke euer that thou be a member of that glorious bodie Be either an eye or foote or hand be some part of the bodie of Christ And certainly being joined with him when he is joyned with God euen God the Father of necessitie thou being a member of the bodie thou must be joined with God For thy conjunction with God is not immediat but thou must first bee joyned with Christ and being conjoyned with Christ thou shalt be joyned with God also in glory Now vvho shall be the doer of this It is a great vvorke to draw vp this bodie out of the graue to Heauen and set it in that glorie Will the bodie rise the alone where got it that strength will any Angell draw it vp No all the Angels in Heauen is not able to raise vp a bodie to Heauen all the power in earth cannot raise vp a dead bodie Then who must doe it No power in Heauen nor earth but the power of God Paul Ephes chap. 1. verse 19. calles it the effectualnesse of the strong povver of God There is no vvorke in this vvorld vvherein the povver of God appeares more nor in the vvorke of the rising first of Christ vvhen he vvas dead and then of our bodies that are in him The power and strength of God as greatlie appeares in the raising of the bodie as it did in making of the world when before it vvas not It is as great a matter to make a thing to liue as to make it There is as great power to make the dead to liue as to make any thing of nothing And this povver is onely proper to God The power of the world may put out the life but no power can giue lyfe but onely Gods There are many slayers but none to giue lyfe but onely God Therefore let vs glorifie the God of lyfe Then marke two causes of our glorious resurrection 2. causes of our resurrectiō He speakes not of the resurrection of the reprobate The first cause is the conjunction with Iesus begunne in this lyfe The second cause is the power and might of God in raising of them being found in Iesus Take any of these two away thou shalt neuer be brought
workes shall be the tokens of the true cause which is the onely justice of Christ imputed vnto vs by faith I dare say albeit the reprobate wortheâ—â—e shall be damned according to their workes yet they shall be speciallie condemned that they beleeued not in Iesus Christ but contemned his Gospell without faith Then to come to the sentence The Lord will beginne at the elect as best and worthiest and he shall giue them their sentence Come ye blessed of my Father and vvherâ—â—â— the Kingdome prepared for you before 〈…〉 of the vvorlde Matt. chap. 25 verse 32. From once this sentence is past out on them when this absolution from death and damnation is pronounced looke what estate they 〈◊〉 be in They shall stand with the Angles as assessours to judge the reprobate So Paul 1. Cor chap. 6. verse 3. saies knovv 〈…〉 iudge the Angels that is to say we shall allow that most just sentence of Iesus And among all the rest of the 〈◊〉 the twelf Apostles speciallie shall haue place For they shall sit on twelfe Thrones to justifie that just sentence that shall passe on the reprobate Then shall the sentence passe out on the reprobate the voice shall goe downe throgh the aire to the earth a terrible voice 〈◊〉 accursed of my Father to the fire prepared for the Deuill and all his Angels Brethren thinke not this a fable manie will not beleeue this vntil they feele it in them selues Now to be short To speake of the lyfe of the reprobate after this sentence they shall noâ— remaine on the earth In the verie moment of the doome that is certaine they shall passe to dâ—mnation 〈…〉 At that same verie moment thou receiuest the sentence of lyfe thou shalt goe to Heauen The moment the reprobate receiues sentence of damnation they shall go to Hell Now to speake of this death and lyfe I will not be curious there is much spoken in the Scripture thereof both to let vs see the glorie of the elect and the torments of the reprobate But I tell you in one word it was neuer all tolde Neuer Prophet nor Apostle expressed the greatnesse of the joy that shall come to the godlie nor of the paine that shall come to the vngodlie There shall bee another paine nor fyre and brimstone to bee tormented in Neyther can any expresse the joye in Heauen There shall be such glorie and joye as the eare of man neuer heard of the eye hes not seene nor yet hes it entered in the heart of man Novv looke hovv Paul speakes of this joye heere He sayes 〈◊〉 shall be 〈◊〉 vvith the Lord. He contentes him with these wordes To be with the Lord imports not a dwelling only vvith him but a lyfe and glorious lyfe joye that is vvith him vnspeakable I cannot tell it all the tongues in the vvorlde cannot tell it For all the joye in Heauen it is in the Sonne of God and shall shine through him that is through the naturall 〈◊〉 of man couered ouer vvith a Majestie and so all Heauens joye and glorie shall be vvith him and they vvho shall bee vvith him shall be in that glorie and joye vvith him I dare say more These thinges shall not be outvvith vs onely but vvithin our bovvels The joye and glorie shall not be outvvith the godlie as it is novv Commonlie the glorie the pleasure are ouâ—vvith vs the matter of joye outvvith vs and vve 〈◊〉 to it But then all matter of joye shall be in vs Christ first be in vs and God shall be all in all and God in 〈◊〉 be dvveling in vs and then vvhen thou hast all vvithin thee vvhat shall thou vvant And therefore in the Reuelation chap 21. verse 2 it is said We shall not neede thinges outvvith vs. neyther a Temple nor Sunne nor Moone for God being in thee shall be vnto thee a Temple hee is all in all and hee being in thee 〈…〉 all 〈…〉 thee In one vvord He shall be vvithin the◠〈…〉 because God in Christ shall dvvell vvithin thee and 〈…〉 part of that glorie and felicitie of that lyfe Novv is there no more nor this What matter if it vverfor a tyme vve vvere to be with him What matter of Heauen if Heauen lasted not What matter of a Kingdome that vanishes away A man set vp on a pompe to day casten down to morrow what matter of heauenlie glory let be the earthly glory if it lasted not but the Apostle saies we shall be with him for euer Take vp then our blessednesse It stands in two pointes first a passing and exceeding joy and glorie and secondlie in an eternity and euerlastingnesse of joy and glorie Paul plainly and pithilie settes these two together 2. Cor. chap. 4. verse 17. He calles it a weight of glorie that is excellent Then he calles it an euerlasting glorie There are two a weight of glorie and an euerlasting vveight of glorie and more excessiuelie excessiue He cannot get wordes to vtter it It is a weight that will vveigh dovvne all the vvorlde and then a weight of glorie excessiuelie excessiue and then eternall and euerlasting So our felicities in glorie and passing great glorie and an euerlasting glorie As for the paines of the reprobate I will not insist to speake of them because the Apostle is speaking heere to comfort the elect Now when the Apostle hes made a discourse of the comming of Christ He makes his exhortation and sayes and so I say also Comfort one another vvith these vvordes Brethren many hes sought comfort death is dolorous and wearisome in the owne nature and therefore many of the Heathen hes busied themselues to get comfort and matter of consolation in the houre of death What matter of death if there be a comfort therein but then is death dolorous when it is without comfort But vvas there euer any that got comfort that knew not Christ and the resurrection and a life after this life no neuer man neither king nor Emperor As for all the comforts they had all was but vanitie and dreames of comfort Againe I say Was there euer anie that gaue comfort to a bodie in death or that gaue comfort to them that vvas heauie for the death of their freinde but that man that hes a sense of that glorious resurrection of Christ and of his comming And therefore as thou wouldst haue comfort in death giue comfort for death know that the Lord is to come in the world knovv that there shall be a glorious resurrection and after the resurrection there shall be an eternall joy and glorie in Heauen And looke that this be not onely wordes in the mouth There are many vaine bablers of Christ and of that glorious resurrection A knaue an adulterer a murtherer will flatter himselfe and clatter of that glorie and joy but all is vanity Wilt thou be a knaue and then speake of these thinges The Lord shall punish thee Looke therefore that thy speaking of the latter
but that which they should haue done And Christ findes fault with the hypocrite Iewes that could take vp by the sky what maner of weether should be but searched not the tyme of his comming Luke 12. 56. But as to his second comming he neuer tolde of the tyme of it Yea in Daniell in his last chapter 4. verse there is a plaine inhibition to seeke out the tyme of it Therefore it perteines not to men to know it yea it is better not to know the tyme of it nor to know it And this Christ means Matt. 24. 42. Watch therefore for ye knovv not at vvhat houre your Master vvill come Where he teaches vs that the ignorance of the tyme of his comming is verie profitable for vs because it makes vs to watch and pray wheras the knowledge of it would make vs carelesse Ye may aske at me May we on no wayes speake or thinke of the Lords comming to judge the quick and the dead and the tyme thereof I answere To define a speciall tyme either in the cogitation or thought of thy heart or in the words of thy mouth thou canst not nor thou shouldest not doe it But generallie to thinke and to say the Lord will come shortlie whether this age or the next age I know not but I know well it shall not be long when the judge shall come it shall be soone it is lawfull for thee to thinke and say this For the Lord himselfe hes said When it is craued Reuel chap. 22. vers 20. Come Lord Iesus yes saies he I come shortly When he sayes he will come shortlie let vs beleue it The Historie in the Gospell Matt. 24. 25. c. of the euill and the good seruant teaches vs what vve shoulde doe vntill the Lords comming The euill seruant sayes My Master delayes his comming home therefore he will begin to play the wanton and to drinke and to smite his companions The good seruant will say I am looking for my Masters comming shortlie he will come at noone-tyde or midnight or Cock-crow I will wait for it and therefore I will be vigilant And so this good seruant tels that we should euer await for the Lords comming diligentlie And surelie his comming is neare and faine would the godlie haue his comming to end their miserie and to perfite the joy and glorie he hes appointed for them And therefore the Lord saies I come shortlie I shall not be long And albeit we thinke it be long since he promised this yet thinke not he delayes his comming For a thousand yeeres in the sight of the Lord are but as an houre 2. Pet. 3. 8. and in respect of him there is neyther long nor short tyme. So thinke euer with the good seruant the Lord will come shortlie and he is daily comming yea and we should desire him to come shortly euerie day and we should euer patientlie waite for it And therefore this clause is added in the Lords prayer Let thy Kingdome come Which desires that he would perfite that worke of glorie Ye see Paul sayes 2. Tim. 4. verse 7. 8. I haue fought a good fight I haue keeped the faith I haue runne out my course Then he subjoines But vvhat restes I shall 〈◊〉 the crovvne of glorie vvhich the Lord Iesus as Iudge generall vvill giue me and 〈◊〉 onely giuen to me but to all them vvith thirstes for his comming Assuredlie that bodie shall receiue the crowne of glorie Whereto are we so curious of the tyme of the generall judgement Knovve vve not that our ovvne death is our particulare judgement Know I not that within a short tyme I shall be called to an account before that Tribunall No sooner shall the soule depart out of the bodie but as soone shall my judgement beginne for the soule shall immediatlie departe to that place vvhere it shall remaine for euer Therefore seeing the day of my death is the day of judgement to me and how many of you that heares me this day will be liuing this day tvventie yeeres What needes vs to be curious anâ—ut the tyme of the generall judgement seeing our ovvne particulare judgement is at hand The Lord is alreadie vvarning vs to 〈◊〉 and yet the Lord vvill not haue vs more knowing the particulare tyme of death noâ— the day of judgement The Lord vvill haue vs vncertaine albeit men will be curious to knovve it The cause is that all may be in readinesse that there be not an houre in the day but thou be readie vvhen the Lord shall call on thee and vvill say to thee Goe I vvill haue thee carying heere no longer That thou may say Lord I vvill goe vvith thee and vve le come death The Lorde refuses to tell his Disciples particulare tymes but biddes them vvatche for that tyme. This doctrine is verie requisite to vs. They are liuing this day vvhome 〈◊〉 this daye eight dayes the Lord vvill call on Therefore let euerie one prepare them selues No in the second verse he giues the reason vvherefore it is not expedient that they should knovve of Christes comming to judge the worlde For sayes he ye your selues knovve perfectlie that the day of the Lord shall come 〈◊〉 as a thiefe in the night That is Sâ—daintie of Christs commiâ—g 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of it vncertain 〈◊〉 sodaintie Men shall neuer knowe vntill they see Christ come If hee come in the morning then ye may say when he is come The Lord is come in the morning And before that tyme thou shouldst not thinke noâ— speake of the certaine houre of Christes comming There are two thinges that cannot be knovvne both together The comming of Christ on a sodaintie and the certaine tyme of the comming of Christ If I knevv the Lord vvould come sodaintie it is follie to me to trauaile to knowe the speciall houre thereof vvhen thou hast calculate to see the verie houre of his comming it is but vanitie I tell thee the Lord shall come as a thiefe in the night which tyme is most vncertaine and therefore all thy calculation failes thee Yet farther He sayes that ye yourselues knovve perfectlie that he shall come at a certaine tyme. Heere is a certaine tyme but there is not a certaintie of a certaine tyme but a certaintie of an vncertaine tyme. And if the Apostle settes downe a certaintie of an vncertaine tyme it is impossible to thee to get a certaintie of it Ye shall reade this in Matthevvâ— chap. 24. verse 42. And who euer hes trauailed in any age to count the houre and tyme of his comming the Lord hath lette them see they are confooted of error and the Lord hes condemned that labour It is a bolde thing to man to seeke out that thing the Lord hes hid Men will stand vp and calculat such a yeere of the Lords comming O vanitie thou passes thy boundes and thou had no such thing in commission giuen to thee The Lord keepe vs from such vanitie But to goe forward in the
execute justice vpon this ingrate world for the contempt of the light of the Gospell The Pope is Gods burrio whom God sendes for to plague this ingrate world for the contempt of the Gospell of Iesus Christ When this great vniuersal apostasie began the great Antichrist was sent by God to be the worker of it And brethren what trow ye is the cause of this trouble sent in our Church this day This high contempt of the light of the Gospel hes beene the cause and if we continue in this contempt troubles shall not leaue off This same Antichrist the Pope by his supposts shall make adoe amongst vs the Lord shall send an auenger to plague the soules of men that will not beleeue the Gospell Another thing marke here He sayes not that God shall suffer him and suffer strong illusions to be wrought by him but he sayes he shall send them he shal be an efficient a doer and a principall directer of this turne Then ye will aske Is God the author of euill I answere there are two sortes of euill there is one euill that they call the euill of a fault there is another euill that is called the euill of punishment according to that saying of the Prophet There is not one euill in the cittie that is there is no punishment in the cittie that the Lord doeth nor As to the euill of a fault in sinne he is not the author and worker of it but suffers it to be wrought by euill men And as to the other the Lord is the author of it as that saying of the Prophet before vttered by me witnesseth And therefore Hell as it is a punishment is ordeined by the Lord and so this place is to be vnderstood Who hardned the hart of Pharao Who giues vp men to a reprobate mind Is it not the Lord to punish their sinnes But I will not insist in this matter Lastly I note in this place that this plague the Apostle speaks of here is a blinding and deceiuing of the minde There are two powers of the soule the minde and the hart This plague is especially the plague of the minde I shall make this cleare to you There are two sortes of lightes in the minde there is a naturall light wherewith we are borne and ther is a supernaturall light which we get by the word and Spirit of Christ Now there is such a conjunction betweene these two that if a man when the supernaturall light is offered from Heauen refuse and contemne it looke what will follow The Lord from the Heauen in his just judgement shall pluck from him the naturall knowledge and set him vp blind in thinges naturall and common he shall pluck the common sense from him that is he shall render him ouer to a reprobate mynd without al judgement and discretion What shall follow then Then like a mad man he shall run here and there to fin he shall passe ouer the bounds of common honesty he shall leape ouer all the lawes of the second table he shall be a rebell to God and man he shall be a murtherer and a theefe and he shall follow all concupiscence in the world and as for the first Table which is concerning godlines he sets himself against He will be an Idolater an Heretike an Athist a man of no religion and all this commes of a reprobate mynde which is procured of Gods just judgement because that spirituall light was so contemned that he would not suffer it to be conjoyned with that naturall light Therefore when we see these lightmynded men and these that will be counted Lords and Peeres in the Land repyne to this glorious light of the Gospell take vp the judgement of God that lightes vpon them The Lord suffers them to passe the bounds of common honestie they are wrapped vp in a reprobat sense Count no more of them then of madde men whom the Lord in justice shall confound for euer No if they were here I would say they were mad men running headlong vnder the vengence of God to destruction The Lord giue them eyes to see this and harts to vnderstand that they may be reclaimed from this fearce wrath of the Lord. They want both naturall wit and supernaturall for he that will not suffer this light of the Gospell to be conjoyned with this natural light he hes no wit at all he is a madde bodie he will not care to doe whatsoeuer euill he may both to himselfe and others The Lord saue vs from this sort of men In the verse that followes first we haue the effect that ensues vpon this sinne of beleeuing of lies vpon the first sinne the contemning of the trueth followes the next sin of beleeuing errors and lies vpon this sin againe followes judgement and indignation that they may be condemned sayes he In the next part of the verse he repeats the two sinnes vpon the which damnation proceeds the first is insidelitie vvho beleeued not the trueth the second is beleeuing of lies and vntruth and all maner of vnrighteousnesse He joynes these two together not beleeuing the trueth and beleeuing lies and they go together necessarly for if thou beleeue not the trueth of necessity thou shalt beleue vntrueth If thy hart repose not on God and his trueth of necessity thy hart shall repose on the deuill and vntruth the hart cannot want some faith Thou must haue some faith and something to put thy confidence in â—shal make this plaine The hart of the creature cannot stand alone but especially the hart of the sinfull man cannot stand vp except it haue a leaning-stock or prop to vphold it The harts of all the kings of the earth cannot stand alone but they must repose on something MaÌ„shart must eyther stand on God or on Satan for this is the difference betweene God and the creature God will stand him alone he needes not a foundation or leaning stock as the creature needes for it must lean euer on something or else it is impossible to it to stand Now there are two thinges whereon man reposes either man reposes himself on God his truth or else on the deuil his falshood If thou leanst not on God on Iesus Christ and his Gospel of necessity thy confidence shal be on Satan the Antichrist vanities lies and falshood Wel then when thou hast leand thee ouer on Satan and lies thou wilt stand no longer nor does vanities and lies yea nor the deuill will stand and he will not stand ay albeit he haue strength for a time yet he and vanity and lies shal fal downe and thou shalt fal downe with them for if thou be found leaning on lies and on the Antichrist thou shalt perish with them The word he vses is to be marked He sayes not they that beleued lies but they that had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Euen as we see and finde by experience reposing on God and his trueth is with a joy of the soule So when a
cannot loue him except he loue vs first 1. Iohn 4. 19. There is none that loues him but he that hes the sense of Gods loue in his hart furnished by the Spirit of God O the joy and consolation in the hart when it findes the Lords hart powred out on it And without this sense of Gods loue towardes thee fy on thee if thou wert a king for all thy kingdomes if thou wert ruler ouer all fy on thy glorie and pleasure for all the things vnder Heauen may well minister to thee a false joy and peace in thy hart but they shall neuer giue thee the true joy for there is no true joy but through the sense of the loue of God in thy hart So there is the first gift and argument whereby he assure these Thessalonians that the thinges he askes for them shall be graunted to them without all doubt The next argument is And hes giuen vs consolation eternall In this word he summes vp all the blessinges giuen to man in Iesus Christ in tyme The secoÌ„d is eternall coÌ„solatioÌ„ our effectuall calling our justification through his righteousnesse forgiuenesse of sinnes and an acceptation in his fauor our sanctification by his Spirit the resurrection of the bodie and life eternal in glorie al these we haue in him to whom Paul maks this prayer So all the blessinges of God commes and meetes in the hart of man as in a centre they end all in consolation our effectual calling ends in consolation our justifying ends in consolation Therefore sayes Paul Rom 5. 1. Being iustified by faith vve haue peace tovvard God Then in one word As all blessing beginnes at the hart of God and at that loue he powres our on vs so al blessing ends in our hart The beginning is Gods the end is ours and our end is this that peace that passes all vnderstanding This loue of God is as a floode through the which slowes downe all these blessinges bestowed on vs which are as as many springs and conduits comming from that great and vnspeakable loue of God and entering once in vpon our harts wakens vp an infinite and vnspeakable joy in vs For from once that waâ—eâ— of the loue of God touch the hart there flowes such a consolation as is vnspeakable The Lord of Heauen giue euery one earnestnesse to seeke this consolation for it is the arlespenny of these euerlasting joyes which once we shall haue in Heauen throgh Iesus Christ He calles it eternall because it is a fontaine that neuer is stopped it neuer goes dry but euer runnes when the fountaine euer â—â—mes the riuer that runnes from it will neuer goe dry And therefore when that fountaine of loue in the hart of God commes in thy hart thy consolation must laste for euer his loue running down in thy hart makes thy joy euerlasting The thinges of this world when thou gettest them will waken vp some joy in thy hart but that joy which thou hast the day thou wilt want to morrow for it is not permanent but as for that joy which proceeds of the loue of God it hes no end it is eternall and therefore they that will seeke consolation in Iesus shal neuer haue an end of joy Indeed sometymes this our joy seemes to be troubled heere because it is compassed with many crosses and afflictions but the Lord from tyme to tyme makes our joy sensible and wakens it vp in vs and when thou shalt be in Heauen thou shalt haue an endles consolation without any vicissitude or alteration for euer Seek then I pray you for this loue of God as ye wold be euerlastinglie blessed with this joy vnalterable Now the third benefite is good hope He calles it good because it is of the best thing The third good hope that euer was that is it is of that cheefe felicitie for vvhat is it vve hope for Euen that consummation of our cheefe and euerlasting felicitie vvith our God vve hope for that possession of the glorie of our Lord Iesus and therefore it is not vvithout reason that it is called good hope Wherefrom flowes it Euen as consolation flowes from loue so hope flowes from consolation Rom. 15. 4. and consolation is as an arlespenny that God puttes in thy hand that thou shalt get theÌ„ full payment of the whole summe And therefore it wakens vp thy hart to hope so that when I get a peece of consolation I am induced to hope certainely that that Lord that hes giuen me that arlespenny shal not leaue me till he fil my hart with the fulnesse of consolation for the saciety and full contentment is not till we see Christ face to face and vntill this tyme we must liue by hope In end he sayes all these thinges are by grace Loue is by grace consolation is by grace hope is by grace that is of the free fauour of God without any desert or merite on mans part And it is vvell vvith vs that it is noâ— so that all is of free grace vvithout out merite for if any blessing of God hang vpon a mans merite vpon his doing and deseruing alas vveak vvould this ground be and there vvould not be one day but vve should fall from the grace If it 〈◊〉 depended on me I vvould lose it euerie moment of the day So the ground of thiâ— suretie and stabilitie of Gods blessinges is onely in God euen his free grace and loue When the Lord regardes thee not for ought that is in thee but lookes to himselfe then thou hast stedfastnesse by the grace of God as ye may collect of the 4. chap. to the Rom. verse 16. Therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede If the inheritance hang vpon thy stinking vvorkes for thou fylest the vvorkes of the holy Spirit in thee thou shouldst neuer see Heauen And thou that vvilt stick by such a ground and say Heauen and saluation depends on thy vvorks thou shalt find thy selfe frustrate in that day and shall not attaine to that inheritance that thou looked for for there is no blessing of God in Christ but that that hangs vpon the free fauor and mercy of God to vs in Iesus Christ All the vvorld shall not louse this ground In the last verse vve haue the thinges he prayes for to these Thessalonians I pray the Lord Iesus Christ and God euen our Father that they would comfort your harts The next establishe you in euerie vvord of the trueth and euerie good vvorke Praier for consolation These are the tvvo thinges he prayes for consolation and perseuerance in well doing Hes he not said before that God the father had giuen them eternall consolation what is the crause then he praies for it as though they had not gotten it He sayes he hes giuen vs eternall consolation and now he sayes I pray the Lord Iesus that he would comfort you How can these two stand Mark brethren
This he sayes to tell vs that consolation is gotten by praier look the necessity of prayer If there be no prayer at no tyme there is no consolation that man that cannot pray to God and beg comfort at his hand that manifest neuer spirituall consolation in his hart Goe to experience I pose thee in thy conscience felt thou euer comfort without prayer No if there be not prayer to God thou shalt haue no comfort and more if there be not continuance in prayer thou shalt get no continuance in consolation Leauest thou off prayer looke whether consolation will leaue thy hart or not Leauest thou off in prayer to meditate on Iesus Christ I pose the whether the consolation in the hart leaues thee or not Againe striuest thou to keepe that presence of Iesus Christ by prayer and in all thy exercises castes a blenke to Iesus Christ be not so exercised that thou forget Iesus Christ hast thou thy eyes euer on Iesus by prayer and meditation wilt thou not finde a joy and swetnes in thy hart such as thou cannot be able to expres Againe when thou art so fixt on the things in this world yea euen in thy lawfull exercise for in thy lownry thou cannot haue an eye to God that thou cannot get a peece of thy hart to God it may be that thou haue a carnall and false joy but true joy and comfort hast thou not Well then brethren that peace and consolation flowes of prayer and earnest meditation in Iesus Therefore as the Apostle sayes Philip. 4. 6. 7. Be not solist for any thing but in euerything let thy requests be shovven forth to God and that by all maner of prayer and supplication and supponing thou get not the wordly releefe I shall tell thee what thou shalt finde the peace of God that passes all vnderstanding shall stand about thee as a guard and what lakest thou if thou hast that peace and tranquillity of thy soule And what hast thou if thou lakest this peace Now fy on al if thou lake this guarde of Gods peace if thou wert a king or Monarch abounding in riches pleasure and honour what shall all auaile thee So he drawes consolation from God by prayer And as it is sure that euery thing that liues hes the being and continuance of God So it is as sure that that person that is disposed to pray keepes and shall keepe the comfortable presence and peace of God that passes all vnderstanding Therefore the Lord dispose our harts to pray that by praier we may keepe some meditation and presence of Iesus Christ in our harts Kings will leaue their kingdomes Lords their lordshippes and euerie man will leaue this world and all that is vvithin it but vvoe to that man vvhom God leaues when the world leaues him The next thing he prayes for is that the Lord would establish them Praier for perseuerance as we say settle them and make them firme and stable not changing and wagging as the busse wagges and so inconstant in their religion but that they be settled Ye heard wherein stood our perseuerance It stood in holding a fast grippe of the Apostles doctrine the trueth of God Now here I finde more He prayes to God and Iesus Christ that they would establishe them that is hold a grippe of them So that in our perseuering there must be two things of necessitie The one is thy hand must be festned or else thou wilt fall for there was neuer one that had not his hart festned vpon the trueth of Iesus Christ by holding a grip of it but he fell downe to Hell The other thing The Lord must hold a grippe of thee or else thou cannot be able to keepe thy grip so thou must grippe and God must grip thee thou must stand on a fundation which is Iesus Christ and the Lord God himself must hold thee on thy fundation for otherwise thy feet will slip off the ground So euer say Lord hold me on this ground and fundation or else I wil not be able to stand one moment Now then to come to the fundations whereon we must stand and whereon the Lord must establish vs they are these first euerie vvord of this trueth and next euerie good vvorke Ye may see there are two fundations heere whereon thou must stand for he that would stand to the end must haue his feete set a spar-waies he must not stand on a slippery place nor on one foote onely but he must haue a sure ground and must stand on both his feete and euery foot must haue the own ground-stone to stand on and the first ground is the Gospell of Iesus Christ Therefore first lift thy right foot and set it on the trueth of God the Gospell of Iesus The next ground is holinesse of life and good works flowing from the former then take thy left foote and set it on holinesse of lyfe and euery good worke and then both thy feete stands sure I shal make this plaine There are two things in man the hart and the hand The man that would stand must haue hart and hand both fastned The hart must be first fastned and locked on the Gospell of Christ Iesus and that by the lock and bond of faith and next the hand must be fastned too and it must grip first to euerie good turne thinke it not eneugh to haue thy hart exercised If thy hand be idle or doing euill for if thy hand be not well exercised it shall be doing euil keepe these two fast then thy hart on the word of God and thy hand on euery good worke and then firmely shalt thou stand These two are so joyned together that they cannot be seuered for if thou six thy hart on the Gospell of Iesus Christ of necessity thy hand shall be exercised in well doing keepst thou one of them thou keepst both losest thou one of these two thou losest both for it shall passe thy power to haue a good turne in thy hand if thou want the Gospell of Christ Iesus in thy hart As by the contrare hant euill doing and then come to heare the Gospell in despyte of thy hart thou shalt not get the Gospell within thy hart but thou shalt want Christ Therefore as thou would keepe one keepe both and striue to fasten thy hart and hand on both and I shall assure thee in the name of Iesus Christ that he wil hold his hand to thee and stand shalt thou fast to the end vntill thou be put out of all danger For when once thou art brought to the mark and comes to the rinkes end then thou shalt be out of all feare and danger For there is no defection in Heauen no falling nor stumbling there but an euerlasting stabilitie when this mirrour is away and we shal see our Sauiour Iesus face to face Therefore as the Apostle praies for stabilities to these Thessalonians Euen so I beseech Iesus Christ and God the father to keepe vs on
eneugh put me from his gun and pistolet sayes he I am sure eneugh and in the mean-tyme there is neuer suspition of the deuill stronger and subtiller then al the men in the world He wil get on a croslet and plateglufe ô miserable catiue what armour hast thou for the enemy of thy soule It is not with men we haue to do but with powers we haue not to do with flesh and bloud but with Empyres and Principalities Gouernours Princes of the world rulers in the Air. If thou hast adoe with Princes and Kings earthly they wil sute the field with thee but if thou hast adoe with the deuill as euery vnbeleeuer hes he will not sute the field with thee but he will be aboue thy head where thou shalt not get one stroke of him but he vvith great fetches and force will beate thee downe and vse thee at his pleasure Therfore it is not eneugh to pray to giue thee grace to stand and to keepe thee from such as are enemies bodily to thee but thou should say Lord keepe me from that euill one Satan from spirituall powers from that deuill thou art neuer free of him night nor day for he is going about like a roaring lyon seeking vvhom he may deuore 1. Pet. 5. 8. and when thou hast thus praied to be saued from the deuil then say Lord keep me from these bodily enemies Alas men liues carelesse of Satan as thogh there wer not a spiritual enemie while as there are millions of them to deuore thee for euer Ye see then this that is spoken to the Thessalonians is applyed to the whole Church of God in the world for this that he speaks of the Church of Thessalonica he meanes of the Church of God euery where that the Church hes many enemies the Church of Christ hes and euer had and shall haue many enemies The 〈◊〉 â—es many enemies the Church it selfe is but an handful in respect of the multitude both of spirituall and bodily enemies multitudes of deuils multitudes of wicked men and wemen in the world and therfore she cannot be without some noy and hurt no think it not But there is a consolation The Church of Iesus Christ shal neuer be tread vnder foote the deuill and all his supposis shall neuer tread on her nor ouercome the Church of God Hold that fast for a sure ground The Church of God shal neuer be vtterly ouerthrowne and this is a wonderfull thing And yet brethren as the might and omnipotency of God appeares in other things so especially his might appears in holding vp a poore handful of the poorest and vilest bodies in the world in appearance against such multitudes of strong and mighty both spiritual and bodily enemies and the Lord will be glorified in this few number and in end he shall make that handfull to tread on the necks of the multitude of the wicked vpon Princes necks and on Powers and Principalities and on the deuill himselfe The cause of her standing is because she is grounded on Iesus Christ who is immutable and vnchangeable she reposing and leaning on Iesus shall stand still and be vnalterable as long as he is vnalterable which is euerlastingly all the power of the world and Hell shal neuer ouerthrow her and bring her at vnder This is her joy that she shall neuer finally fall but shall stand notwithstanding of all assaults for euer And at last be victorious ouer oer enemies through the strength of him on whom she reposes Now to this God the Father Sonne and holy Spirit be praise and honor AMEN THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 4. 5. 6. 4 And vve are persvvaded of you through the Lord that ye both doe and vvill doe the things vvhich vve command you 5 And the Lord guide your harts to the loue of God and the vvaiting for of Christ. 6 We command you brethren in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye vvithdravv your selues from euery brother that vvalleth inordinatly and not after the instruction vvhich he receiued of vs. THIS last part brethren of the Epistle of Paul written to the Thessalonians containes precepts and admonitions to liue an holy and christian lyfe The last day wel ad in hands the first precept which concerneth prayer to God which is the cheefest exercise that a christian man can haue in this world there is none before it Therefore he began to pray and as he had prayed for them immediatlie before so he craues of them a recompence which is pray for me againe and good reason that when I pray for thee thou pray for me againe When the Pastor prayes for the flock the flock should interceede againe with God by prayer for him So the Apostle sayes Pray for vs for me and my fellow-laborers from whom in common this Epistle was directed But for what things should they pray to him The first thing is the Gospel and what of it Pray that it may runne and haue a free course through the world And what more That the Gospel of Christ running throgh shold not run through the mouthes and eares of men onely that is a small matter if there be no more but that in running it may haue the course with power and effectualnesse in the hearts of the hearers working lyfe and saluation in them and so consequently she may be glorified that is that men and wemen feeling the great force may be inforced to glorifie her in this world for none will glorifie the Gospell but he that feeles the power of it in his hart and to whom the Gospell is the power of God to saluation The next thing that he craues they should pray for is for his person the persons of his fellow-laborers that we sayes he may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men He giues the reason of this desire All men hes not â—aith When we goe abroad preaching the Gospell we will haue great opposition of many wicked men euil inclined in hart euil disposde in hand so that our persons must be oft in great danger Therefore pray for vs And the ground is all men hes not faith Howbeit some will professe God and religion yet in very deed God is not in their hart Christ dwelleth not in them by faith they are not elect and therefore they beleeue not It is dangerous to be amongst them yea euen for the persons of men for without Christ the hart of a man is as cruell as is the hart of a Tyger and Lyon or any wylde beast before it be drawen away from that cruelty and tamed by faith in Iesus Christ this is the nature of all men Then in that third verse lest that matter concerning faith and the scarcitie of it should haue offended them and moued them to doubt and to thinke it might be that they should fall away from the faith He sayes the Lord is faithfull and he shall
giue me grace to loue thee as thou bidst me hope so worke thou hope in me otherwise I will neuer be answerable to thy command Now to the words I pray God to direct your harts to the loue of God Ye see here wherfore he praies not for their mouth or tonge nor for their eies nor for none of these outward members but his prayer is for their harts that the Lord would direct their harts What meanes this To wit that the directer the guider and ruler of all these outward members of the eyes tongue and mouth of the hand and foote is the hart she sittes in the midst and guides all so that if she her selfe be first well guyded ruled and disposed it shall be well with all the members of thy bodie she shall guide thy tongue and brydle thy mouth in speaking and guide thy hand in doing it shall be well with thy eyes and eares she shall not suffer thee to looke or heare wrong and so well is the person that hes a well guyded hart and well disposed mynde For then as for the outward members they shal be all made wapons of righteousnesse to serue God but if the hart be euill disposed but if it be backward and peruerse as it is of nature there shal not be so much as the least member of the bodie but al shal goe the wrong way thy foote shall goe to mischieefe a murtherers hart stirres his foote to murther thy hand shall be a wapon of vnrighteousnesse to fight against God thy eye shall be looking to euill and likewise all the rest all shall be set to do wickednesse And therefore as the hart craues heere prayer for guiding of it so euery part of the bodie craues prayer for it As the Apostle prayes so let vs pray Lord guide my hart my hand my foote No the least member craues prayer but begin at the first stirrer the hart and say Lord guide my hart that all the rest of my members may followe her Alas the neglect of this prayer to God that he would guide the hart makes the hart a foule stinking puddle There is no stinking flewer to the stinke of a foule hart ô if thou felt it that thou might detest it If it be not purged thou shalt neuer see the face of God if thou ly still in the filth of thy hart and euery day in thy hart contract some further filth remember I forewarne thee the intolerable judgement of God shall be heaped on thy head as thou heapest filth vpon filth Now what craues he to their harts I pray the Lord sayes he to direct your harts The word in the owne language signifies a straightning as it wer an euen lyne for brethren consider the hart of man as it is disposed by nature and by this foule birth of ours all within vs is foule without that renuing Spirit of Iesus Christ it comes in this world crooked manshart crooked by nature and bowed in as a crooked tree bowed away from God to the deuill from al good things to all euil and mischiefe It is backward that is the terme that the Scripture giues it euery man is borne vvith a backvvard hart bowed downward from God And therefore what thing should thou craue to the hart what should thou aske for it It is not euen eneugh no so long as thou liuest there shall be ay a crooke in it What should thou pray for it then Euen this Lord make it euen put this peruersnesse out of it for so long as it bydes in this backvvardnesse it is not possible but thy vvraith must be on it Then pray for two things to thy hart First to mak straight thy crooked hart and say Lord I finde my hart crooked vvithin me bovving avvay from thee Lord put in day holy Spirit in it and straighten it And againe because it is impossible so long as I liue that I can attaine vnto an hart altogether straight Lord hyde the crookes of my hart with that mantle of the righteousnesse of Christ Trovvest thou that thou could stand one moment before that Majestie that cannot looke on a crooke except thy crook were couered with that mantle of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ Therefore our prayer should be Lord let Christ my Mediator euer stand betweene me and thee to hold off thy wraith and fire of thy countenance Now folovves in the end of the verse tvvo pointes vnto the vvhich the hart should be directed manshart should be directed to tvvo things 1. the loue of God The thing that is made straight must be directed to a pointe The first pointe whereinto the hart must be directed is the loue of God the next is the patient avvaiting for of Christ. To speake of the first The hart as it is bowed and alienated from euerie good thing so first it is bowed from God and his loue be assured as thou art borne thou louest not God No thy nature inclines to hate him so deadlie that thou hast no vvill nor pleasure once to thinke of him the hart abhortes by nature the verie cogitation of him and faine vvould thou haue that conscience that aduerises thee of him to be pulled avvay Many vvould be quyte of their conscience that is euer sounding to them of God thou would giue a kingdome if thou had it to be quite of it And as thou wold not think of him by nature so thou vvould neuer heare of him there is such a naturall hatred against God in the hart of man for all are borne as it were with their face away from God and their backs turned to God and the longer thou liuest the farther thou runnest from him except by his Spirit he turne thee and say to thee turne thee and looke on my face And therefore the first thing we should pray for should be Lord turne my hart to thee to loue thee and set it on thee This is the praier of the Apostle and it should be our prayer night and day What thing canst thou loue with any joy or delectation if thou first loue not God Will the Husband loue the wife if he loue not God first fy on thee and thy loue both for thy loue vvill be turned in hatred and thou vvilt cursse thy vvyfe and thy children if thou louest not God first and then them in God for this cause This is the first pointe vnto the which the hart should be directed Now the next pointe he calles Patience that is a patient hope Of vvhom Of Iesus Christ that is of his comming and consequently of thy euerlasting saluation that shall be reueiled at his comming 2. Patient avvaiting for Christ Brethren it is craued that the hart of man be set beyond any thing in this lyfe I tell thee thy hart must be directed farther nor any grace thou can get in this lyfe farther nor faith nor the loue of God vvhich is the preciousest thing thou can haue thy hart must be set on things
true brother from a fained brother There are sundrie seuerings One when we seuere our selues from these that are publictly excommunicate Another when men quietly draws themselues from them that liues inordinatly No it is not eneugh to say He is not excommunicate and therefore I may hant his company No but I say If he liue not well and holilie begin thou to draw thy self from him before that by that publike censure he be casten from thee Now from whom should he withdraw himselfe He sayes From euery brother what euer they be to thee and of what estate soeuer they be of And who is this brother He that takes on the name of a Christian and yet in effect is not a Christian company not with such a man if his lyfe fightes against his name away with him let him stand his alone There are many sortes of euill company but of all sortes the worst and most dangerous is a brother that is an euill man of lyfe and takes vpon him the name of a Christian and be assured thou shalt get more euill of such a companion nor thou shalt get of an Heathen or Pagane Is it not trovvest thou a dangerous thing to haue company vvith a brother that is an adulterer and a murtherer will he not infect thee Fy on thee that vvithdravves not thy selfe from him for a brother that hes onely but a bare name of a Christian and not the lyfe of a Christian is lyke a lumpe of sovvre leauen for if it be casten in a vvhole baking it vvill sowre all the rest euen so he will infect all So if there be a false brother in thy company if thou be homely with him thou shalt be within fewe dayes made such a man as he is for familiaritie makes conformitie in maners And therfore men when they goe to the scaffold to execution ye haue heard haue oft curssed euill company Familiaritie with a fained brother shal make thee cold in Religion and draw thee to his maners and so being inuolued in his sinnes thou shalt haue a part of his punishment And what a brother is this from vvhom thou should vvithdrawe thy selfe One that liues inordinatly that is that liues not according to my doctrine and rule and what rule hes he preseryued Looke Ephes 4. 28. to witte that euerie man should labour and that euerie one should eate their owne breade And if thou hast not laboured but hes bene idle all day looke that thou put not a nip in thy mouth for there is an Inhibition Let him not eate that labours not This is the rule Now learne how holy this christian lyfe should be for by them that walkes inordinatly he meanes not of men openly wicked and disobedient as open adulterars murtherars oppressors c. but he meanes of idle bodies that are out of all calling and are not labouring but are busie bodies clauerers and pratlers looking here there making that a mean to win their liuing by as dron-bees enters in the skeppes and soukes vp the honey of the labouring bees so they souke vp the meate that others hes win with the sweate of their browes So as idle busie bodie is euill company clap him as ye will entertaine him as ye please he is a plague and he will infect thee for if he haue not a certaine calling let him speake of Religion as he will no religion will follow him for the Lord giues not a blessing to any but to him that hes some honest calling Another thing marke heere Let none pretend the Gospell of Christ to their idlenesse fy on the mouth that speaks of Christ and then is out of all calling and idle speake not one word or one mum of Christ if thou hast not a calling and be exercisde therein I tell thee Christs Gospell takes not away any good order but ratifies it The Lawes of Policie hes ordeinde that euery one haue a calling and the Gospell ratifies the same Law and it is Christs will that men keepe themselues in their calling It is not lawfull vnder pretence of Christianitie and Religion to cast off a calling for as God is the God of order so he lookes euer that men be in an honest calling If thou be idle thou offendest him and prouokst him to wraith therefore looke to thy self 〈…〉 that thou be not out of all calling yea rather ere thou sit idle be exercised in the vylest calling and vocation that euer was Now I beseech the Lord that as he hes appointed euerie one of vs to be exercised in some lawfull calling winning our liuing with the sweate of our browes so he would grant that we may faithfully trauaile in our lawfull calling and that he woulde joyne his blessing to our labours that hauing sufficiencie for our pilgrimage heere we may consecrate soule and bodie to him who cares for vs and blesses vs in all thinges that this lyfe being ended we my be assured to rest from our labors with Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and holy Spirit be all honour and praise for euer AMEN THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 7. 8. 9. 10. 7 For ye your selues knovve hovv ye ought to follovv vs for vve behaued not our selues inordinatly among you 8 Neither tooke vve bread of any man for nought but vve vvroght vvith labour and trauaile night and day because vve vvould not be chargeable to any of you 9 Not but that vve had authoritie but that vve might make our selues an ensample vnto you to follovve vs. 10 For euen vvhen vve vvere vvith you this vve vvarned you of that if there vvere any vvhich vvould not vvorke that he should not eate THIS last part of this Epistle we shewe you contained precepts and admonitions concerning Christian life and conuersation The first precept and admonition was to pray and that for Paul and his fellow-labourers Syluanus and Timotheus who with him directed this Epistle to them The next precept was generall desiring them to doe and continue in euery thing he had commaunded them The thirde precepte was particulare that they should take heede to their harts and set them first on the loue of God and secondly vpon the patient hope and awaiting for the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ The fourth precept concerneth societie and fellowship and warnes them to withdraw themselues from euery Christian that keepes the name and walked inordinatly that is not according to the â—ale he had set downe to them to follow In this precept first we haue the forme how he propones it the forme is graue I denounce sayes he in the Name of the Lord that ye withdrawe your selues By this forme he teaches vs how hard it is to seuere the best of vs all from evill company for this remanent corruption that abydes in the renewed men cleaues so fast to euil company that oft-tymes it preuailes against the Spirit so that men must be reauen
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