Lecture 12 · 1 Thessalonians 3:9–12

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

IN the Text immediatlie going before, welbeloued in Christ, wee heard of the sending forth of Timothie to the Thessalonians, we heard of his returning, and what tidings he brought: hee reported to Paul of the Thessalonians, concerning their faith and perseuerance in faith, concerning their loue; and particularlie of that remembrance they had of Paul, who had founded them in the faith of Christ, in his absence desiring most earnestly to haue his presence againe. Last ye heard what effect these tidings reported by Timothie vvrought in Paul: they wrought consolation and joy, notwithstanding all the afflictions and miserie he lay in in Athens for the present.

Now brethren, to come to the text vve haue in hand. In this text he does two things: first he showes vvhat thanksgiuing he gaue to God for them and for all that joye he had conceiued of the glad newes he heard of them: he showes how earnest & instant he was in prayer for them, crauing day and night that hee might see them face to face, notwithstāding that report he heard of them by Timothie. Then in the secound part of the text he falles out in a prayer continewing to the end of the chapter, first beseeching God the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ to direct his journey toward them: next desiring God to increase them, and make them to abound in loue euerie one toward an other, and toward all men in the worlde: thridlie beseeching God that he would establish their hearts before him in all holinesse at the comming of Iesus Christ with his Sancts. There is the effect of the text shortlie. Novv to returne and to speake of the first part: he shovves his thanks-giuing and prayer to God for them. He sayes, For vvhat thanks can vve recompense to God againe for you, for all the ioy vvherevvith vve reioyce for your sakes before our God. I can not get a heart (would he say) to thanke my God for it, Ioy in the hart burstes out in thanksgiuing. as I shoulde doe. The text is verie plaine. So the doctrine is easie. First heere vve see. vvhen the heart of any man conceaues a spirituall joy for the grace of God, eyther bestowed on him selfe, or vpon others, it is not able to conteine that joy, but it must breake out, and it must open the mouth to giue thankes and praise to the Lord: for of the aboundance of the heart, the mouth must speake. If the heart with any affection, be it good or euill, the hart must opened mouth, and the mouth must speake either good or euill. Then the second thing to be marked in this text, is whē the joy of the hart opens the mouth to vtter thankes, what euer be the instrument and meane of joy, the first thanks that are giuen will not be giuen to it especially. (Paul heere giues not the glorie of this joy to the Thessalonians) but the mouth will be opened to glorifie the author of all grace and joy, which is God: for without him there is no grace, neither haue we our selues any grace, neither hes any other any grace in him selfe: Thankesgiuing to God only. and without God there is no joy; except he worke the joy, there can be no joy in the heart. Yea, albeit the grace be giuen, yet if he giue not a new grace to worke joy in the heart for the grace, there can be no joy. And therefore the mouth when it is opened, to praise & glorifie, first of al it shold be opened to glorifie him who is the giuer of all: honour the instrument as the instrument, honour the Minister as the Minister, but let the author & worker of al haue the glory & thanks. Then thridlie mark. In a maner he complaines that he can not get a mouth to thanke God sufficientlie for all that grace they had receiued, and joy he had receiued and gotten through their graces. Marke then, our thanking and glorifying of God for the grace receiued and joy conceiued in heart, it is not answerable in greatnes to the grace, nor to the joy receiued. For will ye cōpare these two together, the grace of God, and thy thankfulnes for it, the grace of God passes thy thankfulnes, yea, the verie joy that we haue in heart for the grace bestowed on vs or others, will be greater nor the thankfulnesse can be: and the tongue of man is not able to vtter all that joy conceiued, nor to thank God sufficientlie for it. Peter 1. Epist. 1. 8. he calles it a joy vnspeakable: The joy the faithfull heart will conceiue, is an vnspeakable joy. So Paul of the sighs of the godly. Rom. 8. 28. The mouth of man is not so wyde, nor so capable of grace as the heart is. I meane of the regenerate man. If the spirit of Iesus dwel in the heart, all the tongues of men and Angels, can not be able to tell nor expresse the thousand part of that joy the hart wil haue in Gods grace for all that ioy saies he, vvhat thanks shall I giue to God? As he wold say, my mouth can not get words to vtter thanks to God the author for the graces receiued, and joy that is conceiued there throgh.

Now farther we haue to learne in the wordes. He sayes, all this joy is before God, All ioy in the face of Iesus. all the joy that the heart conceyues is in the sight of God and in his presence, it is all in the sight of christ. No libertie sayes Paul, but when the heart is turned to God, and laid oppin to him. 1. Cor. 3. 16. 17. No, no light of the knowledge of the glorie of God, but in the face of Iesus Christ. 2. Cor. 46. No sacretie of joy, but in his countenance, sayes Dauid Psal. 16. 11. And Peter in his 1. Epist. 7. 8. sayes, that beleeuing in Iesus, and keeping him in our presence, vve reioyce vvith a ioy vnspeak able and glorious. So, no joye for thee, except thy eye be fixt in some measure on the face of Iesus. Looke not for it, turne thou thy back to him, and thy face from him, no joy for thee, if thou were all the Monarches in the earth: No, no joye, peace, nor tranquillitie of conscience but in the face of God. And therfore who euer would haue joy, and rejoyce, and be glad in heart in this world, let him cast an eye on Christ, and be humelie with him: for his face is joyfull. And what is all this joy we conceyue in heart? but as little sparkles of the plenitude and fulnesse of that heauenlie joy in Christ, all proceedes as blenks from it. Experience teaches vs, that neither by day nor night can the soule rejoyce, but when it hes the presence of the liuing God, in the face of Christ: for there is no sight of him but in Christ.

Now last I gather of all this: He can not thanke the Lord eneugh for their perseuerance. Then all perseuerance in faith and loue comes of God if thanks must be giuen to God for it, of necessitie it must follow that God is the giuer of it: and therefore it is a vaine tale to say that mans perseuerance is in his owne hand: he has a free will, he may stand if he will, he may fall if he will. All is vanitie, all our standing is onelie in God: if he holde vs in his hand we shall stand: if he pull away his hand we shall fal: therefore seeke at God that we may stand and perseuere; for without him we shal not stand one moment: & euerie one who stands is bound to praise him, who is the author of all perseuerance. So brethren by Pauls example a Pastor when he sees his flock perseuere in the faith of Christ aboue all men he is bound to praise God.

Now to the next verse shortlie. As he hes showen he thanked God for that grace they haue gotten, and the joy he had conceiued of it, so he addes to, and showes that as he thanked, he prayed and asked more. Prayed, how long: Night and day, After what maner? Excedinglie vvith all feruencie. To whom praies he? to God the Father and his Sonne Christ. What prayed he? that he night see their face. And to what end? that he might accomplish that vvhich is looking in their faith. That is the effect of his prayer. So the Apostle vvould haue prayer continualie ioyned with thankes-giuing. And there is not so great matter of thankes-giuing for the grace which is receiued, and for the joy that ryses of the grace, Prayer should be ioyned vvith thankesgiuing. but yet there rests great neede to seeke more grace and more joy. So long as we liue heere, there is ay a want and inlak in the best liuer in this world. Faith is not perfite heere. Regeneration on & newnes of life is not perfite heere, no perfection in this life, and they who haue come farthest toward that glorious face of God; yet they are farre from the marke. Albeit thou hast run before others, yet so long as thou liuest here thou art far frō the mark: and therefore night and day thou must ask grace and furtherance: & say, Lord further me fil out the grace, it is not ful yet Lord the thankes-giuing is not full, yea the faith is not perfite. Lord fill it out, Lord augment that heauenlie life in me.

Now, behold the maner of his prayer and his continuance of it. He sayes he prayed night and day instantlie After what maner? Not coldlie, but feruenthe, with exceeding great earnestnes in praying. So ye see Paul hes bene a man much exercised in praier partlie for himselfe, partly for others. And certainelie a Minister in his calling should be much exercised in prayer, not for himselfe onlie, but for the people he hes adoe with, night and day: Prayer must bee instant & feruent. and not for the fashion, but with feruencie. Then note two properties in praier The first in respect of the tyme, Praier would haue a instantnesse and continuance: it must not be one word and away: no but it must be continuall, by night and day. Then againe, Prayer would haue an earnestnesse and feruencie; Be instant in tyme: be feruent and earnest in doing therof. Instantnes if it haue not feruencie it is little we use it is little worth, it is onlie babling, bable on seem morning to euening on thy beeds without feruency in the heart, al is vaine. Then againe feruencie without instantnes is but a vaine blast and will blaw away. So if thou wouldst pray to God, and vvouldst haue him to heare thee (for he of purpose holdes backe his eye to make thee instant and earnest) pray earnestlie and not for the fashion. And when thou commest before that Majestie, present thy selfe with an ardent desire of that that thou crauest: wilt thou compeare before him, and not desire that thing thou crauest’ so thou scornest him.

Novv the thrid thinge in this verse is, that he might see their face: and that to this end, that he might fill out that which vvas inlacking in their faith. It may be demanded, Coulde not their faith be supplyed without Paule, that is, vvithout his ministrie? was it not eneugh that Paul had once grounded them in their faith, and reuealed to them the counsell of God? No, marke this: No increase, no growing in the faith of Iesus Christ without this ministrie. In plaine wordes, contemnest thou it, thou shalt neuer grow one inche in faith, but thou shalt goe backward. It is true, it is God that giues thee the increase and growth, Increase of faith onelie by the ministrie. 1. Cor. 3. 7. but it is as true, he giues no growth in faith and grace, but by the ministry. God giues the growth to the corne, but if the corne be not wattred vvith raine which is the ordinarie meane thereto, the corne will not grow. So if thou be not continuallie wattred with this ministrie, thou shalt not growe, (I saye ordinarelie and not extraordinarelie.) The Lord let vs see the miserable estate vve are into through contempt of the ordinare meane that the Lord hes appointed. Paul Ephes. 4. 11. sayes When the Lord past vp to heauen, he gaue some to be Apostles, some to be Prophets. &c. And how long is it needfull that this ministrie shold abide with thee? for a day, a month a yeere, or twentie yeeres? No, it is not eneugh but it must abide with thee ay vntill thy breath go out, and vntil thou giuest vp the last gaspe: thou hast ay neede of the gospell. Therefore the Apostle in that place he limites the time, vvhile ye come altogether to the vnitie of the faith, and vnto the perfite man in Christ. When commest thou to that perfite man? Not so long as life is in thy lippe. So thou hast need of the ministrie so long as thou liuest. But in deede when all thy senses goe away, when speaking and hearing go away; then the ministrie leaues thee, & thou feellest a sense of these things that thou heardst before: but if thou lay not to thine eare to heare in time, thou shalt neuer see them. Brethren, ye will wonder at this earnest desyre he had to see them: Might not the sending of Timothie, and wryting of this Epistle satisfie him? No, he thinkes he can not doe them that goode that he would vntill he see them and speake them, and that for this purpose to fill out then faith. Well brethren, when once Sathan gets a seuering of the pastor from the people it is hard to get them together againe. Do what Paul could do, he could not meete with these Thessalonians: For he sayes, Sathan held him away when he would haue bene at them. Then ye see, the remedie against Sathan to stay his course is prayer, and instant prayer night and day. Presence of the Pastor verie povverful. But to the purpose: There is much in the presence of him who hes the grace of God in him, for augmenting the faith and grace of God in men: his message will do much, but his presence will do more: the lyuelie voice of man vvill be more effectuall, nor the written word will be: his presence will edifie more nor his letter. And so it is no small matter to haue the presence of a man that is gratious Paul knew this well, and therefore he is so instant in praying to haue their presence. If the Lord hes chosen out a man to win soules, there is nothing in that man, but it will edifie, his tongue, his eye, his behauiour, his countenance, all will edifie and further men to Christ.

Novv in the second part of this text he falles out in a prayer. There are thre parts thereof. The first part is, that yet God the Father and the Lord Iesus should direct his journey tovvard them, that he would giue him that grace to see them, and haue that mutuall presence. Then when he is speaking of the prayer he vsed to God, looke what fell out. Showing them he vsed to pray instantlie for them: in the meane tyme he leaues off this narratiue, and he bursts out in prayer to God. There is a sodaine change. Now take head. If that earnestnesse and feruencie to pray be in the heart, the least occasion in the world wil walken it vp, and make a man hold vp his hands, and fall on his knees immediatlie: The verie name of ardent prayer vvill raise him vp to prayer: for as of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speakes, so the words in the mouth will walken the heart, if there be anie spark of grace in it: and the hart being walkned the mouth will fall out immediatly to prayer. Looke to thy heart & mouth both. Looke that thy heart be filled with God: looke that godly speaches be in thy mouth; for certainlie as thou speakest so thou vvalknest the heart: speake well, a good affection will rise in thy hart: speak euil a foul affection wil rise in thy hart; and thy words shall be as bellowes to blow vp thine owne heart and the hearts of them that knovv the sinne and vncleannesse.

To the purpose; he prayed: to whom? To God the Father. To whom next? To Iesus Christ the Lord. He giues them both their owne styles. Christ hes bought vs vvith his bloude, and so hee is our Lord and wee his seruanes: And the Apostle sayes, For this cause is Christ risen againe, that he should haue, dominion ouer all creatures. Rom. 14. 9. Nowe brethren, marke their styles more narrowlie and shortlie. God is a name of majestie, but Father is a name of loue. Paul vses to set downe the majestie of God vvith loue to cause vs to imbrace it. This style the Lord, is a style of superioritie & dominion. The style then that Paul vses telles you what disposition was in his heart in praying: he spoke to a Majestie, he spoke to a Lord: therefore reuerence was in his heart. He spoke to a louing father: Disposition of the heart in prayer. therefore loue and homelines was in his heart. This telles vs vvhat disposition shoulde be in our hearts is when vve speake to God: In prayer thy heart shoulde be disposed with feare and reuerence, with loue and homelines. Reuerence and feare would not be allone, for then it were a seruile feare. Loue and homelines woulde not be allone; for then thou wouldst grow in contempt. So joyne together homelines and feare, loue and reuerence, and then in exceeding sweetnes shall follow. And this was Paules fashion; and the fashion of all the godlie fathers, and this should be our fashion in prayer. Looke the persones he directs his prayer not to prayes not to the father allone, nor to the Sonne Iesus allone: he prayes God the Father, and Iesus Christ the Lord. What showes this to vs If there were no other place in the Scripture, yet this declares sufficientlie vnto vs, Iesus the mediator is equal with God the father: else Paul had neuer prayed to him & joyned him with that glorious Majestie of the Father? Now to open this more plainelie to you. The Father and the Sonne are one in nature, essence and substance: next as they are one in nature, Iesus eternall God. so both their doing is but one: that that the father does the sonne does, and that that the sonne does the father does also. In Iohn he sayes, My Father vvorkes to this day, and I vvorke vvith him. Iohn. 5. 17. Farther, the Father vvorkes with the Sonne, when he is incarnate, cled with our nature: and Iesus Christ, God and man, being in our nature workes together with the Father; and the Father giues vs all the graces out of the fleshlie hand of Christ the man: all the goodnesse that flovves to thee, it flowes through the vaile of the man-hood of Christ. Looke their thou seuere not Christ and his Father; and look that all thy duetie thou doest to them, be a common duetie: beleeuest thou in the one, beleeue in the other Ioh. 14. 1. Praiest thou to the one, pray to the other: seruest thou and glorifies thou one? glorifie and serue both together: honor euer the Father and the Son together; for if thou seuer the Sonne from the Father, or the nature of the man from the Sonne, Father nor Son shall doe thee no good. For when thou praiest to the Father, seuering him from Christ, as the Iewes do; or to Iesus, seuering him from our nature, thou drawest down a plague in stead of a blessing. Then joyne all together in prayer. Pray to God the Father, and the Son manifested in our nature, and looke in vnto God the Father throgh the Sonne. Then he prayes to the Father, and to the Sonne.

What seekes he? In the first part of his praier he seeks, that his iourney should be directed to the. Thessalonians. Prouerb. cha. 16. vers. 9. The heart of man vvill dispone his ovvne vvay, but God vvill direct his steps. Man will say, I will byde heere to morrow, and there other morrovv, and he vvill be at the fire side, and no thought of God who hes the journey in his hand. Man dispones his waies, but God directs them. Without God, when thou hast taken all thy purposes, thou hast not a foote to lift to doe them: and if he giue thee leaue to lift thy foote, vvithout him, and not knovving him, thou shalt not be able to set down thy foote in the hie way; a curse shall be on thee, and thou shalt runne and ride to destruction: and either thou shalt goe back, or else goe to this side, or that side, and not in the right vvay. Brethren, vvaite ye not what ye haue to doe? When thou takest any journey in hand, thou wilt not come to the doore so soone in the morning, but the Deuill vvill meete thee; and if Gods Angell doe not conuoye thee, the Deuill vvill conuoy thee. Alas, haue ye adoe vvith fleshe and bloode onelie? vvill ye not looke to him vvho is working aboue? All this telles vs, that we should hang on that holie will God, which is the rule of all our doing. Paul sayes Romanes 15. 32. I vvould be at you, if by any meane the vvill of God vvill permit. Men vses this prophainnesse in speaking, as Iames sayes 4. 13. 24. I vvill goe to morrovv, and buy and sell, &c. But he sayes to the, what art thou doing? hast thou thy journey in thy owne hand? thy lyfe is vncertaine. I say farther then Iames. Suppose thou liue, vvhat if he giue thee not legges to trauell with? and suppose he giue thee legges, what if he curse thy journey, and send Satan in the way? All this learnes vs to haue God before vs, and depend vpon him: and to speake with houes, if it please God, I vvill doe this or that, Alwayes I submit my selfe to his holie vvill knovving that vvhether I goe or byde, all shall be to my well and comfort: Hang on God. for there is no prosperous succes, except thou striue to haue an hart lifted vp to God in all thy doinges. For all this vvorld vvill vanishe avvay, but to him who depends on God, what euer falles out al comes for the best, This is the rule of the Apostle.

Now the second part of the Prayer is: Seing he can not come to them as he vvould, he prayes to God the Father, and to the Sonne the Lord Iesus Christ; that those thinges he could not get done by his prefence, the Lord wil do them in his absencer that is, That the Lord vvold make them abound in loue and charitie, first among them selues, and then among all men. The example he giues, is, euen as I loued you. Then when thou canst not get that which first thou wouldst haue; leaue not off to pray for the next best. There are many that when they pray for any thing, and cannot get it, they leaue off all praying. No, but vvhen thou canst not get that first thing thou prayest for, pray for the second; it may be, if thou get not the first, thou shalt get the second: and well is the soule that gets any peece of grace. So vvhen one thing failes thee, Loue, the gift of god onely. seeke an other, and neuer leaue off suting. Then he prayes for loue and charitie. Alas for loue and charitie in this age: fare well loue, thou hast gone away out of Scotland. There is a vaine name of faith among vs; he beleeues, and she beleeues: but, loue vvhich is the true vvitnesse of faith is gone. Fare vvell loue. These are the latter dayes: all loue is dead. But, to the purpose. Ye see that he begges loue from God to them. Then, it must follovve of necessitie. As faith is the free gift onelie and grovves not in our foull stinking nature: so, loue and charitie is the gift of God, and growes not in nature. Thy loue by nature is a foull stincking selfe loue, thou hast that rooted in thy heart, thou wilt hate God and all the world for that loue: and if thou makest a shovve of loue to any vvho is conjoyned to thee, all it for thy selfe, and not for Christ. Thou wilt loue thy vvyfe and children, but, not for Christ, but, for thy selfe. No sinceritie in that loue. The Papist will say, God commands vs to loue: therefore it is in our owne hand to loue, or not to loue: Is this a faire argument? But, I reasone by the contraire, out of this place. Paul begges loue at God to them; therefore it followes well, loue is the gift of God onelie. For, if it were in nature, whereto should I aske it from God? Marke one rule. It is a foolish thing to measure the commaund of God by the strength of nature; and the strength of nature by the command of God, and to reason, God hes bidden me doe this, therefore, I haue free-vvill vvithin my selfe to doe it; this reasoning will deceiue thee. The Lord when he commaunds thee who stands in that Couenant made with vs in Christ; with the verie command, by his Spirite he workes in thy heart aboue nature the same thing he commaunds thee, he workes that loue that he commaunds thee. O the greatnesse of this loue of God. Say, Lord, doe that thing in me thou bidst me doe; bid me doe nothing, Lord, but that vvhich thou vvorkest in me, for, I can doe nothing without thee. The Lord open mens eyes to see this.

The next thing is the measure of loue, that he askes of God? He seekes not loue in a small measure, he seeks not little loue, but aboundant loue. Seeke euer these spirituall giftes in as great measure as thou canst, seeke aboundance: for, thou canst not seek so much with thy mouth, Measure of loue. nor conceiue so much in thy heart, as the Lord is able to giue thee. His hand is larger nor thy heart, and so be greedie of those spirituall graces, and neuer leaue off to seeke, or to begge, till thou findst thy heart running ouer vvith grace; full of loue, full of knovvledge and light. Paul to the Coloss. 3. 16. prayes that the Lord would fill them vvith knovvledge: Looke Ephes. 3. 10. 20. Col. 1. 9. For, our perfection standes in abundance, our glorie standes in fulnesse, and our fulnesse goes forward degree by degree: There is nothing in this life but a growing in faith, in knowledge, &c, we are neuer filled with loue, knowledge, &c. but we must grow peece and peece, vntill we see the Lord face to face: and then we shall get saciety, then we shall be filled when God (who is loue himselfe) shall be all in all thinges. And therefore grovv euer; get a peece of grouth this day, another peece to morrovve, and so day by day grovv, vntill thy heart be filled vvith the grace of Christ. As thou increasest in knovvledge, so thou must increase in loue: for, these must be joined together, knowledge and loue. Knowledge is in the mynde, and loue in the heart. Ye see how pleasant it is to see the Sunne, but the light of the mynde whereby we see the Sunne of glorie is more excellent; it is the light that commeth from the Lord. Then joyne thereto the loue in the heart, these tvvo should ansvvere other in proportion. Growest thou in knovvledge of the vvay of Christ? looke thou grovv in loue to God and man: othervvayes, I say, thy knovvledge shall not auaile thee; and the greater knowledge, without loue grow there-with, the greater damnation.

Now whom should they loue? Loue euerie one among your selues, loue, next, all men in the vvorld. Loue all mankinde. Ye are Christians, loue together mutuallie. Be ye among the Heathen, loue them too, who knows not Christ: loue the Domestickes of faith, but loue the strangers too: loue the members of the bodie of Christ, but loue them also, vvho are out vvith the bodie: but, in a different maner. The words lets vs see, the loue of the domestick is mutuall. As thou louest me, so I loue thee: as the hand loues the foote, so, the foote loues the hand. So among the members of Christs bodie, there is a mutuall loue. The band of loue goes from my hart to thee, and comes again from thy hart to me: but, it is otherwaies with the loue that reaches out beyond the body to strangers: it is but a single loue going from my hart, and not returning againe from them. I loue him, but he loues not me: I loue the Iew, but he loues not me: I loue the Turke, but he loues not me; because he is not conjoined in a body with me: we should loue them to saluation. Then, learne, we should not be narrovv hearted in loue Say not, I loue not him because he loues not me: if Christ had done so, vvhen thou vvas an enemie, it had not beene well with thee. He loued thee being his enemie. Loue them then vvho hates thee, and them, vvho would slay thee. I will not giue a penny for thy loue, if thou loue them onely vvho loues thee. And this telles that thou art a member of the bodie, when thy loue reaches out with the bodie to others. As Christ loues his enemie, so, thou, if thou be of Christs bodie, vvill loue thy enemie. Alas, the canker of our nature against loue. If thou striue not to loue thy enemie and to get that rancor of thy nature slaine, slaine shalt thou be. Steuin when the Ievves vvere stoning him to death, sayes, Lord, let it not be laid to their charge. Act. 7. 60. Therefore, as thou wouldst haue thy soule safe, loue thy enemie.

He layes downe his owne ensample: as I doe you. He vses this commonlie when he bids them doe any thing. I craue nothing but that ye should resemble me: I loue you, loue ye others. There is a lesson Thou vvho vvilt bid anie other doe well, doe vvell thy selfe: vvilt thou bid me loue? loue then first, thy selfe, and loue all men. A Pastor vvho vvould teach his flock to loue, let him shovv loue first in his life and actions himselfe: othervvaies, he shall not haue grace in his vvords: let him cast himselfe to be full of loue, and then, his vvords shall edifie: Let him euer seeke an hartie loue to their saluation, and craue loue to them, at the hands of the Father, and Christ Iesus his Sonne. To vvhom vvith the holie Spirite, be all praise, for novv and for euermore.

AMEN.