he arise have mercy on Zion and stablish Jerusalem till he tread down her enemies as straw is trodden for the dunghil and raise up Carpenters which may fray and cast down the horns that have scattered Judah Zech. 1.21 that there may be no more a pricking briar to the house of Israel nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them that they may be no more a prey to the heathen but dwell safely and none may make them afraid Let us often set before our eyes their rueful condition think how many good things they want which we enjoy and how little worthy we are to enjoy what they want labour to be affected with a tender sense of their miseries that our hearts melting in compassion may send forth many zealous prayers the fruit and benefit whereof they whom we never knew never saw shall undoubtedly feel and reap in one kind or other The fourth point in order Interpretation is the object of Paul's invocation the Author of the blessings which are afterwards begged thus discribed our God that is the true God who generally is the God of the whole world The Lord of all the earth Zeck 6.5 the God of the Spirits of all flesh peculiarly of his own people Whence let us observe omitting all others only this Instruction The Lord is in special sort the God of the faithful Doctrine The godly and true believers have God to be theirs in a special manner He is my God my Fathers God saith Moses Exod. 15.2 this God is our God for ever and ever saith the Psalmist O Lord thou art my God saith the Prophet in the name of the Church The Lord my God shall come saith Zachary My God shall supply all your needs saith the Apostle And many such places there are through out the Scriptures For First Reason 1 he hath selected them out of the world and separated them from other people to be his peculiar people and embraceth them with such a love as he extendeth not to all Secondly Reason 2 he hath confirmed them to himself by making with them a covenant of life and peace wherein he promised to be a Father and Husband to them removing evils conferring all good things in this and the future life So much is comprised in these few words I will be their God Thirdly Reason 3 they chuse and avouch him to be their God to whom they give themselves and yeild all hearty and willing service duty and obedience as becomes good children and subjects First Vse 1 this serves to controll the sawciness and presumption of wicked men who being the seed of the old serpent and children of the wicked one will needs usurp and intrude into the proper right of the righteous that is challenge God to be their God their Father It can hardly be told how dishonourable intollerable a wrong these men offer to the Lord they most indignly debase his excellent Majesty making him a favourer Patron father of naughtiness the companion of Satan which is most vile impiety yea blasphemy should a known strumpet still in all places be calling the King her Husband would it not be counted impudency worthy to be severely punished by the judges Let such hear the Lord himself if yet they will believe him forbidding him to be so bold with his Name What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth Yea plainly telling tthem to their faces they are not his people not under mercy that he is not their God It 's true even the vilest men in the world have relation to him and dependence on him as a Creator and Conserver but no man can truly call God his by Covenant till he find in himself 1. A sweet mourning in secret for that he hath done him so much wrong and still can serve him no better 2. A sensibleness of his dishonour 3. An earnest striving to give God his heart in all worship Secondly Vse 2 this Doctrine nay comfort the Godly Fear not nor be dismayed thou faithful Christian if he be thy God who is the God of salvation and justifier of repentant sinners thou canst not be condemned if he be time who is greater than all fin shall not hurt thee nor Satan pluck thee out of his hands If God be thine he will keep and care for thee thou art sure of consolation in calamity Esa 43.2 3. preservation in perils supply of all wants his wisdome shall be thy watch his providence thy portion his power thy pillar sustaining thee in heaviest afflictions if God be thine his promises are thine all those Texts which declare what God is or will be to his are as surely thine as if thy name were expressed in them his Christ is thine his kingdome is thine all are thine If friends fail as the brooks in summer kinsfolks grow unkind and old acquaintance stand afar off like strangers if parents or dear yoke-fellows take their leave and drop down into the dust of death if earthly stays and comforts like riches in Solomon take themselves to their wings and fly away grieve not thou as others that have no hope but sing and exult in spirit seeing God who is instead of all things remaineth thy God for ever and ever Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and be thankful for your happiness for blessed are the people whose God is Jehovah This is indeed true felicity to him that hath God for his God no good shall be wanting no evil mortal nothing can make him miserable Thirdly Vse 3 the faithful are here instructed 1. To rest on the Lord with full confidence of heart to appropriate him particularly to themselves boldly to challenge an interest in him When God hath pleased of his rich grace to become mine giving himself to me how can it be presumption to make claim to him as mine and say as holy ones have ever said The Lord is my God from this hold which indeed is the foundation of all our comfort the Devil and the Pope would drive us but we must maintain our title and never suffer our selves to be beaten from it especialy in the evil day in distresses and agonies of conscience imitating our Lord and Master who when his Fathers hand so pressed him that to his own feeling he had forsaken him yet cryed My God my God why hast thou sorsaken me 2. To go boldly to him in praier seeking and asking of him all things needful speak to him with confidence of acceptance and audience if he be our God he will deny us nothing Should we fear being welcome to our own I am the Lord their God and will hear them saith God in the Prophet Zachary 3. With erect and undismayed spirits to profess and confess his name before the sons of men If we call him ours and here the Apostle tells us he is not ashamed to be so called Heb. 11 20. shall we be ashamed of him deny him in the world if
as you increase in days and stature so you may increase in all sanctifying gifts and in favour with God and men flourishing in the Courts of our God as those that are planted in the house of the Lord and bringeth forth more fruit in old age to the glory of his blessed name Amen and Amen from his heart saith To your Honour most addicted SAMUEL WALES Apr. 30. 1627. 2 Thess 1. v. 11 12. 11. Wherefore we also pray always for you that our God would make you worthy of this calling and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power 12. That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. THE scope of the Apostle in this Chapter is to refresh with the cool water of consolation the faithful Thessalonians now in the fiery Tryal of Tribulation and with Cordials of lively Comforts to confirm their spirits macerated and steeped in afflictions His chief Argument is taken from that righteous recompence of reward which the just Judge of all the world will give in the day of his appearing endless trouble and torment to them that have here troubled and tormented the godly eternal case and refreshment to them who are now hated and vexed for Christs sake And to the end this comfort might sink more deeply and stick more firmly he digresseth a little into a description of Christs coming to Judgement opening as it were the very Heavens and representing him to their eyes with all his glory These two Verses now contain the conclusion of this consolation the sum whereof is a commemoration of the Apostles Christian care and religious practise of carrying the names of these Thessalonians continually before the Lord in holy petition and making suit for them that they might hold out in this noble but painful race and warfare which was indeed the scope of his consolation In them we may consider 1. The act or duty simply propounded 2. The amplification of it 1. From the adjunct circumstance of time when or how often he did exercise it 2. From the moving cause included in the first word Wherefore 3. From the subject or persons for whom the afflicted Thessalonians 4. From the object or person to whom our God 5. From the matter of the prayer that he would make you worthy c. Let us begin with the first The act or duty performed by Paul and two other holy men of God Sylvanus and Timotheus is prayer we also pray that is we do not only give thanks to God for you comfort and teach you the way of salvation both by preaching and writing but moreover we make earnest requests to God in yoor behalf Our lesson hence is Ministers must pray for their People Teachers of the Church must add prayers for the Church to all their other labours prayers I mean both private and publick The sons of Aaron are commanded to bless the Children of Israel Num. 6.23 Deut. 33.10 1 Sam. 12.23 Jer. 18.20 to put incense before the Lord a type of holy prayers Samuel calls the neglect of this duty a sin against God The Prophet Jeremy professeth he had stood before the Lord to speak good for his hearers and to turn away his wrath from them Nothing is more plain or frequent in all the Epistles almost of all the Apostles And good reason For First They are spiritual Fathers of their Congregations and therefore should have paternal affections in them which cannot but send forth Prayers for their Children Will not natural Parents earnestly wish and defire the good of their sons and daughters Secondly Their Prayers may greatly help and advantage the People 1. By diverting threatned and imminent or removing already inflicted and incumbent Plagues Moses standing in thâ— breach turned away the Lords wrath from rebellious Israel and saved them from deserved destruction Psal 106.23 The withered hand of that wicked Jeroboam at the Prayer of the Propher is restored Two heavy Judgements shewed in Vision to the Prophet Amos prepared for Israel at his intercession were stayed at least for a season Read Amos 7.1.2 3 c. 2. By procuring or pulling down from Heaven many blessings upon them spiritual and corporal Elias prayed saith the Apostle James and the Heaven gave rain and the Earth brought forth her fruit If the prayers of private Christians may prevail with God for healing those that are sick in soul or body shall we think the requests of his faithful Messengers who come nearer unto him will do nothing But especially their Prayers may obtain of God that blessed success and fruit of their Ministerial travels in the conversion and sanctification of their hearers than which nothing can be more profitable for the People and which is the Crown of the Ministers rejoycing First then many are worthy to be reproved Some are so sull of Satan that if any of their hearers do but cross or displease them they break our into black and bitter cursing instead of blessing wishing Gods Plagues and vengeance may fall upon them Some are so ignorant they cannot pray some so profane they care not for praying either for themselves or others they have more skill of swearing and swaggering than powring out spiritual prayers Many utter words of prayer in publick who are dumb at home all the week long and trouble not the Lord with one servent and savoury request for the spiritual welfare of the souls of their people I fear when the great Shepherd the Prince of Pastors shall appear these will appear and be found unfaithful Shepherds For as that Christian who never prays for himself but in the Church is convinced to pray only for fashion so that Preacher who never prays for his sheep but in the Pulpit may justly be thought to pray of custom rather than from conscience and zealous desire of their salvation and he that prays of custom only will I warrant him by cold and careless teaching except the wind of praise drive his Mill testifie to the world that he cares not much who carry away their souls so he have their fleeces Secondly therefore let all that are set over Congregations in the Lord provoke themselves to this duty I mean to be as well instant suiters for them to the Lord as constant instructers of them from the mouth of the Lord. Let every faithful Steward of Christ say with Samuel God forbid I should cease praying for the people of God committed to my charge For 1. If we bear them in our hearts 2 Cor. 7.3 as Paul did his Corinthians Philippians if we earnestly long after and love them in the bowels of Christ Jesus as the same Paul did the same Philippians Phil. 1.7 8. and what are we but hirelings if we do not we cannot but remember and mention them to God in our daily prayers as Paul did all the Churches 2.
fall I cannot be taken out of the hands of Christ therefore these outvvard duties are not needful for me the Spirit of grace vvill make no such conclusions It s the Devils Logick not Gods vvhich teacheth to reason from the certainty of Gods grace to the neglect of our ovvn duty Thus of the former instruction Our second Lesson from the same ground is that Godly Mens Prayers promote the salvation of others The hearty supplications of the faithful put up unto God for their brethren are good means furthering and helping forvvard the salvation of their brethren if this were not so our Saviour would not have taught us to pray that Gods Kingdom of grace and glory may come to others as well as our selves that others as well as our selves may know and obey the will of God sincerely chearfully constantly The Apostle would not have said I know this shall turn to my salvation through your prayers my prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved the Lord grant that he may find mercy in that day If a man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death he shall ask and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death For sometimes the prayers of the godly obtain for others the beginning of actual salvation that is conversion as our Saviours prayer for the Jews who crucified him took effect when so many of them were brought to repentance by Peters first Sermon and Stevens when Paul was converted therefore the Apostle willeth Christians to pray that Heathenish Magistrates may be turned to the Lord and come to the knowledge of the truth sometimes the progress of it that is the continuance and increase of all consequent blessings and gifts which are preparatives forerunners certain prognosticks of perfect salvation as fuller assurance comfort in afflictions spiritual establishment and the like Yet here we must know that we may rightly and soundly understand the point that Prayer is not a cause moving God to save those whom before he did not intend to save or making him more willing to save such whose salvation he formerly willed for Divinity teacheth that the will of God admitteth not intension or remission but a condition commanded and required in us which being fulfilled by us the Lord hath promised to shew and shed abroad upon others that grace which he had purposed before all time to bestow upon them The which doctrine serveth first to teach us what is the best office and greatest good turn we can do to any whom we love or whose kindness we desire to recompence as faithful friends bountiful benefactors kind parents dutiful children loving yoke-fellows Lend them many hearty prayers intreat the Lord for them that they may be delivered from this present evil world their eyes enlightned their sins pardoned their hearts purged their feet guided in the way of peace beg these things for them If thou prevailest in thy suit thou hast done more for them than if thou hadst made them Lords of all that the Iberian Nimrod doth either possess or desire all the Kingdoms of the earth Oh the dignity utility riches of prayer a good man by prayer may do that for his friend which all the wealth and power of the world cannot do The poorest Christian on whom God hath powred the spirit of supplications may be very profitable to the rich helping him to that which all his store cannot purchase For by the Heaven-piercing prayers which ascend daily from the Altar of a pure heart in the Temple of his soul he may be a means of receiving him into everlasting habitations that is of saving his soul Secondly hence we must be stirred up 1. In our daily petitions not only to speak for our selves but to remember also the whole community of them that belong to God wheresoever scattered It s a great fault in Christians not only to omit this duty altogether but to make it as too many do a meer matter of form Indeed our wicked hearts out of sloth or unbelief will be too ready to say Alas wherein can our prayers be profitable to them whose faces and cases are unknown to us But answer them from this Doctrine our prayers may advance the business of their salvation and like a prosperous wind facilitate their course or set themsorward with happy speed towards the Celestial Paradise How are we friends of Gods people if we deny our helping hand to procure them such a benefit as is the furthering of their best preferment 2. To crave the praiers of our Christian brethren We must lightly esteem the intercessions of our godly and religious friends nor think it an idle thing much less condemn it for a Puritanical form of speech to say when we speak or write to them I pray help me with your prayers For the meanest of Believers having received the crying spirit of adoption may be a mean or instrnment of our greatest good by speaking to our common father in our behalf Lastly Vse 3 this instruction breatheth out consolation to such poor souls who because they feel great weakness in themselves and live in places where spiritual meanes are scarce and slender are discouraged and almost despair of attaining salvation Let such know for their comfort that they have part in the prayers of all Saints in all corners of the earth which are ready every day at the throne of grace to speak good for them before the Lord of the whole earth and these prayers cannot be vain and ineffectual but shall like the shoulders of the palsiemans friends in the Gospel bear them into the presence of Christ to be strengthened and healed of their Infirmities support and carry them along in their pilgrimage and minister unto them abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdome of God The third point now followeth v. the persons for whom these ministers pray thus constantly for you saith the text that is for the Thessalonians who at this time were under persecution as appeareth in the fourth verse of this Chapter where the Apostle hath told us that he was glorified of them in the Churches of God because of their patience and faith in all their persecutious and tribulations which they did suffer Whence observe we Doctrine that Christians in their prayers must remember their afflicted Brethren As we must not forget to intercede and call upon God for all his dispersed Israel called uncalled so in special sort we should be mindful of them that travel under tribulation and suffer with Christ or for Christ This duty is included in that general precept remember them that are in bonds The practice of it occurs often in Scripture The sweet Psalmist singeth redeem Israel O God ont of all his troubles that thy beloved may be delivered save with thy right hand and hear me How often do the Faithful in the Psalms complain to God of the Churâ—hes distress and petition for redress Psal 74.79 80. Daniel and Nehemiah
and are upholden by the word of his power he gives unto every Man that comes into the World a reasonable soul he quickens sanctifies the elect Feeds them with his own flesh and bloud 1 Cor. 1.2 2 Co. 5.17 preserveth stablisheth enableth to every good word and work holds them in his hand supports them by his grace as the High Priest the names of Israel on his shoulders without him we have nothing can do nothing would return to nothing Therefore nothing is more meet than that Christians should wholly addict themselves to his glory Secondly Reas 2 consider the several relations of Christ unto Christians Is he not their Husband Must not all Wives give honour to their Husbands Is he not their King yea the King of glory are not subjects bound to honour their King Is he not their Lord and Master ought nor servants to count their masters worthy all honour Lastly he is their dear Redeemer who willingly disrobed and emptied himself of his regal glory and put on the homely mantle of humane flesh that he might ransom them with the price of his own bloud Therefore they owe themselves wholly to him and stand obliged to glorifie him in soul and body whose they are both in soul and body For to this end saith the Apostle Christ died for them 1 Co. 6.20 that they should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that died for them Hence the living Creatures are brought in saying with a loud voice worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive honour glory and blessing Thirdly Reas 3 It s no small honour which through Christ is already put upon them and from Christ they expect far greater in the next life They are now partakers of a glorious adoption a glorious shining righteousness glorious graces glorious joys they are called to glory and wait for a richly glorious inheritance an eternal weight of glory to be conferred upon them by Christ Now shall not those that have and look to receive so great glory from Christ endeavour so to live as Christ may have glory from them But alas Vse 1 how few will be able to stand if they be judged by this doctrine How many who call themselves Christians will be found lighter than vanity liars against the truth First many propound to themselves no other end of living here but hoording up riches building their nests on high serving their bellies wallowing in pleasures enjoying honours The glory of Christ their consciences being witnesses is no more thought on or remembred than if Christ had never bin of all other things this hath never troubled their heads Wel if Christ had ever visited these men with the light of life and by his spirit sent joyful tidings of salvation to their spirits it would be otherwise with them Never did man truly know Christ and what Christ hath done for his soul but was much taken up and transported in musing devising desiring to glorifie him Be not deceived if the Lords honour be a stranger in your minds memories intentions endeavours you are in darkness till this present and cannot be assured to your comfort that you have part in the rademption which is in Christ Jesus Secondly do not many live as if they had been made or born to the dishonour of Christ As 1. our idolaters who more stupid than the old Egyptians give the glory of Christ to creatures to their own works to the works of the Painter Carver Baker I fear these grand thieves are long since past shame and grace too Therefore the Lord Jesus requires at their hands the restitution of that honour which most sacrilegiously contrary to his crown and dignity they have robb'd him of 2 Our prophane swearers who tear the glorious name of Christ or ross his Titles unreverently in their Mouths these honour him as the Jews did when they spitted on him 3. All contemners of Christs ordinances and servants who shall one day find that whatsoever is done to things or persons bearing his Name Jesus Christ will take it and revenge it as done to himself 4. All wicked livers whose ungodly works cause that worthy Name by which we are called Jam. 2.7 to be blasphemed in the world We shall sometimes hear them detest and curse both Turk and Pope for persecuting it with the sword when themselves like arrant hypocrites in whom the love of Christ dwelleth not tread it under foot by their cursed and most abominable licentioasness Secondly Vse 2 Let all the Lords people study in all things and by all means to glorifie Christ Jesus Let his honour be dearer to us than all things For this cause were we redeemed †Is 43.21 called quickened that we should shew forth his praise lâ—â—e to his glory Do not masters â—â—ok their servants should be a credit to them The Angels of Heaven have no more noble imployment than to serve and honour the Son of God The Father hath committed to the Son the government of all things That all men might honour the Son as they honour the Father Joh. 5.23 If any desire direction for the practice of this most necessary lesson know that we must glorifie the Name of Christ both inwardly and outwarly Inwardly in spirit and affection 1. By stirring up and cherishing in our minds honourable thoughts of Christ an high esteem of him and his excellency of that incomparable goodness and power which he sheweth in leading us to salvation 2. By believing against hope and reaâ—on trusting on his grace and casting our selves wholly upon him in want of feeling and when all things seem to be against us 3. By intending his honour in every thing making it the mark at which we shoot and if we cannot be so happy as at all times to find that this is the end which before every action first comes to our minds and sensibly moves our wills yet must we strive to find in our selves after the action an high prizing and earnest thirsting after his glory far above all our own good temporal and eternal 4 By grieving heartily to see or hear him dishonoured by false worshippers false teachers carnal Christians 5. By often calling upon our hearts to admire and rejoyce in him more than all other things Outwardly both in word and work In word 1. By ascribing the whole glory of our salvation to him only 2. Speaking of him and using all his Names and Titles with such reverence as beseems so great a Lord. 3. Continual praising him for his mercy and truth towards us for the things he hath wrought daily worketh and will hereafter work for us speaking much good of him before others telling them what a wise powerful bountiful Lord we serve 4. Confessing him boldly before the sons of Men vindicating and maintaining by our Apologies his cause and truth when they are opposed and spoken against In work and conversation 1. By submitting our selves to the direction of his word in all things
Courtiers both â—n great favour with the greatest Moâ—archs in the world at that time how â—nournfully and earnestly do they inâ—eat for the church then in misery For First Reason 1 they are our fellow-memâ—ers parts of the same body if one â—ember suffer or be diseased will not â—e rest sympathize and seek the best â—elief for it they can if the head ake â—e stomack want meat the heart be â—ained the arme wounded the foot â—outy will not the tongue the souls â—rator by speaking the hand by writing crave supply or reâ—â—dy sure else they were unworthy to have any place in the body or receive life or motion from the head and heart Secondly Reason 2 they greatly need our prayers for their condition is both pityful and dangerous They stand as Gods souldiers in the very heat and heart of the most dangerous battle have not these need to be well backed by our prayers they sigh and groaâ— under oppression and wrong have not these need to be eased and helped by our prayers they are in the furnace oâ— fiery tryal Have not these need of thâ— cooling comfort of our prayers â— they should quail and start back whoâ— the Lord hath now brought into thâ— open field for the maintenance of hâ— truth the enemies would insult Sataâ— be proud of his victory Gods cause â— danger to fall to the ground and maâ— ny weak ones be discouraged Thirdly Reason 3 we may do them muâ— good by our prayers We may knoâ— their persecutors in the head it haâ— been observed that the faithful sighâ— ing against proud and cruel Tyrants with no other weapons but prayers and tears have given them blows after which they could never rise or recover we may move the Lord to give them compassion before those that afflicted them or to raise them up friends and fautors we may obtain for them deliverance as the Church did for Peter or strength to stand invincible under the cross Lastly our own hearts will tell us Reason 4 that were we in their case we would desire and expect this kindness from others We would think them unworthy to be called or accounted our brethren in Christ who hearing of our afflictions would not afford us the help of their prayers Now this is a rule in the royal Law urged also by Christ himself whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them and that which is now their lot may be ours e're long we are subject to the same things they suffer Suppose we were out of all reach of gun-shot yet we are commanded to put our selves in their room and to be affected towards them as if their case were ours as if their afflictions were our own proper burden First then Vse 1 what manner of Christians are those who if they pray at all pray only for themselves many alas too many are of this mind may but they sit and walk in the warm Sun of prosperity sleep in a whole skin line themselves well with wordly wealth suck in the commodities of a fruitful and peaceable land let who will take thought for distressed Churches distressed Christians they will leave that to them who have little else to do To apply this some what more particularly We cannot be ignorant how diverse as dear to God as the best of us are at this day afflicted some pinched and pressed with penury some imprisoned some banished We have heard with our cars our neighbours have told us how some are spoiled of their goods houses children synagogues liberty of worshipping God purely their temple-songs turned into howlings some kept in sore bondage by hard cruel Lords mourning continually and drinking their own tears in abundance by reason of the oppression of the enemy and the avenger some given to be meat to the sword of the furious and sulphurous sons of Babylon who now is grieved for these breaches of Ioseph who lays them to heart the telling or hearing of these things may prove a pang of pity in us for the present but who cries earnestly to God for them who can say his soul bleeds in secret for Zions wounds and thirsts after the peace of her children as if they were his own natural parents and brethren that their miseries lie heavy upon his spirit that he bears them in his heart when he comes to God in prayer give me the man give me the man that I may pronounce him the blessed of the Lord yea one of 10000 who cannot take and find that contentment which otherwise he might and could in his own good fare quiet habitation commodious lodging sweet children to whom the best outward comforts are less pleasant and often sawced with sorrowful sighs because it goes not well with the people and Saints of the Most high Well we may here learn to judge of our selves if our houses our hearts afford no prayers for poor afflicted Christians Zeph. 3.18 if we be not sorrowful for the solemn assembly if the reproach of it be not a burden to us we are as far from a truly Christian disposition as they that are furthest dead lumps in the womb of the Church void of the spirit of Christ unworthy to be reckoned in the mystical body of Christ Secondly Vse 2 let us therefore make conscience of this duty let us never cease to commend unto the Lord his afflicted flock his peeled and persecuted people We ought to lay down our lives for them if God should call us thereunto and shall we be backward to lend them our prayers Is it likely we would spend our blood to do them good for who we will not spend a few tears a little breath a few hearty desires and affectionate suits which we may do without hurt If the Jews in captivity must pray for the peace of heathenish Babylon how much more should the Israel of God for Jerusalem the City of God Is not the Christian Church the Spouse of Christ if we can see Christs own Spouse despightfully used trampled upon wounded and not be troubled not speak a good word for her how dare we say the love of Christ dwelleth in us The Lord no dobut hath just reasons within himself why as yet he sendeth not inlargement and deliverance to his Church but this freeth not them from blame who seeming and calliing themselves the Churches children pray not at all or very coldly for the prosperity of their mother Nay I will say boldly this denying to help the Church against the enemy though they never conspired with the enemy makes them guilty in Gods sight of the Churches desolation as sure as he that looks on while a true man is rob'd and murthered and calls not for aid is accessary to the murther Wherefore let us now begin if hither to we have been supine and careless and continue to be importunate petitioners for the faithful in misery oh let us double our importunity if it be possible giving the Lord no rest till
we do are we not well worthy to have our liveries taken from us and to be turned out of his service or discarded in the day of his glorious appearing 4. To be careful of honouring pleasing obeying him Ye shall do my judgements saith the Lord to the people in Leviticus and keep mine ordinances to walk therein Why I am the Lord your God Levit. 18.4 We will serve the Lord for he is our God Josh 24.18 say the people in Joshua For shame never profess thy self to be Gods never call God thine while thou makest no conscience of obeying him Art thou a willing servant of sin more ready to do what thy lusts lead unto than what God commands Sin is thy God Dost thou bestow upon the world the profits and pleasures of it that love fear joy delight strength time which God challengeth and the godly consecrate to him The world is thy God Are thy waies such as agree far better with the will of the Devil than with the holy will of God Dost thou not take far more care and pains for fulfilling the mind of the flesh and Satan than doing what God requireth and accepteth The Devil is thy God See now thou hast chosen and made strange gods to thy self other Lords have dominion over thee the God that formeth thee hast thou rejected for no man can serve two masters Lastly Vse 4 hence the Sons of men are admonished to take heed of persecuting that is wronging the godly by word or work for they belong to one that is higher than the highest the mighty maker of all things is their master and hath undertaken to be their Protector he that toucheth them toucheth the Lord who hath linked himself to them in an eternal league of amity If God be theirs he will certainly take their parts declare himself an enemy of their enemies smite the proudest that afflict them Make God thy Foe draw him into the Field against thee and see how thou speedest The last and largest branch of our general division now followeth Resolution which is the matter of the Apostles prayer Wherein two things are to be considered 1. The things craved in the rest of the 11 ver 2. The end for which he desired and would have God to bestow them ver 12. The things craved for the Thessalonians the blessings for which Paul prayeth unto God in their behalf are two for he intreateth the Lord 1. That he would make them worthy of their calling 2 That he would fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness c. whereof the first is principal the other subordinate a means conducing and subservient to the former Let us begin with the former and first â—eek out the sense of the words Interpretaiton By â—alling many understand the glory of Gods kingdome to which the faithful are called I see no need of flying â—o so far-fetcht a Metonymya we may well enough take it in the usual sense â—ither for that gracious and saving beâ—efit of God bestowed on the Elect which commonly we call effectual callâ—ng or for the state and profession of Ghristianity to which they are brought â—y Gods calling them out of their naâ—ural condition and then the meanâ—ng of the other words will be this We pray that the Lord will enable â—ou to walk as becometh those that â—re the called of God to direct and strengthen you that in nothing you may discredit but in all things to the very end honour your Christian-calling Hence we may deduce three conclusions The first doct 1 True Christians of themselves would shame their calling The faithful if God do not guide and uphold them are in danger to blemish their profession For prayer to God for any thing importeth and presupposeth our indigency and want oâ— the thing prayed for or else impotency to retain what we have obtained to perform what is required The Apostles petition implies as much as if hâ— had said though you have received â— good portion of Gods grace unless hâ— continue to be your strength and stay you will fall to such courses as are uâ— worthy your holy calling Sam. 12.14 David a Prâ—phet endued with a large measure â— the spirit of sanctification how did â— discredit his religion by his adulterâ— murther counterseit madness Peter aâ— Apostle by lying swearing and sâ— swearing before the enemies of Chriâ— and by dissembling at Antioch The like may be said of Noah Jonah Sampson Solomon for that Solomon was an elect vessel and is a glorious Saint in heaven I no more doubt than that he was the Author of Ecclesiastes for this Book could not be written in the time of his primitive integrity because he speaks precisely of that as a thing past nor of his Apostacie Eccles 2.8 because a soul turned from God would never have taken pains to draw men from all earthly vanities which is the scope of that Book nor breathed out such heavenly precepts as are here found and therefore was written by a true penitent who found God gracious and was received into Abrahants bosome Reasons of this Doctrine Reason 1 may be drawn First from the reliques of original sin the root and source of sins which still hath residency though not regency in the best the old leaven is not perfectly purged out that flesh in which dwells no goodness dwells in those that have most goodness The holiest souls do necessarily though unwillingly carry about in their bosoms an hereditary disease which inclines them to drowsiness Rom. 7.11 and neglect of their holy watch a dangerous deceiver an enemy like to Satan lusting against the spirit rebelling against the Law of their mind sometimes craftily enticing sometimes violently haling to those things that are contrary to their calling Secondly Reason 2 from Satans opposition who thrusts sore at them that he may cast them down from their excellency out of the hatred he bears both to their Souls which will be wounded and to Gods Name which will be blemished by their false Therefore he blows the fire of natural corruption presents objects and by them worketh upon the heart offers wicked company watcheth where they are weakest when most unprovided and accordingly assaults them a thousand wiles he useth all the power and policie of his seven heads and ten horns he applieth to the subverting of them Thirdly from the weakness of the new man True holiness indeed is renewed in them but imperfect their strength is like the strength of a child now beginning to go or a man recovering of a great sickness they neither know believe nor love perfectly and therefore can neither avoid evil nor do good perfectly Look then as he whose sight is dim or joynts and knees feeble may easily slip and fall into the mire so the best Christians being attended with infirmity whil'st they are strangers on earth are in danger by falling to shame their calling further than they are supported by God The point thus
readiness embrace and rightly use that grace and come when he called 1. These are right builders of Babel Is not this most horrible most wicked confusion to thrust the first cause out of his rank and seat the second in his room to subject the Creator or make him inferiour to his creature to fetch the first rise or spring of mans salvation from man It is no less absurd and blasphemous for ought I can see to say Gods will had or needed an external moving cause in ordaining things than to say his power had or needed an outward help in creating things The Papists shall rise up in judgement and condemn them some of whom do affirm roundly and confirm as soundly that there is no cause in us of Gods predestination that election is altogether free without prevision of good works 2. What faith could God fore-see in man not half but wholly dead in trespasses and sins what power of willing their own conversion in Men of stony hearts altogether impotent to spiritual good mancipated to Satan 3. Lastly where they say God bestows means of salvation upon some rather than others because he seeth they will profit better by them a pur-blind Papist will tell them its manifestly false For if that were the reason then the Lord should always send his Gospel and Ministers to those that are most towardly and capable deny them to those who are most hard hearted and rebellious but we see in Scripture and experience he often sends them to those that are worse than others as to Israel a gain-saying people a people of stiff and steely necks adamantine hearts brazen fore-heads Ezek. 3.6 7. Matt. 11.21 more stubborn and inflexible than the Gentiles than the Tirians and Sidonians Secondly This must teach us humility Vse 2 We have no cause to be lifted up in pride for any good thing we have or can do For it s neither from our selves nor procured and purehased from God by any worthiness or work of ours Nothing is our own but evil let us take nothing to our selves but shame and confusion Hast thou honour riches children bodily strength and activity friends gifts of nature graces of the spirit say with Jacob these are the riches the children the gifts which God hath graciously given me If thou feelest at any time such thoughts as these arising in thy heart Because of my sincerity obedience hearty and constant praying I have better children better success in the world than others I am preserved and delivered out of dangers wherein others perish judge them to be the issue of Satan that father of pride who perswaded our first parents and still would all his posterity to affectate the Divinity and therefore serve these cockatrice eggs as they deserve trample upon them crush them east them in the Devils face know that our obedience is not a cause of Gods kindness and benignity but a way or path leading to the taste and feeling of it God who is faithful having promised that whosoever walk in that way shall find him gracious and bountiful or a condition pre-required in those that shall taste the fruits of his goodness which condition not man by his own power performeth but the grace of God worketh and produceth Thirdly Vse 3 This should stir us up to magnifie and extol this goodness of God which giveth us all good things not onely abundantly but freely If all the rivelets of blessings wherewith we are watered flow from the Sea of his mercy its meet they should â—eslow thither by thanksgiving We should imitate the Marigold vvhich continually turneth it self to the Sun from whom it receiveth juyce If we have received great kindness from one at whose hands vve could never have expected or deserved any such thing how are vve affected with it vve cannot easily make an end of commending him nor satisfie our selves in thanking him Oh say we such a man is a mirrour of good nature When I was a meer stranger to him had none to mediate for me could give him nothing nor any way pleasure him of his own accord out of his own free disposition he thus and thus befriended me Oh how am I bound to him I shall never forget it while I live How much more brethren should the praises of the goodness of our God be ever in our hearts in our mouths who loved uâ— when we were enemies sought us wheâ— we strayed like lost sheep found uâ— when we sought him not called uâ— when we resisted him remembreth uâ— when we forget him keepeth promiâ— with us most faithfully when we are unfaithful to him followeth and ladetâ— us with his benefits when we have for feited all by unthankfulness undutifulness how should we awaken our deaâ— hearts to admire and glorifie this â— free mercy of the Lord 2 Sam. 7.21 and say soâ— thine own sake and according to thine owâ— heart O God hast thou shewed me uâ— worthy wretch Neh. 9 5 less than the least of all thy mercies all this grace and truth blessed be thou for ever and ever and blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise Let this suffice to have been spoken of the first lesson Now secondly vvhenas the Apostle prays in this manner for a people excelling many in grace and goodness in the next place we set down this conclusion Fulness of grace is not given at once doct 2 but by degrees God is able enough to replenish his children with all holiness and lift them from the hell of misery wherein he finds them to a state of perfect happiness in a moment yet he pleaeth to proceed step by step in opening and displaying to them the treasures of his goodness and not in an instant to powre out upon them all his spiritual riches Therefore Salomon compares a just mans path to the shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day Pro. 4.18 Hence are these Exhortations as ye have received of us 1 Thes 4.1 how ye ought to walk and please God so abound more and more grow in grace put on the new man cleanse your selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and these promises the righteous shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon ye shall grow up as the calves of the stall and the like For First Reason 1 the Lord stoopeth to ourinfirmity We are dull in conceiving slow of heart to belieue like infants or narrow-mouthed vessels which receive liquor but by drops As therefore the loving nurse or mother in feeding the wise father or school-master in teaching accommodate themselves to childrens vveakness rather considering vvhat and how they are able to take than striving to powre in all themselves are able to give whereby life or memory may be over-whelmed so the Lord in dispensing of his graces attempenâ— himself and his dealing to the infirm capacity of his servants imparting them by degrees because they are not fit to receive them otherwise