Lecture 14 · 1 Thessalonians 4:3–6

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

WE haue in hand, Brethren, the third parte of this Epistle, written by Paul, to the Thessalonians. In this part, ye haue heard, the Apostle exhortes them to a godlie life and conuersation. This kynde of doctrine he vses verie oft, in the rest of his Epistles. The exhortation, ye heard, that was in the beginning of this chapter, vvas, not onelie to liue vvell, to vvalke in holinesse, but, also, it vvas, to excell more and more, to stryue in that course of holinesse, euen, to striue to ouercome, not onelie others, that ranne vvith them in the rinke, but, also, to ouercome themselues: if they ranne fast this day, that, they should run faster to morrow, and so, each day to increase and grow. It is not eneugh, to run, not eneugh to striue, but we must runne and striue lawfullie, as he speakes to Timothie, 2. Timoth. 2. 5. There are certaine rules and lawes, according to the which we must runne in this present course. As touching these rules according to the which we must runne, the Apostle showes to the Thessalonians, he hes prescryued them to them alreadie, vvhen he vvas among them.

Novve in the text vve haue presentlie red, hee beginnes to call the lawes to remembrance againe, and to repeate them to to them. (For vvhat euer thing he spoke by worde being present, that same thing in effect he hes left behinde him, registrate in vvritte, and this day by Gods grace it is come in our hands.) He dravves the vvhole rules and lavves to be keeped in this course, wherin we runne to this butt of saluation and to Heauen, to be partakers of that glorie: First to a generall law, which is, the law of sanctification and holinesse. For, this is the vvill of God (sayes he) euen your sanctification. Thereafter he commes to the speciall poyntes of sanctification. The first is, the abstaining from fornication. The next in the wordes red, is abstaining from doing wrong to ourneighbour, either by violence, craft or deceite. Now to speake of the first, as God shall giue vs grace, and to take vp euerie word. This is the vvill of God, sayes he, euen your sanctification. Learne then first. The vvhole lavves and rules according to the vvhich vve shoulde vvalke and runne in this rinke, vvherein the Lord hes placed vs in this lyfe, are resolued in a generall, called the Law of holinesse. The law of a sanctified lyfe; He or she, that in this course, or in this rinke will prease to be holie in all the pointes of their lyfe, shall run and striue (to speak vvith the Apostle) lawfullie: and running and striuing lawfullie, in the end they shal be crowned. But they who in running towardes the marke, stryues not to an holinesse of lyfe, they runne not lawfullie; they keepe no rule in their running. They runne and waits not how; they are miserable in their running. And as they runne vnlawfullie, so, they shall neuer be crowned with glory: they shall runne long ere they come to the marke and prise of that high calling to be with God. Then in the course of this life, in this rinke which the Lord hes placed vnto runne in, vntill we come to the marke of that glorious resurrection, we must runne holilie, keep in holie heart, an holie hand, keepe holie senses, keepe an holie foot in running; in a worde, we must be holie in the whole powers of the soule, be holie in the whole members of the bodie, seuer all from the pollution of this world, dedicate all to God, and so, ye shall come to the end of the rinke.

Now to goe forward in the text. To moue them to this sanctification, and to embrace this rule of running forward to the marke. Gods vvil a sufficiēt reason of our actions. He sayes, For, this is the vvill of God. He giues no other reason but this: It is the will of God to be so. Howbeit we heare no word of any other reason but this: it is the will of God to doe this worke, or that worke, it should suffice vs: we are so oblist to that Lord, and so bound to his obedience, that, if we know of no other reason, wherefore we should doe any thing, but onelie that it is his will, we should obey it. And the man who vnderstandes it is the will of God when he is doing any thing, and wilclose his eies, lead captiue his own reason, subject his will to the will of his God, and goe and follow on him, if it were through Hell (if he bid thee goe throgh Hell, go throgh it, close thy eyes, follow on, howbeit thouknowest no out-sight) surely, that man shall get a blessed ishue, he shall get a crowne: neuer soule vvas disapointed that set themselues to follow God. Who euer settes themselues against their affections to serue God, they come at last to Heauen. By the contrary, when a man thinks himselfe ouer wise, and will not followe on Gods will, except he see a faire out-sight, and get great reasons wherefore he should doe this, or that, and thinkes it not eneugh to say, it is Gods will; but will say, wherefore is it Gods will? The Lord will let him followe his owne will, and his will and reason will lead him to destruction. There was neuer man whom the Lord gaue ouer to his owne will but he ran to his owne destruction.

Now to go forward. He comes next to the speciall pointes of this sanctification. There are sundrie sorts of holinesse, therefore, he will lay it down in parts, euerie part thereof in the owne order. And the first part of sanctification and holinesse of lyfe, First part of sanctificatiō, absteening from fornication. he makes it to be absteening from fornication, absteening from harlotrie. It stands in keeping of an holie and cleane bodie. In running on this course, in the rinke that conuoyes to the last butt, and life euerlasting, thou must keepe an holie person. But to marke the wordes more natrovvlie. First he recommendes abstinence. He vvho runnes in a rinke, and striues, sayes the Apostle 1. Corinth. chap. 9. verse 25. that man he is continent in all thinges, he keepes a goode dyet; ere he enter in the rinke he vvill dyet himselfe and abstaine from many thinges vvhich othervvayes he vvould vse: So we vvho runnes in this rinke of Christianitie to be partakers of that Crowne; vve must abstaine, vve must not follow our appetites, vve must not put our hand to euerie thing our appetite biddes vs, we must not yeelde to the lustes of the fleshe, there must bee abstinence and dyet. And therefore Paul in that same ninth chapter to the Cor. verse 27. shovves how he vsed himselfe in running, to be an ensample to vs. He sayes, He held his bodie at vnder, and redacted it in a seruitude, and vvoulde not let it be his master. Let thou thy bodie be thy master, I promise thee thou shalt neuer see the butt. But to come more speciallie. What abstinence must it be? He names it from fornication. There are sundrie sortes of abstinence, vvhich is requyred of them that runnes in this rinke: but among them all, this is a speciall, Abstaine from harlotrie, and pollution of the bodie vvith fornication. Among all the sinnes that defiles the bodie and the members of the bodie of anie man or vvoman, harlotrie is the cheefest sinne, and makes all vncleane and polluted in Goddes sight. The Apostle 1. Corinth. chap. 6. verse 18. sayes, All sinnes that a man committes, is out-vvith the bodie, but he vvho committe: fornication, he sinnes against his ovvne bodie; he pollutes and defyles his bodie in a speciall manner. Brethren, the bodie of a man vvhich is not polluted vvith this filthinesse, is a meete bodie to runne in this course: it is svvift and readie to runne in this course: but if the bodie be defyled vvith harlotrie, it is not svvift and meete for the course Learne it. Ye shall see for common, a goode turne falles neuer out in the hands of an harlote: There is nothing vnder the Sunne, that a bodie polluted vvith fornication can doe holilie. As the person is vncleane in Gods sight, so all thinges he does are polluted, yea, that same verie action that othervvayes is goode is sinne in Gods sight. Commest thou to the Church, and hearest the preaching, & if thou be an harlote, all is polluted in Gods sight. Deale all that thou hast to the poore; lyest thou in harlotrie, all is sinne. So in a vvord, an harlot can doe no goode: and if he seeme to doe anie good, it is nothing but sinne in Gods sight. Looke then vvhat estate an harlote is in.

Now to goe forward to the next verse. He sets downe the speciall remedie of this sinne and vyce, whereby they may keepe their bodie from this pollution. Remedie of fornication. That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour. The first thing, that is requyred heere, is a science, an habite in doing: not a light fassion in doing; a doing, as it vvere, off hand: but, a setled doing, of a setled grace in the heart: a craft to possesse and to keepe the bodie in holinesse and godlinesse. Thou that vvould keepe thy bodie cleane, thou must haue an habite and setlednesse. All thinges, we doe in this life should come of a constant habite in the soule, of an vse and setled grace in the hart to doe well: For, as the thing a Craftis-man does is of his craft: the thing a Wright does, is of the science of his craft: so, euerie one, that vvould intende to do vvell must haue an habite and a grace in the heart to doe vvell. And speciallie, he, that vvould keepe his bodie in cleannesse, looke, that, he haue a craft of it: otherwayes, it may be, he vvill not play the harlote this night, or, that night, because he hes not the occasion, but, the first occasion offered, hee shall be an harlote. So, all resolues in this. The best thing in this vvorld to bannishe sinne, is, to get an heart setled and stablished vvith grace. Get an heart once stablished vvith grace, then, thou shalt not be moued, but, thou shalt stand fast in all tentations, and thou shalt keepe a solide course: Let the Deuill, the vvorlde, and all the enemies of thy saluation vse all the tentations to dravv thee avvay, thou shalt stand immoueable. And therefore, learne the craft of vvell doing, and get once the habite in the heart, of vvell doing, and then, vvell doing shall come with such facilitie to thee, that thou shalt maruell thereat.

Then, to come to the next words, That euerie one of you should knovv hovv to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour. He sayes, euery one. He exeemes none, neither riche, nor, poore, high, nor, lovve, but he bindes euerie one, of vvhat ranke so euer he be of to the science of possessing the bodie with cleannesse and holinesse. Marke it brethren. There are none priuiledged to be an harlot: not a King, nor Queen, nor Earle, nor Countesse, no none of no estate hes this priuiledge, but all are bound to keep the bodie cleane; and they who wil exeem themselues, and thinke their ranke to be a priuiledge to them, they shall exeeme themselues also from the rank of them who runnes in this rinke to Heauen. Thou goest not so soone to be an harlote, but thou goest out of the right way, and thou shalt neuer come to Heauen that way, runne as long as thou wilt. Now what should euerie one know? Euerie one should know to possesse his vessell that is, his bodie, not to be possessed of the bodie, but to possesse the bodie; wilt thou be possessed of the bodie, and be a slaue to it? and wilt thou let the foule affections of the bodie possesse thee? thou shalt find woe in thy bodie for euer. Paul sayes, I holde my bodie at vnder, and redact it in seruice, I will not let it be my Master. 1 Cor. 9. 27. Alwaies the thing that euerie one should know, is to possesse. To speake of this possession, it is a common saying: it is no lesse practick to possesse a thing after it be gotten, nor to acquire and conquesse it. Yea, I say, there is greater practick to possesse that well which is gotten, nor to get it. And there are moe in the world, that can find the way to get it, nor the way to keepe that which is gotten. But what thing is this they should knowe to possesse? There are many possessions in the world, but among all possessions the cheef is, that a man possesse holilie his body, which is a vessell to keepe the soule. So the first possession that euer one gettes in this world, is his own bodie, and it is the longest possession that any man keepes: Thou shalt be pulled from thy heritage, lands, goods and riches; but as for thy bodie, albeit for a time thou lay it down, yet thou shalt take it vp againe, and thou shalt possesse it for euer; and it shall either be an house to honour, or else to dishonour to thee for euer. And so seeing this bodie is the first possession and the longest we haue, therefore we should be carefull how we possesse this bodie. Be not so carefull how thou keepest and possessest thy land, as how thou possessest thy bodie. There are ouer many that are so carefull to possesse their lands, that they forget to possesse their bodies; and yet their land shall they leaue behinde them. So the cheefest thing thou shouldst seek to possesse, is thy vessel thou cariest about with thee.

But, how should thou possesse thy vessell? First, he showes after what maner they should possesse it, and then, after what maner they should not possesse it. The maner how to possesse it is, vvith holinesse and honour. Fy on thee, thou wilt keepe thy pot, or thy pan cleane to thy meat, the vyllest vessell in thy house, thou wilt keepe it cleane, Maner of possessing the vessell of the bodie. and will haue it washen euerie day once; and yet, thou wilt not be carefull to keep cleane that vessell, that keepes thy soule. And yet, more. It is not eneugh, to keepe it cleane, but, thou must keep it in honour. There are sundrie sort, of vessels in an house, some vessels to dishonor, and some, to honour. They that are euen to dishonour must be keeped cleane; but, they that are to honour, must both be keeped cleane and in honour. Thy bodie, which is the vessell of thy soule, shoulde not be keeped cleane onely, but, in honour also: for, it is the vessell of a honourable soule: Yea, Paul sayes 1. Cor. 6. 19. It is the dvvelling of the holie Spirit: which is more, nor thy soule. Thy body is dearer boght, nor al the vessels in this earth: it is boght with the precious bloud of Christ; fy on thee, who pollutes and defiles the bodie, which is boght with so precious a bloude. Aske some men and say to them; why defilest thou thy bodie? He will ansvvere, My bodie is my ovvne. But, I say to thee, thy body is not thy ovvn, it is Christs, he hes boght it vvith his precious bloude; if it be not Christs, it is the Deuils, and he shall possesse it in the end. And therefore, seeing, that bodie of thine is the Temple of the holie Spirit, boght vvith the bloud of Christ, keep it in holinesse and honour: and if there were no more to moue thee, but because it is the vessell of the soule, thou should keepe it holie and cleane: For, an harlots bodie, as a priuy, stincks so in the nose of the soule, that the soule shall say, Lord, if I vvere out of this stinking bodie: O, hovv much more vvill it stincke in the nose of the Lord. And vvhosoeuer keepes their bodies cleane, all that they haue is cleane, their heritage, their moueables and vnmoueables, all are cleane and honourable; but if thy bodie be polluted, thou art foull, all is foull: put thy finger to thy meate, it fyles it; all that goes out of thy body is foull, stinking and polluted, the verie earth thou goest on, thou fylest it with thy foull feete, albeit they be finelie decored, and it grones vnder thee, because thou art heauie to it. The Lord let vs see this. and giue vs grace to abstaine from this filthie vice harlotrie. Trowest thou thy vvhorishe eyes shall see that faire glorious face of God? No, no: they shall not see it. Cry for the grace of sanctification, and for the bloud of Christ, that all may be cleansed, and thou in the end may win to the end of the rinke, euen Christ, and liue in him, and be cleansed in him.

Now to the next verse, which containes the vvrong vvay of possessing thy bodie. The vvordes are. Not in the lust of concupiscence. There is the vvrong vvay. Weigh the vvordes. Not vvith the passion. The vvorde passion signifies a firy flame, which breakes out of the bodie, inflamed vvith foull lustes, vvhich proceedes from the heart, and settes the bodie in a fire. The lust beginnes at the heart, and breakes out through the whole members of the bodie, vvith extreame passions, and the bodie so exercised, is a sicke and suffering bodie: the bodie of an harlote is the seekest bodie that goes; it is brunt vp vvith a fire within. The thing that is enemie to the bodie is sicknesse, and passions. And therefore, who euer would possesse their bodie well, they must be carefull to keep the bodie from sicknesse and passions. Novv among all the sicknesses that can come to a man, the sicknesse of foull lust is the vvorst and most consuming sicknesse: another sicknesse may well waste the moisture of the bodie; but, if thou be sanctified, the Lorde shall make it a meane to sanctifie thee: And oft times there vvill not be a wholier bodie, nor that bodie, that is lying in sicknesse: but, this sicknesse of luste, not onely vvastes the substance of the bodie, and dryes it vp; but, it destroyes the holinesse and honour thou shouldest haue: it is an enemie to holinesse. It is a sicknesse that vvill neuer sanctifie thy bodie, but, destroy it; and the longer thou ly in that sicknesse, the fouller and vnholier art thou. This is the nature of the sicknesse, thou shalt not onely be consumed in bodie with sicknesse, but, thou shalt lose thy holinesse in thy soule. And this is a fore matter. A sicke man in another sicknesse vvill cry to the Lord, for comfort, but, in the sicknesse of harlotrie, he vvill neuer haue a voice to cry vnto the Lord for mercie, if he repent not. So abhorre this sicknesse, aboue all other sicknesses. The Lord makes all sicknesses and deathe to vvorke to the best to his ovvne, but this sicknesse destroyes the soule and the bodie altogether.

Novv to moue men to abhorre this sicknesse: He bringes in the ensample of the Gentiles, and he sayes, euen as the Gentiles, vvho knevv not God. As he vvoulde say, It is a shame to you to be like the Gentiles, among vvhom this foull vyce raigne first. It is shame to you, vvho are called to this holinesse, to be lyke these foull Gentiles: Brethren, a bodie, vvho sees not God nor Christ, is a prophaine blinded bodie. And he seeing a murtherer, going before him in murther; a thiefe in thiefrie, he vvill follovv and committe the lyke vvickednesse: and so the blinde following the blinde, both falles in the pit together. But he vvho hes gotten a sight of God, and a glance of the glorious face of Iesus Christ, in vvhose face, the glorie of that Majestie shinnes, vvhen he seeth an harlote, he vvill bee so farre from following him, that he will scarcelie looke to him, but he vvill abhorre and detest him. For, in the light of the face of God, that a man sees in the face of Iesus Christ, as in a faire mirrour, he will see the filthinesse and foulnesse of sinne. None knowes how great a sinne the sinne of filthinesse and blasphemie, &c. is, but that soule that lookes in the glorious face of Iesus Christ. That mirrour is so faire and glancing, that, looking thereto, and in it seeing the foulnesse of sinne, he will be mooued to hate and detest sinne and darknesse. And I say, there are none who are truelie illuminated with the light of God, but the more they see Idolatrie, harlotrie and sinne, the more they deteste them. It will neuer giue me in my mynde, that they who will go out of this land, and at the first hand can find in their hart to embrace and to kisse Idoles, wer euer truelie illuminated with that glorious face of Christ; for they that hes seene the glorious face of Iesus Christ, the more they see the vanities and filthe of the Papistrie, the more they will dispise it. Fy on thee that vvill jouke and kneele to an Idoll, thou neuer saw the face of Iesus Christ. Thou, who wilt follow the harlot in harlotrie; the murtherer in murther, the drunkard in drunkennesse, the chiefe in thift, thou neuer saw the face of Christ. So, the grounde of all mischief, is this darke ignorance in the soules of men, they know no more of God, nor the Gentiles did. Thou who wilt follovve an harlot knovves no more of God, nor a Pagane, or Heathen. Yet more I learne heere. The cheef vice that rang among the Gentiles, was the vice of lust. Read the Histories and ye shall finde it to be true. Looke the 1. chap. Rom. There the Apostle speakes of the pollution of the bodie that rang among the Gentiles. Fornication the fin of the gentiles. Will ye looke to murther, it raignes more in Scotland nor it did there; oppression, falshood, and such sinnes raignes more in Scotland nor euer they did among the Gentiles. So the chiefe sinne raigning among the Gentiles, was the pollution of their bodies one with another. Now the ground of this, the Apostle makes the ignorance of God: they saw not, nor knew not God, in Christ, and therefore, each one runne, and straue to pollution. Paul Ephesians chap. 4. verse 18. 19 sayes. They had their mindes darkned, as strangers from the life of God; the light of God vvas not in them: the cause vvas throgh ignorance, vvhich vvas throgh hardnesse of heart: and vvhen they had lost sense and lost conscience too, then, they gaue themselues to vvantonnesse, and to commit all kinde of vncleannesse, and that, vvith all greedinesse, A vvanton bodie is greedie of filthinesse, it vvill svvallovv vp sinne, and can neuer be satisfied. In the 1. Rom. he telles, the Gentiles vvere vvilfullie ignorant, they vvould not knovv God, nor the light. Such vvas the maliciousnesse of their heart, they put out their eies and vvoulde not see him; they knevv him in nature: the Sunne, the Moone, the Heauens, all testifies, there is a God. Yet, the Gentiles, for all that sight they would not knowe God: Therefore, the Lord gaue them vp to a reprobat sense, to follow their owne counsell and their foull affections. So the Apostle telles vs, that, the pollution of the bodie is the plague and vengence of God, that followes on impietie; it is not onely a sinne, but, a punishment that followes vpon sinne. When one wil not know him, nor heare him, the Lord commonlie plagues that bodie vvith the sinne of pollution. It is the plague vvherewith the Lord plagues many of the Earles houses in Scotland: It is the plague that eates vp men, wyfe and children, and all things that the great men of the land hes: because the Earle, the Lord, the Laird, the Ladie, they are prophaine, they will not heare God, nor know him. Therefore, the Lord giues them ouer to pollution, to be a punishment to their bodie. The Lord will a great deale more plague vs, who haue so great a light of God & knovvledge offred to vs, if we contemne God and his precepts; seeing the Gentiles had onelie that naturall light, and was plagued for the contempt thereof.

Now, to go forward shortly. He hes done with the first point of holinesse that concernes a man himselfe, and his owne person in this rinke: which is to keepe an holie bodie, and specially from harlotrie: Then, the next is, keepe thy heart and hand from wrong. The first is concerning thy owne selfe: the next is concerning thy neighbour: Sec. part of sanctification, absteening frō vvrōg. He sayes, Let no man oppresse, ouercome, ouerhaile, or, circumveen another man, or, defraude his brother, in any matter. Why? The Lord is the auenger of all such things. Then, ye see the first, It is not eneugh to him, that would runne in this rinke to Heauen, to be cleane one way, but, he must be cleane many waies. There are many who beguyles themselues, they thinke, if one vertue be in them, if they haue one grace, that that one grace will vpset many vyces and sinnes. If he be a courteous Gentle man, and haue a faire behauiour a liberall hand, he will thinke, what matter, although I be an harlote in bodie, this vertue will hide the vyce, and I will be borne with? Who will beare with thee? Men may well beare with thee, but, God will not beare with thee. Another man will pride him in abstinence and temperatnesse in mouth, and otherwaies abstaining from harlotrie also. In the meane time, he will be an oppressour and deceauer; and he will thinke, that this one vertue of temperance will hide all other vices. No, brethren, the Apostle sayes, 1. Cor. 6. verse 9. Beguyle not your selues. He who suyes, the harlote shall neuer inherite the kingdom of God: he sayes also, the greedie auaritious man shall neuer inherite the kingdome of God. Iames sayes chap. 2. verse 10. He who sinnes in one of the commandements is guiltie of all. Count me all the preceptes of the commandements ouer; keepe nyne of them, breake the tenth of them, be a murtherer, or, an harlote; breake one, thou art guiltie of all: and if thou repent not, thou shalt die, as well, as if thou had broken all. I tell you truelie: if there be a foull affection, or, a raigning sinne, which hes dominion ouer the bodie, (as, for ensample, If fornication raigne in thee, if murther raigne in thee) I cannot say thou hast any sparke of Regeneration, or true sanctification; thou mayest play the hypocrite, thou in vvhom harlotrie raigneth, thou mayest counterfait liberalitie: but, I say, it is no true liberalitie; for if this vyce of harlotrie raigne and rule in thee, thou art an hypocrite for in him who is truelie renewed there is no affection in the bodie, but in some measure it will be renevved. The vyce may be in thee, but looke that it raigne not in thee. No, let no man thinke he hes anie true grace, all are but shadovves of grace, if anie sinne raigne in thee.

Now to marke euerie word shortlie. Let no man oppresse, or, circumveene his brother, in any matter. He exceptes no man. The Earle, the Lord, the Laird, beleeues his power be giuen him to ouerhaile, to oppressemen. No, no, if thou runnest so, thou shalt neuer win to Heauen. Thou thinkst the Lord hes strengthned thy hand to oppresse the poore; no, not so, no man is exeemed, looke thou oppresse none, or, else, renounce the name of Christ; for, thou cannot be an oppressour and his member. The word signifies to climme vp vpon a bodie and to tread him downe. The second thing is, that, they shoulde not circumveene, not by deceite beguyle anie man. The first is, that none doe violence. The next is, that none deceyue. The one as euill as the other: and vve shall finde as many destroyed by deceit, as by violence; and a faire clocke of justice casten ouer deceite. And in vvhat thing should they not circumveene? In any manner of dealling or, trafficking. The Lord, so long as it pleases him that we remaine in this worlde, hes appointed a mutuall buying and selling, otherwayes, we could not liue: and he hes ordained this buying and selling to be so, that bothe the parties winne, the buyer winne, the seller-winne and he vvho blockes aright, and deales vvithin his neighbour; according to the word of God aright, he vvill not be content to vvinne himselfe alone, No, the conscience of him will say, and must say, I vnderstand, as I haue made my ovvne vauntage, so shoulde my brother make his vauntage also. But, alas, such is our selfe loue, that, vve can neuer thinke, vve get aduauntage, except our brother get losse. Alas this sin is ouer much vsed in Scotland. The Lord amend it. The Lord is the auenger of sinne. And if in blocking thou seeke not the aduauntage of thy neighbor that blocks with thee with thy aduantage, thy aduantage shall be a curse to thee, and thou shalt cursse the time that euer thou got that aduantage.

Whom should they not deceaue? He sayes, a brother. Thou shouldst not beguyle any man, neither Turke nor Pagane, much more shouldst thou beware to beguile a Christian a brother, or sister: for, I assure thee, God will not see them wrongde. The Lord that is thy master, he vvill repaire the vvrong. He that is made a brother to the first begotten of the Father, the Lord vvill not see that brother vvrongde. The Apostle 1. Corinth. chap. 6. verse 8. settes dovvne that matter as a great indignitie, saying, Ye doe injurie, ye doe hurt to your brother, and them vvho hes giuen their names to Christ, ye shame your selues to beguyle your brethren. But to open the matter more deeplie. There are manie conjunctiones the Lorde hes ordained to be among men, as of bloude, affinity, ciuile societie, &c. and euerie one of these conjunctiones oblishes them to do no wrong to that person, with whom they are conjoined. But, when this Christian conjunction commes in, in our elder brother Christ, when we are all members of one bodie, in one head Christ, not sundrie bodies, as brethren on earth are; this conjunction aboue all conjunctiones bindes me and thee to deale truelie in anie blocke vve haue vvith our brother. So, vvhen thou art dealing vvith anie man, say this vvith thy selfe, he with vvhom I deale is my brother, and a member of that bodie of Christ, and therefore, farre be it from me, to deceyue him. Alas, if men coulde thinke on this, at their blocking, that they vse to deale vvith a brother in Christ, and member of that bodie, for all the vvorlde they vvoulde not set themselues to beguile their brother. Many testifies, by their deceite, they are not brethren in this bodie, for, if they vvere brethren indeed, for all the world they vvoulde not deceaue them. Novv, there is heere another thing. I see among all conjunctiones that euer hes beene in any societie, or, conjunction in this earth, the most powerfull conjunction to keep men together in one societie, and mutuall loue and concord, is this spirituall conjunction of vs in the Lord: All the lawes and conjunctions that euer hes been in any commonwel, since the beginning, are not so powerfull to keepe men in societie, as this conjunction we haue together in one head. Marke it. I tell you, if men and wemen be not joined together in one head, by a spirituall vnion, it may be there be a face of vnitie in the Countrie: but no societie and sinceritie in loue, except the Lord be the binder and conjoiner together, no true conjunction. If Christ be not the conjoyner and the binder of the man with the wife, the father with the sonne, no true conjunction. I will not say, that that Romane and Grecian Common-well, that had no part in God through Iesus Christ, had euer any true conjunction, or, sinceritie in loue. No sinceritie in concorde, but, that, that is made vp in Iesus the Lord: when we runne all in, to be members of one bodie, and he sitting and joyning vs altogether, as peeces of that bodie, then, there will be a sweete conjunction Alas, ye see this sweete harmonie and vnitie is not among people; yea, alas, among them that professes Christianitie, greater outcasts, nor among Turkes, The cause is, there are manie and ouer manie, that call themselues Christians, and takes vpon them to be in the bodie, that hes no part in Iesus, and hes nothing adoe with him. It is shame, that, they should take this name vpon them: for, it is true, if thou wert a true member of that bodie, thou wouldst not seuere thy selfe from the rest of the bodie, by thy murther, oppression, deceit, &c. These homicides and murtherers does testifie, men and wemen are not truelie conjoyned in this bodie, but keepes the name of Christianitie, without effect.

Now, he casts to one reason of these two thinges, saying, God is the auenger of all such thinges. bothe of deceitfulusse and oppression. The reason is terrible, and it telles vs, God sees all, and teaches vs, that in this rinke to Heauen, if we be not hedged in with terrors yea the best of vs, with terrors on this side, and terrors on that side, we will runne out of the way. And therefore, as God hes appointed faire promises to exhort men to goe forward: saying Goe forward, thou shalt get a faire Crowne: So, on the other part, knowing faire promises will not doe the turne, he threatens judgements, saying. Goe thou out of the way, my vengence shall ouertake thee: yea, he does more, nor this, and casts in greater terrors (he knowes, that, wordes will not doe the turne) whiles he takes an harlote, as it were by the neck, and and in the sight of the world, he will teare him in peeces, and let men see, that the vengence of God followes on sin and wil strike him with such a sodaine death, that men will feare to doe the like. We see daily such experience of Gods judgements: whiles he vvill take an oppressour, vvho hes oppressed men in this world, and wil tred on him with his feet, to terrifie the world, and this is his daily doing in this world. Now, taking this man, and that woman, now and then punishing them, to let the world see, that, punishment is for sinne, and sin craues judgement: yea, and let them see, there is a day of judgement comming, when he wil tak soule and bodie and cast them into hel. For, these temporall judgements, are but as many tokens, to tell vs, there is a day comming, when all oddes shall be made euen. When ye see a man plagued temporallie, stand not there, but thinke on the last punishment, vnlesse repentance interueene. Ye will maruell when ye see a man running in wickednesse, that, the Lord in our sight, instantlie strikes him not: No, knowe ye not the patience of God? He is patient, and lets men runne in wickednesse, vntill the cuppe be full, and then, he powreth out his wraith and judgement on them to the vttermost. The Lord keepe vs from his judgements and wraith, for Christ his Sons sake. To whom, with the Father and the holy Spirit, be praise and honor, for euer.

AMEN.