Lecture 7 · 1 Thessalonians 2:13–14

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

THE Apostle (ye remember brethren) in the beginning of the second chapter, he digresses and he falles out in a discourse concerning himselfe, his entering among them, what it was, his sinceritie and vprightnesse in his whole dealing. This he does in the second chapter vnto the 13. verse. In which verse he returnes to his principall purpose, that he had rejoysing together with them, for the graces of God bestowed on them through his ministrie. This rejoysing, as he shew you in the beginning, it stands in a thanks-geuing to God, who is the geuer of all grace: for without him no matter of rejoysing, all matter of rejoysing is in him, who is the geuer of all grace and mercie to vs. The occasion of his returning to the principall purpose is this: In the verse immediatlie going before he hes spoken of his evvne carefulnesse in teaching them all manner of waye, Exhorting, comforting, and teaching them that they walk worthie of God, that had called them to his kingdome and glorie.

Nowe in this xiij. verse he thankes God for that meeting againe he found in them. He teached, he instructed exhorted, and comforted: the effect; They beleeued, they met him with faith, they heard and receiued the thing he spoke, they embraced it, not as the vvord of man, but as the vvorde of God, as it vvas in very deede. It was not ineffectuall in them, but as they embraced it, so it vvrought in so manie as beleeued: it was powerfull and made in them a wonderfull alteration; and so by the operation thereof it shewe the selfe to be the word of God. The meaning of the text is plaine. And therfore let vs come to some obseruations. Ye see heere first of all great matter of thanksgiuing to God, Grace in Pastor & people double mater of thanksgiuing. when this sweete harmonie is betweene the pastor and the people, when as he teaches and instructs them louingly and faithfullie, they receiue that worde he deliuers to them and therto they conforme their life & conuersation. There is a sweet meetting: and if euer there was matter of thanksgiuing in this world heere is matter; in the faithfulnes of the pastor and in the faith of the people meetting that faithfull discharge of the Pastor in his office. It is true, when the pastor findeth the grace of God in him selfe allone, albeit he finde no meeting in the people, he hes matter of thanks-giuing to God: for hovve so euer it be, if that he doe playe the part of a faithfull pastor, he is a sweet smell to God, as vvell in them that perishe as in them that shall be saued by the vvord. 2. Cor. 2. 15. If ye meete him not he will be safe, if that hee discharge a faithfull dewtie; but your bloude shall be vpon you owne heades: So he hath matte through the grace he hath receiued, to rejoyce in God. But (brethren) when grace meetes grace, when the faith of the people doth meete the faithfulnes of the pastor, when hee is not onelie a svveete smell to God, but he is the sauour of life to life to the people; there is the double matter of reioysing and thankesgiuing to God: double grace and meetinge of grace craue double rejoysinge and thankes-giuing to God for the mercie double bestovved vppon them. If anie man had euer anie grace, Paule had it; yet the man is neuer satisfied in his owne persone, except he finde grace in those to whom he vttered grace meeting his grace, & except he finde his ministrie povverfull to them whom he teaches: for otherwise he counts all his labour and running to be in vaine. Therefore all teachers should striue to finde the povver of the worde in the people; for wherefore are Ministers sent in the worlde? but to see that that word be effectuall in the people to vvinne them to God: and in verie deede he may rejoice when he sees the saluation of the people wrought by his teachinge. This in generall.

Now to come to the words. Their faith is set downe in sundrie degrees; and marke them: the first degree is hearing; they heare the word of the Apostle; 4. degries of saith there is the first grace in the people meetting the pastor, when they giue their presence & heare him patientlie. It is of the grace of God that a man or woman can sit and heare the vvord of God: and it appeares that it is the grace of God; ye see manie in Scotland that gets neuer the grace to heare, no preaching, 1. Hearing of the vvord. no hearing in many parts of the land: miserable are they without preaching, without hearing No question what euer other causes be of the lacke of preaching & hearing, it is a just judgement of God on the people: and woe be to them that drawes away the moyen of preaching and hearing from the people: miserable shall their end be. For, I see not, how saluation shall be, without preaching and hearing. There are many againe, that albeit occasion of hearing bee offred to them, and the teacher be at hand, yet they will not come to heare, they may heare and will not heare. Some will come to sit down, but if any thing touch their affection, they will heare with impatience: all this showes you, hearing is of grace. First, to get the occasion of hearing, is, grace: next, to heare patientlie, to heare sin and vice rebuked in all estates of men and vvomen it is a grace; for, some, in hearing their sinne rebuked, they heare impatiently with grudging, and as soone as they remoue and go out, that impatience breakes out in bitter vvords, As, when Steuen in the 7. chap. Acts ver. 57. 58. is speaking to that Councell of the Iewes that vvere conueened; as soone as he speakes against them, they put their fingers in their eares, and rushing on him stone him to death. The 19. chapt. Acts verse 33. when Alexander stands vp among the Ephesians, certaine people beeing conueened together, when he begins to speake to them of the way of God against Demetrius, they cry out all vvith one shoute immediatlie, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. The 22. chapter Acts verse 23. when Paul makes a discourse of his ovvne life and comes to this, that, he vvas called to be a teacher to the Gentiles, they rent their clothes and cast dust vp in the aire. All this telles vs the fury and rage of the heart, against God, against Christ & his word. And by the contrair; it is a speciall grace of God, that men and vvemen gets, when they can sit still and heare the word of God patiently. There is the first degree.

The second degre of their faith and meeting of the Apostle, is receyuing of the vvord. That is to say, a receyuing and approuing of the word of God, 2. generall allowance. to be true and good, euen, a generall allowance therof. When this man will say vvithin himselfe, this is true that is spoken. Many gets not this grace: for, many when they heare, suppose they lend their eare to the vvorde, in their minde they disalovv that which is spoken: and albeit thy mouth be close, yet the minde vvill be making contradiction The naturall man saies the Apostle. 1. Cor. 2. 14. vvhen he heares of heauenlie things, he vnderstands them not: yea, more, he thinks them all but foolishnesse. Set vp a naturall man, he will scorne all that is spoken of Christ and of spirituall things, and will laugh at them in his owne heart. When Paul came to Athens Act. 17. vers. 18. and entered among those high headed Philosophers, and begouth to speake of the way of God. They met him againe with scorning, and they said, What meanes this bablor? they thought all that he spoke babling. There are many of them in Scotland, who thinks, vvhen a man speaks of Christ, that, all is but babling. Then, it is a grace of God, to geue an allowance to that vvhich is spoken.

There is farther heere. 3. Embracing the word in the heart. The third degree of grace, is, embracing the word in the heart. There are many that can heare, that is a grace: when they haue heard will giue a generall allowance, that, all is good, all is true; there is the second grace, but, in the meane tyme, they will shoote it all out of their heart: they will say, it is true and good, but, what is that to me? they neuer emembrace it in their owne heart. Simon Magus (as it is tolde, Acts 8. 21. allowed of that which was spoken, & it is said, he had faith; in the meane time, no application in his ovvne heart, for, shortlie after he vttered that gall of bitternesse which was in his heart & he wold haue bought the graces of the holie spirit: and therfore, Peter meetes him, and wishes, that, he should perish and his money to. There are manie of this sort, who vvill be content to heare & allovve it to, & say. The Minister hes said vvel this day, all is true: yea but what hast thou reported, and what hast thou applyed to thy heart? Thou heard to thy condemnation, except thou apply some thing to thy self of that grace thou didst heare.

Yet ther is a fourth degree; to receiue it as God vvord, Not onlie to heare, allow, embrace; but to receiue it as the word of God. Albeit, Paul spoke it, 4. Receiuing of the vvord, as the vvord of God. yet, they looked vp, aboue Paul, and tooke it out of his hand, not as his vvord, but as the vvord of God: that is a greater grace. There are manie that rest to much vpon the man that teaches, and set their hearts on the mouth of him that speakes more nor on God that giues the speaker the grace. Manie will heare this vvritten vvorde, allow it, embrace it, but they make it to them the vvord of man, rather nor the word of God; because they count the Scripture to be authentick, not because God did speake it, but because the Church sayes it, as the Papists do say, this day. So they make the New and old Testament to be the vvord of men. The Lord keepe vs from such an error: for it is not possible to builde faith vpon that ground. I appeale thy conscience that sayest this, if euer thou didst finde that constant faith in thy heart: faith can not rest, except it haue an assurance, that, the word is from God and not from men: how manie in this countrie faile in this? There are manie that receiue and embrace it, not with that reuerence they should: when they hear it spoken they giue no reuerence nor obedience thereto, more nor it were the word of man, for when they goe out, they are as wanton in wickednesse as euer they were before. This testifies their want of due reuerence, If this were setled in the hearts of men, that, the word that is spoken were the word of God, and that it is not the man that speaks it, but Gods Spirite in the man; they would receiue it, embrace it, and obey it with greater reuerence. O, the obedience he would giue to that word. There is naturallie such a reuerence of God in the heart, that when they are assured it is of God, they will reuerence it.

Now brethren, ye see in all these degrees nothing but faith. All is expressed in faith: ye see the beginning of it, the progresse of it, the ending where it rests. It begins at the outward senses: It begins at the eare. Faith is by hearing. Rom. 10. 17. Then it goes next, to the minde, which allowes and approues it. It sticks not there, but it goes downe to the heart; and there in very deed is the right sait of faith: there is the proper loding of faith. Look, that, thy faith be not in thy head and eare onelie (there are many hes it so, and it goes away with the winde) Looke, that it goe to the minde, and be not content with that, but see, that, it goe down to thy hart. This faith, ye, see, then, it exercises the whole soule of man: it exercises both the reasonable powers & the affections. Take head to it. The thing whereinto this faith is exercised, is the word of God. Faith in the eare is exercised about the word, faith in the minde is exercised about the word, faith in the heart is exercised about the word of God. The word of God should fill the whole head, mynde and heart. This is it that the Apostle to the Coloss. sayes. chap. 3, 16. Let the vvord of God dvvell in you plenteouslie: not sparinglie, but powerfullie. And certainelie thinke on, I tell you, if thou stryue not, so long as thou art heere, to be filled with the word of God, looke not after this lyfe for his presence: if thou preasse not, in some measure, in this lyfe, to haue thy soule filled with him: looke not, that, God shall be a father to thee in the life to come. Alas, we can not get that fulnesse and our soules so wel exercised as we should haue by the word: but if we striue to this, our willingnesse is acceptable to God. Where there is a desire to thinke and meditate of it, and to repent that thou canst not haue that desire therof as thou wouldst, it repares that want we haue of that fulnesse.

There is yet one thing heere to be marked. The speciall ground of his thanks-giuing, is, for the imbracing of this word, not as the worde of men, but as the worde of God. Wherein ye see, it is a rare thing and a speciall blessing of God, vvhen a man is not offended vvith that goode vvorde of God. What care I for him, some vvill say oft-tymes, I vvill heare the vvord of God, and receyue it, but this companion vvho teaches, hes offended me, I vvill not heare him. Againe, he is of so meane graces, he can not speake two words right, he is babling. Well thou art stumbling: and thou wilt breake thy neck if thou doest so: for thou must not thank that the word of God hangs on the mouth of man, but the mouth of man doth hang on the word of God. This is the fault, we measure euer the word of God by the instrument, and counts ay of the word of God, as of the word of man that speakes it and preaches it. 2. Cor. 10. 7. Enter in comparison, The vvisdome of God and the vvisdome of man are contrarie. and I will let you see, Gods doing is far from mans doing, and mans doing is contrair to Gods doing. There is the wisdome of God. It hes pleased him from the beginning to put his power in the weakest creature, in the silliest and basest to looke to the hes not chosen the wise in the world, the potent and noble, to put his power in them, when it pleased him to vtter his omnipotent power. When he vttered his power against Pharao, he puts his power in frogs, in lyce, in flees, and he is auenged on proude Pharac, by those vylde things. All this is, and was, that his power shoulde be seene, that men should not thinke, this is the power of a frogge, louce or flee: but is the power of the great God that made all thinges. And when he meanes to destroy Goliath, he will not haue the armie of the Israelites, nor Saull slaying him, but he will haue sillie Dauid slaying him, without armour, with a sling onelie. All this was that the world might see, it was not Dauids power, but Gods that slew Goliath. So, the richest treasure that God hes in Heauen, vvhich is Christ Iesus in the word, he puts it in vylde veshelles, the Ministers thereof. The vnsearchable riches of Christ, the power and justice of God in Christ, and all the glorie of God in Christ, he takes it and puts it not in veshelles of siluer, and golde: no, but in a veshell of earth. 2. Corinth. 4. 7. and all this is, that, the vvorlde shoulde not esteeme the treasure according to the veshell. Therefore, the Lorde will put in a veshell of claye the treasure that is Heauen in Christ. Now will ye see mans famous wisdome. When he heares the vvord comming out of this base and infirme man, he sayes, the veshell is nothing worth, it is made of clay, it serues for no purpose; a sillie fellow, from whence came he? therefore this word that is in his mouth, it can not be the word of God: would euer he haue put so pretious a thing in so vylde a veshell? O rebellious man, that is euer contrarie to God in all thinges, and speciallie in the Gospell! Experience teaches vs of the enimitie, that the wicked men in this Realme caries in their heart against God and his Ministers: they will not let God be wise in his wisdome he hes in his Ministerie, but they will be wiser. Well, fight on, his wisdome will winne the fielde, and thou wilt lose it to thy euerlasting destruction.

Now to goe forward. He casteth in a parenthesis, saying, As it is in deed, the vvord of God. Ye esteemed it not as the word of men, but of God, as it is in deed: Receyue it as ye please, account it Gods vvorde, or mans, as ye please, it is and shall abyde Gods vvord; and thy mouth in the end shall be shutte vp, so, that thou shalt not vtter one vvord if thou account anie otherwise of it. So vvhat euer be the opinion of men in the vvorlde, and their speaches, their saying, or gainesaying alters nothing: Th’ instrument neither adds, nor diminishes the glorie of the vvord The vvord of Iesus abydes, and shall abyde the true vvord, and shall retaine the ovvne authoritie and glorie: thy vvordes vvill neuer be able to make any change. No, brethren, the mouth of man for as infirme and gracelesse as it is, will not be able to impare a jot of the glorie of that God: and by the contrair, put it in the mouth of neuer so glorious a creature, if it wer in the mouth of an Angell, nothing will be added to the glorie of it: it is powerfull in the selfe, the creature will not be able to make any alteration. In deed, it will honour the mouth, when it is put in the mouth of a man it will make him honourable, but he can not honour it, if he were neuer so noble or eloquent. Set vp a king to preache, trow ye he will honour the Gospell? no, but he shall get honour by the preaching of it. No, if it were all the Angels of Heauen that would preache this glorious Gospell they can not giue it honour, but they are honoured by it. And when the Angels came and cryed to men this word of God, they got a singulare honour. Paul to the Galat. chap. 4. vers. 14. sayes, ye receiued me as an Angell of God, yea, as Christ Iesus. Wherefore was this? for Pauls ovvne presence? no, but for the word of God in his mouth, which made him to be accounted as an Angell of God. Neuer man shall be able to ad any honour to the word, or diminishe the honour thereof. Now blessed is he who gets this grace to deliuer this word with an earnest zeale, to glorifie God and Christ by preaching thereof.

Now in the end of the verse. He thinkes it not eneugh to call it the word of God, but he giues a proofe of it. The vvord of God vvher euer it be, Povver of the vvord. will euer prooue it selfe to be the vvord of God: it can not be idle, it must be quicke and effectuall in the hearer, it must vvorke liuelie, it vvill pearce lyke a tvvo edged svvord, and therefore, it is said: vvhich also vvorketh in you that beleeue. Hovvbeit it vvas vttered by an infirme man, yet, the vveakenesse of the persone hinderes not the povverfull operation of the vvorde. It vvill not be the mouth of the speaker that vvill holde back povver from the vvord of God. But vvhen the Lord puts his vvord in his mouth, and sayes, I will put my vvord in thy mouth, go thy vvay, if all the world had said the contrare, that vvord shal be powerfull. Well is that man in whose mouth this word is put: and vvell is that people that hes a man in vvhose mouth the Lord hes put his word, the basnesse and infirmitie of the man, will not be able to hinder the povver thereof. If the Lorde once put his vvorde in his mouth (it is so vvonderfull a thing.) Set vp eloquent Dememosthenes, diuine Plato, facunde Cicero, &c. vvho vvere like as manie vvonders in the vvorld: let them come in vvith their eloquence, they shal not haue such operation in the harts of men, as a sillie fellow, and simple of speache shall haue, vvhen he speakes the vvord in the name of the Lord. And if there vvas euer a vvorke in the vvorlde maruellous, that vvorke vvhich the Minister by the Spirite, and vvorde of God workes, is most maruelous. For, to regenerate a man, vvho vvas once dead, it is not a mans tongue, his eloquence, his instancie that can doe it, but onelie that powerfull, and blessed vvord of God: that all glorie and praise of his povverfull operation may be giuen to his Majestie.

Marke a word farther. He sayes, not that workes in euerie one of you: but he sayes, in you vvho beleeues. In the 1. chap. Rom. vers. 16. The Gospell is called the povver of God to saluation, to them that beleeues. In the first to the Corinthians chap. 1 vers. 24. It is the povver and vvisdome of God to them that hes that effectuall calling, and hes gotten the heart oppinned to take head, and drinke in the worde, onelie in these is the worde of God effectuall to saluation. Brethren, it is true, it is offered with power to the vnbeleeuers, as well as to the beleeuers, but this is the difference. If thou hast not an heart & hand to take it when it is offred to thee with power, thou shalt neuer receiue its thou wantst power to receiue it, but there is power in the word very sufficient vnto saluation. Alas, how manie heare the vvord with their heart so hardened, that the word strikes on their hart as an hammer on the studdie. The hardnes of thy heart beats it backe againe, so, that it is not powerfull to thee. My counsell is, except thou preasse to haue thy heart mollified, and crauest at God to mollifie it, hear not the word, or Ile assure thee, the more thou hearest, the more thou vvilt be hardened. Manie make a showe of hearing: the Lord and the Laird will come and sit in their daskes and heare the worde, and will come forth without anie profite, because their hearts were not attentiue to heare. Ieast not with the word, it shall eyther saue thee or slay thee, and in the day of damnation thou shalt cursse the time, that thou euer didst heare the word of Christ, if thou finde it not powerfull in thee. Come, in a minde to renew thy sinfull life, or, else, bide away: come to be humbled vnder this word and reuerence it, if that thou were a King, or else bide away, vnlesse thou vvouldst heap on thy selfe an intolerable damnation.

Now brethren, I shall end shortlie in the next verse. He thinkes it not eneugh to set downe this in generall, what the vvord of God wroght in them that beleeued, but he comes to the particulare. It will not be the generall word will do thee good but a particulare. The speciall effect is, It made them to be follovvers. It is good to followe them that goe the right way: they vvere followers of the Church that was in Iudea, followers of the Ievves that were conuerted and beleeued in Christ. The word conformed the Thessalonians to the christian Church of the Iewes. Al this was by the povver of the vvord of God in the mouthes of men. Looke not for an Angell from heauen to speake to thee, nor for a sound from heauen: but looke for it out of the mouth of men. We wearie fast of this ministrie; what ministrie vvill vve haue next? will ye haue Papistrie againe? will ye haue Angels? No, if ye contemne this ministrie, if this ministrie be put out of the land, thou shalt neuer finde anie ministrie powerfull to saluation. Then I marke: this is the power of the word of God, a conformitie & like affection in sundry persons: to make me like thee, the vvord povverful to make cōformity and thee like me, the godlie like other: this is the power of Gods word, to cause a church follow one an other, to joine man with man, to draw in a bloodie wolfe to the sheep-fold of the Lord Iesus and to make him a sillie lambe: He that now was raging to draw him to Christ & to cause him sit down, and joine himself to Gods people in holinesse and godlines. This is a maruelous effect that the word hes. It is not the proper effect of the word, to cut men from good men, but to make a conformitie to joine good mē with good mē, & draw al together to the church. The Lord, the great Pastor, he joynes all the members of the bodie together, and all to make a whole body to the head christ. In a word, it is the force of Gods word, to worke our felicitie & blessednesse, and I assure thee, thou who art a contemner of the word of Iesus, thou shalt neuer be happie, neither in this life, nor in the life come. All stands first in a conjunction with Christ the head, and then, with the members. Step out of the societie of the church as you wil (what is the church to thee) I denounce the terrible judgement of God against thee, if thou seek not to haue that conjunction & societie of the church of God, thou shalt neuer get a portion in Iesus: there is thy doome, if thou repent not. This conformitie is not al wroght at once: but, the word of God, by the power thereof, will bring one first in, then, an other man, then, the thrid man: then, one Church; secondly, an other church; thridlie, the thrid church; and so, draw them al together. So, that they who comes last, haue no disaduantage, they both haue that same word to draw them in that the first had and then also they haue examples before them, drawing them in. It is good to haue an aduantage beside the word, to draw thee in. Brethren, we that are now in the world we haue this last vauntage, we haue these patternes: looke how many haue bene called, they are as many vauntages and patternes to draw vs to God. And looke that thou heare not of a godlie man, but preasse to follovv him, and say, God make me lyke him: for, among the rest of the meanes God hes ordained to winne soules, the setting vp of patternes before men is one meane. This nature of ours is backward, (For, vve are all borne naturallie Woolfes and Tigers) so, that, it makes vs that vve break avvay so fast from the sheepe-fold of Christ, that we haue great neede of many meanes to draw vs in: And therefore, the Lorde some-tymes vses, by the word, and some-tymes by the examples of others to draw vs in to Christ Iesus.

Yet againe this conformitie that is set down wold be marked. The conformity is in suffering, ye are followers of the church in Iudea: in what? in suffering alike with them: the same persecution they suffered, ye suffer: yea, more; he amplifies their sufferinges, in that they did suffer of such like persecutores as the Church of Iudea did: euen of their own countrie-men: the Iewes it was that persecuted the Iewes who were conuerted: it is the Thessalonians that persecutes you that are in Thessalonica. This is the persecution. Conformitie in suffring. Then, learne. The conformitie that ought to be among men and vvemen in the world, stands not in doing onelie, to make others doe vvell, as he doeth well: As one Church liues holilie, so, to cause one an other liue holily: but, it must be a conformitie in suffering also, that, as one man suffred, so, an other shoulde suffer: as one Church suffered, so an other Church should suffer: it wil not only be actiue, in doing, but, passiue, in suffering. There is a faire effect, conformitie in suffering. Brethren, men oft tymes are readie eneugh to follow others in doing, but, they are loath to suffer: all godlie men would be like other godlie men in doing: I see not a godlie person, but, I would be lyke him: and one Church would be like an other godlie Church, in doing. But, if I see a godlie man suffer before me, I wil hold aback and shrink to follow him. If thou see one martyred before thee, thou wilt leaue him and not take part of his burden. There is not a flourishing Church in Europe, but this would be like it: but it hes no desire to be like that Church in France, that hes bene so long vnder affliction, and can not get vp the head of it. It is in deed an hard matter to the word of God, to worke doing good in the heart of man: but, a harder matter, to worke patience and suffering of affliction: but, if the word be not effectual, as well to work suffering, as doing; I can not say, it hes that force and power in vs that it should haue. And therefore, albeit thou be not as yet at suffering; yet, prepare thee for suffring: resolue not thy self for doing alone euery day, but, for suffring also whatsoeuer crosse the Lord will lay on thy back. And let this be part of thy prayer: Lord strengthen me in suffering. For, as thou wouldst raigne with him, so thou must take a resolution to suffer with him. Who will not suffer, let him neuer looke to be an heyre of Heauen. It is now due time to learne to be prepared for suffering for Christs cause. The Lord giue vs grace that we may suffer patientlie, that he may be glorified in our suffering. To this God be glorie and praise for euer.

AMEN.