other according to the just nature of God Now in the end he addes to this word vvith vs. He shall render relaxation to you and to me also I am troubled as you are And therefore I hope for the same deliuerance and relaxation that I promise to you Promise nothing to the people but the thing thou thinkest to get a parte of thy selfe Promise no resurrection except thou thinkest to get a parte thereof But the thing I marke is this I see all grace and glorie is in a societie vvith the Saintes resurrection lyfe euerlasting is vvith the godlie For as there is a communion vvith the Saintes in afflictiones 1. Peter chap. 5. verse 9. so there is a communion with the Saintes in rest in grace and glorie Ephes chap. 3. verse 14. 1. Thessa chap. 3. verse 13. And this thing we may take vp euer in this Apostle he speakes of no grace but euer together vvith the Saintes all is in one conjunction Let none therefore prease to come to Heauen but in this conjunction Thou wilt leape from the Church but I assure thee leape as thou wilt and think to come to Heauen without that societie thou shalt neuer come to Heauen thou shalt neuer get relaxation but in this society Thinke it no small matter to be of the number of the godly thou shalt neuer be glorified in that latter day if thou be not one of that nomber Then marke another thing He sayes they shall get relaxation with him Then it followes that he was afflicted with them Who gettes rest but they who are troubled Who will come to Heauen None but they who for Christs sake on the earth hes suffered some affliction either within or without No look not that a man will come sleeping to Heauen Heauen is a relaxation out of bondes who can be lowsed but they who haue â—ene bound This may learne vs to take in patience to be bound to be euill spoken of and to suffer either one thing or other for the hope of that lyfe euerlasting Novv to goe forvvarde in the text follovving ye haue a short but a pithie description of the Lord Iesus comming to judgement to render and repay When shall this rendring be When shall affliction be rendered to the afflicters and relaxation to the bound and troubled When our Lord Iesus Christ shall come to iudge the vvorld Not till then There is the dyet nothing but patience vntill then Thou art ouer sudden Thou would haue the Lord rendering to thee rest and to thy enemie trouble at the first moment Thou would haue him to put thee in Heauen at the first hand and thy enemies in Hell at an instant No byde till the tyme of the manifestation come Tyme of rendring Then the tyme of rendering is the tyme of manifestation of light it is the day of light of such a light as was neuer in the world for while Christ come all is hid Heauen is hid Hell is hid Right is hid wrong is hid damnation is hid saluation is hid lyfe hid death hid godlie men is hid reprobate men hid all hid till Christ come to judgment 1. Iohn chap 3. verse 2. When Christ shall come he shall be first reuealed from Heauen an infinite light shall come from Heauen accompanying that glorious Majestie Then Hell shall be seene Heauen shall be seene faire and broad lyfe shall be seene death shall be seene all shall appeare then as they are So byde still a whyle and byde in patience thou who would haue relaxation and thy bondes shall be loused in patience byde till that tyme. Thou that would see afflicters afflictedâ—ly still in patience for in that moment when thou shal see the Lord comming from Heauen thou shalt see an end of all these thinges such rendring as euer thou would haue desyred So nothing but patience Now marke the style the Lord gettes in this reuelation and comming He is called The Lord A style of glorie a name of power So the Lord in his comming and manifestation shall be manifested lyke a Lord and in a surpassing power ouer quick and dead Rom. chap. 14. verse 9. He died and rose againe that he might be Lord both of the quick and the dead Then againe he is called Iesus that is a Sauiour as he shall be manifested at that day as a Lord so shall he be manifested as a sweete Sauior Iesus to the just and godly of this world So then his appearance shall be as a Lord and Sauior to the comfort of his elect and as a Lord in power to the destruction of the wicked Now to goe forward I shall not be â—urâ—ous but shall open onely the wordes The Lords comming and reuealing himselfe as Lord and as Iesus the Sauior is descriued and set out in an high glorie Christ shal come froÌ„ heauen His reuelation shall first be from the Heauen That word Heauen is not put in lightly He is reuealled not from the earth or from any low part No Monarchs that euer reuealled themselues in the world came downe yet from Heauen The Lords reuelation when he shall show himselfe to the world shal be from the Heauen The Heauen now is a vaile casten in betweene our eyes and the Lord. So that we cannot see him but at that day the Lord of glorie shall break downe throâ—gh the vaile and come down to the aire to be seene by vs. Now if ye wil aske what an Heauen this is Paul 4. chap. to the Ephes vers 9. 10. saies he was caried to an heauen aboue aâ— theâ—e heauens which we see And therefore these Heauens from the which the Lord shal appeare is a place aboue He shall break throgh all these Heauens while he offer himself to be seene in the clouds Then this comming from Heauen lets vs see he shall come to his in glory The greater glorie the greater comfort to vs the greater discomfort to the wicked the greater feare and trembling to the reprobate Take heed to this ye who takes pleasure in sin what feare and terror shall ouertake you in that day So this is the first part Now in the next wordes he is desâ—ryued from his companie that shall conuoy him Angelles shal accoÌ„pany Iesus in his coÌ„ming The Lord in his second comming he shal not come his alone in the first comming he came in the world basely like a poore man accompanied with no glorious traine The Lord was made poore that thou should be made rich the Lord took vpon him igâ—â—miny that thou shold get glory Now in the second comming he shall be gloriously aâ—companied No neuer Monarch was so accompanied when they came to their kingdom as the Lord Iesus shal They shal woÌ„der that he going in his first comming in the world so poorely should haue such glory The first company he shal come with shall be Angels the gloriousest creatures that euer was not one or two but millions of Angels principalities and powers Iude
sayes 14. vers the Lord 〈◊〉 come vvith thoulands of his Sâ—ints And I say as I think there shall not be an Angell in Heauen but all shall come with Iesus And what shall be then habite They shall come like an armie al as it were in aâ—mes Men who are in their armour in their harnes they appeare most glorious to the world So all the Angels shall come as an army armed with power and therefore it is said Angels of his povver terrible to the wicked because they shall be enarmed against them comfortable to the godly for they come for their defence The Angels in their owne nature are strong by their creation potent they are principalities powers by vertue of their own nature But the word would import more They shall not onely be strong with their owne power but they shall come enarmed with the power of Christ with an exceeding and extraordinary kinde of power such a power that they were neuer sene in before in such a majesty as neuer was seene of before and al to the glory of that glorious Lord Iesus who is Lord and judge blessed for euer An earthly king when he is in his greatest glory is but accompanied with selie infirme creatures who hes little strength But the Lord Iesus who is King of kings shall be accompanied at his comming with Angels of such an infinite strength that the deuill and all the world shall not be able to withstand any one of them Now to goe forward the next companie that shall be with him shall be creatures something inferior Not so glorious as the Angels Flaming fyre shall accoÌ„pany Christ. but very glorious a flamming fire a fire with a great flame and therefore fire that shall cast downe from it exceeding great heat and light to the world Ye will aske what fire will this be I will not be curious heerein but I think that that fyre that shall be at that day shall be that same naturall element that the Lord created when he made the rest of the creatures This appeares very vvell of Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. vers 6. 7. When he sayes the first world was destroyed by vvater and the second vvorld shall be destroyed vvith fyre Certainely as the first vvorld vvas destroyed by a naturall vvater so shall the second vvorld be destroyed by a naturall fyre This fyre shall then appeare in such a glorie quantitie and light as it vvas neuer of before because it is imployed in the seruice of a most glorious Lord. Would ye knovve vvhat shall be the vse of this glorious fyre Read 2. Epist of Peter chap. 3. This fire going before him shall burne first the heauens then it shall come to the elements and melt them all vvith heat It shal next come to the earth and shall burne vp the earth and all the works Would ye know what shall come after There shall be a new heauen and a new earth And so this fire shall serue for the purifying and burning of the drosse of the creatures for all the creatures the Heauen the Earth the Sunne the Moone heâ— drawen on a corruption through our sinnes But is there no other vse of this fire This fire shall also in the Lords justice be a fire to deuoure the aduersaries Heb. chap 10. verse 27 to burne the reprobate for eeuer And therefore vaine man who takes pleasure in thy sinnes let â—he memorie of this flamming fire terrifâ—e thee that in tyme thou may repent Now this much for that glorious companie where-with the Lord Iesus shall be accompanied in that glorious comming Now come to the effects in the next words When he is come from the Heauen accompanied with the glorious Angels and flamming fire certainely he will not come for nothing Kings in the earth may fliâ— their campes for nothing but the King of glorie will not doe so Now the effect in one word is rendering repaying recompencing the judgement is in rendering to euery one his owne due In rendering first he beginnes at the godles and wicked after his comming in such a glorie He shall render the wicked that which is due to them that is vengeance To whom To them that knovv God on this earth 〈◊〉 them that obeyed not the Gospell of the Lord Iesus Marke it The Lord keepe vs from the causes of this rendering There shall be none that knew not God Faith accoÌ„panied vvith a troup of graces and obeyed not the voyce of Christ in the Gospell but vengence shall ouertake them in that glorious appearing of that judge in the world These are the two great â—aultes and sinnes that shall procure in the day of judgement vengence from Iesus Christ Now as there are two thinges that procures this vengence so there are two things that brings life at that great appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ The first is the knowledge of God The next is the knowledge of his Sonne the Lord Iesuâ— Christ Iohâ— chap. 17. verse 3. This is lyfe euerlasting to know thee to be the onely God and whom thou hast 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ knowe these two knowe God knowe Christ in his Gospell 〈◊〉 vengence shall not ouertake thee Then by the plaine contrare There are two grounds and causes of death and damnation The misknowing of God and the 〈…〉 of Iesus heere 〈◊〉 in his Gospell and these two are 〈…〉 gether Then brethren in one word Let not the Iew be bold to say he knowes God when he knowes not his Son all the knowledge a man can haue of God when he knowes not his Sonne is nothing for God the Father cannot be knowne but in his Son Iesus Christ and without the knowledge of God in his Son there is no saluation from judgement The Son is the Image of God and God will be knowne in him Heb. chap. 1. verse 3. He is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingraued forme of his person So that there can be no sight of God but in the face of Christ the man Ioyne these two together know God know the Son know the Son that thou may know the Father for no sight of the Father but in the Son This further wold be marked When he speaks of obedience to Christ He sayes not they that obeyed not the Lord Iesus but he sayes They vvho obeyed not the Gospell of the Lord Iesus This is spoken to the commendation of the Gospell and of the preaching of it and this base ministry which men esteemes so litle of Looke how he rankes this Gospell and the preaching of it with Christ himselfe He counts them that obey the Gospell to obey Christ and he counts them who are rebellious to the Gospell to be rebels to Christ And therefore say I boast as thou wilt of Christ and of the knowledge of him if thou despise this Gospel and this base ministry vengence shall light on thee Thou wilt say thou knowest Christ and in the meane time there wil be nothing in
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
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
shalt not see a glorious member beside thee but of sight of it thou shalt haue such joy as no tongue can tell So I beseech you as ye would rejoice in Heauen beginne to joy and learne in tyme to rejoyce for the graces of God bestowed on others here and learne in time to loue thy nighbourâ—ó thou licentious bodie learne to loue ô contemner learne to loue thou back byter learne to loue thou who wouldst rejoice with a true joy learne to loue or thou shalt neuer rejoyce in Heauen What trow ye ` Paul is doing now when Timothie is turned back to him and makes this good report of this charitie and is rejoysing I tell you he is gathering vp the frutes of his trauell taking vp his rent and stipend from the Thessalonians Pastors stipend What is the rewarde of a faithfull Pastor and his proper stipend Is it this little thing on the earth his gleab and manse two or three chalders of victuall no. What then is the proper rewarde of the Pastor It filles not the hand but the heart not the mouth of this world but the mouth of the soule with joy Fill out my ioy sayes Paul Philipp 2. 2. fill it out I haue not gotten it all What is that that fils the hart of the Pastor with joy The grace of God fils the heart vvith ioy ye heare not that Timothie bringes any substance from the Thessalonians But the thing that filles Pauls heart is the grace of God in the Thessalonians the saith of the Thessalonians the loue and good affection the Thessalonians bare to him That is the matter of his joy Men standes on this earth and is loath to giue one penny to an other but to draw al in to them selues but I say to thee if thou be one of Gods and of his people he shall get more of thee nor al thy heritage nor all thy lands and riches in the world if he be a faithfull Pastor he shall get more of thee For thou shalt haue no grace nor faith nor charitie but he shall get the glorie of it thou shalt haue no glorie in Heauen but that glorie shall redound to his glorie for that chiefe Pastor of al Pastors hes communicate this to his Pastors that all the graces bestowed by him on the people shal redound to their glorie So he will haue all the trauels bestowed on the people by his Pastour to redound the glorie of his Pastor Paul sayes 1. Thessa 2. 19. What is our ioy or crovvne of 〈◊〉 are not ye Thessalonians my glorie and my joy The Lord shall take you by the hand giue you to me and say haue there the man thou hast win take the glorie thereof to thee and giue me the whole glorie of him and of all ô the shinning glorie that Paul shall haue in Heauen ô the shinning glorie of these men who hes trauelled on earth to get soules to God! they haue a glorious preferment but it is not seene heere in that day ye shall see it clearlie Now he aggreadges that joy he receiued of that report from the great trouble he had in Athens and sayes vve had consolation in all our affliction and necessitie In Athens he was troubled by the Epicurian and Stoick Philosophers Alas worldlie-wise men are not meete for the kingdome of God he that would be wise in God let him be a foole So he is in trouble HeaueÌ„lie ioy svvalovves vp vvorldlie payne yet this consolation through the report of Timothie swalowes vp the trouble ô that heauenlie consolation and joy how it will swalow vp the displeasure and heauines of the soule Albeit the soule wer filled with sorrow when this heauenlie joy comes in it swalowes vp that heauinesse it is true that this is not without a battell and a hard battell but in the end the spirituall joye vvill get the victorie Therfore thou vvho art in heauines prease to get some spark of that heauenlie joy prease to rejoice in Christ grow in rejoycing in God Thou who wouldst haue any paine mitigate that is laid on thy bodie if it were sicknesse or death it selfe if thou wouldst haue it made light seeke that spirituall joy for as it swalowes the dolor and displeasure of the hart so it swalowes vp the paine of the bodie trow ye thaâ— the Martyres could haue suffred so great paine as they did if that the joy of the heart had not swalowed vp the half of the paine No if the joy had not impared the paine they vvould haue curssed God and man So let a man or vvoman vvho would haue their paine mitigate seeke to get this joy We see how sweetlie they vvill depart out of this life vvho hes that joy in Christ and therefore differre not till the last houre thinking to get joy then but in tyme vvhen thou art neither sicke nor sore in soule nor bodie prepare thee to get a sense of that joye that may be steadable in trouble acquaint thee vvith heauen as euer thou vvouldst goe to heauen Avvaye with the securitie of men who playe the vvanton and will promise to them selues heauen if they get but leaue to aske mercie in their last breath Fy on them they shall be deceyued It is true Delay of repentaÌ„ce daÌ„gerous the theefe that hung at Christs right hand got mercie but the other theefe got none Therefore repent amend your liues in time for vvhere one gets repentance at the last houre of their death a thousand wants it Now ere I leaue this marke Certainelie it appeares that Paul loued the Thessalonians well for vvhen he heares the report of these good newes he who was in trouble is reuiued and if he had not loued the Thessalonians exceeding well hee had not receiued such exceeding joye Loue is the occasion of ioy Ye see who loues a man vvell when anie good report is made of him he will rejoice for it O the great loue of Paul in all parts it may be a mirror to all pastors Woulde to God that such loue or halfe loue were in our hearts wee are bounde to a Congregation and yet we can not loue them as he did hauing manie Congregations for he vvas minister as well at Corinthus Galatia Ephesus c. as Thessalonica Neuer did any man loue a sonne begotten of himself more intirelie nor Paul did all his Churches Surelie a Pastor should loue his flock so well that he should giue his life for them In the end of the verse he giues the reason wherefore he rejoyced vve liue sayes he if ye stand in the Lord. Ioy comes of life and naturall life brings naturall joy that heauenlie lyfe begun in this life brings joye vnspeakable He reasones Ye are nâ—y life what wounder then that hearing of your standing in the Lord which is my life I rejoice Then if he be a louing Pastor who loues the soule of the people well as Paul did the grace that the people gets of
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
judges is oft-tymes so blinded that he sees not the thing that is just for he will take vp the thing that is vnjust to be just and the thing that is just to be vnjust Then againe supponing by the light of the minde he see the thing that is just yet there is such a peruersnesse in his will and affection that in spyte of the light of the mynde he will peruert justice that thing he knowes to be just he will call it vnjust And the thing he knowes to be vnjust he will call it just But it is not so with God for first he by that infinite judgement in him sees that thing that is just to be just nothing can begyle him at the verie first looke he vvill knovve that vvhich is just And then againe vvhen he sees it to be just there is such an vprightnesse in him that he vvill decerne it to be just Then brethren it is vvell vvith vs that our lyfe and death dependes not on men vpon their judgement their speaking it is vvell vvith vs that our saluation and condemnation depends not on their blind and corrupt affection but on him that sees euery thing as it is and judges justlie There is the ground of our saluation Novv to goe forvvarde The effect of his justice vvhat is it The just Iudge sitting in his judgement seate he renders to euerie man their ovvne his justice standes in distribution He renders to the troublers by the saw called Lex talionis euen such thing as they did to wit trouble But to the godly he giues rest joy and comfort for euer What should he render to the afflicters but affliction To the troublers but tribulation againe So what euer man does he gettes the lyke repayed to him againe in his hand God readers infinite trouble to the afflicters of the godlie afflictes he he shall be afflicted trouble he he shall be troubled if all the world had said the contrare Indeed it is true brethren the affliction that he receiues albeit it be alyke in qualitie for affliction is euer like affliction yet looke to the quantitie of that trouble the troublers shall receyue It is incomparable in quantitie for in quantitie it shall be infinite All that which they may do to the godly is but finit and hes and end But that affliction where-with they shall be repayed home againe is infinite And therefore read the Rom. chap. 2. vers 8. 9. where Paul telles of that rendring alike at that great day he cannot get words sufficiently to expresse their affliction They shall get indignation then wraith they shall be opprest with tribulation anguish and shall be casten in the presse of affliction Whereto should we speake of this Can any words expresse it No all the words of the Angels of Heauen and men in the earth cannot expresse the affliction they shall be afflicted with in that day Indeed the afflictions the godly sustaines here may be suffered but the affliction the wicked shall suffer at that day shal be intolerable Now ye may say how can this stand with Gods justice to repay a thing infinite for a finite thing to render infinite affliction for finite affliction to render the paines of Hell for a short temporall paine I answer God in repaying wrong to them that hes done wrong lookes not so much to the wrong that one man does to another as to the wrong done to his owne Majesty that is infinite Thou oppressest thy neighbour thou troublest a brother The Lord when he commes to judge he looks not so much to the wrong thou hast done to thy neighbour or to thy brother as to the wrong done to himselfe He respects the wrong done to him who is infinite and therefore thou shalt be repayed with an infinite paine This is Gods justice Then againe Neuer a man that did wrong and that hes tane pleasure to do wrong did euer the wrong nor was able to doe so great wrong as he would haue done if he had gotten his will fulfilled in doing wrong there would neuer be an end of his wrong If the trouber had his vvill in troubling no end of his trouble If the murtherer had his vvill in murthering his bloodie svvord vvould neuer be put vp but he vvould euer be murthering he vvould be euer oppressing And therefore God in his judgment lookes not so much to the thing thou doest to the stroke of thy hand to the word of thy mouth as he looks to the thoght and will of thy mynde It hes no end of euill The Lord for thy endlesse euill vvill in hart vvill render thee an endlesse paine This much for the first rendering The second rendring is the rendring to the godly according to Gods justice What renders God to the godly Not as he did to the wicked affliction for affliction trouble for trouble but by the contrare vvhere they vvere afflicted lying tread dovvne in the presse of affliction then the Lord shall louse their bondes and take the oppressours and vvrap them in the same bondes and tread them vnder his feete So the second sort of rendering God renders infinite glory to the godly afflicted is rendering not alyke to alyke but a thing that is vnlyke rendering to the afflicted relaxation for euer Brethren there is no comparison betvveene the afflictions of the godlie and that vvhich the Lord shall render to them for their affliction That vvhich the godlie suffers is but a meane and small thing It is not vvorthie to be spoken of to be rent on the Raoks to be burnt quick for the name of Iesus is not vvorthie to be spoken of in respect of that wonderfull glorie we shall possesse The Apostle in that second chap. to the Romans 10. verse cannot get words to expresse their glory which they shall enjoy at that latter day Honour and glory that passes all the ignominie that can be in the world a thousand stages immortalitie thou shalt neuer die againe lyfe and lyfe that is without end peace and joy euerlasting There is no comparison In the 2. Corinth chap. 4. verse 17. Paul calles the afflictions of the godlie the momentaneall lightnesse of affliction they are first light then their afflictions lastes but for a moment Yet sayes he they shall vvorke to you an euerlasting vveight of glorie and glorie that is excellentlie excellent he cannot get vvordes to expresse it The glorie is in quantitie a vveight in tyme it is euerlasting in dignitie it is excellentlie excellent Whereto shall I speake it All the tongues that is in Heauen and earth is not able to expresse that glorie as it is vvorthie to be spoken of For in the 1. Epist to the Corinth chap. 2. verse 7. it is said These thinges hes not entered in the hart of man that the Lord hes prepared for them that loue him And who are they if not they who suffers for him This much for the rendring both to the one and the
of glorie There is not a Monarch that prydes himself in honourable styles and names that is comparable with the great Creator the Lord of the world yea set them altogether all are nothing in comparison with him because all are his all grace power and dominion in Heauen and earth is his and therfore look by how many graces his Majestie hes spread it selfe through Heauen and earth look how many graces he hes in his hand to giue so many seuerall and honourable styles may he receiue there is no end of his glory nor no end of his Names from his wisdome he is called the Lord of wisdome from his justice the Lord of justice from his mercy the Lord of mercy from his peace the Lord of peace from his glory the Lord of glory Now to goe forward Tvvo properties of peace 1. It is euerlasting There are two properties giuen to this peace The first It is for euer alvvayes it is not for a tyme onely but for all tymes It is not for this lyfe onely but for the lyfe to come This worldly peace serues but for this lyfe onely but the peace of Iesus Christ serues for the lyfe euerlasting The peace of God is not peace in prosperitie onely but in aduersitie also It is not peace in life onely but in death also And therefore Symen in his song when he had seene Iesus he sayes Novv Lord 〈…〉 depart in peace Luke 2. 29. the seruant of God as he liued in great peace so also departed in peace so this peace lastes for euer And therefore Esay 9. 7. when he hes called him the Prince of peace he sayes the largenesse of his dominion and increase of his 〈◊〉 at and peace shall haue no end his kingdome is an endles kingdome and there is an endles peace in that kingdome I called this peace our blessednesse Now this is the nature of blessednesse it cannot be bounded within any tearms if it be true selicitie bound it not compasse it not within a yeere within twentie yeeres or within a thousand yea within ten thousand yeeres for the nature of true blessednesse is euerlasting And therefore ye see worldly men that places their happinesse in worldly peace will dreame an eternity and perpetuitie to that peace of theirs that neither they nor their peace will haue an end That rich man in the Gospel Luke 12. 19. said to his soule Liue at ease eate and drinke and take thy pastime thou hast store laid vp for many yeeres trow ye not but he thought to liue for euer and thought that that aboundance should abyde with him for euer and so faires it with all worldlings they dreame a rest and peace for euer but the end will proue that they wer dreaming all their dayes Therefore Lord set our harts on that peace of Iesus Christ that lastes for euer This is then the first propertie of this peace of his It lasts for euer The second propertie of it is It is 〈…〉 of vvay It is peace in all respects not in one respect onely nor in some respects onely 2. It is in al respects but in euery respect I shall make this plaine The peace of Iesus Christ is peace in respect of God when our soules standes in friendship with him when we are reconceiled to him by the bloud of Iesus as it is said Rom 5. 1. Being iustified by faith vve haue peace tovvards God Then it is peace in respect of our selues an euill conscience is an euill enemie when thou stryuest not against thy owne affections but satisfies them then thy conscience will let thee get little rest it will ay be accusing thee but when once this peace of Iesus be giuen thee so that thou beginst to be regenerate and to lead an holy and sanctified lyfe then thy conscience rests and thou beginst to enjoy a joyfull peace in thy soule Philipp 4. 7. The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding preserue your harts and myndes in Christ Iesus and Col. 3. 15. Let the peace of God rule in your harts And againe it is peace in respect of the creatures of God with Angels in Heauen with men on earth man is enemie to man by nature then hauing this peace thou art at peace with Heauen and earth man and Angell for all are enemes to thee so long as thou art outwith Iesus Christ we are enemies to them all and they all to vs but being in Christ all things are reconciled to vs in heauen and earth Ephes 1. 10. Col. 1. 20. so in all respects it is peace Looke how many sortes of enimities was as many sortes of peace must be we are enemies to God to our owne conscience to Angels and men yea and that that is most conjoyned to vs by nature be it bloude asfinitie or any other bond if there be no more but nature there is nothing but enimitie the conjunction of man and woman if there be no more but their natural bond is enimity the parents and the children without this spirituall peace of Iesus are at enimitie So looke how many sorts of enimitie there is there are as many sorts of peace and our blessednesse standes in this peace Now looke the nature of it As blessednesse must indure for euer so our blessednes must be perfite If thou hast that peace of Iesus thou must haue it in all respects if thou hast peace with God thou hast peace with all men so far as lyes in thee Rom 12. 18. otherwise thou hast no true peace with God Men oft-tymes beguyles themselues I will haue peace with God will he say and yet I shal be this man or that mans enemie I shall slay him folie folie if thou glorie in debate with man and does not that lyes into thy power to be at peace with all men thou shalt haue no peace with God that thing which the Lord joynes seuere not thou the Lords peace is with al if thou seuere it and pryde thee in enimitie with any thou shalt not haue peace with God nor with thy self What peace hes a murtherer with God or with his owne conscience Aske at him I demand thee ô murtherer knew thou what that peace of God meanes when that bloudie affection raged and caried thee to bloude Thou lookest for friendship with God folie thou art neither at friendship with God nor his Angels nor none of his creatures It is a wonder that the Heauens falles not on thee The earth is thy enemy and it is a vvonder that it swallows thee not vp for al that bloud that thou hast shed on it but once it shall present it to thy damnation if thou repent not This far concerning prayer for peace I goe to the next words The Lord be vvith you all He goes to a deeper ground Before he wished the grace of the Lord Iesus to them Novv he vvishes the Lord himselfe to them the presence of Iesus Christ in his ovvn person not onely that he shall
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
be carefull to remember the blessings of God and as thou remembers say Lord I thanke thee for that blessing I tell thee the losing of remembrance of the grace of God showne to thee and others hes lost many graces to thee if thou remember not the graces bygone and be not thankfull for them the grace of God will grow narrow and become barren and turne away from thee Now to come to the end shortlie let vs touch the cause of this joy first here are thre graces of god that comes to the Thessalonians Causes of thanks giuing faith hope charity wherfore Paul thankes God in their behalfe to witte faith charitie and hope I see these thre graces recounted by the Apostle in other places in the 1. to the Cor. cha 13. 13. And novv sayes he abyds thre things faith hope and charitie but the cheefest of of those is charitie because when the rest go away it abides in the life to come in these thre stands the perfection of the life of a christian man in faith towards God and the Lord Iesus begin at them in this life begin at God Christ his Son be joyned to him by faith then come on to loue towards thy neighbour loue thy neighbour woe to thee that loues not thy neighbour thou loues not God if thou loue not thy neighbour And because our life is not here but it is hid vp with God in Christ thou must await for thy life in him and so comes in hope hope for thy life in him these thre must conuoy accompany thee heer till thou possesse that life So faith is the beginning of grace faith joynes thee with God throgh Christ with a sweet conjunction whereby all flowes out of him to thee for as we said in the beginning no blessing but in that conjunction with him Faith brings forth charitie the bud of faith is charitie and there is such a sure bond betwene faith and charitie that the one can not be without the other If thou say thou hast faith to God and haue not loue to the Church the rest of the members of the body thou art a lyar Now the end of all grace in this life is hope hope of saluation and glorie grace in this life ends in hope it begins at faith grows in loue and ends in hope that is the last degre it goes no farther for as to saluation thou can not get it heere the farthest thou can reach to is to hope reaching vp to heauen expecting that glorie that is appointed to thee there The Apostle recounting the armor of a christian man 1. Thes 5. 8. ends in hope he begins at faith theÌ„ to loue ends at hope speaking of the graces we haue in the Gospell as temperance righteousnes and godlines Tit. 2. 13. He subjoines Avvaiting for that hope and appearing of that glorie of that great God and of our Sauior Iesus Christ. Where ye see he puts on hope as it were a crowne on the rest of the graces hope I say is the last of all the graces in this earth and we can go no farther but in that life to come farewell hope for we shall get the full sight and fruition of all the graces that now we looke for my eyes shall se my Saâ—iour the Lord Iesus Christ So there the grace of graces in the other life sight for we liue heerby faith and not by sight but then we shall get that full sight of glorie for vve shall se him as he is 1. Ioh. 3. 2. Yet to stick to the words he sets out these vertues graces not simplie but he descriues some one vvay some another way and so he cals it not faith but effectuall faith or vvorking faith he sayes not loue simplie but a diligent and labouring loue and he cals it not hope simplie but the patience of your hope a patient hope Faith vvorking a vvorking faith a laborious loue Novv let vs consider the exercises of euerie one of them Faith hes her excerise in vvorking what vvorks she working out the filth of nature fy on the foull nature of men wemen so that the exercise of faith in Iesus is in cleansing the foull heart and euerie corner of it And therefore in the chap. 15. vers 9. of the Acts faith is said to purge the heart for by faith Iesus dwelles in the heart and Christ can not be idle hee will be exercised and he purges out the foull stinke of nature that lyes hid in euerie corner of the heart Hee that is not exercised in cleansing of his heart vtters euidentlie that he neuer had faith say vvhat he vvill This is the vvorke of faith Novv Charitie is laborious to come to Charitie Faith is exercised inwardlie in the hart Charitie is exercised outwardlie in the hand and can not be idle labouring not for her selfe but for me and thee and those that are about her and he who hes charitie or he should not doe good to his neighbour he will rather want his hand fy on them who will not worke with their hands to helpe others This land is full of idle men so it can not be without judgement thowsands going idle in all parts and how can charitie be keeped without labour if thou were a Lord put to thy hand and call to God for to sanctifie thy labour it is vanitie to sit idle put to thy hand and doe good to thy selfe or some others or else sore shall that count be that thou shall make Now come to hope What is sho doing She is bound vnder the Crosse lying in patience looking for that glorious reuelation of God Hope patient I tell thee either be exercised in suffering for the glorious appearance of Iesus christ or else thou shalt lose hope for as concerning hope she must be a sufferer for it is said It behoued vs throgh many tribulations to enter in the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. So thy hope that awaits for the kingdome of God must be endewed with patience otherwayes if it be not joyned with patience to endure tribulation that the Lord shall lay on thee thou and thy hope shall both â—all And therfore when thou thinkest on hope joyne euer the companion thereof patiâ—nce to it 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 25. with hope joynes patience Heb. 6. 15. Abraham avvaited patientlie and therafter enioyed the promise hope on indure all with the power of God thou shall enjoy all and preuail for hope neuer made man to be ashamed hope in God for saluation for he hath promised and is able to performe and hope makes not ashamed Rom. 5. 5. Then to take vp this matter I see all the graces of God are quick a dead grace is naught all are liuelie either exercised in one exercise or other Faith is working Charitie is laborious Hope is suffering each one hes their owne exercise and therefore let not an ydle bodie that is not exercised
childe so he takes a similitude from a mother toward her infant there is no busines nor care the mother wil leaue vndone for the infant nor respecting her hyre or gaine but vpon an inteere affection to the infant Then learne shortlie A pastor must be like a mother Paul Gall. chapter 4. verse 19. compares him selfe to a mother trauailing in birth vntill Christ be reformed in them O my little children vvith vvhom I trauaile in birth vvhile Christ be reformed in you Novv he coÌ„pares the pastor to a nource taking paines to nourish them when they are borne vpon a motherlie affection without eyther respect to goods or honor and he compares the people who by the pastor are fed in Christ nourished by the sincere milk of the vvord to infants As a yong infant craues no other nourishment but milke no more shouldst thou craue to be nourished with any other food but the sinceere milke of the word and as the infant would die except he be fed with milke so all they that refuses to be nourished with this sincere milke of the word if they continew die shall they Thou Lord Laird or Barron Husband-man die shall thou if thou be not nourished with this sincere milke of the worde If it be so betweene the people and the Pastor Affection of the Pastor to the flocke as betwene the childe and the mother the Pastors lesson is Looke what tender affection the mother hes to her birth to cherishe it to take paines and trauaile to wake and watch ouer it and all vpon a motherly affection without respect of honour or gaine the lyke shoulde thy affection be towards thy flocke and on paine of thy lyfe looke thou seeke them and not theirs The Mother seekes the well of her childe and not his goods nor honour so seeke thou the well of thy flocke and not their goods nor honour and let thy affection be motherlie and when thou sees the motherlie affection of the mother to the childe say The Lord giue me such an affection to my people as this mother hes to her childe let my honour and gaine be to get them nourished The honour of a Minister is in Heauen and not in earth his gaine is in Heauen So Paul sayeth 1. Thess 219. What is our hope or ioy or crovvn of reioysing are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming to glorifie his elect To this Christ with the Father and the holy Spirite be glorie and honour for euer AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 8 Thus being affectioned tovvard you our good vvill vvas to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of God onelie but also our ovvne soules because ye vvere deare vnto vs. 9 For ye remember brethren our labour and trauaile for vve laboured day and night because vve vvould not be chargeable vnto any of you and preached vnto you the Gospell of God 10 Ye are vvitnesses and God also hovv bolilie and iustlie and vnblameablie vve behaued our selues among you that beleeue 11 As ye knovve hovv that vve exhorted you and comforted and besoght euerie one of you as a father his children 12 That ye vvoulde vvalke vvorthie of God vvho hath called you vnto his kingdome and glorie THE Apostle ye remember brethren leauing off for a tyme the purpose that was in hand to witte that rejoysing he had with them for the graces of God was in them In the second chapter he falles out to a discourse concerning himselfe making mention of his manner of entrie among them how it was not in vaine For when he entred among them he entred with libertie although that hee had suffered immediatlie before at Philippi notwithstanding of the battaile he had in the meane tyme while he preached to them Thereafter ye heard the last day he remoued from him selfe all suspition of vnsincere dealing in preaching the Gospell chalenging to him self sincerity in preaching Seing in preaching and speaking he had not man before his eyes but God not content onlie to remoue from him vnsinceritie in 〈◊〉 he discends to the fountaines of vnsinceritie and vncleane dealing which are three namelie flatterie auarice 〈◊〉 and these three rootes of vnsincere and vncleane dealing in the 〈◊〉 he remoues from him he flattered them not he was not greedie of their goods he was not greedie of honour Albert saieth he I might haue beene chargeable to you as the Apostle of Christ ye were addebted to me both of your goods and honour yet I would haue none of them but I liued in the midst of you vnburdensome submitâ—ing my selfe to all fashâ—ie and paines for your sakes as a mother nourishing her childe will vndertake all paines for the childe so did I for you Now in the first vvords of this text we haue red that vvhich he spoke of the nource cherishing her childe he applyes to him selfe Thâ—â— sayes he 〈…〉 tovvardâ— you The vvord is in the first language I was desirous of you I had a longing desire of you such desire as a mother hes to her infant she can not suffer her infant to be out of her sight to be absent from her incontinent she grieâ—es for it she is not well vvhile thee haue it in her sight The same affection sayes the Apostle I beare tovvards you I loue you I can searcelie vvant your presence for being absent from you I haue a continual care of you There is the meaning of the wordes in the which ye see that loue that motherlie affection to call it so the Apostle bare to this Church of Thessalonica The first grace in the Pastor is to loue his flock this is the ground of all the rest if he want it all the rest is deare of the hauing if he had all the learning and eloquence and vtâ—â—â—ance of men and Angels all is nothing if there be not loue and affection in his heart to his flock Paul 2 Cor. 6. recounting our many marks of the Apostle which he bare amongst the rest in the 6. verse of that chapter he accountâ— vnfamed loue to be one for nombring those marks he declares what spirituall loue he bare to the Corinthians saying in the 11. verse O 〈◊〉 my mouth is open to you our heart is made large so that if it were possible I vvould take you in my heart ye dvvell not narrovvlie in me but ye dvveâ—l 〈◊〉 in your ovvne bovvelles I loue you but ye loue not me so intirelie as I doe you In the 11. chapter of that Epistle verse 28. stryuing vvith the â—alse Apostles he shovves vvhat carefulnesse he had of the Church Beside sayeth he 〈…〉 I haue the care for 〈…〉 of the vvorlde 〈…〉 but I am afflicted I vnderstand there are none afflicted but I am afflicted vvith him 〈…〉 It is vvonderfull to knovve vvhat affection hee bare to the Church of Christ Ye
or slay thee and in the day of damnation thou shalt cursse the time that thou euer didst heare the word of Christ if thou finde it not powerfull in thee Come in a minde to renew thy sinfull life or else bide away come to be humbled vnder this word and reuerence it if that thou were a King or else bide away vnlesse thou vvouldst heap on thy selfe an intolerable damnation Now brethren I shall end shortlie in the next verse He thinkes it not eneugh to set downe this in generall what the vvord of God wroght in them that beleeued but he comes to the particulare It will not be the generall word will do thee good but a particulare The speciall effect is It made them to be follovvers It is good to followe them that goe the right way they vvere followers of the Church that was in Iudea followers of the Ievves that were conuerted and beleeued in Christ The word conformed the Thessalonians to the christian Church of the Iewes Al this was by the povver of the vvord of God in the mouthes of men Looke not for an Angell from heauen to speake to thee nor for a sound from heauen but looke for it out of the mouth of men We wearie fast of this ministrie what ministrie vvill vve haue next will ye haue Papistâ—â—e againe will ye haue Angels No if ye contemne this ministrie if this ministrie be put out of the land thou shalt neuer finde anie ministrie powerfull to saluation Then I marke this is the power of the word of God a conformitie like affection in sundry persons to make me like thee the vvord povverful to make coÌ„formity and thee like me the godlie like other this is the power of Gods word to cause a church follow one an other to joine man with man to draw in a bloodie wolfe to the sheep-fold of the Lord Iesus and to make him a sillie lambe He that now was raging to draw him to Christ to cause him sit down and joine himself to Gods people in holinesse and godlines This is a maruelous effect that the word hes It is not the proper effect of the word to cut men from good men but to make a conformitie to joine good meÌ„ with good meÌ„ draw al together to the church The Lord the great Pastor he joynes all the members of the bodie together and all to make a whole body to the head christ In a word it is the force of Gods word to worke our felicitie blessednesse and I assure thee thou who art a contemner of the word of Iesus thou shalt neuer be happie neither in this life nor in the life come All stands first in a conjunction with Christ the head and then with the members Step out of the societie of the church as you wil what is the church to thee I denounce the terrible judgement of God against thee if thou seek not to haue that conjunction societie of the church of God thou shalt neuer get a portion in Iesus there is thy doome if thou repent not This conformitie is not al wroght at once but the word of God by the power thereof will bring one first in then an other man then the thrid man then one Church secondly an other church thridlie the thrid church and so draw them al together So that they who comes last haue no disaduantage they both haue that same word to draw them in that the first had and then also they haue examples before them drawing them in It is good to haue an aduantage beside the word to draw thee in Brethren we that are now in the world we haue this last vauntage we haue these patternes looke how many haue bene called they are as many vauntages and patternes to draw vs to God And looke that thou heare not of a godlie man but preasse to follovv him and say God make me lyke him for among the rest of the meanes God hes ordained to winne soules the setting vp of patternes before men is one meane This nature of ours is backward For vve are all borne naturallie Woolfes and Tigers so that it makes vs that vve break avvay so fast from the sheepe-â—old of Christ that we haue great neede of many meanes to draw vs in And therefore the Lorde some-tymes vses by the word and some-tymes by the examples of others to draw vs in to Christ Iesus Yet againe this conformitie that is set down wold be marked The conformity is in suffering ye are followers of the church in Iudea in what in suffering alike with them the same persecution they suffered ye suffer yea more he amplifies their sufferinges in that they did suffer of such like persecutores as the Church of Iudea did euen of their own countrie-men the Iewes it was that persecuted the Iewes who were conuerted it is the Thessalonians that persecutes you that are in Thessalonica This is the persecution Conformitie in suffring Then learne The conformitie that ought to be among men and vvemen in the world stands not in doing onelie to make others doe vvell as he doeth well As one Church liues holilie so to cause one an other liue holily but it must be a conformitie in suffering also that as one man suffred so an other shoulde suffer as one Church suffered so an other Church should suffer it wil not only be actiue in doing but passiue in suffering There is a faire effect conformitie in suffering Brethren men oft tymes are readie eneugh to follow others in doing but they are loath to suffer all godlie men would be like other godlie men in doing I see not a godlie person but I would be lyke him and one Church would be like an other godlie Church in doing But if I see a godlie man suffer before me I wil hold aback and shrink to follow him If thou see one martyred before thee thou wilt leaue him and not take part of his burden There is not a flourishing Church in Europe but this would be like it but it hes no desire to be like that Church in France that hes bene so long vnder affliction and can not get vp the head of it It is in deed an hard matter to the word of God to worke doing good in the heart of man but a harder matter to worke patience and suffering of affliction but if the word be not effectual as well to work suffering as doing I can not say it hes that force and power in vs that it should haue And therefore albeit thou be not as yet at suffering yet prepare thee for suffring resolue not thy self for doing alone euery day but for suffring also whatsoeuer crosse the Lord will lay on thy back And let this be part of thy prayer Lord strengthen me in suffering For as thou wouldst raigne with him so thou must take a resolution to suffer with him Who will not suffer let him neuer looke to be an heyre of Heauen It is now
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
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
euer AMEN THE XIIII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 3. 4. 5. 6. 3 For this is the vvill of God euen your sanctification and that ye should absteine from fornication 4 That euerie one of you should knovve hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour 5 And not in the lust of concupiscence euen as the Gentiles vvhich knovve not God 6 That no man oppresse oâ— defraude his brother in any matter for the Lord is auenger of all such thinges as vve also haue tolde you before time and testified WE haue in hand Brethren the third parte of this Epistle written by Paul to the Thessalonians In this part ye haue heard the Apostle exhortes them to a godlie life and conuersation This kynde of doctrine he vses verie oft in the rest of his Epistles The exhortation ye heard that was in the beginning of this chapter vvas not onelie to liue vvell to vvalke in holinesse but also it vvas to excell more and more to stryue in that course of holinesse euen to striue to ouercome not onelie others that ranne vvith them in the rinke but also to ouercome themselues if they ranne fast this day that they should run faster to morrow and so each day to increase and grow It is not eneugh to run not euâ—ugh to striue but we must runne and striue lawfullie as he speakes to Timothie 2. Timoth. 2. 5. There are certaine rules and lawes according to the which we must runne in this present course As touching these rules according to the which we must runne the Apostle showes to the Thessalonians he hes prescryued them to them alreadie vvhen he vvas among them Novve in the text vve haue presentlie red hee beginnes to call the lawes to remembrance againe and to repeate them to to them For vvhat euer thing he spoke by worde being present that same thing in effect he hes left behinde him registrate in vvritte and this day by Gods grace it is come in our hands He dravves the vvhole rules and lavves to be keeped in this course wherin we runne to this butt of saluation and to Heauen to be partakers of that glorie First to a generall law which is the law of sanctification and holinesse For this is the vvill of God sayes he euen your sanctification Thereafter he commes to the speciall poyntes of sanctification The first is the abstaining from fornication The next in the wordes red is abstaining from doing wrong to ourneighbour either by violence craft or deceite Now to speake of the first as God shall giue vs grace and to take vp euerie word This is the vvill of God sayes he euen your sanctification Learne then first The vvhole lavves and rules according to the vvhich vve shoulde vvalke and runne in this rinke vvherein the Lord hes placed vs in this lyfe are resolued in a generall called the Law of holinesse The law of a sanctified lyfe He or she that in this course or in this rinke will prease to be holie in all the pointes of their lyfe shall run and striue to speak vvith the Apostle lawfullie and running and striuing lawfullie in the end they shal be crowned But they who in running towardes the marke stryues not to an holinesse of lyfe they runne not lawfullie they keepe no rule in their running They runne and waits not how they are miserable in their running And as they runne vnlawfullie so they shall neuer be crowned with glory they shall runne long ere they come to the marke and prise of that high calling to be with God Then in the course of this life in this rinke which the Lord hes placed vnto runne in vntill we come to the marke of that glorious resurrection we must runne holilie keep in holie heart an holie hand keepe holie senses keepe an holie foot in running in a worde we must be holie in the whole powers of the soule be holie in the whole members of the bodie seuer all from the pollution of this world dedicate all to God and so ye shall come to the end of the rinke Now to goe forward in the text To moue them to this sanctification and to embrace this rule of running forward to the marke Gods vvil a sufficieÌ„t reason of our actions He sayes For this is the vvill of God He giues no other reason but this It is the will of God to be so Howbeit we heare no word of any other reason but this it is the will of God to doe this worke or that worke it should suffice vs we are so oblist to that Lord and so bound to his obedience that if we know of no other reason wherefore we should doe any thing but onelie that it is his will we should obey it And the man who vnderstandes it is the will of God when he is doing any thing and wilclose his eies lead captiue his own reason subject his will to the will of his God and goe and follow on him if it were through Hell if he bid thee goe throgh Hell go throgh it close thy eyes follow on howbeit thouknowest no out-sight surely that man shall get a blessed ishue he shall get a crowne neuer soule vvas disapointed that set themselues to follow God Who euer settes themselues against their affections to serue God they come at last to Heauen By the contrary when a man thinks himselfe ouer wise and will not followe on Gods will except he see a faire out-sight and get great reasons wherefore he should doe this or that and thinkes it not eneugh to say it is Gods will but will say wherefore is it Gods will The Lord will let him followe his owne will and his will and reason will lead him to destruction There was neuer man whom the Lord gaue ouer to his owne will but he ran to his owne destruction Now to go forward He comes next to the speciall pointes of this sanctification There are sundrie sorts of holinesse therefore he will lay it down in parts euerie part thereof in the owne order And the first part of sanctification and holinesse of lyfe First part of sanctificatioÌ„ absteening from forâ—ication he makes it to be absteening from fornication absteening from harlotrie It stands in keeping of an holie and cleane bodie In running on this course in the rinke that conuoyes to the last butt and life euerlasting thou must keepe an holie person But to marke the wordes more natrovvlie First he recommendes abstinence He vvho runnes in a rinke and striues sayes the Apostle 1. Corinth chap. 9. verse 25. that man he is continent in all thinges he keepes a goode dyet ere he enter in the rinke he vvill dyet himselfe and abstaine from many thinges vvhich othervvayes he vvould vse So we vvho runnes in this rinke of Christianitie to be partakers of that Crowne vve must abstaine vve must not follow our appetites vve must not put our hand to euerie thing our appetite
againe to let them se the certainty of it The lord conâ—tant in denounâ—â—ng executing of his iudgements Brethren this hes a deeper ground This constancie in denâ—oncing and threatning judgement that ye finde in those who speakes in the name of the Lord they will denounce once twyse and thryse that same judgement tels you the Lord will be auenged on vngodlinesse The ground is in God himselfe The Lord is constant in his vengence on impenitent sinners he alters not howbeit he delay the vengence vnto his appointed tyme yet the vengence standes fast he is not like man Man is changeable he will brag the night and say I will be auenged to morrow all is away Man is vaine and inconstant the Lord is an vnchangeable God he will perseuere with an vnchangeable mynde to vengence Of this it commes that those whom he sendes to denounce vengence in his name will preache vengence to them this day vengence the next day and ay will tell you the Lord will be once auenged on you The Lord will auenge thy harlotrie thy deceit thy oppression and ay constantly cry on to let you see the judgements bides on the impenitent sinner he will not change his sentence for all the vvorld If God vvere changing ye vvho speakes in his name would change and he wold not haue warrand in his conscience to speake constantlie but God being constant and vnchangeable in his purpose of necessitie the preacher must be constant And it hes not beene seene of before but the constancie in denouncing vengence by the seruants of God against impenitent people hes euer been justified with a sensible judgement the vengence they threatned constantly it lighted Now brethren we neede not to goe far off for ensamples This constancie in threatning hes beene oft vsed in Edinburgh This hes beene oft tolde you if this be not amended the famine the Pestilence shall ouertake this Cittie Now judge ye this day if the effect justifies not our saying It is follie to men to thinke that one word of threatning of judgement spoken by the true seruants of God will fall to the ground no it cannot be The Lord may well delay long men and wemen may well sleepe long but when the artickle of tyme commes which the Lord hes appointed for judgement then followes the heauy judgement And therefore we shold judge holilie of the truth that hes been spoken by the mouth of his seruants and glorifie God al maner of wayes count God to be true and let all men be lyers In the next verse we haue the thirde argument to moue them to holinesse The argument is taken from their calling For God hes not called vs to vncleannesse but to holinesse This calling is our christian calling whereby we are translated out of the kingdom of darknesse to the kingdom of Iesus Christ we are called out of Hel to Heauen from darknesse to light we are called to a kingdom and glorie prepared for vs. Now he reasons from this their calling Our christian calling shold moue vs to holines This calling is not to vncleannesse to be an harlot to be a deceiuer of thy brother to be an oppressor but thou art called to be an holy and a clean person thou was called out of the pollution of the world and translated to cleannesse therefore thy calling is holie Of all the callings in this earth the fairest calling is the calling of one to holinesse The calling to an earthly kingdome is not so faire as the calling of a man to holinesse This Christian holinesse it permittes no soâ—t of vncleannesse in this world no not so much as a foull thought but it craues of him who is called to this Christian vocation all kinde of cleannesse in the world Learne euer to distinguish betweene thy own person and this faire calling of Christianitie If thou be vncleane and filthie it commes not of this Christian calling but of thy own person And therefore let no man when he sees a man or woman that keepes that name and enjoyes that calling to be called a Christian the fairest name that euer man gotte to become an harlote an oppressour a deceyuer a murtherer lay not the fault on the holie calling but on the foull person that is vnvvorthie of the calling for he is but a vyle creature that is so called That Christian calling permittes not such vyle sinnes it is the vyle person that committes this sinne This hes beene an oulde custome When men sees these men vvho professes Christianitie fall in sinne the mouthes of the woâ—ld are openned to blaspheme that vocation of Christianitie and to say Take vp your Christian and holie man now there is your puritie that ye doe now professe and so the blame is euer more laid on the calling and not on the person The Prophete sayes Through you my name is reproached among the Gentiles Esay chap 25. verse 5. Take head to this When thou vvho art called committes anie sinne wicked men vvill lay the faulte on the calling and not on the person And therefore be carefull to keepe holie thy person that thy person be not a slander to thy holie calling I tell thee harlotrie is a great sinne indeede that offendes God but the exponing of this Christian calling to be euill spoken of is a greater sinne to thee nor harlotrie murther or anie other sinne that can be commited and at that day it shall be sorer punished nor any sinne There cannot be a greater sinne nor to giue wicked men occasion to speake euill of that holy calling And trow ye not that this sinne is the speciall cause of this judgement this day It is not somuch thy murther thy harlotrie thy oppression c. as the slandering of thy holy vocation and calling And therfore hes Scotland most justlie procured the just judgment of God Another thing I see heere I perceiue this Christian calling should be the rule and square whereby our actiones should be rewled So that in no calling vnder the Sunne we should do any thing that is vnsetting or vnseemlie to this Christian calling but all our actiones should bee ruled conforme to it A Christian King is bounde to rule all his actiones by the rule of this Christian calling a Christian subject should follow the rule of this christian calling Play the marchant but as a Christian man play the part of a man of law but in the meane time forget not thou art a Christian man c. Let al thy actions in thy own craft be squared by this rule of thy Christian vocation There is a great aduantage when any man in any vocation behaues himselfe as a Christian man the labour is pleasant in the sight of God and it is blessed If a Christian man seeke the glorie of God in his calling then he shall be blessed in his actiones but when in doing any thing the Christian calling is forgot and the Lord Iesus is not before the eye
end our life in Iesus Christ we passe vp to a wonderfull glorie Now how comes this glorie Comes it on any thing we haue done heere in earth Comes it of our workes or merites No as holinesse in this life comes of the free mercie of God in Christ so the crowne of glorie in that life onelie comes of the mercie of God in Christ We shall be glorified in Heauen but hovv Through the grace of God that he will giue vs in Christ And as the crowne of glorie shall be giuen vs of free grace so the standing in that estate of glory shall indure for euer of grace So all comes of grace Perseuerance of holinesse in this lyfe is onely by the grace of God All perseuerance in glorie in the life to come of grace and mercie nothing in earth nothing in Heauen but free grace in mercy Wherefore is this the Lord will haue nothing in Heauen nor earth but mercie To this end that all the glorie of our saluation may be giuen to him and he that glories in it should glorifie him Grace free mercie onely in him And let this be our song on earth vvhen vve speake of the grace of God on earth Glorie to God mercie to vs onelie in God The Lord giue vs grace that we may giue al and the onely praise of mercie and of glorie in this life and in the life to come To this God with the Son and the holy Spirite be immortall praise and glorie foreuer AMEN THE XVI LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 9. 10. 11. 12. 9 But as touching brotherlie loue yee neede not that I vvrite vnto your for ye are taught of God to loue one another 10 Yea and that thing verelie ye doe vnto all the brethren vvhich are throughout all Macedonia but vve beseech you brethren that ye increase more and more 11 And that ye studie to be quyet and to meddle vvith your ovvne businesse and to vvork vvith your ovvn hands as vve cōmanded you 12 That yee may behaue your selues honestlie tovvards them that are vvithout and that nothing be lacking vnto you THE Apostle brethren after hee hes set downe his general exhortation to sanctification and holinesse This is the will of God sayes he euen your sanctification that ye be holie in soule holie in bodie holie in all your actions within and without He discends and comes to the particulare parts of this generall exhortation The first part of it respects a man or vvoman in their own person that they keepe their person to God as the vessell of honor keepe it from fornication which is a sinne that especiallie and in the highest degree fyles the person of a man both in bodie and soule which should be keeped in holinesse to God who made it The next part of this sanctification concernes our brother our neighbour that wee doe no wronge nor oppresse him by violence we circumvene him not by fraude and guile in businesse concerning this life but in all affaires we be as carefull he haue aduantage as we are that our selues haue aduantage When thou art onelie set to make vantage to thy selfe by thy own selfe loue that aduantage is wrong We heard the arguments the Apostle vses to moue them to this First the will of God If the will of God will not moue thee from harlotrie from doing euill vnto thy neighbour let the vengeance of God moue thee for that is the second argument and it shall ouertake thee in the end if thou continue therein Then he came to that holie and Christian calling that should moue vs to liue holie We are called to be holie let vs keepe therefore our owne person holie let vs be holie to our brother let vs be holie in our hand holie in our faculties Then he goes forward to another argument He that will not be holie when he is called by man he saies it is not with man he hes adoe but with God It is God that bids thee keepe thy bodie cleane from harlotrie thy hand from wrong Therefore thou disobeying thou disobeyes not man but God What is it to disobey me or him that speakes It is that great God that thou rebellest against and in that great day thou shalt be challenged as a rebell to that great God These argumentes are all set downe to this end to moue vs to holinesse Then at last in the end of the last verse he castes to an argument from the holie Spirite giuen vs by God to this end Getst thou the holie Spirit to play the harlote getst thou that holy Spirite that glorious gift the third person of the glorious Trinitie dwelling in thee as in a Temple to the effect thou shouldst commit filthinesse No as all things oblishes thee to be holie so especiallie the holie Spirite of God dwelling within thee crauing an holie Temple craues holinesse otherwayes with thy filthinesse thou shalt disludge him and anger him vntill at last he shall depart from thee and then that foull spirit of wickednesse shall possesse thee Nowe to come to the text In the first part thereof he goes forward to another particulare part of this sanctification which is brotherlie loue So the third part of this sanctification stands in brotherlie loue called beneficience and liberalitie to thy brother a grace and vertue crauing an open hand to bestow on the necessitie of thy brooher So when he hes exhorted not to doe wrong to thy neighbour not to oppresse him by violence or surprise him by deceite then he exhorts that thou be beneficiall to him liberall to him to support his want and necessitie Hee sayes then But as concerning brotherlie loue bountifulnes towards thy brother ye neede not that I vvrite vnto yo◠The reason of it is What need haue I who am a man to be ouer diligent in teaching outwardlie when God is the inward teacher of you and when he teaches this point of doctrin in special to loue euerie one another Ther is the substance of the first words Now to obserue something on the wordes Ye see it is not eneugh not to do euil but true sanctification craues that we do good also De◠〈◊〉 from euill sayes Dauid in his 34. Psal vers 15. and doe good There are two things It is not eneugh not to do wrong to our neighbour or brother not to oppresse him not to beguile him but true holines craues that we benefite him we bestowe on him a goode deede we supplie his necessitie want and pouertie All the parts of this which we call sanctification holines of life that are as manie graces of God in Christ are so inseparablie linked together as the linkes of a chaine are one in another All the parts of sanctification link it together that if anie of them be a missing in anie person man or woman and be not in him in some measure I cannot saye that that person hes truelie anie
to God If thy conjunction be not with Iesus in this lyfe the power of God in the latter day shall not raise thee to joyne thee to God Take this first cause away the second shall not follow Then againe if the hand of God at the day of the resurrection should not be put as it were out of Heauen to take vp thy bodie thou wouldst ly still Therfore joyne these two First the conjunction with Christ that is by Faith then joyne with Faith the power and vertue of God and so ryse shalt thou and be joyned with God in glorie Now as to the power of God to raise vs it is not extended to vs heere but we shall see it in that great day but the thing vve haue to care for is to looke that we haue saith and of necessitie the second must follow Hast thou faith and art thou joyned with Christ by Faith of necessitie the power of God must reache to thee to raise thee out of the graue Thou needest not to feare if thou be found in Christ All mercie power and glorie is in him if thou be out with Christ no glorie nor mercie but damnation for thee for the power of God shall be extended to thy destruction Now to the next verse Yet he goes forward and teaches them that not onely they shall rise and be broght to God and be joyned with him But he sayes This say vve vnto you by the vvord of God that vve vvho liue and are remaning at the comming of the Lord shall not preueene them vvho sleep He speakes heere of himselfe as thogh he should haue bene liuing at the day of judgement and yet he died more nor a thousand yeere since To teach vs euer to be in readinesse no houre nor moment should be but we should look for the cōming of Christ and think we shall be liuing whē he commes This is our vain thoght we think we shal die before the day of judgment No Paul spok not so we should not speak so but be ay ready to meet the Lord at his glorious appearance Now the third head wherein he instructed them is the order and ranke of men that shall meete the Lord in the cloudes All that judgement shall passe by order The God of order shall be judge Order in meeting the Lord after resurrectiō and all shall be in order and men shall be in ranke they who shall be raised vp from this earth to meete the Lord shall haue their own place and ranke Now the Apostle would teach them that they shal haue this order They who hes departed first this lyfe shall not be preuented they vvho shall be aliue shall not be put in the ranke before them but they who are dead shall be in the first ranke and order and ere euer that sodain change be made of them vvho shall be found alyue changing them from mortalitie to immortalitie vvhich change shall be in the twinckling of an eye the dead in the graue shall be raised vp first by the power of God their bodies shal be first glorified and then shall come on that sodain change of them who shall be aliue then all shal be rest vp to the clouds first they that were dead next they that were changed and so we shall come all to meete our head Christ This is the order Now to be short This same verie speaking of the Apostle and his instructing of them in this preferment teaches vs that there should be in vs such a desire to meete with Christ that we should striue who shal meet with him first striue to be first and not to be last cast vs to haue a parte of this preferment and considering this preferment is promised to them vvho dies first it should make vs joyfull to die first and to say to them vvho are standing about vs vvhen vve are on death-bed I vvill get a preferment I am called to death first before you I shall be preferred to you in meetting vvith my Lord in Heauen Ye shall liue after me but I shall meete first vvith my Lord. O vvhat it is to get preferment in heauenlie glorie Ye vvill count of preferment vvith Kinges of this earth and men vvill striue vvho shall first meete vvith the King O then should vve not striue to meete vvith the King of Kings in Heauen The Lord grant vs faith that we may be joined with Christ in this bodie that at that last day soule and bodie may be glorified in Heauen vvith Christ our Head To vvhom with the Father and the holy Spirite be all glory and praise for euer AMEN THE XVIII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 4. vers 16. 17. 18. 16 For the Lord himselfe shall descend from heauen vvith a shout and vvith the voyce of the Archangell and vvith the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall rise againe Then shall vve vvhich liue and remaine be caught vp vvith them also in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall vve euer be vvith the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort your selues one another vvith these vvords THE Apostle brethren in this present text by the way as it were instructs the Thessalonians in that head of doctrine that concernes those who are departed this lyfe Of the which either they were ignorant or thought not of it as they should haue done And therefore in the death and departure of their kins-folke and friendes whom they loued well they mourned excessiuely as though there estate had beene miserable as though after this world there should haue been no more of them but they should perish like beasts And therfore the Apostle to the end that for death they shold not mourne so desperatlie he instructs them in certaine heades of doctrine concerning the departed The first was that they that died died not so much as sleeped this death is not so much to be called a death as a sleepe for there shall be a waking againe as a man lying down to sleepe shall awake againe The second point Their resurrection shall be glorious Being laid down in the graue they shall not ly for euer but shall be gloriouslie raised againe for heere he speakes of the resurrection of the elect and chosen Now the third thing he instructs them in is an peece of honour they shall haue in their resurrection They that are dead first shall see the Lord before them that shall be found aliue for the dead shall ryse first and then the change shall be made of them who are then liuing And as the dead shall rise first so they shall be first in ranke among them who shall goe to meete the Lord in the aire first the dead after their resurrection shall be rest vp to the cloudes then they who shall be liuing shall be rest vp after them So the dead shall get the first sight of Christ then they who shall be found alyue shall be
These shall be the signes that shall be joined inseparablie with Christs comming The signe of Christ In the meane tyme he shall come down when all the world shall be on a fire And this is called by Matthevv 24 verse 30. the signe of Christ the signe that shall be conjoined with his comming Reade of this whole matter in this 24. chap. of Matthevv verse 30. 2. Epist of Pet. chap. 3. verse 10. 12. Reuelat chap. 20. verse 11. and chap. 21. verse 1. Then brethren if there was such a commotion in the heart of men in the first signes that past before what commotion shall there be in the harts of men when they shall see the whole world on fire A wondrous thing When all this consumption shall be no body shall be burnt but the power of the judge shall reserue the bodies to the judgement that is to follow immediatlie Peter when he hes tolde of these signes saies If such a dissolution of the world be what maner of men should we be how should we studie to prepare vs to meete the Lord So on that great day all these thinges shall not make the godly to shrinke but they shall ay prease forward to meete the Lord in the cloudes As to the reprobate ô that horrour and terrible feare that shall ouertake them at his comming Now this for the two sorts of signes The first going before his comming the second joined inseparably with his comming down to judge the world Now shortly to speake of Christs owne comming And this is it which the Apostle speakes of in this place Which for our vnderstanding I shall gather out of this and sundry other places of the Scripture Christes coÌ„ming Now as for the comming of the judge he shall not come from the Sea from the Earth from the Plane Wherefrom commes all the Kings of the earth when they are in their triumph The Romane Emperours came out from the Capitoll in their Chariots But the King of Kinges shall come from the Heauen of Heauens abone all these heauens that we see from the highest place The maner of his comming is sodaine These signes that I spake of shall come on a sodaintie and yet there shall be a processe of tyme in doing thereof He shall come on a sodaine as the deluge of Noah did as the 24 chap. Matt verse 37. telles The people knew not of the deludge that ouerwhelmed them vntill it came No more shall this miserable world know Christes comming vntill he come sodainlie And therefore considering this in the Scripture the Lord giues a watch-word to his Disciples Many hundreth yeeres are past since and repeate it heere he saies Matt. 24. 42. Watch for ye knovv not vvhen the Lord shall come The sodaintie vncertainty of his comming shoulde make vs euer readie to looke for it The Chariot he shall be caried in is the cloudes of the aire As in his ascending the cloudes resaued him from our sight so shall the cloudes resaue him at his comming Such a Chariot got neuer Emperour in all his highest triumph none of them was caried in the clouds The company that shall conuoy him he shal come saies Matt. chap. 24. verse 30. with the Angels and a flame of fire that fyre that shall burne vp the world and shall burne vp the reprobate in the owne tyme. 2. Thess 1. 7. 8. Iude sayes verse 14. He shall come with millions of Angels there shall not be an Angell but all shall come in that conuoye to let all the worlde see that all the Angels are but seruants to that Lord and seruantes standing about him to obey his vvill vvhat hee commandes that his glorie and Majestie may be seene In the meane-tyme he hes no neede of them for they neyther can adde to his glorie nor diminish it yet it hes pleased him so to vtter his glorie to the vvorld And in that meane-tyme when he is comming he will not come in silence Ye see when an Armie marches forward there is a great noyse and crying shouting and blovving of trumpets So there shall bee a noyse in the Lords comming dovvne The Angels of Heauen shall blovve the trumpets So he speakes Matth. 24. verse 31. Paul in this place sayes there shall ryse a sound The worde in this place is a vvorde of exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borrovved from that sound vvhich the Mariners vses to others euerie one to moue others to rovv A shout direct to the dead that lyes in the graue it shall pearce through the graue and eares of the dead and shall waken them vp With the shout shall be conjoyned the voice of the Archangell and with the voyce of the Archangell the sound of the trumpet of God and this shall be the last trumpet and neuer shall the voyce of the trumpet be heard againe and it shall be the shâ—â—llest trumpet that euer was heard Now when the Lord in his comming downe shall come to the place where he is ordained to sit to judge the worlde which shall be in the cloudes Then all the Angels shall showe their presence and the Angels shall make a glorious Throne to the Lord of glorie and there he shall sit This much shortlie for the comming and appearing I shall be short in this matter For I will speake nothing but make a narration of it out of other parts of Scripture Would ye vnderstand the effectes that followes on his comming Effectes follovving Christs coÌ„ming Certainlie notable effectes must followe on it The Lord prepare vs for it The Father shall be there the Sonne shall be there coÌ„ming the holie Spirite shall be there vvith all their power and all their Majestie The glorie of the Father neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day The glorie of the Sonne neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day The glorie of the holie Spirit neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day Ye see in the Parliament the Kings of the earth appears in their greatest glory to the people so the Lord of the world shall appeare with an infinite and vncapable sight of glorie Now to come to the effects that shall follow on his comming AsseÌ„bly The first effect There shall be an assemblie a conuention the fairest conuention that euer was since the world stoode There are none that euer tooke lyfe but all shall bee there all shall be sommonded with the shout of the trumpetuall shall compeare no excuse the graue shall not excuse death shal not excuse dead and liuing neuer man nor woman excepted all shall be there So the first effect that shal follow the comming of the Iudge shall be a conuention of the whole world elect reprobate dead and liuing And I shall tell you after what order it wil be by the Scripture The first that shall come there to the conuention shall be they who were dead they shall preueene them who were alyue And Adam and
speaking of that day of judgement 2. Cor. 5. 11. he vtters the feare he had of it himselfe Knovving saies he the terrors of the Lord vve bring men to the Lord that when he shall come in that terrible judgment we may finde mercy Be not sensles at the threatning of God If men had not bene seusles at the judgemeÌ„ts of God by famine these yeers bygone this Pest had not comde if theribe not yet a greater fear of God he shal strik on with his judgmeÌ„ts Next I mark of this place Who is it that is comforted against Gods judgementes Consolations belong only to the godlie To whom belongs consolations promises and speaches of comfort in the Scriptures Speakes the Apostle to the Heathen that ly in ignorance and not conuerted to the faith of Christ They feared not where there is no feare nor down casting it is foolishnesse to comfort Whereto shold I comfort them who are lifted vp in pride wherto shold I prease to lift vp him who is ouer high and conceatie alreadie So consolation raising vp of the heart promises of God that serues to consolation pertaines nothing to the wicked that hes no sense of miserie and lyes in ignorance of God nothing pertaines to them but threatning vpon threatning judgement vpon judgement And when they say Peace and all things sure I may say a sudden destruction shall ouertake them And to the men in this land lying in a dead sleepe of this fleshly securitie and crying Peace when they are in the midst of harlotrie of murther c. I say a sudden destruction and vengence shall fall on them This shall euer be my cry vntill they feare and trimble and haue a sense of their miserie neuer another word to them but judgement out of my mouth Should I say to a man lying in darknesse brother ye are in the light judgement shall not come on you No no But I will say the Lord shall come suddenly on thee with judgement to destroy thee So consolation pertaines to the godly onely and who euer ye be that feares not Gods judgements I bidde you in Gods name take no promise of comfort to you no consolation vntill ye be touched with a sense of miserie and feele your sins Then to whom pertaines all the promises of consolation in the word of God To the godly onely who hes their eyes opened to see God in the face of Christ hes their heart opened to feele the grace of God through Christ to them they appertaine And therefore ye shall finde in all the Prophetes when a judgement is threatned immediately after the threatning they subjoine a sweet consolation to the godly least they should think the judgment to pertaine to them The third thing I note Marke the cause heere wherefore the Thessalonians shall escape that sudden destruction Because ye are not in darknesse Knovveledge of God in Christ the cause of escaping iudgement sayes he therefore that sudden destruction shall not ouertake you Marke this cause The ground of escaping this judgement is to be fred of darknesse to be fred of this grosse ignorance wherein we are inuolued by nature and to be translated to the light of God vvherein we may see the face of Christ and Heauen and the glorie thereof There is the ground Whosoeuer shall be found lying in darknesse at Christes comming albeit they be found lying waking and looking vp with bodilie eyes 〈…〉 yet if they be in blindnesse in the soule so that they can see nothing in Heauen God nor Christ judgement and destruction suddenlie shall ouertake them and all their braines shall be beaten out ere they get leasure to cry God mercie But againe who euer they be that at Christes comming shall be found in the light with the knowledge of God and Iesus Christ with some sight of Heauen they shall escape and shall liue eternally When the thiefe breakes in in an house whom is it that he suddenly oppresses Whom but these whom he findes sleeping with their eyes closed he will cut their throats ere they be wakned But when he breaks in on an house and they who are in the house be waking on their guard and ready for the danger then the thief shal not preuaile They will eschew the danger so shal it be at Christs comming if he find thee sleeping sudden destruction shall ouertake thee if he finde thee waking ready for the danger thou shalt escape and liue So ye see how needfull a thing it is to haue knowledge and light that euery man may be saued O what it is to knovve God to knowe Christ to get a â—ight of Heauen and of the lyfe to come Thy safetie consistes in it Then againe see how dangerous a thing is ignorance and specially the ignorance of God to put off the day and the night in ignorance of God Giue thee goode cheare rest play honour in the world thou wilt put off one day two daies three daies thou wilt say what care I more but woe to thee when Christ commes thou will be sleeping in â—inne sudden destruction shall ouertake thee all this tendes to this end ly not in drunkennesse get knovveldge out of the vvorde knovve God in tyme knovve him in mercie If thou knowe him not in mercy in this lyfe thou shalt feele him in judgement at that great day of Iudgement The Lord giue euerie one of vs grace to know him that hauing the right knowledge of him which leads to saluation we may at his comming be elected of him to raign in his euerlasting glory in the Heauens Novv that vvhich he had said before of darknesse in the next verse he makes it more plaine and sayes for ye are the children of light and of the day That is to say the fairest light that can be possible For vvhat in this vvorlde is fairer nor the light of the Sunne and day light As he vvoulde say ye are not in the common light but in the light of the Sunne that shynes most cleare ye are not children of the night but of the day These tvvo vvill neuer stande together to be the chylde of the night and of darknesse and to be the chylde of the light and of the day If thou be the chylde of light and day it is impossible to thee for to be the chylde of the night and darkenesse And if thou be the chylde of the night and darknesse it is impossible thou can bee the chylde of the day and light These tvvo can neuer agree both together Tvvo Kingdomes cannot stand in thee If God raigne not in thee the Deuill must raigne in thee and if God raigne in thee the Deuill cannot raigne in thee Indeed so long as vve are heere light and darknesse may be both in vs for vvee are neuer free of this darkenesse neyther is this light of God persite in vs but both cannot raigne together in vs but hovvbeit darknesse be in thee yet it hes no dominion ouer thee
part of the text The Apostle Paul not onely in this place joines these three together but also in the 4. chap. to the Philipp ye shall finde the same three precepts joined together howbeit not in this order he beginnes there Patience ioye and praier ioined together at joy and he sayes reioice in the Lord alvvaies againe I say reioice then he commes to patience in suffering wrong let your patient minde let your moderation be knovvne 〈◊〉 all men for the Lord is at hand And last he commes to prayer and saies be not carefull for any thing but in all things let your requests be shovvne to God in prayer and thankes-giuing Then he commes to peace of conscience again and the peace of God vvhich passes all vnderstanding shall preserue your harts c. These three are joined together The precept of patience joy and prayer because these three graces of God patience joy and prayer are vnseparable euerie one of them joined vnseparably with another tak one away thou shalt not get the other tak praier away thou shalt not haue joy take joy away thou shalt not get patience in suffering So these three are so vnseparably lined together that if they be not altogether in the hart of a man none of them can be in the hart and if one be in the hart all shall be in it Howbeit patience be set down first here yet it is not the first grace praier is first joy next and then patience for praier first bringes joy then this heauenlie joy being broght forth and entertainde by praier it bringes patience in suffering troubles Now brethren what shal we mak of this ere we come to the words Only this the graces of God which are parts of our new-birth called Regeneration are so inseparably locked together that they cannot be seuered and therefore he that would haue any one of them let him seeke them al he that would haue patience let him seeke joy and he that would haue joy let him seeke praier let him seeke them altogether either seeke them all and get them all in some measure or it shall passe thy power to keepe any one of them either keepe all or want all this is their nature ye saw neuer a chaine so linked together as these graces of regeneration are linked It may be that a man haue the outward showe of a grace but indeed it shall passe his power to haue a true grace except he haue the whole graces of this new-birth in some measure Many will seeme to suffer wrong and yet they will not haue the joy of the holy Spirit but they that wants the joy of the Spirit albeit they seeme to suffer many wrongs yet they are but hypocrites Therefore seeke one seeke all want one want all either haue all or want all But to come to the text and speake of this joy Reioice sayes the Apostle euermore True rejoicing or joy is that joy that entertaines patience in suffering Goe to experience and try it There is none of vs that hes tasted of this heauenlie joy but we will finde by experience it raise vp the hart of man and woman aboue all these thinges earthlie in some measure It raises vp the hart to an higher kingdome nor all the kingdomes in this earth this heauenly joy raises vs vp to the kingdome of God This kingdome of God saies the Apostle Rom. chap 14. vers 17. Is peace and ioy in the holie Ghost So that they who hes this joy are in another kingdome as far aboue these earthly kingdomes as the heauen is aboue the earth and by this joy they are lifted vp to heauen and being vp there they look downe to all these things on the earth the troubles afflictions and persecutions as thogh they were nothing and thinkes them nothing joy being in the hart it swallowes vp the heauiest displeasure that can be looke this by experience A little measure of it in the hart will swalow vp sadnesse suffering of wrongs and injuries in this world This world is but a world of suffering In the 5. chapter of the Acts verse 41. ye see the Disciples of Christ after his ascension are drawen in before the Councell there they are scourged manassed and threatned that they should not speake in the name of Christ But what doe they when they are dimitted They go away with joy is there matter of joy heere they are beatten scourged and boasted yet they goe away with joy reioicing that they vvere counted vvorthiâ— to suffer for Christs sake Brethren if joy had not swallowed vp sadnesse the Apostles had not rejoyced Reade the Psalmes of Dauid He beginnes with such a sadnesse in many of them all that he would appeare to be in Hell and ere the Psalme be ended ye will see that he burstes out with exceeding great thankfulnes This meanes that there was a joy and an exceeding great heauines in the hart and there was a battell betwixt them and in the end joy got the victorie and swallowed vp sadnesse But now what is this joy that he meanes of when he saies Reioyce euermoâ— It is no other thing but that which he calles in the fourth chapter to the Philippians Description of â—oy The peace of God that passes all vnderstanding standing about the hart as a guard And to speake the trueth of this it is the end and crowne of all the graces of God in Iesus Christ it is that end whereto all the graces of God tends and when they come there they go no further Wherfore came Christ in the world but that we should haue peace and joy in conscience Wherefore died he that we should haue joy Wherefore rose he that we should haue joy in his resurrection Wherfore are we all called to be Christians that we shold rejoice Wherefore are our sins remitted onely to rejoyce This is the end of all joy What is Heauen but joy What is life euerlasting but joy vnspeakable What is glorie but joy Paul joynes these two together joy and the crowne of glorie 1. Thess chap. 2. vers 19. Therefore in one word what is true happines nothing but joy joy in God throgh Iesus Christ What is any thing vnder Heauen without joy in the hart If a man haue all the world and all the honour and riches of the world except he haue joy in them what auaill they So joy is the blessednesse of men and women And therefore when the Apostle bids vs rejoice euermore what craues he but that we should prease euer forward to our blessednes and Heauen begin thy blessednes here or thou shalt neuer get blessednes hereafter Life euerlasting begins here in a measure of joy that is not persite and ends in the next life in glory which shall be perfited Yet brethren the nature of joy would be better seene and knowen that men be not deceiued with it The joy that is craued of what kinde is it There are sundrie kindes of joy Is it a
fleshly and carnall joy 〈…〉 that will be in the mouthes of prophaine people be merie eat drinke Is that this joy no no. When Paul bids thee rejoyce he bids thee not passe the time like the Epïcurians Eate drinke and be merie The joy that he craues the nature thereof is not fleshly but it is cleane holie and spirituall To speake the trueth it is in the hart all joy is in the hart of a bodïe but it is not so much the joy that is of the naturall affection as it is the motion of the spirit of Christ within vs vsing the affectiones of our hart as a parte to reioyce in when he is dwelling in vs. When a man reioyces naturallie it is his heart that reioyces but this is another kinde of reioycing It is the Spirite of consolation that comforts the Spirite of Iesus that dwelles in the hart and wakens vp the affection aboue nature and makes it It is 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that was naturall as supernaturall it cannot be so well tolde as felt Rom. chap. 8. verse 26. The Spirite of God requests for vs vvith sighes vnspeakable Then the Spirite sighes within the heart If the Spirite of God be within the heart the sighe will not be so much the sighe of the bodie as of the Spirite of God 〈◊〉 It is so with that spirituall ioy the ioy in the hart if will not be so much the ioy of the heart as the ioy of the Spirite of God a ioy vnspeakable No no tongue can tell the greatnesse of it And brethren if there vvere no more but this that it cannot be toulde it telles you the nature of it it is not a naturall ioy the naturall ioy can be all toulde the heart of man is comprehensible and the affectiones of the hart can be toulde but the joy of the Spirite of God is incomprehensible The joy of the Spirite of God in the heart of the poore sinner cannot be toulde by all the Angels of Heauen let be by the tongue of man For no man can reâ—â— the infinitnesse of Gods Spirite Therefore put a difference betweene it and all other ioyes The property of this ioy is here expressed Propertiâ— of this ioy It is continuall it lastes euermore it is continuall it alters not it is without interruption it is not broken off prosperitie will not breake it aduersitie vvill not breake it lyfe vvill not breake it death vvill not breake it it abydes in lyfe it abydes in death yea euen to the verie poynte of death vvhen it pleases the holie Spirite to vvorke it vvill be in a greater measure in his soule than nor it vvas in the life-tyme When we thinke the body should be heauiest and saddest then it is most joyfull This earthly joy is soone broken off he is now in joy in the twinkling of an eie it shall be broken off this houre glade the next houre wo. Balthazar was a mery man when he was prophaning the vessels of the Lord and banketting in the meane tyme of his merinesse came the hand writting vpon the wall and then he beginnes to shake and his countenance is changed with shuddering and shaking 〈…〉 Ye heard in this same chapter when the wicked saies Peace all things are sure then a sudden destruction ouertakes them So this worldly joy is ay interrupted it is ay turned in sorrow if thou be content with a worldly joy proceeding of a worldly thing if it were all the kingdomes of the earth thy joy shall be turned in a weeping for euer but the spirituall joy is continuall without interruption Then if this be the nature of it it is spirituall it is cleane and pure heauenly not rude fleshly nor earthly If this be the property of it Matter of spirituall ioy it continues ay for this propertie must follow on the nature of it a spirituall thing must euer abide What can be the matter of it there must be some cause of this joy No joy but there must be some cause and matter that moues it Then what is the matter of it There are two sorts of things in the world that wakens vp joy in the heart of man The first is earthly things ye know the things worldlie honor riches they waken vp joy in the hart Another sort is called spritual heuenly clean There is no other but these two either things heuenly or earthlie to cause men to rejoyce Then are these earthly things the matter of this spirituall joy he speaks of Examine the nature of it it is spirituall it is the joy of Christ Will these worldly things if there be no further consideration of them cause the Spirit of Christ rejoyce within thee Will a kingdome make Christes Spirit within the hart of a man to rejoyce if there be nothing more but as it is a worldly kingdome No I say they will not be the matter of this joy looke to these worldly things how thou resauest them if they be not resaued out of Gods hand as arlespennies of heauenlie thinges and tokens of better benefites and of life euerlasting they shall neuer make the Spirit of Christ to reioyce in thee Thy hart may be blyth for worldly thinges because thou art an earthly bodie A King may rejoyce in a kingdome c. but if they be not taine out of Gods handes as arlespennies of heauenly and spirituall benefites the Spirite of Christ shall not rejoice in thee Take heed if it wer but a morsell of meate if thou take it out of Gods hand as a token of that heauenly food to life euerlasting the Spirit of Christ shall rejoyce in thee Therefore be neuer content of earthly things as earthlie things onely nor of the naturall joy of the hart of man A sow hes a naturall joy 〈◊〉 in filling the bellie No beast in the field but it hes a sensuall joy in the selfe by nature in the foode thereof Fy on thee that cannot haue more joy nor a beast Thou art made for Heauen and not for Kingdomes here Therefore rejoyce in heauenly thinges and I say the Kow and other beasts are better nor thou if thou rejoyce not with that heauenly joy for the kingdome prepared for thee in Iesus Christ Woe to thee that hes not the joy that proceeds of the Spirit of Iesus Againe this joy lasts euermore it is continual it bides in the night it bides in the day it perishes not These worldly things are al perishing He will be a King the day and will be casten down to morrow He is riche the day and will be begging to morrowe How can thinges changeable be matter to me of joy that standes euermore No they cannot If my joy restes on earthly things when earthly things failes me of necessity my joy must faile me When the ground of joy failes my joy must faile Worldly things must faile therefore the joy in worldly things must faile and specially in death Either shall earthly things
faile thee or else thou shalt faile them if thou were a King thou must faile in thy kingdome thou must leaue 〈◊〉 either shall the worldly things be taine from thee or thou from them What Monarch euer yet since the beginning of the world for al their dominions if they had not God and Christ had euer a sparke of joy at the houre of his death A dram weight of this joy is worth all the kingdomes of this earth and if thou hast gotten a little peece of this joy thinke it better nor thou wert made Monarch of all the world No question the least peece of Christes graces and of this regeneration is worth all the Kingdomes of this world Euen so these earthlie thinges cannot bee the matter of this joye Thou shalt neuer get the joy of the holy Spirite if thou seeke it in the world Then wherein standes this joy Paul 4. chap. to the Philippians verse 4. sayes Reioyce in the Lord. He sayes not rejoyce in the world or kingdomes of the world but he sayes rejoyce in the Lord and in all those graces he hes broght with him in remission of sins in life euerlasting c. Take heed compare this joy with the matter thereof This joy is spiritual Iesus is a Spirit all his graces are spirituall Then these two agrees very well a spirituall matter a spirituall joy Then againe this joy is continuall Christ is for euer Heb. 13. 8. His graces standes for euer Al the mercies of God in Christ are eternall and vnchangeable How well then standes these two a joy continuall a matter continuall a joy that is eternall a matter that is eternall But thou wilt say 〈…〉 albeit that matter of my joy Christ Iesus neuer perishes yet we must perish and albeit he stand yet we must fall No no. Paul to the Rom. chap. 8. vers 35. saies What shall separate vs from the loue of God in Christ No if thou be once well imped in him by his Spirite and a lyuely faith all the world shall neuer bring thee back againe thou shalt neuer be separate heauen and earth shall first perishe ere they who are imped in Christ be separate from him death shall not separate them Paul sayes Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage Philipp chap. 1. vers 21. These earthly thinges may vantage thee in this naturall and transitory lyfe 〈…〉 riches may vauntage thee in this lyfe honour may be pleasant to thee here but when death commes then may thou justly say I will get no more vantage of my riches I will shake all off me and go naked to the graue but Christ will go to the graue with me yea euen to the resurrection he shall accompany thee and then soule and body shall be joined together and thou shalt be with him for euer In one word the matter of this joy are not earthly things but spirituall It is Christ and his graces that is the ground of all this joy vntill thou come to that lyfe euerlasting And this for the opening vp of the words Learne Vseâ— then There are none of vs that walkes in the light of the Gospell of Christ and hes taine the name of Christians vpon vs but we are bound and oblist to rejoyce and be glade and that not for one tyme onely one day or one night or one yeere or one season but euermore and at euery occasion in prosperitie in aduersitie in life and death euer rejoyce and weulde ye know the paine all obligations are vnder some paine the paine of it is vnder the paine of banishing vs out of Gods Kingdome out of heauenly Ierusalem He that would not rejoyce vnder the hope of heauenly Ierusalem must be banished out thereof Rom. 14. verse 17. Gods Kingdome in righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost if thou prease not to rejoyce in Christ and his Kingdome in life and death prosperity and aduersitie thou shalt be shut out of it I say they who neuer felt of this heauenly joy and neuer rejoyced in Christ in his Redemption of vs from sin in that life purchast to vs by his bloud who neuer rejoyces in these but ay is glad when he is exercised about these earthly things that man neuer yet saw Christs Kingdome And albeit he be outwardly in the Church the Church is called the Kingdome of God in the Gospell yet indeede he is not one of the Kingdome he is going vp and downe in company with them of the Church but he was neuer in the Church for thou must be spiritually in it and not bodily And if there be a great sin in the world this is one not to rejoyce in such a matter of joy God offers thee saluation in Christ if thou rejoyce not therein thou cannot doe a greater contempt to the light of the Gospell wherein life and saluation is offered noâ— a greater injury to God thou bereaues God of his glory for what shall be the chiefe glorifying of God but a rejoycing in his mercies through Iesus Christ Alas what great blessednesse we defraâ—d our selfes of when we rejoyce not in the worke of our Redemption It is wonder what joy the Angels haue in looking in to this worke of the Redemption of man Peter in his 1. Epistle chap. 1. vers 12. sayes The Angels desires to looke in to this misterie Were not the Angels preachers to the shiephirds of that joy and blessing that came to the world Luke chap. 2. verse 13. 14. Fy on thee Christ is come to redeeme thee and not the Angels and yet they rejoyce and wilt not thou rejoyce The earth and heauen leapes and rejoyces for the hearing of their deliuerance by Christes comming againe and thou cannot rejoyce fy on thee When all the dumme creatures aboue vnder and about thee rejoyces and thou cannot rejoyce Waken vp that dead hart of thine and rejoyce in God or else the spirit of sorrow and sadnesse shall waken thee that thou shalt weepe for euer The tyme of joy is pretious if thou rejoyce not heere thou shalt neuer get that joy in Heauen hereafter Now ye will say should we rejoyce ay The wise man sayes Ecclest chap. 3. vers 4. 〈…〉 All thinges hes the tyme there is a tyme of vveeping a tyme of laughing How should we ay be glad I aunswere it is true there is a tyme of mourning and a tyme of sadnesse and I trow this same verie tyme is the tyme of sadnesse But I tell thee againe for all this sadnesse rejoyce must thou and when thou art commanded to be sad for sin thou art commanded to rejoyce in Christ for remission thereof where nothing is in the hart but sadnesse it will bring a man to dispare Sadnesse would euer be mingled with joy sadnesse for miserie would be mingled with joy for hope of reliefe or else the end shal be dispare And it is wonderfull to see the Spirit of Iesus at â— tyme to
giue eare to these false teachers that said that Christes comming was at hand And therefore he prophecyes of the comming of the Antichrist and of the vniuersall defection of men in the world And in the third and last chapter he enters in as his maner is to exhortations and Christian admonitions to the end of the Epistle Now to come to the first chapter first he salutes them next he commes to a congratulation for the graces of God receiued by them last he commes to the consolation As to the salutation it is the common forme he vses in all his Epistles and there is not one word altered from the salutation he vsed in the first Epistle And therefore because I handled euery word in the first Epistle I mynde not to insist in it here againe onely this far There are three persons that salutes Paul Siluanâ— and Timotheuâ—â— Paul an Apostle Siluanus and Timotheâ—â— two Euangelists These three persones salutes the Church of God at Thessalonica That Church he sayes that is in God the Father founded and grounded first on him Then in the Lord 〈◊〉 Christ the Sonne builded on the Father and the Sonne All 〈…〉 must stand on the Father and the Son The graces he wishes to the Church are these common graces he vses in all his Epistles The grace of God the peace of God that is from the Father and from the Lord Iesus his Sonne Now onely this far by the example of the Apostle we learne of the salutation that he permits before his Epistle When we enter in to speake of any Church to wryte to any people concerning faith concerning Iesus Christ to make a declaration in the entresse of that loue that beneuolence that hartlinesse that we beare to that people to the end that they may be prepared againe to heare with alike loue beneuolence and hartlinesse and so the Pastor vttering his lyking to the people and the people againe their lyking of the Pastour the Pastour may haue courage and libertie to goe forward in doctrine the people may giue audience and receyue the better instruction There is the end of all the salutation Now I goe forward to the thanks-giuing and I will speake something of it as God will giue me the grace We should thanke God alvvaies for you He sayes not we thanke God simply but vve should thanke we are addebted bound and oblist of duetie to thanke him Then the lesson is cleare Thanks-giuing to God is a debt that we are bound and oblist to pay to God Gods benefiâ—es matter of thanksgiuing for we giue him not thankes for nothing Ye will not beare the Apostle say we thanke him simply but ye will finde a matter wherefore he thanks him euen for his graces and his benefites There are two sortes of his benefites and graces there are some bestowed on our selues some on others As for them that are bestowed on our selues out of question there is none but he vvill confesse he is debt-bound to thanke God for them at lest he must confesse this in word thinke as he will As for the benefites bestowed on others we are bound likewayes to thanke God for them As concerning the Pastor that hes adoe with any people if euer man was bound to thanke God for any benefite he is bound to thanke him for the benefite showen on the people he hes adoe with because their blessing is the frute of his labours and trauels and therefore he is bound to be thankfull for it I say more There is no member in the Church of Christ but he hes cause to thanke God for euerie blessing he bestowes on another I am bound to thanke God for the blessing he bestowes on thee thou art bound to thank God for the blessing he showes on me And euery one should thanke God for others blessinges All is for the well of the bodie the grace I get is for the well oâ— the bodie The grace thou gettest is for the well of the bodie We are al members of the body and therfore we are al bound to thank God for the benefites bestowed on the bodie I shall giue you a familiar similitude Should not the hand of a man thanke the man that hes cured the foote if the foote hes bene sore The eie likewise in a maner wil it not be thankfull to him that hes cured the hand and so of all the rest of the members Now would to God we were as sensible members of the spirituall bodie of Christ as the members of the naturall bodie of man are sensible among themselues and could vnderstand that euerie one is a member of that bodie But let our sense be as it will if thou be a member of the bodie of Iesus Christ thou art as much bound to be thankfull to God for any benefite bestowed on another as the hand is bound to be thankfull for the graces bestowed on the foote otherwayes thou shalt be challenged at that day of judgement for vnthankfulnesse Paul 12. chap. to the Romans 15. vers sayes Reioyce vvith him that reioyces and mourne vvith him that mournes Now to go forward We should thanke God â—lvvaies Then brethren thanks-giuing is an euerlasting debt a continuall debt we ought to God there is no end of it there is no intermission or leauing of it day nor night As Paul speakes of charitie to the Romans chap. 13. vers 8. Ovve nothing to any man but loue euery one another Charitie is a debt that should neuer be payed out at the ground but ay continuing in paying Euen so thanks-giuing to God is a debt we should euer be paying but neuer put an end to paying of it for it can haue no end in earth euer thanking in Heauen when we are with â—im euer thanking and our glory shal be in an euerlasting thanking of him for why if he could leaue off to show grace and could draw his hand froÌ„ vs as men does then we had cause to 〈◊〉 from thanking But the graces of God in Christ are endlesse grace for grace And therefore seeing his grace hes neuer an end why should thou make an end of thanking him when his hand is opened liberally to thee why should thou close thy mouth and not render thanks to him Yet further We thank him alvvayes for you sayes he as it is meete Marke the words as it is meete as it is worthie The word sounds so in the proper language as if he had said He is worthy of all thanks and therefore we should thanke him There is a worthinesse in God for the blessinges he bestovves on vs there is a deseruing in him there is a merite in him it is be onely that deserues and merites There are two thinges debt and merite I but touch them euerie one respectes other where there is a debt there is a merite and where there is a merite there must be a debt God onely merits man is debtor These two wordes answeres to other There is
no merite vnder the Sunne but Gods merite when God hes to doe with man As for vs there is nothing but debt no deseruing in vs all that we can doe to our God is meere debt as euer a man was addebted to another All the thanks-giuing vve can giue him is debt all vvorkes vve can worke are debt what euer he gettes of vs he merites and deserues it This is the trueth and yet the enemies of the trueth will turne this euer againe and will ascryue the merite to stinking fleshe and the debt to God The debt that appertaines to vs they ascryue to God and the merite that appeartaines to God they ascryue to vs. They sette vs aboue God for he who merites is aboue the debtor Lord what a change is this Paul to the Romans chap. 11. verse 35. sayes Who gaue him first that hes bound him to giue them againe Wilt thou be before him gaue thou him first any good if thou can doe it then thou merites if not then it is a blasphemie to thinke that thou can merite Fy on thee there is nothing in the part of the creature but debt yea meere debt nothing on the part of God but merite Now to goe forward in the matter of this thanks-giuing that neuer hes an end that should be without intermission and that God deserues at our handes The matter and cause of thanks-giuing is grace The first grace is Faith not a simple faith but an exceeding grouth in faith Because sayes he your faith grovves exceedinglie The next grace is loue not simple loue but aboundance of loue and abounding in mutuall loue so that the hearts of them ranne ouer in loue as a veshell will doe when it is ouer full Well then there is the matteâ— and cause of this thankes-giuing an exceeding grouth of sure faith al â—undant mutuall loue that euery one bare to other Then compare this place with that which is in the first Epistle chap. 1. verse 3. He thanked God for their faith and loue not for their grouth now his style is higher and he thankes God not for faith simply but for grouth not for loue simply but for abounding in mutuall loue Then ye see since the first tyme the Apostle wrote the first Epistle to them the Thessalonians hes growen in faith and loue There is the lesson Grouth in faith in loue There must be a grouth in grace grace must grow in vs and we must grow in grace If thou grow not in grace faith and loue if thou goe not forvvard of necessity thou must goe backward Thinke not that a man will stand still in one estate of faith and loue so that he will say I wil fix my stalfe here and I will goe no further nor this pointe If thou fix down thy stalfe in faith and loue thou shalt fall faster backward nor euer thou came forward and thou shalt neuer come to the end nor mark If thou fix thy stalf and neuer prease to go forward thou shalt neuer come to that glorious resurrection in plaine talke thou wilt neuer come to Heauen To be homely with you We should haue a care euer to grow in this lyfe for so long as we liue we are either children or at the farthest we are springels to vse that word Then I aske will a childe come to the stature of a man or woman if there be not grouth No Euen so if is impossible to one to come to the stature of that spirituall man without growing we are men when we come to Heauen and are joyned to our head and no sooner and there our grouth ends Can thou come to a spirituall mans stature if thou grow not in faith and loue in this earth And therefore as euer ye vvould come to Heauen and obtaine that glory prease to grow in grace to spring in faith and loue in this world in some measure marke your grouth in grace as euer ye did in stature He will be busie to see it he be higher this yeere nor he was the last yeere but whom marks if he be growne higher in spirituall things this yeere nor he was the last yeere This stature will away these earthly things will away but this grouth â— Christ abydes for euer Of this grouth read Ephes 4. chap. vers 13 14. 15. where he exhorts vs to grovven faith to the 〈◊〉 age of Christ and to grow in loue vntill we be joyned with our head Yet marke more As â—n the first Epistle 1. chap. verse 3. he thanked the Lord for faith simplie and loue simplie so here he giues him all thankes for the grouth therein Marke it He thankes not them for the grouth he giues them not one part of the thankes and God the other but he thankes God for all And good reason for who is able to put one inche to his stature Art thou able to make thy selfe growe in this bodily grouth No it is impossible Then far lesse is there any grouth in the spirituall man but that allanerly which God giues No standing nor perseuerance in grace but that which God giues Al is giuen by God Fy on that stinking doctrine of the Papists When God say they hes giuen man a grace he permits a man to his free will to goe forward as it were in mans owne option whether to goe forward or not I only touch this As the graces commes of God so of necessity the increase grouth of graces commes of God and not of any grace left in vs. In one word Giue him the praise of the beginning of grace giue him the praise of thy progresse in grace giue him the end giue him the praise of all For he it is that giues the grace the progresse and grouth therein it is he that crownes his worke in thee it is he that works all that all the glory of grace may be giuen to him Yet to insist What is this Faith Faith is nothing but a joining of vs with God in Christ What is Loue this mutuall loue Nothing but a joyning of vs with the Church here on earth What is grouth of Faith Nothing but a growing nearer and nearer to God to dravv him nearer and nearer to vs. What is the growing in Loue Nothing but a drawing nearer and nearer to the Church which is the bodie of Christ Then draw neare to the head draw neare to the bodie seuere not thy selfe from it Then what is the matter of thanks-giuing Euen this that they were drawen nearer nor they were before to Christ and to his Church Then brethren when haue we matter of thanking God for any man for any people Euen when we see any man or people drawing nearer to Christ and the body of Christ nor they wer If a man had al the kingdomes of the earth there is no matter to rejoice for in him if we see him ly aback from Christ and from his Church if he draw not nearer and nearer to Christ and his church in
as it were in a mirror I may see or thou may see Christ comming to judge the world to render to euery one according to their deserts for looke how I or thou may reason When I see a person troubled for righteousnes sake I will conclude here is an innocent man here are godly people troubled wrongously therefore of necessitie there must be a judgement wherein all ods must be made euen I looke certainly for a judgement to come God cannot be God if there be not a judgement wherein he shall be anenged for the wrong done to this man I will not conclude a particulare and an earthly judgement I will not say when I see a godly man troubled therefore the troublers of him shall be plagued ere they go off the world it is ouer high Indeede the Prophetes of olde had this reuelation but it is ouer high for vs because experience in all ages hes proued that some of the greatest persecutors hes died in peace and no visible judgement hes ouertaine them heere But this I am sure of when I see godly men opprest I may say there shall be a day of generall judgement vvherein God shall be anenged of the persecutours if repentance interceede not Novv vvold ye knovv any token that Christ shall come againe and put an end to the vvorld and that there shall be a generall judgement Looke if ye see or heare tel that the godly and innocent are troubled in the world take that for as sure an argument as can be that a generall judgment shal be And as surely as the master is comming after the forerunner as surely shall the general judgment come after the suffring of the godly they must dravv on a judgment and at the last they must draw Christ out of Heauen to take vpon him the place of a Iudge to rander to euery man according to his doing Now another thing He comfortes them taking his reason from the generall judgement he telles them there shall be a terrible judgement when a terrible judge shall come and sit downe in a judgement seat What comfort is this Ye see many vvill shake and shudder when they heare of it and faine would desire neuer to heare of it It is true the promise of the generall judgement will neuer comfort the wicked and they that troubles others the more that they heare of it the more will they trimble and shiuer But it is as true that the most comfortable voice they that suffers wrong can heare is the hearing of the comming of Christ in that latter day and it is the matter of patience it vvill make them ly vnder affliction with exceeding joy the thought of the comming of Christ giues patience in all troubles and this may be found in experience the cheefe joy of the godly is the remembring of Christs comming It is not mens judgement their absolution and condemnation that we should stand vpon What cares me if all the world would absolue me if I be condemned by God And againe vvhat careâ— me if all the vvorld condemne me if God absolue me It is not mens absoluing or condemning that bringes the true joy or heauinesse to the hart but it is Gods absolution and condemnation that will doe this And therefore as thou would haue comfort in that terrible judgment doe well and suffer wrong and byde patiently for surely it will not be long there is such a crying of bloude and such vvronges in this vvorld that truelie in this decrepite age Christ must come shortlie Then this is the first argument of consolation The other is more effectuall I shall touch it Ye that suffers shall be thought vvorthie of the kingdome of God for the vvhich ye suffer He commes nearer as he would say ye haue no cause to trimble and feare ye shall be absoluted from that terrible judgement and ye shall be counted worthie of the kingdome of God The enemies of the trueth gathers of these words that there is a merite and worthinesse for suffering But Paul Rom. chap. 8. verse 18. sayes All this suffering is not vvorthie this vveight of glorie So I answere This worthinesse is not our owne but that which is Christs worthines and properly pertaines to him heere is improperly ascryued to vs for throgh that strate conjunction we haue with Christ he and we are made one and therefore his graces after a sort are ascriued to vs. I hauing Christ may challenge his merite and worthines his graces that he hes conquised as life euerlasting c. to me as euer man might challenge any land or heritage Therefore gather not here any worthines simplie without Christ Alwayes I see the cheefe cause of consolation to the godly that suffers here is not so much that the wicked shall be punished for euer as that the godly shal be adjudged to glory There is the cheefe ground of my consolation Let a man doe all the euill he can to me my comfort is not that he shal be punished at that latter day but that then God shall glorifie me at that latter day Desire not so much the latter judgement that then the wicked may be punished as that thou may be glorified Look Gods purpose he hes appointed this latter day onely to this end that the godly may be glorified The other end of the punishment of the offenders is not the cheefe end for the cheefe end that God looks to is that he may be glorified in mercy It is true he will be glorified in justice but he delytes most to be glorified in mercy He seeks to be glorified in all his properperties in his wisdome power c. But the mercy of the Lord passes all and he seekes aboue all that his glory should shyne in his mercy toward sinners And certainely Christ was sent in the world that his glory should shine in mercy His preaching was to mercy God hes greater glory in sauing one sinfull soule in Christ nor he hes in condemning of millions of the wicked So brethren wonder not that many goes to Hell but wonder that euer a sinner should be safe and maruell more at the mercy of God in sauing of one sinner nor at his justice in the perdition of ten thousands So the mercy of God is wonderfull his power and all is wonderfull but his mercy passes all his properties To him be glory for euer AMEN THE SECOND LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 6. 7. 8 9. 6 For it is a righteous thing vvith God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 7 And to you vvhich are troubled rest vvith vs vvhen the Lord Iesus shall shovv himselfe from heauen vvith his mighty Angels 8 In flaming fire rendring vengence vnto them that doe not knovv God and vvhich obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ 9 Which shall be punished vvith euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
his povver IN the first part of this chapter ye haue heard brethren next after the saluatation a preface wherein he rejoyces together with them for that increase and grouth of the graces of God in them namelie of their Faith Loue and Charitie In rejoycing with them he giues God the thankes and all the glorie of whatsoeuer grace they had receyued We entered the last day in the second parte which containes a consolation For these Thessalonians sustained affliction and trouble for the faith of Christ therefore the Apostle confortes them We heard the first argument of comfort he ministred to them was from the just judgment of God Your troubles and afflictions ye suffer are all sure tokens that Iesus Christ will come one day and judge this world justlie Among all the assurances of the latter judgement ths is one The trouble that the godlie suffers in this world In the affliction and trouble of the godly ye may see as it were in a mirror the Lord comming to judge the world when we see an innocent man troubled we may gather our conclusion there must follow of necessity a day of count and reckning it cannot be that the just Lord will suffer vnjust dealing to passe away vnpunished Then in the second argument he drawes nearer to them and sets downe the end of this just judgment that shall be the end shall be for their well For when the Lord shall come to judge the world they shall be counted worthy of that kingdom the kingdome of Heauen for the which they suffered Worthie not in themselues for all the affliction vnder Heauen will not make a man worthy of Heauen but worthy in the righteous merites of Christ where-with one day we shall be clad and for his worthinesse and merite shall be adjudged to life euerlasting Now in the beginning of this text he proues that the day of judgment they shall be adjudged to lyfe euerlasiting and glory He takes his argument from the nature of that Iudge It is a iust thing sayes he to God to recompence tribulation to them vvho troubles you As if he had said the Iudge is just yea by nature he is justice it selfe and therefore the judgement must be just and in his just judgement he must adjudge you to life and he must render to euery man his due being just he must render to them who hes afflicted you affliction againe And to you vvho are afflicted he must tender rest euen as he renders to vs For I in my owne person haue beene afflicted aswell as ye haue beene and I am assured he will render rest to me and so also will he to you there is the meaning of the words Then ye see brethren here he grounds their deliuerance in that latter judgment vpon the just nature of God ye may see our life euerlasting vnto the which we shall be adjudged in the day of judgment leanes on a solide foundation euen the most just nature of the Iudge all the world is not able to shake it if thou can shake God then thou may shake our life euerlasting Seuer justice from him and seuer life from his owne both are alyke do the one if thou may do the other And so brethren ye see where-vpon the assurance of your faith and hope of life euerlasting is grounded it is grounded vpon an insight of the nature of God vpon a knowledge of him what he is in his owne nature that he is just he is righteousnesse it selfe knowing then that he is just seeing as it were at the least in some measure in God and in his nature that he is just I take assurance that that just God shall adjudge me to life I make this more generall all assurance all hope of any grace we haue to receiue at the hands of God what euer it be must proceede from an insight and knowledge of the nature of God how can I or any man looke for any good at the handes of him vvho is not knovvne to me hovv shall I assure my selfe I shall get any good from him I know not Therefore the man or woman who would haue faith in God or hope of lyfe or any good at his hands must seeke to pearce in to the deepnesse of the infinite nature of God so farre as can be to knowe him in his justice wisdome power mercy and in all these infinite properties in his nature then knowing him in these infinite thinges he must assure himselfe of such and such graces at his hands I know him to be powerfull therefore with his power he will deliuer me I know him to be mercifull in his mercy I am assured he wil show mercy on me I know him to be wise therefore I am assured he will deale wisely with me he that is skilfull and the God of order will deale skilfully with me Then ye see that faith will neuer be builded vpon a scroofe and superficiall thing The world thinks it ynough to know there is a God to know his name and no more No thy hart cannot be builded on a sâ—roofe It is impossible to any to haue that solide and assured faith in God and that hope of lyfe except they haue a solide knowledge in some measure of his nature and of his properties And that bodie that preases not to pearce in to the deepnesse of God cannot haue that Spirit of God for in the first Epistle to the Corinth chap. 2. vers 10. it is said The spirit of God searches and what in to the infinit deepnesse of God and there he lets thee see Gods minde towardes thee So that if any be indewed with that searching Spirit of God of necessitie that Spirit must conuoy their eyes in some measure in to the secreetes of God to the deepnesse of that infinite nature It is a wonderfull sight that a true and solide faith hes in God It will peace in to the infinite nature of God and builde on that infinite nature the solide ground of faith I speake this that ye may seeke to knowe the nature of God Yet to the wordes It is a righteous thing vvith God not to men but to God The meaning of the Apostle is What euer seemes right in the eye of man this is righteous in the eye of God to render to euery man his due Now the Lord forbid that our life or death euerlasting hang vpon that that seemes just and vnjust to man Lord forbid that Heauen or Hell hang at mans girdle or depended on his judgement I assure you many would goe to Hell from hand As God in nature is a just Iudge euen so man by nature a wrangous and vnjust judge Let him be giuen ouer to himselfe hee shall neuer judges one whit of that which is just DiffereÌ„ce betvvene the iudgment of God and of men at the least he shall neuer judge sincerelie of that worke I shall tell you the differences between the judgement of God and man shortlie Man when he
the purpose of the Apostle in this place was to comforte the Thessalonians against the afflictionâ—s vvhere-vvith for the tyme they vvere exercised The first and the cheefest argument of consolation vvas taine from that just jugdement of God when he commes for the afflictions that the godly and innocent suffers in this lyfe for the name of Iesus Christ are as a mirror vvherein we may see the Lord Iesus comming to judgment to take vengence on the afflicters and to render and to giue rest 〈◊〉 his own The Apostle taking occasion of this argument points out the Lord Iesus comming to judge the world He notes the place from which he shall come an Heauen aboue all these visible Heauens he notes the companie where-with in his comming he shall he accompanied First the Angels of his power enarmed with the power of the Iudge the Lord Iesus to execute his just judgement The next company is a flamming fire This fire at the comming of the Lord Iesus shall burne vp the Heauen shall melt the elements shall burne vp this earth and all the workes that is in it as Peter declares in his 2. Epistle chap. 3. and at last shall consume and deuore the wicked and that euerlastingly euer burning without end When he hes painted out the Lords comming to judge the world he subjoynes the effects that shall follow vpon his comming and judgement The first effect is he shall inflict vengence to them who in this world knew not God and would not obey the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ And after this he descryues this vengence more particularlie it shall be an vtter destruction so that they shall neuer get vp their head againe and this destruction shall be endlesse a death without a death the sorest death that euer man died the cause of the perdition shall be the face and angry countenance of the Iudge his face shall be as fire and they shal be as waxe the heate of his face shall melt them as the fire melts the waxe the cause of the eternitie of their perdition shall be the glorie of his power his power shall neuer haue an end and therefore their paine anguishe and perdition shall neuer haue an end The power shall euer holde them still in a torment and so this vvraith euerlasting shall sease and feede vpon them for euermore And so they shall euer be doing and neuer be dead Now in this text we haue the second effect that shall follow on the comming of the Lord to his judgement The first effect concerned the wicked This effect concernes the godly To come to the wordes shortlie He sayes When he shall come to be glorified in his Saintes The meaning is this vengence of perdition euerlasting shall be inflicted on the rebels of God and Christ at that tyme when he shall come to glorifie his owne the Saintes that in their glory and lyfe euerlasting he may be glorified himselfe Chief end of Christs coÌ„ming is to glorifie the soules This is the meaning shortly Now if ye will marke the first wordes When he shall come Ye may see that the first and cheefe end of the comming of the Lord Iesus to judgement is not the wrack of the reprobate but his cheefe end in his comming to judgement shall be the glorifying of his owne that in their glorie he may be glorified for euer The order of the giuing out of their doome and sentence of lyfe and death at that day makes this master plaâ—ne Read the order of the giuing foorth of this sentence in the 25. chap. of Matthevv vers 34. c. Iohâ— 5. cha 29. vers The sentence shall be giuen first to the godly and the Lord shall say first to them ere he open his mouth to the other Come ye blessed of my Father and 〈◊〉 that kingdome that is prepared for 〈◊〉 Then when that sentence is past he shall draw the godly to be assessours to him and with their consent and approbation in a maner he shal come to the doome of the reprobat and shal say Depâ—â— from me to the deuill and his Aâ—gels Iohn 5. chap. vers 28 29 The houre shall come vvhen all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue doâ—e good to the resurrecâ—â—â—â— of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of condemnation This his order of proceeding showes that the cheefe end of Christs comming is the glorifying of his owne The cause is because in the glorifying of his elect cheefly shall God be glorified And seeing the Lord cheefly respects his owne glory therefore the first respect he shall haue in judging shall not be to punish the wicked for â—e shall cast them by his hand as dogges but to glorifie his owne To goe forward in the words When he shall come to be glorified in his Saintes That is to say when he shall come first to glorifie his Saints and so consequently to glorify himself For he cannot be glorifyed in his Saintes except he glorifie them first And therefore it must be vnderstood that he must glorifie them that in their glorie he may be glorified Now marke As the first and cheefe end of the comming of the Lord to judgement shall be the glorifying of his Saintes So the cheefe meane whereby the Lord shall be glorified shall not be the damnation of the reprobate but it shall be the lyfe and saluation of the godlie because in the godly at that day shall be manifested to the whole world the goodnesse of the Lord Iesus his mercy his omnipotent power in one word his Majestie and his glory cheefly shal be manifested in them So that the whole world when they see them stand vp as it were in a shout shall cry Glorie glorie glorie be to the Lambe that sits on the Throne when they shall see the elect so shining in glorie they shall brust forth in crying glorie glorie glorie and nothing shall be heard but glorie euer more These are the thinges we shall once see and heare either to our euerlasting glorie or to our euerlasting destruction It is true the Lord Iesus that day shall be glorified also in the damnation of the reprobat and that in his justice Ye read in the 14. of Exod. I shal be glorified in Pharao and his armie in powring out a vengence on them I shall drowne them But yet the justice God the justice of Christ serues not so much to his glorie as his mercie does And it is a greater matter yea and more glorie shall come to him by the sauing of one soule at that day nor by the condemning of an hundreth Came Christ Iesus in the world for this end cheeflie that God should be glorified in his justice No. Christ came and the Gospell of mercy is giuen vs that men and Angels in that day should glorifie God cheeflie in his mercie Now to goe forward And to be made marueilous in all them that beleeue
This is in effect that same which he spok of before euen the glorifying of God for it is one thing the Lord to be glorified and to wonder at him The meaning is shortly When he shall come First he shal make the faithful wonderful in the sight of the world and then in their wonderfulnes all the world shall wonder at him who hes made them wonderfull Now marke The Lord Iesus in Esay 9. chap. 6. vers among all the names he gets there he is called the vvonderfull and the maruellous one Now this name in effect shal show the selfcheefly in that day of judgement for cheefly in that day Christ shall be wonderful and all the world shall wonder at him It is but a litle wondring we haue here Christ at his comming vvoÌ„derfull Ye know wondring presuppones nouelties things of exceeding great importance Then it must followe that the Lord Iesus at that day shall be reueiled to the world in such a wonderful glory at neuer man nor Angel saw yetâ— it shal be such a glory as neuer eye saw ear heard or once entered into the hart of man as the Apostle â—aies 1. Cor. 2. chap. 9. vers They who saw him â—â—aniâ—ed in a vyle habite judged condemned scourged and crucified vnder Pontius Pilat they shall wonder when they shall see that Lord whom they thoght once so vile raised vp and exalted to such a sublimity and hight of glory Pilat then shal wonder the Priests shall wonder they that with their wicked handâ— crucified him shall wonder at that day And in one word there shall be nothing in that day in Heauen and earth but a wondering at the Lord Iesus Christ and his Saintes glorified Ye see here next the cheefe mean that shall make the Lord wonderful to be the wonderfulnesse of the glorie of his Saintes and elect whom in that day he shall make wonderfull The world shall looke in and wonder at them and then they shall looke to the Iudge and wonder at him Then in that day they who hes beleued in Iesus in this life looke what faith brings with it shall be blessed and made glorious For first these faithfull shall be made so maruelous in glory that they shall astonish the whole world I tell thee more when thou shalt be so translated when thy vyle bodie shall be so changed thou shalt wonder at thy selfe for the eare hath not heard the eye hath not seene c. that wonderfull glorie which then thou shalt enjoy As for the wicked of the world the troublers and afflicters of the godly when they shall looke to any one of the glorious elect they shall weepe and wonder This is set downe in the 5. chapter of the booke of wisdome albeit Apocrypha First they shall mourne and weepe when they shall see the glorie of the godly and say O we fooles and sensles bodies esteemed we not the life of these godly in the world a miserable lyfe Then they shall come on with wondering How is this that this vyle bodie so shynes and that he is so exalted So they shall both mourne at this sight and wonder and vveeping and vvondering they shall count themselues to haue bene fooles and sensles bodies The Lord giue vs grace to seeke that true wisdome in tyme. For certainly that true wisdome is esteemed foolishnesse in this world and he that would be wise let him be a foole first he shall neuer be counted wise that day except he haue bene a foole first and humbled vnder this foolish preaching of the Gospell It is true the condemnation of the reprobate shall be a meane to make the world wonder and to make the Iudge wonderfull O the paines that shall be inflicted on the reprobate shall be wonderfull and they shall be set vp as spectacles of shame at that day and the godly shall wonder at their shame and confusion O wonderfull shall that weightinesse of judgement be they shall wonder that euer there should be such a wraith in God they shall wonder that euer the arme of God should be so heauy vpon them O Hell is lighted now will they say the wraith of God is lighted now O what a masse and weight of wraith is this that we see now Men will now leape here and there and make litle count of the weightinesse of the Lords hand and securely contemne threatnings and judgement but in that day to their euerlasting woe they shall finde it the heauiest thing that euer was for by the weight of it they shall be so pressed downe that they shall neuer be able to prease vp againe Alas what a dead senslesnesse is this of men in this world that they regarde neither Heauen noâ— Hell liuing like beastes and not as men Lord waken vs in tyme to acknowledge these thinges Now to goe forward Who are these that shall be made wonderfull that in them the Lord Iesus may be made wonderfull In one word He calles them beleeuers a base and simple style among vs. He called them before Saintes holy ones and now he commes to the ground of their holinesse and calles it faith It will not be a faire honest ciuile dealing with our neighbour that will doe the turne albeit many men thinks so No but faith in Christ must be the ground any man that in any measure hes had a sense and feeling of that lyfe he will finde in his experience he can not haue hope or assurance of lyfe in the fairest outwarde dealing that euer men did except he finde his hart setled on God and his anchor casten on Christ This is the onely cause of thy saluation faith in Christ As for all thy good workes they are onely effects and tokens that thou hast that faith in Christ which will doe the turne and is the onely cause of thy saluation O blessed for euer is that hart that hes faith keeped let neuer thy remembrance be off it What euer thou thinke or speake keepe it hast thou it be assured of thy saluation lackest thou it doe all thou can thou shalt die Seeke euer to haue Christ in thy hart And seeing we who are now liuing may die in one moment Lord if we should not seeke earnestly to haue Christ dwelling in our harts It is onely his merites that saues vs. In the next wordes he defines them that he calles beleeuers and pointing them out he sayes not they that beleeues in Iesus Christ but they vvho in this lyfe hes beleeued my testimony the Gospell teached by me by my fellowâ—seruants by the rest of the Apostles and Pastors So take vp the nature of this faith and be not â—egyled with it It is not faith in Christ barely but faith in Christ preached By whom by a selie bodie What was Paul a selie bodie So looke neuer for lyfe nor saluation in that great day except thou humble thy selfe vnder the foolishe preaching as men thinkes it and beleeue the foolishe teaching of the Gospell Thou shalt
neuer come to grace and saluation except thou humble thy selfe vnder this preaching which thou by nature and in thy judgement thinkes foolishe If thou beleue not in this take thee this doome neuer shalt thou be justified in that great day Now to come to the last words in the verse In that day There is an Emphasis in this word that day the Lord shall be glorified in the godly in the glory of his owne in that day It is true brethren at this time in this same moment the Lord Iesus is glorified and the Saints and faithful hes their own glory But the glory of Iesus and his Saintes is not in that fulnesse which shall be at that day Thou seest him now as it were in a mirrour darklie he is comming behind thee and thou art looking in a glas but at that day thou shalt see him face to face with these bodily eyes thou seest him now in glorie but in that day thou shalt see him in a surpassing and exceeding great glorie It is euen so with the Saints We are the Sonnes of God now we are glorious now but in that day we shall haue another kinde of glorie The Apostle Iohn 1. Epistle 13 chap. 2. verse sayes Dearly beloued vve are the Sonnes of God novv but it appeares not vvhat vve shall be The very sight of him shall transforme vs. So that day in the 2. chap. to the Rom. 1. verse is called the day of manifestation all things shall be manifested Glorie righteousnes Heauen Hel and all hid now But in that day all shall be brought forth to that light and be manifested The Heauen shall be opened to see that glorie in it the Hell to see that darknesse and shame in it The Sun shall shine then most clearly right shall then appeare right in the own garment of righteousnesse wrong shall be seene to be wrong sinne shall appeare in the own cullour euerie one shall see it perfitely all things shall be maid manifest Now in the next verse to the end of the chapter the Apostle to conquise to himselfe the beneuolence and good lyking of the Thessalonians why should not the teacher haue the good wil of his people whom he teaches lets them see all that he does is for their cause Wherefore sayes he vve also pray alvvaies for you that our God may make you vvorthy of this calling c. Well this sets out this part of the Minister as he teaches life to the people So let his prayer be euer to God to helpe them forward to that lyfe and glorie he speakes of This for his part Then ye see againe Prayer a meane to lyfe among all the meanes of bringing men to lyfe Prayer is one Thy ovvne prayer the prayer of the Pastour for thee I call it the meane not the cause for thy ovvne prayer vvill neuer merite Heauen albeit thou pray continuallie and be of that opinion that thy prayer vvill merite Heauen vaine art thou thou shalt neuer get it Yet the Lord hes appointed prayer as a meane to further men and wemen to Heauen If thou neglect thy duetie thou shalt neuer come to Heauen The Lord raise vs out of this beastlines and senslesnes that makes vs so vnwilling to pray Men will rise in the morning and go to bed at night without one motion of praier but if thou continue so thou shalt neuer come to Heauen for mark the Lords doing As the Lord hes ordained thee for life so he hes ordained thee a mid-way wherby he bids thee go forward to liâ—e If thou take not the straight way the Lord hes giuen thee but takâ—â— by rode of thy own thou shalt neuer come to Heauen What should keep Christ with vs but only this praier what should sanctifie al the speaches of our mouth actions of our hands but this continuall praying The remembring of this life should stir vs vp to prayer for it is and shall be found the way to that life But to come to the matter of his praier He saies for this cause we pray for you That God vvould make you vvorthy of his calling By this calling he meanes life euerlasting by the meane he vnderstandes the end for he takes not the word calling properly but he takes it for the end of our calling which is life euerlasting Then ye see he craues this life and glory at the handes of God Then Life euerlasting the gift of God learn This life euerlasting is the onely gift of God thou hast it not by nature in thy owne selfe it must be giuen thee as a free gift of God or thou shalt neuer get it Further I see one or two meanes whereby we must come to this life set down heere Before thou come to that lyfe thou must haue a calling to it albeit thou would reaue a kingdome here by tirannie yet thou shalt not come to this kingdome except thou haue a former calling to it And when hast thou this calling When this same word of the Gospell soundes in thy eare 〈…〉 and thou beleuest in it If thou lay not to thy eare here thou shalt neuer be called and lackest thou that calling by the word thou shalt neuer get life euerlasting Then the other thing I see here that goes before life and glorie is a vvorthinesse a dignitie ere thou enter in that kingdome thou must haue a worthinesse Who will choose a man to an earthly kingdome without dignitie and worthines Therefore he sayes that he vvould make you vvorthie O but vnderstand it is not my worthinesse nor thy worthinesse inherent in me or thee No it is that worthinesse of Christ Iesus that must be imputed to vs. Christs worthinesse must be imputed to vs and we clad with it When ye heare this word worthines in the Scripture take it neuer to be an inherent worthinesse in thee or in me but the worthinesse of that onely worthie one Christ the Lord made ours by faith Then to the words following He pointes out more clearelie this lyfe euerlasting and sayes That he vvould fulfill all his good pleasure Which good pleasure Which commes of his gentlenes and goodnesse Then he addes And that he would fulfill What a vvorke Whereof of faith After what maner vvith povver and might Then there must be a power or else faith will not be fulfilled Now to returne to euery word That he vvould fulfill Marke then Lyfe euerlasting glorie euerlasting is the accomplishment of a thing begun of the decree going before of lyfe euerlasting First there must be an entrie to it there must be a beâ—ginning going before and then life euerlasting commes on as fulfilling of the thing going before What is the thing that goes before It is his good pleasure By his good pleasure is vnderstood the decree of lyfe that was giuen out from all eternitie concerning his owne So lyfe euerlasting is but the accomplishment of a decree that was made in that glorious kingdome of Heauen before
the world was made Thy life beginnes at a decree that neuer had a beginning and ends in a glorie that neuer shall haue an end He calles it not simplie a good pleasure but all his good pleasure whereby he meanes here an ample thing He meanes with the decree of lyfe all the meanes that serues to bring vs to lyfe There is not one meane to lyfe but all must come of this decree Art thou called in tyme it commes of a decree Rom 8. 28. Art thou justified it commes of a decree Prayest thou it commes of a decree Nothing commes to thee in the mid-way of thy journey but all commes of a decree What euer commes whether it be prosperitie or aduersitie thinke noâ— it commes by chance but it is a meane that the Lord hes ordeined from all eternitie to bring thee to lyfe euerlasting 1. Pet. 2. 21. So lyfe euerlasting proceeds of a decree from all eternitie He calles it the good pleasure of his goodnesse By this word goodnesse he designes the cause of this eternal decree not to be any thing which God foresaw in vs but his owne onely goodnesse and that to the end he may haue all the praise of our saluation Read Ephes 1. 5. 6. 9. Yet there must be another thing ere one get lyfe What is it He calles it a vvorke that hes a beginning The worke that must be accomplished hes a beginning and then it ends and resolues in lyfe And what is the worke Faith in Iesus Christ What is lyfe euerlasting then 〈…〉 but the accomplishment of this faith that we haue in this God Faith is this building that goes vp continuallie Iohn chap. 6. verse 29. When the Iewes glories in their workes Christ sayes This is the vvorke of God that ye beleeue in me This is the building that must be builded euen Faith Thou must euer be building this faith this day one stone to morrowe againe another vntill thou come to the toppe stone which is glorie and lyfe eternall Paul sayes 2. Timoth. chap 4. vers 7. 8. I haue gone forward in this building I haue keeped the fayâ—h novv the crovvne of righteousnesse is laid vp for me Then life euerlasting is the crowne of faith without faith nor crowne Who can crowne thee except thou haue faith It is faith that must be crowned Lookest thou to be crowned and in the mean-time hast thou no faith thou deceaues thy selfe Therefore seeke euer faith in Christ or else seeke neuer to get that crowne Then he sayes vvith povver This must be done with power or else it shall neuer be done All the Monarchs of the world and all the Angels shall not be able to lift vp this crowne to set it on thy head It must be onely the infinite power of Christ that must liftâ—vp that crowne and set it on thy â—ead after thou hast gone forward in that worke and come to the end It is said Phill. 3. chap. 21. verse When the Lord shall come this vyle body shall be transformed and made lyke that glorious body of Christ What is the meane Throgh the effectualnesse of his povver vvhereby he is able to subdevv all things the deuill sin and death that would hold thee aback from that glorie There must be power in the Lord to kil sin Hell and to ouercome the deuill and all thy enemies And the Lord by his power must giue thee power ouer all before thou be made conforme to him Now to come to the last verse He sets downe the last end of his praying That the name of the Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him Then the cheefe respect he hes in praying is not their glory but Godsâ— glory Howbeit he would haue the Thessalonians to be saued yet that is not his last end but al their saluation is that God may be glorified in them The end of his praying is that God may be glorified in them because our glory should rend to the glory of God Now mark one rule in praying When we pray for life either to our selues or to others let not our mindes be so much set on our and their glorie and saluation as God 's ' gglory cheefly to bee requyred in our praier that the God of glory may be glorified and say Lord I seeke glory and saluation that in my glorifying and saluation thou mayest be glorified and so let euer that glory of God be more pretious and deare to vs nor all the glorie and life can come to vs. And they that gets grace to pray this waies they may be assured they shall be glorified for euer So renounce all Heauen it self our joy our glory and our inheritance in Heauen to the end that he to whom all glory pertaines may be glorified This did Moses and Paul they craued to be â—â—athema that God might be glorified And this should be the desire of euery man seeke if it were thy owne condemnation rather ere God who created thee be not glorified prefer Gods glory to thy owne saluation Lord giue vs this zeale to his glorie What shall the end be Trowest thou to lose any thing by so doing No looke what God saies to Moses Exod. 32. chap. 33. verse when Moses desired to be scraped out of the booke of life No the Lord sayes Moses thou who so earnestly desired my glory I will glorifie thee and will scrape them out that deserues to be scraped out Then the way to come to life eternall is to renounce thy self to seek onely that thy God may be glorified O the joy that is in the hart when we find that zeale that we can prefer Gods glory to our own saluation That joy surpasses all joy that euer was He addes to another thing to this He saies That he may be glorified in you and ye in him Learne there is no peece of glorie that Christ gets but it redounds to his elect Is he glorified in thee that same glory commes back againe to thee and glorifies thee I shall tell you how it stands First thy lyfe and glory that ye call euerlasting lyfe is nothing but a faire glance that strikes from the glorious face of Iesus Christ as ye see the Sunne shining on a man makes him to shine So thy glory and lyfe is as a verie glance 〈…〉 that strikes from the glorious countenance of Christ as the glance of the Sun striking on a black body makes that body glance ô much more will the beames of the face of Christ beating on thee make thee to shine What was the shining of the face of Moses that made the people afraied but a glance of the face of God Then when the glory of God hes first shined on vs we shine and then our shining again with a reflex goes back to that Son of righteousnesse it came from and he of new shineâ— againe on vs in a fairer shining nor before Now in this mutuall reflex and shining yea
and the 〈◊〉 Christ is both the beginning and the ending the shining begins at him and ends at him And therefore it is said Rom. 11. chap. 36. verse For of him and throgh him and for him are all things to him be glory for euer Now what shall be the cause of this glorie of ours He sets it downe in these words according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Iesus Christ Grace is the cause of our shining Grace from the Father grace from the Sonne Then there is nothing but grace there shall be nothing but grace in Heauen grace in earth no merite in this earth no merite in Heauen No merite in this earth but Iesus merite no merite in Heauen but onely grace grace and mercy in earth all standing here and in Heauen is only by grace And so the cause of our euerlasting standing is euerlasting grace the onely grace of God in Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all glory for euer AMEN THE FOVRTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 1. 2. 3. 1 NOW vve beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling vnto him 2 That ye be not suddenly mooued from your mynde nor troubled neithr by spirit nor by vvord nor by letter as it were from vs aâ— though the day of Christ vvere at hand 3 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes IN the chapter preceding ye haue heard brethren first of the saluation of the Apostle wherein he wishes to the Thessalonians grace from God the Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ Then we came to his preface wherein he rejoices and giues thanks to God for the increase of grace of faith of loue they had receiued And thirdly we came to that consolation that he ministers to them against the affliction and trouble vnder the which they lay for the faith of Christ Now to come to this chapter In it the Apostle first admonishes the Thessalonians that they giue not eare to deceiuers and false teachers who would perswade them that the comming of the Lord Iesus was at hand and thereafter â—e enters in a refutation of this pointe of false doctrine and heresie Now to make this more plaine The occasion as it appeares of that which the Apostle wrytes in this chapter is this In his first Epistle written to them and fourth chapter thereof he spoke concerning the second comming of the Lord Iesus 〈…〉 and beside other thinges as we may read there he specifies these wordes We sayes he vvhich liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shall be caught vp in the cloudes vvith them vvho are departed this lyfe after their resurrection The Thessalonians reading this incontinent concludes Christ shall come ere euer we die we shall be found on lyfe at his comming and we shall be reâ—t vp in the aire to meete the Lord in the cloudes vvith them who are departed Now in this meane-tyme the deuill is busie to confirme them in this error and therefore he raises vp deceyuers and false teachers that went about to perswade them of the trueth of this as though it had beene true that they should be liuing at the Lords comming These false teachers alledged for them partlie the reuelation of the Spirite of God partlie a tradition of Paul which both were false Therefore the Apostle vnderstanding this tooke occasion to vvryte this Epistle and especiallie this second chapter wherein he admonishes or rather effectuouslie requestes them that they suffered not themselues to be deceiued as though the comming of the Lord were at hand and thereafter falles out in a refutation of this error To returne to the wordes In the wordes we haue read in the first verse we haue the earnest request of the Apostle together with an obtestation adjuring them with all grauitie by the comming of the Lord Iesus by the assembling of the elect to him at his comming that they should not suffer themselues so to be deceyued as though the comming of the Lord were at hand Now to insist in this first verse Novv vve beseech you sayes he by the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling vnto him The words bears a great obtestation wherein he straites them vnder the paine of lyfe and death that as euer they wold look to haue joy in Christs comming and to communicat with his glory they shold not suffer themselues to be deceiued Then brethren ye see in requesting and that in lenity he obtests and adjures them in grauity and in some seuerity He joines and tempers two contrare things together sweetnesse and lenity on the one part sowrenes and seuerity on the other part First he dravves them on and intreates them vvillinglie to obey that vvhich he requyres of them and then againe in a maner violentlie he pulles them He both leades and dravves Requesting in lâ—â—â—tie he leades them obtesting in seuerine he dravves them as it vvere violentlie Commonlie ye shall finde he vses this forme of requesting In the 2. Epist to the Cor. 10. chap. 1. verse 〈◊〉 I Paul myselfe beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of our Lord Iesus Christ. There ye haue the request vvith an adjuring and charging of them Novv brethren take these tvvo take lenitie vvith seueritie together they vvill haue a great force in the hearers to bring them forvvard sunder them none of them vvill be so effectuall lenitie the alone hes lesse force seueritie the alone is ouer sharpe It will destroy more nor vvin bind them together they haue a great power In the 2. Epistle to Timothie 4. chap. 2. verse 〈…〉 there is â—eueritie and againe exhort vvith all 〈◊〉 suffring and 〈◊〉 there is meeknesse Looke that these two be not seuered This was the Apostles maner of doing and thus forme â—e vses bindes euerie one of vs that speakes in the Church of God to the end of the world to vse the lyke Yet to insist in the vvordes I beseech you by the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling vnto him Ye see tvvo thinges heere vvhereby he adjures them to obey his request The first is the coâ—â—â—ing of Christ The second is our assembling to him at his comming Then it fellowes that seeing he obtesâ—s by these two thinges that we should not doubt but the Lord Iesus will come and when he commes that we shall assemble vnto him for all obtestations are made by things which are counted vndoubted trueths The things whereby any man objures and obtests another man should be sure grounds Now the Apostle obtests them by these two things Therefore we should not doubt but these two are true Christs secâ—nd comming to the cause of our assembling vnto him that Christ shall come and we shall assemble vnto him Yet compare these two together the first is the cause his comming the second is the effect our assembling vnto him
that will vpset it The lose thou getst by deceite will neuer be vpset all the kings and doctors vnder Heauen will neuer set vp thy lose thou getst by defection Alas what hes that 〈◊〉 win when he hes win all the world and lost his soule by falling away from the trueth Now the Lord let euery man see that there is nothing comparable to this hurt of deceiuing What pleasure can thou haue of all the kingdomes of the world when thou hast a troubled hart and conscience when thou hast an vnquyet soule within thee Therfore as we say It is good to sleepe in a sound skinne Change not a setled minde and pacified hart with all the world and preferre a sound minde inlightned with the knowledge of Christ to all the honours and dignity in the world And because we are so vnstable mynded and so ready to alter that except we be surely anchored on Christ we shall be euer beatten away with euery light wind of false doctrine Therefore we haue to pray that our soules may be anchored by a sure faith on Christ The Lord therefore by his grace anchor our soules on Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise for euer AMEN THE FIFTH LEC TVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 34. for that day shal not come except there come a departing first and that that man of sinne be disclosed euen the sonne of perdition 4 Which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God or that is vvorshipped so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God shovving himselfe that he is God WELBELOVED brethren ye haue heard the request the Apostle makes in the beginning of this second chapter to the Thessalonians He requests and adjures them by the comming of the Lord Iesus and by our assembling vnto him at his comming that they suffer not themselues to bee deceyued or put by their mindes troubled in hart and affection especially in this head of doctrine that concernes the comming of the Lord in the latter day and that they should not be deceiued by false teachers who weÌ„t about to deceiue them in this point teaching that the day of the Lord is at hand he shall come incontinent ye shall be found aliue when he shall come This age and generation shall not be past when he shall come This pointe of false doctrine that these false teachers went about to perswade the Thessalonians and so to vnqiuet them held them ay in vexation of sprit and minde looking ay for Christs comming assuring them that he should come ere that presentage should end Now in this text the Apostle enters to a refutation of that false doctrine and he proues that the day of the Lord was not instant that the day of the Lord would not beat such a tyme that it should not fall out in that present age Now marke his reasons If the day of the Lord were instant then there should not bee an vniuersall Apostasie and defection from the faith of the Lord Iesus Christ before the day and comming of the Lord Vniuersal defection must goe before the Lords coÌ„ming For vvhy This Apostasie must craue a large space of tyme. Then he subjoines but so it is before that day shall come there shall be an vniuersall Apostasie and defection from the faith and trueth of Christ Iesus And so hee concludes Therefore it is not so as they say The day of the Lord is not instant and is not so neere hand as they goe about to perswade you Marke his reason The proposition and first part of the argument is not expressed in the text The next parte the assumption is sette dovvne in the text to witte The day of the Lord shall not bee before that an vniuersall defection be first Now before I come to the wordes take vp shortlie this one thing The Thessalonians to whom he wrytes being deceiued thought that incontinent Christ should come and that they should be rest to the Heauen with him and glorified from hand The Apostle to put them out of this consaite tels them ere they and the Church be rest vp to Heauen and glorified there that they shall suffer yet on the earth some trouble there shall be yet a great alteration and vexation in the Church of God Brethren mark it The battell must goe before the victory let none looke for the victory before he fight thou wilt not come sleeping to Heauen Thou must fight on earth ere thou come to glorie and ere thou triumph in Heauen thou must be victorious on earth throgh many tribulations we must enter in the kingdom of heauen This is that which the Apostle teaches the Thessalonians Novv to come to the vvordes of the text and to make this matter plaine we shall insist particularlie on euery word taking vp the meaning of Gods Spirite heere And first â—here occurres this vvord Apostasie which must be before the day of the Lordes comming This Apostasie is nothing but a falling avvay a flyding aback This Apostasie is not a particulare Apostasie or defection of this man or that man onely of any one person or any two or three persons onely But it is an vniuersal defection of multitudes of men and wemen in this world For the word ye see is generallie set downe in the text to be a departure without any restriction It is not said a departing of this man or that man but generallie a departing Therefore the Apostle must meane of a departing and falling away of multitudes and great multitudes Now all the question is what Apostasie meanes the Apostle of I am not ignorant how a great number of the olde Latine fathers in the Church vnderstandes this Apostasie to be meant of the defection of many Nations from the Empyre of Rome It is true indeede the Nations of the world fell away from the Romane Empyre But how well and rightly they vnderstood this Apostasie of that falling away from the Romane Empyre God knowes And it is a wonder that so many learned and quick spirited men should haue erred together in this pointe so long Indeede it is likly that when one of them fel in this error all the rest followed on in troupes without further discretion or judgement But I leaue them What Apostasie is this then that the Apostle meanes of heere I shall tell you It is an vniuersall defection not from an Emperour or earthly King but from the King of Heauen Iesus Christ and from his faith This agrees with the course of this text and with that which followes immediatly of the Antichrist the head of this Apostasie This agrees with the speaking of this same Apostle in sundry other places In the 1. Tim. chap. 4. verse 1. he foretels of this vniuersall defection from the faith The wordes are The spirit speakes euidently that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith and
marueilous hardnesse to win thinges that ye thinke be easie to be done and againe an easinesse to come to thinges which ye thinke hard All tends to this that we may know all is decreed by the secreet and effectuall prouidence of God In the beginning of the next verse we haue the effect that shall fall out vpon this prophecie when once he that withholds the 〈◊〉 out of the way that is the Romane Emperour which is termed heere as a man by reason of a kingdome many Caesars but yet one kingdome Theâ— sayes he that vvicked man shall be reueiled that great Antichrist shall be reueiled As for the small Antichrists that were forerunners of the great he speakes not of them then this great Antichrist shall show himself in power to the world he is called a lawlesse man and who cannot be subject to a law Who is that He that craues an absolute power And who craues an absolute power if not that beast of Rome Who breakes and makes lawes as he pleases Gods law mens law Read the history of him So ye haue heere the reueiling of him his comming to his greatnesse To make this plaine When was it that the great Antichrist came for this prophecie is of him and this reueiling is to be vnderstood of him When came he to this perfection When was he first reueiled I shew you before in the dayes of the Apostles the Antichrist beganne and lurked vnto the six hundreth and three yeere of our Lord and a great part of that time lurked in Rome he was not yet in greatnesse well then his greatnesse beganne in the six hundreth and three yeere of God as the Histories notes And vpon what decasion Grovving reueiling of the antichrist One Photas an adulterer a parricide and wicked man alwayes when he had slaine his master 〈…〉 Emperour and so had become odious to the people to 〈◊〉 to him the fauour of the people he would showe himselfe beneficial to the Church he pronounces Bonifacius the third and his successors after him there is the Antichrist to be Popes to be supreâ—me and 〈◊〉 Bishops of the whole earth which styles 〈◊〉 his predecessor so much abhorred Then in the six hundreth and seauen yeere in a Sinod all counsell holden 〈◊〉 Rome vnder the same Boâ—â—facius the third this priuiledge to be vniuersal Bishops of the world is ratified to the Bishoppes of Rome A little after this see how this growes in a counsell holden in Africa vnder the Emperour Constantine the nephevv of Heraclius Theodorus the Bishoppe of Rome gettes this style and these tytles sent to him Domino Apostolico culmini sublimato sancto patrum patri Theodoro Papae summo omnium praesulum principâ— Synodus Africana That is vnto the Lord lifted vp on high to the Apostolicall seate the holy father of fathers the most high Prince of all Prelats Theodore the Pope writes the Synode of Africa And yet he is not come to his height till in the 666. yeere of the Lord which number in the reuelation of Iohny 18. is called the number of a man that is an explicable number easie to be counted with men In this yeere he commes to the height of his perfection as that prophecy of Iohn tels and experience teaches Who makes him vp and perfites him Euen he who should haue holden him downe the Emperour of Constantinople Constantinus Prorogatius Barbarus Vitilianus being Bishop of Rome for the time he makes vp the beast He sets him vp on the top of his honour Then brethren the Roman Bishoppe who was before but a legate to the Roman Emperour he is set downe in his soueranitie subject to no mortall man vnder the Heauen Then commes in al abominations all corruptions all vices and among all the rest in commes the Masse and it is determined that it should be celebrate in the Latine tongue in all the world The Antichrist in this 666. yeere commes to the height of height he cannot come higher Now brethren to end this matter Heare a little of his downe going againe As the Apostle heere prophecyed of his climming vp to the height of the ladder so to comforte the Church of God in all ages he prophecyes of his destruction Whom sayes he the Lord shall consume vvith the breath of his mouth and shall abolish vvith the brightnesse of his comming There are two parts here of his decaying The first part is his consuming the next part is his abolishing His consuming is with a slownes for as he came not incontinent to his height so he decayes not incontinent long ere he decay he consumes away as a body consuming and then â—e endes at a sudden Who consumes him Who abolishes him Who but the Lord Iesus Christ He it is who shal consume the Antichrist Maâ—er of coÌ„suming of the antichrist To speake of his consuming Where-with melts he him away with the breath of his mouth that is by the preaching of the Gospell and that by the poore Ministers who are despised in the world He makes his Ministers breath and blow on the beast and this breath of the Ministers consumes the beast When began this consuming of him Euen soone after he came to his height Ye heard of one Iohn W. ckleâ—ff in anno 1383. he blew on the beast Iohn Husse Ierome de Praga in Bohemia albeit he was burnt and the beast got the mastrie of him yet he consumed the beast Ye heard of Luther in Germanie his name shall not be buried Melanthon Zuinglius Oeâ—olampadius men of worthie memorie and then good Iohn Caluin in France Viretus Farellus they blew in their tyme on the beast What shall I say To be short so many faithfull men as the Lord raises vp in the ministry they are as many slayers of the beast with their breaths Now learne one thing When the Antichrist is come to his height who goes too to beate the beast downe from his height Is it the Emperour is it this king or that king No no word of them Is it any power in this world No it is the Lord Iesus He will haue the honour of the wreack of the Antichrist And therfore as it were in his owne person he will enter in combat with the beast Now what armour vses he Commes he on with this wordly armour gunnes and gainzies I aske of thee No no thing is spoken of them but a breathing and blowing is told of Iesus Christ blovves on the beast and consumes him vvith the breath of his mouth The word of the Gospell is the armour he vses that same armour the beast abuses to hold vp his kingdome vvithall the Lord takes out of his â—and and slayes him vvith What instruments vses he to this turne He takes not Angelles from the Heauen to breath on him No but sillie simple bodies some out of the beasts owne bodie some otherwaies raised vp to blow on the beast Marke all these circumstances They all let you see that in
trueth It is not thy eare in hearing of the word nor thy mouth in speaking well of it that will make thee a good receiuer of the trueth but it is the hart Looke there be an vnfained loue to the trueth in it and then hold vp thy eare and it will sinke in so sweetly in thy soule that thou shalt feede on it so joyfully as no tongue neither of man nor Angell can tell It is not the outward profession nor the outward receiuing if thou should sit a thousand yeeres hearing that will bring thee to life First thou must haue hart and soule disposed inwardly with an vnfained loue to God to Iesus Christ and his Gospell and then Heauen and earth shall got together ere thou perish An hart that loues Christ and this light shall neuer perish on the other part al the outward forme of doing the protestation subscription and the rest of these outward things shal not saue thee in the day of the Lord if there be not a peece of this loue in thy hart And so I end with this word 〈…〉 accursed be he that loues not Iesus Christ and his trueth And by the contrare blessed are they that loues Iesus Christ and his truth euen this word preached by this baâ—e ministrie and blessed shall they beforeuer To this Christ with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise for euer AMEN THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 11. 12. 13. 14. 11 And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes 12 That all they might bedâ—mned vvhich beleeued not the trueth 〈◊〉 had pleusure in vnrighteousnesse 13 But vve ought to giue thanks alvvay to God for you brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and the faith of trueth 14 Where-vnto he called you by our Gospell to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. THE dayes bygone beloued brethren in the Lord Iesus we haue heard a Prophecy of that uniuersall Apostasie that was to come and of the reueiling of the Antichrist who should be the head and ring-leader of this vniuersall Apostasie We heard of the Antichrist to be reueiled he is painted out and deferyued in his owne collours before he was reueiled euen as we see him this day For Paul could not haue set him out more viuely in his nature properties and actions if he had seene him nor he hes done in this Prophecie for he descryuos him euen as if he had seene him with his eyes He hes descryued him from his nature He shall be a man sayes he not a single man simplie but he meanes by this word one man a succession of men in one kingdome As for his properties he sayes he shall be a man of sinne and addicted slaue to sinne Next he shall be the sonne of perdition destinate to destruction and euerlasting perdition from al eternity As for his actions first in malice of his hart he shal oppone himselfe against all thing that is called God and is worshipped either in Heauen or in earth He shall oppone himselfe both against the Majestie of God in Heauen and against the majesties of Kings and Princes on earth Againe in pryde of his hart he shall lift himselfe aboue euery thing called God More in the pryde of hart he shall sit in the Temple of God as God in Gods seate vpon the consciences of men to control them which thing properly pertaines to God No creature hes power ouer the consciences of men it is proper to God onely More he shall showe himselfe in all his styles dignities and names as God He shall reaue these from God and shall cloath himselfe with them Last he is descryued from that effectualnesse and powerfull working which he shall receiue of Satan and which at his comming he shall haue in the harts of men partly by working wonders partly by false and fraudulent doctrine But in whom He sayes in them that perishes that is in them that are ordeined to destruction before the foundation of the world was laid in these he shall be powerfull they shall beleeue him in all that he does and sayes Then he sets down one cause of the perdition of these men in whom the Antichrist is and shall be effectuall To witte their owne merite and desert they will not receiue the loue of the trueth they contemne the light of the Gospell and therefore perish shall they God indeed hes decreed from all eternitie that they shall perish but before the decreete be put in execution their merite shall interuene and in tyme they shall contemne the trueth of God which shall procure that damnation to the which from all eternity they were predestinate In the first verse we read the Apostle showes by what order damnation and perdition shall follow vpon the contempt of the light of God in Iesus Christ Marke this Damnation shall not follow vpon the contempt of the trueth immediatly but something shal interueene first there shall follow one plague of God for he shall send vpon these men strange illusions that is he shall hound out the Antichrist with his effectualnesse and he comming with the effectualnesse of Satan shall deceiue them he shall blinde them as it were and put out their eyes What shall followe on that Being blinded they shall goe forwarde in their sinne and so goe downe toward Hell as it were by another steppe And as they contemned the light before so now being deceiued they shall embrace greedilie lies And what shall followe vpon this Embraceing lyes and vanities damnation shall ensue This is the meaning of this verse Then ye see a man is not shot in Hell at the first No when a man hes committed one sinne God will not put him in Hell at that same instant but he shall make him goe to Hell by degrees from steppe to steppe and from sinne to sinne in his just judgement he shall make him stop from a smaller sinne to a greater sinne and this he will doe by plaguing of him and inflicting on him either spiritual or temporall judgements and being beatten he will not amend No mark this A reprobate will neuer mend all the temporall judgements in the world will not better him but he will be ay worse and worse so that if he sinned before now being plagued he shal go to a greater sin and shal not make an end of sinning till he end in judgement Marke another thing here Ye see what the Antichrist is with all his force and effectualnesse his wonders and his doctrine whereby he is effectuall in them that perishes Is he without God trow ye No he is no other thing but a burrio sent from the Tribunal of God to plague the ingrate world as the king would send an hangman to hang a thiefe or murtherer God in his just judgement sends him to
wrought by the Spirit of God thou must liue holilie in his sight and then thou must beleeue thou must haue faith that is throgh the trueth of Iesus Christ or else thou wert neuer chosen If thou hast not faith if thou hast not an holy life no saluation for thee Then shortly in the next verse Hauing spoken of faith he showes how a man commes by faith how he gets it He sayes vnto the vvhich ye are called Faith thou is gotten by calling if a man be not called and cryed on as it were with a shout from Heauen O the dead bodie will not waken for if thou be not cry edon thou wilt not get grace to beleeue if thou be not cried vpon by the cry of God in his word thou shalt neuer get faith for faith is kindled vp by the voice of the Euangell The Lord sayes Iohn 5. 28. 29. The houre shall come and novv iâ— vvhen the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue meaning the dead in sinne So faith rises by a crye and call when he sayes come out of that death thou that sâ—eepest if thou heare thou shalt incontinent arise and beleeue O the power of the voice of God! It is his voice onely that makes the dead soule heare and to beleeue It is not thy free-will that makes thee to answere it is the cry of God onely that kindles vp faith in thee and what meanes vses he to call men by Euen the Gospell of Iesus Christ which is the voice of God For what is the word of God but the voyce of God shouting and crying vpon thee So calling is by a word and voice Now calles he thee by the voyce of the Law No long would thou haue lyeâ— ere thou had answered to the voyce of the Law the more it cry vpon thee thou wiltly the longer dead What is the voice then The sweet voice of the Gospell of Iesus Christ when it is tolde to thee that the Sonne of God is incarnate for thy sake he hes suffered and is risen that thou may get remission of sinnes and life euerlasting in one word the speach of the crosse of a dead man it is the speach that puts life in thee and so no faith without calling and no calling without the voice of the Gospell and no life without the voice of the Gospell Thou shalt neuer see the face of God without thou heare the voice of the Gospell Yet marke He sayes our Gospell that is that I Paul and my fellow laborers ministred Then I aske what is the mouth out of the which the voice of the Gospell sounds and by the which the Lord calles the dead man Euen the mouth of sillie simple men and therefore Paul cals it his Gospel Pauls mouth Peters mouth and the mouth of all the faithfull ministers are the voice of God to the end of the world calling thee to faith and therefore doe they call this Gospell their Gospell The Lord hes so ordeined that without the mouthes of sillie men no voice of God should be heard in the earth Goe to thy chamber read as thou wilt thou shalt nor come to Heauen if thou contemne the mouth of sillie men for without the voice of sillie men that soundes this Gospell there is no voice of God calling thee to faith And therefore without this base ministrie is no saluation for thee I say farther If the mouth of this ministrie whereby the Lord speaks be contemned by thee there is no faith no life appointed for thee God hes so bound himself to this ministrie that if thou contemne this ordinance thou shalt neuer see Heauen He will haue thee safe by a foolish preaching or else thou shalt neuer see heauen Say not might he not send Angels No close thy mouth for by foolish preaching thou shalt be safe and by no other means Mark this ye that contemne the preaching of the word of God out of the mouthes of sillie men Now in the end of the verse he sets downe another end of this calling the first end was faith the other is the participation of the glorie of Heauen in Iesus Christ all is in Christ glorie is in him so thou shalt not get either grace or glorie if thou get not Christ alwaies this is an end both of election and vocation life euerlasting Election is from all eternitie vocation is in tyme and lyfe euerlasting followes as the onely effect and end of both Now the calling beginnes here and what other thing is al our preaching but this come to Iesus Christ the Anchor of your faith and life and this cry holds 〈◊〉 till Christ Iesus come and then he will cry out that last cry Come ye blessed of my Father and inherite the kingdome prepared for you and then the chosen shall enter in the participation of that glorie through Christ that neuer shall end And therefore to this Iesus the Anchor of our life and the caller of vs to life and glory with the Father and holy Spirit we render al praise and honor for now and euermore AMEN THE NINTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 15. 16. 17. 15 Therefore brethren â—tand fast keep the instructions vvhich ye haue bene laught either by our vvord or by our Epistle 16 Novv the same Iesus Christ our Lord and our God â—â—en the Father vvhich hath loued vs and hath 〈◊〉 vs euerlasting consolation and good hope through grace 17 Comfort you harts and stablishe you in 〈…〉 and good vvorke AFTER the Apostle heâ— ended that Prophecy of the vniuersall defection from the trueth and faith of Christ Iesus and of the reueiling and manifesting of the Antichrist and his power he doeth three things in the end of this chapter First he comforts the Thessalonians against this Apostaâ—ie and defection assuring them it should not touch them because they were grounded vpon that stable foundation of the eternall election of God of the which they had sure tokens and testimonies the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the trueth the calling of God to faith and participation of the glory of Iesus Christ Next in the text we have red there are conteined two things The first is 〈◊〉 exhortation to the Thessalonians to stand and perâ—euere to the end The other is a prayer conceiued by the Apostle to God the Father and to the Lord Iesus that it would please them first to comfort the harts of the Thessalonians next to establish them in euery good word and worke Then shortly to come to the text We haue set downe in the first words an exhortation to the Thessalonians that they should standfast But first we shall consider how this exhortation followes on the doctrine passing before Therefore sayes he Then it must be inferred by a consequent vpon the doctrine preceeding The cause of their standing and perseuerance must be in the text preceding
and speaking of it There is another sort when it runnes through the harts of men that is when in her course she is powerfull in the harts to worke a true faith in them working sanctification an altering and changing of the soule and reforming the harts of men and conforming them to the Image of God As concerning the first she gets no glorie nor honor but she is rather stayned by it As to the other she runnes with glory and majestie and she is caried throgh the world like a glorious Queene and is magnified by men and Angels Now among whom is she glorified and among whom is she defamed When she is powerfull in men to sanctification there she is glorified who euer liues holily glorifies the Gospel and when men hes nothing but a bare word of it and liues licentiously and wickedly then the Gospell is defamed and shamed by these men as the Apostle witnesses Rom. 2. 24. out of the 52. of Esay For your sakes sayes he my name is blasphemed among the nations all the day long Then they who liues a life contrare to the Gospell of Iesus they shame the Gospell and therefore in the world to come they shall receiue shame for shaming of the Gospell In the end of the verse he sayes as it is vvith you To moue them to this purpose to pray for him or rather for the Gospell he brings in their own example and experience Thessalonians I wish you not to pray for another thing but that ye haue experimented your selues see whether or not the Gospell be glorified among you yea it is glorified Ye are not bare professors of it then are ye not bound to pray the Lord to communicate to other that grace that is bestowed on you So they who findes the Gospell glorified in themselues and findes her powerfull in their harts to a sanctified lyfe are bound to wish and craue this blessing to euery soule if it were possible Wherefore shall I haue a grace if I pray not to God to communicate that grace to another Wherefore should I enter in Heauen and not put out my hand to helpe others to that kingdome if it be possible Wherefore should I not pray thy kingdome come which is nothing in effect but Lord open Heauen to thy people and let many enter in that thou may be glorified And it is most certaine that col if a man haue entered himselfe in Heauen he will not inuy to haue others with him but he will stryue to make rowme if it were to all the world that they may enter in He will not be like the Pharisies that will not enter in Heauen themselues neither yet will let others enter in it A man that is once in the light he would haue all in the light As a man that is in darknesse would haue all in darknesse with him Now in the next verse he desires them to pray for his owne person and for the rest of his fellow-laborers that they may be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men Marke something before we enter in the words Ye see the next care is of himselfe that he may be fred from his enemies The thing that man shold care for next after the Gospell that worthy thing should be the person of the men that caries this Gospell before the world for when she runnes she is borne vp in the harts and mouthes of men so next her selfe there should be a special care had of them that beares that glorious Queene that they that sees her may be safe Next that Heauenly treasure the Gospell that is the vnsearchable riches of Iesus Christ care I say should be had of the laime vessell wherein it is contained 2. Cor. 4. 7. A man is but a laime vessell wherein the Lord puts so rich a treasure But wherefore should there be a care of him Euen for the treasures sake for that pretious things sake The person himselfe or the Minister is bound to care for his owne person in respect of the treasure And the people to whom he distributes so pretious a treasure is bound as euer any man was bound to any thing to haue a speciall care of the person of the Pastor for the treasures sake for if he haue this treasure they will get more good of him nor he will get by any benefite in this world that they can bestow on him God himselfe for his treasures sake ere he suffer the vessell to be broken Mark the great care God hes of his pastors he will mingle Heauen and earth together and stupifie the world with wonders and by wonders he will worke the deliuery of the man in whom he hes put his treasure so long as he hes adoe with him for the dispersing and distributing of his treasure for the saluation of men Heauen and earth shall goe together ere that man perish Was not Peter casten in a strate prison were there not watches within and watches without was not the doore locked was he not in irons Act. 12. and yet in the night an Angell is sent from Heauen and he commes in the house with an exceeding light and calles vpon Peter and bids him rise he shakes off his fetters the doores are made open and all without doing of any man the watches perceiues not Peter escapes Wherefore does he this Peter vvas a vessell in the which the Lord had his treasure This vessell was not yet emptied of the treasure The Lords worke was yet in Peters hand but as soone as Peter had finished his worke he suffered him to die without much adoe so did he with Paul for albeit oft-tymes before wonderfully he deliuered him yet when he hes done his worke with him the Lord let him goe his way and suffer without any miracle So long as the Lord hes ought adoe with any man all the world shall not be able to to beat him off his seete he hes such a care of him Now to end this I dare say and affirme they that hes no care of the persons of men whom the Lord vses to be his mouth to preach this his Gospell that they had neuer care of the Gospell it selfe If thou hast no care of the preacher praise the Gospell as thou wilt thou art an enemy to the Gospell He that would breake the vessell he would scatter all the riches of Iesus Christ that is in that vessell that is he would make a lose of the glorious riches of the Gospell Therefore vvhen ye haue adoe vvith this base ministrie it is not vvith men that ye haue to doe but vvith the treasures of Heauen and vnsearchable riches of God Lord if men novv vvould once consider this Now to the words Pray for me sayes he and my fellow-laborers And wherefore that we may be deliuered in our owne person was he in any danger at this tyme wherefore he craues their prayer Appearandly he was in his journey towards Ierusalem and so he was to go among as
many Tygers Lyons and Wolfes as he found in experience and out of the way as he was in his journey he craues that they would pray for him Ye will say got he not fore-warnings eneugh that nothing was abiding him but bondes at Ierusalem Yes Agabus tolde him that Act. 21. 11. Then what needed him to desire the Thessalonians to pray against that that of necessity behoued to come and he must proue in deed bondes was prophecyed and bonds he got persecution was prophecyed and persecution he suffred Brethren I am not of that mynd that he desired them to pray that he shold be altogether fr◠of the crosse and affliction for it is not lawful for a Pastor or any other man to pray that he be burdened with no crosse What saies he to Timothie 2. Tim. 1. 8. Be not ashamed of my bonds but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel c. It is not lawfull to a Pastor to go sleeping throgh the world and none to crosse his way for a faithful Pastor cannot be without either one crosse or other Thē what a deliuery is this that he desires them to pray for Euen that being vnder crosses the Lord so long as he had adoe with him would deliuer him and set him free and so it is lawfull for one lying vnder persecution for the Gospels sake to pray for such a deliuerance so long as the Lord hes a worke to do with him yea and he is bound to pray that he may be victorious and triumph both in death and life What matter of death if he triumph in death the Lord Iesus triumphed in death the martires triumphed in death the true Pastor in death he wil triumph So if the Lord grant victory in the end what matter what men suffer This Apostle sayes in another place of his Epistle we euer triumph notwithstanding of al these afflictions we are into Rom 8. 37. Paul in his death triumphed 2. Cor. 2. 14. Now from whom should they craue that he should be deliuered From vnreasonable and euil men as he wold say This world is ful of euil and vnreasonable men beastly-bodies The first word signifies men of an absurd nature and of a very euill inclination The next word signifies men that are euer doing euill and troubling the innocent So he speakes of two sorts of men euill in hart and euill in hand And certainely he meanes his owne countrie-men vvho vvere vvorse inclyned in mynde and deed tovvardes him and the Lord Iesus then vvere any other And so brethren marke shortly vvhere euer a faithfull Pastor shall goe he shall meete vvith such men goe vvhere he vvill he shall encounter with men euill mynded and doing euil The Gospell so long as she is preached shall not be free of these men of enemies that shall make contradiction Count not the worse of her that she is gainesaid for she is as naturally subject to this contradiction as euer any thing vvas subject to any propertie It is the vvearde of the Gospell and the preachers thereof to meete vvith such men It vvill neuer be broken But vvhat remedie Come to the next best Hovv shall a Preacher be in safetie seeing he must enter vvith such men The remedie is set dovvne heere Prayer the remedy against the cōtradiction of vnreasonable and euil men Prayer let him pray to God and the Church pray for him When Peter was in so great and extreme danger what vvas the Church doing Act. 12. verse 5. c. 12. Praying for him and by their prayers the Angel vvas broght dovvne from Heauen by whom he was deliuered So prayer is vvonderful strong and especially the prayer of the people for the Pastor will haue a vvonderfull povver before God for his safetie Then if this be the duetie of the people alas is not this an vnnaturall thing to see the stock rise vp against the Pastor to deuoure him When this commes either there must be a great sin in the Pastor or in the people or else in both and it is one of the heauiest judgemēts that can light on a Pastor or people Now to go forward They might haue bene offended at this that the Apostle spok that there was so many that made contradiction to him that there vvas such a multitude of them that be where he wold he could not be quite of them therby they might haue doubted of the trueth for this is a vaine conceit that comes in mens heads hey thinke the Gospel should haue such a sound progresse as there should not be a contradiction to it but I say to thee where there is no contradiction there is a mark of false doctrine And againe where the trueth is there for the most part a great contradiction wil be men when they see a multitude rising against the trueth and making contradiction to it then they begin to doubt of the truth They wil say this cannot be the truth is not al the world risen vp against it But Paul tels you the cause of that Faith a rare gift when he sayes all men haue not faith faith is a rare gift Euery one gets not faiths where one gets it fourty wants it So when men begins to offend at the Gospell it is the want of faith in them that makes them so to do for there are very few that hes the faith of Iesus Christ Remember this that there is a few number that is chosen to life euerlasting many are called sayes Christ but fevv are chosen And again there is none that gets faith in time but he who is chosen to lyfe from all eternity As is said Act. 13. 48. so many beleued as vvere ordeined to lyfe euerlasting Therefore when thou hearst that few gets faith remember it is not an Herb that growes in euery mans garden it is a rare gift of God And therfore findst thou that thou hast gotten faith this pretious gift rejoice and be glad that the Lord hes called thee to be of that blessed number and vvonder not at the multitude that oppones themself to the Gospel but rejoice thou that thou art one of the elect one of that chosen number Last in this verse ye see where there is no faith where the hart is not sanctified there is nothing but vnreasonablenes he that hes not faith is a wicked man an euill disposed person and so ye may reason he hes no faith ergo he is an euill man both euil minded an euil doer Then againe he is an vnreasonable man what followes Euen this it is very euil dwelling with such folks it is not good to men to dwel with the faithlesse for thou shalt get some damnage of them either in thy body or soule for if thou escape the harme of thy body thou shalt not misse to be harmed in thy soule Againe where faith is it wil turne a lyon in a meek lamb and make a tyger the meekest creature that is We are in deed borne
that are not reueiled as yet on Iesus Christ to come vpon that glorious reuelation of him and full redemption that he shall bring with him to thee Novv fy on me and thee if our harts be bounded within the things or graces of this lyfe if we hold our harts onely on the thinges of this lyfe then as Paul sayes of all men vve vvere the most miserable 1. Cor. 15. 19. And therefore the hart should put out the head of it beyond this lyfe and lift it aboue this earth aboue all the Heauens vp to that place vvhere Iesus Christ is vvho shall once be manifested Brethren as concerning hope and that life to come I think ye finde how ye are disposed concerning it vvill nature teach you that euer Christ shall come againe to this world I shal tell thee thy nature will answere all foly and men will say doe well to me in this life I shal take my venture of the lyfe to come This lets thee see what is in nature for nature will neuer tell thee that there is a lyfe to come nature is far from all expectation of glorie after this lyfe Therefore this is the second thing vve should craue to the bovved hart that he vvould set it straight vpon the hope of life and as he prayes so should we pray and say Lord my hart is declyned from the hope of lyfe and lookes neuer Christ will come Lord righten it that I may waite vpon the comming of my Redemer for I shall not attaine to that life except I hope for it and persist in it till he come Well ye see then what is the good disposition of the hart of man and woman be not be beguyled with it When may thou haue a vvell disposed hart an euen hart When things falles out that pleates thee store of honors of riches of pleasure then thy hart is aloft and glad but I say if this disposition be not in thy hart that i◠loue God first and next that thy hart hopes for saluation woe to that hart if it be not otherwise disposed before thou die vvoe to that hart for euer So if thou vvould vnderstand vvhen thy hart is well disposed go downe to it and say my hart louest thou God if it answere I loue him then thou art well And againe say my hart hopest thou for a lyfe after this lyfe and to see the Lord Iesus to thy euerlasting saluation if it say I hope so then in joyfulnesse rest there I beseech you for Iesus Christs sake thinke not ye haue a well disposed hart except sensibly ye feele in it the loue of God and an hope for a better lyfe Stryue to this sense of the loue of God that thou may be persvvaded that he hes loued thee first and if thou feele that sweet loue of this then it will lowse thy hart to loue God with a joy vnspeakable fy on all carnal and fleshly joyes in respect of this solide joy Yet one word He calles it Patience by the which he meanes a patient on waiting and hope for brethren this vnderstand that there cannot be an hope of lyfe except patience concur vvith hope in the hart If thou hast not patience to byde look not for that finall redemption Therefore this patience is the necessary companion of hope for hope is nothing else but a faire looke yea a verie far looke to a thing that is far from vs. Well except thou hast patience trowest thou that thou wilt hold vp thy head from morning till night to await on Iesus Christ his comming No such thing thou may call a blenke and away at an instant but thou shalt not stand without patience no hope And againe ere thou attaine to that lyfe trowest thou that thou shalt goe euen forward a sound course so that neuer a crossing shall come in thy way no affliction touch thee till thou be set in Heauen Is that thy opinion that thou may liue in quyetnesse haue goods honor and store and none say to thee ill goes thou on the way Any man may take ease in patience No no if thou hast hope of glorie assure thee an hundreth stayes shall be casten in the way and thou shalt be beatten and tosted here and there And ofttymes there shall appeare such darke cloudes that the fight of glorie shall be plucked out of thy eyes Therefore if thou hast no patience to abide til that cloude be remoued thou shalt haue no hope and without hope looke not for glorie And therefore it is not without cause that Hope and Patience are joyned together He that would hope for lyfe let him cast him for troubles and crosses for if lyfe be ordeined for thee the Lord will cast in stumbling blocks euer to exercise thy hope vntill thou get that that thou hopest for for the Lord hes appointed here continual suffring The Lord grant that we may be enarmed with Patience euer till hope be turned into sight The next verse conteines another speciall precept As the former precept concerned the hart and the direction of it so this precept concernes the outward societie and familiarity we haue with men in this world for so long as we liue we must be in a societie but beware with whom So the effect of this precept is this vvithdravv your selues from euery brother that vvalketh inordinatly in his lyfe that goes out of order and keepes not his owne station that liues inordinatly There are two things to be considered in this precept First the forme Next the effect of it The forme is We denounce and charge you not in our name but in the Name and authoritie of our Lord Iesus for neither Apostle nor Pastor hes any power to denounce any thing in his owne name for there is no authority in the Church ouer the consciences of men but the Authoritie of God and of Iesus Christ And therefore no man can say to the conscience I charge thee in my name It is onely proper to God to charge the conscience Now gather the lessson This forme he vses lets vs see how hard it is Men naturally inclyned to eull company to be seuered from euill company albeit many will cursse it in the end It wil not be a light word that wil make thee to leaue euill company but ere thou come from it there must a charge interueene and that in the name of the highest authoritie euen the great God and that by the mouth of his seruant The Lord must say I charge thee in the Name of the great God seuere thee from euill company Brethren knowe ye not your nature neuer thing stak faster to another thē this nature of ours cleaues to euill and euill men so that by a great force they must be pulled asunder Now to come to the matter he sayes vvithdravv your selues He sayes not shoote them from you but drawe your selues from them so it importes not a publick excommunication but a quyet separation of a
let the tongue be quyet and the hand be doing And how should they worke quyetly An idle bodie and a bodie well exercised workes both but differently the idle bodie workes with a noyse so that he troubles himselfe and others also all the world is troubled by his working but a man in a lawfull calling how workes he quyetly without troubling either of himselfe or others and he is the man that hes rest both in himselfe and vvith his neighbours about him Paul 1. Thessa 4. 11. sayes Sâ—ryue to be quyet then he subjoynes the way to doe your ovvne affaires for if ye be busie bodies vnquyet will your lyfe be This for the first The next that followes this charge is Eare your ovvne bread Who is he that does this The man or woman that labours in his calling with a quyetnesse this person liues on his owne winning As for a busie bodie looke his vauntage when he hes wearied himselfe in vanitie he gets not so much vauntage as a morsell of breade no not an inche of breade he may well eate and drinke and sleepe yet all is accursed and his eating is by violence and reafe he hes not an allowance in the Lords count-booke and in that day he shall be challenged for reafe and violent opression Prouerb 5. 15. Drinke sayes he of the vvater â—f thy ovvne cisterne and of the riuers out of the midst of thy ovvne fountaine Brethren there is the first law of equitie If a man would liue justlie towards his neighbor let him be as little burdensome to him as he may and let him eate and drinke of his owne labour Now I go forward to the next verse Hauing in the verse going before spoken to idle bodies here he turnes him to them that liued ordinatly in their owne calling and requyres an higher duetie of them Ye brethren that labours quyetly vvearie not in vvell doing I requyre more of you that ye eate not onely your owne bread but also that ye giue peeces about you yea as some expones giue some-thing to the bodies before they perishe support their necessitie and in the meane-tyme exhorte and stirre them vp to worke In that place of the Prouerbes when he hes said Drinke of thy ovvne cisterne he subjoynes let thy fountaines runne out to others that is help others let thy liberality be extended to others I shew the first Law of equitie was that men should be as little burdensome to anie as they might The next is when he eates his owne breade and sees the want of others to giue peeces of his owne about him and to helpe the necessitie of others I thinke that man happy that can doe these two thinges that is an happie man that deuoures not all himselfe but vouchafes a part of his winning vpon others The last day I shew to you Ephes 4. 28. He that stole let him steale nâ— more but let him vvorke vvith his ovvne hand that he may haue to imparte vnto others not to liue himselfe onely thereon that is not eneugh there is more requyred for he is the true Christian man who labours to feede both himselfe and others also that are in necessitie Now brethren to insist heere vvearie not sayes he be not sluggishe relent not grow not colde in wel-doing The Apostle would meane that howbeit matter and occasion be offered to vs that would doe well through the ingratitude and vnworthinesse of men not to doe a good turne to them not to giue them so much as a morsell of meate yet we should striue against the sluggishnesse coldnesse ingratitude and indignitie of men and ay be doing good It is hard to do well the dayes are euil yea they were neuer worse and he who would do wel must buy it with the preciousest and best thing that he hes in this world there are so many thinges to hinder and coole him to doe well The ingratitude and vnworthinesse of men to whom he hes done well will meete him so that if he will looke to these he needes not to prease to doe well any farther But this should be the rule of our doinges Let vs not looke so much to the deserning of men at our hands to their vnworthinesse as to the wil of God remember what it becommes thee to doe being the sonne of such a father who willes thee to wearie and paine thy selfe in beneficency and well doing towarde ingrate men awaiting on his will for the Lord shal reward thee sufficiently in the end albeit for all thy well doing thou get not somuch as a good word Rest then on God and in thy well doing lift thy eyes to him and await for that rich rewarde when that glory shall be reueiled in that great day I go to the next verse The next precept concernes stubborne men obstinate and disobedient men that will not obey the word of God The thing commanded concerning them is Note theÌ„ abstain from their company excommunicate them put them from the society of the godlie exclude them out of the Church of God First in this verse we haue their disobedience next the punishment that should be enjoined to them I wil not speak largely of excommunication but onely so much as serues for the meaning of the text As to their disobedience we haue first against what thing it is What is it they disobey They that obeyes not our saying This disobedience is against the doctrin of the Apostle Paul so consequently against God himself and his word the word of the Apostles is the word of God Let not men extenuate their disobedience because as they say it is against a man a minister I say to thee if that man be sent of God with his word in his mouth that disobedience done against him is done against God and he who is a rebel to the word is a rebell to God Now where is this saying contained He sayes in this letter This saying is coâ—â—ained-in this same Epistle written to you Thessalonians by me Paul Syluanus and Timotheus It is alike to be disobedient to the writ as to the word of the Apostle as great disobedience it is that is against the writ of the Apostle as if ye disobeyed the same Apostle supponing he were aliue and disobedience against the writ and speaking of the Apostle is disobedience against Gods owne voice Therefore count of the Scripture highly They haue sayes Abraham to the rich-glutton in torment Luke 16. 29. 30. 31. Moses and the Prophets and if they vvill not heare Moses thogh one shold be raised againe from dead they vvould not beleue him Some wil say If the Lord would speake to me by Angels out of Heauen as he did oft-tymes of olde then I would beleeue But that is but foly if thou beleeue not this same word left in writ by the Prophets and Apostles if all the Angels would come out of Heauen and speake to thee thou would not beleeue them Now marke the nature of this disobedience It
them the presence of the Lord himselfe to be with them all Last he salutes them and the effect of the saluatation is a prayer for them The grace of our Lord Iesus be with you all Amen So all consistes in prayer Then learne He beganne this Epistle with prayer and salutation throughout the whole Epistle prayer is mingled Now in the end he multiplies prayer What meanes this Euen this that in vaine is all doctrine exhortation admonition and precept whatsomouer all preaching is nothing except the Lord by his Spirit worke inwardlie in the harts of the hearers all is nothing but vvinde except he moue their affections Now the way to obtaine this inward and secreete operation of the holy Spirite is oft-tymes to turne to God by prayer beseeching him to be povverfull and to joyne his Spirite vvith the vvord and to joyne vvorking vvith speaking And therefore hovv oft so euer we teach and ye hear the hart and eye should be lifted vp and set vpon him who hes keeped Spirit and power in his owne hand to giue as he pleases No man can giue you it neither the Preachour nor no Angell can giue you it It is onely in the hand of God and Iesus Christ to giue thee Spirite and povver and to joyne vvorking vvith speaking And therefore the eye in preaching should euer be set on Christ The Pastour should pray and haue his hart aboue to dravve dovvne grace to himselfe and the people that the vvord spoken may be effectuall in the hart othervvise preaching and all hearing is in vaine Now to come to the words The first thing he prayes for and wishes is peace The Lord of peace sayes he giue you peace for euer and euery vvay The thing then he wishes is peace that is quyetnes rest and tranquillity concord agreement all these words expresses the meaning of the word Peace The contrare is vnquyetnes What peace is dissention c. This Peace is the blessednes felicity happy estate of Christs kingdome which is his Church both in earth and Heauen And all the graces we haue in Iesus Christ tends to this end that his subjects may liue in peace quyetnesse and joy for euer and that shall be the end when we are in Heauen peace and joy for euer Ye see the happy estate of a worldly kingdome what is it When men liues in rest and enjoyes peace and quyetnes that is the happines of a worldly knigdom therefore in the 1. Timot. 2. 2. he commaundes prayer to be made for all men For Kings and superiour povvers To what end Euen to this same end that vve may liue a peaceable and quyet lyfe Euen so the blessed and happie estate of Christs kingdome is an heauenlie peace concord and quyetnesse And therefore Rom. 14. 17. he makes this peace to be essentiall to the kingdome of God that he defines it by this peace saying The kingdom of God is righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost This Heauenly peace is onely in Christs kingdome in his Church in Heauen and earth And the subjects of the kingdome of Iesus Christ are onely they that enjoyes this peace here and after this life for euer for without the Church of Christ there is no true peace If thou be no subject in his kingdome thou hast no rest no true peace for there is no true peace for the vvicked sayes the Prophet Esay 57. 21. If thou be of that number that is without the kingdome of Christ no peace for thee and the end shall proue thou hadst neuer true peace in this world Now to go forward He craues that it may be giuen to them Then Peace the gift of god it is a gift Heauenly peace is the gift of God thou hast it not by nature None is borne with peace but with warre and inimitie by nature all are borne with dissention strife and debate there is no heauenly peace by nature And the whole lyfe naturall what is it but a continuance in war debate and strife first against God next with thy selfe and thy owne conscience And againe a strife against the Angels in Heauen and men on earth and all the creatures of God thou art an enemie to them and they vnto thee vntill the tyme thou attaine to that new birth in Iesus Christ and then by vertue of that birth thou getst this heauenly and spirituall peace for then thou beginst to liue at peace first with God himselfe and next with the Angels in Heauen and men in earth and with all his creatures So looke how needfull it is for thee to haue regeneration for if thou want it thou shalt be at war for euer thou shalt haue no peace But how getst thou it It is a gift And who shold giue it The Lord of peace The giuer of it must be the Lord with dominion and power with command And as vnder his Lordship other things must be so peace must be at his command either to giue it or hold it Now who is this Lord that hes this power of peace and war Who is he that sayes All povver is giuen to me in heauen and earth Matt. 2â— 18. This Lord is Iesus Christ And therefore ere euer he came in this world and tooke on him our nature Esay 9. 6. he styles him the Prince of peace And Paul Ephes 2. 14 styles him peace it â—elfe he is our peace-maker And in Iohn 14. 27. Christ speaking to his Apostles takes on him to be the giuer of peace and sayes My peace I leaue to you and giues you So this Lord of peace is the Lord Iesus Christ who hes in his handes all grace and glorie in Heauen and in earth Yet to goe forward The lords style ansvver able to the grace 〈◊〉 praier Why is it that he makes a choise of this style rather then of any other Certainely this style he receiues here agrees with the petition and thing asked at his hands peace is craued he is styled the Lord of peace what euer we aske of Christ it should be in faith that he hes power to giue it aske iâ— thou peace aske it not but in an assurance that it is in his hand and that he is able to giue it Now this assurance that all is in his hand it cannot be better vttered then by the Name and style we giue him askest thou wisdome say Lord of wisdome giue wisdome askest thou peace say Lord of peace giue me peace askest thou mercie say Lord of mercy giue me mercy So the name and style we giue to the Lord when we craue ought at his hands should be answerable to the grace and mercy we aske for then we vtter our faith and assurance that he hes such a grace and power to giue vs. This hes bene the forme of Pauls prayer and of godly men of old and should be imitate by vs. The Lord hes many styles he is called the Lord of peace mercy and justice the Lord
stampe that is with such a Majestie in speaking with such gratiousnesse and spiritualnesse both in words and matter that they that hes a spirituall eye to discerne betweene light and darknesse will take it vp to be of God I pray you tell me how was the olde Scripture tane vp to be of God The Papist will say because the Church said it they were of God Is that all the warrand And who told the Church If the olde and new Scripture bare not the markes of the Spirit in themselues the Church had neuer tane them vp to be of God So the marke of the Scripture is that stampe of the Spirit that Majestie in such a simplicitie of wordes that gratiousnesse and power which shows both in the wordes and matter these things telles vs they are not mans writs for mens writtes hes not the gratiousnesse and power that is in the Scripture Brethren this marke of Pauls subscription is away albeit we haue the Epistle but a better marke bydes the stampe of the Lord bydes and this telles that it is the Scripture of God and Pauls writing Now followes the saluation The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be vvith you all I see the affection of the man in the end of his writ is powred out on this Church of Thessalonica and when he takes his leaue he burstes out in frequent prayer and al his praier is for heauenly and spirituall thinges Then first we learne we must not euer bide al together and we cannot haue euer conference either by word or writ But how is our sundring recompensed To wit with greatnesse of affection let thy loue grow And how shalt thou vtter it In prayer to God for them with whom thou may not dwell affection is nothing worth without praier And what should we pray for Especially for heauenlie things Pray for heauenly peace for the presence of Iesus Christ and that the grace of Christ may be with him Pray also for things earthly but so that they may further him to heauenlie thinges And I say the man that cannot pray for heauenly things cannot pray truely for earthly thinges Dare thou pray if thou seeke not first the kingdome of Heauen no thou cannot pray if it were for thy dinner except thou pray first for the kingdome of God Now the next word is grace that is free fauour of God I reade not of such a commendation of any people as of these Thessalonians He commended them in both these Epistles from their faith hope loue and all the dueties of loue Yet he sayes not The Lord render you a rewarde for your merite but he sayes grace be vvith you This is contrare to all merite Read the 2. Timo. 1 16. there ye will finde a very notable exemple to this purpose There he sayes Onesiphorus vvas very beneficiall to me he oft refreshed me he thought no shame of my bondes he sought 〈◊〉 Rome very diligently How should he be requyted for this He sayes The Lord grant that Onesiphorus may finde mercy vvith the Lord at that day He is but a miserable man when he hes done all this And therefore this shall be my prayer for him for it will not be his merite that will do him good but it is the free grace and fauour of God O foole all thy merites shall stinke in that great day and then thou shalt see what free grace shall do for in that day none shall stand but such as stands by free grace Now whose grace is it he prayes for It is Iesus Christs No there is no grace but Christs grace How is it the Lord Iesus Christs He hes boght of the hand of the Father all grace al gifts of the holy Spirit all glorie in Heauen and earth with a pryce euen the pryce of his precious bloude And therefore the Father hes giuen him all So there is no sparke of grace giuen to any creature but it must come through Christ his hand euen the hand of the man Iesus All righteousnesse sanctification and glorie must come from him he must be the giuer thereof Therefore it is said he gaue gifts to men Ephes 4. 8. The Father giues no graces immediatly but all are giuen through the hand of Iesus Christ Therefore let vs haue recourse to this Lord of grace and seeke not to the Father without him but seek all from the Father in him Now how far should this grace extend Euen as Iesus Christ is an head that extends himselfe to al so the grace that commes from him is sufficient for all it is sufficient if it were for a thousand yea infinite worlds Rom. 5. 15. The Heauens are not capable of the greatnes of the grace of Iesus Christ Greatnes of the grace of Christ so that if there were a thousand worlds there is sufficiency of grace in him for them all There is no inlack in him but the inlack is in thy narrow hart it is capable but of a very small portion Learne here then by the exemple of Paul that we should not haue narrow harts to wish this grace to a few but we should wish it to be giuen to all Looke what he sayes of himselfe 2. Cor. 6. 11. My meuth sayes he hes bene vvyde open vnto you my hart is dilated ye dvvell not narrovvly in my hart So all men should haue an open and a dilated hart in wishing grace spare not to be liberall in wishing fill thy hart and mouth with his grace and 〈…〉 with liberalnesse to others seeke that grace of Iesus to all that if it were possible all the world might be saued For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour vvho vvill that all men shall be saued and come vnto the acknovvledging of the trueth 1. Tim. 2. chap. 3. 4. vers Yet the Lord hes his owne and so many as he hes written in his booke shall be saued Therefore thou should seeke all the warrands thou can to assure thee that thou art Iesus Christs fore-ordeinde to lyfe euerlasting for if thou be of the number of the elect the grace of Christ shall extend to thee and thou shalt haue glorie with him for euer To this Iesus be all praise honour and dominion for euer and euer AMEN FINIS
his heart he wold haue bought the graces of the holie spirit and therfore Peter meetes him and wishes that he should perish and his money to There are manie of this sort who vvill be content to heare allovve it to say The Minister hes said vvel this day all is true yea but what hast thou reported and what hast thou applyed to thy heart Thou heard to thy condemnation except thou apply some thing to thy self of that grace thou didst heare Yet ther is a fourth degree to receiue it as God vvord Not onlie to heare allow embrace but to receiue it as the word of God Albeit Paul spoke it 4. Receiuing of the vvord as the vvord of God yet they looked vp aboue Paul and tooke it out of his hand not as his vvord but as the vvord of God that is a greater grace There are manie that rest to much vpon the man that teaches and set their hearts on the mouth of him that speakes more nor on God that giues the speaker the grace Manie will heare this vvritten vvorde allow it embrace it but they make it to them the vvord of man rather nor the word of God because they count the Scripture to be authentick not because God did speake it but because the Church sayes it as the Papists do say this day So they make the New and old Testament to be the vvord of men The Lord keepe vs from such an error for it is not possible to builde faith vpon that ground I appeale thy conscience that sayest this if euer thou didst finde that constant faith in thy heart faith can not rest except it haue an assurance that the word is from God and not from men how manie in this countrie faile in this There are manie that receiue and embrace it not with that reuerence they should when they hear it spoken they giue no reuerence nor obedience thereto more nor it were the word of man for when they goe out they are as wanton in wickednesse as euer they were before This testifies their want of due reuerence If this were setled in the hearts of men that the word that is spoken were the word of God and that it is not the man that speaks it but Gods Spirite in the man◠they would receiue it embrace it and obey it with greater reuerence O the obedience he would giue to that word There is naturallie such a reuerence of God in the heart that when they are assured it is of God they will reuerence it Now brethren ye see in all these degrees nothing but faith All is expressed in faith ye see the beginning of it the progresse of it the ending where it rests It begins at the outward senses It begins at the eare Faith is by hearing Rom. 10. 17. Then it goes next to the minde which allowes and approues it It sticks not there but it goes downe to the heart and there in very deed is the right sait of faith there is the proper loding of faith Look that thy faith be not in thy head and eare onelie there are many hes it so and it goes away with the winde Looke that it goe to the minde and be not content with that but see that it goe down to thy hart This faith ye see then it exercises the whole soule of man it exercises both the reasonable powers the affections Take head to it The thing whereinto this faith is exercised is the word of God Faith in the eare is exercised about the word faith in the minde is exercised about the word faith in the heart is exercised about the word of God The word of God should fill the whole head mynde and heart This is it that the Apostle to the Coloss sayes chap. 3 16. Let the vvord of God dvvell in you plenteouslie not sparinglie but powerfullie And certainelie thinke on I tell you if thou stryue not so long as thou art heere to be filled with the word of God looke not after this lyfe for his presence if thou preasse not in some measure in this lyfe to haue thy soule filled with him looke not that God shall be a father to thee in the life to come Alas we can not get that fulnesse and our soules so wel exercised as we should haue by the word but if we striue to this our willingnesse is acceptable to God Where there is a desire to thinke and meditate of it and to repent that thou canst not haue that desire therof as thou wouldst it repares that want we haue of that fulnesse There is yet one thing heere to be marked The speciall ground of his thanks-giuing is for the imbracing of this word not as the worde of men but as the worde of God Wherein ye see it is a rare thing and a speciall blessing of God vvhen a man is not offended vvith that goode vvorde of God What care I for him some vvill say oft-tymes I vvill heare the vvord of God and receyue it but this companion vvho teaches hes offended me I vvill not heare him Againe he is of so meane graces he can not speake two words right he is babling Well thou art stumbling and thou wilt breake thy neck if thou doest so for thou must not thank that the word of God hangs on the mouth of man but the mouth of man doth hang on the word of God This is the fault we measure euer the word of God by the instrument and counts ay of the word of God as of the word of man that speakes it and preaches it 2. Cor. 10. 7. Enter in comparison The 〈◊〉 God and the 〈◊〉 of man are contrarie and I will let you see Gods doing is far from mans doing and mans doing is contrair to Gods doing There is the wisdome of God It hes pleased him from the beginning to put his power in the weakest creature in the silliest and basest to looke to the hes not chosen the wise in the world the potent and noble to put his power in them when it pleased him to vtter his omnipotent power When he vttered his power against Pharao he puts his power in frogs in lyce in flees and he is auenged on proude Pharac by those vylde things All this is and was that his power shoulde be seene that men should not thinke this is the power of a frogge louce or flee but is the power of the great God that made all thinges And when he meanes to destroy Goliath he will not haue the armie of the Israelites nor Saul◠slaying him but he will haue sillie Dauid slaying him without armour with a sling onelie All this was that the world might see it was not Dauids power but Gods that slew Goliath So the richest treasure that God hes in Heauen vvhich is Christ Iesus in the word he puts it in vylde veshelles the Ministers thereof The vnsearchable riches of Christ the power and justice of God in Christ and all the
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
beatting dovvne of the beast onely Iesus Christ ought to haue the glorie of the victorie Whether ye looke to him who strikes the battell the armour or them who are souldiers in the battell all lettes you see the glorie should be giuen to Christ alone What is more vyle nor the vvord of the crosse and this vyle ministrie and yet he vvill haue him vvreaked and consumed with the word and ministrie He chuses not great and mightie things not kings and Emperours to this worke wonder not nor be not moued that ye see so many kings stand by the beast to see the Emperour the kings of France and Spaine stand for him but the Lord will vse base meanes to destroy the beast that the glorie may be giuen to him allone Now to come to the other pointe his abolishing He is abolished at the last When shall this be When Christ shall come againe How shall it be The face and presence of Iesus shall deuoure him As soone as the Lord shall come downe as soone shall he vanish and be burnt vp as caffe with the fire The word of the Gospell consumes him and burnes him but not quyte vp But the face of Iesus in that day shall burne him quite vp and then that prophecie of Iohn Reuel chap. 20. verse 10. shall be accomplished He shall be casten in a lack of fire and brimstone which shall neuer haue an end Then brethren beware of this word for if it worke not to lyfe but be a sauour of death to death if it doe thee no good in this lyfe be assured that most glorious face of the Lord in the world to come shall destroye thee Therefore looke that the word be an instrument to thy consolation and the power of God to thy saluation Looke how the word is effectuall to thee in this life for so shall the presence of Iesus be to thee in the life to come either to thy saluation or damnation The face of the Lord shal consume thee if the word hes wroght no renewing of thee in this life It is said in the chapter preceeding verse 9. They which did not obey the Gospell shall be punished vvith euerlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the gloree of his povver one blenke of that face shall consume in an instant all the reprobate Craue then that the word may be powerfull that ye may escape this fire of that presence of Iesus in his comming Then heere ye may perceiue that the kingdome of the Antichrist is not altogether abolished it takes a long tyme ere it be taken away Wonder not that he hes such a power in this earth for certainly this prophecie telles vs that there shall be some face of the Antichristes kingdome vntill Christ come Looke not that Papistry end ere Christ come look not that euery reformed Church shall be quite of them but they shall be as thornes in their sides till Christ come and let no man ouer soone triumph but let euery one make him for the battell There are none of the professours of Christs trueth but they should prepare them for battell Therefore let euery one seeke this armour that being enarmed with that spirituall armour so far as God will giue the grace echone may breath on the beast to his consumption that so God may be glorified and then shalt thou triumph for euer with him To whom be praise and glore for euer AMEN THE SEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 9. 10. 9 Euen him vvhose comming is by the vvorking of Satan vvith all povver and signes and lying vvonders 10 And in all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued WE returne again in this text to the description of the Antichrist to be reueiled the Apostle before had casten in some things in the way pertaining to the present purpose Ye heard the Antichrist to be reueiled was descriued from his nature First of nature he should be a man like other men then hee is descryued from his properties first a sinfull man addicted to sinne a slaue of sin and iniquitie next the sonne of perdition a man from all eternitie ordeined to perdition Then he came to his actions that he shall doe when he shall be reueiled first in malice of his hart he shall oppone him to euery thing called God in Heauen and earth to the powers and majesties here on earth to the Majestie of God and Christ in Heauen Another action when he shall be reueiled in pride he shall exalt himself aboue all thing that is called God and is worshipped in the world Yet more in pride he shall sit in the Temple of God not like a common man but as God in Gods seate on the consciences of men and wemen in the Church of God And last he shall showe himselfe to be God in all things in all his titles and styles and al his dignities and shall bereaue God so far as lyes in his power of all dignities and honors that pertaines to him allone Novv to speake nothing of that hes beene spoken before In this 9. verse the Apostle returnes againe to the description of the Antichrist and in this place he descriues him from the effectualnes or effectuall power he shall haue in men ordeined for perdition when he shall come and be reueiled in the world Then to come to the words Satan effectual by and in the antichrist Whose comming sayes the Apostle shall be according to the effectuall povver of Satan As he would say when he shall come and be reueiled in the world Satan that sent him shall be effectuall and powerfull by him powerfull in men and weâ—en that perishes that are ordeined from al eternity to perdition Heerein shortly learne then Euen as God by Iesus Christ in his ministrie whom he sends out will be effectuall in these who are his if all the world had sworne the contrare So Satan the enemy of God and â—atan in this pointe will prease to be like God and in his maner will be effectuall and powerfull in them that are ordeined for death by the Antichrist As God in his church for saluation will be powerful by his ministry so the Antichrist wil be powerfull to them that are ordeined to perdition Yet brethren the words imports more to wit that Satan shall not onely be effectual by the Antichrist outwardly but he shal be effectuall inwardly in the hart of him and when he shal work by him he shal not work by the mouth or hand outwardly but by the effectual working in his hart and will inspire in his hart to do the turne In this pointe likewise Satan preases to be like God When God by his minister as effectuall he not onely workes by his mouth or his hand or any outward member but he workes by his soule and inward affections cheefly 1.