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
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
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
of Iesus Christ and of the thinges that concernes him not firmely persvvaded of them as vve shall heare 3. diseases vvith their remedies in the ovvne rovvme So there are heere three diseases or speciall sicknesses The first is vnrulinesse that is louse liuing the next feeblenesse of hart the thirde is vveakenesse and infirmitie in faith and in that persvvasion that vve should haue tovvardes Iesus Christ and the Gospell And as there are three diseases So the Apostle prescryues three seuerall remedies against these three diseases Marke it For euery disease he prescryues the ovvne proper remedie and cure for in ordinate liuing and vnrulie lyfe Admonition for feeblenesse of mynde and casting dovvne of the Spirite Comfort for weaknesse in faith and infirmitie bearing vvith to beare vvith the vveake and infirme in faith Now to goe throgh these and first to the diseases and next to the remedies thereof The first disease is vnrulinesse 1. Vnruelinesse inordinatnesse The Apostle 2. Thessa 3. chap. verse 6. telles vvho are these he calles vnrulie they that liue not according to that doctrine and instruction he gaue them The vvord of God is the rule of lyfe The man that liues not according to the vvord of God is vnruly Yet more plainely in that same place he descryues the vnruely He calles them 11. verse they vvho labours not for their liuing they vvho haue not a trade of lyfe Then he addes that are busie bodies busie in other mens turnes doing nothing in their ovvne and therefore they must be exercised in euill exercises in thinges that pertaines not to them pratling and babling here and there puting their hand to this mans and that mans offices There are tvvo properties idle and exercised idle in their ovvne tume exercised in other mens turnes An euill sort of men these men are vnruly Now to come to the remedie shortlie The remedie is admonishing reprouing This vnrulinesse it is an euill maladie and eneugh to cause a man die What medicine should vve vse to such men shall we foster and entertaine them in their folie No he sayes admonishe them vse them sharply and seuerely in admonishing tell them they are out of rule The 2. Thessa chap. 3. verse 10. he telles hovv hee vsed them hee denounced against them that if they vvrought not they should not eate but their mouth should be bound vp so that they should die for hunger Also in that same place he giues a charge to all men of seuere themselues from these men that they may be ashamed of that life it is a good and an honest thing to see a man well exercised and that in his owne calling Novve to come to the second disease and remedie for it The next disease is feeblenesse of mynde 2. Feeblenesse of mynde vvhen the heart of man is casten dovvne troubled assaulted heauie so that there is no spirite nor courage but ay going in the vvay of dispaire What is the medicine and remedie of this man Deale not roughlie vvith one vvho is diseased after this maner adde not affliction to affliction afflict not him vvho is afflicted trouble not the troubled the proper medicine to such is comfort Comfort them that are dejected in spirit Dauid in the 41. Psalme 1. verse he pronounces a speciall blessing to him that vvill comfort the afflicted Blessed is the man that iudges vvysoly of the poore that is that can haue compassion on a troubled conscience Now the arguments of consolation he vses in that Psalme are tvvo The first from the promises of God to be bestowed on them in Christ The other is prayer Promise then grace to the troubled heart in Iesus Christ and then pray for it If the hart be dejected no comfort for it but from God Al the world all the powers in Heauen and earth are not able to comfort and raise vp the soule but onely the power of God through Christ and his blessed Spirite Novv to the third disease and remedie thereof It is vveakenesse in faith 3. Weakenesse in faith vveakenesse in the knovveledge of Christ and the Gospell vvhen a man hes not a through sight and perswasion of these thinges that concernes Iesus and the Gospell when he knowes them not vvell neither is confirmed in them Such as concerning diuersitie of meates all meates are sanctified in Christ many knew not that and therefore made conscience in obseruing diuersitie of meates and likewise as concerning daies that put difference in daies and keeped them these he cals weak ones The remedy is beare with them breake not the brused reede quench not the smooking slax no enterteine the least beginning of grace in the weakest body A fire that hes smook in the beginning if thou enterteine it it will in end grow a faire fire What knowest thou but these that hes a little sparke of faith if they be enterteinde by processe of tyme will grow to an high measure of knowledge and will be as strong as thou Paul 15. chap. Rom. 1. verse speaking of these same weake ones sayes We vvho are strong in faith that is knowes the libertie in Christ Iesus let vs beare the infirmities of the vveake take their burdene off their back and lay it on our shoulders heape not on them burdene vpon burdene but releue them and that vve please not our selues and make off-casts of others Therefore he addes let euery one please their neighbour Please their neighbour and beare with him that is the word and he commes on with Christs exemple Christ he bare not vvith himselfe selfe-loue caried him not as it does vs but as it is written the reproches of them that rebuked thee fell on me He spared himselfe so little that these igneminies and reproaches that should haue lighted on vs sinners he tooke them on him He tooke our burdeene on him There are the wordes shortly Marke our lessons This world is all diseased men and wemen in this world are full of diseases yea and they that thinks themselues wholest are sickest I will not speake of the diseases of the bodie There are few without their owne diseases and that is the rewarde of sinne yea and death followes on the end of them but I speake of the sicknesse of the soules of men and wemen neuer one but they haue their owne diseases in their soule He hes this sicknesse in his soule she hes that sicknesse in her soule he is miserable in his soule another feeble in minde the third weake without a sure knowledge of Christ euery one of these sicknesses are deadlie euerie one of them eneugh to cause a creature die Art tho vnruely if it continue with thee and be not cured in tyme it shall cause thee die not such a death as the death of the bodie it is a sicknesse in the soule thy soule shall die The sicknesse of the bodie will cause the bodie die if it be not cured the sicknesse of the soule will cause the soule die if
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
and the 〈◊〉 Christ is both the beginning and the ending the shining begins at him and ends at him And therefore it is said Rom. 11. chap. 36. verse For of him and throgh him and for him are all things to him be glory for euer Now what shall be the cause of this glorie of ours He sets it downe in these words according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Iesus Christ Grace is the cause of our shining Grace from the Father grace from the Sonne Then there is nothing but grace there shall be nothing but grace in Heauen grace in earth no merite in this earth no merite in Heauen No merite in this earth but Iesus merite no merite in Heauen but onely grace grace and mercy in earth all standing here and in Heauen is only by grace And so the cause of our euerlasting standing is euerlasting grace the onely grace of God in Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all glory for euer AMEN THE FOVRTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 1. 2. 3. 1 NOW vve beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling vnto him 2 That ye be not suddenly mooued from your mynde nor troubled neithr by spirit nor by vvord nor by letter as it were from vs aâ— though the day of Christ vvere at hand 3 Let no man deceiue you by any meanes IN the chapter preceding ye haue heard brethren first of the saluation of the Apostle wherein he wishes to the Thessalonians grace from God the Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ Then we came to his preface wherein he rejoices and giues thanks to God for the increase of grace of faith of loue they had receiued And thirdly we came to that consolation that he ministers to them against the affliction and trouble vnder the which they lay for the faith of Christ Now to come to this chapter In it the Apostle first admonishes the Thessalonians that they giue not eare to deceiuers and false teachers who would perswade them that the comming of the Lord Iesus was at hand and thereafter â—e enters in a refutation of this pointe of false doctrine and heresie Now to make this more plaine The occasion as it appeares of that which the Apostle wrytes in this chapter is this In his first Epistle written to them and fourth chapter thereof he spoke concerning the second comming of the Lord Iesus 〈…〉 and beside other thinges as we may read there he specifies these wordes We sayes he vvhich liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shall be caught vp in the cloudes vvith them vvho are departed this lyfe after their resurrection The Thessalonians reading this incontinent concludes Christ shall come ere euer we die we shall be found on lyfe at his comming and we shall be reâ—t vp in the aire to meete the Lord in the cloudes vvith them who are departed Now in this meane-tyme the deuill is busie to confirme them in this error and therefore he raises vp deceyuers and false teachers that went about to perswade them of the trueth of this as though it had beene true that they should be liuing at the Lords comming These false teachers alledged for them partlie the reuelation of the Spirite of God partlie a tradition of Paul which both were false Therefore the Apostle vnderstanding this tooke occasion to vvryte this Epistle and especiallie this second chapter wherein he admonishes or rather effectuouslie requestes them that they suffered not themselues to be deceiued as though the comming of the Lord were at hand and thereafter falles out in a refutation of this error To returne to the wordes In the wordes we haue read in the first verse we haue the earnest request of the Apostle together with an obtestation adjuring them with all grauitie by the comming of the Lord Iesus by the assembling of the elect to him at his comming that they should not suffer themselues so to be deceyued as though the comming of the Lord were at hand Now to insist in this first verse Novv vve beseech you sayes he by the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling vnto him The words bears a great obtestation wherein he straites them vnder the paine of lyfe and death that as euer they wold look to haue joy in Christs comming and to communicat with his glory they shold not suffer themselues to be deceiued Then brethren ye see in requesting and that in lenity he obtests and adjures them in grauity and in some seuerity He joines and tempers two contrare things together sweetnesse and lenity on the one part sowrenes and seuerity on the other part First he dravves them on and intreates them vvillinglie to obey that vvhich he requyres of them and then againe in a maner violentlie he pulles them He both leades and dravves Requesting in lâ—â—â—tie he leades them obtesting in seuerine he dravves them as it vvere violentlie Commonlie ye shall finde he vses this forme of requesting In the 2. Epist to the Cor. 10. chap. 1. verse 〈◊〉 I Paul myselfe beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of our Lord Iesus Christ. There ye haue the request vvith an adjuring and charging of them Novv brethren take these tvvo take lenitie vvith seueritie together they vvill haue a great force in the hearers to bring them forvvard sunder them none of them vvill be so effectuall lenitie the alone hes lesse force seueritie the alone is ouer sharpe It will destroy more nor vvin bind them together they haue a great power In the 2. Epistle to Timothie 4. chap. 2. verse 〈…〉 there is â—eueritie and againe exhort vvith all 〈◊〉 suffring and 〈◊〉 there is meeknesse Looke that these two be not seuered This was the Apostles maner of doing and thus forme â—e vses bindes euerie one of vs that speakes in the Church of God to the end of the world to vse the lyke Yet to insist in the vvordes I beseech you by the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling vnto him Ye see tvvo thinges heere vvhereby he adjures them to obey his request The first is the coâ—â—â—ing of Christ The second is our assembling to him at his comming Then it fellowes that seeing he obtesâ—s by these two thinges that we should not doubt but the Lord Iesus will come and when he commes that we shall assemble vnto him for all obtestations are made by things which are counted vndoubted trueths The things whereby any man objures and obtests another man should be sure grounds Now the Apostle obtests them by these two things Therefore we should not doubt but these two are true Christs secâ—nd comming to the cause of our assembling vnto him that Christ shall come and we shall assemble vnto him Yet compare these two together the first is the cause his comming the second is the effect our assembling vnto him
they may see what danger they incurre by controlling the libertie of the worde in the Church There is his moderation in teaching Now one thing more Al this power is in the beginning in his enterance to them The Apostle is now afflicted in Macedonia when he comes to Theslalonica all his preaching is but a battaile last shamefully is he put away and goes to Berâ—â—a What shall I say of this If Paul had had no more but the spirite of a man he would not haue immediatlie gone to Thessalonica and there teached and being in Thessalonica he would not haue vttered any thing that would haue displeased them No but he does otherwise the power of God neuer so well appears in men as vnder affliction for when man is weakest God is strongest in them My strength sayes the Lord 〈◊〉 shovven in infirmitie 2. Cor. 12. 9. And in the fourth chapter of the same Epistle vers 7. he showes the Lord hes put a treasure in earthen veshels that the excellencie of his povver may be knovven Then he falles out in a probation of this power My bodie is daylie slaine where euer I go there is nothing but afflictioÌ„ But saith he by this I know the lyfe of Iesus is manifest in me He hes not a better token to knowe the life of Iesus nor by affliction and none can know the life of Iesus so well as in the last agonie of death Other countries hes experimented this power of God that appeares in affliction better then we haue done Scotland hes no manifestation thereof in respect of other Churches Well brethren our tyme is comming fast on The Lord of Heauen that is strongest when man weakest giue vs strength and courage to abyde that tyme and holde vs vp in our infirmities that he may be glorifyed in our affliction To this God the Father Son and the holie Spirite be honour and praise for euer AMEN THE FIFTH LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 3. 4 5. 6. 7. 3 For our exhortation vvas not by deceite nor by vncleannesse nor by guile 4 But as vve vvere allovved of God that the Gospell should be committed vnto vs so vve speake not as they that please men but God â—vâ—o trieth the hearts 5 Neither did vve euer vse stattering vvordes as ye knovve nor coloured couetousnesse God is record 6 Neither soght vve praise of men neither of you nor of others 7 Wheâ— vve might haue bene chargeable as the Apostles of Christ but vve vver gentle amoÌ„g you euen as a nource cherisheth her childreÌ„ BRETHREN the purpose we haue in hand and hes had these dayes bygone is the rejoysing of the Apostle together with the Thessalonians for the graces of God bestowed on theÌ„ The Apost falles out in a narration concerning himself the manner of his entrie among the Thessalonians setting out the grace of God that vvas vvith him vvhen he entered in among them to this end to let them see the ground wherevpon their faith vvas builded vvas not faire vvordes but that effectuall grace of God that was hid vp in the 〈◊〉 The last day vve shevve the Apostle proponed his manner of his entrie among them it vvas not in vaine it vvas not fectlesse but fectfull and when he come and entered amongst them he come vvith a libertie and boldnesse vttering the Gospell of Christ and a libertie not grounded on man or on his ovvne affection but on the power of God This boldnesse he amplifies in respect of the afflictions vvhich before he had suffered at Philippi in respect of that suffering he had while he preached that word of the Gospell with libertie among them Now to come to this text we haue in hand The Apostle in the third verse of this chapt answeres to that which might haue bene thoght and objected by the Thessalonians for he meetes the thoght of the heart Thou sayes thy entrie amonge vs was with libertie boldnes but looke with what sincerity thou entered among vs it is not eneugh to preach with boldnes libertie but there must be sinceritie looke that thy preaching hes not bene with deceat to deceiue vs with vncleaÌ„nes with guile If any of these thre things haue concurred with thy preacing exhorting al thy liberty in preaching exhorting auails not The Apostle answeres marke euerie word for our exhortation vvas not by deceit nor by vncleannes nor by guile Look to the vvords Our exhortation our doctrine or preaching for by a speciall part of the doctrine which is exhortation he vnderstandes the whole and that because all doctrin ends in exhorting Exhortation is the coÌ„clusion of all doctrine exhortation sayeth he was not with deceat with vncleannes nor with guile that is to say was not with any kind of fainednes neither in substance of doctrin which is called deceat false doctrine deceiues Neither in affection in vttering the Gospell which is called vncleannesse neither in the manner of delyuerie which here is called guile In a word our exhortation was voide of all sort of vnsinceritie no part was simulate Marke the lesson on this verse Ye see here this meeting the Apostle makes to the verie thoght of the heart and to the opinion they might haue conceyued that he was not sincere in doctrine vtters plainlie that there is oft-tymes a verie opinion and suspition in the heartes of the hearers that there is vnsinceritie in the teacher in delyuering the doctrine and this will make such a doubt in the heart that it will hinder edification and faith And therefore the teacher had much neede to take head to himselfe in teaching to his affection and to eschew all sort of vncleannesse if it were but in his thoght and affections before he speake he should striue to get a sanctifyed heart and in word let him meete the verie thoght and suspition of the people to remoue all blame of vnsinceritie in preaching and vttering the Gospell that edification and faith may increase His end in preaching is faith that the people may beleeue and be edified Let him therefore put away all occasions that may stay the edification of the people that the worke and building may goe vp and faith may grow Then secondlie ye se there are sundrie sorts of vnsinceritie A man may be vnsincere in teaching many wayes he may teache and yet teache false doctrine he may be vnsincere in his heart in teaching he may be vasincere in delyuering and thereby deceyue thee And there is none of these wayes but they will stay edification if the people take a suspition if it were of an vnsinceritie of the heart it will stay the worke And therefore in all manner of way the teacher should striue to be sincere in vttering the Gospell that if there be any stop it may be in him that heares and not in him who teaches for if the preachers stryue not for his part to sinceritie and the people for their
childe so he takes a similitude from a mother toward her infant there is no busines nor care the mother wil leaue vndone for the infant nor respecting her hyre or gaine but vpon an inteere affection to the infant Then learne shortlie A pastor must be like a mother Paul Gall. chapter 4. verse 19. compares him selfe to a mother trauailing in birth vntill Christ be reformed in them O my little children vvith vvhom I trauaile in birth vvhile Christ be reformed in you Novv he coÌ„pares the pastor to a nource taking paines to nourish them when they are borne vpon a motherlie affection without eyther respect to goods or honor and he compares the people who by the pastor are fed in Christ nourished by the sincere milk of the vvord to infants As a yong infant craues no other nourishment but milke no more shouldst thou craue to be nourished with any other food but the sinceere milke of the word and as the infant would die except he be fed with milke so all they that refuses to be nourished with this sincere milke of the word if they continew die shall they Thou Lord Laird or Barron Husband-man die shall thou if thou be not nourished with this sincere milke of the worde If it be so betweene the people and the Pastor Affection of the Pastor to the flocke as betwene the childe and the mother the Pastors lesson is Looke what tender affection the mother hes to her birth to cherishe it to take paines and trauaile to wake and watch ouer it and all vpon a motherly affection without respect of honour or gaine the lyke shoulde thy affection be towards thy flocke and on paine of thy lyfe looke thou seeke them and not theirs The Mother seekes the well of her childe and not his goods nor honour so seeke thou the well of thy flocke and not their goods nor honour and let thy affection be motherlie and when thou sees the motherlie affection of the mother to the childe say The Lord giue me such an affection to my people as this mother hes to her childe let my honour and gaine be to get them nourished The honour of a Minister is in Heauen and not in earth his gaine is in Heauen So Paul sayeth 1. Thess 219. What is our hope or ioy or crovvn of reioysing are not euen you it in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming to glorifie his elect To this Christ with the Father and the holy Spirite be glorie and honour for euer AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 8 Thus being affectioned tovvard you our good vvill vvas to haue dealt vnto you not the Gospell of God onelie but also our ovvne soules because ye vvere deare vnto vs. 9 For ye remember brethren our labour and trauaile for vve laboured day and night because vve vvould not be chargeable vnto any of you and preached vnto you the Gospell of God 10 Ye are vvitnesses and God also hovv bolilie and iustlie and vnblameablie vve behaued our selues among you that beleeue 11 As ye knovve hovv that vve exhorted you and comforted and besoght euerie one of you as a father his children 12 That ye vvoulde vvalke vvorthie of God vvho hath called you vnto his kingdome and glorie THE Apostle ye remember brethren leauing off for a tyme the purpose that was in hand to witte that rejoysing he had with them for the graces of God was in them In the second chapter he falles out to a discourse concerning himselfe making mention of his manner of entrie among them how it was not in vaine For when he entred among them he entred with libertie although that hee had suffered immediatlie before at Philippi notwithstanding of the battaile he had in the meane tyme while he preached to them Thereafter ye heard the last day he remoued from him selfe all suspition of vnsincere dealing in preaching the Gospell chalenging to him self sincerity in preaching Seing in preaching and speaking he had not man before his eyes but God not content onlie to remoue from him vnsinceritie in 〈◊〉 he discends to the fountaines of vnsinceritie and vncleane dealing which are three namelie flatterie auarice 〈◊〉 and these three rootes of vnsincere and vncleane dealing in the 〈◊〉 he remoues from him he flattered them not he was not greedie of their goods he was not greedie of honour Albert saieth he I might haue beene chargeable to you as the Apostle of Christ ye were addebted to me both of your goods and honour yet I would haue none of them but I liued in the midst of you vnburdensome submitâ—ing my selfe to all fashâ—ie and paines for your sakes as a mother nourishing her childe will vndertake all paines for the childe so did I for you Now in the first vvords of this text we haue red that vvhich he spoke of the nource cherishing her childe he applyes to him selfe Thâ—â— sayes he 〈…〉 tovvardâ— you The vvord is in the first language I was desirous of you I had a longing desire of you such desire as a mother hes to her infant she can not suffer her infant to be out of her sight to be absent from her incontinent she grieâ—es for it she is not well vvhile thee haue it in her sight The same affection sayes the Apostle I beare tovvards you I loue you I can searcelie vvant your presence for being absent from you I haue a continual care of you There is the meaning of the wordes in the which ye see that loue that motherlie affection to call it so the Apostle bare to this Church of Thessalonica The first grace in the Pastor is to loue his flock this is the ground of all the rest if he want it all the rest is deare of the hauing if he had all the learning and eloquence and vtâ—â—â—ance of men and Angels all is nothing if there be not loue and affection in his heart to his flock Paul 2 Cor. 6. recounting our many marks of the Apostle which he bare amongst the rest in the 6. verse of that chapter he accountâ— vnfamed loue to be one for nombring those marks he declares what spirituall loue he bare to the Corinthians saying in the 11. verse O 〈◊〉 my mouth is open to you our heart is made large so that if it were possible I vvould take you in my heart ye dvvell not narrovvlie in me but ye dvveâ—l 〈◊〉 in your ovvne bovvelles I loue you but ye loue not me so intirelie as I doe you In the 11. chapter of that Epistle verse 28. stryuing vvith the â—alse Apostles he shovves vvhat carefulnesse he had of the Church Beside sayeth he 〈…〉 I haue the care for 〈…〉 of the vvorlde 〈…〉 but I am afflicted I vnderstand there are none afflicted but I am afflicted vvith him 〈…〉 It is vvonderfull to knovve vvhat affection hee bare to the Church of Christ Ye
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
see him why should not our desire be to see him wherefore should all this feare be of this latter day seeing thou wilt neuer be established in heart nor get thy full glorie vntil his comming at that day thy blessednesse shall be perfite there I finde in the Scripture the perfection of all graces differred vntill that time Ye shall finde no grace PerfectioÌ„ of al graces differred til the â—utter day but the perfection thereof is remitted vntill that day Paul in the same Epistle 2. chap. 19. vers My joy is in the sight of God and of Iesus Christ at his comming He gets not perfection of joy vntill he come And therefore he will not promise to the Thessalonians their joy vntill that day no perfection of grace mercie and peace vntill God put an end to sinne to death and wickednesse Looke then if we should long for that latter day we looke heere and there for this thing and that thing but who lookes for that comming of the Lord Alas if we knevv vvhat grace and joy Christs comming brought to vs vve vvould looke for nothing so much as for his comming We are earthlie and therefore all our lookes are for earthlie thinges we are not spirituall and so we cannot looke for that spirituall grace The Lord prepare vs to looke for and desire that glorious comming All these earthlie thinges goes away Heauen onelie abydes What foolishnesse is this seeing we are subject to mortality that we should set our hearts on this world our dwelling must not be here but in Heauen in endliesse joy Seeke it earnestly therefore Novv in the end of this verse he telles vs in vvhat company and with whom we shal be established in holinesse before God thou shalt not be holy thy selfe alone thou shalt not be an a per se in holinesse doe as thou wilt either shalt thou be in a societie in a companie vvith many more nor thou All graces in the societie of the sants or else thou shalt neuer be holie nor see the face of God This is plaine Either thou shalt be in the Church which is the communion of the Saintes of God or else thou shalt neuer see Gods presence He will leape out of it at this side and he at that side but if thou come not in again in that same societie yea and to the number of this church and of the Saintes that professes Christ this day in Scotland thou shalt neuer see Gods face All blessinges grace mercie and peace euerlasting before God is in the companie of the Church that professe the truth and puritie of the Gospell of Christ not in the company of them who will take the name of a Church or that false Church the Romane Church So let him vvho vvill stand vvith holinesse in the number of the Saintes seuere from Babylon or else he shall be partaker of the judgement So brethren to come againe ye shall not read in the Scripture of any grace giuen to any man but ye shall finde that it is giuen to him as a member of that bodie as one of the Saintes in the societie of the Saintes In the first to the Ephesians verse 18. speaking of the riches of the glorie of the inheritance of Heauen he sayes thou shalt neuer get it but among the Saintes Then againe he sayes chap. 3. vers 18. Who shall vnderstand the loue and charitie of God None but they that are in the societie of the Saintes No light mercie nor knowledge of God but to them that stands knit vp as members in the bodye of Christ ye see cut off a member of the body and cast it away no sap can follow from the body to it So if thou be cut off from the number of the Saintes vvho are the Church of God thou shalt neuer get any grace of Christ Now to the next chapter In the fourth and fift chapters followes the last part of this Epistle containing the doctrine of maners exhorting to holinesse of lyfe and godlinesse But to the wordes He sayes And furthermore As he would say all is not tolde I will tell that which rests which is the doctrine of maners precepts of godlie lyfe and conuersation When we haue teached all the yeere ouer when we haue tolde you the doctrine of justification sanctification c. so long as there is no speaking of a godly lyfe and conuersation and so long as we haue not tolde you how ye should lead your lyfe there is euer something behinde vnspoken of Neuer a full and perfite preaching wher there is nothing spoken of a good or of an euill lyfe and conuersation For there is such a necessitie laid on men and wemen in this world that all serues for nothing except they liue a good holy life Thy profession of loue righteousnesse mercie all the rest is but vanitie and winde if thy conuersation toward thy neighbour be not aunswerable to thy profession it is a shame to thee to speake of Christ of holinesse of righteousnesse of life euerlasting except thou liue conforme thereto And therefore ye shall neuer read any Epistle of Paul but euer vvhen he hes spoken of faith justification c. then in the end he subjoynes precepts charging vs to liue a godlie lyfe And more then this Trow ye in the end at Christs comming to judgement that the pretence of faith or righteousnes will be sufficient to thy eternal saluation No but we must liue holie for al the blessinges of God in Christ tends to this end that we may liue holie yea this is the end of election it selfe Ephes 1. 4. Paul sayes We are chosen from all eternitie that we should be holie Then we should liue soberlie and justlie with our neighbour Tit. 2. 12. And therefore either cast avvay profession of Christianitie and heare neuer a word of faith righteousnesse c. or else striue to liue conforme thereto This in generall Now to the wordes I beseech and exhort you and that in the Lord Iesus Christ What exhorts he that they increase more and more in godlie lyfe and conuersation As for the forme of your going forward I haue tolde you the forme hovv ye should vvalke in this world walke conformable thereto The words would be well marked I beseech and exhort you sayes he in the Lord Iesus He might haue well said I command you as wrytting to Philemon vers 8. 9. he sayes When I might command thee in the name of Iesus yet rather for loues sake I pray thee Loue turnes the command in a prayer All doctrin that comes from any person must come of loue or else it is deare of the hearing Now he showes his loue in speaking for the wordes comes from the heart and so among al the rest of the wayes whereby he vtters the loue he had in his heart this is one when precept and commaund is turned ouer to requeesting When he may commaund he will not but he turnes it ouer and
biddes vs we must not yeelde to the lustes of the fleshe there must bee abstinence and dyet And therefore Paul in that same ninth chapter to the Cor. verse 27. shovves how he vsed himselfe in running to be an ensample to vs. He sayes He held his bodie at vnder and redacted it in a seruitude and vvoulde not let it be his master Let thou thy bodie be thy master I promise thee thou shalt neuer see the butt But to come more speciallie What abstinence must it be He names it from fornication There are sundrie sortes of abstinence vvhich is requyred of them that runnes in this rinke but among them all this is a speciall Abstaine from harlotrie and pollution of the bodie vvith fornication Among all the sinnes that defiles the bodie and the members of the bodie of anie man or vvoman harlotrie is the cheefest sinne and makes all vncleane and polluted in Goddes sight The Apostle 1. Corinth chap. 6. verse 18. sayes All sinnes that a man committes is out-vvith the bodie but he vvho committe fornication he sinnes against his ovvne bodie he pollutes and defyles his bodie in a speciall manner Brethren the bodie of a man vvhich is not polluted vvith this filthinesse is a meete bodie to runne in this course it is svvift and readie to runne in this course but if the bodie be deâ—yled vvith harlotrie it is not svvift and meete for the course Learne it Ye shall see for common a goode turne falles neuer out in the hands of an harlote There is nothing vnder the Sunne that a bodie polluted vvith fornication can doe holilie As the person is vncleane in Gods sight so all thinges he does are polluted yea that same verie action that othervvayes is goode is sinne in Gods sight Commest thou to the Church and hearest the preaching if thou be an harlote all is polluted in Gods sight Deale all that thou hast to the poore lyest thou in harlotrie all is sinne So in a vvord an harlot can doe no goode and if he seeme to doe anie good it is nothing but sinne in Gods sight Looke then vvhat estate an harlote is in Now to goe forward to the next verse He sets downe the speciall remedie of this sinne and vyce whereby they may keepe their bodie from this pollution Remedie of fornication That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour The first thing that is requyred heere is a science an habite in doing not a light fassion in doing a doing as it vvere off hand but a setled doing of a setled grace in the heart a craft to possesse and to keepe the bodie in holinesse and godlinesse Thou that vvould keepe thy bodie cleane thou must haue an habite and setlednesse All thinges we doe in this life should come of a constant habite in the soule of an vse and setled grace in the hart to doe well For as the thing a Craftis-man does is of his craft the thing a Wright does is of the science of his craft so euerie one that vvould intende to do vvell must haue an habite and a grace in the heart to doe vvell And speciallie he that vvould keepe his bodie in cleannesse looke that he haue a craft of it otherwayes it may be he vvill not play the harlote this night or that night because he hes not the occasion but the first occasion offered hee shall be an harlote So all resolues in this The best thing in this vvorld to bannishe sinne is to get an heart setled and stablished vvith grace Get an heart once stablished vvith grace then thou shalt not be moued but thou shalt stand fast in all tentations and thou shalt keepe a solide course Let the Deuill the vvorlde and all the enemies of thy saluation vse all the tentations to dravv thee avvay thou shalt stand immoueable And therefore learne the craft of vvell doing and get once the habite in the heart of vvell doing and then vvell doing shall come with such facilitie to thee that thou shalt maruell thereat Then to come to the next words That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour He sayes euery one He exeemes none neither riche nor poore high nor lovve but he bindes euerie one of vvhat ranke so euer he be of to the science of possessing the bodie with cleannesse and holinesse Marke it brethren There are none priuiledged to be an harlot not a King nor Queen nor Earle nor Countesse no none of no estate hes this priuiledge but all are bound to keep the bodie cleane and they who wil exeem themselues and thinke their ranke to be a priuiledge to them they shall exeeme themselues also from the rank of them who runnes in this rinke to Heauen Thou goest not so soone to be an harlote but thou goest out of the right way and thou shalt neuer come to Heauen that way runne as long as thou wilt Now what should euerie one know Euerie one should know to possesse his vessell that is his bodie not to be possessed of the bodie but to possesse the bodie wilt thou be possessed of the bodie and be a slaue to it and wilt thou let the foule affections of the bodie possesse thee thou shalt find woe in thy bodie for euer Paul sayes I holde my bodie at vnder and redâ—ct it in seruice I will not let it be my Master 1 Cor. 9. 27. Alwaies the thing that euerie one should know is to possesse To speake of this possession it is a common saying it is no lesse practick to possesse a thing after it be gotten nor to acquire and conquesse it Yea I say there is greater practick to possesse that well which is gotten nor to get it And there are moe in the world that can find the way to get it nor the way to keepe that which is gotten But what thing is this they should knowe to possesse There are many possessions in the world but among all possessions the cheef is that a man possesse holilie his body which is a vessell to keepe the soule So the first possession that euer one gettes in this world is his own bodie and it is the longest possession that any man keepes Thou shalt be pulled from thy heritage lands goods and riches but as for thy bodie albeit for a time thou lay it down yet thou shalt take it vp againe and thou shalt possesse it for euer and it shall either be an house to honour or else to dishonour to thee for euer And so seeing this bodie is the first possession and the longest we haue therefore we should be carefull how we possesse this bodie Be not so carefull how thou keepest and possessest thy land as how thou possessest thy bodie There are ouer many that are so carefull to possesse their lands that they forget to possesse their bodies and yet their land shall they leaue behinde them So the cheefest thing thou
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
fleshly and carnall joy 〈…〉 that will be in the mouthes of prophaine people be merie eat drinke Is that this joy no no. When Paul bids thee rejoyce he bids thee not passe the time like the Epïcurians Eate drinke and be merie The joy that he craues the nature thereof is not fleshly but it is cleane holie and spirituall To speake the trueth it is in the hart all joy is in the hart of a bodïe but it is not so much the joy that is of the naturall affection as it is the motion of the spirit of Christ within vs vsing the affectiones of our hart as a parte to reioyce in when he is dwelling in vs. When a man reioyces naturallie it is his heart that reioyces but this is another kinde of reioycing It is the Spirite of consolation that comforts the Spirite of Iesus that dwelles in the hart and wakens vp the affection aboue nature and makes it It is 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 that was naturall as supernaturall it cannot be so well tolde as felt Rom. chap. 8. verse 26. The Spirite of God requests for vs vvith sighes vnspeakable Then the Spirite sighes within the heart If the Spirite of God be within the heart the sighe will not be so much the sighe of the bodie as of the Spirite of God 〈◊〉 It is so with that spirituall ioy the ioy in the hart if will not be so much the ioy of the heart as the ioy of the Spirite of God a ioy vnspeakable No no tongue can tell the greatnesse of it And brethren if there vvere no more but this that it cannot be toulde it telles you the nature of it it is not a naturall ioy the naturall ioy can be all toulde the heart of man is comprehensible and the affectiones of the hart can be toulde but the joy of the Spirite of God is incomprehensible The joy of the Spirite of God in the heart of the poore sinner cannot be toulde by all the Angels of Heauen let be by the tongue of man For no man can reâ—â— the infinitnesse of Gods Spirite Therefore put a difference betweene it and all other ioyes The property of this ioy is here expressed Propertiâ— of this ioy It is continuall it lastes euermore it is continuall it alters not it is without interruption it is not broken off prosperitie will not breake it aduersitie vvill not breake it lyfe vvill not breake it death vvill not breake it it abydes in lyfe it abydes in death yea euen to the verie poynte of death vvhen it pleases the holie Spirite to vvorke it vvill be in a greater measure in his soule than nor it vvas in the life-tyme When we thinke the body should be heauiest and saddest then it is most joyfull This earthly joy is soone broken off he is now in joy in the twinkling of an eie it shall be broken off this houre glade the next houre wo. Balthazar was a mery man when he was prophaning the vessels of the Lord and banketting in the meane tyme of his merinesse came the hand writting vpon the wall and then he beginnes to shake and his countenance is changed with shuddering and shaking 〈…〉 Ye heard in this same chapter when the wicked saies Peace all things are sure then a sudden destruction ouertakes them So this worldly joy is ay interrupted it is ay turned in sorrow if thou be content with a worldly joy proceeding of a worldly thing if it were all the kingdomes of the earth thy joy shall be turned in a weeping for euer but the spirituall joy is continuall without interruption Then if this be the nature of it it is spirituall it is cleane and pure heauenly not rude fleshly nor earthly If this be the property of it Matter of spirituall ioy it continues ay for this propertie must follow on the nature of it a spirituall thing must euer abide What can be the matter of it there must be some cause of this joy No joy but there must be some cause and matter that moues it Then what is the matter of it There are two sorts of things in the world that wakens vp joy in the heart of man The first is earthly things ye know the things worldlie honor riches they waken vp joy in the hart Another sort is called spritual heuenly clean There is no other but these two either things heuenly or earthlie to cause men to rejoyce Then are these earthly things the matter of this spirituall joy he speaks of Examine the nature of it it is spirituall it is the joy of Christ Will these worldly things if there be no further consideration of them cause the Spirit of Christ rejoyce within thee Will a kingdome make Christes Spirit within the hart of a man to rejoyce if there be nothing more but as it is a worldly kingdome No I say they will not be the matter of this joy looke to these worldly things how thou resauest them if they be not resaued out of Gods hand as arlespennies of heauenlie thinges and tokens of better benefites and of life euerlasting they shall neuer make the Spirit of Christ to reioyce in thee Thy hart may be blyth for worldly thinges because thou art an earthly bodie A King may rejoyce in a kingdome c. but if they be not taine out of Gods handes as arlespennies of heauenly and spirituall benefites the Spirite of Christ shall not rejoice in thee Take heed if it wer but a morsell of meate if thou take it out of Gods hand as a token of that heauenly food to life euerlasting the Spirit of Christ shall rejoyce in thee Therefore be neuer content of earthly things as earthlie things onely nor of the naturall joy of the hart of man A sow hes a naturall joy 〈◊〉 in filling the bellie No beast in the field but it hes a sensuall joy in the selfe by nature in the foode thereof Fy on thee that cannot haue more joy nor a beast Thou art made for Heauen and not for Kingdomes here Therefore rejoyce in heauenly thinges and I say the Kow and other beasts are better nor thou if thou rejoyce not with that heauenly joy for the kingdome prepared for thee in Iesus Christ Woe to thee that hes not the joy that proceeds of the Spirit of Iesus Againe this joy lasts euermore it is continual it bides in the night it bides in the day it perishes not These worldly things are al perishing He will be a King the day and will be casten down to morrow He is riche the day and will be begging to morrowe How can thinges changeable be matter to me of joy that standes euermore No they cannot If my joy restes on earthly things when earthly things failes me of necessity my joy must faile me When the ground of joy failes my joy must faile Worldly things must faile therefore the joy in worldly things must faile and specially in death Either shall earthly things
faile thee or else thou shalt faile them if thou were a King thou must faile in thy kingdome thou must leaue 〈◊〉 either shall the worldly things be taine from thee or thou from them What Monarch euer yet since the beginning of the world for al their dominions if they had not God and Christ had euer a sparke of joy at the houre of his death A dram weight of this joy is worth all the kingdomes of this earth and if thou hast gotten a little peece of this joy thinke it better nor thou wert made Monarch of all the world No question the least peece of Christes graces and of this regeneration is worth all the Kingdomes of this world Euen so these earthlie thinges cannot bee the matter of this joye Thou shalt neuer get the joy of the holy Spirite if thou seeke it in the world Then wherein standes this joy Paul 4. chap. to the Philippians verse 4. sayes Reioyce in the Lord. He sayes not rejoyce in the world or kingdomes of the world but he sayes rejoyce in the Lord and in all those graces he hes broght with him in remission of sins in life euerlasting c. Take heed compare this joy with the matter thereof This joy is spiritual Iesus is a Spirit all his graces are spirituall Then these two agrees very well a spirituall matter a spirituall joy Then againe this joy is continuall Christ is for euer Heb. 13. 8. His graces standes for euer Al the mercies of God in Christ are eternall and vnchangeable How well then standes these two a joy continuall a matter continuall a joy that is eternall a matter that is eternall But thou wilt say 〈…〉 albeit that matter of my joy Christ Iesus neuer perishes yet we must perish and albeit he stand yet we must fall No no. Paul to the Rom. chap. 8. vers 35. saies What shall separate vs from the loue of God in Christ No if thou be once well imped in him by his Spirite and a lyuely faith all the world shall neuer bring thee back againe thou shalt neuer be separate heauen and earth shall first perishe ere they who are imped in Christ be separate from him death shall not separate them Paul sayes Christ is to me both in life and death aduantage Philipp chap. 1. vers 21. These earthly thinges may vantage thee in this naturall and transitory lyfe 〈…〉 riches may vauntage thee in this lyfe honour may be pleasant to thee here but when death commes then may thou justly say I will get no more vantage of my riches I will shake all off me and go naked to the graue but Christ will go to the graue with me yea euen to the resurrection he shall accompany thee and then soule and body shall be joined together and thou shalt be with him for euer In one word the matter of this joy are not earthly things but spirituall It is Christ and his graces that is the ground of all this joy vntill thou come to that lyfe euerlasting And this for the opening vp of the words Learne Vseâ— then There are none of vs that walkes in the light of the Gospell of Christ and hes taine the name of Christians vpon vs but we are bound and oblist to rejoyce and be glade and that not for one tyme onely one day or one night or one yeere or one season but euermore and at euery occasion in prosperitie in aduersitie in life and death euer rejoyce and weulde ye know the paine all obligations are vnder some paine the paine of it is vnder the paine of banishing vs out of Gods Kingdome out of heauenly Ierusalem He that would not rejoyce vnder the hope of heauenly Ierusalem must be banished out thereof Rom. 14. verse 17. Gods Kingdome in righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost if thou prease not to rejoyce in Christ and his Kingdome in life and death prosperity and aduersitie thou shalt be shut out of it I say they who neuer felt of this heauenly joy and neuer rejoyced in Christ in his Redemption of vs from sin in that life purchast to vs by his bloud who neuer rejoyces in these but ay is glad when he is exercised about these earthly things that man neuer yet saw Christs Kingdome And albeit he be outwardly in the Church the Church is called the Kingdome of God in the Gospell yet indeede he is not one of the Kingdome he is going vp and downe in company with them of the Church but he was neuer in the Church for thou must be spiritually in it and not bodily And if there be a great sin in the world this is one not to rejoyce in such a matter of joy God offers thee saluation in Christ if thou rejoyce not therein thou cannot doe a greater contempt to the light of the Gospell wherein life and saluation is offered noâ— a greater injury to God thou bereaues God of his glory for what shall be the chiefe glorifying of God but a rejoycing in his mercies through Iesus Christ Alas what great blessednesse we defraâ—d our selfes of when we rejoyce not in the worke of our Redemption It is wonder what joy the Angels haue in looking in to this worke of the Redemption of man Peter in his 1. Epistle chap. 1. vers 12. sayes The Angels desires to looke in to this misterie Were not the Angels preachers to the shiephirds of that joy and blessing that came to the world Luke chap. 2. verse 13. 14. Fy on thee Christ is come to redeeme thee and not the Angels and yet they rejoyce and wilt not thou rejoyce The earth and heauen leapes and rejoyces for the hearing of their deliuerance by Christes comming againe and thou cannot rejoyce fy on thee When all the dumme creatures aboue vnder and about thee rejoyces and thou cannot rejoyce Waken vp that dead hart of thine and rejoyce in God or else the spirit of sorrow and sadnesse shall waken thee that thou shalt weepe for euer The tyme of joy is pretious if thou rejoyce not heere thou shalt neuer get that joy in Heauen hereafter Now ye will say should we rejoyce ay The wise man sayes Ecclest chap. 3. vers 4. 〈…〉 All thinges hes the tyme there is a tyme of vveeping a tyme of laughing How should we ay be glad I aunswere it is true there is a tyme of mourning and a tyme of sadnesse and I trow this same verie tyme is the tyme of sadnesse But I tell thee againe for all this sadnesse rejoyce must thou and when thou art commanded to be sad for sin thou art commanded to rejoyce in Christ for remission thereof where nothing is in the hart but sadnesse it will bring a man to dispare Sadnesse would euer be mingled with joy sadnesse for miserie would be mingled with joy for hope of reliefe or else the end shal be dispare And it is wonderfull to see the Spirit of Iesus at â— tyme to
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
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
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
not thou laborest to get thy ovvn liuing He answers no I haue just right to tak for my preaching I writ not this as if I had no authority but this I haue done when I might haue taâ—e of you yet I tooke not to learne you to labour and to shame them that are among you idle bodies that vvorkes not for their liuing Novv yee see heere in the persons of the Thessalonians hovv readie men are and hes beene at all tymes to thinke that a Minister of the vvord hes no right to these temporall things as to eate to drink 1. Cor. 9. 4. to mary a vvife to take a stipende Any man hes a good right to all these thinges but a Minister they inuy that Minister should get so much as this common aire They come forward from thinking and speaking they come to doing Scotland proues this euidently eneugh by violence by cauillation of lavves by one vvay or other they wil reaue these temporall things from them that the Lord hes set in his seruice a minister hes no right to personage nor vicarage nor teindes What hes the Minister adoe vvith them they haue no right to them Hes not my Lord or the laird or vvhat he is a Charter of them But Paul sayes if any man hes right I haue right And I say a Minister hes as good right to these things as any Earle lord laird or vvhat euer man he be hes to his heritage but the ground of this is men knovves not what life is what the kingdome of Heauen is albeit they will prattle much of it Now this ministrie is the ministrie of the Spirit and of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ And therefore all vvordes of these things are but vvinde to them and they thinke a man that traueiles in this calling is but an idle man they count of no exercise but that that is in these earthly thinges O Lord that heauy count that shall be in that glorious appearance of Iesus Christ in that terrible day Then this reafe and violence shall appeare to be reafe and violence indeed Then no vvordes no cullour of Lavve shall be an excuse to thee More yet on Pauls parte marke hovv readie good men should be vvhether they be Ministers or others to giue ouer their rightes vvhich they may most justlie challenge Paul gaue ouer his right hovvbeit he might haue taken a stipende Yet least it should seeme to common people that Ministers had no right or title to take by their labours he meetes it and vvill not prejudge the right of the ministrie that should follovve but he telles he had authoritie to take Thou mayest vpon good occasions leaue thy right some-tymes but looke it be not to the hurt of thy brother looke thou impare not his right by giuing ouer thy right othervvise thou hast no sinceritie in thy doing for if thou hurt him there is no sinceritie in thee Novv in the end of the verse he telles the cause vvherefore he gaue ouer his right To be an ensample sayes he to you to follovve vs. Brethren the thing that the Lord craues of euerie one of vs is that vve stand vp to be a good ensample to others euerie one is bound to this duetie for vve are not borne to our selues onely and it is hard to vvinne to this and before a man attaine to this he must suffer many thinges he must suffer many injuries and vvronges he must passe from his right oft-tymes and that that he hes just title to he must let it goe So vve that vve may be ensamples of vvell doing must suffer many thinges and doe many thinges Ye see a meane heere set dovvne to moue idle bodies to labour it is set dovvne in Pauls doing Paul needed not to vvorke onely preaching might haue done his turne but to moue idle men there among the Thessalonians to vvorke he vvould vvorke So the lesson is It is requisite that euen honest men that hes no necessitie to put their ovvne hands to vvorke put to their handes to vvorke to moue seruants men and vvemen that hes no other moyen to liue by but by vvorking to doe their duetie As for ensample A master of an house vvho hes such seruants as vvill not put their hands to vvorke let him go before his seruants in vvorke that thereby they may be ashamed Now to come to the last verse He sets dovvne another argument to moue these idle Thessalonians to vvorke The argument going before vvas gentle tane from his ovvne ensample but this argument is straite forbidding all that vvill not vvorke to eate He that vvill not vvorke let him not eate Workst thou not Paul inhibits thee to eat This leanes on a grueat equitie What trow ye eating be God hes ordeined it to be the rewarde of labour and working Thou getst thy dinner thy supper meate and drinke as a rewarde of thy worke thou hast no other allowance of dinner nor supper but as a rewarde of thy worke Then must it not followe he workes not therefore he must not eate O ye will say that is very strait if men and wemen eat not they will die But I say die as they will the Lord vouchafes not a nip on them except they worke Yet notwithstanding of this great number of men gets meate and liues albeit they worke not as in Edinburgh this day and Scotland ye know is full of such folke that neuer puts their hand to worke and yet they eate Yet I shal tell you their estate Let not an idle man thinke he is well when he eates and workes not for the curse of God is lying vpon him a miserable estate Would to God that men would weigh this that the curse of God is on these men and al is accursed to them their cloathes their bed and all they haue For if this be true that the blessing of God is on the labourer Psal 128. 2. Prou. 10. 4. and vpon him that eates the frutes of his labours it must follow that he that eats when he labours not the cursse of God is on him So idle bodies haue no matter of vaunting and rejoycing when they eate and they who wins their liuing with the sweate of their browes hes the blessing of God with them Indeed his blessing is not seene by thee now and ye cannot distinguish now a blessing from a curssing Ye see here oft-times it is aswell with the idle bodie as with the bodie that workes for Gods blessing and curse is not well seene here by men but in that day it shal be showen euidently and this labour is a meane to bring vs to that lyfe that Christ by his bloud hes bought to vs. The rewarde of a seruant that labours faithfully and that beleues in Iesus Christ shall be glorie Ephes 6. 8 Now as this inhibition concernes Idle bodies that they eate not so it concernes them that labours that they foster nor idlenesse in any bodie for that is to foster them