Lecture 3 · 1 Thessalonians 1:7–9

THE THRIDE LECTVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS.

IN this part of this Epistle, which presentlie we haue in hand: ye haue heard (brethren) the Apostle rejoyses together with the Thessalonians, for those graces of God, which he vnderstood and knew to be in them, geuing God thanks therefore, rendering him the whole glorie thereof. The graces wer, as ye heard, namely first, their effectuall faith: secondlie, their laborious loue and charity: thirdly, their patient hope. Then he comes to the ground of all these graces, their election which was from all eternitie, vttering an assurance of their election and of the chusing of them before the world was made. The grounds of his assurance of their eternal election wer two: the first in himself: the second in the Thessalonians: the ground in himselfe, was that grace of God, that libertie, that power which he had in preaching Christ when he came among them, which assured him, the Lord had his chosen amongst thē. The ground in them was a faire meeting, receiuing the word, & that with affliction; as he deliuered the word with affliction so they wer followers of him, and receiued the word with great affliction, but yet with joy also; for as affliction accompanies the word, so the joy of the holie Ghost accompanies the affliction. This shortlie for that which ye haue heard alreadie.

Now to come to the text we haue red. In the first verse therof the Apostle amplifies the grace that God had geuen to them in receyuing the word with great affliction: yea (saith he) yee haue receiued the word with such affliction that ye vvere examples to all that beleeued in Macedonia, that is, in the countrie round about you: (for Thessalonica where they dwelt, it was chiefe Cittie in Macedonia,) and not onelie were ye examples to them in Macedonia, but to them in Achaia, that is in the countrie next adjacent to Macedonia: so that euen as the Thessalonians in patience and grace followed Paul, who was the teacher of grace to them: so the Thessalonians wants not their ovvne followers: all those that beleued in Macedonia and Achaia followes them as examples of faith, patience, & al graces. Marke it, Paul goeth before them in good example, they againe go before al the Macedonians & those of Achaia in their good exāple. Then ye see examples of life hes great force, Exāples are forcible. either to well doing or euil doing: for wel doing & euil doing in this world come for the most part by example & imitation following others: a good man wil follow a good man, a wel doer wil follow a wel doer, a thefe wil follow a theefe, & a murtherer wil folow a murtherer: they that are inclinde to harlotrie and filthines will follow them that exercise harlotrie and filthines: so they that intend to haue grace will followe them that are gratious, they who doe long and thirst for heauen wil follow them whome they thinke to be going to heauen: they that will run to vvickednes will run to hell after them that runne before them thereto: so that our vvell and woe stands greatlie in imitation of others: and therefore, he who walks let him take head to euerie foote-step, especiallie he that is in any high rowme, in the sight of the people, let him take good head to his walking, and to euerie foote he sets down, how he goes, where he goes, what he is doing: for certainlie, he shall not goe alone: walks he well? he shall haue followers: walks he euill? he shall haue followers: falles he in the myre? moe shall fall with him: breaks he his neck? some shall follow him who shall break their necks with him: stands he vpright? moe shall follow him and stand vpright. Therefore the Apostle doubles ouer the precept, Walke vviselie, vvalke circumspectlie. Eph. 5. 15. 17. Colloss. 4. 5. Each foote thou sets to the earth, looke where thou sets it, and looke who followes thee. And Christ sayes. Matth. 18. 7. Woe be to that man by vvhom offence commeth, that is, that walks not warelie but runnes himself to destruction, and drawes men and wemen thereto. This is a world wherein men had need to take head to their walking: God graunt that they who are in high rowmes, may take head to their walking, for they that goes before others may saue many, if they walke well; and may lose many by their walking and going in wickednesse, if they walke euill.

Farther marke. Who are these that followes the Thessalonians? or to whom are they patterns of grace & patience in suffering? The Macedonians, the Contrie about them: & beside that, the Achaians, they of the nighbour Countrie: for Achaia is next to Macedonia. And vvho vvere these? They that beleeued in Christ before the Thessalonians were called: they who were called first, followed them who were called to grace last. Marke then, the Thessalonians who were called last, outranne in the course of grace the rest of the Macedonians and Achaians, and left them behinde them, albeit they broke off before them. It is to be noted: We are all running in one course and we are all in one rinke, running towards the marke: for in the tyme of our lyfe there is none sitting: thou deceaues thy selfe that sayes thou hast a stablisht mansion heere, all must be on foote, and all must be running, and we must runne to the place where our mansion is, to the But of our glorious resurrection and life euerlasting: if thou sit still, thou shalt stinke, rotte and perishe: but if thou run, and runne on while thou come to the But, thou shalt, be safe in the end, and shalt receyue the Crowne and pryce of immortall glorie. Now in this course and rinke of christianitie, it falles out so, that they that start last, shall out-runne them that start and break off a good space of tyme before them; and ouercome them in faith, patience, affliction, and joy. Ye se this plainlie in this example of the Thessalonians with the rest the Macedonians, and them of Achaia. So that is most true which Iesus said, The last is first and the first is last. Math. 20. 16. There is a great alteration: the last outrunning them who brake off firste: they that broke off first are made last. and ly behinde, and is ouercomde in grace. The Iewes entred in this rinke long before, yea many hundreth yeeres ere the Gentiles thought of any rink, or to come to heauen: but so soone as the Gentiles come in and breakes off in the rinke they did outrun the Iewes, & left them behind them as far as they might look to them: they were speedie in the beginning. After Iesus came in the world and the Apostles were teaching, it is wonder to thinke hovv speedie they were: So this hath beene oft times seene that in the Church of God, they who were called last hes ouercomde them who were called first. And I thinke that nation of France hath ouercomde all the Churches in Europe, in suffering a continuall & frequent affliction: thinke not they are behinde vs in our course, no: they are farre before vs. And as to our nation in this part of affliction that Paul speakes of, I thinke it is behinde all nations. Alas, what haue we suffered? our tyme is yet abyding vs. The Lord prepare vs thereto: and I thinke it is comming on; yea, it is a wonder we should haue heard the word so long without affliction.

Yet to the words, he calles them examples, patterns going before others. He sayes not ye were a patterne singularlie, (the words hes a great force) but ye were patterns: meaning, that so many heads of men and wemen, as there were of the Thessalonians, they were as many patterns, euerie person was a pattern; a patterne in grace, in faith, in patience and suffering. Many called at the first preaching of So that ye may marke, when Iesus come in the world, when the Apostles went out to the Nations, to draw the Nations to Christ, to conuert them, the Haruest was great, the world was full of chosen vessels: when Iesus came the world was full of men and wemen to be safe: ther was neuer so many before his cōming, & I wote not if euer there was so manie since: and that was it that Christ meaned when he said, The haruest is great but the laborer: are fevv: Therefore pray ye the Lord of the haruest to send out laborers to his Wyne-yarde. Matth. 9. 37. It is a wounder to heare howe hastilie at one preaching so manie thovvsandes were conuerted. Reade the Acts of the Apostles, the second and third chapters, ye vvill vvonder at the zeale, loue, patience and joye of them. Brethren, this vvas the beginning and infancy of the Church, but since that number hes begun to be drawne in narrow bounds, & in processe of time these Thessalonians who are now so praised by the Apostle, they are so drawne in, that vve heare it not told that Christ is professed among them. So it was in the beginning heere amongst vs after the reformation, when papistrie was put avvay: it vvas a vvonder to see how men and vvemen did thring in, and vvere glad to indure great labour, and suffer afflictions for the Religion. So, no question but that reformation fell when the Lord had manie rype to be called in this land. But I vvill speake my opinion, I thinke in these dayes the number of the faithfull be dravvne in, and (except the Lord say it) they shall grow fewer, and peece & peece they shall go away. Now when all the elect shal be gathered in to the last person, then the Lord Iesus shall come and put an end to this vvorld: and I trow it shal not be long to it. To returne: So manie Thessalonians, as manie patternes of grace to Macedonia & Achaia. I aske a question ere I leaue this. Receiued the Macedonians & Achaians anye hurt by this superioritie and prefement the Thessalonians had ouer them, they vvere casten behind, the Thessalonians before, were the Macedonians hurt therby? No: the grace that God giues to a man, if he vse it rightly, neuer hurts another man but furthers him: ouer comes he me in this grace? I am nothing impared in that, because he is a patterne to me, whom I should follovv in that grace: runnes he before me? he should vvalken mee vp to follow and runne after: for this is one meane among all the rest of the meanes the Lord vses to dravv vs forvvard in the course of grace: for we are slovv in running, & euerie one of vs by nature is inclyned to sluggishnes, & ay looking ouer our shoulder to stay our course, as Lots vvife did. Therefore the Lord hes appointed this meane to draw thee forward, he wil set out one behinde thee, long after thee, and vvill cause him to come by thy eare vvith all speedines, and runne out before hee, to prouoke thee to emulatiō: so thou sholdest say, This man began after me, I was in faith before him, he hes outrunne me, it is shame to me: & so thou should take thee to thy foote & run: otherwise thou hast no part with the runners in this rinke. So did he with the Iewes: they were all lingring at the comming of Christ, the Gētiles comes out after them, and runnes by them, that they might be prouoked to follow: so that both Iew and Gentile might run on together to that But, which is Christ. Rom. 11.

Now to the next verse: The words are plaine. He makes this more cleare, to wit, That they were examples to them of Macedonia & Achaia. And he sayes, For from you sounded out the vvord of the Lord, not in Macedonia and Achaia onelie. Euen as, at the beginning this blessed Gospell sounded out from Zion (for they that preached it came from Zion, which is Ierusalem) and spread it abroad through the vvhole world. So from the Thessalonians the word sounded out, & spread to Macedonia & Achaia. Who wer these that sounded the vvord to Macedonia? Novv certainlie it appeares vvell, euen trauelling men, so journers, passingers, marchants, traffiquers, that had trauelling in Macedonia (as men that vvould go out of Edinburgh to other parts of this Realme) & so from Macedonia to Achaia. These men as they so journed they so journed not vvith close mouthes, but they euer sounded as Heraulds and Trumpettars sounding, and vvhere euer they found occasion, they spake of Christ, and of that grace vvhich vvas in him, to them that knevv him not. So that they had conference euer of spiritual things. Then ye who trauels frō toun to town, & from Country to Country, ye haue your lesson here, ye should not trauell with a close mouth, & all your speach should not be of marchandice and traffique; but of some grace ye haue gotten at home, disperse and speake of it. Ye thinke of duetie ye shold seek your aduantage & marchandice: the Lord hes bound your consciences as it wer with bondes to speake & oppen the grace of god, & going to places wher there is fredome to speak the Lord bids you speak, he bids you be lamps & lights to blind people, where euer ye resort: for besides all other meanes, the Lord hes appointed this as a mean to win soules to Christ, that ye who trauailes and haue heard of grace should communicate that grace, and haue conference thereof to all persones where ye come, that you may vvinne your poore brother & sister that haue not heard of it. Alas, our consciences may accuse vs verie sore for the neglect of our duetie herein: And I trow, because vvhen men are abroad trauailing, they trauaile with close mouthes, neuer speaking of the grace they got at home, the Lorde hes begun to close the mouthes of the preachers of grace in this Towne heere.

He goes forward in the next part of the verse and he amplifies this grace of the Thessalonians: Not onelie hes the vvorde soūded to Macedonia, but he sayes, your faith also vvhich is tovvards God, is spread abroad in all quarters. So that the Apostle trauailed to no part but the brute of their faith met him: The brute of a man will go farther nor his voice vvil be heard. Thou then shouldst take heade to thy name and fame, and trauaile to get a a good fame: for I tell thee, as thy presence is either good or bad to them that see thee, and vvith vvhom thou art conuersant, so is thy fame to them that see thee not. If thou die bearing the name of a good man, thy name doth good to the posteritie: but if thou die an euill man, thy euill name destroyes manie. Woe to them therefore that leaues an euill name behinde them, especiallie if they be in high places: and amongst all the rest of the meanes God vses to enlarge Christs Kingdome with, and to bring men to Heauen, as the presence of a man and his voice is one mean, so the name and fame of the grace of God in a man, is an other meane. Take head to thy name and fame; for either it shall turne to thy consolation or to thy damnation, accordinglie as thou liuest: and thou making men to follow thy euill example in doing, shalt aggredge thy judgement: looke how little a thing will do much euill: we should then walke warelie, this life will away, blessed is he that can make his name to serue to the glorifying of God. Thou Scotland hadst a glorious name in many Countreyes: Scotlands glorious name. the rose-garland of Scotland was the puritie of the Gospell of Christ taught therein; and goe it away, the Kings honour shall passe, and I feare grace also shall goe avvay. The Lord oppen mens eyes to see this, and lette vs not lose this name vvhich vve haue in the mouthes of good men in other countries.

Novve the last vvordes of this verse. That vve need not to speake any thing. As he would say: the fame of your faith spred so abroade, that vvhere euer I come, it mette me, so that my mouth vvas closed, that I needed not to speake of your graces. The Apostle vvhen he had conuerted anie people he euer commended them to the people he vvent to, and tolde of their graces, as the Acts beares. Novv comming to other Countries, after the conuerting of the Thessalonians, before he coulde speake one vvorde of them, the brute of them mette him so the Thessalonians did holde in that parte of his trauaile. It is most true, the people may disburdeene the Pastor of many thinges: for euerie one of them shoulde edifie an other, as he preaches & and edifyes in publict: if euerie one of them would edifie others in priuate conference, they vvoulde releeue him of a great burdene. The end of his whole trauailes is to edifie, and if euerie one of you edifie others, yee releeue him of a great part of his burdene. His office is to builde vp the house of the Lorde, and euerie one of you is bound to take a stone in your armes to lay vpon the building, and euerie one in their own vocation is bounde to helpe vp the building of the house of the Lord by conference communication, and such other meanes. But, alas, hovv is this practised in this nation? they burdene the builder, not onelie to build, but also to build without an helper, for none there is that builds with him, The bloodie murtherer, will come in with a foul slander, and will beat down all that the builder hes builded in the hearts of many: the foull adulterer with a foull slander, and he will beat down that which the builder hes builded: the blasphemer with a foull mouth, and he will beat down that which is builded. This is the fashiō of Scotland in building the house of the Lord. Woe to thee adulterer, murtherer, blasphemer, &c. thou art a destroier of the house of God, and shalt be chalenged in that great day therefore.

Now he make, it more plain in the next verse. I neded not to speak any thing: for ere I open my mouth, he or she comes to tel me that thing, I should haue spoke, & so he brings in their narration vvich spoke of his labour in conuerting the Thessalonians. For they themselues shevv vnto vs, vvhat manner of entering vve had vnto you, and hovv yeturned to God from Idols. Ere they spoke of you Thessalonians, they spoke of my selfe, vvhat manner of entering I had amongst you, vvith povverfull preaching and libertie, as I haue tolde you before. There is his part. So that vvhere euer the Country-men amongst whom he was, spoke to him of the Thessalonians, and of the grace they receyued by his preaching, they spake to him of him selfe, of the grace God had geuen them by him. The commendation of grace, Commendation of the people & pastor ioyned. patience and charitie in the people, should not be without commendation of the Pastor, whom God hes imployed as his instrument to their well. This commendation ye se beginnes at Paul, they speake of the grace of God in him ere they speake of the Theslalonians. And in that great day when the true praise shall be, the people shall not be glorified without the Pastor. If he hes had care in winning of you to Christ he shal be crowned standing by you. Paul saith A Crovvn of [righteousnesse is] as laid vp for him. 2. Tim 4. 8. and in this same Epist. to the Thess. 2. 19. What is my hope, my ioy my Crovvn? ye are my glory & my ioy. Meaning they could not be glorified without him, and his glorie and joy consisted in their glorie. All this telles vs in that great day what glorie and honour the faithfull Ministers of Christ shall haue, for they shall shine as starres: byde a little while, it is not long to. If thou be an instrument to make the people faithfull, if they get a crowne, thou shalt get a crowne also. This for his own part.

Then he comes on to their part. And as concerning you, vvhere euer I trauelled, they shevv me the manner of your conuersion, and hovv ye turned from Idols, to serue the true God. So the thing that was reported to the Apostle of the Thessalonians, is their turning. Brethren, the first effect that is required in a man or woman in this world, is to turne them round about, to turne their face where their backe was, to turne them off the course they were on, they are in an euill course, running to destruction, and their eye is on Hell. There is the first effect of the Gospell, Connersiō the first effects of the Gospel to turne them about; to take their eye off the Deuill, and set it on God: thy heart, thy soule and thy affection that is set on the Deuill, must be turned about within thy breast, and set on God, & if this turning be not wroght in thee by the Gospel, looke not for grace, remission of sinnes and lyfe euerlasting. Art thou a murtherer, and hast thy heart set on blood-shed? at the hearing of the Gospell, if thy heart be not turned, thy sinne shall neuer be taken avvay. He vvho is nevv comde from murther, he vvill come in and holde vp his eare to the Gospell, and heare of remission of sinnes and lyfe euerlasting through Christ, and he will take all to him, and in the meane tyme he will haue his foull heart stuffed with murther and reuenge. Away with thee ô foole: it is impossible to get pardon & remission of sinnes, when thy heart remaines yet vnturned from sinne: thou hast no part in Iesus, I debar thee from him. Trowest thou to get remission and lyfe vvhen thy heart bydes vnturned, lying still in that stincking filth? In a vvord, thou shalt get no effect of the Gospell except thy heart be turned to God. So as thou vvoulde haue lyfe after this lyfe, looke thy heart be turned avvay from sinne, and turned to God. So then there is the first effect that the Gospell vvorkes, Parts of conuersion. Repentance and turning. Wherein stands it? Looke to the vvordes: it stands first in this pointe, in leauing off Idols: if thou be an Idolater, turne thy backe on an Idoll. Thou makes an Idoll to thee of thy foull affection, as murther, theft, adulterie, vvhen thou obeyes them: turne thy back on these Idoles. Many thinkes to come to God in an instant vvith his Idole in his armes, they vvill present to God prayers, vvith the Idoll in their bosomes, as Rachell would come dovvne from Padan-Aram and vvorshippe God, but she keeped her Idoll. No, be not deceiued, if thou leaue not the Idole behinde thee, (vvhither it be an Idole in deede, or a foull affection that thou settest vppe in the rovvme of God) I discharge thee of the Connention of the Sanctes of God, for thou scornes him, and one daye he shall be auenged on thee for it. Turne thee therefore from that vvicked Idoll or else byde away.

Nowe followes the second part of the conuersion. It is not eneugh to turne from an Idoll (a false dead stocke, vvhich is nothing but the inuention of thy ovvne braine. Paul to the Corinthians calles it nothing. 1. Corinth. 10. 19.) but thou must turne to the true God. Turne thee from Sathan to God. Alas, filthie creature, whome to will thou turne thee if thou will not turne thee to thy ovvne Redeemer? The lesson is. It is not eneugh to turne from an Idole, except thou turne to the true God of glorie, the liuing God. Brethren many men hes bene deceyed with this. Amongst the Nations there were many who would scorne Iupiter, condemne Apollo, as Diogenes, but they turned not to God, but turned to plaine Atheiseme. So there are many in these dayes who will mocke all the vanities of the Masse, and yet for all this, they will abyde Atheists, and all Religion will be alyke to them. Is he amongst the Papists? he will scorne them: amongst the Protestants? he will scorne them also? This is an euill sort of men. Except thou be of mynde to embrasse, the true God; holde thee with thy Idoll, be a Papist still; an Atheist is most wicked and most dangerous, for the scornes all men. He is worse then an Idolater, and he can not eschew a judgement. For, the Histories recordes that God oft-tymes hes punished euen the verie contemners of the idoles, that is, such as preased to blot out of their heartes all sense of the Godhoode.

Learne here in these words, that miserable estate that men lay into before their conuersion The Thessalonians what wer they before Paul came among them? dead in sin, dead in lustes, without any sight of God or saluation. I shall tell you how all mens sonnes, (euen the Kings sonnes) are borne, (so that we haue no cause to glorie in our selues:) When he is borne first, and comes out of his Mothers vvombe, the backe of him is to God, and his face to the Deuill, and the burning eye of God is vppon him. No infant, vvhat estate so euer hee be, is borne otherwise, his face is to Hell, his backe on God his Redeemer, and thee seede of hatred, vvith the gall of bitternesse against God in his heart, and if hee remaine in nature, there is no day he liues, but there is in his heart some augmentation of the hatred of God. Now in the meane tyme the eare of him is ay pulde, the light of reasone beginnes not so soone in him, but the conscience will round in his eare, there is a God that created this world, and oft he will looke ouer his shoulder to get a blenk of that God his Creator, and seeing him, faine would he be quite of that Creator, and of that sight of God that reason chalenges his soule with: (looke to this our nature, fy on them that begins to extoll this nature in their doctrine) yet he can not be quite of the sight of God, and he findes that nature pushes him to seeke a God. And then he saieth: seeing I can not be quite of God, I shall make to my selfe a God, and then he will change the glory of the true God in the Image of a foure-footed beast, &c. Rom 1. 23. Then the Lord seeing this malitiousnesse in the heart of man, who sees a God and will not see him; he putteth out his eyes, & geues him ouer to a reprobate sense and minde without all judgement: the Lord makes him both blinde and wod as a blinde bodie running like as he were mad, and waits not what way: for he that is an Idolater, is by nature a wod wauering bodie, and all his race in that broad way, adulterie, murther, and all other vices, and runne where he will, Hell is the end of his running.

Looke then to this nature that we are borne in, it is worse nor I or the tongue of any man can expresse. Then how is this matter remedied? when the blinde man is running on in his fury, there ryses a noyse that followes him: see the mercie of God! what manner of noyse is this? It is the voice of the Law, crying, ô miserable bodie, Manner of conuersion. thou art condemned, Hell is thy lotte and portion, and this begins to awalk him (a terrible walking.) Now if God let him alone in this manner, desperation would be his, end. But, if it pleases God to haue mercie on that catiffe: there followes an other sweete voice, (alas, no other thing see I in Scotland but damnation if the Gospell be remoued.) This cry is out of the Gospell with Iohn the Baptist: Sinner repent thee, turne thee to the Lord Christ and thou shalt finde mercy. The voice of the Euangell. There is the cry of the Gospell, Thy sinne shall be forgeuen thee, thou shalt be safe. Doeth he heare this? if the Lord be powerfull vnto him, he will turne himselfe immediatlie about, and looke with his face to that God and Christ with such a joy and mourning that no tongue can expresse it. A joy beginnes in the conuersion, because of Gods presence assuring him of the remission of all his sinnes: a sorrovve beginnes because of the offending of God in tyme bypast. So I crye this day, Beleeue in God miserable men, and ye shall finde mercie. And if the idolaters in our North-countrie were heere, I woulde crye to them, Fy on thee idolater, that hast runne on so long in diuelish wayes, turne you from your idolatrie and vvicked nature to the veritie of the Gospell of Christ, and you shall be saued: but if you turne not, damnation shall ouertake you, and thou shalt be casten in vtter darknesse vvhere there shall be nothing but vveeping and gnashing of teeth. The Lorde saue out of their vvicked and detestable companie all them that in their heart longes to see the most comfortable countenance of their blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ: and the Lord concurre by his heauenlie Spirite vvith the Gospell that is preached, that wee may be all in tyme conuerted thereby, and see God in Christ, and serue him in this life, that at last we may haue the full sight of his face for euer.

AMEN.