Lecture 9 · 1 Thessalonians 2:17–20

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

THESE dayes bygone (brethren) we haue insisted vpon this rejoysing of the Apostle together with the Thessalonians, for the graces of God he vnderstoode to be in them: and so we haue alreadie ended his part of the Epistle, which stands in a congratulation. Now in this text presenlie red, the Apostle excuseth himselfe to the Thessalonians, because he came not to them to visite them after that tyme that first he planted the Gospell among them For they might haue said to the Apostle. Well, thou professest a great loue towards vs and giuest vs a goode commend, and vtterst a great [rejoising for] vs and the graces we receiued of God; yet thou art forgetfull: for neuer since that time thou plantedst the Gospel. hast thou visited vs, to se what we are doing, to confirme the worke begun. This is an argument of forgetfulnes of vs, notwithstanding of all professing inword. The Apastle answeres this, and giues two excuses. The first is, from that earnest desire he had to visite them: the second is from that purpose he tooke after the desire to come to them and visite them; yea, for that purpose he made once or twise to come: for once or twyse he was on his journey, and was impeaded by Sathan. In the end of the chapter, he giues a reason of that desire and purpose he tooke to come to them. Because, sayes he, Ye are my hope, my ioy, and the coovvne of my glorying, in the presence of the Lord Iesus Christ, at his comming. And therefore, why should not I desire and take purpose to visite you? There is the summe of this present text.

Now to returne and passe throgh euery verse, and expone it, as God shall giue the grace. His first excuse is, that earnest desire he had to see them In the beginning of the 17. verse, he giues the reason thereof. Because on a sodaine he was rest from them, otherwise then he expected & the more sodanlie he was rest frō them the greater was his desire to see them and to visite them. Of this parting and seuering of the Apostle from the Thessalonians, after that he had bene with them a certaine space of tyme ye may read Act. 17. The obstinate Iewes, seeing that Christ and his Gospell was receiued of the Thessalonians, and the Lord blessed Pauls trauels among them, by the instigation of the Diuell stirred vp such a vehement sedition, that Paul is compelled to slee to Beroea. The word he vses heere hes a great pith. It signifies not onelie to be seuered, but it signifies to be made an orphanne, a puple destitute of father and mother, and spoiled of his parents: and therefore the seuering of him, was as the spoyling of an orphane or puple from the father whom he loued best in the world. The text is easie, and the obseruations fall out as easie. Ye may se first the delite and pleasure the godly haue to dwell with other to haue a mutuall presence one of an other, that euerie one may receiue of other consolation in Iesus Christ. Rom. 1. 11. 12. especiallie a Pastor, or a Minister when he see the Lord hes blessed his laboures among any people or congregation, his pleasure is to abyde with that people, his delyte is in the presence of that people, and when he is seuered from that people, it is as sore to him, as to a childe, or young one, when he is seuered from the parents, and spoiled of the presence of father and mother. Againe we may note. The Deuill the enemie of mans saluation muyes nothing more then the mutuall societie of the godlie: and especiailie aboue all other societies, he inuyes the presence of a faithfull Pastor vvith his people: for he knows that by this ministrie saluation is vvrought. Novv would to God men and wemen knew aswell this ministrie as he does. He knowes this ministrie of saluation is so necestarie that if thou contemne it thou shalt neuer be safe, thou shalt neuer see the face of God. I haue giuen this doome ofttymes. Therefore he invying mans saluation, his whole indeuore is to seuere him that is the Pastour from his people: knowing that hee being seuered, the people shall be a pray to him. This is his oulde craft, and no noueltie. Now the Deuill is euer lyke himselfe, he can raise seditions and trmults, and that to seuere the ministrie, that caries the message of saluation before the people, that they being seuered, the people may be a pray to him.

Now the word vsed heere is to be marked. He sayes, he was seuered in the momēt of an hour. Meaning he was seuered vpon a sodantie, far from their & his expectation, sodainly he and they wer seuered: well, an euil turne is soone done, & in the twinkling of an eye a breake will be made: euill, is soone done, but not so soone mended. Paul could not come so soone to them againe, as he was put from them, and when he is aback, the Deuill holdes him aback; and when he would haue comde to them, he did cast in impedimēts. Yet albeit he seuered Paul in body, his hart abode with the Thessalonians: they possest his hart, the enemie could not get it seuered from them. Then there are two sorts of profences of men with mē; as there are two sorts of absence of men frō one in bodie, an other in spirite: a mans heart will be where his bodie is not: and by the contrare, the bodie will be present where the heart is not. It is easie to seuere the godlie in bodie from other: the Deuill will easilie do that. It is easie to him: to seuere the hearts of the vngodlie (for there is no true conjunction but in Christ but as for the hearts of the godlie, it is not easie to seuere them. The bonde that joynes them is not naturall, but supernaturall; it is not humane, but diuine: it comes not of the Spirite of man, but of the Spirite of God, vvho bindes one member vvith an other member. As it is an hard matter to breake that bonde that joynes the members vvith the head, vvhich is faith: so it is an hard matter to breake that bond that joynes the member vvith the member, that is loue and charitie, vvhich joynes vs together. Who shall seuere vs from the loue of Corist. Rom. 8. 35. A naturall bond is soone cutted: but no hammering will breake the bonde of Christ. Therefore seeke not to stand in nature, but seeke to stand in Christ by his Spirit, that will holde vs together, vntill that societie that neuer shall be dissolued in our head the Lord Iesus Christ be accomplished.

In the end of the verse comes in his desire. I enforced my selfe to see your face, not content of this presence of my heart that is with you: Satan cānot hinder the mutuall desires of the godlie. There is an other vauntage. The enemie for all his inuy, yet he could not get his heart away, and when the bodie was seuered, yet he could not get the desire of the Apostle to haue a bodilie presence seuered from them. In deed if he could haue gotten the desyre and langor away, he had gotten a great victorie: but as the heart abode with them; so his desire was to haue a bodilie presence, to see them face to face. And brethren, trow ye that the desire that the godlie hes to be with other be in vaine, or can be in vaine? no, the desire of fleshe and bloud will be vaine: and that which it will desire most, it will not artaine to it. But if the Spirite of Iesus worke a desire, it shall be effectuall, either one tyme or other. Desirest thou to see Iesus and his face? (for thou feest it not yet) desirest thou to see that glorious presence? thou with thy eyes shalt see it certainelie. Desires thou to be of the societie of the faithfull? thou shalt be with them. There is not, nor there was neuer a godlie man, whose presence thou thirstest for, but if not in this lyfe, yet in the lyfe to come thou shalt see him. There was neuer a godlie man of olde but thou shalt see him, and haue his societie which shall indure for euer. All comes to this. The desire of the godlie shall neuer be vaine. There is not a surer argument of lyfe euerlasting then is an earnest desyre of it. Blessed are they that thirst, for they shall be filled. Matt. 5. 6.

To come to the next verse. In it is contained the second part of his excuse: he had not onelie a desire, but he sayes, I tooke purpose and vvas vvilling. That is, I entred in a deliberation and set my selfe to come vnto you. Yet more, I addressed my selfe to the iourney and neuer stayed while Sathan hindred me: Sathan stayeth vvel doing. There is the meaning shortlie. In well doing brethren, in doing that of duety we are bound to doe, it is not enough to desire to doe it, but thou must enter in deliberation and purpose & lay a conclusion with thy selfe, I vvill do it. Yet it is not enough to purpose, but as thou takest purpose goe to the action: begin to doe well, go forward in well doing ay while thou getst a stay. Manie doe vvishe well and woulde well, but do no more: he or she vvill wishe vvell, & faine would haue all vvell, and in the meane time they sit still. This is a token thy desire was not ardent: thou that wilt not enter in action and be ay going forward while thou getst a staye, thou hadst neuer an he rtlie desire to do well. He sayes, I vvould once or tvvise haue come vnto you. First he entred into journey and he got a stay: then he entred againe, and yet he got an impediment: he leaues not off at the first. Mark this. We must not leaue off to do well for one stay or impediment: yea not for two, nor for three, nor for foure, if it be a good turne that is in hand: but we must euer goe forward that we may be excused both before God and man: and this is the excuse of the Apostle, he could do no more. Paul sayes The dayes are euill. Ephes. 5. 16. that is, there are manie impediments casten in to him that vvould do vvell in in this life. It is the godlie man that gets greatest hinderance, but the vvicked will ay forward and will prosper: but if thou be a godlie man, if thou be in thy journey, thou shalt not go one mile but thou shalt get a stay: what at then? should all these impedimēts stay vs from doing good? No, the Apostle giues the an other counsell, Redeeme the tyme. Play the part of a good marchant, that will redeeme his vauntage with the paines and trauell of his bodie. Buy the tyme by well doing, and giue thy life for it, and thou shalt lose nothing. Thou that canst lose thy life in well doing, shalt get a better lyfe for it.

He layes the fault on Sathan, Sathan hindred vs. How was this? appeared he to him; and in his owne persone made opposition to him? How he impeaded him it is not expressed: appearantlie as he stirred vp the Iewes to cast him out, so he stirred them vp now to beset the way. It may be he inraged their hartshighly against him, or else that he rased a storme in the aire. Wel what euer be the instrument or meane, we may see when we are stayed from well doing, Sathan is euer the author, and that by permission of God, for without his permission he can do nothing) he is thē the author & stayer of well doing. Therefore what euer impediment thou getst, take thee euer to the chiefe doer. Eph. 6. 12. It is not vvith fleshe, he and bloude vve haue to doe. (how be it they be instruments) but is vvith principalities and povvers, that is, the Deuil. And therfore he giues counsel, not to take thee to thy corslet and steel-bonnet, wherewith thou armest thy selfe against a man: but that thou shouldst take thee to that spirituall armour, Faith, Hope and the word of God, and set thy selfe, not to resist this man or that man, but the common enemy of mans saluation who would slay thy soule. Trowest thou this be the resisting to resist man? No, the Deuill is laughing in his sleue when thou doest that, that is the hie way to goe on his course. As he forced these men to doe wrong to Paul: so thou, if thou goe to be reuenged on man that is the instrument, thou giuest place to the Deuill to doe his worke. Last marke: whē once he seuered Paul from them, looke how busilie he holdes him aback. When he is preassing to goe to them, he caste in a stay. And againe when he is preassing to make forward, he castes in an other stay, when once he gets godlie men sundered from other there will be cast in many hinders to stay them from meeting againe. And this testifies, that all our blessednesse is a societie and conjunction, first with our head Christ, and secondlie with the members of his bodie. Our blessednes in cōmunion vvith the sanctes. Looke not for lyfe and blessednesse, if there be not a communion with the Sancts. Now the Deuill knowes this, and therefore the chiefe thing he sets himselfe on, is to rent a sunder this communion, and who euer would breake this vnion, and hes a pleasure in diuision, take him to be an imp of the Deuil: for it is a worke of the Deuill, to seuere them that should be joined, as it is the worke of God to joine them together.

Now let vs goe to the last part of this text, containing a weightie reason: first of his desire, and next of his purpose to come to them. These are the wordes, For vvhat is our hope ioy? vvhat is crovvne of my glorying? There is the question and demand. The answere of it is, Are not ye in the presence of our Lord Iesus at his comming? Then he doubles it: yea, sayes he, yee are my ioy and my glorie; and so he endes. Where a mans hope is, there is the thinge he hopes and lookes for: where his joye and crowne and glorie is, there he would be: that is to say, where his blessednes is there wold he be. Now Paul vvold say. Ye Thessalonians are my hope my joy, my crown of the which I glorie, & therefore I woulde be with you. There is the force of the argument. Now the style of the language would be marked: for the same Spirite that dytes the matter dytes the style; and spirituall matter craues a Spirituall style, 1. Cor. 2. 13. The holie spirite of Iesus must be the speaker as wel as the dyter. His language ryses vp by degree by degree, the lowest degree is in the vvord, hope; the next degree is in the word joy: the last and hiest degree is in the vvord, crowne: vvhereby is meaned a most high and excellent glorie. This learnes vs this lesson. Heauen would haue an high style, that crowne would haue an hie style, the grace of Iesus Christ woulde haue an hie style when it is spoken of. And brethren, if Heauen be in the heart, as it is in the mouth, and if glorie be in the heart as it is in the mouth and if the Crovvne of glorie be in the heart as it is in the mouth, the mouth vvill euer be readie to speake of grace, of joye and of glorie in a glorious style: for it is true, Of the aboundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. And I vvould demaund of you, what is the occasion that men doe speake so couldlie and careleslie of the Lord of glorie, and so baselie of so glorious thinges, as of heauen and of the joye thereinto? Alas, the occasion is the vvant of sense in the heart the heart is not filled with such thinges, and therefore an emptie heart, an emptie mouth: if thy hear be full of vanitie, thy mouth vvill be full of vanitie and euanish in painting out of vanitie: for looke as thou art disposed in heart, in like manner shalt thou bee disposed in mouthe. Therefore seeke to haue thy heart furnished fullie vvith the Spirite of Iesus. No man, (sayes the Apostle) can call Iesus Lord, but by the Spirite. 1. Epist. Corinth. 12. 3.

Yee more. Speaking of this joye, he passes vp by degrees. The lowest is hope: then he comes to an higher, my ioy: then the highest is the crovvn on their glorie. The greatest glorie in the earth is a crowne, and when a man is crowned in the earth, he can be no higher. But there is the difference. The crowne in the earth is corruptible, but the crowne of heauen is incorruptible. It is of this crown of heauen he speaks. Yet not these three degrees: for I marke this passing vp by degrees in sundry other parts: for when the Apostle beginnes to speake of Iesus, he cannot satisfie himselfe in vvords: as Ephes. 1. 18. Praying to God, that yee may knovv, sayes hee, vvhat is that hope of his calling, there is the first step: he stands not there, he goes vp to see, what the riches of his glorie: what glorie? of his inheritance among his saints: this is the second degree: (yet he stands not there:) and vvhat is that excellent greatnes of his power, according to the efficacie of his strong strength. There he stands. Brethren, these are not vvords, but this rising vp tels vs, the hight of the glory of heauē is wonderful: & that thou mayest attaine to it, thou must rise to it by degrees: that is, thou must passe from sense to sense, from grace to grace, from light to light, from oye to joye, from glorie to glorie, as the Apostle speakes 2. Corinth. 3. 18. So long as thou liuest thou must finde this climming of thy heart sensiblie, that thou growest in joye, and that thou hast more joye this yeere then before: and so striue continually, vntil thou come to the point, euer striuing for perfection in this lyfe, which shall be compleat when we shall see our Lord Iesus Christ. Now he calles it the crowne of glorying, that is, that makes him to glorie in God who crownes him. Brethren, when the heart is filled with glorie in Iesus christ, the mouth shall not be dumbe, but it shall oppin and vtter that passing joy, and the persone shall euer glorie in him, vvho hes set that crowne on him. O that infinite glorie and rejoysing that shall be in that glorious Majestie! now we tyre, searcelie are we begun to glorie in him, but the heart beginnes as soone to tyre, but then there shall be no tyring nor wearying, the voice shall neuer cease, but glorie in that Creator for euer and ever. Byde in patience while ye attaine vnto this glorie, and in all troubles let the hope of this glorie comfort thee. Rom. 5. 2. For there is nothing that abydes but this glorie. col. Now if hope made vs to rejoyce, how much more, present sight, present joy, and the crovvne put on our heads vvill make vs to rejoyce, and vvith gladnesse and loude voyce to praise him who hes crowned vs for euer.

In the latter end of the verse, he makes an answer to his owne demand, are not ye, sayes he, &c. He calles the Church his joy, and his crowne: not that properlie his blessednesse was in them, for, onelie Iesus Christ is called our hope, our joy, our glorie and crowne. Onelie Iesus Christ is our lyfe, onelie Christ is our solace, he hes no companion: but he calles them his hope and joy in an other sense Because they wer the meane and matter wherby he attained to the joy, solace and crowne, which is in Iesus Christ. It is then an improper fashion of speaking: for the people in whom our ministrie is effectuall to saluation is the meane whereby we shal be glorified in the Heauen. Marke this speaking of the matter of his joy. He speakes not of his Apostleship, and sayes not, it is the meane of my joy: but he sayes, the blessing giuen me in my Apostleship in sauing you, is the meane of my joy. Faithfull discharge of a calling a mater of ioy. The matter of thy joy in the lyfe to come, and of thy crowne where-with thou shalt be crowned in Heauen, it is not so much a calling: if it were the calling of a King, it will not be that that wil make thee be crowned in Heauen: no, it must be the faithfull discharge of thy calling toward them with whom thou hast adoe. Art thou a King? the faithfull discharge of a King in keeping the people in good order and peace will be the meane of thy crowning in heauen. Art thou a pastor intending to win manie soules to the kingdome of heauen? it shall be a meane of thy crowning in that great day. When a crowne shall be set on a kings head, or a pastors head, it shal not be his calling that shal be the cause of his crowning: he was an Emperor, therefore he must haue a crovvne in heauen; it vvill not follow, if there be no more: He vvas a pastor, therfore he must haue a crovvne in heauen: no, it shall be that blessing and frute that God gaue thee in the faithfull discharge in thy calling heere, that shall be the meane of thy crowning. And therefore let neuer fleshe glorie in any calling, if there be no more, if the blessing of the Lord be not with thy calling, thou hast cause of mourning, and thou shalt say in that day, woe to me, that euer I was a King, an Emperour, a Pastor, if there be not a faithfull discharge of thy calling the greater damnation falles vnto thee, the greater thy calling be.

Now to end: he is speaking of this rewarde that he was to receiue at Christs comming, and he speakes not of these earthlie stipends, how beit their be much adoe and stryfe for them in the land, if they wer neuer so selie: he speakes not of these goods or anie thing that pertained to them, but the reward of his Apostleship he speaks of, is, that he claimes themselues. ye are my hope sayes he, ye are my ioy, euen ye your selues. So, in one worde, the rewarde of a faithfull Apostle shall not be the durt of this earth, (for as niggard as men are of it: no, it shall not be his manse, his gleab, two or three chalders of victuall, or an hndreth marke; rest all not be this, but it shall be the soules of all them hee did vvinne heere on earth: and the Lord shall say to him, take them and let them be a matter of joy, of glorie and honour for euer to thee. Well, he will not wishe ought of the durt of the earth, but their owne selues, whom he will professe as the rewarde of his faithfull calling to his euerlasting joy.

I goe forward. before whom and in whose presence shall this joy and crowne of glorying be? He sayes, before the Lord Iesus Christ: it must be done in his sight, hee must be before, hee must be the doer of all: it must be he that shall take thee by the hand, and giue thee to the Apostle and pastor, and saye, Take, man, there is the matter of thy glorie and crowne make it a matter to thee of thy joy for euer. Brethren, there is no joy but in the face and presence of Iesus: there is no light but that that comes from his face and countenance. It is true, the pastor ministers light, but if in the meane time the light of Iesus shine not in thy heart, all is but vaine and lost labour. And therefore, Paul 2. Cor. 4. 6. sayes, all this light must come from Iesus Christ, and thou must holde vp that heart of thine, that the light of Iesus may shine in it. And he sayes also, as soone as the heart is turned, the vaile is remoued 2. Cor. 3. 16. and the face of the Lord illuminates thee. For what trow you the light be, the joy be, the glorie be that we shall receiue: & in one word, vvhat trow you heauen be: Al the light in heauen is nothing but as a reflexe of that light that is in Iesus Christ: al the light and glory of heauen is but like sparkles scattred from him, for all glorie is in him. And therefore, if ever thou looke for joy and glorie, addresse thy selfe for Ieses Christ: and as thou wouldst liue, either here, or hence, striue to his presence, and thinke neuer thou art well, vntill you get some sense of that presence. Let nothing so bewitch thee, that thou getst contentation of heart vntill thou getst some light of Iesus Christ, There is no life nor joye within him. I aske thy conscience, Didst thou euer feele that solide joy and life, but when thy heart was set on that countenance of Iesus? Foole, thou mayst rejoice, like a dog or beast with a sensuall pleasure, but woe to thy joye and peace: there is no peace to the vvicked; for when thou art so passing thy time out of Iesus, the judgement shall sodainelie ouertake thee: for there is no saluation out of Iesus.

When shal this be? At this comming. It is true we vvalke heere in his presence, and that joye that comes downe from Heauen it comes through that glorious bodie wherewith he is cled: but the sacietie of all shall not be, vntill the eye see it, thy glorie shall not be perfited while then. I tell you, all the light we haue now, the Apostle calles it the light of the Euangell of the glorie of God: it is his face that shines in a mirror, thou seest him no otherwise: but then this mirror shall be taine avvay, and the face of Iesus shall be holden vp in your sight. Brethren, while we are here, the light cōmes from heauen, and ouer shadowes and transformes the soule onlie, and that, not fullie, but in a part: but, when he shall come, he shall transforme not the soule onelie, but these vilde bodies, and make them conforme to his glorious bodie. Phil. 3. 21. And so, there must be a greater force in his owne presence, nor is in the mirror of the Gospell. And thou that takest a pleasure to see Iesus in the mirror of the Gospell, and to be ouershadowed with the light of the Gospell, the face of Iesus shall shine on thee: and by the contrair, thou that takest no pleasure in the mirror of the Gospell, thou shalt neuer attaine to the sight of Iesus. Wilt thou continue in hatred of the ministrie of Iesus Christ, thou shalt neuer see the glorious countenance of Iesus.

In the end of this chapter, not being content to tell this once, he sayes it againe, yes, ye are my ioy. This doubling proceedes of a persuasion that he had of that glorie: in a word, let a Minister be faithfull to winne many soules, to pleasure God and Iesus Christ, who will recompence him so aboundantlie. The glorie is sure, the joy is sure, and if he finde faithfulnesse, and a blessing in his calling in this lyfe: as the joye and glorie is certaine, so when he is going out of this lyfe, he may be sure, and may say with confidence, I shall enter in my joy, and my soule and bodie shall be crowned with his crowne of joy and glorie, and all in the presence of the Lord Iesus. To whom with the Father & the holie Spirite be all praise.

AMEN.