Lecture 22 · 1 Thessalonians 5:11–13

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

IN the last exhortatation (brethren) the Apostle stirred vp the Thessalonians to be good souldiours and warriours, vnder the banner of the Lord Iesus Christ. In a warriour we shew you there are three things specially requyred. First vigilance and wakrifnesse. Secondlie, sobriety and temperance. And last of all that he be in his armour with his Helmet on his head, and his brestplate on his brest, and all the rest of his armour on: For albeit he be waking and sober, yet if he be naked the enemie will ouercome him. So it is in the Christian warriour, the same three thinges after a maner are requisite: First he must be wakrife in soule: Secondly, temperate in soule, hauing a soule not drunken with these earthlie thinges which drawes our whole heart and faculties away from God; So that they who are full thereof are laid vp as it wer in a dead sleepe. And last it is requisite that he be clad with his armour, his owne Helmet which is Hope, his owne brestplate, which is faith and loue, take away hope, faith and loue, he is but a naked man in the world and shall soone be destroied, if he be not clad with faith and loue in his brest, and with hope in his head, he will not be able to gainstand.

Followes now in the text ye haue heard another exhortation, and it is to vse these meanes, whereby we may continue in wakrifnesse, in continuall sobriety and spirituall armour enarmed against the enemy. There are the wordes of the exhortation, Wherefore. As he would say, Seeing we must be wakrife, sober and enarmed in the Christian warfare, therefore I exhort you to get the meanes whereby these thinges are keeped. The means are Exhort one another, euen as ye doe alreadie. So my exhortation is that ye continue to the end. It is not eneugh to begin, except ye continue to the end. Now there are the meanes. Then brethren, this lesson offers the selfe to vs The meanes not to sleepe in the soule, but to be wakrife, not to be drunken but to be temperate, not to be naked, but to be clad with spirituall armour is, instant exhortation. Stir vp men and wemen by exhorting in edifying, in an instant building vp and confirming them in the doctrine and knowledge that they haue once receiued. This worke of building will not be done in one day, or two dayes, or twentie dayes, but this building of the soule of men and wemen, building them vp in that spirituall building must be raised vp higher nor euer Babell was, yea it must rise to the Heauen of Heauens, and to the head Iesus, who sittes aboue all Heauens. This building must be instant. In one word. The means to hold men waking, and sober, and temperate in the spirituall warfare, and to holde this armour on them, is instant exhortation. Take me away the voice of exhortation, take away building in the doctrine ye haue receiued and edifying therein in stead of wakrifenesse, there shall come on you a dead slumber, in stead of sobriety and spirituall temperance, thou shalt be drunken; in stead of armour, nothing but nakednesse and ye shall be a pray to the Deuill, this world and your owne cankerd nature, assay it when ye will. So then brethren, in one word. See the necessitie men hes of instant exhorting and edifying, not for one day or two, yea if thou shouldst liue Methusalems dayes the voice of exhortation should neuer goe out of thy eare: For there are a thousand thinges to draw vs downe to cause vs sleepe, vntill we die in sleeping, many thinges to make thee drunken, to ly dovvne lyke a drunken bodie vvithout sense of the lyfe to come. Many thinges to denude thee of armour, to set thee vp naked to the eneme, Would to God this world wold consider the necessity of instant and continuall exhortation to moue them forwarde in the course of godlinesse.

Marke next. Who is this that should exhort? Who is this that should edifie? who should hold men waking in Spirit, hold them in sobriety, and hold on their armour by exhortation and edifying? who should doe it? He sayes not the Pastor, ye haue Ministers, let them doe it, it is their office. It is true indeed, they haue a speciall calling for that effect, and are placed in the Church to hold you wakrife, to cry in your eare vntill ye waken againe, to exhort and edify continually to build vp that spiritual building, and to build men and wemen vp as liuely stones in that spiritual building. Therefore in the first Epistle to the Cor. chap. 14 vers. 3. Paul sayes He that prophecies (that is the Preacher) he speakes to men, and whereto? to edifie in building. There is the end of his speaking to exhortation, consolation. In the 4 chap. Ephes. verse 11. He sayes, When Christ past vp to Heauen, he left not his Church voide or destitute of builders, but he sayes, he gaue some to be Apostles, some Prophetes, some Euangelistes, some Deacones and Pastours. And whereto? All to builde vp the bodie of Christ. If a Pastour be not a builder, he serues for no purpose. Yet not withstanding of this albeit it be the Pastours speciall calling to exhorte. The Apostle sayes, Everie one of you exhort; ye men and wemen euerie one exhort and edifie another. Thou should exhort thy neighbour, and let him exhort thee againe. Holde thou him waking and let him hold thee waking hold thou him in sobrietie, and let him hold thee in sobrietie againe; hold on that spirituall armor on him, on her let him and her hold on thy spirituall armor on thee again. So there are none of vs in Christs Church, but we haue all this generall calling in the Church to be builders edifiers exhorters euery one of others The simplest in the flock is bound to exhort and builde vp the best of them all that speakes with a tongue: For the Lord hes giuen to the least member some peece of grace to builde vp and instruct the bodie: For knowe ye what our calling is in Christ? As he is King, Priest and Prophete; a King to rule a Priest in offering vp that onely one propitiatorie sacrifice for all; a Prophete to instruct and teache: So there is not a true Christian man nor woman but they haue all these three offices, they are Kinges. Priestes and Prophetes; Kinges to rule in the Church of Christ. Priestes to offer vp in a maner a sacrifice to God, Prophetes to teache and helpe vp the building, I meane the vvhole bedie, vntill it come to the head Christ, that once the man, whose head is Christ, and the bodie the Elect in the earth, may be perfite. So say not it is the Ministers duetie to doe this, vvhat haue I to doe vvith this? Nor vvhen one exhortes thee, say not, art thou becomme a Minister? well it thou accept not such doctrine of them, thou shalt die for euer, for the Lord hes opened their mouth for thy edification.

Now the third thing I marke in the last parte of the verse, euen as ye doe. I vvill not bid you exhort one another, as thogh ye did it not alreadie. No, I acknowledge the grace of, God in you in doing it alreadie, take your owne praise. Well then they are doing the thing he exhortes them to, and yet he exhortes them to doe it. When I see a man doe any thing what needes me to exhort him to it? When I see a man exhorting and building what needes me to exhort him to exhort and build. Learne then. There are none in this world but they haue need continually and instantlie to be stirred vp in their doing, we are far from perfection, and albeit we be running on in the rink, yet we ar far from the butt which is heuen, we are but running yet and so whil we are running, let vs go forward, if it be a minister that exhorts let him exhort on. Who euer they be that exhorts and edifies, let them goe on in edifying and exhorting to the building vp of the bodie. Now beside this, consider ye not the sluggishnesse of our nature? our nature is so dead and stupide that searslie will we haue put our hand to the turne when we will fall from it. Ye wil see a sleeping bodie put his hand to a turne, and in the meanetyme he will fall down and sleepe. Our nature is so slippery that when we are laying vp one stone in the building, if one cry not in our eare, awake and be doing, vve vvill lette it fall. So when we are exhorting, and searslie vvill the vvorde of exhortation be out of our mouth, when we will fall from that purpose. So considering our nature the best of vs hes neede to be stirred vp and exhorted: when we are doing fastest, then we haue need to be stirred vp. Yet brethren, for all this exhorting he vvill not misknow the grace of God in them. Take head when thou seest men doing vvell that thou close not thy eyes thereat, and say not to them that they doe nothing; some are ouer sore censorers that vvill say thou doest nothing, thy exhortation is nothing. No let euery man haue his owne praise. If they be doing any good thing, be it neuer so litle, commend them and stir them vp to it, by giuing them exhortations and praising them. This for this exhortation. All this part of this Epistle is full of exhortations concerning Christian behauiour.

Followes now another exhortation which is more particulare, and concernes the duety that the people ought vnto the Pastors. I shall holde me by the wordes of the text. Then, to come to the wordes. Brethren: There the style, he calles them brethren, a louing style, to testifie that loue he bare tovvardes them. Novv vve beseech you. There the next worde, a word testifying the earnestnesse he had in exhorting them to doe it, because it was a great matter, he bids them not simplie doe it, but, he sayes, I beseech you doe it. When a great thing is to be done by any man, certainly it requyres, we vse an earnest and not a simple and slender speech. The first thing he desires of the people, is an acknovvledging. Whom of? of them vvho labours in the vvorke, that is first. Then, of them, vvho are ouer you and aboue you in the Lord. That is next. Then, of them that admonishe you. That is last. The second thing he desires of the people, that they haue them in a singulare and most speciall loue. col. Loue them, not as ye doe commonly any other man, or, woman, but, loue them after a singular maner. Wherefore should this loue be? Not so much for the persons sake, as for the works, loue them for their works. There is the summe of the wordes shortly. The exhortation may be taine vp in two words. Doe your duetie to your Pastor. Yet he is not content with the bare wordes, but, he layes out the minister before them in the whole substantiall pointes of his calling, letting them see euerie peece of his calling after another. And more then this which he speakes of the peoples duety, he layes not out their duety simplie, but substantiouslie: knovve him, acknowledge him; there one part; then haue him in a singular loue, there is another part. And so, it is not eneugh, to haue a simple knowledge of him, but they must knowe what a man a Pastor should be. Men will say, I know him, he is a man standing vp in a Pulpet preaching with a gowne. No, the Apostle shewes vs, to know him in euery pointe of his dalling, in this pointe and that pointe of his calling, knowe him to be a Preacher set ouer you, by God, know him to be an admonisher and instructer, and againe, when ye come to your owne duety, knowe the pointes of your duetie; I should doe this, I should meete him with this duety, with that duety other waies thou knowes nothing neither in the Pastor, nor in thy selfe. Therefore, the Apostle layes them out openly to thee to know them.

But, to come to the wordes. Ye haue first a short description of a true Pastor. Description of a true Pastor. The first pointe of the description of a true Pastour, is this, He is a laborer among the people, not an idle man; He sayes not, acknowledge them that sittes idle, but acknowledge them that labours among you. He labours, and how? He labours in the worke of God. As the Apostle speaks to Timothie in the first Epistle chap. 5. verse 17. Elders, sayes he, is vvorthie of double honor, especially those vvho labours in the vvord of God, he labours in opening vp the scriptures of God: the preaching is thought by men to be no labour as though preaching were no more, but onely to stand vp and tell a taile: yet the Apostle calles that labour, yea, I say, they labour aswell as they who holds a pleugh labours. Wherein labor they? In word and Discipline: in taking ordour with your maners. Not onely labour they in preaching, but also they take ordour with the maners of the people. Then to gather the lesson. This part of the description of a true Pastour excludes from the ministry and Pulpet; idle bellies, Ministers that beare the name of ministers, and in the meane-tyme are but idle bellies away with them: let them neuer face the Pulpet. Fy on them that takes the Ministrie on them for an idle lyfe and and to serue their affections; an idle Bishop that neuer opened his mouth to preach, an idle Pope that vvill sit vp in a throne fy on him, why should he take the name of a Minister on him and doe no good therein? The next part of the description of a true Pastor is, they are ouer you, not vnder you, but aboue you, set ouer you, as it were ouer your heads to looke downe to you, in a kinde of superioritie ouer you. Then a Pastour, a Minister sent of Iesus Christ the Pastour of Pastours, the great Pastour. he hes a kinde of superioritie and preheminence aboue the flock. But brethren, he is not ouer them as a Lord (the onely Lord that is ouer the people is Iesus Christ) He is not ouer them then in thinges ciuill, in thinges bodilie, concerning the bodie, concerning their temporall liues, concerning thinges politicke, for entertaining of this temporall lyfe, but he is ouer them in the Lord, not as a Lord, but in the Lord, the Lord Iesus Christ. Not ouer them in thinges ciuill, but in matters of the Lord, in thinges spirituall, in things Ecclesiastick, in things concerning the consciences of men. Therefore Paul speakes to Philemon verse 8. I haue great libertie to command thee as a superiour; but how? Not of my owne authoritie, but in the Lord, I am ouer thee as a superiour, but not as a Lord. Take heede. There are sundrie sortes of superiorities, A Steward in a familie, in a maner, is ouer the familie he hes a preferment by reason of the office: And yet for all this, if the steward would take vpon him to bee Lord of the familie, he would be a knaue, and would vsurpe the place of his master, So, a Minister in the familie of the Lord, he is a superiour, but not superiour as a Lord, but as a steward, to dispence the misteries of God to the soule, and no other superiour: for none can sit ouer the conscience of any man, but onely the Lord Iesus. All the Kinges of the earth cannot haue a dominion ouer the consciences of men, the Lord is onely Lord and supreame superiour thereof; all the Ministers and office-bearers in the Church onely stewards, with spirituall stewardrie, dispensing the spirituall foode. I meane the word of God. Now brethren, this second parte of this description of the Pastour condemnes the Pope, who vsurpes a spirituall jurisdiction ouer the soules of men, vvho vvill stryue also for a ciuill jurisdiction with the Emperour and Princes of the vvorld.

Now to come to the third parte. He sayes, and admonishes you. There is the last parte of the description of the true Minister of God. Admonishing standes in calling back againe men in the vvay vvho hes made desection, either in doctrine or maners. In this poynte consistes their labour. So, that, by this word, I vnderstand the whole parts of the office of a Pastour, as exhorting, rebuking, comforting and teaching. It is not for nothing, that, he hes made a chuse of this word admonishing, to teach vs, if he could doe all these thinges neuer so well, labour in teaching, comfort, exhort. If he cannot doe this, admonishe a sinner, tell him, sinner thou art in the vvrong vvay; if he faile in doctrine, tell him, thou failest in doctrine; if he faile in maners, tell him, he failes in maners: if he cannot doe this, he is not meete to be a Minister, if he cannot admonishe them that are sinners, if he cannot admonishe them that are in the vvrong vvay, he is not meete to be a teacher. Now, see the peruersitie of our nature, for, manie there are, vvho vvill heare comforting, exhorting, but not admonishing: but Paul teaches thee, the Pastour must be an admonisher: There is the Pastour set downe in three parts of his calling.

Now, to end this doctrine concerning them, I shall take vp this one note. I gather of this, as it were, the nature of the ministrie. What is this Ministrie? It is first a labour, an exercise, not an idlenes, but a labour, it is a burdene, and he that takes it not on, as it were, a load on his back, he is not meete for it, he that enters to be a Minister, he must lay downe his shoulders, and take on his loade on his back, as you see an horse take on his loade on his back. So, it is a burdene and an heauie burdene: a labor and an heauie labour. But, brethren, there are sundrie sortes of burdenes and labours in this world; There are some that are vylder, some that are honourable. Now what a labour is this Ministrie? Indeede, it is true, this ministrie is thought a vyle burdene, and of all exercises, the labour of the ministrie is thought most vyle, in the sight of our prophane, men in Scotland this day. The verie name of a minister is thoght vyle in the earth, & so oft as they speak of him & names him, it is thoght a vyle name; the name of a cooke is not so vyle as the name of a Minister. But, in despyte of thee and all the vvorld, the Spirite of God vvill call him an honourable labourer, a person exercised in an high and honourable exercise. 1. Timoth. chap. 3. verse 1. The King is a labourer, but a honourable labourer. Euen so, euerie one that labours and hes offices in the Church, are laborers, but yet they are honorable laborers. So the Ministers are laborers, but, honorable laborers, for he is ouer thee, and is thy superior. And he hes a burdeene, but a honorable burdeene, and at the appearance of Iesus Christ in spyte of thee that contemnes him thou shalt see his honor and glory, and thou shalt wonder at that day, that euer he shold be promoued to that honor, for he shall shine in the Heauen as a star: this shall stand in despyte of the world.

Well, come on now to the duetie of the people to their Pastor (A Kings Master-houshold will be accounted of, the Master-housholde of Christes Church, what maner of honour shold ye haue him in? Dueties of the people to the Pastor. ) The first words that expresses the duety of the flock are, knovve them, misknowe them not. The people would misknow them very faine; yet what knowing is this? It is the knowledge of the mind, when in mind we take vp & know that calling of the Ministry to be the Pastor by Iesus Christ the great Pastor to the Church, to be a dispenser of the misteries of God, and the in searchable riches of Christ, such a dispenser as neuer was in the world, not of bread and drinke as these world lie stewards; No, but of the insearchable riches of Christ, and that to saluation and feeding of the soule to that life euerlasting wherin soule and body shal liue for euer. This is the knowing be speaks of heere. What more? It is not a simple knowledge, to know, that, he is a Minister, but with knowing, to joine reuerence, giue him his own honor. Paul 1. Cor. 4. 1. saies, Let a man count of him (not as thou counts of Christ) but count of him as a Minister and dispenser of the misteries of Christ. giue him no more and cursed be that beast of Rome that wold take the place and honor of Christ on him. Now this part of duety of the flock, in reuerencing of the Pastor, is answerable to that part of the calling of the Pastor; he is a superior, a superiority craues reuerence, who euer he be that is a superior, whether in families, citties, or common-wels, or, in Church, if he be set ouer you, honor him: this is the ordinance of the Lord, if the Lord haue set him ouer you, honor him, look not to the man, but, to the Lords ordinance. And this, I continuallie persaue, there is a naturall hatred and contempt in the hearts of the people euer toward any superior, whether in Church, or, Policy, a naturall inuy: we are bred with it, and we entertaine it, and incresse it. Thou hast a naturall hatred against thy superiour if thou wert neuer so good, if thou wouldst faine haue him away, if thou wouldst cast of all yock, but this is a thing, the Lord is offended with. For, I affirme this, all superiour powers that are set ouer vs, whether in Church, or, Policie, reuerence and honor is craued to them. God ordaines it, and God will auenge the contempt thereof. Now, to speake generallie. There are tvvo sortes of superiours. One in the Policie, ouer the bodies of men in the world; another superiour in the Church of God which is nothing else but a stewartrie. Now say I, reuerence should be euer giuen to both, reuerence the Magistrat, whisper not against him, but reuerence him, if it be possible holde out euill thoughts out of thy heart, let be euill wordes in thy mouth. honour all, beginne at the King and come to the lowest, honour euery one in their owne ranke. Againe in the Church honour the Ministrie as stewartes in a great familie, the familie of the Lord of Lordes, honour him as a faithfull stewart in the house of the Lord. If yee compare these two together, euery one of them are bound to reuerence other, the Politick Magistrate to reuerence the superiours in the Church: Againe the superiours in the Church to reuerence the ciuile Magistrate, I tell you my minde, mutuallie they are superiours to others. The Church man is inferiour to the Magistrate in things ciuile, and therefore, as a common man is bound to reuerence him, and should teach all reuerence to them, in that estate. And by the contrare, the Magistrate, if it were the King, shoulde be ruled by the Minister, in thinges spirituall: and he who is a stewart in the Church of God, the King is bound to take out of his hand the thing wherevpon his soule feedes, and so, he, and all other Magistrates are bound to reuerence him, as Gods stewart. If this mutuall reuerence were keeped well were it to Church and Commonwel; but, where it is not keeped, no well in Church nor Policie, and I shall craue euer to get this mutuall reuerence keeped, and my trauell and exercise hes been this yeere bygone to get it keeped, God is my witnesse. Now this is for the first part of the duetie of the people.

The second thing, he sayes, haue them in singulare loue, for their vvorker sake. Not in a common loue, but, in a singulare loue. it includes all the whole affectiones of the heart, and yet there is more to be vnderstood heere, the consequentes of this loue, and the effects that followe therevpon. If loue be in the heart, it will break out in the hand. So there are two thinges heere. The one the singular loue in the heart: the other the outward good deed in the hand. If the Ministers giue to you thinges spirituall to enterteine the heauenly lyfe; is it a great matter to you to giue them thinges temporall, thinges to enterteine this fraile lyfe? Now, brethren, this point of the duetie of the people answeres to that parte of the duetie of the Pastour, which standes in labour. A labourer would haue loue of them he labours for, if it were but the seruant that labours in your kitching, ye ought to loue him, loue them who loues you. Now he who labours not in a vyle office, but in an honourable labour to your saluation; how much more should ye esteeme of him honourablie and reuerence him, An honourable labour woulde be honourablie handled. Ye see the meeting that the Apostle craues. The Pastour lyes vnder a burdeene, and an honourable burdeene. On the peoples parte he craues a meeting, because the burdeene is honourable, and the Pastour should haue preferment, therefore he craues reuerence And because the Pastour labours, therefore he cranes loue and entertaining of the people. It is a common saying, Friendship wil not stand long on the one side. If this meeting be not of the people to the Pastor, the Ministry cannot stād, and the men cannot be able to beare the burdeene. Brethren, what shal I say, alas, experience telles vs, for fault of this meeting on the part of the people, and specially of these in Policie, to whom this matter appertaines, this Ministry is not like for to stand. And I affirme, if there be not a better meeting, and greater care to reuerence this calling, and to loue and honour it, and to prouyde sustentation for them that laboures, the eyes of our posteriue shall see this Ministry decay. It is going away. Men beleeues, it is well, if they get the teyndes, If the Lord and Laird get the teyndes, Teinds. he will indent and subscryue all with you. But, either must these things be redressed, or, else, certainly there shall be a decay, and then, farewell all grace. Shame and confusion to Scotland. Trowes Scotland, that, the common-well shall floorishe, or, that, the estate shall be good, if this Ministrie goe away? No, there shall be nothing, but desolation. If they were heere to whom this matter and this admonition pertaines, I woulde charge them in the name of God, that they would show a better meeting to entertaine this Gospell, or else, shame shall ouertake them. Now this farre as the wordes of the text furnishes to me I haue spoken of the duety of the people.

Nowe, there is another precept added to this exhorting to peace. Peace cōmanded. Be at peace, sayes he, among your selues. This is agenerall precept giuen to Ministers, to people, and to all men, commaunding peace, loue vnitie and concord of mynde. This is the fountaine of other graces. She goes before vs as a mother, other graces as children followe her: If she goe not before, no following of graces. Where peace is, there is grace; where peace is not, there is no grace. And therefore Paul first to Tim. chap. 2. verse 1 sayes, Pray for Kings: for what end? that vve may lead a quyet and a peaceable lyfe in all godlinesse and honestie. Where he meanes, where peace is, these two followes, godlinesse which is the ground of the first table, and honestie which is the ground of the second table. Where peace goes avvay, farevvell these tvvo. Will ye looke to your ovvne families, if there be not peace betvveen the Husband and the Wyfe, tell me what grace can be in the familie? tell me can godlinesse, can grace be in the familie, vvhere there is nothing but stryfe and enuy? can common honestie be there? No, no grace, Go to a Cittie, where there is nothing but dissention, can therebe grace, godlines or honesty there. Goe to a Kingdom or common-well, where a Kingdom is rent in peeces, can there be grace, holinesse or honestie there? So it is the peace in Iesus Christ, vvhich is the mother and conquerour of all graces; where the hearts of men and wemen are bound vp in peace, there is floorishing, either in Citty or houshold. But yet vvhat peace should this be? Wherein standes it? It stands not in a faire vvord, in a faire goode morrow, nor in an outvvard behauiour, or false fained smiling vvith thy mouth, vvhen thou hast no loue in thy heart; but this peace standes chieflie in the lenitie and conjunction of myndes and heartes. Paul to the Eph. chap. 4. vers. 3. sayes, Studie to keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace: where he earnestly recommends an vnion of myndes. Paul to the Philippians in the 2. chap. vers. 1. sayes, If there be any consolation in Christ, if any solace, if any communion of the spirite, if any bovvels of pittie, fill vp my ioy; and wherein standes it? Be, sayes he, of lyke minde and affection: There my joy, let your affection be one, haue one loue, haue one minde dwell with all your soules together. Ioyne so your hearts together as if they were one heart: joyne your soules together, and make vp one soule of all. And as concerning your judgements, he sayes, be not of contrare opinions and judgementes: There are some that euer delytes in contradiction. When one will say one thing, they will make a contradiction to it. Now ye see wherein this peace stands, and this is the peace that makes vp the Kingdom of God. Paul sayes to the Romanes 14. 17. The Kingdom of God standes not in meate and drinke, but in peace and righteousnesse tovvards God. Indeed the Kingdom of men will be made vp of an outward counterfaite peace. The Grecian Kingdom, the Roman Impire stoode of an earthly peace, but all vanitie, the Kingdom of Christ is made vp of an vnitie of our soules, knit together in Christ. When our conscience is peaceable, then our souls is knit to him, Reade the 4. chapter to the Ephesians, ye shall not finde so many arguments in no place as there, to exhort men to vnitie, There is, sayes he, but one bodie, one spirite, one hope of your vocation, one Lord Iesus, one faith, one baptisme, one God, one Father of all. Then if there be so many one thinges, why should ye not be one. Now the whole blessing of men standes in vnion. Yea, the blessednesse of God standes in an vnion, the Father, the Sonne, and the holie Spirite vnited together in one God-hood. The blessednesse of our nature standes in the vnion with our head Christ, and in the vnion of the members among our selues. Where this vnion is not, there is nothing but miserie. In the Kingdom of Heauen there is nothing but vnity; by the contrare, there is no peace in Hell. If the father and the sonne goe to Hell together, trow ye there shall be any loue betweene them? No, nothing but inuy, all inuy and hatred is among the Deuils: all peace and vnity is in God, who drawes the soules of men and wemen together, and makes one soule as it were in that glorious bodie of Christ. The Lord giue vs this bond of vnitie and loue that we may be joyned with the rest of the members in one bodie to our head Iesus Christ. To whom with the Father and the Spirite be immortall praise honour and glore world without end.

AMEN.