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
TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 9. 10. To serue the liuing and true God 10 And to looke for his Sonne from Heauen vvhome hee raised from the dead euen Iesus vvhich delyuereth vs from the vvrath to come 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 1. 2. 1. For ye your selues knovve brethren that our enterance in vnto you vvas not in vaine 2. But euen after vvee had suffered before and vvere shamefullie entreated at Philippi as ye knovve vvee vvere bolde in our God to speake vnto you the Gospell of God vvith much stryuing THE purpose we haue in hand brethren is that rejoysing of the Apostle Paul together with the Thessalonians whom he had conuerted to Christ for these graces of God which Paul vnderstood to be in them namelie their faith their loue their hope their election eternal of the which he was assured and that by sundry arguments and tokens Now the last day we entred into a narration which the Apostle showes was made to him in the Countries in the which he trauailed both far neere concerning the Thessalonians and first of all concerning himselfe what manner of entrie he had vnto them with what libertie with vvhat affliction and as concerning them how they were conuerted and turned by his preaching from the Idoles false Gods which they vvorshipped before vnto God This much alreadie Now in this text we haue the vses and ends of their conuersion and turning to the true and liuing God There are tvvo of them the first is that they should serue the liuing and true God The second is that they shoulde looke for his sonne vvhom he meaning the father had raised from the death euen Iesus vvho delyuereth vs from the vvraith to come The ends of conuersion Nowe to come to the first end and to marke euerie worde Ye are conuerted saves he from idoles to God and to what end to serue the liuing and true God whereas before ye serued but dead and false Gods beeing miserable slaues ye are turned and conuerted from these false Gods to imploy that seruice on the liuing and true God Then brethren to marke shortlie the lessons for the Text is plaine Our conuersion turning to God is not that we should stand vp idle before him or play the vvanton in his eyes but it is to be humbled before him to honour him and to consecrate our whole life if we did liue ten thousand yeeres to his seruice Manie men vvhen for the fashion they haue turned from Idolatrie to God and to the Gospell where he is present employ their vvhole life as ye see by experience to displease and dishonour God in his face In the light of the Gospell hee vvill come out and playe the murtherer in the face of Christ in the Gospell she vvill playe the harlote the thirde will oppresse the fourth will steale the fifth will spew out blasphemie Now why wouldst thou not do this when thou didst serue idoles the lesse judgement shoulde haue falne vpon thee to haue done these things in the face of an Idole that savve thee not nor in the face of God vvho sees thee O hypocrite it had beene better for thee thou hadst neuer beene conuerted to the Gospell nor hadst neuer heard the sound of the Gospell nor when thou hearest it to contemne God by thy life therein Fy on thee go backe againe to idolatrie except thou behaue thy selfe comelie standing before the face of that Majestie of God Brethren it is the thinge I haue beene thinking on This Gospell shall serue to the greater condemnation of the multitude of people in this world that for the contempt thereof fy that such villanie should be daylie and hourelie committed in the sight of God in so great a light of the Gospell He joynes some properties to this God and calles him the liuing and trew God and that to put a difference betweene him and Idoles an Idole is dead the Papists idole is dead and the Papist turnes the liuing God in an idole An idole is dead without life breath feeling motion or sâ—irring without all kind of quicknes God true liuing our God is liuing an idole is but a false and sordged thing a thing that a vaine head vvill inuent fy on the 〈◊〉 of an idole but our God is the true God God in verie deede and in the end vvill be found the onelie true God There are â—vvo properties that are geuen to him Marke the vse of them They are reasones mouing the Thessalonians to serue him He is liuing why should they not serue him he is the true God why should they not serue him The life that is in God the veritie that is in him is more then matter to moue all mankinde to honour him Man cannot be honoured but by others nor himselfe take men away from a man no honour to that man It is not so with God for if all the creatures of the earth were turned to nothing the honour and glorie of that God stands sure and absolutelie perfite Then if notwithstanding of the honour in him of the life in him of the trueth in him which all are matter of all seruice to be geuen to him thou wilt not be moued to honour God he is but an Idole to thee an idole without life to thee without sense or feeling without hearing seeing without all prouidence care in gouerning these things in heauen and earth thou that serues and honour him not in this life thou makes him an idole If you thought he had an eye to see the inward of thy heart an eare to heare what thou art speaking in thy secrete chamber if thou thought he had a prouidence ouer this world for all the world thou wouldst not do as thou doest The adulterer the oppressor if they had a conscience that God sawe them and marked their doings for al the world they would not do so as they do but because thou makes an idole of him thinking him neyther to see nor know anie thing therefore thou playest the wanton thinke not but this shal be layde to thy charge Thou was an adulterer a murtherer an oppressor thinke not that this shall be the chiefe cryme thou shalt be accused for that thou art an adulteâ—er murtherer an oppressour no no but the Lord shall say catiffe thou made an Idole of me in thy adulterie and closed me in Heauen without life sense or vnderstanding or prouidence to take care of the things of the world catiffe thy damnation is for this thou dishonoured me in the profession of my name Yet there is more in these wordes He lets them se that greater advauntage they had in seruing God nor euer they had before before they serued dead and false things now saieth he ye serue not a dead false thing but a liuing and true God There is great vauntage heere Brethren there are many sortes of slaueries in this world but to be addicted to an Idole or a false God to
East or West South or North Where then should we cast our eye Neither to the East West South nor North nor to any part of this earth but cast thy eye vpward to Heauen Iesus is in Heauen and he shall come from Heauen he is not in the earth and therefore ye see in him that hopes as the hart breakes vpward so will the eye looke vpward the hand the head will be raised vpward as Christ sayeth lift vp your heads Luke 21. 28. so his behauiour will tell thee from whence Christ shall come And againe thy behauiour wil tell that thou hast no hope when thou tends altogether downewards thy face euer towards the earth thy hart moyling in the earth when any man sees al thy care and minde onelie vpon the earth he may say this bodie hes no hope he lookes not for the returning of the sonne of God Then followes Whom he raised from the death meaning the sonne of God the Father raised him I will not insist but so farre onelie as the text will beare me Beleeue that Iesus is raised from the dead and that he is in heauen beleue the thing done past and then hope that he shall come againe first be a beleeuer and then hope he that hopes for a thing to come must be a beleeuer of the thing by gone Fasten thy beleef on the things bygone that Christ died was buried and rose vp by the power of God and ascended to the heauen beleeuing all these things by gone hope shall take hold on things to come but if thou beleeue not these things bygone thou shalt neuer hope that Christ shal come againe to thy deliuerie All these things bygone goe before the thing to come he hes told all the articles of the beleefe ere he come to this cōming of Christ againe therfore thou must beleue these things bygone ere thou hope for Christs cōming Then he brings in a descriptiō of the son of God from his name a Sauior from his office a deliuerer a sauior must be a deliuerer his name bears his office for Iesus must be a sauior of men There are two things joined together Christs comming and our eternall deliuerie when he came first in the world he began with deliuerie and by his death redeemed vs when hee shall come againe he wil make an end of our deliuery there shal be no more sin death Our deliuerie dependes on Christs comming trouble or sorow So al our deliuerie depends so on christs cōming that if he return not we shal neuer be fully deliuered by the contrair Iesus returning of necessitie thou must get a full deliuerance They that looke for deliuerie there is the order of hope their hope is euer first in the comming of Christ vpon the which their deliuerance dependes then in the seconde rowme they looke for their deliuerance They are fooles that look first to be deliuered that is a backward order therefore say I hope Iesus shall come againe and then say I hope to be deliuered ye see in the Reuelation the cry of him who lookes for saluation is Come Lord Iesus Reuel 22. 20. The meaning is When vve desire Christ to come we desire the performance of our deliuerance when we desire Doomes-day vve desire the perfection of our eternall deliuerie and it will not be vntill that day if thou be founde in Iesus thy deliuerance shall then come in the full accomplishment thereof Now from what should he deliuer vs From the vvraith to come Christ deliueres vs from the vvrath to come That is from all paine and vexation All the terrors hell that shall follow on the wrath of that great God that shal be reuealed in that great day for that effectuall wrath of God shall strike in that great day are called the vvrath to come No doubt the Apostle by this word would stirre vp our mindes to looke for a greater wrath then euer was seene in this world there was neuer since the first day to the last such a wrath of God seene in the world as shall be seene in that last day The Lordes vvrath hes bene vttered oft times in great measure since the beginning as in that great deludge in the burning of Sodome and Gomorrha with fire and brimstone in the particulare destruction of manie people and sundrie nations but all is nothing to that great wrath all is but play in respect of that last wrath And therefore they are fooles who measures the greatnesse of the wrath of God by the selie momentaneall afflictions that is laid on men and wemen in this earth Some thinkes God can not powre a greater wrathe nor when he casts a man in great sicknesse when he causes one to be rugged in sunder one part from an other when he causes one to be burnt with fire and foolishe wretches will say What can God doe more to me Knowest thou not that there is an euerlasting wrath in God or euer it light on thee it shal make each member shake in sunder when thou sees it comming down on thee thou shalt cry Mountaines and Hilles fall downe on me and couer me from the wrathe of the Lambe Reuel 6. 16. Againe mercie is not to be measured by the mercie we get heere it is a blasphemie to thinke that God hes no greater mercie to shovv on thee nor he shows here So the greatest affliction that can fall on vs heere is nothing in respect of that last wrath Therefore that last day is called 2. Rom. vers 5. the day of vvrathe There was no day before called the day of wrathe Now brethren as the greatest wrath shall be powred out that day so the greatest mercie shall be showne to the godlie that day And they who shal be founde vnder the couert of the wings of this Iesus the Sauiour wrath shall passe by them but they who shall not be found vnder his winges the wrath shall tumble on them Alas if we could consider this Learne to seek Iesus in tyme. The way to find Iesus a couerture in that day it must not be to beginne then thou wilt not get him then if thou got him not before thinke not to cry then Iesus couer mee but the waye to make Christ a couertour to thee must be in this lyfe beleeue in him heere beleeue that he came into the worlde to releeue thee from this great wrathe that day beleeue that he died for thee rose againe for thee and hope that he shall come againe to that eternall deliuerance Misse not this hope Paul to Timothie 2. Epist 4. 8. speaking of that crown of righteousnesse he shall receyue he communicates that crown with others but who are they they that hopes for his comming If thou in some measure hunger not and thirst not for his comming in this life looke not to be couered by him hereafter grone therefore and thirst for Iesus in some measure that he may keepe thee in that great
see him why should not our desire be to see him wherefore should all this feare be of this latter day seeing thou wilt neuer be established in heart nor get thy full glorie vntil his comming at that day thy blessednesse shall be perfite there I finde in the Scripture the perfection of all graces differred vntill that time Ye shall finde no grace PerfectioÌ„ of al graces differred til the â—utter day but the perfection thereof is remitted vntill that day Paul in the same Epistle 2. chap. 19. vers My joy is in the sight of God and of Iesus Christ at his comming He gets not perfection of joy vntill he come And therefore he will not promise to the Thessalonians their joy vntill that day no perfection of grace mercie and peace vntill God put an end to sinne to death and wickednesse Looke then if we should long for that latter day we looke heere and there for this thing and that thing but who lookes for that comming of the Lord Alas if we knevv vvhat grace and joy Christs comming brought to vs vve vvould looke for nothing so much as for his comming We are earthlie and therefore all our lookes are for earthlie thinges we are not spirituall and so we cannot looke for that spirituall grace The Lord prepare vs to looke for and desire that glorious comming All these earthlie thinges goes away Heauen onelie abydes What foolishnesse is this seeing we are subject to mortality that we should set our hearts on this world our dwelling must not be here but in Heauen in endliesse joy Seeke it earnestly therefore Novv in the end of this verse he telles vs in vvhat company and with whom we shal be established in holinesse before God thou shalt not be holy thy selfe alone thou shalt not be an a per se in holinesse doe as thou wilt either shalt thou be in a societie in a companie vvith many more nor thou All graces in the societie of the sants or else thou shalt neuer be holie nor see the face of God This is plaine Either thou shalt be in the Church which is the communion of the Saintes of God or else thou shalt neuer see Gods presence He will leape out of it at this side and he at that side but if thou come not in again in that same societie yea and to the number of this church and of the Saintes that professes Christ this day in Scotland thou shalt neuer see Gods face All blessinges grace mercie and peace euerlasting before God is in the companie of the Church that professe the truth and puritie of the Gospell of Christ not in the company of them who will take the name of a Church or that false Church the Romane Church So let him vvho vvill stand vvith holinesse in the number of the Saintes seuere from Babylon or else he shall be partaker of the judgement So brethren to come againe ye shall not read in the Scripture of any grace giuen to any man but ye shall finde that it is giuen to him as a member of that bodie as one of the Saintes in the societie of the Saintes In the first to the Ephesians verse 18. speaking of the riches of the glorie of the inheritance of Heauen he sayes thou shalt neuer get it but among the Saintes Then againe he sayes chap. 3. vers 18. Who shall vnderstand the loue and charitie of God None but they that are in the societie of the Saintes No light mercie nor knowledge of God but to them that stands knit vp as members in the bodye of Christ ye see cut off a member of the body and cast it away no sap can follow from the body to it So if thou be cut off from the number of the Saintes vvho are the Church of God thou shalt neuer get any grace of Christ Now to the next chapter In the fourth and fift chapters followes the last part of this Epistle containing the doctrine of maners exhorting to holinesse of lyfe and godlinesse But to the wordes He sayes And furthermore As he would say all is not tolde I will tell that which rests which is the doctrine of maners precepts of godlie lyfe and conuersation When we haue teached all the yeere ouer when we haue tolde you the doctrine of justification sanctification c. so long as there is no speaking of a godly lyfe and conuersation and so long as we haue not tolde you how ye should lead your lyfe there is euer something behinde vnspoken of Neuer a full and perfite preaching wher there is nothing spoken of a good or of an euill lyfe and conuersation For there is such a necessitie laid on men and wemen in this world that all serues for nothing except they liue a good holy life Thy profession of loue righteousnesse mercie all the rest is but vanitie and winde if thy conuersation toward thy neighbour be not aunswerable to thy profession it is a shame to thee to speake of Christ of holinesse of righteousnesse of life euerlasting except thou liue conforme thereto And therefore ye shall neuer read any Epistle of Paul but euer vvhen he hes spoken of faith justification c. then in the end he subjoynes precepts charging vs to liue a godlie lyfe And more then this Trow ye in the end at Christs comming to judgement that the pretence of faith or righteousnes will be sufficient to thy eternal saluation No but we must liue holie for al the blessinges of God in Christ tends to this end that we may liue holie yea this is the end of election it selfe Ephes 1. 4. Paul sayes We are chosen from all eternitie that we should be holie Then we should liue soberlie and justlie with our neighbour Tit. 2. 12. And therefore either cast avvay profession of Christianitie and heare neuer a word of faith righteousnesse c. or else striue to liue conforme thereto This in generall Now to the wordes I beseech and exhort you and that in the Lord Iesus Christ What exhorts he that they increase more and more in godlie lyfe and conuersation As for the forme of your going forward I haue tolde you the forme hovv ye should vvalke in this world walke conformable thereto The words would be well marked I beseech and exhort you sayes he in the Lord Iesus He might haue well said I command you as wrytting to Philemon vers 8. 9. he sayes When I might command thee in the name of Iesus yet rather for loues sake I pray thee Loue turnes the command in a prayer All doctrin that comes from any person must come of loue or else it is deare of the hearing Now he showes his loue in speaking for the wordes comes from the heart and so among al the rest of the wayes whereby he vtters the loue he had in his heart this is one when precept and commaund is turned ouer to requeesting When he may commaund he will not but he turnes it ouer and
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
changed and get the next sight This before ye heard taught to you Now in the text we haue red the Apostle takes occasion of that which he spoke of immediatly before concerning the ranking and order of those that shall bee found dead on that great day To enter in this matter more deeplie and to fall out in a description of the Lords comming in that latter day He pointes out the manner of it and that glorie that shall appeare Thereafter he commes to that effect that shall follovv there-vpon The first effect shall be the resurrection of the dead ere euer they vvho are alyue be changed vvhich shall be in a moment the dead rysing first shall be rest vp to the cloudes and then they vvho shall be changed shall be rest vp after them The estate of both is they shall meete the Lord and bee vvith him for euer Then in the last verse he desyres the Thessalonians vvith such speaches as these euerie one to comfort another vvhether he sorrovv for his owne or for anothers death and to speake one to another of the resurrection and of the glorie that shall followe on it Now this text standes in a narratiue of the forme of Christes comming vvhereof I vvill speake no farther nor I can gather thereof out of the Scripture and with as great shortnesse as I may For it is follie to speake any thing heerein vvhich is not reuealed and spoken of in the Scriptures Now Brethren I shall speake first according to the Scriptures of God of the signes and tokens that shall appeare in the world before Christes comming For ere he be seene they who shall be found aliue at that great day shall see signes and tokens of his comming Next I shall speake of his comming and of the manner of it And in the third rovvme I shall speake of the effectes that shall followe in the vvorlde immediatlie on his comming As for the signes that shall be seene ere he be seene There are some of them that shall goe before his comming immediatlie before he ryse out of his Throne vvhere he sittes at the right hand of his Father euen immediatlie before his rysing there shall some signes be shovven to vvarne the vvorlde that the King of Glorie is comming Then there shall be some other signes that shall be adjoyned vvith his comming as hee commes through the Heauens and aire to judge the world So the signes are of tvvo sortes some signes before his comming immediatlie Signes immediatly preceding Chrâ—stes comming some joyned with his comming The signes immediatlie preceeding the Lords rysing out of his Throne to judge the vvorld are The vvhole vvorlde shall shake Heauen and earth shall trimble they who shall be liuing at that day shall see it The vvhole povvers of the Heauen shall be shaken The Sunne the Moone shall be darkned all shall be obscured the Sunne shall haue no light the starres shall fall downe or at the least shall appeare so because they shall giue no light and light shall be away nothing in the face of the earth but darknesse nothing in Heauen but darknesse Ye may read this Matt. chap. 24. verse 29. Luke chap. 21. verse 25. Christ giues these same signes himselfe that shall be immediatlie before his comming What shall be the estat in the mean-time of those who are liuing when these signes shall appear Al consciences shall be wakned all shall get vp there shall be no sleeping The murtherer vvho hes his conscience sleeping now shall be wakned then the harlots conscience shall waken There shall be two sorte of folke found liuing then some reprobate some elect the world is neuer vvithout these tvvo As for the reprobate vvhen they shall looke vp and see such a wonderfull alteration the shaking of the Heauens the darkning of the Sunne and Moon then they shall beginne to shudder and to be striken with such a terrible fear that they shal be as they wer dead and for fear of that judgment that is to follow they shall run and seeke holes and secret places to hide them from the face of the Lord and cry Hilles fall dovvn on vs Mountains couer vs Yea euen ere they see the Lord before his comming down Read of this in Luke 21. 27. Reuelat. chap. 6. verse 16. c. Now as to the elect that shall be found aliue at that tyme they shall conceiue at the sight of these first signes an vnspeakable joye and shall not be afraide but shall avvaite for that Redemption which they shall see to be at hand that full Redemption in the Redeemer the Lord Iesus And therefore they shall not runne away and seeke holes to hyde them in but they shall stand vp and lift vp their heades and faces to the Heauens and shall looke greedilie for the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ indeede it is true they shall conceiue a sorrowe and shall be touched vvith a remorse and shall vveepe bitterlie but a sweete weeping they shall weepe that euer their sinnes procured the death of the Lord Iesus Christ that Lord of glorie Therefore they shall be both joyfull and sorrowfull joyfull because the Redeemer is at hand sorrowfull for their sinnes that Christ should haue died for them that they should haue peirced him through with them Reade of this at length Luke chap. 21. verse 28. Zachary chap. 13. verse 11. Reuel chap. 1. verse 7. yea they who peirced him through with their sinnes shall bewaile him All the godlie Kinges of the earth shall bewaile him all the elect shall sorrow that their sinnes should haue procured the death of this sweete and glorious Lord. This for the signes immediatly going before his comming Vnderstand brethren that there shall be a processe of tyme in the day of judgement so that one thing shall by a certaine space goe before another It shall be sodaine but not so sodaine but they who are aliue shall see one thing done by a space of time before another it shall be so sensible that euerie one that is liuing at that day shall see euery thing done sensible Now to come to the signes joined with his comming At his down comming Signes ioyned vvith the comming of Christ when the Lord rises out of his Throne before he be seene the whole world that shooke before he rose shal be set on fyre and there shall be a terrible dissolution All thinges shall be dissolued and so shaken lowse that the world shall not appeare vnto the tyme it bee made a nevv Worlde a nevv Heauen a new Earth as Peter speakes Come to the particulares As to the Heauens they shall bee burnt vp and being burnt vp they shall passe away with a sound and noyse saies Peter as the sounding of Chariot-wheeles The elements the aire the water all shall be consumed with fire and be burnt vp and euanish The earth and all the workes on the earth planting building all shall be burnt vp with fire nothing shall be spared
be sounde sleeping When the murtherer is busiest at his murther albeit he be ryding and running the quickell man in bodie that euer was the soule in the meane-tyme is lying in a deadlie sleepe So I doubt not but if the Lord Iesus would come in this houre alas the vengence that would ouertake many of them So they who are in harlotrie and their senses exercised most in harlotrie then they are most sleeping in soule Trow ye if the eye of the soule saw God that for all the world they would be exercised in such a filthie exercise So he meanes chieflie of the watching of the soule Indeede it is true as I haue said before it is good to be walkrife in bodie for if thou be sanctified thy bodie waking shall be exercised in some good exercise And therefore Christ in the garden immediatlie before his passion Matthevv chap. 26. verse 4. woulde haue his Apostles waking in bodie aswell as in soule least they should enter into tentation for they sleeped vntill his enemies came Sobrietie and so for feare they left him Then the second thing commaunded is sobernesse There are two sortes of it The one of the body the other of the soule The bodie when it is not surfetted with any excesse The soule when it is not drunken with the world and pleasurs therof is sober for as the bodie hes her sobrietie so the soule hes the owne sobrietie and heere I specially vnderstand the sobriety of the soule but indeed the sobriety of the body is to be joined to it For the sobriety of the body helps much to the sobriety of the soule As I said before when the body passes measure in drunkennes the soule is commonly drunken to so when the body is in sobriety the soule is in sobriety and applied to godlinesse So both the drunkennes of soule and body is forbidden In the 21. of Luke 34. He saies Be vvare least your harts be prest dovvn vvith surfetting and drunkennesse that is of the body and vvith the carefulnes of the vvorld that is of the soule Therfore keep sobriety in body and soule Then brethren there are two thinges forbidden and two thinges commaunded viz. sleeping excessiue and drunkennesse in soule and body forbidden watching and sobrietie in soule and bodie commanded Now in the next wordes he giues the reason wherefore they should not sleepe and be drunken but watch and be sober They that sleepe sleepe in the night and they vvho are drunken are drunken in the night Now he would subsume ye are not of the night therefore be ye not drunken but be sober So this argument is taine from the inconnenientnesse of the tyme it is no tyme to you to be drunken now ye are not in the night Men vses to sleepe and be drunken in the night men who does euill seekes darknesse Ye are not in the night but ye are the children of the day Therefore it settes not you to be sleeping or drunken but ye should watch and be sober I take vp the lesson shortly In all our actions and doings we should haue a speciall respect to the tyme for there is great moment and weight in the tyme when we should doe this thing or that thing and speciallie in the two tymes the day and the night All actions must be done in these two tymes The day hes the actions of the day The night hes the actions of the night The actions of the day shold not be done in the night The actions of the night should not be done in the day This should be commonly keeped albeit necessitie sometyme compels otherwaies There are some actions that are seemelie to be done in the day that is not seemelie to be done in the night As for exemple It settes a man to be wakng in the day it is not seemely to wake in the night except necessitie compell Againe there are some actions that are setting to be done in the night and not in the day as to sleep in the night and it settes a man better to drunken in the night if he would be drunken nor in the day It is a shame to be drunken before the Sun and day light Paul in the Rom. chap. 12. verse 11. 12. 13. sayes Men and wemen should vvalke in comelinesse all maner of way So soone as thou goest out to the sight of the Sun albeit none saw thee but the Sun it becomes thee to be comely So thou who would be drunken drinke in the night Fy oâ—â—t that a drunken bodie should come to the Sun if there were no more but the light of the Sun it cryes to God for vengence on drunkennesse albeit no man saw it Now brethren there are some vnnaturall men and wemen who will turne the action of the day to the night and the night to the day Fy on thee that preuents nature When this faire Sunne ryses in the morning to comfort them to let them see the face of it and to doe their duetie in that function the Lord hes called them to What will they then doe off their cloathes and goe to their beddes Nothing the most part of the day tyme but dead sleeping except they be constraint otherwaies Then when the Sun goes down they are glad and ryses to their villany And so they testifie that they detest the glorious light of the Sun which should rejoyse vs. Alwaies when others goe to their beds then they begin to rise to eat and drinke c. and to take their pleasure this is not comely and I tell thee the vengence of God will light on thee if it were onely for the preuenting of the order of nature Let the day be day and the night be night No question this peruerting of nature procures the heauy vengence of God to fall on them and their houses Trow ye that God of Heauen who ordained nature can suffer nature to be so abused without auengement No I dare say thou that doest slaye before the Sunne the Sun shall beare witnesse against thee and say Lord this villan so abhominably committed murther in my eye thou sette me in the Heauen that none should worke villany in my eye but he set me to litle auaile The Sun no doubt is wearied and groanes to see the wickednesse of men and wemen and the creatures groanes to see their vyle sins and faine would be releued thereof This earth they goe on groanes vnder the burdene and would as faine be releued of them as a woman with childe would be releued of her birth Well then if the Lord will reuenge so a sinne that is done before the light of this Sun that shynes and if the light of this same verie Sunne aggreadges their sinne before the Lord and maks their judgement the greater O what greatnesse must be in sin and how fearefull must the judgement be when sin is committed with an vplifted hand in the face of Christ that Sun of righteousnesse shyning to vs in his
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
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
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
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
more easely sustaind No he assures them that it behoues them through many afflictions to enter in the kingdome of heauen Act. 14. 22. Euerie one who liues godlie shall suffer 2. Timoth. 3. 12. The Apostle so warnes them that when the people are warned the affliction shoulde not come vnto them vnarmed but that when they see it they should say I looked euer for affliction Now welcome affliction He that is prepared for it and knowes perfitelie affliction wil follow the gospel he wil tak it in his aimes say welcome affliction and he wil receiue it with such patience as the tongue of man can not report and where patience is joyned with affliction it is but halfe affliction but a man who lyes sighting and waltring in trouble ô that man hes double disease Therefore brethren since it is that we must suffer either in one measure or other let not the things of this worlde make vs forget that we are appointed to suffer but when prosperitie comes let vs say this world will decay thou art mounted vp this day thou may be casten down the morne thou art whole this day thou may be sicke the morne and so I will not be deceyued with anie thing but will prepair me for aduersitie The Lord prepair vs for it for Christs sake To this Christ the Father and the holie Spirite be all praise and honour now and euer THE ELEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 3. vers 5. 6. 7. 8. 5 Euen for this cause vvhen I could no longer forheare I sent him that I might knovve of your faith lest the tempter had tempted you in any sort and that our labour had bene in vaine 6 But novv lately vvhen Timotheus came from you vnto vs and brought vs good tidings of your faith and loue and that ye haue good remembrance of vs alvvayes desiring to see vs as vve also doe you 7 Therefore brethren vve had consolation in you in all our affliction and necessitie through your faith 8 For novv are vve aliue if ye stand fast in the Lord. IN the beginning of this chapter Brethren the Apostle Paul telles of the purpose he did take to send Timothie to the Thessalonians to establishe them in the faith and to exhort them and of the accomplishment of that purpose that as he tooke purpose to send Timothie to them so he sent him And this was one of the Arguments whereby he excuses him selfe for that hee did not come to them himselfe being impeaded by Sathan The next he could do was to send that brother Timothie who was a faithfull man in the ministrie of the Lord and therfore they should haue him excused Then thereafter ye heard he fell out in a short exhortation exhorting them to beare patientlie those afflictions and crosses that they suffer in this life The first argument vvas from the appointment of God God had so appointed from all eternitie that they should suffer therefore seeing that necessitie was imposed on them why shold they not bear the burden pauentlie The second argument was from his fore warning of them of the troubles for the Gospels sake There is nothing come but that I did forewarne you of therefore when they are come what rests but that ye should beare them patientlie Now leauing that which we spok the last day vpon the text preceeding I come to this present text The Apostle in the fift verse of this chapter returnes again to that which he spoke concerning Timothie and the sending of him to the Thessalonians In the next verse he hes a narratiue of Timothie his returning againe and of that good report he made in his returning of the Thessalonians of their faith loue and remembrance they had of Paul After that in the verse following he showes what effect that report of Timothie wrought in him it brought to him joye and consolation notwithstanding of all his affliction he was in for the present The reasone is giuen because we liue when ye stand in the faith your perseuerance is our life and therefore what maruell if vve rejoice in your faith And thereafter he vtters that he can not thanke God eneugh for that grace they had gotten of God Now to come back againe The text containes a plaine narratiue Wherefore saies he vvhen I could no longer forbeare I sent Timothie to you Of this vve spoke the last day in the beginning of the chapter and therfore vve goe forward The end is set down wherefore he sent Timothie to vnderstand of your faith That is of your perseueeing of your abiding and of your standing in that faith yee haue receyued This is an other end from that which vvas before Before he sent Timothie to establish and to comfort them nowe he sends Timothie to vnderstand of their faith and perseuerance No matter albeit there be sundrie ends wherefore he sent Timothie one for their cause to establishe them an other for his owne cause that hee him selfe might vnderstand of their perâ—euerance in faith and might haue joye in the report of their perseuerance therein So ye see the Apostle brethren is euer carefull of this Church at Thessalonica planted and begun by him there So that in the beginning he vvas carefull to lowe the seede of the vvorde amongst them to conuert them and turne them to the faith of Christ When he hes done this he leaues not off his care but that vvorke he had begunne he is carefull that it bee brought to some perfection in Christe So that he leaues behinde him this lesson vnto all pastors and vnto all that trauaile in that calling The care of the Pastor 〈◊〉 his stock shold be instant to haue a continuall care ouer the people that are committed to them to haue a care of their perseuerance and continuance in faith to the end It is not enengh to raise them vp once and to set them on their feete and thereafter to plucke away his hand from them and to let them stand as it were them allone but hee must striue to holde them vp as he hes laide the foundation of faith so he must build vpon that foundation continuallie so far as lies in him while the building be ended He is an euil workman that wil lay the foundation of an house then leape away he is an euill teacher that will found any people on faith and then goes away and leaues them Brethren the beginning of faith is by the 〈…〉 way this ministrie there shall be no foundation on 〈…〉 persseuerance in saith is by this ministry take it avvay 〈…〉 once founded shall fall dovvne againe 〈…〉 〈◊〉 preaching of the Gospel 〈…〉 of God from the Congregations and leaue 〈…〉 your owne reaching meditation thogh ye be 〈…〉 shall ye all your reading and meditation shall not holde you vp for that is the onelie meane whereby perseuerance in faith is effectuate without the which thou shalt not perseuere in
that remembrance they had of him in his absence and of this rememberance a desyre to see him and that because he had grounded them in that faith in Iesus Christ and that loue to their neighbour Brethren as the first pointe of goode tydinges that can bee reported of anie is the imbracing of this Gospell of Christ and Christ in the Gospell So the last thing that can bee reported is the imbracing of the Ministers of this Gospell the imbracing of them in their presence the remembring of them and the desyring of them in their absence These are Paules ovvne vvordes And I affirme if anie people haue no lyking of the Minister of the Gospell no man can tell one good vvord of good tydinges of them If Timothie could not haue reported this farre of the Thessalonians concerning Paul that they had remembrance of him but had said that they remembred not of Paul Trovvye that Paul vvould haue counted of the report of their faith and charitie No he vvould haue said they had no faith nor charitie for where there is not a loue to the Minister of the Gospell no faith nor loue there Many vvill say I loue the Gospell I loue my nighbour but vvhen it comes to the ministrie then if there be any vyle and contemptible speaking it will be of them My Lord or the laird will sit vp and speak of that calling with such disdaine and despite that the verse Ethnick can not go beyond him and in scoffing will say away with these fellowes wherefore serue they they holde the countrie in ado Fyon thee that euer thou sholdst take the name of Christ in thy mouth when thou so heatst his seruants For it is impossible where the loue of Christ and the Gospell is to seuere thee from the loue of the seruants of Christ Thou deceiuest thy self thou neuer louest the master when thou heatst his seruants thou neuer louest God when thou heatst the faithfull Minister he sends to thee Alas among all the curses that procures heauie judgement at Gods hand this is one the contempt of this ministrie God is as it were wrestling with vs in this great contempt to hold in this light but if we continue we shall lose this light to our vtter ruyne for God will not wrestle ay vvith vs. Take heed to this and learne this lesson vvith Paule As ye would haue a report of well doing looke that this report may be tolde of you that ye haue a remembrance and desyre of your faithfull ministrie otherwise all other reports is nothing worth For where there can not be a report of your lyking of the good Ministers it can not be possible that a goode tale can be tolde of you The wordes in the end of the verse is to be marked Desyring to see vs as vve also doe you There is a meeting Marke the vvord There is a mutuall duetie craued betvveene the Pastor and the stock a mutuall desyre and remembrance euerie one of other a mutuall lyking euerie one of others Kyndneste vvill not stand on the one part onelie Now who should beginne one must beginne Paul beginnes he remembers of them before they remember of him he desyres their presence ere they desyre his presence he lykes of them ere they lyke of 〈◊〉 Speaking to the Corinthians Epist 6. 1â— he sayes Our mouth hes 〈◊〉 opened vnto 〈◊〉 our heart 〈…〉 made large 〈◊〉 haue not dvvelt narrovvlie in our bovvels Then he sayes 〈…〉 to you 〈…〉 be children desiring 〈◊〉 lyke recompence And teiles them as he was the beginner to loue them he desyred a rendring of the lyke loue to him Gal. 4. 12. Be ye as I am for I am as ye are I craue not first of you but I shal beginne with loue to you render ye me the lyke And certainelie when the Pastor beginnes not loue to the flock the people is not to be accused for not louing of their Pastor So the Pastor must beginne and when they follow him not be it betweene them and their God and without question it will not goe away without judgement Now to goe to the effect of these things Therefore brethren sayes he vve had coâ—sâ—lation and to aggreadge this consolation he sayes when he tolde me these good tydings my miserie was great I was lying at Athens miserable but when Timothie reported these good newes to me I vvas quickned in hearing of your faith perseuerance loue among your selues and towards vs. So brethren these tydings are not without great joy they minister comfort Neuer one of these things are tolde but joy and comfort breaks vp in the heart Trow ye that it was the good report that raised this consolation in the heart No there was an higher ground If Paul had not had an greater loue to the Thessalonians all the good tydings that was reported by Timothie of them to him should not haue wakned joy in his heart It is true in deed when we heare of the grace of God to be in any other there is matter of joy to vs we should not heare so soone that the grace of God is in any man or woman but we should rejoyce therein euen as it were in our selues When thou hearest of faith or loue in any man or woman thou shouldst rejoice when thou hearest of any sinner that is penitent turnes to God rejoyce when thou hearest of any loue in any person there is matter of joy all is true But brethren Who rejoyces when it is reported that any grace is in any person I answere None but the louer he that loues that people or person will rejoice As for others that haue no loue to the persone the more is tolde to them of the grace of God in him either spirituall or temporall the more they inuy it This is all our nature What is it that inuyes not Paul sayes Charitie inuyes not 1. Cor. 13. 4. And vnderstand this he who loues rejoyes when he heares of any others well Take me away loue and charitie no rejoysing in the heart of any man for an others well Alas this inuy that is among men of the prosperitie of an other testifies there is no loue When thou hearest the report of the graces of thy nighbour aâ—â—mnyes it and speakes euill of thy nighbour thou vttest thou hast no loue to God and thou depryuest day selfe of a great grace for thou depriuest thy self of that joy thou shouldst haue of the grace of God thou rejoysing thou getst part of that grace he that hes the grace gets not all that grace his alone but when thou rejoycest thougetst a part of that grace By the contrare if thou inuy thou spoiles thy selfe of that joy the joy thou shalt haue in Heauen shall not be of the grace thou shalt haue in thy self onlie and assure thee as thou shalt haue joy in Heauen thou must haue joy in earth but it shall rise of the graces of god bestowed on others on the earth and thou
then to finde no rest nor fruite of his labor at night but I say to thee if thy walking be not to please God thou shalt neuer get any frute of thy walking if thy walking be not euer to please thy God thou shalt neuer get the right way thou shalt goe like a doting bodie and be the farther from that glorious butt and in the end thou shalt effectuat nothing but in that great day thou shalt curse all thy labors and exercises and thou shalt say Alas my labours are all lost I haue wearied my selfe and now I am no better But if thy walking be to please God thou shalt finde a sweetnesse in thy labor and joy in the end thereof And when that blessed day of resurrection shall come thou shalt say Blessed am I in my labours that I wrought to please my God for now I haue gotten the butt I finde the frute of my laboures Paul sayes 1. Cor. 9. 26. I runne but not to an vncertaintie Learne neuer to runne to an vncertaintie but euer runne to a butt effectuat something by your doing The onely way to make you runne well is to please God A Minister or any other in the world who woulde runne right must run to pleasure their God and then they shall finde sweetnesse in their running Now well is the soule that can endeuore the selfe to pleasure God for ther is no joy in the creature but when it is set to glorify God night and day in this world for to this end are we set in the world 1. Cor. 10. 31. and if we doe this he shal set vs in the heauens to glorifie him Now in the next verse he takes themselues to be witnesses that he had set before them the preceptes and lawes whereby they should walke in the journey Ye knovve vvhat commandement vve gaue you by the Lord Iesus It is an happie thing to a Minister in his calling when with a good conscience he appeals the consciences of the people that he cried to them and saide ô people I bade you goe I prescriued you rules to goe into your blood be on your owne head I haue discharged a faithfull duetie to you Brethren what auailes it vs if we should euer preache the Gospell if we be not saued thereby And when we teache you the Gospell we also stir our selues forward to come to that butt Christ our owne teaching is the meane whereby we are saued as it is the meane whereby ye are saued Therefore let all goe forward together in the rinke Now in the verse following he beginnes to set down to them the rules of walking and going forward That which he had spoken by tongue being at Thessalonica the same thing he puts in writ by his pen. It is a foolish thing to a man to say The Apostle spoke one thing and wrote another No brethren Paul neuer spake one sentence to confirme any people but it is registrate to vs. It is blasphemie to thinke that Paul and Peter c. wrote not that which they spoke it is follie for there was no sentence they spoke pertaining to our saluation but it is written Then the rule is The vvill of God vvhich is your sanctification That is that ye be holie in your soules and the whole affections thereof in your bodie and all the members of your bodie and all the actions of your members So he drawes the whole rules which are to be obserued in this course and rinke we haue to Heauen and life euerlasting to holinesse and sanctification Then in one word there is the manner how thou shalt goe forward to this butt Be holie be holie thou must be holie holie in heart hand mouth foot in all the members of thy body separate thee from the worlde which is full of sinne full of foull affections displeasing the eye of thy God and put on holinesse Who euer they be that goe forward in holinesse assuredlie they shall come to the marke Liue thou an holie life what vocation that euer it be in assure thee thou shalt come to the prise of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Philipp 3. 14. To turne it ouer againe Busie thy self as thou wilt if that thy businesse be not in holinesse thou art foolishe the faster thou runnest thou art the farther behinde Alas how many are there who busies them selues in wickednesse and the more they wearie themselues the farther are they from Heauen Blessed are they who can goe forward to Heauen Stryue to holinesse and say Lord I am on my journey I cannot goe forward except I finde an holie heart to thinke an holie mouth to speake an holy hand to touch Lord sanctifie them that I runne not in vaine The way to runne holilie is to keepe euer before thy eies God that holie one in the face of Iesus and to cry O Lord guide me in holinesse And I assure thee if thou wilt striue to liue holilie and cry to God to guide thee in holinesse thou shalt come to that endlesse joy But if thou let God out of thy eye thou shalt perishe Brethren this life will away and therefore set your harts to run to that euerlasting life Nowe hauing set downe the generall he deduces it in parts and the first part he takes vp is cleannesse of the bodie as he would say fyle not the bodie with fornication fyle thou thy bodie with fornication thou shalt not thinke a cleane thought speake a cleane word or doe any cleane deed Surelie all sinnes pollutes and fyles The sinne that comes from the heart if it were but an euill motion it goes back againe and leaues a foull blot behinde it a rotten deed leaues a blot behinde it a foull worde in the mouth goes back and leaues a foull blot in the hart when thou hast spoken a word thou art not quite thereof but it comes back againe and fyles the soule It goes not from thee so lightlie as thou trowest no it leaues ay a foull blot behinde it So this corruption growes daily Brethren I tell you all sinnes fylles the bodie yet of all sinnes harlotrie especiallie fyles the bodie Looke the comparison the Apostle vses 1. Cor. 6. 18. The bodie of an harlote of all bodies is the foullest Alas such a fyling of the bodie and soule followes vpon adulterie that it is wonderfull to tell Seeing therefore speciall pollution of the bodie followes on fornication I beseech you as ye would present your selfe before God in cleannesse abstaine from harlotrie An harlot will trauell long ere he come to heauen thy heart and bodie must be sanctified before thou come to Heauen And so as thou would come forward to Heauen stryue to keepe a cleane bodie and soule to God and speciallie abstaine from this vyce of fornication Lord keepe vs from it vntill we come to the end of our journey that we may be presented clean before christ To whom with the Father and holie Spirit be honour and praise for
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
biddes vs we must not yeelde to the lustes of the fleshe there must bee abstinence and dyet And therefore Paul in that same ninth chapter to the Cor. verse 27. shovves how he vsed himselfe in running to be an ensample to vs. He sayes He held his bodie at vnder and redacted it in a seruitude and vvoulde not let it be his master Let thou thy bodie be thy master I promise thee thou shalt neuer see the butt But to come more speciallie What abstinence must it be He names it from fornication There are sundrie sortes of abstinence vvhich is requyred of them that runnes in this rinke but among them all this is a speciall Abstaine from harlotrie and pollution of the bodie vvith fornication Among all the sinnes that defiles the bodie and the members of the bodie of anie man or vvoman harlotrie is the cheefest sinne and makes all vncleane and polluted in Goddes sight The Apostle 1. Corinth chap. 6. verse 18. sayes All sinnes that a man committes is out-vvith the bodie but he vvho committe fornication he sinnes against his ovvne bodie he pollutes and defyles his bodie in a speciall manner Brethren the bodie of a man vvhich is not polluted vvith this filthinesse is a meete bodie to runne in this course it is svvift and readie to runne in this course but if the bodie be deâ—yled vvith harlotrie it is not svvift and meete for the course Learne it Ye shall see for common a goode turne falles neuer out in the hands of an harlote There is nothing vnder the Sunne that a bodie polluted vvith fornication can doe holilie As the person is vncleane in Gods sight so all thinges he does are polluted yea that same verie action that othervvayes is goode is sinne in Gods sight Commest thou to the Church and hearest the preaching if thou be an harlote all is polluted in Gods sight Deale all that thou hast to the poore lyest thou in harlotrie all is sinne So in a vvord an harlot can doe no goode and if he seeme to doe anie good it is nothing but sinne in Gods sight Looke then vvhat estate an harlote is in Now to goe forward to the next verse He sets downe the speciall remedie of this sinne and vyce whereby they may keepe their bodie from this pollution Remedie of fornication That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour The first thing that is requyred heere is a science an habite in doing not a light fassion in doing a doing as it vvere off hand but a setled doing of a setled grace in the heart a craft to possesse and to keepe the bodie in holinesse and godlinesse Thou that vvould keepe thy bodie cleane thou must haue an habite and setlednesse All thinges we doe in this life should come of a constant habite in the soule of an vse and setled grace in the hart to doe well For as the thing a Craftis-man does is of his craft the thing a Wright does is of the science of his craft so euerie one that vvould intende to do vvell must haue an habite and a grace in the heart to doe vvell And speciallie he that vvould keepe his bodie in cleannesse looke that he haue a craft of it otherwayes it may be he vvill not play the harlote this night or that night because he hes not the occasion but the first occasion offered hee shall be an harlote So all resolues in this The best thing in this vvorld to bannishe sinne is to get an heart setled and stablished vvith grace Get an heart once stablished vvith grace then thou shalt not be moued but thou shalt stand fast in all tentations and thou shalt keepe a solide course Let the Deuill the vvorlde and all the enemies of thy saluation vse all the tentations to dravv thee avvay thou shalt stand immoueable And therefore learne the craft of vvell doing and get once the habite in the heart of vvell doing and then vvell doing shall come with such facilitie to thee that thou shalt maruell thereat Then to come to the next words That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour He sayes euery one He exeemes none neither riche nor poore high nor lovve but he bindes euerie one of vvhat ranke so euer he be of to the science of possessing the bodie with cleannesse and holinesse Marke it brethren There are none priuiledged to be an harlot not a King nor Queen nor Earle nor Countesse no none of no estate hes this priuiledge but all are bound to keep the bodie cleane and they who wil exeem themselues and thinke their ranke to be a priuiledge to them they shall exeeme themselues also from the rank of them who runnes in this rinke to Heauen Thou goest not so soone to be an harlote but thou goest out of the right way and thou shalt neuer come to Heauen that way runne as long as thou wilt Now what should euerie one know Euerie one should know to possesse his vessell that is his bodie not to be possessed of the bodie but to possesse the bodie wilt thou be possessed of the bodie and be a slaue to it and wilt thou let the foule affections of the bodie possesse thee thou shalt find woe in thy bodie for euer Paul sayes I holde my bodie at vnder and redâ—ct it in seruice I will not let it be my Master 1 Cor. 9. 27. Alwaies the thing that euerie one should know is to possesse To speake of this possession it is a common saying it is no lesse practick to possesse a thing after it be gotten nor to acquire and conquesse it Yea I say there is greater practick to possesse that well which is gotten nor to get it And there are moe in the world that can find the way to get it nor the way to keepe that which is gotten But what thing is this they should knowe to possesse There are many possessions in the world but among all possessions the cheef is that a man possesse holilie his body which is a vessell to keepe the soule So the first possession that euer one gettes in this world is his own bodie and it is the longest possession that any man keepes Thou shalt be pulled from thy heritage lands goods and riches but as for thy bodie albeit for a time thou lay it down yet thou shalt take it vp againe and thou shalt possesse it for euer and it shall either be an house to honour or else to dishonour to thee for euer And so seeing this bodie is the first possession and the longest we haue therefore we should be carefull how we possesse this bodie Be not so carefull how thou keepest and possessest thy land as how thou possessest thy bodie There are ouer many that are so carefull to possesse their lands that they forget to possesse their bodies and yet their land shall they leaue behinde them So the cheefest thing thou
that calles and God that is calling on you his vengeance shall sease vpon you And now it is no time to thee to ly in vncleannes when the Pest is at the doore woe to thee dying therein being in the puddle of vncleannes but well is thy soule that turnes to God howbeit thou die in the pest of the body Now followes another argument to moue vs to holines He who wil not be holie when God calles on him disobeyes not man but God As there are two thinges to moue vs to holinesse first our vocation to holinesse secoundlie the caller so there are two sinnes that accompanies the disobedience of that calling one sinne against the holie calling another sinne against the holie God the caller ConteÌ„pt of God the vvord the greatest sinne There is no sinne by the selfe allone One sinne must euer haue another with it and committing one sinne we sinne manie waies Compare these two the sinne against the calling and the sinne against the caller by all appearance the secound is the greatest The greatest sinne that can bee is to contemne God Thou that playest the harlote thy sinne is double first by thy harlotrie thou sinnest against thy calling thou was called to and this is a great sinne but the other is greater Thou contemnest the voyce of the high Majestie of God that called thee The oppressor sinnes by his oppression but his sin is the greater in that he contemnes his caller And in the latter day ye shall finde by experience the challenge shall not be so much against the adulterer for his adulterie as for that in sinning he contemned the voyce of God calling him from adultery This shall be a chiefe challenge dirtlay especially of christians who hes heard this word and Gospell of God that they contemnd the majestie of God who called them by this word Gospell And surely all these particular judgements of God that falles on men and these particular judgements on Scotland and on Edinburgh this day either the Pest or the famine fals not somuch for vncleannesse and other sins as for the contemp of the Gospel and God that calles thee by this base ministrie And therfore the right cause of all these judgements is the contempt of God calling vs to holinesse For we haue not onelie sinned in committing of sin but in contemning God calling vs from sin and we haue spitted as it wer in his face Put away the contempt of the word of God if ye put it away who wait but but God wil be mercifull If we contemne still looke for greater judgement The contempt of God and of this foode of the soule offred by the base ministrie hes caused this plague of famine and the Pest fall on this land The Apostle sayes In resisting ye resist not men but God There is no blessing in tyme that God giues but he ministers it by men He wil not come out of Heauen to speak to thee but he will speak to thee by the ministrie of selie simple men He tels thee of remission of sins of justification of sanctificatioÌ„ c. if thou dispise the ministry of base men though thou wer Monarch of all the earth thou shalt neuer get remission of sinnes sanctification nor glorification Now this is the thing that beguyles the world When they looke to the vyle ministrie of men they cannot see God in it They looke to the selie man they goe no farther Who speakes A selie man speakes Who calles me I heard a selie man and so through the man be looks not vp to heauen to se God speaking by the minister And from this flowes the contempt and resisting man thou resists God that is the principall worker The word is then contemned when the man is contemned in speaking it Resisting man thou resists God who sent the man Can any man resist God and not be plagued therefore if there be no repentance So they who are called to the ministrie let them care for nothing but to speake the word of God and open their mouth to glorify God And if he be resisted he is not resisted but God who sent him is resisted And at that last day it shall be seene it was not man thou resisted but God Happie are they therefore who gettes a sight of this in tyme and that giues obedience to the worde Happie is the bodie that receiues this word as the word of god and not of man Now the last argument followes Who saies he hes giuen vs his holy Spirite Looke now what he hes done He hes chosen vs from all eternitie to be holielie and hes giuen vs his Spirit and al graces to this end to be holy When the Lord hes begun to call vs to holinesse Spirite of god dâ—velling in vs bindes to holinesse if he stand there and doe no more it will not doe the turne if he giue vs ouer to our owne nature and free vvill and take away his Spirit when he hes broght thee on a point of holinesse and leaue thee there thou shalt neuer enter in Heauen And therefore when he hes done all these thinges to thee then he will put into thy soule and bodie his Spirit of grace to cleanse the foulnesse out of thy soule and bodie to bring in holie motions actions and speeches So that thou art made now as Paul speakes 1. Corint 6. 19. the Temple of the holie Spirit and then that same glorious person the holie Spirit comming from the Father and the Son will dwell within thee in soule and bodie as assuredlie as we are within this Church presentlie and thy soule and bodie shall be as sure Temples of this Spirit as this Church is to our bodies And is not this a great honour that in substance this glorious person will dwell within vs So this learnes vs that all is of grace the beginnig of grace the midst of grace the end of grace Our predestination in God our vocation our justification and sanctification all in God our glorification in God Brethren the highest estate we can come to in this life is sanctification We passe from predestination to vocation from vocation to justification from justification to sanctification we cannot reach higher so long as we are heere We may growe in this estate but we cannot come higher As to glorification we get it in the lyfe to come when we leaue this life All our actiones heere are impersite and all mingled with the corruption of nature but heereafter all will be perfited For when we leaue this lyfe we goe not backward Thinke not that bodie that sleepes in Christ that he goes backward That body is predestinat called sanctified heere in some measure after this life passes a degree vpward and commes to glorification for holinesse in this life it passes vp to glorie we are holie heere but glorious in the life to come We are not called to be glorified in this lyfe but to be sanctified when we
we haue need continuallie to heare this exhortation And the Lord hes appointed his ministrie to cry after men vvho are running in this rinke And so if thou heare not the voice of his ministrie stirring thee vp to runne if thou contemne the voyce of the crier look how fast thou euer ran forward thou shalt run as fast backward So there is no better way to hold a man forward in this course of Christianitie and to cause him grow in all grace vntill he come to the end of the rinke nor the crying of this ministrie I denounce thee contemne thou this ministrie thou shalt neuer come to the end of the rinke to get inheritance in Heauen Men will not beleeue this vntill they see it Now Quyetnesse commended in the last roume after he hes exhorted them to abstein from fornication not to do wrong to their neighbour to be beneficiall and to loue their brother last he exhorts them to study to be quyet The word is Be ambitious of quietnesse As euer ye saw men ambitious of the honour of the world be ye ambitious of quyetnesse Among all the parts of vncleannesse and of the vitiositie and foulnesse of this our nature this is one called curiositie ouer great businesse in other mens affaires in the thing that concernes not vs nor our calling Euen so by the contrair among all the properties of holinesse this is one To haue a sober content estate For these two are opponned to other a curious spirite and a quyet spirite the one plaine contrair to the other one is a vyce the other a vertue And as I said before They who hes not quyetnesse in some measure in their soules but in vvhom this curiositie raignes in highest degree I cannot say they haue any part of sanctification For there is such an vnseparable bond of the graces of the Spirite that where one is in some measure all must be Glory neuer of one nor of two nor of three graces except thou finde the whole graces and euery one of them in some measure in thee Now when he hes commended the grace it selfe he comes to the effect of the grace Effects of quyetnes what auails any grace without the effect It is an vnprofitable grace And the first effect of quyetnesse is To euerie man to doe his ovvne businesse To keepe him within the bounds of his owne businesse and be exercised in his owne affairs and not in the affairs of other men So the effect of quyetnes is not to sit idle but to be exercised in well doing but in doing not that which perteins to another in their calling but that which God hes appointed thee in thy calling Be as busie as thou canst in that night and day There is a great difference betweene a quyet person and an idle person a quyet person is the best exercised person in the vvorlde for all his businesse is vvithin the boundes of his exercise he is doing that vvhich the Lord hes bidden him do doe thy labour but goe not without the compasse of thy calling and in the meane tyme he is idle in other mens turnes But as for an idle man I shall tell you his nature no man can be altogether idle but he must be euer exercised in something so long as there is breathe in his mouth An idle person does not a turne that pertaines to his ovvne calling but in other mens calling he is euer busie he is exercised in this thing and that thing that perteynes to another man and in the meane tyme he is a vagabound vvithout any shift Paul speaking of these busie bodies 2. Thessal chap. 3. verse 11. sayes that they doe no labour and yet they are busie bodies exercised in other mens affaires while as they are idle in their owne calling The second effect is a particular kinde of exercise handie labour vvorking vvith a mans ovvne hand not vvith his seruants handes And therefore the vvord is your ovvne proper handes This vvoulde seeme ouer straite It may be that many vvill be content to be exercised in an honest and liberall action so that they may keep their hands clean but when it commes to an handy work and to put to their hands and file their fingers to the bowing of the back and of the head ô that is ouer strait it is ouer sore to a Genle-man to doe that it settes him not He is a Lords Sonne should he fyle his hands with labour But Paul sayes Labour with thy owne handes rather ere thou be idle in this lyfe Put to thy hand to a spade or shouell and dig dykes Ye may reade 2. Thessa chap. 3. verse 8. of Paul I vvill shovve you what he did appearantlie there hes beene men in Thessalonica like this country people who would not labour for their liuing He sayes Day and night vvith paine and trouble vvith my ovvne hands I vvonne my liuing beside my preaching I won my liuing with my ovvne craft In the might vvhen he left teaching he made tentes for his liuing Now this he speakes to be an exemple to these idle bodies at Thessalonica and Paul read of him when ye will he was a Gentle-man a Roman an Hebrevv a Pharisie yea one of the Apostles of Iesus vvhich is greatest of all yet he labours with his owne hands for â—as liuing In the Epistle to the Ephes cha 4. verse 28. he saies He that sâ—all let him steale no more sinner sin no moree harlot liue in harlotrie no more alas it is ouerlong to spend if it were but an houre in offending God Then if he that stal should steal no more vvhat should he doe Works saies he vvith his handes I vvould that they who cannot get other moyen to win their liuing by should labour vvith their handes for their liuing if it vvere in the vylest office that can be for all offices are sanctified in Christ What makes a thiefe but idlenesse if thou vvilt not vvorke thou must steale In the second Epist Thessa chap. 3. verse 12. If any people had neede of this admonition this land had neede thereof Paul sayes vvorke vvith your ovvne hands Wherefore That ye may eat your own bread not another mans bread but that thou maist eate thy ovvne bread that thou hast vvin vvith the sweate of thy brovves vvhereby he would meane that they who vvill not put to their hands to worke but walkes vp and down idle vvce to that morsell they put in their mouth do reaue the meat out of the mouthes of the poore laborers Now to be short He sayes He denounced these things to them before and he denounced them in the name of Iesus threatning a judgement as ye may see in that place 2. Thess 3. 11. 12. This is an Inhibition as straite as anie Kings inhibition He that vvill not vvorke let him not eate I forbid him to put the least morsell in his mouth he that wil not labour I command in Gods name that he
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
Eue shall be with the first and in the first ranke For before they vvho in the vvorlde shall be changed which shall be in the twinkling of an eye and it shall stand to them in stead of death ere this change be made the dead shall ryse first 1. Corint 15. 51 52. Some of them who are dead shall ryse to lyfe and honour to witte the elect Some of them to wit the reprobat to dishonour ignominie and death and a worse death nor they ly in presently Then when the dead is raised vp and compeares first then shall follow that sodaine change of them who shall be alyue the elect that shall be alyue shal be altred in a moment in the twinckling of an eie to a glorious estate The reprobat aliue shall be altered to but if they wer ignominious before they shal be more ignominious then for not only their soule but soule and body shal be vgly and if they had any beauty Estate of the bodies of the elect it shall bee changed in a wonderfull foulues But to speak of the body of the elect for the Scripture speaks most of them Paul 1. Cor. 15. verse 35. moues the question with what bodies shall they ryse what bodie shall the elect haue For he is not curious of the bodies of the reprobate but he markes narrowlie the rising of the bodies of the godlie at that day And the first qualitie he giues them is that whereas their bodies wer naturall when they were laid down in the graue their bodies in that day shall be made spirituall Not that our bodies shall be changed in spirites no our bodies shall be bodies indeed of that same substance they haue now The verie same substance of the bodie thou hast in this lyfe the same verie substance thou shalt haue in that lyfe and no other It shall be present at that day that same verie bodie that same very hand and foote c. and no other bodie nor no other hand nor foote c. And there shall be none of the ashes of the bodie but it shall be keeped vntill that day and shall be gathered vp and joined better nor euer it was before Then the bodie shall abyde Our lyfe shall be much better I liue heere a naturall lyfe by a naturall power in my soule but in the resurrection my lyfe shall be spirituall and I shall not liue a naturall lyfe Now I liue by a naturall power in my soule but then I shall liue spirituallie by a spirituall power in Christ Yet there shall be more Another propertie of the bodie shall follow on this This bodie if it were neuer so faire yet in respect of the glorie it shall take vp it is but ignominious but the bodie shall rise glorious and shyning as the Sunne not by this naturall skin and colour that we haue here but by a passing light and brightnesse conforme to that brightnesse of Christ when he was transformed on the Mountaine Reade Matt. 17. 1. and conforme to his glorie in Heauen as the Apostle telles Philipp chap. 3. verse 21. Yet more ye see our bodies weake The strongest man is soone beatten downe for all his strength all the povver of man is feeble and weake but in the resurrection the bodie shall be strong and pithie One man to be homely with you stronger in the resurrection nor an hundreth yea nor thousands are now For all feeblenesse shall be left behinde him in the graue and he shall ryse strong lyke the Angels in glorie and strength Yet more then this What matter of all this former glorie if it were possible that this spirituall bodie could perish The Apostle addes to this We shall rise incorruptible immortail to lyfe euerlasting when we shall ryse in that strength that power and freedome immortalitie shall follow after mortalitie glorie after ignomnie strength after weaknesse spiritualitie after naturalitie In lyfe we shall be spirituall in qualitie glorious in tyme euerlasting there is no end of it This is the propertie that Paul speakes of our bodies in the resurrection Now to goe forward There shall followe more in this conuention That same power that shall conueene all men together Separation of the elect from the reprobats that same power shall make a seuering The Angels the Ministers of that glorious judge shall stoppe in betweene the elect and the reprobate and putte them a sunder They shall seuere the sheepe from the goates they shall put the sheepe at the right hand of the judge and the goates at the left hand Reade Matt. chap. 25 verse 33. Appearantlie Paul heere would meane to vs another kynde of seuering and yet all is one This appearantlie vvoulde be his meaning They shal al be gathered together on the earth and all shall stand together in a troup and then this seuering shall be made Then all the elect shall be rest vp to the cloudes to meete the Lord in the cloudes As for the reprobate they shall all stand still on the earth and shall not get that honour to be rest vp in the aire but shall byde on the earth and receyue their judgement there For Paul vvhen he sayes they shall be rest vp to meete the Lord in the aire he speakes onely of the elect Then there shall be a seuering after which there shall neuer be a meetting againe a great golfe shall be betweene them that none may passe We are all mingled heere through other and none knowes other The sheepe oft-tymes are taken for the goates and the goates for the sheepe but at that great day the sheepe shall be seuered from the goates and shall neuer meete againe be it man with wyfe parents with children There are two effects a conuention of all and a seuering of all Yet the Iudge and the power of the Iudge shall passe forwarde and the third effect followes When the Judge hes all gathered together and none avvay vvhen the rovve is called and all are present Then vvhen one sorte shall be placed at the right hand IudgemeÌ„t pronounced and the other at the left hand then shall he fall to judgement He cannot judge before he seuere the verie seuering telles the judgement but before the seuering the judgement shall not be pronunced Then generallie he shall judge all according to their workes The bookes shall be opened the book of conscience shall be opened the booke of workes shall be opened and al their judgement shal be according to their works 〈◊〉 vnderstand this The elect man shall be judged according to his works not that his works shall be the cause that shal proâ—â—â— his lyfe but he shall be judged by his works as a testimony of his faith in Christ and of the maner of lyfe that he hes liued in the worlde as a member of Christ So he shall be judged by his workes not as a cause but as a token of the true cause as ye would judge a man by a witnesse for the
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
in sinne the shall the Lord come and strike him with a sodaine stroke and light on his head with an heauy bloody yron rod when thou art in the midst of thy sinne in drinking in murther then shall this â—odde light on thy head to destroy thee Now this word 〈◊〉 or speaking which the Apostle vses â—â—ere would be marked there are sundrie kindes of speakinges There is a speaking in the mouth there is a speaking in the hart there is a speaking also in deeds and actions The Psalmist sayes Psal 14. 1. The foolish man hes said in his heart there is not a God They confesse him in mouth but in heart they deny him Paul speakes of some wicked men who professes they knovv God but in vvordes they deny hi◠〈…〉 Tit. 1. 16. Now the wordes of the Apostle are not to be taken so strait of them that spoke with the mouth only but of those also that speakes the fairest with their mouth but with a false heart and a wicked deed in the hand If thou be found speaking peace and all sure whether it be in mouth hart or hand this sodaintie in vengence shall ouertak thee Among al the tokens of a judgement comming securitie is one of the chief Woulde ye knowe if a judgement be comming on a creature I will tell you If I finde the 〈◊〉 sleeping and sâ—oâ—ting in murther 〈◊〉 and wickednesse I will say Thou art able to get a black wakning And therefore among other 〈◊〉 that shall goe before the latter day a dead 〈◊〉 shall be one For when they are sleeping in their high sleepe the◠〈◊〉 the Iudge come 〈…〉 When was it that the destruction lighted on the first world when they were sleeping eating and drinking without thought of Heauen or Hell When was Sodome destroyed when all the inhabitants thereof wer eating and drinking then fire and brimstone came downe from Heauen and destroyed them Againe in your owne memories what euer judgement lighted on any Cittie or person in Scotland but ye might see a sensible and dead securitie on them It is most sure Ye shall see the experience of it in a childe broght to the sâ—affold among other lamentations of his miserie he will say alas I was sleeping in sinne vntill now I was sleeping in securitie I was playing the harlote I was murthering c. the verie month of him will tell his securitie These plagues of Pest and 〈◊〉 began among these borderers what was their exercise sleeping in sin reauing from others So most justly the plague hes seased on them Trow ye to be free of it No truely the Pest had neuer so soone come on Edinburgh except ye had beene sleeping And I pronunce in Gods name if there be not a wakning in tyme and arysing vp out of this senslesse securitie there shall be another kynde of death Now brethren Then comparison would be marked whereby he settes out the sodaine judgement Euen as a dolour takes a vvoman vvith chylde So shall that paine ouertake them The dolour of a woman trauelling and the dolour in Hell is lyke other in sundrie points And therefore the Scripture takes oft the exemple of it to descryue the paine of Hell as in this part Ye see the woman beares the matter of her paine in her owne bosome the childe and where shall be the matter of pains of Hell which is sinne but in the catiues owne bosome lykewise as a woman with childe will be full of childe So the heart of a knaue will be filled with wickednesse and be heauie albeit he leape and skip on the earth They are lyke in sodaintie For as the sicknesse commes on the woman sodainlie So the strok of hel shall be sodaine and striken sodainlie Compair these two paines in sharpnesse As the woman hes a sharp dolour which if it lasted were vntolerable if the Lord gaue not leysure to draw their breath betweene showre and showre as they call it it were vntolerable So the paines of Hell are exceeding sharp and vntolerable But heere they differ The womans paine is but for a tyme but the paine of Hell indures for euer Againe when the paine will come on a woman she may be at the table eating or drinking or she may be sleeping and it will sodainelie take her So the paine of Hell will come sodainly when the wicked are eating and drinking and making merie But alas when the Apostle hes compared it to the paine of a woman trauailing with chylde he hes not â—aulde all no not the thousand part of that paine The paine of Hell passes all measure The Scripture for our capacitie settes downe a comprehensible paine to signifie an incomprehensible paine O the incomprehensible paine of Hell Alwayes when thou seest a paine intolerable thinke on Hell And say O Lord this paine on me albeit it be in the fleshe it is exceeding sore therfore Lord saue me from that exceeding paine in Hell Now when he hes spoken of the tyme and paine of it He sayes they shall not escape Some will say May not men and wemen flee He therefore seales and stampes the worde vvhich none can open Thou shalt not escape Art thou one who hes bene playing and liuing in dead securitie thou shalt not escape The bullet came neuer so sodainlie out of the gun as the judgement shall come on the knaue and murtherer Men will flee these earthlie judgements when the sword commes a knaue wil flee from it When the Pest commes it may be that a knaue will escape better nor one that is worthie twentie of him O the patience of God! Knowe ye what God will be doing in the mean-tyme It may be he is reseruing the knaue and oppressour to a sorer judgement nor the Pest he may be keeping him to the day of Judgement when hee shall be striken with the sodaine paine of Hell And this is true The longer he is reserued and repentes not the heauier shall the judgement be when it lightes For the keeping of him is an occasion to heape sinne on him Keepe a murtherer who hes slaine one to day if he repent not he shall slay another to morrow and ay increase in sinne One sinne is the punishment of another and a wicked man will run from one sinne to another vntill he come to the head of the ladder and haue filled the cuppe full and holde it vp in his hand saying It is full What is the Lord doing Hes he done one sin The Lord heapes vp an heape of wraith for him Hes he committed another sinne He addes to another heape of wraith and so vntill the cuppe be full the wraith of God is daily augmented vntill it be powred out on his head Alas will not the visible experience of Gods judgementes moue vs But how euer it be that men escape now vntill Christ shall come to the judgement yet there shall be no escaping at that later day O the hand of the Lord will ouer-spanne
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
the soule bound vp so that it cannot heare the vvorde of God In one vvorde When all the senses that should grippe God are bound vp and the soule is lying in a deadlie securitie That is shortlie the second sorte of sleeping Novv in this place I vnderstand not chieflie this bodilie sleepe but the spirituall sleepe also For this bodilie sleepe is naturall and is lavvfull the Lord hes ordained that these bodies of ours should be refreshed vvith sleepe and if thou be sanctified thy selfe thy sleepe is sanctified also and all thy actiones eating drinking sleeping and the rest are sanctified if thou be not sanctified all thy actiones eating drinking sleeping are vnhappie to thee Next I doubt not but at the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ there shall be found some sleeping in the bodies who shall be waking in their soules Christ sayes in the 17. of Luke 34. verse Tvvo shall be in a bad sleeping one chosen and another forsaken And last albeit the bodie be a sleepe and all the outward senses closed yet the spirite of man will be waking the eye of the soule will be opened the eare opened and in the bodilie sleepe if it were at mid-night a man will be waking in Christ and apprehending him So I vnderstand that spirituall sleeping for he forbiddes not this bodilie sleeping onely but this spirituall sleeping when the soule is sleeping without sense eyther of Heauen or Hell and whosoeuer shal be found so sleeping with his a soule altogether senslesse of Heauen and of the lyfe to come that soule shall perishe without exception Sleepe on if the Lord come when thou art sleeping die shalt thou thou shalt not escape There is no escaping for thee But to speake of the bodilie sleeping something Men should be ware to yeelde ouer much sleepe to the bodie for certainelie where the bodie is ouer much giuen to sleeping it is a token of a sleeping soule and who delytes in sleeping in the bodie the soule appearantlie is sleeping and all moderation should be vsed The sluggisher the bodie be the sluggisher the soule is The vvalkrifer the bodie be thee vvalkrifer the soule is Now the next thing that is forbidden heere is drunkennesse Drunkennesse There are tvvo sortes of drunkennesse the one bodilie when a man takes on ouer much drinke oppressing the senses This is ouer well knowne in Scotland and we finde ouer great experience heereof Then there is secondlie a spirituall drunkennesse vvhen the soule is opprest vvith surfetting and immoderate care of the vvorld vvhen it drinkes in out of measure the pleasures of this vvorld through desire all the riches of this world through ambition all the honour through a foule appetyte all the lustes So the soule becommes drunken and stopped an auaritious bodie a dotting bodie a man set on pleasures a dotting bodie Trow ye when the soule is so opprest vvith this world that it will get the eye opened vp to see Christ No it is impossible Christ speakes of both these sortes of drunkennesse Luke chap. 21. verse 34. Novv brethren in this place ye shall vnderstand not so much the outvvarde bodilie drunkennesse as the invvarde spirituall drunkennesse of the soule Woe to that soule that shall bee founde drunken vvith the pleasures and lustes of this vvorlde and so consequentlie sleeping vvhen Christ commes Yea farther brethren the verie outvvarde bodilie drunkennesse is much to be eschevved For it is not onelie vvith drunkennesse as it is vvith sleeping for vve get licence to sleepe if vve vse it moderatlie But God gaue thee neuer leaue to vse drunkennesse So it is a dangerous matter to be found drunken It is a thing vnlavvfull and forbidden ye shall finde that a drunken bodie commonlie shall haue a drunken soule and vvoe to that soule vvoe to that bodie vvhere both are giuen to drunkennesse The Lord saue vs from this sort drunkennesse Novv before I come to the other tvvo thinges that are recommended vnto vs in this place the argument vvhereby he dissvvades them it vvoulde be marked Let vs not sayes he sleepe as others doe As if he vvould say Fy on you that ye should be haue your selues as infidels It is the Gentiles that are sleeping Let them sleep on but sleepe not thou The exemple of their sleeping should be an argument to you to watch The exemple of their drunkennesse should he an argument to you to be sober Now how reasons the world Is not this the fashion of all men therefore why should not I doe so all men sleepes why should not I sleepe He drinkes vntill he be drunken why should not I drinke vntill I be drunken Companionry is wondrous good I should do as others do But Paul reasons otherwaies It is the infidels that are sleeping and drunken therefore watch thou ô Christian and be sober Paul to the Romans chap. 12. verse 2 sayes Fashion not your selues after the maner of the vvorld but be ye changed throgh the renevving of the spirite Follow not this ould sleeping drunken world but be changed by the renewing Sprit and be waking sober And indeed let euery one looke to their owne experience they who are once translated and translated out of this world for transplanted must thou be in some measure if euer thou see Heauen the more they see men running on the course of the worlde the more they detest the world the more sinne they see the more they detest sinne the more drunkennesse and sleeping they see in men the more they abhorre it So the following of the multitude and the course of the world testifies that men were neuer transplanted out of this world out of darknesse vnto the kingdom of light nor renewed in spirite and if they continue on they shall perishe for this world will perishe and they who followes the world will perishe Now to come to the two thinges commaunded The first is waking Waking the other is sobrietie There are two sortes of watching the bodilie watching when all the senses are waking and opened to doe their owne functions naturall The second when the soule of man is opened the eye of the soule opened to see Christ and the lyfe to come and to see these thinges that the eye of the bodie cannot see It is a wonderfull light the soule hes for it sees thinges inuisible and sees in as it were to the verie heart of God to a bottomlesse deepe for God is infinite Yet for all this the heart that is once illuminate by the Spirite will see him So the spiritual watching is when all the senses of the soule are opened and hes the fruition of God in Iesus and all exercised about the graces of God through Christ that is the spirituall waking which is heere speciallie meant of not the watching of the bodie but of the Spirite For the bodie may be watching the eye looking vppe and all the senses exercised in their functiones And yet the soule of the bodie may
obtained by Christ And therefore fy on him that thinkes that he is safe by merite It is a wonderfull thing God of free mercie appointes to saluation and yet ere we come to it be will haue it boght What free mercy is this No neuer thing was so deare boght as thy saluation For it was not boght with gold nor siluer but with the bloude of the immaculate Lambe Iesus Christ And therefore he sayes in the first Epistle to the Corint chap. 6. verse 20. ye are boght vvith a pryce he calles it a price by reason of the high excellencie thereof As thogh there were no pryce but onely the bloud of Iesus to be esteemed of and yet it is a free grace of God How can it be afree grace and boght to If I buy it and that with a deare price how can it be free Indeed it is true if thou hadst payed the price thy selfe it had not beene a free gift but seeing it is not boght with a price that coÌ„mes out of thy hand but with the precious bloud of Iesus who is Gods Son it is a free gift to thee For who gaue the Son but the Father Who gaue the price but he that receiued it God gaue as it were out of his owne purse the price for thee The mercy and loue of God to his seruants is wonderfull Wilt thou looke to thy saluation nothing but mercy in God if thou hast nothing to glory in but free grace and mercie without any deseruing otherwaies if thou joine any part of merite with mercie and say the mercy of God and my merite did it shame shall come to thee And therefore the Apostle sayes we are onely saued by Christ and speaks not of merite Now to goe forwarde to the next ground where-vpon he buildes the hope of saluation As thou would haue an assurance of life euerlasting it is needfull for thee to spy out the grounds The next ground of thy saluation is the thing that fell out in tyme. The sec ground of the hope of saluation christs death He sayes Christ died for vs that vvhether vve vvalke or sleep vve should lâ—ue together vvith him As our saluation is builded vpon God ordinance so it is builded vpon the bloude of Iesus Christ not liuing but crucified and slaine And as the bloude of Iesus is the ground of thy saluation so the ground of the certainty of thy hope is the sight of Iesus crucified Except I see Christ bleeding for my sin I can neuer assure me that I am safe except I see that sacrifice offred vp for my sin as it is a sacrifice offered vp for my sin so it is a merite to obtaine lyfe to me I will neuer thinke I am safe How necessare therefore is it to me neuer to let the bloude of Iesus goe out of my minde Men will say I wait well I am safe and neuer will haue an eye to Christ crucified and his bloude But I say to thee except thy eye be fixt on the bloud of Iesus Christ when thou fairest thou art safe thou liest falslie Therefore looke euer to Christ deying and sheding his bloud for thy sin Another thing I see There is no lyfe but through death he hes died for vs that we should liue throgh him to learne men and wemen not to count so much of death and to scare at it for I tell thee this generall will stand No lyfe but through death it springes out thereof as thou seest the stalk of the corne ryse out of the dead pickle So except thy lyfe spring through death it is not possible to thee to liue For first death is the price of it not thy death but the death of Christ for he hes gotten lyfe by his death Then after Christ hes purchased lyfe to vs yet the way whereby we must enter to lyfe is by the way of death Through many troubles behoues it vs to enter into the Kingdom of Heauen Act. 14. verse 20. for straite is the way to Heauen thou must be drawen as it were through Hell ere thou come to Heauen and yet thy suffering and death shall not merite The onely merite standes in Iesus Brethren this lets vs see how hard a thing it is to a sinner falling from lyfe as Adam fell and we all in him to come to lyfe againe Thinke it not an easie matter There must be a death yea two deaths ere euer thou come there O the great suffering Christ hes suffered for vs land againe thou must suffer and die thy selfe ere thou gette lyfe Therefore learne how hard a matter it is to get lyfe Many difficulties interueenes death must enter ere lyfe come which lets vs see what it is to offend God be loath therefore to offend God The godly knowes this how hard a thing it is when they haue offended to get againe the Spirite which they haue extinguished the Lord will not looke on them for a tyme as it were Looke in Dauid after his fall But ô the sweetnesse of mercie after the restorance They who hes tasted in any measure of the sweetnesse of Christ giue them all the pleasures of the worlde they will neuer get contentation vntill they get a sight of Gods â—â—ce againe lost by their sin Dauid would haue giuen his kingdome for it againe when he made the 51. Psalme The Apostle heere saies vvhether ye sleepe or vvake ye shall liue vvith Christ. Then ye see if Christ hes once died for our lyfe we shall liue That is the certainty and ground of our hope that Christ hes died for vs. Then when I feele this nothing can stay lyfe nothing can hinder me to liue with him There is nothing in this world that will hinder thee to liue with him but liue must thou Sleepest thou in thy bed thy sleepe hinders nothing thou liuest in him wakest thou thou art liuing with him liuest thou this lyfe thou art liuing in him art thou dying and drawing thy last breath yet thou art liuing with him what euer thou art doing in the worlde thou art ay liuing eating drinking if thou be one of the godly for whom he hes died thou art liuing with him Yea I dare say more if he haue once died for thee thy sin shall not hinder thee from that lyfe to come Dauids sin his murther and adulterie hindered him not from that life but the Lord turned it so about that he made them worke all to his well All thinges turnes to the best to them who loues the Lord. Albeit thou finde thy sinnes many yet stay not on them nothing shall hinder thee from Christ Yet this should not make thee to take pleasure in sin For if thou loue Christ well thou wilt be loath to offend him Then if we in so many troubles in this life liue with Christ shall we not much more liue with him in that lyfe to come where there shall be no trouble no impediments and in the midst of all these troubles
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
to Christ and are translated from this vvorld that ye thanke him in prosperitie and aduersitie in vvell and vvoe there is the meaning Then ye see in this place a speciall vvill of God concerning this calling vve stand in and the speciall vvill of God concerning vs Christians is that vve thanke him Christian men and vvemen are most debtfull to thanke him and ought aboue all creatures to thanke him Fy on thee that vvill take the name of Christ on thee and not thanke him Thanke him in all things he can lay before thee It is his will that thou thanke him at least striue to thanke him for well and woe prosperity and aduersity for death aswell as life As for other men Iewes Turkes and Pagans c. that are not Christians God craues not this thanksgiuing at them A maruelous thing The Turke he hes the glory and wealth of the vvorld and yet the Lord sayes I vvill haue no thankes of thee neither in vvell nor in vvoe because thou art not in Christ all my glory is in Christ all the seruice I craue in the vvorld is in Christ So the pratling of the Turke and Ievv that makes them to thanke God is all but vanitie he craues it not of them O hovv great a honour is it to call a man to thanke and to serue him No neuer King got such great honour as vve get vvhen vve are called to thanke and to serue that King of Kings all our glory standes in seruing and making homage to God so blessed are they that are called to this honour through Iesus Christ Therefore he sayes through Christ meaning that in Christ is the matter of all thanksgiuing There is matter in Christ of all thanksgiuing In vvell and vvoe Christ is to me aduantage both in lyfe and death sayes Paul If thou hast aduantage in death vvhy should not thou thanke him In one word where Christ is there is matter of thanksgiuing to God in the greatest misery we can be in the world Againe where Christ is not and who are not in him as members of that glorious body ioyned in society with that glorious head if they had all this broad world they haue no cause to be merie nor to thanke no to open their mouth to praise And to speak the trueth they cannot be merie They may laugh but the true ioy is in God he is the Lord of ioy a man may well laugh but he can haue no true ioy except he haue Iesus in his hart That man in aduersitie and in the point of death will laugh more sweetly and vtter greater ioy nor the greatest worldly man in the midst of his prosperitie So I say and I command thee looke that thou reioice not without Christ I say to all men reioyce not but be sad if thou hast not Christ The Lord hes not ordeined thee to be glad it is his will onely that they that are in Christ reioyce and be neuer glad vntill thou get Christ I counsell you if ye had all the world if ye find not Christ in the hart be neuer glad What matter hast thou to be glad when the great God turnes his back on thee It may be he will cast a kingdome to thee ouer his shoulder as it were a bone casten to a dog what is that to thee if thou get not his ioyfull presence Read Dauid in all his Psalmes he was neuer glad but when he had the presence of God Now I come to the next precept Quench not the spirit The wordes are few but they conteyne great matter Quench not the spirit put not out the holy Spirit of Christ Take heed He â—es bene speaking before of the graces of God What is patience in suffering wrong What is joy What is thankfulnesse but the graces of the Spirit He hes beene before speaking of his graces and recommending them to thee Now he commes to that glorious person himselfe vvho is the giuer and vvorker of all these graces of Patience of Joy of Prayer and Thanks-giuing The holie Spirit the third person of the Trinitie that God giues to me and thee if thou be Gods seruant It is vanity to think that a true Christian man gettes onely the graces of the Spirit they get the verie Spirite No it is not the graces of the Spirite that will dwell in the hart and soule and bodie of a man no but the Spirit it selfe The Spirit will dvvell as surelie vvithin thy hart as euer a man dvvelt in an house That Comforter that Christ promised to his disciples when he was going vp to Heauen was not the graces of the Spirit no but the Spirite it selfe to dwell in our hart and to work it in al the graces So it is not the graces but the spirit he speaks of here when he saies quench not the spirit Paul saies Ephes chap 4. vers 30 Grieue not the holy spirit It is a simple guestning to make thy guest sad make not the spirit of Christ sad Paul saies in another place that the spirit is giuen thee as an arlispenny of thy saluation Ephes cha 1. vers 14. Thou â—oses the arles-pennie if thou make him sad But to the wordes The speache when he saies Quenching of the spirit quenche not the Spirit appeares to be metaphoricall It is borrovved and not proper and it is borrovved from a fyre or candle that vses to giue light and heate Then if it must not be quenched It must follovve that the Spirite of Christ must be a fyre vvithin vs It must follovve he must be a light inlightning our soules as a lanterne and lampe of light set vp within the darke and dead soule to let the soule and affectiones haue light and the Spirite of Iesus shynes vvithin the darke soule of a man as a lanterne shynes in a darke night and puttes out that masse of darknesse that is in the soule of man And therefore because it is as a fyre he sayes Quench not And Paul to Timothie 2. Epistle chap. 1. vers 6. sayeth stir vp or kindle the gift that is in thee it is lyke a flamming fyre the gift of it is but a light or flam that commes from this fyre So he sayes Stir vp kindle vp the gift that thou hast receiued Now ye see by experience a fire or light is two maner of waies quenched take me away coales timber or such other matter to burne take me away the nourishment that holdes in the fire it will die out Another way cast water on it smore it it will also die out albeit ye take not burning thinges from it So it is with this heauenly fire First draw me away the meanes whereby the Spirit is fostered and the fyre of the Spirit is holden in for as the fire feeds on the subject so the fire of the Spirit feeds on the own nutriture and foode take me away this foode of the Spirit as thou seest a fire die out so he will die out Take me
boast of thy will and reason If the Lord withdraw his hand from thy reason thou shalt be a plaine idiot thou shalt fall to filthie wickednesse So brethren these wordes are of great weight He sayes not that he prayed that he would keepe the Spirit but the whole spirit the soule but the whole soule the bodie but the whole bodie So we must not be keeped in the speciall parts but in the whole properties and inferior powers of the soule and body if the least haire of the head be not keeped by the Lord if the Lords prouidence extend not to the keeping of the smallest part of the bodie thou shalt not be able to stand Thinke not thou shalt stand except the Lord hold thee vp no growing but in God Therefore the Apostle sayes Thou that vvouldst glorie glorie in Christ 1. Corinth 1. chap. 31. verse He is our keeper and vve are not able to stand one moment of an houre vvithout his aide neyther in soule nor in bodie Now how long should we be keeped blamelesse He limits the tyme and sayes Vnto the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ Marke the tyme. Is it no longer but till Christ come againe No brethren euermore It is true our conferuation and perseuerance vses to be limited to Christs comming Paul 2. Tim. 4â— chap. 18. verse sayes God vvill keepe me to his heauenly kingdome that is vntill I enter in his heauenly kingdome Peter sayes 1. Epistle 1. chap. 5. verse We are keeped through the povver of God till the last tyme. I tell you the cause we are in greatest danger in this world infinite dangers are we in as it were hanging aboue Hell readie to fall downe euerie moment if the Lord hold vs not vp the deuill is seeking whom he may deuote and when we trow least then we are most suddenly assaulted by him Beside the deuill haue we nor this â—ankerd sin that is within vs Haue we not a this broad world about vs Haue we not the graue and death great enemies in their owne nature except the Lord sanctifie them Certainely they also would deuote vs except we were in Christ We are compast in this world about on euerie side with cruell enemies Therefore considering this dangerous estate the Scripture craues ay that we may be keeped vntill Christ come and then all enemies shall be slaine the deuill the worlde death and all shall be slaine Death shall die for euer This canker of nature shall be swallowed vp all our enemies shall be wreaked So our conseruation is craued vntill his comming but our conseruation shall not end then but euen in Heauen we shall be conserued by the hand of God for euer through Iesus Christ When thou commest to Heauen thou shalt not be thy selfe alone thou shalt not stand by the nature thou tooke of Adam nor by any power that is in thee no more nor a new borne childe can stand alone but when thou commest to Heauen thy standing shall be by Christ and God Then seeing all our conseruation and standing both heere and heereafter is by God we should rander all honor to his glorious Majestie for euer AMEN THE XXVII LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 5. vers 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 24 Faithfull is he vvhich calleth you vvhich also vvill doe it 25 Brethren pray for vs. 26 Greete all the brethren vvith an holy kisse 27 I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle he read vnto all the brethren the Saints 28 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be vvith you Amen WE haue in hand presently welbeloued in Iesus the conclusion vvhich is the last parte of this Epistle He begins it with a prayer crauing in his prayer euen that same thing hee had exhorted them to to vvitte holinesse sanctification continuance and perseuerance in holinesse and sanctification to the end and so acknowledging God to bee the giuer of that same very thing which he exhorted them to and that it lay not in their hands nor free will to will or doe any good but all stands in the hands of God who is the giuer of all grace He prayes that it would please God to giue them that grace he exhorted them to and he would stir them vp to seek that same grace at the hands of God for it is vanity to stryue to any grace without God And therefore as thou would do any thing pray to God to giue thee grace to doe it Let thy eye be euer on God and in the midst of the action when thou thinkst thou art best exercised craue grace of perseuerance for I assure thee he leaue thee in the best of thy action thou wilt fall backward Therefore there is such necessitie that the eye be euer on God that it is impossible to a man to do any thing that is good except his eye be euer on him begging grace and perseuerance in grace at his hands Now he goes forward and in the thinges that followes to the end of the chapter and Epistle there is such a varietie that euery thing here set downe is a seuerall heed of doctrine First he promises to them that same thing he had prayed for at God Then he maks a petition to them desiring them to pray for him Then to commend him to the brethren Then he adjures them that they read this Epistle to all the people And last he bids them fairewell recommending them to the grace of Christ Ye see what varitie of thing she hes I minde to be short in them seeing they are almost things common in euery Epistle making a choise of that I thinke best for our comfort and necessity Now he begins at the promise Faithfull is â—e vvhich calleth you vvhich also vvill doe it There is the promise The Apostle would say that that I pray God that he will grant you to wit he will preserue you in the end in faith that I am assured he will doe He will not leaue you vnto the tyme he perfite his worke begunne in you There is the promise Ye see first in this promise the prayes that he made immediatly before for them praying to God that he would preserue them in holinesse to the end is grounded vpon an assurance in the hart that God would grant that same thing which he prayed for to the Thessalonians Marke it And first learne concerning prayer All prayer for thinges heauenly and spirituall concerning the life to come I speak not of the worldly thinges ConfideÌ„ce in prayer but thinges heauenly and spirituall should arise on some certainty and assurance of the hart that God will grant to vs the things we aske Therefore Iames in his Epistle last chap. 15. verse he calles prayer the prayer of faith that is that ryses of faith and assurance in the hart that God will grant vs the thing we aske Iohn in his first Epistle last chap. 14. verse he joynes these two together confidence or assurance
euening nor midday c. thou shalt neuer get grace looke neuer for this perfection Thou cannot go forward in the rinke without prayer and so thou shalt neuer come to the butt And as ye see heere it is not onely man 's owne prayer that is requisit to bring them to the rinks end but it must be mutuall prayer I must pray for thee to helpe thee forward thou must pray for me to help me forward So prayer must be mutuall and as it were euery one must be taking others by the hand and lifting them vp from the filth of the earth to heavenly things So he that will contemne mutuall prayer and say I will pray for my selfe I am familiar with God I haue a bâ—â—ad back to beare all their curlings if they were neuer so many Alas the curslinges will thrust him downe to Hell and his prayer shall not auaile And thou who contemnest the pray or of the silliest bodie in the Church for thee if thou shouldst 〈◊〉 all day on thy knee thou shalt get small â—â—therance The prayer of the Church is a neceâ—â—ar meane to bring thee to Heauen For as he appoynted thee to Heauen so heâ— no appoynted prayer of the Church to bring thee to it Now he commes to the 〈…〉 sayes he one another vvith an holy kisse As he would say I cannot be present with them I cannot speake to them face to face but 〈◊〉 you to whom I direct this Epistle conâ—oy my salutation to them and in my name salute them as it were with my mouth Brethren what is a salutation A testification of our loue that we beare so them we salute Now there are sundrie fortes of salutations a man will salute one with his owne mouth then when he cannot get him saluted with his owne mouth he will send his commendations with another man There are two fortes I will testifie my good will by my owne mouth in his presence and againe I will testifie it by another and will send my 〈◊〉 good will by his hand And truely looke how sure euer thing in this earth was caryed by a mediat person as sure this loue will be caryed by one to another he will take my loue on his back and cary it to another and as sure as any gift is presented to any person as sure will my loue be presented to 〈…〉 I send it And what good will it doe The chiefe thing we â—aue is the conjunction of the members one with another Now the band that conjoynes the members is loue and â— may send this same band by an other He may tak my band that commes from my hart and eary to any man Then the band that commes to him it kindles vp his hart and he loues me againe and so his hart is giuen to me againe So seeing this happinesse in this lyfe standes in this conjunction euery thing should be vsed that may enterteine this conjunction if it were but a good morrow or a good night euery thing holds this conjunction together vntill we be fully joyned to Christ in the which conjunction standes our ful happinesse Yet to insist This salutation is to all the brethren none excepted To speake it in one word Such familiar salutations as these salute them with a kisse and an holy kisse they are not competent betweene all sorts of men I perceyue not that the Apostle salutes this way any of the Gentiles and Heathen it is true we are bound to wish well to all to the prophainest in the world yea to the enemies of Christ and I will say the Lord turne euery enemy of Christ to him but certainely when it commes to such salutations as these that Paul vses as to say salute with an holy kisse they are proper onely to the domesticks of faith and therefore he sayes salute all the brethren not all that ye meete with but all the brethren Loue pertaines to all but there as a speciall loue that pertaines to the members of the bodie as to brethren and sisters there are special salutations that specially pertaines to the members in the bodie and therefore discretion must be had all salutations must not be had to al alike we should haue a regarde of the condition of the person whom we salute There may be a fault aswell in this vndiscreete doing as when we leaue it vndone giue euery one their owne duety Thou art addebted to a brother in a speciall kindnesse and salutation and is not addebted so to a Turke and to one that is not in Christ In the end held esires that they salute all the brethren vvith an holy kisse We know it was a fashion of olde ere Christ came theÌ„ Iewes at meeting they wold kisse other euen men wold kisse men the same fashion continued in Christes dayes and after Christ it was lâ—fed also as 〈◊〉 may see in the Epistâ—â— of Paul and in the primitiueâ— Church at their meeting together at the Supper of the Lord they would kisse in token of their vnitie Now this holy kisse is called by Peter the kisse of charme 1. Epistle 5. chapter 14. verse Ioyne 〈…〉 an holie kisse is nothing but a 〈◊〉 that â—yfes of an 〈◊〉 loueâ— when loue is in the 〈◊〉 it is sinceere without by 〈◊〉 other â—ife it is not sinceere â—ad is kisse was not holy because loue was not in his hart vvhen he kissed his Master Sinceritie to be vsed in salutation so this kisse vvas in hypocrisie So in our fashion that is novv vsed albeit vve kisse not one another vvhen vve â—id good-marrow or good-night vve make 〈◊〉 outvvard testification of the loue of the hate invvardly if there be not loue in the hart all is but hypocrisie And except helsing ryse of loue in the hart it were better to thee to hold thy tongue thou art but an hypocrite when thou salutest vvith thy mouth if thy hart would eate him vp thou wilt appeare to haue hony in thy mouth and the gall of bitternesse is in thy hart Alas many Iudasses now Sweete sleeked lippes false malitious inuyfull harts Alwayes the lesson is in all these outward testifications of loue looke euer that there be 〈◊〉 loue in the hart that the testification may be sinceere and thou may get good of them For I assure thee this loue to thy neighbor does good to thee ô Lord if sincerity be not good in the members of Christ Alas this decreeped age is turned to a plane hypocrisie and al are but words of office thy vylde salutation returnes to thy owne hurt As it does him no good nor euil whom thou salutest so it does thee euill and returnes to thy own hurt Hypocrisy euer hurts the hart it came from Now to the next words I charge you in the Lord that this Epistle be read to all the brethren the Saints This is another purpose For in the end as I tolde you there is varietie of things casten together Appearandly by the wordes it would seeme
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
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
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
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
Constantinople Constantine 〈◊〉 being Pope of Rome at that tyme. Iohn in his first Epistle chapter 2. verse 18. sayes that the Antichrist is to come Then he subjoynes euen novv there are many Antichrists By the many Antichrists Iohn meanes these forerunners little Antichrists false Prophets and little Heretikes vvho vvere forerunners to prepare the vvay to this great Antichrist the monstrous beast of Rome against his comming By the Antichrist that vvas to come he vnderstandes the great Antichrist the head of the Apostasie the mid-man betvveene the Dragon and the Antichristian kingdome and the Church Reuelation chap. 13. verse 16. Novv to goe forvvard to the description of the Antichrist 〈◊〉 it follovves He is first descryued from his nature Secondlie from his properties Description of the antichrist And thirdly from his actions and effectes he bringes in the vvorld vvhen he commes Marke it This is a Prophecie not of the little false Prophets but of the great Anchrist and false Prophet that 〈◊〉 at Rome What is he of nature His nature A man like vnto other men of nature not a deuill nor substance of a deuill but he is of an humane and manlie substance Some thought that the Antichrist should be the deuill or a beast it is but solie He is not a beast of nature but he is called in the Reuelation a beast for his beastlinesse and for his filthinesse O how capable is the nature of man of euill if God giue it ouer to be guyded by the deuill Then what maner of man is he His properties The first propertie the Antichrist hes he is a man of sin He calles himselfe the seruant of the seruants of God No but he is a slaue to sinne his meate and drinke is sinne The second propertie he is the Sonne of perdition destinate from all eternitie to Hell and euerlasting damnation Peter in his second Epistle chap. 2. verse 3. sayes Long agoe his damnation is not idle or his destruction sleepes not but wakes He gettes this style that Iudas gettes in the 17. chapter of Iohn 12. verse the sonne of perdition adjudged to perdition from all eternitie in the secreete counsell of God These two properties standes well together the man of sinne addicted to sinne destinate to perdition The second is the ground cause of the firste For hee whom God from all eternitie destinates to perdition that man will neuer doe a good turne Nothing will come from his mouth hart or hand c. but all sinne Alas when we looke and see men who can doe nothing but sinne sinne in the house sitting eating drinking and in the field euer sinning what shall we speake of them who does so if they take not vp another course ere this lyfe be ended but they are men from all eternitie destinate for Helles fire Let euery man try himselfe Alas if thou looked to thy bloudie hart and hand thou would thinke thou had little warrand of thy salâ—ation Now this for his nature and properties Now to his actions and doinges What doing shall he haue The first action His actions He shall oppone himselfe against all that shall be called God and shall be vvorshipped This is the first action a plaine opposition to all thinges that keepes the name of God His first action and is worshipped in Heauen and earth He shall oppone him against all powers and magistrats and against all thinges that caries the name of a magistrat whether they be Princes or Emperors on the earth or in Heauen God and his Christ and from this opposition he is called an aduersary as the deuill is As the deuil is called Satan that is an aduersar so shall he get the name of an aduersar And he is called Antichrist that is an aduersar to Christ Now let vs see who must be this man I make my reason He that oppones himselfe to euery thing that hes the name of God or is worshipped either in Heuen or earth that man of necessity must be this Antichrist this is the action that properly is competent to that person Who is this man then look about al nations if ye can take vp such a man Who is it in Europ or out of Europ that oppones himselfe to Iesus Christ the Lord in doctrin first in life and conuersation next I tell you if ye finde such a man he is the Antichrist Now I shall tell you some points of Christs doctrine wher-vnto this aduersar oppones himselfe that by them ye may find out Pope the antichrist who is this Antichrist The Lord Iesus saies and teaches Thou shalt adore the Lord thy God onely and him onely shalt thou serue What man of this world is it that commes in and saies No thou shalt not worship him onely worship Angels worship men the soules of men departed this life worship Images dead mens bones called relicts do reuerence to graues and aboue all thou shalt giue that worship that is due to God only to that breadie God in the Masse Who does this and teaches it Is there any so ignorant that knows him not Againe Christ forbids to worship God with such worship as men hes inuented to worship him with men traditions inuentions Who is he that saies he must be worshipped by infinit traditions which are out with the book of the Scripture and many against the booke of the Scripture and bids serue him according to a rable of vyle traditions inuented by the brane of man Yet more Christ sayes this Scripture the olde and new Testament is perfite it is sufficient to make the man of God perfite it conteines all thinges necessarie to our saluation Who is he that sayes it is confused difficle mutilate manked the mother of all Heresies Who sayes this Looke ouer to Rome who but the Pope Woe to him and all his adherents Yet further Christ sayes I am the onely Mediatour betweene God and man Who is he that sayes No there must be many moe intercessours and mediatours Is it not the Pope Christ sayes Iustification is onely by true faith in me Who sayes No no thy merite and goode workes must be a parte of thy saluation and thou must deserue it Is it not the Pope Christ requyres of vs a sure confidence that in his bloude our sinnes are for giuen and that thereby we shall be safe and get lyfe euerlasting Who sayes it is an high presumption to beleeue so firmely and biddes thee doubt whether thou shalt get lyfe or not Is it not the Pope Christ sayes it is impossible to fulfill the Law of God Who sayes it is possible to fulfill iâ— is it not the Pope A plaine contradiction Christ sayes the onely price of remission of sinne is my bloud Who sayes I shall giue thee Indulgences and pardones for thy sinnes is it not the Pope Christ commanded to minister the Sacrament or the Supper vnder both the kindes Who sayes the bread may suffice the laikes let the
Priests take both is it not the Pope Christ permittes the vse of mariage to all persones without difference Who commes in with that doctrine of deuils forbidding mariage and meates which the Lord hes commanded Wherefore should I be long Who is he that oppones himselfe to euerie article of our faith beginne at the one end and leaue at the other he oppones to them all Is it not the beast of Rome Knowe ye not this to be true His life ye shall see it in that great day Then come to his lyfe and behauior wherein he denyes Christ Christ when he was in the world was holy yea holinesse it selfe But what command is there either in the first or second Table which he transgresses not most euidentlie Who is the head and cheefe Apostate from Iesus Christ the head of the Church Who is the cheefe Heretike vnder the Sunne The cheefe Idolater the cheefe Magitian and sorcerer vnder the Sunne Who is the cheefe blasphemer vnder the Sunne Goe to the second Table Who is the dishonourer of all powers and Empyres vpon the face of the earth Who of all murtherers is the greatest murtherer and can not be satâ—ate with the bloude of all the Saintes Who is most adulterous and filthie Who is the greatest theefe and oppressor reauing kingdomes Who is the most perjurde person And come to the last Who is most full of all concupiscence in this worlde Who is he that settes himselfe aboue all men in this earth and with an vplifted hand oppones himselfe to God in all thinges Read the Popes hues written all by their own men So I gather in one word This Antichrist that maks opposition to the great God of Heauen to all power and majestie on the earth he was neuer he is not now nor neuer shall be if he be noâ— that man of Rome who sittes not in Peters chaire but in the chaire of scorners in the seate of pestilence He is the very Antichrist and thou hast no eyes to see if thou seest not this Now come to the next action His secoÌ„d action He prophecyes of another action that shall be when he shall come He shall not onely in malice oppone himselfe to euery thing that is called God but in the pryde of his hart shall exalt himselfe aboue euery thing that is called God and is worshipped on the earth against all power both heauenly and earthly Now who is this that exaltes himself this way Spy this man who hes this action in his hand and without doubt this man is the Antichrist Now I will aske some few thinges that we may finde him out the more easilie Who is he that exalts himselfe aboue the Emperour Who vnder God is the head-man of the world Who is he that wil cause the Emperour stand and hold his stirrop and will cause the Emperour holde to his shoulder that he may leane on it and cause him hold water to his hands and goe before with his first mease to his dinner Who will say he hes an absolute power to make and abrogate lawes at his pleasure He will make account to no man He hes an absolute power to close the Heauen and open it at his pleasure To cary with him cartfulles of soules of men to Hell if it please him Who is able to comprehend this matter Is there any here that hes bene in Rome and seene the Pope in the solemne tyme of his jubile and who hes heard or reade of it How he commes out of his Palace with such a rich and glorious arrayment that he makes the world to wonder with his threfold crowne of gold and pretious stones on his head mounted vp on mens shoulders in a golden chaire with his relicts and his breadie-god borne before him Then he will go to his paradice the people on euery side crying for remission of sinnes Then when he commes to Paradice with an hammer of gold he will knock and bid the gate open and he enters in and there he giues indulgences some giues this homage and some that yea such as is competent to God onely Fy on him such is his pryde that he will scarcely affoord to put out his feete to kings to kisse them â—s not this an horrible abhomination and monstrous villainie I will not insist His third action There followes two particular actions which rises on his pryde The first is He shall be so proud that he shall sit in the Temple of God as God that is in his Antichristian kingdome which yet keeps the name of Christ because it keeps a kinde of profession of the word of God and in some respect hes the ensenzies of the Church But how shall he sit Not like another man but as God he puts God out of his chare and sittes down in Gods chare What is the seat of God Gods chare is the consciences of men and wemen which all the Angels dare not prease to Yet he will sit downe there and giue out Lawes bind the consciences Now will ye spy this man out Is this the Mahomet Papist I aske at thee sittes the Mahomet in the Temple of God sittes he in the Church that hes the name of the Church of God O sayes the Papist this that shall be the Antichrist iâ— not yet come This that shall be the Antichrist shall be a wicked man that shall be borne at Babylone of an Hoore in whom the deuill shall dwell bodily a Iew by nation of the Trybe of Dan who should be circumcised and broght vp in the citties of Chorasin and Bethsaida who shall be detestable for his forceries and witchcraftes who shall come to Ierusalem and there reedifie the Temple of Salomon and take vpon him the name of Christ and shall reigne by the space of three yeeres and an halfe with great tyranny and cruelty against the Christians and shall slay Enoch and Elias the forerunners of Christ and then shall come the latter day when in the Mount of Olyues Christ shall destroy him and condemne him to Hell A faire fable It is thou ô man of sin thou beast of Rome that sittes in the consciences of men it is thou that shalt be beatten out of the chare to the Hels It is thou ô beast of Rome that sits in the Temple of Christ Another effect of his pryde He shall showe himselfe to be a God sitting in the chare of God 〈◊〉 fourth action in the Church of God He shall giue himselfe forth as God as prease to counterfoote God in his name style dignitie and all other circumstances and bereaue God of that which is proper to him Well spy this man Who is he that taks the name of God on him in the earth He is not God onely not man onely but he is a midde thing betweene a God and a man Who takes to him the style of a king and power aboue all the kings of the earth Who sayes he hes the right to beare both the
swordes Heard you euer of a Pope Benifacius the â—ightâ— of whom it is said He entered in lyke a Tod raigne like a Lyon and died like a dog In the tyme of his jubile in the first day thereof he commes out in the Popes weed and as he goes he blesses the people In the next day he commes out in Cesars warlike clock and a naked sword horne before him and sitting downe he cryes out Behold two swordes heere I am the head of the Church I am the Pope and Cesar I haue the Empyre in Heauen and earth Who calles himselfe the head of the Church A style onely proper to Christ Who calles himselfe the Vicar of Christ The brydgrome of the bryde the Church Who calles himselfe the high Priest Styles onely proper to Christ Is it not this beast of Rome Whereto should I insist It is wonder that the earth can beare such a proud filthie villaine It is a wonder that the Heauen can couer him but we must reuerence the long suffering patience of the Lord. And seeing the Scripture hes pointed him out so euidently it is a wonder that men should be so blinde that they should so reuerence him when he rages this waye in sinne and that they will call him the successour of Peter and the head of the Church What shall I say all reading and hearing will not inlighten the mynde and perswade men except the Spirit of God be present to open the hart Therefore leauing this beast I pray God to send his Spirit to let men see that they may abhorre such an enemy to God and Christ and that they may imbrace the light of Iesus and that he would keepe vs that we be not deceyued by these vanities To this God euen the Father Sonne and holie Spirit be all praise for euer AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 5. 6. 7. 8. 5 Remember ye not that vvhen I vvas as yet vvith you I told you these things 6 And novv ye knovv vvhat vvithholdeth that he might be reueiled in his tyme. 7 For the mysterie of iniquitie doth already vvorke onely he vvhich novv vvithholdeth shall let till he be taken out of the vvay 8 And then shall the vvicked man be reueiled vvhom the Lord shall consume vvith the spirit of his mouth and shall abolish vvith the brightnesse of his comming THE Apostle Brethren ye heard proues against the false teachers that the comming of the Lord was not so neere hand as they thought and as they teached He takes his argument from one thing that was to fal out in the world before Christs latter comming Ere euer become sayes the Apostle there shall be an vniuersall defection from that faith of Iesus Christ This matter will conteine a long processe of tyme and therefore would the Apostle conclude Christs comming is not so neere hand as they make the people beleeue He expresses not the name of the Antichrist but for the name he hes a long description and painting out of him This description we entered in the last day and he lets them see when he shall be when he shall come He pointes him out in his nature First in his very essence he shall be a man of nature lyke other men Then he commes to his properties What shall they be First a man of sinne a wicked man as euer was or shall be in the world The next propertie He shall be the son of perdition a man long agoe ordeined to destruction Then he commes to his actions when he shall come and reueile him in the world he shall oppone himselfe against euery thing that shall be called God or shall be worshipped That is against euery superiour power and Majestie whether earthly or Heauenly against God himselfe and his Sonne Iesus Christ Another action He shall not be content onely to oppone himselfe in malice but in pryde he shall exalt himselfe aboue all thinges that shall be called God and worshipped either in earth or in Heauen Then he commes to two speciall actions of his pryde first exalting himselfe aboue God he shall sit in the Temple of God in the Church of God For so the Antichristian Church is termed because shee keepes some ensenzies of the Church of God the Word and Sacraments He shall sit there as God on the consciences of men and wemen to thrall and controle them at his pleasure The other particulare action of his pryde he shall showe himselfe as God in the properties perteining to God he shall take them all on him This far we proceeded the last day in the description of the Antichrist whom the Apostle prophecyes will come in the world ere Christ come againe onely this I aduertise you as I did before Take not this man whom ye call the Antichrist to be a single man one person take him to be a succession of men euery one following another in one kingdome and tyranny The kingdome of Antichrist all is termed vnder the name of a man They are but one kingdome of all one purpose of all to exercise tyrannie on the Church of God heere on this earth Now brethren to the text He leaues off this description for a tyme vntill he come to the ninth verse following and there he returnes againe Now in the meane-tyme he falles out in some speaches and admonitions to them concerning the Antichrist and in the first verse we haue red he confirmes the thing he hes spoken of the Antichrist from the speaches he had with them when he abode among them in Thessalonica Concerning the Antichrist I wryte would he say no other thing to you now nor that which I told you when I was with you That which I then spoke that same thing now I wryte vnto you Then in the next verse he showes to them that the Antichrist and Antichristanisme is come and begun already in the world albeit his reueiling and his comming to his pryde is not yet yet the Antichrist is come Antichristanisme and fals religion is begun Then againe he telle what withholdes him that he is not reueiled so soone and hastily There is an impediment casten in which I told to you when I was with you He insistes on this impediment and telles when this impediment shall be tame out of the way then this wicked man of sinne shall be reueiled And last as he hes tolde of his comming out and growing to an height in his pryde so he propecyes of his decay and his destruction Now to returne to the wordes Remember ye not sayes he vvhen I vvas vvith you I told you these thinges To assure them the more of the trueth of these thinges that he wrytes to them concerning the Antichrist hee calles them to remembrance of that which he spoke to them face to face concerning this same purpose and in doing this the vtters some peece of anger Remember ye not He vses some sharpnesse in wordes because
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
Cor. chap. 14. verse 25. it is said of the Prophets that God is in them Indeed he prophecyes not onely in the mouth but he enters in the hart and thereby he prophecyes aswell as by the mouth Paul sayes 2. Cor. 4. 13. We beleeue and therefore vve speak If the Prophet speake not with the tongue because he beleeues in the hart all his preaching is deare of a pennie See Coll. 1. 29. So Satan will be like God in this pointe he will enter in his minister namely the great Antichrist he will possesse his hart and all the inwarde affections of his soule and by them he will be powerfull in them that are ordeined for damnation before the world was made Now to goe forward in the text following The Apostle setdowne two meanes by the which the Antichrist when he shall come shall be effectuall in them who perishes Marke the two meanes and experience this day teaches the trueth of them The first meane he calles it all maner of povver then he expones himselfe what he meanes by this power by signes and lying vvonders wonderfull working that commes of a power Another meane in the verse following And in all deceiuablenesse of vnrighteousnesse that is doctrine that is first false secondly fraudulent hauing onely a cullour of the trueth So to take it vp shortly The two meanes the Antichrist shall haue is first working wonderfully next speaking vttering false doctrine first worke and wonders and then word Worke and word are the two means whereby the Antichrist deceiues you by his worke he deceiues the world by his word he propoâ—s false doctrine Now to speak of the first meane His first meane are wonders and miracles The Antichrist shall be effectuall by working wonders in them who are ordeined to perdition when he shall be reueiled in the world Brethren as the minister of Christ is effectuall by working of signes and wonders as the Apostles were and before them the Prophets in their owne tyme So the Antichrist the minister of Satan he will prease to be like them and he will be effectuall â—n these who perishes by working of wonders and miracles But what wonders are these that the Antichrist workes by The Apostle calles them lying signes and wonders lying first in respect of their end wherefore they are wrought to confirme false doctrine and lyes to men to establish falshood and againe lying because the wonders that are wrought are no true things in substance they are but ilusions and meere juglerie to deceiue the people Ye see the deuill would faine be like God and in the meane-tyme he is a plaine counterfairer and to call it so the ape of God counterfaiting God So the minister of Satan the Antichrist a plaine counterfaiter of Christs-Minister an ape set vp as he hes seene the Ministers of Christ worke so he will stand vp and counterfaite all are but apes all their miracles and working but apes playing Now brethren I thinke ye would aske this question whether if Satan and the Antichrist hes power to worke true miracles and wonders or not I answere shortlie In trueth I say Satan is not able to worke one true wonder he hes not power to worke one miracle DefinitioÌ„ of a true miracle that is true in substance and I prone it both by reasons â—n Scripture but shortlie By reasons a true wonder or miracle is a worke that is wrought aboue nature against nature contrare to the course of nature contrare to all second causes of the which when it is done none in the world is able to giue a natural reason wherfore it is so There is the definition of a true miracle I could let you see out of the Scripture many examples of these the rauishing of Enoch and Elias to the Heauen Who can giue a naturall cause for the lifting vp of two heauy bodies to the Heauen The preseruation of Noe with so many with him in the Arke a worke against nature The confusion of languages at the building of Babell a wonder Saraes conceiuing of a Son when she had past the date of conceiuing and bearing children The passing of Israell safe though the red sea and through the floode of lordane The standing of the Sun in the heauen wheâ— Ioshua fought The going back of the Son when Ezechias wasick The Eclypse of the Sunne when Christ was crucified The sauing of Daniell in the Lyons den The sauing of the three children in the fire The sauing of Ionas in the Whales belly The burning vp of Elias sacrifices with a fire from Heauen against nature Come to the new Testament the raising vp of so many dead bodies and the greatest wonder of al the incarnation of the Son of God his suffering his resurrection the greatest wonder that euer was wrought Satan caÌ„not vvork true miracles Who can giue a naturall cause of these things Now come to the assumption Satan cannot change nature it passes his power to impeed the course of nature to do any thing against the second causes it must be of as great power to change nature as to create nature the power that alters nature is as great as the power that creats nature Satan by al mens confession hes noâ— the power to create onely the Lord hes power to create It passes the deuils power to create the smallest creature on the earth and therefore it passes his power to change nature and to do any thing against nature and the second causes And therefore Rom cha 4. vers 17. these two the changing of nature and the creation are only ascryued to God as proper to him To God saies he vvho quickens the dead that is an alteration of nature and calles these thiâ—gs that are not as if they vvere that is creating by the word of his mouth at the naming of it the thing that was not standes vp and is And so we must conclude Satan hes no power to worke one true miracle This for the reason Come to the Scripture Read ye not 72. Psalme vers 18. Blessed be the Lord God euen the God of Israell vvho does onely vvondrous things And in the 77. Psalme vers 13. 14. Who is so great a God as our God thou are the God that 〈◊〉 vvonders as he would say there is none can worke wonders but God So this question is easily solued But there is another question Will not God vvorke â—vvonders by the ministrie of the Deuill and the Antichrist shovves not God his povver in vvorking vvonders by them as he did by the Prophets and Apostles his ovvne seruants Brethren I shall shovve you my opinion vvithout the prejudice of any mans judgement I thinke not for all the wonders that the deuill will worke are to this end to establishe lyes against God and his glory Novv I say the Lord vvill not lend his povver to Satan to work one true wonder to deface his owne glory and to establish false doctrine and I think I haue a
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
This he sayes to tell vs that consolation is gotten by praier look the necessity of prayer If there be no prayer at no tyme there is no consolation that man that cannot pray to God and beg comfort at his hand that manifest neuer spirituall consolation in his hart Goe to experience I pose thee in thy conscience felt thou euer comfort without prayer No if there be not prayer to God thou shalt haue no comfort and more if there be not continuance in prayer thou shalt get no continuance in consolation Leauest thou off prayer looke whether consolation will leaue thy hart or not Leauest thou off in prayer to meditate on Iesus Christ I pose the whether the consolation in the hart leaues thee or not Againe striuest thou to keepe that presence of Iesus Christ by prayer and in all thy exercises castes a blenke to Iesus Christ be not so exercised that thou forget Iesus Christ hast thou thy eyes euer on Iesus by prayer and meditation wilt thou not finde a joy and swetnes in thy hart such as thou cannot be able to expres Againe when thou art so fixt on the things in this world yea euen in thy lawfull exercise for in thy lownry thou cannot haue an eye to God that thou cannot get a peece of thy hart to God it may be that thou haue a carnall and false joy but true joy and comfort hast thou not Well then brethren that peace and consolation flowes of prayer and earnest meditation in Iesus Therefore as the Apostle sayes Philip. 4. 6. 7. Be not solist for any thing but in euerything let thy requests be shovven forth to God and that by all maner of prayer and supplication and supponing thou get not the wordly releefe I shall tell thee what thou shalt finde the peace of God that passes all vnderstanding shall stand about thee as a guard and what lakest thou if thou hast that peace and tranquillity of thy soule And what hast thou if thou lakest this peace Now fy on al if thou lake this guarde of Gods peace if thou wert a king or Monarch abounding in riches pleasure and honour what shall all auaile thee So he drawes consolation from God by prayer And as it is sure that euery thing that liues hes the being and continuance of God So it is as sure that that person that is disposed to pray keepes and shall keepe the comfortable presence and peace of God that passes all vnderstanding Therefore the Lord dispose our harts to pray that by praier we may keepe some meditation and presence of Iesus Christ in our harts Kings will leaue their kingdomes Lords their lordshippes and euerie man will leaue this world and all that is vvithin it but vvoe to that man vvhom God leaues when the world leaues him The next thing he prayes for is that the Lord would establish them Praier for perseuerance as we say settle them and make them firme and stable not changing and wagging as the busse wagges and so inconstant in their religion but that they be settled Ye heard wherein stood our perseuerance It stood in holding a fast grippe of the Apostles doctrine the trueth of God Now here I finde more He prayes to God and Iesus Christ that they would establishe them that is hold a grippe of them So that in our perseuering there must be two things of necessitie The one is thy hand must be festned or else thou wilt fall for there was neuer one that had not his hart festned vpon the trueth of Iesus Christ by holding a grip of it but he fell downe to Hell The other thing The Lord must hold a grippe of thee or else thou cannot be able to keepe thy grip so thou must grippe and God must grip thee thou must stand on a fundation which is Iesus Christ and the Lord God himself must hold thee on thy fundation for otherwise thy feet will slip off the ground So euer say Lord hold me on this ground and fundation or else I wil not be able to stand one moment Now then to come to the fundations whereon we must stand and whereon the Lord must establish vs they are these first euerie vvord of this trueth and next euerie good vvorke Ye may see there are two fundations heere whereon thou must stand for he that would stand to the end must haue his feete set a spar-waies he must not stand on a slippery place nor on one foote onely but he must haue a sure ground and must stand on both his feete and euery foot must haue the own ground-stone to stand on and the first ground is the Gospell of Iesus Christ Therefore first lift thy right foot and set it on the trueth of God the Gospell of Iesus The next ground is holinesse of life and good works flowing from the former then take thy left foote and set it on holinesse of lyfe and euery good worke and then both thy feete stands sure I shal make this plaine There are two things in man the hart and the hand The man that would stand must haue hart and hand both fastned The hart must be first fastned and locked on the Gospell of Christ Iesus and that by the lock and bond of faith and next the hand must be fastned too and it must grip first to euerie good turne thinke it not eneugh to haue thy hart exercised If thy hand be idle or doing euill for if thy hand be not well exercised it shall be doing euil keepe these two fast then thy hart on the word of God and thy hand on euery good worke and then firmely shalt thou stand These two are so joyned together that they cannot be seuered for if thou six thy hart on the Gospell of Iesus Christ of necessity thy hand shall be exercised in well doing keepst thou one of them thou keepst both losest thou one of these two thou losest both for it shall passe thy power to haue a good turne in thy hand if thou want the Gospell of Christ Iesus in thy hart As by the contrare hant euill doing and then come to heare the Gospell in despyte of thy hart thou shalt not get the Gospell within thy hart but thou shalt want Christ Therefore as thou would keepe one keepe both and striue to fasten thy hart and hand on both and I shall assure thee in the name of Iesus Christ that he wil hold his hand to thee and stand shalt thou fast to the end vntill thou be put out of all danger For when once thou art brought to the mark and comes to the rinkes end then thou shalt be out of all feare and danger For there is no defection in Heauen no falling nor stumbling there but an euerlasting stabilitie when this mirrour is away and we shal see our Sauiour Iesus face to face Therefore as the Apostle praies for stabilities to these Thessalonians Euen so I beseech Iesus Christ and God the father to keepe vs on
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
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