Lecture 26 · 1 Thessalonians 5:20–23

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

IN this parte of this Epistle (brethren) there are certaine exhortations and precepts so linked together, that the next is ay the cause and meane of the former. He beganne at Patience in suffering, and not randering euill for euill, but recompencing good for euill. Then he came to joy. Rejoyce euermore. Ioy is the meane and cause of Patience: from joy he came to Prayer, in asking that which we neede at the hands of God, and in thanking him for the grace and benefite receyned. Prayer is the meane that interteines joy in the hart; from Prayer he came to the Spirit, the holy Spirit of God who is the worker of all these graces in our hart. The Spirit workes Patience, the Spirit it workes Ioy, the same Spirit stirres vp the hart to Prayer and to thankfulnesse. This Spirite the worker of all grace in the hart should not be quenched by leauing off of well doing, or by doing euill, for both these two quenches the Spirit.

Now shortly to come to our purpose. In the first verse vve we haue read presentlie. He commes to the meane whereby the Spirit of Christ, the worker of all graces with vs, especiallie is interteind in the soule and hart of a man and woman. And he saies Despise not Prophecying. The thing he recommends is Prophecying. To make the words plaine to you. By Prophecying here I vnderstand not the foretelling of things to come (as there was raised vp from tyme to tyme Prophetes in the Church of God that fortold either wel or wo that was to fal on the church in the own time) this prophecying was not such foretelling of things to come, it is no other thing in this place but the opening vp of the Scripture: and so this word Prophecying is taine in the 1. Cor. 14. chap. throghout all that chap. But he that Prophecyes, sayes he, he speakes to men, to edifing, to exhortation and consolation. That is, he applyes the word of God to the present vse for the tyme: So that if a man needes to be edified, he edifies; to be comforted he comfortes; to be exhorted, the exhortes. So then to make the words plaine, `Despise not Prophecying: It is asmuch as he would say, despise not the preaching of the word, despise not this ministrie whose calling is to preach this word. Now, brethren ye see heere among all the meanes whereby the Spirit of Christ is enterteinde in the hart of a man, the Apostle makes a choise in this place of preaching, hearing the word of God set downe in the Scripture opened vp and applyed to the right vse. Certainelie, this is to the great commendation of this same visible ministrie, and of this teaching of the word in the presence of the congregation and people of God. Shall I tell you? There is such a necessity of the preaching of this word (for as base as it semes to men) that if it be not holden vp, farewell the Spirit of Iesus Christ. If it be not, there shall not be in the earth a visible Church, for the word preached is the slandart that is holden vp on high to the world, that men and women that would be safe may goe in vnder it and make vp a Church. Take me away this slandart, where shall men goe to? who shall knowe the Church? So take me away this outward preaching of the word vnto the which men should resort to seeke saluation, no Church. Will men goe to experience (I shall but touch it) there is but ouer great experience of this in this Countrey this day: Abstaine from hearing of the word, let it be of negligence or of malice, yet thou shalt in proces of time feele thy hart voyde of all sense and feeling of God, thou shalt lose thy eyes, thy light and sight of God, thou shalt lose the sight of lyfe and Heauen, if that thou doe it in contempt and malice, thou shalt grow as prophane as a prophaine dog, and wallow in all kinde of wickednesse, and euill deed after euill deed shall fal out in thy hand. Looke to the great men of this land. What is the cause he is such a murtherer? Onely the contempt of this word preached. What is the cause he is such an adulterer? only the contempt of the word. I cannot tell if there be any great mens houses (at least there is verie few) but thou may see the contempt of this word hes heaped judgement on judgement on them. Ye who wold read of Prophecying which is the opening vp of the word in the face of the Church of God, and who would read of the powerfull working of it in the hart of men. read 1. Cor. chap. 14. verse 1. Seeke after spirituall things, but specially after Prophecying. And in that same chapter 24. verse by supposition he lets vs see, by comparison betweene Prophecying and strange language, what prophecying works: When a man is teaching the word, then commes in at the doore an infidle that hes no vnderstanding, he layes to his eare and heares, and he hears himself rebuked; incontinent his conscience wakens and lets him see the filth that is within him. So the poore man hauing his conscience wakned, he falles down on his face and seeks mercy, and then he will be mooued to make a confession, and say, It cannot be but this man hes the Spirit of God that maks my sin so manifest to me, it cannot be the spirit of man, but it must be the power of God whereby he speakes. I will not insist, Brethren. I shall summe vp to you in few words the diuersitie of the disposition of men cōcerning this word of God. Al is not alike disposed, Diuersity of mens disposition concerning the vvord. toward the Spirit and the word, which two things onely saues men. There are some that cares neyther for the Spirit nor the word, such [as prophaine] dogges; atheists, men liuing without God in the world; speake of a Spirit to them they will scorne it; a prophane bodie that hes not the Spirit, the name of a spirit is but a scorne vnto him, tell him of spirituall lyfe he will laugh an heedfull laughter. Lykevvise speake to him of the vvord, and tell that saluation must be by the word. the prophaine dog vvill laugh and scorne at it. These are the vvorst men in the world. There is another sort that clames to a Spirit. They will acknovvledge the Spirite of God, but vvhen it commes to the vvord of God, they vvil feuere so the vvord from the Spirit, as though the vvord had nothing adoe vvith the Spirit, nor the Spirit vvith the vvord: And as though all the speaking to the Church vvere not by the vvord preached but by other reuelations: they will binde the Spirit to vaine fantasies, illusions and dreames. These are Anabaptists that dependes on these illusions of the deuill and their owne fantasies and foolish reuelations. The third sort wil acknowledg the Spirit, so wil they the word and Scripture, but they think it is eneugh to read the word. He will say, I will sit at home in my chamber, and I will read, sometime of the olde and sometime of the nevv Testament, and what will the Minister tel me in the Pulpet but I will get it here, and as for the opening vp of this word, he wil scorne is. This sort of men is verie euill; and they will finde in the end that the word read and not preached vvill doe them little good. Novv the last and best sort vvho will get grace, are they who reuerences the Spirit and word, and seeke by all means to haue them ludging in their soules, not only reads themselues if they haue knowledge, but hes a pleasure to haue it opened vp to the vse of the Church, and their vse in the congregation. It is these men that by the Spirit truely imbraces the word, for faith is by hearing. Rom. 10. 17.

Now I goe forward to the text. In the next verse is another exhortation. Try all things, and keepe that vvhich is good, reteine it after try all. Tryall of doctrine. In these wordes the Apostle settes downe the order after the which a man or woman shall allowe or disalow of prophecying, that is preaching, when they heare it. The allowance or disallowance of it must be after a certaine order. The order is this in one word. Try [it, consider it first], and then either allow or disallow. There are two sortes of extremities in hearing of prophecying. There are some that wil allow ere euer they try at the first hand. These are vaine heades. Peter calles them vnstable soules. 2. Epistle 2 chap. 14. vers. These are men that hes soules euer fleeting and flowing, and wil be euer caried away with euery light winde of doctrine. This is the cause that so many becommes Heretikes, and I beleeue, there be some among vs that delites in new faces; if a stranger step out in the midst of them and speake, incontinent will they fay, there was neuer such a man in the world, this is an extremitie. Another sort is of them, that will not heare preaching and giue audience, that there after they may try: when a man presents himselfe to speake in the name of the Lord, they will not giue him audience; and certainly if there were no more, but, the reuerence we ought to God, we ought to heare him that speaks in his name, but then try his doctrine, and allow, or disalow thereof, as it agries with the word. Now these are the two extremities. The midst is betweene them, and this midst is to be tain as best of al. Heare, and when thou hast heard, try; after tryell, if thou findst it sound, good and wholsome, keep it; if not, farewell it, lend not thy care any longer to it. This is the rule Iohn sets out in his first Epist. chap. 4. vers. 1. Welbeloued, beleeue not euery spirit, but try the spirit vvhether it be of God, or not: If thou finde not the doctrine agreable to the analogie of faith, away with it. The Iewes at Berea are commended for this, Act. chap. 17. verse 12. when Paul and Sylas came among them, they heard, but beleeued him not, vntill they ran to their bookes and conferred that which they had heard with the [ould] canonicall Scripture, and found, that, they agreed, then, they allowed of their doctrine. Now, brethren, in this Church of Thessalonica among all the rest of the gifts of the Spirit that they had, this was one; the gift of discretion and judgement, to discerne betweene true doctrine and false doctrine, betweene spiritual doctrine and carnall naturall doctrine. Paul knowing this, wrytes [to] them and desires them, according to the gift of the Spirit of discretion, to discerne right doctrine from wrong. It is euen so with all the Church of God on the earth. The Lord, among all the giftes he giues to the members of this Church, he giues this gift also, to judge of that which they heare, to judge betweene true and false doctrine, the doctrine that is lyke stubble that may not bide the fire, and the doctrine that is like gold. The Lord in the Church hes giuen some this discretion, and certainly if it were not so, the Church should spoue be poysoned. Some gets this gift to taste the doctrine whether it be wholsome or not: A man that wants the taste will receiue poyson for [nurish]. So if the Church want this taste, they would receiue poison for food. But marke againe. Euerie one gets not this gift, and the Church is beholden to them who gettes it: for they try doctrine and saues the Church from poyson. And, I say, where one hes it, foure wants it. And where one is spirituall and hes it, ten will be carnall and flestilie. The Corinthians, as we may see in Paul, (Alas there are many lyke the Corinthians amongst vs) tooke vpon them, being carnall harted, to judge of spirituall thinges, and so they preferred vaine men that came in with oratorie to the Apostle Paul who spake with the power of the holy Spirit. Alwaies among the Church there are some that hes it, and ye that wants it, seeke it: for it is a speciall gift to decerne betweene the trueth and falset; and when ye go to heare a preaching, among all your prayers, say. Lord giue me grace to discerne what is spirituall, and what not, that I may embrace that vvhich is spirituall, and may leaue that vvhich is carnall. Some will haue it in some greater measure nor others. In the 8. chap of the Actes, Philip a good man being in Samaria, Simon Magus the sorcerer was with him, Philip tooke him not vp, but yet when Peter came he perceyved him, and he sayes, knaue, I see thee in the gall of bitternesse, repent thee or destruction shall suddenly ouertake thee. Marke it. Further this place is not to bee vnderstoode of false teachers vvho are alreadie damned. neyther of them vvho hes not a calling to speake in the Church: but of them vvho hes an ordinarie calling, the doctrine of such men onely should bee tryed by the Prophetes and euerie one that hes the spirit of discretion. 1. Cor. 14. 32.

Now (brethren) to goe forvvard shortly to the next verse. The vvordes are these. Abstaine frem all appearance of euill. This precepte is generall, and concernes asvvell doctrine as any other thing in the vvorld that can haue the appearance, or any shovve of euill: As for the doctrine vvhen thou hast heard it, and hast tryed it; if after tryall thou be not satisfyed vvith it, but yet there abydes a doubt in thy hart. Then, vvhat should thou doe? Abstaine from it, meddle not vvith it, doe neuer thing vvith a doubting conscience. And therefore, I say to thee, if thou doubt of the verie least thing that is good, if thy conscience be not perswaded; it is good, doe it not: I say to thee, it is better, to doe the thing that is euill, and haue a persvvasion in thy conscience that it is good, nor to doe the thing that in it selfe is good if thy conscience thinke it euill. If thou doe against thy conscience it is euer euill. Doe neuer against conscience. What euer is not of faith, it is sinne; if thou be not perswaded in conscience it is good, if it vvere neuer so good, it is sin to thee. So if there lyes any suspition in thy hart of the doctrine, that it is not altogether sound, abstaine from it, and meddle not vvith it. As for other things, any thing in the vvorld that hes appearance, of euill, Appearance of euill to be eshevved. suppose it be not euill yet if it appeare to be euill, touch it not, meddle not with it. If thy conscience tell thee, this is sin, on paine of thy lyfe doe it not. Fight neuer with thy conscience what euer thou fight with (suppose it be euill informed) for it is sin. If it seeme to thee, to be euill, meddle not with it. More, if it seeme to be euill to others, namely, to those that the Apostle calles vveake ones, albeit thou be persvvaded of thy christian liberty; yet, for their sake that thou make them not doe contrare their conscience, abstaine: abstaine for their sake, albeit not for thy owne sake, from these things may offend their conscience, as, meate, drinke, &c. Iude in his Epistle verse 23. goes further in this, and sayes, and hate euen the garment spotted by the flesh; that is, the outward coat that is spotted with sin, touch not once the coat of sin. Lay not thy finger to the outward slugh of it, for, it wil spot thee if thou lay thy finger on it. Then, brethren, take it vp in one word. Ye see, here, how ware, men shold be of sin, thou art bound to abstaine from it, yea, to hate and detest the very appearance of it, the mowe of it, let be the inward body of it. Thou sinst when thou layest thy finger end on the coat of it. Alas then how sinst thou, when at all thy senses thou drinkst it in, as it were, water. The murtherer drinks in bloud, as it were water; the harlote drinkes in harlotrie at all his senses, as it were water. If it be euill to allow of the appearance of it, how great euill is it to take the whole bodie of sin in thy arme and lay it with pleasure to thy hart. Neuer man will take thing so sweetly in their armes, as men will take this viper of sin in their hart. A murtherer can neuer be satiat with bloud; an harlot can neuer be satiat with harlotrie; A blasphemer can neuer be satiat vvith blaspheming. Ye that would doe no euill (the common word is) doe no euill like, abstaine from the hew and collour of it, touch it not once, let be to embrace or suffer it to reigne in thee.

Now, brethren to go forward, to that which followes. In the last verse we haue red; he concludes the whole exhortations of this Epistle with a prayer to God. I shal be short in it. Novv, saies he, the God of peace sanctifie you throughout. I pray God, that, ye may be keept in soule and bodie in sanctification to Christ, Exhortation concluded vvith praier. that is the effect of the words. All his exhortation is to holinesse and sanctification: For, that is the generall he laid downe in the 4. chap. 3. vers. This is the vvill of God, euen, your sanctification. Now in the conclusion, what does he? He prayes. What prayes he? That the Lord would grant them that same thing he was exhorting them to. He was exhorting them to sanctification; and he praies God, to giue them sanctification. This is the Apostles fashion in other places, to the Ephes. 3. chap. 13. verse, He beseches them to stand constant in the faith of Christ and faint not, for his tribulation. And then, he subjoynes, For this cause I hovv mykrees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, that ye grovv not faint. So, he exhortes them to constancie and he prayes God to giue them it. Paul and the rest of the Apostles neuer exhorted any Church to sanctification, to any good thing, as though it had lyen in the handes of the people and Church to haue done it. But, in the meane tyme while, he exhortes them, he was perswadod that it behoued God to giue them grace to doe it, and that it lay in the hands of God onely whether they should do it, or not do it. And therefore when he exhortes them to doe any thing, he addes praier, I beseech God to giue you, the grace to do it. The Papists thinks it lyes in the hands of a mans selfe to doe godd; they euer extoll free will Fy on them, it lyes not in the power of fleshe and bloud to do any thing that is acceptable to God. No, it is a poisonable doctrin: and this vanity they gather, vpon these preceptes and exhortations; If, say they, there were no power in mans hand, why should the Lord command, it is vanity, to command that which cannot be done? I answere, in one word; This is a foolish conclusion, if there were no more but this that the Apostle sayes, first, it is the vvill of God, your sanctification. Then, he subjoynes. I pray to God that he vvould giue you the grace of sanctification; as if he would say, I bid you not, as though inlay in your owne hands but, I pray to God, that, he would worke it: It showes the vanity of this conclusion.

Now to the wordes. Whom to prayes he? To the God of peace. The God of peace, sayes he, sanctifie your soules. Read all the Canonicall scriptures, ye shall neuer finde that any of the ould fathers directed their prayers to any Saints; either to Abraham, Isaac, or Iacob, or to any other holy men or Angels. But, this, by the way. In all the praiers of the ould fathers, and all the Psalmes, there is neuer a prayer, but to God onely. Now how styles he him? He calles him the God of peace. The God who is the Author and giuer of all peace. Peace. What peace is this? Euen the peace that he calles, The peace of God, that passes all vnderstanding, that guardes your harts and myndes in Christ Iesus. Philipp 4. chap. 7. verse. No other thing, but that same peace of the conscience, when we are surely perswaded, that, all our sinnes are freely remitted vnto vs, in the bloud of Christ and that through him we shall get glorie for euer. Then if we haue this peace, we will be quyetnesse in all the miseries of this world. Then end of all grace is peace. Iustification ends in peace: our calling and predestination from all eternitie ends in this peace of conscience in the soule; regeneration ends in this peace. Now, looke, how this style agrees with the matter, he is praying for sanctification, and he styles him the God of peace, who is the Author of all peace; Both the means & the end are of God. and he askes at his hand sanctification. Marke this. He who is the giuer of our felicity, is he that giues vs all the meanes that brings vs to that felicity, he that must giue thee the crowne of glorie, he must giue thee sanctification to glorie. In one word: he that giues thee felicitie, is the giuer, also of all the meanes, whereby we attaine to felicitie. So, thou hast no cause to glorie in thy selfe. The beginning of grace is of God, the meanes is of God, the end is of God, nothing in our selues, all in God.

To goe forward to the petition. There are two thinges he craues in this petition. Sanctification & conseruation therof, craued of God. The first is sanctification, or holinesse. The next is conseruing and keeping in that same sanctification and holinesse. First, he prayes, that, they may be sanctified. Next, he prayes, that, they may be keept, vntill Christ come againe. Paul 12. Rom. 2. verse. Be not fashioned, that is, shapned lyke the vvorld and men of this world, but be, transchanged, that is, turned away, from that thing to another, and that, though the renuing of the mynde, that ye may proue vvhat that good and acceptable vvill of God is. What trow ye then sanctification is? It is no other thing but a new shaping ouer of them againe, as ye will shaip a garment. The Apostles takes that similitude. Brethren, we were all well eneugh shapen in Adam and Eue ere they fell, and we had an exceeding good shape; but since they fell we become all wanshapen creatures and monsters. When thou seest an vnregenerate creature, a murtherer rejoycing in murther, then say, thou art a curst monster of a man. So, in Adams fall vve became monsters of nature. Thou saw neuer such a monster as an vnregenerate man. Now, we being monsters through Adams fall, in Christ we begin to take on vs a new shape, according to the glorious Image of God. So our sanctification is onely as a renewing of vs againe, according to the first shape of the Creator, in holinesse and righteousnesse. Novv vvhat is it must be shapen ouer againe? What parte of vs is it that is wanshapen? The Apostle sayes, The God of peace sanctifie you throughout. The whole man, through that foull apostasie in Adam is become a monster. Not a finger in thy hand, but it is become a monster. The eye a monster, or, else, such a foull looke would not be. The tongue a monster, or, else, such foull language would not be. The ear a monster, or, else, we would not desyre to heare foull and euill speaches. No part of thee, but, all are monstrous, except thou be renewed: And therefore, he prayes, that, they may be renewed and made ouer againe throgh Christ, euen in the whole parts of the body and soule. Therefore pray thou and say, Lord renew, not this part, or, that part onely, but, renew me wholly. The Lord renew the mynde and begin there; The Lord renew the body, the Lord renew the eye, the ear, the hand. The Lord renew all ouer againe. For, I tell thee, if therebe any part of thee vnrenewed, thou shalt al go to Hel, for that vnruely part. The Lord vses not to renew one part & not another, but, he renews altogether. This shortly for the first part of the petition.

Now in the next part he beseches the Lord of peace to sanctifie them throughout, and that their vvhole spirit, soule and body may be keeped vvithout spot or blame, to the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. He prayes, that they may be keeped in holinesse So, it is not eneugh, to get one grace, to get sanctification and holinesse, but, thou must be keeped still on, in that grace, vntill thou come to glorie. Thē again, as grace is of God (al grace is of God) So, the perseuerance in grace to the end is of God. Thou hast no more in thy power when thou hast gotten grace, to stand one moment in grace, if God hold not his hand about thee, nor thou had to tak that grace before thou got it. Thou hast no power in nature to stand in grace. So, perseuerance in grace is of God only, aswell as the grace is in Gods hand to giue. And as we must pray for the grace, before we get it, and say, Lord sanctifie vs; so, we must pray for the continuance of it, and say, Lord, continue vs in it, if thou Lord hold it not into my armes I will not get it keeped. Therefore, Lord, keepe thou it.

Now, to go forward. What shold be keeped blameles without spot? All the partes of man to be keeped blameles. One part, or, peece, or, the whol man; should I pray to God, to keepe my soule onely in holines and not my bodie? my body onely and not my soule? Wilt thou part them? or thinkest thou, that, God wil keep one part of thee in holines and not the whol? When men goes to Idolatrie, they will pray to keepe their hart holie; When they will bow their bodie to Baall, they will say, my hart is to God. No, if he keepe not all, if thou dedicate not all to him, all shall goe to Hell. So, the Apostle sayes, I pray the God of peace, that, he vvould keepe blamelesse your spirit, your soule and bodie. In these three thinges he takes vp the whole man, within and without. I will onely speake this far. By the Spirit he vnderstands the cleannest part of the soule. Ephes. 4. chap. 23. vers. He calles it the Spirit of the mynde, that is, the light of the mynde, which is reason. The reason is not common with the beasts, but, it is common with the Angels. So, it is the speciall part of a man, and thou may thanke God, that hes it, and thou should pray to the Lord, to keepe it. The next is the soule, whereby he vnderstands the inferior part, wherein are the senses, that part of the soule that hears, sees, &c. Then, he saies, the bodie. So, ye see, God must keep all in holines; and he that would be keeped of God, must seeke to be keeped whole, and euery part of him, without exception: For, I tell thee, no part of thee is able to keepe another. The olde Philosophers made a Queene of reason, as thogh she should keepe all, and should keepe the soule and body in her light. It is solie, who can keepe her? God must keepe the Spirit, that is, the reason, aswell as the bodie: and the Spirite hes as great need to be keept as the foote; for, sinne will begin at the reason, it is the first breaker of: so craue that he keepe all, or he shall keepe none. Alas, what is man, without grace? What hes he to boast of? Thou wilt boast of thy will and reason. If the Lord withdraw his hand from thy reason thou shalt be a plaine idiot, thou shalt fall to filthie wickednesse. So, brethren, these wordes are of great weight. He sayes not that he prayed that he would keepe the Spirit, but the whole spirit; the soule, but the whole soule; the bodie, but the whole bodie. So we must not be keeped in the speciall parts, but in the whole properties and inferior powers of the soule and body; if the least haire of the head be not keeped by the Lord, if the Lords prouidence extend not to the keeping of the smallest part of the bodie, thou shalt not be able to stand. Thinke not thou shalt stand, except the Lord hold thee vp, no growing but in God. Therefore the Apostle sayes, Thou that vvouldst glorie, glorie in Christ. 1. Corinth. 1. chap. 31. verse. He is our keeper, and vve are not able to stand one moment of an houre vvithout his aide, neyther in soule nor in bodie.

Now, how long should we be keeped blamelesse? He limits the tyme, and sayes, Vnto the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ. Marke the tyme. Is it no longer, but till Christ come againe? No, brethren, euermore. It is true, our conferuation and perseuerance vses to be limited, to Christs comming. Paul 2. Tim. 4. chap. 18. verse, sayes, God vvill keepe me to his heauenly kingdome, that is, vntill I enter in his heauenly kingdome. Peter sayes, 1. Epistle 1. chap. 5. verse. We are keeped through the povver of God, till the last tyme. I tell you the cause, we are in greatest danger in this world; infinite dangers are we in, as it were hanging aboue Hell, readie to fall downe euerie moment, if the Lord hold vs not vp; the deuill is seeking whom he may deuote, and when we trow least, then we are most suddenly assaulted by him: Beside the deuill, haue we nor this cankerd sin, that is within vs? Haue we not a this broad world about vs? Haue we not the graue and death great enemies in their owne nature, except the Lord sanctifie them? Certainely they also would deuote vs, except we were in Christ. We are compast in this world about on euerie side with cruell enemies. Therefore, considering this dangerous estate, the Scripture craues ay, that, we may be keeped, vntill Christ come, and then all enemies shall be slaine, the deuill, the worlde, death and all shall be slaine. Death shall die for euer. This canker of nature shall be swallowed vp, all our enemies shall be wreaked. So, our conseruation is craued, vntill his comming; but, our conseruation shall not end then, but euen in Heauen we shall be conserued by the hand of God for euer, through Iesus Christ. When thou commest to Heauen thou shalt not be thy selfe alone, thou shalt not stand by the nature thou tooke of Adam, nor by any power that is in thee, no more nor a new borne childe can stand alone; but, when thou commest to Heauen, thy standing shall be by Christ and God. Then, seeing all our conseruation and standing, both heere and heereafter is by God, we should rander all honor to his glorious Majestie for euer.

AMEN.