Lecture 15 · 1 Thessalonians 4:6–8

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

IN this part of this Epistle, after the salutation, and after that large congratulation, wherein he rejoised for the grace the Lord had bestowed on the Thessalonians, not after a common manner, but in great aboundance. He sets downe preceptes of manners, concerning an holie lyfe, and a godlie conuersation in this worlde, and he comprehendes them all, first in a generall, and he calles it sanctification, holinesse in lyfe and conuersation, for whatsoeuer duetie appertaines to vs to be done in this lyfe, the whole may be taken vp vnder this one word, sanctification, which standes in holinesse in soule and bodie. When he hes sette downe the generall, he diuydes it in parts, and the first part of sanctification, of holinesse of lyfe and conuersation, he takes it vp to be in absteining from fornication, it respects a man, or woman in their owne person, that they keepe the soule and bodie that God hes giuen them, in holinesse, vnpolluted vvith filthinesse. The second part concernes our neighbour, that we doe him no wrong: He is an vnholie man that hurtes his neighbour, that vvill vvrong him in anie dealling or trafficking with him. He is hurt two manner of wayes: first, he is hurt by deceite, vnder colour, by fraude, beguyling, or circumvention He is secondlie hurt by plaine violence and oppression. Both these two sortes of wronges and injuries are vnholie: He that circumueenes his brother is vnholie, he that oppresses his brother is vnholie. Novve to persvvade them to this sanctification, standing in these tvvo partes, he vses sundrie argumentes. The first argument ye heard of before, vvas from the vvill of God. This is the will of God (sayes he) your sanctification. It is the Lords vvill that ye be holie. It is not an hid vvill, but a reuealed will and oft reuealed, that ye be holie in your selfe, holie in respect of your brethren, and holie all manner of vvaye. Brethren, if there vvere not an argument to moue vs to be holy, holie in respect of our selues, holie in respect of our neighbour, this onely reason, to vnderstand it is Gods will we so doe, may be sufficient. For, albeit we knovve of no other reason, wherefore vve should be holie, but onely that it is his vvill, it bindes vs to holinesse. For, this reuerence tovvarde the Creator, and Redeemer of the world, should be in euerie creature, that they vnderstanding anie thing to bee agreable to his holie vvill, should stoup: knovving his will, they are bound to acquiesce and rest there, seeking no farther, and to close their eyes at all their reasones; hovvbeit the thing that is injoyned to them, should seeme to be an impossibilitie. The Apostle speaking of his vvill Roman. chap. 12. verse 2. sayes, His vvill is euer goode; it is good vvhat euer he vvilleth, it is perfite, yea, it is the rule of all righteousnesse. So euerie one should reason vvith themselues. Is it the vvill of God? Then it is most just. I vvill follovve and obey it, my reason shall not stay it, my reason is vvrong and out of rule, his vvill is the rule of righteousnesse. I insist on this rather, because I knovve how hard it is to make the vvill of man plyable, and to frame it to Gods vvill: and vvhat discrepance is betvveene the vvill of God, and the vvill of man. So if thou giuest thy selfe ouer to thy ovvne nature, there is nothing God willes, but thou willest the contrare therof. And therfore our praier should be continually to God, to conforme our froward will to his wil: this should be our praier continuallie, what euer come to vs, be it prosperitie, or aduersitie: Lord do thy will, & giue me not my own will; for, if I get my own wil, it will be my wreak; but, Lord, rule my will according to thy will, for thy will is onely the right will, and the preseruer of my life, and euen now while we haue time, we should cry, Lord, thy will be done: we are thy creatures, Lord let thy will be done in vs. And, I assure thee, if thou get thy will conformable to his wil, and be content with any thing he layes on thee, life or death, certainly thou shalt find comfort, & all shall come well to thee.

The second argument taine from the vengence that falles on the transgressours. He saies, For the Lord is the auenger of all such thinges. He auenges the deceit vsed by vs, and the violence done against our neighbour. This second argument followes well on the other; for, one of those two must be, either the will of God must be done by vs or else vengence must be for disobedience. If the will of God moue thee not to doe that which he craues of thee, Punishement for disobediēce to gods vvill. to liue in holinesse before him; let the feare of vengence and punishment moue thee. For, Brethren, the will of our God, is, in the selfe, a thing so holie and inuiolable, that there was neuer person yet, that disobeyed that will, from ould Adam to this houre, if it were but in a litle thoght of the heart, let be a deed, in a motion of the soule, let be an action, but that disobedience and transgression of that holie and inuiolable will of God was punished either in the persons self, or in the Mediator Iesus Christ. So inuiolable a thing is the just will of God, that the disobeence to it cannot escape punishmēt. God is not like man, impossible it is that thy disobedience to him, (if it were but in a motion of thy heart) should bee vnpunished, either in thy bodie or soule, or else thou must haue refuge to the Mediator, and it shall be punished in him. For, if thou be in Christ, thy disobedidience is taine away in his obedience. And therefore thinke it no childish play, to play with his will, if it were but the least cogitation of the heart: Play vvith man as thou wilt, but one thought against Gods will importes damnation, if thou hadst a thousand lyues.

He addes that reason in the end of this verse, as vve also tolde you before tyme and testified. This was not the first tyme that he had tolde them of it of before, and now he telles them againe, to let them se the certainty of it. The lord constant in denouncing executing of his iudgements. Brethren, this hes a deeper ground. This constancie in denouncing and threatning judgement, that ye finde in those who speakes in the name of the Lord, (they will denounce once, twyse, and thryse that same judgement) tels you, the Lord will be auenged on vngodlinesse. The ground is in God himselfe. The Lord is constant in his vengence on impenitent sinners, he alters not, howbeit he delay the vengence vnto his appointed tyme, yet the vengence standes fast: he is not like man. Man is changeable, he will brag the night, and say, I will be auenged, to morrow all is away. Man is vaine and inconstant, the Lord is an vnchangeable God, he will perseuere with an vnchangeable mynde to vengence. Of this it commes, that those whom he sendes to denounce vengence in his name, will preache vengence to them this day, vengence the next day, and ay will tell you, the Lord will be once auenged on you. The Lord will auenge thy harlotrie, thy deceit, thy oppression, and ay constantly cry on. to let you see, the judgements bides on the impenitent sinner, he will not change his sentence for all the vvorld: If God vvere changing, ye vvho speakes in his name would change, and he wold not haue warrand in his conscience to speake constantlie: but, God being constant and vnchangeable in his purpose, of necessitie the preacher must be constant, And it hes not beene seene of before, but the constancie in denouncing vengence by the seruants of God against impenitent people, hes euer been justified with a sensible judgement, & the vengence they threatned constantly, it lighted. Now, brethren. we neede not to goe far off for ensamples. This constancie in threatning hes beene oft vsed in Edinburgh. This hes beene oft tolde you: if this be not amended, the famine, the Pestilence shall ouertake this Cittie. Now judge ye this day, if the effect justifies not our saying. It is follie to men to thinke, that one word of threatning of judgement spoken by the true seruants of God, will fall to the ground: no it cannot be The Lord may well delay long, men and wemen may well sleepe long, but, when the artickle of tyme commes which the Lord hes appointed for judgement, then followes the heauy judgement. And therefore we shold judge holilie of the truth that hes been spoken by the mouth of his seruants, and glorifie God al maner of wayes, count God to be true, and let all men be lyers.

In the next verse, we haue the thirde argument, to moue them to holinesse. The argument is taken from their calling; For, God hes not called vs to vncleannesse, but, to holinesse. This calling is our christian calling, whereby we are translated out of the kingdom of darknesse, to the kingdom of Iesus Christ: we are called out of Hel, to Heauen: from darknesse, to light: we are called to a kingdom and glorie prepared for vs. Now, he reasons from this their calling. Our christian calling shold moue vs to holines. This calling is not to vncleannesse, to be an harlot, to be a deceiuer of thy brother, to be an oppressor, but, thou art called to be an holy and a clean person: thou was called out of the pollution of the world, and translated to cleannesse; therefore, thy calling is holie. Of all the callings in this earth, the fairest calling is the calling of one to holinesse. The calling to an earthly kingdome is not so faire, as the calling of a man to holinesse. This Christian holinesse, it permittes no sort of vncleannesse in this world, no, not so much, as a foull thought: but, it craues of him, who is called to this Christian vocation all kinde of cleannesse in the world. Learne euer to distinguish betweene thy own person and this faire calling of Christianitie. If thou be vncleane and filthie, it commes not of this Christian calling, but, of thy own person. And therefore: let no man, when he sees a man, or, woman, that keepes that name, and enjoyes that calling to be called a Christian (the fairest name, that euer man gotte) to become an harlote, an oppressour, a deceyuer, a murtherer: lay not the fault on the holie calling, but, on the foull person, that is vnvvorthie of the calling, for, he is but a vyle creature, that is so called. That Christian calling permittes not such vyle sinnes: it is the vyle person, that committes this sinne. This hes beene an oulde custome. When men sees these men, vvho professes Christianitie, fall in sinne, the mouthes of the wotld are openned to blaspheme that vocation of Christianitie, and to say, Take vp your Christian and holie man now, there is your puritie, that, ye doe now professe; and so, the blame is euer more laid on the calling, and not on the person. The Prophete sayes, Through you, my name is reproached among the Gentiles. Esay chap 25. verse 5. Take head to this. When thou, vvho art called, committes anie sinne, wicked men vvill lay the faulte on the calling, and not on the person: And therefore, be carefull, to keepe holie thy person, that thy person be not a slander to thy holie calling. I tell thee, harlotrie is a great sinne, indeede, that offendes God; but, the exponing of this Christian calling, to be euill spoken of, is a greater sinne, to thee, nor harlotrie, murther, or, anie other sinne, that can be commited, and at that day, it shall be sorer punished, nor any sinne. There cannot be a greater sinne, nor to giue wicked men occasion to speake euill of that holy calling. And trow ye not, that this sinne is the speciall cause of this judgement this day? It is not somuch thy murther, thy harlotrie, thy oppression, &c. as the slandering of thy holy vocation and calling: And therfore hes Scotland most justlie procured the just judgment of God.

Another thing I see heere: I perceiue this Christian calling should be the rule and square, whereby our actiones should be rewled. So, that, in no calling vnder the Sunne, we should do any thing, that is vnsetting, or, vnseemlie to this Christian calling: but, all our actiones should bee ruled conforme to it. A Christian King is bounde to rule all his actiones, by the rule of this Christian calling: a Christian subject should follow the rule of this christian calling. Play the marchant, but, as a Christian man: play the part of a man of law, but, in the meane time, forget not, thou art a Christian man, &c. Let al thy actions in thy own craft be squared by this rule of thy Christian vocation. There is a great aduantage: when any man in any vocation behaues himselfe as a Christian man, the labour is pleasant in the sight of God, and it is blessed. If a Christian man seeke the glorie of God in his calling, then, he shall be blessed in his actiones: but, when in doing any thing, the Christian calling is forgot. and the Lord Iesus is not before the eye of a man, then, the action is vnholie, yea, howbeit otherwayes it be lawfull: if the doer, in doing, doe not vvith a Christian heart, respecting the glorie of God and Iesus Christ and haue no regard of his calling in Iesus, it is vnholie: and what euer is done, without hauing Christ, and a respect to Gods glorie in Christ, before thee, it is vncleane. What euer ye doe, whither ye eate, or, drinke doe all to the glorie of God, otherwayes, all is sinne. Brethren, seeing we are called to a kingdome, why should we doe any thing, that is vnvvorthie of so glorious a calling? It vvould seeme to some, that this Christian calling bound the hands of men, that they cannot vse their calling, with such libertie, as they would. This is not a new calumnie. I answere. This Christian calling binds thy hand from doing any thing, that is vnlawfull, and against the vvill of God. It closes thy hand, that thou doe no vvrong. Thou vvho woulde be an harlot, it bindes thee, that thou be not an hatlote; so, the oppressor, it bindes him, that he oppresse not, and in the day of Iudgement, it will stand vp, as a witnesse against him, that he was not worthie of that calling. But, as to any calling on earth, as, to be a King, to be a subject, it will not stay thee to doe thy exercise, but, giues libertie to thee to doe and blesses thy doing and squares all thy actiones to thee, and makes thee holie. This christian calling neuer hindred a man to do any thing, that was lawfull, but, lowsed his handes to doe all good thinges, and sanctified all his actiones. Therefore, the Apostle 1. Cor. chap. 7 verse 20 sayes, Let euerie man, that is called, abyde in that vocation, he is called to. Is he a King? Let him byde still and be a King, and doe all the actions, that concernes a King, christianlie. Is he a subject? Let him doe all the actiones pertaining to a subject. Whereby he meanes, that, this Christian calling stayes no man in his lawfull calling, but, sanctifies it to him.

He sayes, we are called to sanctification, not to vncleannesse, Ye see the end of this calling is, to be holie and cleane. All graces spirituall, and all blessinges of God in Iesus Christ, serues to this end, to make vs holie. We (sayes the Apostle) are chosen, that we should be holie. Ephes 1. 4. The end of our vocation, is cleannesse and holinesse. Holinesse the end of all spiritual graces. Lykewise, we are justified in the bloud of Iesus. to this end, that we may be holie, and renewed againe, according to the Image of God, which we lost in the fall of Adam. And therefore, the end of our election heere is holinesse. What meanes this preaching and hearing, but to make thee holy and cleane. Our justification, our sanctification, &c. serues all to this end, that we should be renewed againe to holinesse. So, in one word: The happinesse of man standes cheeflie in holinesse, if thou be happie, be cleane and holie; for, we count happinesse to stand in the end. So, the man that is cleane in soule and bodie, that is the happie man. And by the contrare, the foull adulterer, an vnhappie bodie: a murtherer, an vnhappie bodie, &c. And where holinesse is, I cannot say, that, there wants a blessing. Art thou vnholie in lyfe, and will tell me of election, that thou art chosen to lyfe, before all eternity? I see no warrand thou hast, for it. If thou delyte in wrong doing; I see no warrand, to say, thou art happie, thou hast onely the bare name of a Christian. Art thou vnholie? What warrand hast thou, to say, thou art called, thou art justified in the bloud of Christ? Vocation, Justification are to holinesse. So, lackest thou holinesse? What token hast thou of thy happinesse? So, the end of all, of thy election, of thy vocation, of thy justification, of thy sanctification, is holinesse: and according to this, try thy selfe, and judge of the thinges going before: It is a vaine thing to thee, to liue lyke a dog in this world, and then, to boast thy selfe of thy election, justification &c. Now, thou is as far from Heauen, as a dogge, except in one tyme, or, other, thou haue a sense of this holines in thee.

He sayes not simplie, we are called to sanctification. But he sayes, God hes called vs. There is a great motiue to holinesse: it is God, who called vs. So, there are two thinges in this verse, that should moue vs to holinesse. The first, our calling, which is to holinesse: God the caller a great motiue to holinesse. the second, the caller. It is God, that calles vs. The worthines of such a person, as hes called vs, hes no small weight and moment, to moue vs. The glorious God calles on vs, and straynes himselfe to speake to vs, with his owne mouth. If any King should call a man to any thing no doubt, the man would thinke himselfe bound to obey, not onelie for the commoditie, he would get, by obeying that calling; but, also, because of the personage of him, that hes called him. whom he is bound to obey: So, then, if it be a sinne, not to obey a glorious personage on the earth, when he calles: how great sinne is it, not to obey the Son of God, when he calles thee to holinesse? Brethren, thinke of Gods calling and of his person, who hath called you, as you wil, this is most sure, When God calles thee to holinesse, it is impossible, but, that calling must be effectuall in you, either one way, or, other; and that, in respect of the caller. No, that glorious person cannot open his mouth in vaine, for, Gods word must take effect. No word euer came out of his mouth, but it hes the ful effect. When he cals thee to be holie, thou must be holie, and his word must mak thee holie: when he cals on thee being dead, to liue again, his word must work life in thee and quicken thee: or, else, when he cals on thee to be holie, if he make thee not holie by his word, be assured, that word shall slay thee. If thou answere him not calling on thee, in holines of life & conuersation, thou shalt perish in filthines eternalie. And all ye, to whom this word sounds daylie, calling you to holines: (for, all our preaching what is it, but, to call men from wickednes & vncleannes, to holines? the murtherer, from his murther; the adulterer, from adulterie;) I say to thee, if this word calling thee to holines, be not effectuall in thee, and draw thee not out of the vyle sinne thou lyes in, to holines, certainlie, it shall slay thee, and bring damnation on thee: all this preaching shall bring on thee the heauy judgement and vengeance of God. And yee all, vvho heares [me] this day, if your consciences challenges you of anie vice; I call you now by the word of God, from that wickednes: and I pronounce, if ye come not out of this wickednes, in respect of this worde, that calles, and God, that is calling on you; his vengeance shall sease vpon you. And now, it is no time to thee to ly in vncleannes, when the Pest is at the doore: woe to thee dying therein being in the puddle of vncleannes, but, well is thy soule, that turnes to God, howbeit thou die in the pest of the body.

Now followes another argument, to moue vs to holines. He who wil not be holie, when God calles on him, disobeyes not man, but, God. As there are two thinges, to moue vs to holinesse, first our vocation to holinesse; secoundlie, the caller: so, there are two sinnes, that accompanies the disobedience of that calling: one sinne, against the holie calling; another sinne, against the holie God the caller. Contēpt of God & the vvord, the greatest sinne. There is no sinne by the selfe allone: One sinne must euer haue another with it, and committing one sinne, we sinne manie waies. Compare these two, the sinne against the calling, and the sinne against the caller; by all appearance the secound is the greatest. The greatest sinne, that can bee, is, to contemne God. Thou that playest the harlote, thy sinne is double: first by thy harlotrie thou sinnest against thy calling thou was called to: and this is a great sinne; but the other is greater: Thou contemnest the voyce of the high Majestie of God that called thee. The oppressor sinnes by his oppression, but his sin is the greater in that he contemnes his caller. And in the latter day ye shall finde by experience, the challenge shall not be so much against the adulterer, for his adulterie, as, for that, in sinning, he contemned the voyce of God calling him from adultery. This shall be a chiefe challenge & dirtlay, especially, of christians, who hes heard this word and Gospell of God, that, they contemnd the majestie of God, who called them by this word & Gospell. And surely all these particular judgements of God, that falles on men and these particular judgements on Scotland, and on Edinburgh this day, either the Pest or the famine fals not somuch for vncleannesse and other sins, as for the contemp of the Gospel, and God that calles thee by this base ministrie. And therfore the right cause of all these judgements, is the contempt of God calling vs to holinesse: For we haue not onelie sinned in committing of sin, but in contemning God calling vs from sin, and we haue spitted, as it wer in his face. Put away the contempt of the word of God, if ye put it away, who wait but but God wil be mercifull? If we contemne still, looke for greater judgement. The contempt of God and of this foode of the soule offred by the base ministrie, hes caused this plague of famine and the Pest fall on this land. The Apostle sayes, In resisting, ye resist not men, but God. There is no blessing in tyme that God giues but he ministers it by men He wil not come out of Heauen to speak to thee but he will speak to thee by the ministrie of selie simple men. He tels thee of remission of sins, of justification, of sanctificatiō: &c. & if thou dispise the ministry of base men, though thou wer Monarch of all the earth, thou shalt neuer get remission of sinnes, sanctification nor glorification. Now this is the thing that beguyles the world: When they looke to the vyle ministrie of men, they cannot see God in it. They looke to the selie man; they goe no farther. Who speakes? A selie man speakes: Who calles me? I heard a selie man, and so through the man be looks not vp to heauen, to se God speaking by, the minister. And from this flowes the contempt: and resisting man, thou resists God that is the principall worker. The word is then contemned, when the man is contemned in speaking it. Resisting man, thou resists God who sent the man. Can any man resist God, and not be plagued therefore, if there be no repentance? So they who are called to the ministrie, let them care for nothing but to speake the word of God, and open their mouth to glorify God: And if he be resisted, he is not resisted, but God who sent him, is resisted. And at that last day it shall be seene it was not man thou resisted, but God. Happie are they therefore who gettes a sight of this in tyme, and that giues obedience to the worde. Happie is the bodie that receiues this word, as the word of god, and not of man.

Now the last argument followes, Who, saies he, hes giuen vs his holy Spirite. Looke now what he hes done: He hes chosen vs from all eternitie to be holielie and hes giuen vs his Spirit, and al graces to this end to be holy. When the Lord hes begun to call vs to holinesse, Spirite of god dauelling in vs bindes to holinesse. if he stand there, and doe no more, it will not doe the turne: if he giue vs ouer to our owne nature and free vvill, and take away his Spirit when he hes broght thee on a point of holinesse and leaue thee there, thou shalt neuer enter in Heauen. And therefore when he hes done all these thinges to thee, then he will put into thy soule and bodie his Spirit of grace to cleanse the foulnesse out of thy soule and bodie: to bring in holie motions, actions and speeches; So that thou art made now (as Paul speakes 1. Corint. 6. 19.) the Temple of the holie Spirit, and then that same glorious person the holie Spirit, comming from the Father and the Son, will dwell within thee in soule and bodie, as assuredlie as we are within this Church presentlie; and thy soule and bodie shall be as sure Temples of this Spirit, as this Church is to our bodies. And is not this a great honour that in substance this glorious person will dwell within vs? So this learnes vs, that all is of grace the beginnig of grace, the midst of grace, the end of grace. Our predestination in God, our vocation our justification and sanctification, all in God, our glorification in God. Brethren the highest estate we can come to in this life is sanctification. We passe from predestination to vocation, from vocation to justification, from justification to sanctification, we cannot reach higher so long as we are heere. We may growe in this estate but we cannot come higher. As to glorification, we get it in the lyfe to come when we leaue this life. All our actiones heere are impersite, and all mingled with the corruption of nature, but heereafter all will be perfited. For when we leaue this lyfe, we goe not backward, Thinke not that bodie that sleepes in Christ, that he goes backward. That body is predestinat, called sanctified heere in some measure, after this life passes a degree vpward, and commes to glorification: for holinesse in this life, it passes vp to glorie: we are holie heere, but glorious in the life to come: We are not called to be glorified in this lyfe, but to be sanctified: when we end our life in Iesus Christ we passe vp to a wonderfull glorie. Now how comes this glorie? Comes it on any thing we haue done heere in earth? Comes it of our workes or merites? No, as holinesse in this life comes of the free mercie of God in Christ; so the crowne of glorie in that life onelie comes of the mercie of God in Christ. We shall be glorified in Heauen, but hovv? Through the grace of God that he will giue vs in Christ. And as the crowne of glorie shall be giuen vs of free grace, so the standing in that estate of glory shall indure for euer of grace. So all comes of grace. Perseuerance of holinesse in this lyfe, is onely by the grace of God. All perseuerance in glorie in the life to come of grace and mercie: nothing in earth nothing in Heauen, but free grace in mercy. Wherefore is this the Lord will haue nothing in Heauen nor earth, but mercie? To this end, that all the glorie of our saluation may be giuen to him: and he that glories in it should glorifie him. Grace, free mercie, onely in him. And let this be our song on earth, vvhen vve speake of the grace of God on earth Glorie to God, mercie to vs onelie in God The Lord giue vs grace that we may giue al and the onely praise of mercie and of glorie in this life, and in the life to come. To this God with the Son and the holy Spirite, be immortall praise and glorie foreuer.

AMEN.