he sayes not Onesiphorus deserues well at Gods hand and I pray that the Lord would rewarde him according to his demerites No but he sayes The Lord shovv mercy on Onesiphorus And he doubles it ouer againe and he saies God grant as I haue found mercy at Onesiphorus so he may finde mercy at the Lords hands in that day He sayes mercie not reward but free mercie and so I end Nothing but mercy and free grace when we haue done all we can nothing but mercy mercy in earth mercy in heauen On paine of lyfe when thou hast done all the good thou may doe beware thou think of any deseruing at the hands of God But cast thy selfe on thy knees and hold vp thy hands and cry for fre mercy and pardon of thy sinnes and say away with all my workes they are but dung and filth I craue pardon for my sinnes of thy free mercy in that bloude of Iesus Christ Except thou craue this thou shalt neuer haue solide joy in thy hart And shall I say that one of these false quenchers of the Spirit felt euer this sweetnes in Christ which onely ryses of the assurance of the free mercy of God Therefore let our onely reposing be vpon this free fauour in Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise for euer AMEN FINIS LECTVRES VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLE PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS PREACHED BY THAT FAITHFVLL seruant of God Maister ROBERT ROLLOK some-tyme Minister of Gods vvord and Rector of the Vniuersitie of EDINVRGH EDINBVRGH PRINTED BY ROBERT CHARTERIS Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie Anno Dom. M. D. CVI. Cum Priuilegio Regiae Majestatis THE ARGVMENT OF THE SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS THIS second Epistle to the Thessalonians seemes to haue beene written soone after the first The occasion of the wryting thereof may be gathered of the Epistle it selfe The Thessalonians were at that tyme persecuted and heauily troubled for the faith of Christ and lykewise there entered in amongst them false teachers and deceiuers who went about to perswade them that the comming of Christ was instantly at hand taking occasion as it appeares by the Thessalonians mistaking of certaine speeches vttered by the Apostle in the first Epistle especially these wordes in the fourth chapter We vvhich liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shall be caught vp in the cloudes vvith them that are dead in Christ after their resurrection to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall vve euer be vvith the Lord. Where-vpon the Thessalonians concluded that Christ should come before they died and they should be on lyfe at his comming The deuill to confirme them in this errour raises vp these deceiuers who went about to perswade them of it as though it had beene true that they should haue beene liuing at the comming of the Lord alledging that they had it both by the reâ—elation of the Spirit of God and also by the tradition of PAVL The Apostle therefore thought it needfull to 〈◊〉 this second Epistle to the Thessalonians partly to comfort them against the persecutions of their enemies partly to admonish them that they giue not eare to these false deceiuers assuring them that before Christ come the Antichrist should come and there should be an vniuersall defection from the trueth The Epistle may fitlie be diuyded in six parts The first part is the salutation in the two first verses in the first chapter The second is the Preface wherein he rejoyceth for their perseuerance and increase of Faith of Loue and Patience in all their persecutions and tribulations from the third verse to the fift In the third part he comfortes them against the troubles and persecutions that they sustained for the faith of Christ from the fift verse to the end of the first chapter In the fourth part he admonishes them that they giue not eare to these false teachers that said Christs comming was at hand showing them that before the second comming of Christ the Antichrist should be reueiled and there should be an vniuersall defection from the faith of Christ Yet he comfortes them against the feare of defection and exhortes them to abyde constant in the doctrine they had receiued from him crauing 〈◊〉 comfort and constancie to them at Gods hands This parâ—e is conteinde in the whole second chapter The fifth part containeth exhortations to good maners and Christian dueties from the beginning of the third chapter to the sixteenth verse In the last part he concludeth the Epistle with prayer and salutation from the sixteenth verse to the end THE FIRST LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 1 vers 1. 2. 3 4. 5. 1. PAVL and Siluanus and Timotheus vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God our Father and in the Lord Iesus Christ. 2 Grace be vvith you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ 3 We ought to thanke God alvvaies for you brethren as it is meete because that your faith grovveth exceedingly and the loue of euery one of you tovvard another aboundeth 4 So that vve 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 5 Which is a token of the righteous iudgement of God that ye may be counted vvorthie of the kingdome of God for the vvhich ye also suffer HAVING ended Brethren as God gaue the grace the first Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians I thought it meetest to goe forward in the second Epistle for otherwayes the worke would seeme not to be perfyted and the matter conteined in the second Epistle is very worthie to be insisted vpon And it appeares very well among all the Epistles that Paul vvrote that these two directed to the Thessalonians were the first This second Epistle which we presently haue in hand appearantly hes beene written soone after the first The occasion of the wryting of it appeares well of the purpose and argument it selfe The Apostle in this Epistle comfortes the Church of the Thessalonians vvhich vvas persecuted and heauily troubled for the faith of Christ Another occasion we take vp in the second chapter There entered in this Church for the deuill can neuer be idle false teachers and deceiuers who went about to perswade the Thessalonians that the comming of Christ was instantlie at hand The Apostle therefore taking occasion hereof admonishes them not to giue eare to these men and he telles them that before Christ come the Antichrist should come and that there should be an vniuersall defection in the world I take these to be the two occasions of his wryting There are three chapters of this Epistle In the first after he hes saluated them and giuen thanks to God for them he enters in to comfort them against all the troubles they were in for the present In the second chapter he admonishes them not to
aboue measure for the departure of their friendes by the way falles out in a discourse of the estate of the faithfull departed this life of the comming of the Lord of the rysing againe of the dead of the tyme of the Lords comming from the 13. verse of the fourth chapter to the 6 verse of the fifth chapter The fourth part of the Epistle is the Conclusion containing a prayer for them a promise of sanctification made to them with some other purposes from the 23. verse of the fifth chapter to the end of the Epistle MAISTER ROLLOCKS LECTVRES VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS THE FIRST LECTVRE THESSA CHAP. 1. Vers 1. 2. 3. 1. Paul and Siluanus and Timotheus vnto the Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Iesus Christ Grace be vvith you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Iesus Christ. VVe giue God thanks alvvayes for you all making mention of you in our prayers 3. Without ceasing remembring your effectuall faith and diligent loue and the patience of your hope in our Lord Iesus Christ in the sight of God euen our Father WE purpose welbeloued in the Lord Iesus Christ by the grace of God as his Spirite shall assist vs to expone this Epistle which is the first Paul doth write to the Thessalonians Which furnishes to vs doctrine seruing for vnderstanding instruction admonition consolation c. Then to come to the purpose shortlie We shall speak something of these Thessalonians to whom he wrytes of the Argument of this Epistle and the purpose of the Apostle in it The Thessalonians were those who inhabited a towne called Thessalonica which as the Historie â—eares was a chiefe towne in the Countrie of Macedonia sounded and builded by Philip King of Macedonia after the victorie he had gotten ouer Thessalia for returning home victorious he builded at towne and named it Thessalonica to be a perpetuall memorie of that excellent victorie he had obtayned But to leaue this Paul as ye may read in the 17. Chap. of the Acts of the Apost in his peregrination together with Sylas who is heere named Siluanus comes to this towne in Macedonia called Thessalonica and entring into the Synagogue of the Iewes three Saboth dayes preached vnto them and all his preaching tended to this to proue that it behoued the Messias when he should come in the World first to suffer then to ryse againe in glorie Vpon this he subsumes that that Iesus whom he preached had suffered had risen vp in glorie And therfore he concludes that Iesus and no other to be the Messias and Redeemer of the World At Paules preaching sundrie of the Iewes who dwelt in Thessalonica were conuerted a great multitude also of the Grecians who abode there and of the chiefe women of the towne not a few Yet notwithstanding of all this sedition is moued against the Apostle and that by certaine obstinate Iewes who would not be conuerted so he is compelled to flee out of Thessalonica fleeing he comes to Beroea where he gets better entertainment and conuertes sundrie Occasion of the Epistle Yet persecution ryses and he is led to Athens where he abiding word comes to him that the Brethren who were conuerted at Thessalonica were heauilie troubled and persecuted by the obstinate Iewes there Vpon this the Apostle sendeth Timothie to them to confirme them and comfort them in their trouble Timothie returning and reporting the grace of God he saw there Paul would haue gone to Thessalonica but as he sayeth Sathan withstoode him and therefore he takes purpose to write this Epistle vnto them which should be in steede of his presence This is the occasion of the writing of this Epistle Then to come to the Epistle it selfe Partes of the Epistle and to speak of the parts thereof First there is a salutation after the salutation he hath a congratulation and rejoysing with them for the graces he vnderstoode to be in them by the report of Timothie He continewes his congratulation a long tyme almost to the end of the second chapter Then he comes to his exhortation and exhorts them notwithstanding of al trouble to preseuere constantlie to the end This he doth in the third chapter In the fourth and fift chapters he comes to the matter and as before he had exhorted them to perseuerance so he exhorts them to godlinesse and holinesse of life such as becomes them who haue receyued the Lord Iesus This is the substance of the Epistle Now in this chapter First we haue the salutation then the congratulation and rejoysing for the graces of God in them which continewes all this chapter and the most part of the next chapter Now to come to the salutation wherein the Apostle salutes the Thessalonians I will speake shortlie of it because it is a common forme vsed by the Apostle in his Epistles and hath beene oft exponed The persons from whom this salutation comes are Paul an Apostle Siluanus Timotheus two Euangelists They who are saluted are the Thessalonians that is the Church of God that was made vp of the Thessalonians who were inhabitants of this towne of Thessalonica The blessings or good things that are wished from Paul and the rest to the Church at Thessalonica are grace and peace the Author of this grace and peace from whom as from the fountaine Paul with the rest of his associates wisheth these things to the Thessalonians is the Father first the Sonne our Lord Iesus next The cause wherefore grace and peace is wished from the Father and the Sonne to the Thessalonians is because the Thessalonians stoode in that blessed conjunction with the Father and the Sonne and therefore it is said in the text To the Church of Thessalonica which is in God the Father and in the Lord Iesus Christ that is to say which is in that holie societie and conjunction with the Father and the Sonne Now to marke something of the salutation Note This forme of salutation that is vsed in this place and in other places by this other Apostles al these general salutations vsed by godlie men vnto godlie men what are they they are testimonies of that good minde and good-will that the godlie beares to the godly They are more too they are meanes and powerful instruments ordained by God wherby the grace of God the mercie of God in Christ is conuoyed from God Christ to them to whom the salutation is directed There are many meanes whereby grace is conuoyed from God to man amongst all the rest these salutations are meanes ordained by God to that end Brethren it is no small matter to wishe well to a man or woman if thou haue a godlie heart when thou wishes well to a godlie person of necessitie the affection of thy heart and mouth must bee effectuall The to goe fordward Grace and Peace is wished But from whome From God the Father and from the Sonne Iesus Christ
the persons to whom it is directed The second is the arguments whereby he will assure the Thessalonians that the praier shal be granted to them And the last is the things that he prayes for to them To come to the persons I pray sayes he the Lord Iesus Christ. He names him first for the sweetnesse of grace he had found in him euer since first he knew him his soule was so filled with the swetnes of Christ that in nothing he could forget him neither in his praier nor exhortations to others as euery one that is touched with such a feeling of Christ will doe Know ye not this ye that make a glorious profession of Christ 〈◊〉 is thee that euer took the profession of Christ in thy mouth if thou find not a sweetnes of his grace towards thee in thy hart if thou finde it thou wilt neuer speake of any matter concerning grace and saluation but Iesus Christ shall be first in thy mouth Next he commes to the Father and he sayes and God our Father There then the two persons which are the two fountaines of all grace that comes to mā in the world Mark here a double honor giuen to Christ First he is joined with the Father as a fontaine of all grace and next he is first named for he sayes I pray the Lord Iesus and then he sayes and God our Father He puts the Father in the second rowme Iesus Christ god equal vvith the Father albeit in other places he puts God the father in the first rowme as ye may finde in all his salutations Now what must followe on this Euen this that Iesus Christ is very God as he is very man coessential of the same nature with God coequall of the same dignity and majestie with the Father and coeternall with him if this were not he could not haue giuen him such a style without blasphemy against God The olde Heretikes thought they got a great aduantage of such places of the Scripture that placed the Father in the first rowme to conclude that Iesus Christ was not onely inferior but far vnequall to God the Father and especially they gather it out of these wordes I baptise thee in the name of the Father and of the Son c. Ergo say they the Sonne is inferiour But looke here and ye will finde that Christ is named in the first rowme That olde doctor Chrysostome when he hes reasoned against this fond opinion at last he concludes They are equall in eternitie dignitie and in euerie thing that is or may be called truely God Indeed the Father is the first person but that makes not that the Father is aboue the Sonne for there is equalitie in dignity and essence and therefore he whiles puts the one before the other and that not in respect of any supremacy but to testifie that Iesus Christ our Sauior and the Father is one and equall in euery respect Now to come to the argumentes which are not set downe so much to mooue God as to assure the Thessalonians that the thinges shall be granted that he craues for them The arguments are from the effects of God First Who hes loued vs. Secondly vvho hes giuen vs euerlasting consolation And the last who hes giuen vs good hope and all throgh grace and mercy contrare vnto our deseruing Marke bethren a generall He bringes these Thessalonians to remembrance of these graces of God bestowed on them before Argumentes to assure vs that God vvill grāt vs benefits craued in prayer to assure them the Lord wil grant them these benefits he praies for to them When God begins to show his mercy on men or wemen and in Iesus Christ to powre out his blessings vpon them he giues as it were an obligation subscriued with his own hand I shall be with you for euer neuer man bond himself as the Lord binds himselfe from once he begin to deale mercifully with vs if he begin once to giue vs faith in Iesus christ and to minister that inward consolation and to giue vs hope of life euerlasting in so doing he giues vs an obligation that that mercy shall continue with vs for euer Therefore mark the graces of God giuen to thee and neuer forget them for they vvill hold thee vp That God that hes comforted thee once shal comfort thee for euer He is not like man I am sayes he Iehoua not changeable and therefore ground thy hart on that vnchangablenes of God For he who hes once begunne with thee to giue thee mercy assure thy self he shal not leaue thee How was Dauid and the godly of olde holden vp but by this same obligation Would euer any of the olde fathers haue stood without this No. There only prop vp-hold was the experience of the mercy of God once showne on them and diligently remembred by them Now to come to the particulare Who hes loued vs not as a Creator does a creature The first Gods loue but as the father does the son that is an higher degree of loue for he called him Father immediatly before then he subjoines he loued vs. Brethren would ye come to the thinges we haue of God throgh Christ The first is grace mercy and free fauour He is bound to no creature but what euer he giues he giues it freely The first blessing that God bestowes on man on earth and the first effect of grace and of his free fauor is loue this loue is giuen to make the creature to powr out as it wer the hart on his Creator againe He hes loued vs ere euer we wer of this loue proceeds eternal election as ye may read in sundry places of the new Testament This loue stayes not here but after he bringes vs in the world at his owne appointed tyme he makes the loue that was in his hart before all tyme towardes vs to break out and he sheds it abroad in our harts And the first effect of it is our effectuall calling He will say Come hither out of the foule pollution of the world and I wil exceme thee from the damnable end of the world and so from thence forth mercy hes no end but from calling he proceeds to justification from justification to regeneration and last to glorification So the first thing God giues thee is his hart and harty loue He will not giue thee any of these blessinges that are in Iesus Christ vntill with them he giue thee his hart He is not like man who will giue thee a faire countenance alone and will take no further thought what become of thee but God will giue thee his hart as the first gift and giuing thee his hart what can he deny thee When he hes giuen thee his hart can he deny thee life And therefore Rom. 5. 5. it is said that the loue of God is shed abroad in vs by his holy Spirit Now as he embraces vs with loue Lord if we could meete him with halfe loue againe We
of God and edification of his Church then throgh any thankfulnesse they may expect at mens hands Last Sir wearie not in wel-doing goe forward to doe good vnto the Saintes for Christs sake and experience shall giue you a proofe of the Lords loue and blessing vpon your bodie soule and actions in this life his Saints shall loue you his seruantes shall pray for you that ye may finde mercy in that great day and when ye haue run out your course when your journay shall be ended when ye haue foughten out the battaile the Lord shall then gather you to his Saints and crowne you with glorie Now the God of al consolation Lord of Lords and King of kings blesse you with al benefits spiritual and temporal direct you by his sprit and preserue you long to the glorie of his Name and to he well of his Church that your pilgrimage being ended ye may with joy rest from your labours in Iesus in whose countenance is sacietie of joyes and at whose right hand are pleasures for euer more AMEN Edinburgh the 16. of Iune 1606. Yours in the Lord H. C. W. A. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER WE offer vnto thee Christian Reader these Lectures of that most reuerent and faithfull seruant of Iesus Christ M. ROBERT ROLLOCK vpon the tvvo Epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians We haue taine painos and traueile that thou mightest finde profite and edification For not onely haue vve conferred sundry coppies gotten from the hands of them vvho vvrote them from his mouth but also vve haue conferred them vvith the Latine Commentarie vvritten by the Author himselfe that thou mightest haue fullie so farre as vvas possible both his ovvne phrase and matter In conferring of the Copies vve omitted repetitions cleered thinges obscure and filled out imperfite sentences that in nothing thou mightest finde inlack If thou doubt either of the style or matter or if any vvould moue thee to conceiue any eye-list or misliking of this vvorke as vve are not ignorant hovv readie many are oft-tymes vpon small or rather no ground before they haue either seene or read in such cases to giue out sentence vve pray thee shovve vs this fauour to superceede thy iudgement vntill thou hast red and considered then mayest thou pronounce vvith the better vvarrand If thou read vvith an hart indifferent and desirous to be edified vve trust thou shalt finde thou hast not lost thy labours And if thou returne glorie to God and get grace to thy ovvne soule vvhich vvere the cheefe ends of our traueiles vve vvill thinke vve haue gotten a sufficient recompence and obtained our desires Farewell THE ARGVMENT OF THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS THESSALONICA was a cheefe City of Macedonia rich populous and puissant builded by Philip the father of Alexander the great King of Macedonia after the victory he had gotten ouer Thessalia inuaded by him at vnawares For returning home victorious he builded a Citty and named it Thessalonica that it might be a perpetuall memoriall of that great and excellent victory he had obtained Paul as ye may read Act. 16. and 17. chapters in his peregrination together with Sylas who in this Epistle is named Sylâ—aâ—â—â— the sixteenth yeere after his conuersion being called by a vision to preach the Gospell in Macedonia came first to Philippi and next passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia came to this Cittie Thessalonica and entering in the Synagogue of the Iewes three Sabboth dayes disputed with them prouing by the Scriptures that it behoued the Messias to suffer and rise againe from the dead and therefore that Christ whom he preached was the true Messias and Redeemer of the world At the which preaching of Paul sundrie of the Iewes that dwelt at Thessalonica beleeued and joyned company with Paul and Sylas together with a great multitude of the Grecians and many of the cheefe wemen of the Cittie But the Iewes that beleeued not moued with inuy raised a great persecution against Paul whereby he was forced to flee to Berea where he preached the Gospell with better successe For the Iewes of that Synagogue receiued the word with al readines and tryed his doctrine by the Scriptures so that many of them likewise many men and wemen among the Grecians were conuerted Yet the obstinate Iewes there also mouing persecution against him he is brought to the brethren to Athens where he waited for Sylas and Timotheus who returned vnto him when he was in Corinth in Achaia Act. 18. 5. Therefore it was reported to him that the brethren that beleued at Thessalonica wer heauily persecuted by the obstinate Iewes where-vpon the Apostle was moued with an earnest desire to come to them but he was hundred by Satan 1. Thessa 2. 18. Therefore tarying himselfe at Athens he sent Timothie to them 1. Thessa 3. 2. to comforte them in their trouble and confirme them in the trueth Timothie returning and bringing good tydinges to him of the great grace of God that he found with them because he could not come himselfe the more to comfort confirme and encouradge them to continue in the trueth he writes vnto them this Epistle which by the judgement of learned men is thought to be the first this Apostle wrote There are foure parts of this Epistle The first part is the Salutation chapter 1. verse 1. The second is a Congratulation and rejoycing with them for the graces that by Timothies reporte he vnderstood to be in them wherein he insisles very largely euen from the 2. verse of the first chapter vnto the fourth chapter Yet oft-tymes he breakes oâ—â— this Congratulation by occasion casting in sundâ—y purposes needful to be entreated First he falles out in a discourse of himself and the successe the Lord gaue him in his 〈◊〉 towards them and his sinceritie in his ministrie he remooues from himselfe all suspicion of vnsinceritie eyther by decease by vncleannessen or by guyle together with the fountaines from whence it proceedes as flatterie auarice ambition and 〈◊〉 his inâ—eere affection towardes them from the beginning of the second chapter to the 12. verse Next he excuses himselfe that he came not to them from the 17. verse of the second chapter to the last part of the verse of the third chapter where he falles out in an exhortation to them to suffer afflictions patiently vnto the 5. verse of the third chapters there be brings a new reason to excuse his not comming to them vnto the 9 verse of the third chapter then returning to the congratulation in the end of the third chapter he concludes it with a prâ—â—er for the Thessalonians The third part of the Epistle is anexhortation to holinesse of life He exhorts first generally to sanctification in the first three vers of the 4. chap. Then he commes more particularly to the parts of sanctification and insistes 〈◊〉 them to the 23 verse of the last chapter In this part of the Epistle the Apostle to comfort the Thessalonians who sorrowed
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
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
his povver IN the first part of this chapter ye haue heard brethren next after the saluatation a preface wherein he rejoyces together with them for that increase and grouth of the graces of God in them namelie of their Faith Loue and Charitie In rejoycing with them he giues God the thankes and all the glorie of whatsoeuer grace they had receyued We entered the last day in the second parte which containes a consolation For these Thessalonians sustained affliction and trouble for the faith of Christ therefore the Apostle confortes them We heard the first argument of comfort he ministred to them was from the just judgment of God Your troubles and afflictions ye suffer are all sure tokens that Iesus Christ will come one day and judge this world justlie Among all the assurances of the latter judgement ths is one The trouble that the godlie suffers in this world In the affliction and trouble of the godly ye may see as it were in a mirror the Lord comming to judge the world when we see an innocent man troubled we may gather our conclusion there must follow of necessity a day of count and reckning it cannot be that the just Lord will suffer vnjust dealing to passe away vnpunished Then in the second argument he drawes nearer to them and sets downe the end of this just judgment that shall be the end shall be for their well For when the Lord shall come to judge the world they shall be counted worthy of that kingdom the kingdome of Heauen for the which they suffered Worthie not in themselues for all the affliction vnder Heauen will not make a man worthy of Heauen but worthy in the righteous merites of Christ where-with one day we shall be clad and for his worthinesse and merite shall be adjudged to life euerlasting Now in the beginning of this text he proues that the day of judgment they shall be adjudged to lyfe euerlasiting and glory He takes his argument from the nature of that Iudge It is a iust thing sayes he to God to recompence tribulation to them vvho troubles you As if he had said the Iudge is just yea by nature he is justice it selfe and therefore the judgement must be just and in his just judgement he must adjudge you to life and he must render to euery man his due being just he must render to them who hes afflicted you affliction againe And to you vvho are afflicted he must tender rest euen as he renders to vs For I in my owne person haue beene afflicted aswell as ye haue beene and I am assured he will render rest to me and so also will he to you there is the meaning of the words Then ye see brethren here he grounds their deliuerance in that latter judgment vpon the just nature of God ye may see our life euerlasting vnto the which we shall be adjudged in the day of judgment leanes on a solide foundation euen the most just nature of the Iudge all the world is not able to shake it if thou can shake God then thou may shake our life euerlasting Seuer justice from him and seuer life from his owne both are alyke do the one if thou may do the other And so brethren ye see where-vpon the assurance of your faith and hope of life euerlasting is grounded it is grounded vpon an insight of the nature of God vpon a knowledge of him what he is in his owne nature that he is just he is righteousnesse it selfe knowing then that he is just seeing as it were at the least in some measure in God and in his nature that he is just I take assurance that that just God shall adjudge me to life I make this more generall all assurance all hope of any grace we haue to receiue at the hands of God what euer it be must proceede from an insight and knowledge of the nature of God how can I or any man looke for any good at the handes of him vvho is not knovvne to me hovv shall I assure my selfe I shall get any good from him I know not Therefore the man or woman who would haue faith in God or hope of lyfe or any good at his hands must seeke to pearce in to the deepnesse of the infinite nature of God so farre as can be to knowe him in his justice wisdome power mercy and in all these infinite properties in his nature then knowing him in these infinite thinges he must assure himselfe of such and such graces at his hands I know him to be powerfull therefore with his power he will deliuer me I know him to be mercifull in his mercy I am assured he wil show mercy on me I know him to be wise therefore I am assured he will deale wisely with me he that is skilfull and the God of order will deale skilfully with me Then ye see that faith will neuer be builded vpon a scroofe and superficiall thing The world thinks it ynough to know there is a God to know his name and no more No thy hart cannot be builded on a sâ—roofe It is impossible to any to haue that solide and assured faith in God and that hope of lyfe except they haue a solide knowledge in some measure of his nature and of his properties And that bodie that preases not to pearce in to the deepnesse of God cannot haue that Spirit of God for in the first Epistle to the Corinth chap. 2. vers 10. it is said The spirit of God searches and what in to the infinit deepnesse of God and there he lets thee see Gods minde towardes thee So that if any be indewed with that searching Spirit of God of necessitie that Spirit must conuoy their eyes in some measure in to the secreetes of God to the deepnesse of that infinite nature It is a wonderfull sight that a true and solide faith hes in God It will peace in to the infinite nature of God and builde on that infinite nature the solide ground of faith I speake this that ye may seeke to knowe the nature of God Yet to the wordes It is a righteous thing vvith God not to men but to God The meaning of the Apostle is What euer seemes right in the eye of man this is righteous in the eye of God to render to euery man his due Now the Lord forbid that our life or death euerlasting hang vpon that that seemes just and vnjust to man Lord forbid that Heauen or Hell hang at mans girdle or depended on his judgement I assure you many would goe to Hell from hand As God in nature is a just Iudge euen so man by nature a wrangous and vnjust judge Let him be giuen ouer to himselfe hee shall neuer judges one whit of that which is just DiffereÌ„ce betvvene the iudgment of God and of men at the least he shall neuer judge sincerelie of that worke I shall tell you the differences between the judgement of God and man shortlie Man when he