mo in number than others but because he loued your fathers For so often as we heare mention made of his loue we ought by and by to remember that saying of the Apostle Not that we loued him first Iohn 4.10 And the certaine and sure signes of the loue of God toward vs are the proclayming of the Gospell and the preaching of remission of sinnes through Christ For by that publication of Gods will it is both testified that we are receiued into the grace of adoption through Christ and also are reckoned in the number of Gods sonnes if so be we receiue the doctrine of the Gospell through faith and doe commit our selues to the grace of the most mercifull God Psal 147.11 Iohn 3.16 For the Lord loueth those that feare him and that put their trust in his mercie Moreouer God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne Ephe. 16. that they that beleue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life This therefore is that grace of God which maketh vs accepted through the beloued that is through Christ Wo therefore be vnto those wicked teachers which wil haue vs to doubte of the Grace of God and whether we are loued of God when as God would haue vs more sure of nothing then that beleeuing the Gospell we assure our selues to be in his fauour and to be beloued of Christ Because that God hath from the beginning chosen you The Apostle expresseth the cause why all men shal not be ouerwhelmed in one and the selfe same destruction namely because Sathan can doe nothing against those to hinder their saluation although heauen and earth be confounded together For this saying of Christ shall alwayes abide most firme My sheepe hear my voice and I knowe them Iohn 10.27 and they follow me and I giue vnto them eternall life neither shall they perish for euer and no man shall take them ou◠〈◊〉 my hande There is no doubt but thaâ— the Apostle speaketh of Gods eternall electioÌ„ For he meaneth that there is no feare of the altering of their saluation which is fouÌ„ded vpon gods eternal election thogh there happen a troublesome alteration of thinges As if he should say let this be a horror and feare to others to those I say which perish in whom the Diuels can much preuaile but as for you ye are without peril as the beloued of God such as are elected froÌ„ the beginning Therefore what garboyle trouble soeuer Sathan woorketh in the worlde yet your saluation was laid vp in safety for you before the world was made For election signifieth a purpose of shewing mercie and of sauing those whom God hath ordayned by that purpose to obtayne eternall life for an inheritance But because it is not our part to enter into the secret counsell of God there to seeke the certaintie of our saluation he deliuereth vnto vs certaine signes and tokens of election which ought sufficiently to assure vs thereof Through sanctification of the spirit That is to say by the holy Ghost which doth purifie our hearts and giue vnto vs a true faith Therefore to know whether God hath elected vs or no we must not seeke what God hath done before the creation of the worlde but we shal finde in our selues a lawfull triall namely if he hath sanctified vs with his spirit established vs in the faith of his Gospell For it is the office of the holy Ghost to illuminate our darkened heartes which are naturally blinde to teach the ignorant to comfort the afflicted to bringe those that goe astray into the right way and so to sanctifie them that their workes may be acceptable to the omnipotent God The Apostle calleth that the Faith of truth by which the elect doe beleeue the Gospell of Christ For this is contrary to that false perswasion concerning the which Iames pronounceth saying Faith without workes is dead And the faith which we heare to the Gospell â—â—mes 2. is an assured testimony of our adoption and the spirit doth giue that adoption and they which are led by the spirit of God Rom. 8.14 Iohn 3.36 are the sonnes of God And he which possesseth Christ by faith hath euerlasting life All which thinges are diligently to be noted least we pretermitting the reuelation of Gods will whereupon he commaundeth vs to rest we going about to drawe the same from his secrete counsell in the which he woulde not haue vs inquisitiue should bring our selues into a confused laberinth or maze Therefore we must holde our selues contented with the faith of the Gospell and with the grace of the spirit by which we are regenerated that we may assure our selues to be elected of God and that we shall haue the saluation of eternall life if we doe truly beleeue in Christ the sonne of God And hereby their wickednes is confuted which make Gods election a cloake of all filthynesse when as Peter so ioyneth the same with faith and regeneration 1. Peâ— that they cannot be separated And Paul himselfe in an other place testifieth Ephe. 1.4 that we were elected before the foundation of the world was layed that we might be blamelesse and holy in the sight of God in loue 14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospell to obtaine the glorie of our Lorde Iesus Christ The preaching of the Gospell pertayneth to the confirmatioÌ„ of election For this is the meane by which we come vnto saluation whereunto God hath chosen vs. God therefore hath called vs vnto a true faith not by the righteousnes of the law but by the Gospell euen as Paul testifieth in an other place 2. Tim. 1.9 He hath saued and called vs with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was but is now made manifest by the appearing of our sauiour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortalitie vnto light through the Gospell And therefore by the Gospell because no man can beleeue in Christ but by the publication therof who being now glorified raigneth at the right hand of God the father in heauen Rom. 10.17 For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God By our Gospell He calleth it his Gospell not that it sprang from him but because the preaching thereof was committed to him As if he should say By the Gospell which we haue preached which was committed to vs to preach And here are to be noted certaine degrees of our saluation For we are from the beginning chosen to saluation and then we are made partakers of saluation through sanctification of the spirite through beleeuing of the truth and through the Gospell To obtaine the glorie of our Lorde Iesus Christ This doth bring no small consolation to the faithful when they know that doth they and their saluation are so in the handes of God euen as a fixed
prayer is that we may al vnderstand that euery good gift is giuen to vs from aboue least any man should ascribe to much to his owne strength The Lorde saith he so direct and gouerne you in true loue toward God that ye may doe his commaundements and also in faith toward Christ that ye may shewe your selues patient in al troubles of afflictioÌ„s Charitie wil make you to endeuour your selues continually to behaue your selues well towards all men euen as God is good louing to all The wayting for the comming of Christ will make you stoutly to suffer all afflictions Therefore we doe vnderstand by the name of the loue of God in this place that loue of ours towardes God by which we performe his commaundementes with prompt obedience honouring him which loued vs first and gaue his onely begotten sonne 1. Iohn 4.10 to be the obtayner of mercie for our sinnes For that true and effectuall loue is the strength of such as beleeue the Gospell of Christ which all they declare to be in them which are indued with a true faith in Christ He prayeth also that the faithfull may without doubting waite for the comming of Christ the defender of the afflicted and that at the last they might be deliuered from their affliction For the Apostle commonly vseth to comfort such as are afflicted and himselfe also with the expectation of the comming of the iudge Christ For thus he writeth If we suffer 2. Tim. 2.11 2. Tim. 4. we shal also raigne with him And againe From henceforth is laid vp for me the croune of righteousnesse which the Lorde the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but vnto all them also which loue his comming Wherefore seeing he doth here briefly expresse those things which he knewe to be most necessarie for Christians if we desire to grow to perfection let vs seeke to profite in these two things And in very deede the loue of God cannot raigne in vs but that the loue of our brother must be in vs also Also the looking for Christ instructeth Christians to contemne the worlde to mortifie the flesh and to beare the crosse Howbeit that may be expounded to be the wayting for Christ which the doctrine of Christ doth beget in vs that is to say by which we suffer sundry persecutions of corporall afflictions for the name and glorie of Christ But it is better to vnderstand it of the hope of the last redemption 6 We commaund you brethren in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ that ye withdrawe your selues from euery brother that walketh inordinatly and not after the instruction which he receiued of vs. This is another exhortation concerning the shunning of the company of inordinate brethren The cause of this commaundement was for that immediatly after the Apostles times certaine curious persons began to thrust themselues into the Church of God who either vnder the pretence of religion or else by sinister meanes that is to say by idlenesse sought to liue a pleasant life These he calleth inordinate men not that they were of a dissolute life or infamed with notorious crimes but because they were idle and slothfull persons which exercised themselues in no honest trade of life For this is a confused disorder in deed to haue no regard wherefore we are made and not to frame our life to this ende For this is a well ordered life when we liue according to the rule of Gods worde Without this order there is nothing in the life of man but confusion And this is worthy to be noted least any man should conceiue a liking of him selfe liuing out of his lawfull vocation For God hath put such a difference in the life of men that one man cannot liue without another Therefore he which liueth to himselfe onely is no way profitable to mankind but a burthen to others Wherfore Paul pronounceth that such are to be driuen out of the company of the faithfull least they bring shame and infamie to the Church In the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ The Apostle added this that the Thessalonians might vnderstand that this commaundement ought to be reuerently receiued as comming not from a mortall man but from Christ himselfe As if he should saye those thinges which we commaund you we doe not commaund as in our owne name but by the commaundement of Christ our Lorde That ye withdraw your selues from euery brother This withdrawing whereof he speaketh doth not appertaine to publique excommunication but to priuate custome or company keeping For he doth simplely forbid that the faithfull haue no manner of familiaritie with such idle droanes as haue no honest trade of life wherein they may liue That walketh inordinately Least any man should take this word inordinatly in another meaning theÌ„ the Apostle Paul himselfe vnderstood he wil expound him selfe in the eleuenth verse following And he doth here make mentioÌ„ by name of brethren who being such and professing themselues to be Christians of all others are least to be tollerated because they are as it were the blots and spots of religion And not after the institution which he receiued of vs. By the institution he meaneth that which he will adde anone in the tenth verse that meate be not giuen to him which will not labour 7 For ye your selues knowe how ye ought to followe vs for we behaued not our selues inordinately among you 8 Neyther tooke we bread of any man for nought but we wrought with labour and trauell night and day because we would not be chargeable to any of you Before the Apostle commeth to the institution he sheweth what manner of example he hath giuen them in him selfe For that doctrine is of great credit and authoritie when we laye no more burthen vpon others then we take vpon our selues For we behaued not our selues inordinately among you As if he should say there is iust cause why ye should follow me for I haue liued an honest Godly and Christian life among you Neither tooke we bread of any man for nought He proueth that he did not behaue him selfe inordinately among the Thessalonians and withall he doth by the way reprehend those which vnder the pretence of the Gospell liue idlely and are a burthen to others He sheweth that he wrought day and night with his handes that he might not be chargeable to any man Of the which matter he had said somewhat in the former Epistle to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 2.9 And whereas he denieth that he hath eaten any mans bread frely or of gift in very deed he should not haue done so although he had not laboured with hâ—s handes For it is not of free gift which is due by right and the price of the labour which the Ministers of the Gospell bestow on the Church is much greater then the liuing which they receiue from the same But Paul had respect here vnto disordered careles men For al men are not so equal
hereafter As it is meet In these woords Paul sheweth that we are bound to giue thanks vnto God not onely when he doth power on vs good thinges but also when we call to mind his benefits bestowed on our brethren For whersoeuer we do see the goodnes of God to shine we are bound to giue thankes for the same Furthermore the sauing health of our brethren ought to be so deare vnto vs that whatsoeuer is giuen vnto thē we ought to take it as bestowed on our selues Moreouer if we do consider the holy vnitie of the body of Christ such mutuall communion and fellowship shal be among vs that we will reckon the benefite of one member to be the benefite gaine of the whole Church Therefore in praysing the benefites of God we must alwayes haue respect vnto the vniuersalitie of the Church Because that your faith groweth excedingly Here are repeated the principa◠pointes of our religion as faith charitie and sufferance but not without cause For because in the former Epistle he had praysed the faith and charitie of the Thessalonians now he speaketh of the increase of them both And in very deede it is conuenient for all the godly to obserue this order that they daily make a triall and examination of themselues how much they haue profited This therefore is the true prayse of the faithfull if they grow and increase dayly more and more in faith and in charitie Moreouer first he gaue thankes vnto God for them now he saith there is cause why he should againe giue thankes for their dayly profiting And when he giueth thankes vnto God for their profiting he doth thereby signifie and declare that as well the increase as the beginning of faith and loue commeth from God For if these sprang from the vertue that is in men the giuing of thankes should be fayned or els for nothing Three causes of thanks giuing There are therfore three causes of thankes giuing of the which the first is the increase of faith For faith in such as are consecrated vnto God how true and perfect soeuer it be doth not sodenly come to her full perfection euen as yong Trees doe not by and by grow to their full bignes but doe first spring then shout vp in talnesse and at the last come to a full groth of a Tree Euen so faith hath her degrees and is not at the first begining fully perfected but seeketh and desireth to increase it selfe daily more and more And that is the meaning of this place of Paul Rom. 1.17 where he saith From faith to faith that is to say that the same in the first beginning do not decay but rather that it be confirmed more and more vntil it come to iust perfection For according to our common māner of speaking Faith of two sortes there are two sortes of faith one imperfect the which being once begunne goeth forward by degrees and increaseth and continueth not alway in weaknes the other is perfect the which being many wayes confirmed doth constātly rest it selfe on the sure knowledge and will of God And the loue of euery one of you toward another aboundeth The Second cause of thankes giuing is the mutuall loue of the Godly which bindeth vnto her euery one whom she findeth in affliction by many benefittes And although according to the common vse of the sacred scriptures he is our neighbour which is ioyned to vs by any maner of way either of dwelling nere vnto vs either of kinred or of frendship or of societie or else of custome yet notwithstanding he also shal be our neighbour which standeth in need of our helpe whatsoeuer although he be not a Citizen with vs a fellow a cosin or any other way ioyned vnto vs Luk. 10.30 euen as that man was which fell into the hands of theeues But this loue differeth from that which we owe vnto God 1. Ioh. 4.10 which loueth him in the highest degre which loued vs first This loue is the pietie and worship which we owe vnto God And as the duties of this loue are gathered out of the first table so the duties of the other are taken out of the second table the which loue in that it springeth from the loue of God as from the fountain it cannot be but very acceptable vnto God Whereupon it commeth to passe that God doth oftē times more vrge and require the loue of our neighbour then the loue of himselfe For as it appeareth by the Prophet he doth preferre the defence and helpe of the widowes the fatherlesse and the oppressed before the sacrifices offered vnto him Esay 1.17 Loue is the handmaid of faith Gal. 5.6 For this loue is the handmaid of faith and doth so necessarily wait vpon her as doth the shadow on the body Because faith which is auailable before God is effectual and working through loue 4 So that we our selues reioyce of you in the Churches of God because of your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye suffer The Apostle could not giue vnto them a greater prayse then when he sayth that he propoundeth them as examples before other Churches to be followed for that is the meaning of these woordes We our selues reioyce of you in the Churches of God And yet Paul doth not ambitiously boast of the faith of the Thessalonians but setteth them foorth as a prouocation to make others the more earnest to imitate them In the Churches of God In that he calleth them not his Churches but the Churches of God it declareth his humilitie faithfulnesse For they are false and vntrustie who whenas they ought to be the seruants of God and the ministers of Churches desire to be called Lordes and doe vsurpe authoritie ouer other mens seruants Because of your patience The third and last cause of giuing thanks is their patience But the Apostle saith not that he doth reioyce because of the faith and loue of the Thessalonians but of their patience and faith Wherupon it followeth that patience is the fruite and testimony of faith Therefore these woordes ought to be resolued thus we reioyce of the patience which commeth of faith and doth testifie the faith excelleth in you Otherwise the text should not agree And in very deed there is nothing that doth hold vs vp more in tribulations then doth faith the which doth hereby euidently enough appeare because so soone as we forget the promises of God we fal flat to the ground Therfore the more that a man doth grow in faith the more he is armed through patience stoutly to indure all things euen as on the contrarie part cowardice and impatiēce in aduersitie doth bewray our Infidelitie especially at such time as we are to suffer persecution for the Gospell the force of faith will shew it selfe Therefore that reioycing of the Apostle Paul was no proud or vaine boasting but godly piety by which he did exalt and aduaunce with condigne prayses
is the loue study and earnest desire of the trueth especially of that doctrine which is deliuered in the Gospel concerning our eternall saluation through Christe This trueth the Papists doe impugne with no lesse crueltie then they haue alwayes done the professours thereof 11 And therefore God shall sende them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes The Apostle stil proceedeth with the punishment of incredulitie and impenitencie by which two vices it commeth to passe that some doe speake against the doctrine of truth saluation He doth not onely say that men shall beleue errors but also that the reprobate shall be blinded in such wise that without all iudgement they shall runne headlong into death For as God doth inwardly illuminate vs with his spirite that his doctrine may be effectuall with vs and doth open our eyes and heartes that it may pierce and enter therin euen so by his iust iudgement hee deliuereth those ouer into a reprobate sence whom hee hath appointed to destruction that with closed eyes and dulled minds as men voyde of sence astonished they may yeelde them selues to Sathan and to his ministers to be deceiued And being seduced they are most perilously beguiled because when they doe beleeue that they are in the way of righteousnesse of trueth and of saluation they doe walke in the waye of iniquity of lies and of euerlasting destruction And in very deed we haue a manifest spectacle of this thing in the papacie It cannot be told what a woonderfull heape of errors are therin what grosse and shamfull absurdity of superstitions and what doting dilusions and dreames farre from common sence All they which haue but a meane tast of the sacred Scriptures cannot somuch as thinke of those monstrous thinges without great horror How commeth it to passe then that all the world is astonished in such wise that they cannot see them but because the Lorde hath striken them with blindnesse turned them as it were into sencelesse blockes For deceiueable sleights are effectuall in them because the Diuell worketh together in theÌ„ blinding the minds of the vnbeleeuing that the light of the glory of the Gospell which is the image of God 2. Cor. 4. might not shine vnto them Therefore we must obserue and note in this place that impietie lyes errors sectes and heresies with such like are punishments of the contempt of Gods worde For God is not wont to suffer the contempt of his worde to escape vnpunished but doth most grieuously take vengeance on the same that men may knowe that there is no dallying with God So our auncestors were punished with deceiueable wayes in the myst of darkenesse for the contempt of the word because they beleeued lyes Now we may easily gather by examples already past what is to be feared will befall vs vnthankfull men at this day for the contempt of the Gospell of Christ 12 That all they might be iudged which beleeue not the truth but haue approued vnrighteousnesse That is to say that they might suffer the punishment due for their impietie and perish by the iust iudgment of God So that there is no cause why they that perishe should any manner of way laye the blame vpon God because they haue gotten that which they sought for For we must remember what Moses writeth that our heartes are tried and proued when false doctrines are published by deceiuers because they doe not preuaile with any but with those which doe not loue God with their whole heart Deut. 13.3 Therfore they which loue vnrighteousnes shal reape the fruite thereof So Christ said vnto the Iewes Iohn 5.40 But ye wil not come to me that ye might haue life I receiue not prayse of men But I knowe you that ye haue not the loue of God in you I am come in my fathers name and ye receiue me not If another shall come in his owne name him will ye receiue When the Apostle saith here That al he giueth vs to vnderstand that the contempt of God is not excused by their great rout and multitude which refuse to obey the Gospell For God is a iudge of the whole world who will as soone take vengeance vpon a hundred thousand as vpon one man But haue approued vnrighteousnesse He expoundeth by an Antithesis or comparison what it is not to beleeue the truth And the Greeke participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a willing promptnesse vnto euill and therefore it is translated of some But had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Hereby all excuse is taken from the vnthankeful seeing they take so great pleasure in vnrighteousnesse that they prefer the same before the righteousnesse of God Now if we doe compare with these woordes those things which seducers and the seduced Papistes doe account to be their great prayse we shall easily see what is the chiefe reward which is due to them namely most fearefull wrath and double condemnation â—or they will not beleeue the truth but dâ—â—light in vnrighteousnesse and in impietie being sedused by the prince of daâ—â—â—es and by Sathan the father of lyes â—s far concerning the crueltie and iâ—â—â—â—ie of Antichrist concerning of the â—euils which he hath brought into the Church by wicked doctrines and by the oppression of the Gospell of Christ 13 But we ought alwayes to giue thankes to God for you brethren beloued of the Lorde because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the spirit and the faith of truth The Apostle hauing before declared certaine horrible thinges which might terrefie and trouble the hearers minde doth now comfort the heartes of the faithfull and doth more plainely segregate disseuer the Thessalonians froÌ„ the reprobate least their faith might wauer with the feare of the defectioÌ„ to come Howbeit his intention was to prouide not onely for them but also for posterities to come neither doth he only confirme them that they might not be carried into the same ruine with the world but also by this câ—â—parison he doth the more coÌ„mend the 〈◊〉 of God towards the that whereas 〈◊〉 behold almost the whole world to bâ—â—ed headlong together as it were 〈◊〉 â—iolent empest they by the hand o◠〈◊〉 liued in a quiet and firme state of lâ—fe Thus it is conuenient to behold the iâ—â—â—ments of God in the reprobate that theâ— may be as it were looking glasses vnto vs to consider his mercie toward vs. For we must make this accoumpt that it commeth to passe onely by the singular grace and fauour of God that we in like manner doe not perishe miserably with them Brethren beloued of the Lorde He calleth them so that they may the better consider that they are for no other cause deliuered from the vniuersall distruction of the worlde but because God hath freely loued them Of this fauour and grace of God Moses remembred the Iewes saying Deut. 7.7 God hath not therefore so greatly exalted you because you were more mightie or
of his bondes according to his vvoonted manner Furthermore he shevveth that hee is in present perill of vnreasonable and euill men Whereof it may be gathered that he did write this Epistle as hee vvas in his iourney tovvarde Ierusalem And the Latines haue a long time beene of opinion that it vvas vvritteÌ„ from Athens Some also thinke that it vvas sent by Titus Onesimus CHAPTER I. 1 Paul and Siluanus and Timotheus vnto the Church of the ThessaloniaÌ„s in God our father and in the Lord Iesus Christ 2 Grace bee with you and peace from God our father and from the Lord Iesus Christ PAVL and Siluanus and Timotheus As in the former Epistle to the Thessalonians so in this Epistle also the Apostle beginneth retayninge the same forme of subscription title and salutation The Apostle Paule himselfe being the author of this Epistle doth neuerthelesse vouchsafe to make others consortes with him of the same which were his woorkefellowes in the ministerie of the worde not arrogating to him selfe alone the prerogatiue and prehemineÌ„ce as those doe which seeke themselues but shewing his common consent with others in doctrine which were the seruants of Christ he ioyneth two with him as authors of the Epistle Siluanus was a diligent helper of Paul in the Gospel who preached Christ to the Corinthians as appeareth in the same Epistle where it is saide For the sonne of God Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 1.19 Act. 15.22 who was preached among you by vs that is by me and Siluanus and Tymotheus c. This Siluanus is euen the very same which in the Acts of the Apostles is called Silas as some coniecture the name being somewhat enlarged and deformed according to the manner of the Grekes and Latines Tymotheus was the sonne of a certaine godly and faithfull woman of Iudea whom the Apostle calleth Eunice but his father was a Greke 2. Tim. 1.5 and his graundmothers name was Lois This man preached Christ at Thessalonica and kept Paul company going into Asia Thus then we see that the Apostle writeth his Epistle in the name of three both to shewe that they did all agree together in teaching and also to bring the more authoritie and credit vnto his Epistle For there is more credit giueÌ„ to many of one profession and misterie than to one alone according to the common prouerb No man is so quicke sighted that he can see all thinges perfitly Wherefore Paul very prudently hath inserted the names of his consortes Vnto the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father By these woords he declareth y the true Church was among the Thessalonians and they doe contayne a notable description of the Church which is the true and lawfull spouse of Christ which among other notes may be known by this one namely A special note of the true Church if it be a congregation gathered together in God the father and in our Lorde Iesus Christ For there is a Church gathered together in God our father in the Lord Iesus Christ and there is a Church gathered together in the Diuell as is the malignaunt Church This title then doth testifie that this Epistle was in the first begining dedicated to that Church which in Thessalonica agreeing in the vnitie of faith woorshipped one God the father and the Lord Iesus Christ and which stedfastly beleeued the promises of the Gospell that in them alone is conteyned the doctrine of Christian righteousnesse and of eternall life For without the knowledge of them and faith no man can bee truely reckoned to appertayne to the Church of God the father and of our Lord Iesus Christ And now let vs thinke that this Epistle doth no lesse appertayne to euery one of vs then it did to the Thessalonians which are also endued with a true and liuely faith in God the father and in our Lord Iesus Christ yea rather it doth most especially profite the Church at this day that it may serue as a caueat in these latter times wherein Antichrist is reuealed to make vs beware of deceiuers who without this Epistle could not so well be knowne Antichrist with them raging in the Church and spoyling the same It is also to be noted that the Apostle hath ioyned God the father and our Lord Iesus Christ together therby to shewe that the sonne is nothing inferior to the father in this matter Grace be with you and peace from God our father c. First of al the Apostle wisheth vnto them grace that is to say reconciliation and the endowment of the holy Ghâ—â—t for there is nothing more to bee desired then to haue God our mercifull father then he wisheth vnto them peace that is all other good giftes which are needful for them For this worde peace signifieth generally al ioyful and prosperous successe Therefore what ioy and prosperitie soeuer we haue if we haue not the fauour of God withall our blessing shall soone be turned into a curse So that the onely foundation of our felicitie is the fauour and loue of God whereof it commeth to passe that our prosperitie is firme and permanent and our saluation most sure in the middest of aduersitie He addeth that this grace and peace doth come from God the father to giue vs to vnderstand that whatsoeuer good thing commeth to vs the same coÌ„meth from the free grace goodnes and fauour of God He putteth downe the name of Father and not of a Iudge that thereby we might haue the feeling of his vnspeakeable loue toward vs. And from the Lord Iesus Christ He ioyneth God the father the Lord Iesus Christ together to teach vs y grace al other good things are giuen vnto vs for his sonnes sake our mediator Secondly that wee may knowe howe wee shal be sure to receiue them namely if we aske them for his sonnes sake Thirdly he giueth vs to vnderstaÌ„d that the sonne is by nature God reigning in equall power with the father and helping vs by his diuine power Therefore he intending to wish the summe of felicitie to the Godly commeth to the fountaine it self that is to the grace of God the which alone doth not onely bringe vnto vs euerlasting blessednes but also is the cause of all good thinges in this life 3 We ought to thanke God alwaies for you brethren as it is meete because that your faith groweth excedingly and the loue of euery one of you toward another aboundeth The first part of the Epistle is gratulatorie and consisteth of thanks giuing for thankes are giuen vnto God as the giuer and confirmer of those benefites After this manner the Apostle for the most part beginneth all his Epistles giuing thanks with them vpon whom the gift of Iustification is bestowed Alwaies He meaneth that he hath daily new occasion ministred to him of giuing thankes vnto God For you brethren That is to say on your behalfe for your constancie and increase in spirituall thinges putting the persons for the things as we shal see