Lecture 3 · 2 Thessalonians 1:10–12

THE THIRD LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS.

THE last day ye heard (brethren) the purpose of the Apostle in this place was to comforte the Thessalonians against the afflictiones vvhere-vvith for the tyme they vvere exercised. The first and the cheefest argument of consolation vvas taine from that just jugdement of God when he commes: for the afflictions that the godly and innocent suffers in this lyfe for the name of Iesus Christ, are as a mirror vvherein we may see the Lord Iesus comming to judgment, to take vengence on the afflicters, and to render and to giue rest to his own. The Apostle taking occasion of this argument, points out the Lord Iesus comming to judge the world. He notes the place from which he shall come, an Heauen aboue all these visible Heauens; he notes the companie where-with in his comming he shall he accompanied. First the Angels of his power enarmed with the power of the Iudge the Lord Iesus to execute his just judgement. The next company is a flamming fire; This fire at the comming of the Lord Iesus shall burne vp the Heauen, shall melt the elements, shall burne vp this earth, and all the workes that is in it, as Peter declares in his 2. Epistle chap. 3. and at last shall consume and deuore the wicked, and that euerlastingly, euer burning without end. When he hes painted out the Lords comming to judge the world, he subjoynes the effects that shall follow vpon his comming and judgement. The first effect is, he shall inflict vengence to them who in this world knew not God, and would not obey the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ. And after this, he descryues this vengence more particularlie, it shall be an vtter destruction, so that they shall neuer get vp their head againe, and this destruction shall be endlesse; a death without a death, the sorest death that euer man died; the cause of the perdition shall be the face and angry countenance of the Iudge, his face shall be as fire, and they shal be as waxe, the heate of his face shall melt them as the fire melts the waxe: the cause of the eternitie of their perdition shall be the glorie of his power, his power shall neuer haue an end, and therefore their paine, anguishe and perdition shall neuer haue an end. The power shall euer holde them still in a torment, and so this vvraith euerlasting shall sease and feede vpon them for euermore. And so they shall euer be doing and neuer be dead.

Now, in this text, we haue the second effect, that, shall follow on the comming of the Lord to his judgement. The first effect concerned the wicked. This effect concernes the godly. To come to the wordes, shortlie. He sayes, When he shall come to be glorified in his Saintes. The meaning is, this vengence of perdition euerlasting shall be inflicted on the rebels of God and Christ, at that tyme, when he shall come to glorifie his owne, the Saintes, that in their glory and lyfe euerlasting he may be glorified himselfe. Chief end of Christs cōming is, to glorifie the soules. This is the meaning, shortly. Now, if ye will marke the first wordes, When he shall come. Ye may see, that, the first and cheefe end of the comming of the Lord Iesus to judgement, is, not the wrack of the reprobate, but, his cheefe end in his comming to judgement shall be, the glorifying of his owne, that in their glorie, he may be glorified for euer. The order of the giuing out of their doome and sentence of lyfe and death at that day makes this master plaine. Read the order of the giuing foorth of this sentence in the 25. chap. of Matthevv vers. 34. &c. Iohn 5. cha. 29. vers. The sentence shall be giuen first to the godly, and the Lord shall say first to them ere he open his mouth to the other, Come ye blessed of my Father and inherite that kingdome that is prepared for you. Then when that sentence is past he shall draw the godly to be assessours to him, and with their consent and approbation in a maner he shal come to the doome of the reprobat, and shal say, Depart from me to the deuill and his Angels. Iohn. 5. chap. vers. 28 29 The houre shall come, vvhen all that are in the graues shall heare his voice, and they shall come forth, that haue done good to the resurrection of life, but, they that haue done euill, to the resurrection of condemnation This his order of proceeding showes that the cheefe end of Christs comming is the glorifying of his owne. The cause is, because in the glorifying of his elect cheefly shall God be glorified. And seeing the Lord, cheefly respects his owne glory, therefore, the first respect he shall haue in judging, shall not be to punish the wicked: (for, he shall cast them by his hand, as dogges) but, to glorifie his owne.

To goe forward in the words. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saintes. That is to say, when he shall come, first, to glorifie his Saints, and so, consequently, to glorify himself. For, he cannot be glorifyed in his Saintes, except he glorifie them first. And therefore, it must be vnderstood, that he must glorifie them, that in their glorie, he may be glorified. Now, marke. As the first and cheefe end of the comming of the Lord to judgement shall be the glorifying of his Saintes: So, the cheefe meane, whereby the Lord shall be glorified shall not be the damnation of the reprobate, but it shall be the lyfe and saluation of the godlie because in the godly at that day shall be manifested to the whole world, the goodnesse of the Lord Iesus, his mercy, his omnipotent power: in one word, his Majestie and his glory, cheefly shal be manifested in them. So, that, the whole world, when they see them stand vp, as it were, in a shout shall cry, Glorie, glorie, glorie be to the Lambe, that sits on the Throne, when they shall see the elect so shining in glorie, they shall brust forth, in crying, glorie, glorie, glorie, and nothing shall be heard but glorie euer more. These are the thinges, we shall once see and heare, either to our euerlasting glorie, or to our euerlasting destruction. It is true, the Lord Iesus that day shall be glorified also, in the damnation of the reprobat, and that, in his justice. Ye read, in the 14. of Exod. I shal be glorified in Pharao and his armie, in powring out a vengence on them, I shall drowne them. But, yet, the justice God, the justice of Christ serues not so much to his glorie, as his mercie does. And it is a greater matter, yea and more glorie shall come to him by the sauing of one soule at that day, nor by the condemning of an hundreth. Came Christ Iesus in the world, for this end cheeflie, that, God should be glorified in his justice? No. Christ came and the Gospell of mercy is giuen vs, that, men and Angels in that day should glorifie God, cheeflie in his mercie.

Now, to goe forward. And to be made marueilous in all them that beleeue. This is, in effect that same, which he spok of before, euen, the glorifying of God; for, it is one thing, the Lord to be glorified, and to wonder at him. The meaning is, shortly. When he shall come. First, he shal make the faithful wonderful, in the sight of the world, and then, in their wonderfulnes, all the world shall wonder at him, who hes made them wonderfull. Now, marke. The Lord Iesus, in Esay 9. chap. 6. vers. among all the names he gets there, he is called the vvonderfull and the maruellous one. Now, this name, in effect shal show the selfcheefly in that day of judgement: for, cheefly in that day Christ shall be wonderful, and all the world shall wonder at him. It is but a litle wondring we haue here. Christ, at his comming, vvōderfull. Ye know, wondring presuppones nouelties, things of exceeding great importance. Then, it must followe, that, the Lord Iesus at that day shall be reueiled to the world in such a wonderful glory, at neuer man, nor Angel saw yet: it shal be such a glory, as neuer eye saw, ear heard, or, once entered into the hart of man, as the Apostle sates; 1. Cor. 2. chap. 9. vers. They who saw him inanited in a vyle habite, judged, condemned, scourged, and crucified vnder Pontius Pilat, they shall wonder, when they shall see that Lord (whom they thoght once so vile) raised vp and exalted to such a sublimity and hight of glory. Pilat, then, shal wonder; the Priests shall wonder, they, that with their wicked hands crucified him shall wonder at that day. And in one word, there shall be nothing in that day in Heauen and earth but a wondering at the Lord Iesus Christ and his Saintes glorified. Ye see here next the cheefe mean that shall make the Lord wonderful, to be the wonderfulnesse of the glorie of his Saintes and elect, whom in that day he shall make wonderfull. The world shall looke in and wonder at them, and then they shall looke to the Iudge and wonder at him. Then in that day they who hes beleued in Iesus in this life (looke what faith brings with it) shall be blessed and made glorious: For first these faithfull shall be made so maruelous in glory that they shall astonish the whole world: I tell thee more, when thou shalt be so translated, when thy vyle bodie shall be so changed, thou shalt wonder at thy selfe: for the eare hath not heard, the eye hath not seene, &c. that wonderfull glorie which then thou shalt enjoy. As for the wicked of the world the troublers and afflicters of the godly, when they shall looke to any one of the glorious elect, they shall weepe and wonder. This is set downe in the 5. chapter of the booke of wisdome, albeit Apocrypha. First they shall mourne and weepe, when they shall see the glorie of the godly, and say, O we fooles and sensles bodies, esteemed we not the life of these godly in the world a miserable lyfe? Then they shall come on with wondering, How is this that this vyle bodie so shynes, and that he is so exalted? So they shall both mourne at this sight and wonder, and vveeping and vvondering they shall count themselues to haue bene fooles and sensles bodies. The Lord giue vs grace to seeke that true wisdome in tyme. For certainly that true wisdome is esteemed foolishnesse in this world, and he that would be wise, let him be a foole first, he shall neuer be counted wise that day, except he haue bene a foole first, and humbled vnder this foolish preaching of the Gospell. It is true, the condemnation of the reprobate shall be a meane to make the world wonder, and to make the Iudge wonderfull. O, the paines that shall be inflicted on the reprobate shall be wonderfull, and they shall be set vp as spectacles of shame at that day, and the godly shall wonder at their shame and confusion. O, wonderfull shall that weightinesse of judgement be! they shall wonder that euer there should be such a wraith in God, they shall wonder that euer the arme of God should be so heauy vpon them. O, Hell is lighted now (will they say) the wraith of God is lighted now! O, what a masse and weight of wraith is this that we see now! Men will now leape here and there, and make litle count of the weightinesse of the Lords hand, and securely contemne threatnings and judgement; but in that day, to their euerlasting woe they shall finde it the heauiest thing that euer was: for by the weight of it, they shall be so pressed downe that they shall neuer be able to prease vp againe. Alas, what a dead senslesnesse is this of men in this world that they regarde neither Heauen nor Hell, liuing like beastes and not as men! Lord waken vs in tyme to acknowledge these thinges.

Now to goe forward. Who are these that shall be made wonderfull, that in them the Lord Iesus may be made wonderfull? In one word, He calles them, beleeuers, a base and simple style among vs. He called them before Saintes, holy ones; and now he commes to the ground of their holinesse, and calles it faith. It will not be a faire, honest, ciuile dealing with our neighbour that will doe the turne, albeit many men thinks so. No, but faith in Christ must be the ground; any man that in any measure hes had a sense and feeling of that lyfe, he will finde in his experience he can not haue hope or assurance of lyfe in the fairest outwarde dealing that euer men did, except he finde his hart setled on God, and his anchor casten on Christ. This is the onely cause of thy saluation, faith in Christ. As for all thy good workes, they are onely effects and tokens that thou hast that faith in Christ, which will doe the turne, and is the onely cause of thy saluation. O, blessed for euer is that hart that hes faith keeped, let neuer thy remembrance be off it. What euer thou thinke, or speake, keepe it; hast thou it? be assured of thy saluation; lackest thou it? doe all thou can, thou shalt die. Seeke euer to haue Christ in thy hart, And seeing, we who are now liuing may die in one moment, Lord, if we should not seeke earnestly to haue Christ dwelling in our harts! It is onely his merites that saues vs.

In the next wordes he defines them that he calles beleeuers, and pointing them out, he sayes not, they that beleeues in Iesus Christ, but they vvho in this lyfe hes beleeued my testimony, the Gospell teached by me, by my fellow seruants, by the rest of the Apostles and Pastors. So, take vp the nature of this faith and be not begyled with it. It is not faith in Christ barely, but faith in Christ preached. By whom? by a selie bodie. What was Paul? a selie bodie. So looke neuer for lyfe nor saluation in that great day, except thou humble thy selfe vnder the foolishe preaching (as men thinkes it) and beleeue the foolishe teaching of the Gospell. Thou shalt neuer come to grace and saluation except thou humble thy selfe vnder this preaching, which thou, by nature and in thy judgement, thinkes foolishe. If thou beleue not in this, take thee this doome, neuer shalt thou be justified in that great day.

Now to come to the last words in the verse. In that day. There is an Emphasis in this word, that day, the Lord shall be glorified in the godly, in the glory of his owne, in that day. It is true, brethren, at this time, in this same moment, the Lord Iesus is glorified, and the Saints and faithful hes their own glory. But the glory of Iesus and his Saintes is not in that fulnesse which shall be at that day. Thou seest him now, as it were, in a mirrour darklie, he is comming behind thee, and thou art looking in a glas, but at that day thou shalt see him face to face with these bodily eyes, thou seest him now in glorie, but in that day thou shalt see him in a surpassing and exceeding great glorie. It is euen so with the Saints. We are the Sonnes of God now, we are glorious now; but in that day we shall haue another kinde of glorie. The Apostle Iohn 1. Epistle. 13 chap. 2. verse, sayes, Dearly beloued, vve are the Sonnes of God novv, but it appeares not vvhat vve shall be. The very sight of him shall transforme vs. So that day in the 2. chap. to the Rom. 1. verse, is called the day of manifestation, all things shall be manifested. Glorie, righteousnes, Heauen, Hel, and all hid now. But in that day all shall be brought forth to that light, and be manifested. The Heauen shall be opened to see that glorie in it, the Hell to see that darknesse and shame in it. The Sun shall shine then most clearly, right shall then appeare right in the own garment of righteousnesse; wrong shall be seene to be wrong; sinne shall appeare in the own cullour, euerie one shall see it perfitely, all things shall be maid manifest.

Now, in the next verse to the end of the chapter, the Apostle, to conquise to himselfe the beneuolence and good lyking of the Thessalonians (why should not the teacher haue the good wil of his people whom he teaches) lets them see, all that he does is for their cause. Wherefore, sayes he, vve also pray alvvaies for you, that our God may make you vvorthy of this calling, &c. Well this sets out this part of the Minister, as he teaches life to the people, So, let his prayer be euer to God, to helpe them forward to that lyfe and glorie he speakes of. This for his part. Then, ye see againe, Prayer a meane to lyfe. among all the meanes of bringing men to lyfe, Prayer is one. Thy ovvne prayer, the prayer of the Pastour for thee. I call it the meane, not the cause: for, thy ovvne prayer vvill neuer merite Heauen, albeit thou pray continuallie, and be of that opinion, that thy prayer vvill merite Heauen, vaine art thou, thou shalt neuer get it. Yet, the Lord hes appointed prayer as a meane to further men and wemen to Heauen. If thou neglect thy duetie, thou shalt neuer come to Heauen. The Lord raise vs out of this beastlines and senslesnes that makes vs so vnwilling to pray. Men will rise in the morning and go to bed at night without one motion of praier; but if thou continue so, thou shalt neuer come to Heauen: for, mark the Lords doing. As the Lord hes ordained thee for life, so, he hes ordained thee a midway, wherby he bids thee go forward to life. If thou take not the straight way the Lord hes giuen thee, but tak a by rode of thy own, thou shalt neuer come to Heauen. What should keep Christ with vs, but only this praier? what should sanctifie al the speaches of our mouth, actions of our hands, but this continuall praying? The remembring of this life should stir vs vp to prayer: for it is and shall be found the way to that life.

But to come to the matter of his praier. He saies, for this cause we pray for you, That, God vvould make you vvorthy of his calling. By this calling he meanes life euerlasting, by the meane he vnderstandes the end: for, he takes not the word calling properly, but he takes it for the end of our calling, which is life euerlasting. Then, ye see, he craues this life and glory at the handes of God. Then, Life euerlasting the gift of God. learn. This life euerlasting is the onely gift of God, thou hast it not by nature in thy owne selfe, it must be giuen thee, as a free gift of God, or, thou shalt neuer get it. Further, I see one, or, two meanes, whereby we must come to this life, set down heere. Before thou come to that lyfe, thou must haue a calling to it, albeit thou would reaue a kingdome here, by tirannie, yet, thou shalt not come to this kingdome, except thou haue a former calling to it. And when hast thou this calling? When this same word of the Gospell soundes in thy eare, vocatio. and thou beleuest in it. If thou lay not to thy eare here, thou shalt neuer be called; and lackest thou that calling by the word, thou shalt neuer get life euerlasting. Then, the other thing, I see here, that goes before life and glorie, is a vvorthinesse, a dignitie, ere thou enter in that kingdome, thou must haue a worthinesse. Who will choose a man to an earthly kingdome without dignitie and worthines? Therefore, he sayes, that he vvould make you vvorthie. O, but vnderstand, it is not my worthinesse, nor thy worthinesse, inherent in me, or, thee. No, it is that worthinesse of Christ Iesus, that must be imputed to vs. Christs worthinesse must be imputed to vs, and we clad with it. When ye heare this word worthines in the Scripture, take it neuer to be an inherent worthinesse in thee, or, in me, but the worthinesse of that onely worthie one, Christ the Lord, made ours, by faith.

Then to the words following. He pointes out more clearelie this lyfe euerlasting, and sayes, That he vvould fulfill all his good pleasure. Which good pleasure? Which commes of his gentlenes and goodnesse. Then he addes. And that he would fulfill. What? a vvorke. Whereof? of faith. After what maner? vvith povver and might. Then there must be a power, or, else, faith will not be fulfilled. Now to returne to euery word. That he vvould fulfill Marke then. Lyfe euerlasting, glorie euerlasting is the accomplishment of a thing begun, of the decree going before, of lyfe euerlasting. First, there must be an entrie to it, there must be a beginning going before, and then, life euerlasting commes on, as fulfilling of the thing going before. What is the thing that goes before? It is his good pleasure. By his good pleasure is vnderstood the decree of lyfe, that was giuen out from all eternitie, concerning his owne. So, lyfe euerlasting is but the accomplishment of a decree, that was made in that glorious kingdome of Heauen before the world was made. Thy life beginnes at a decree that neuer had a beginning and ends in a glorie that neuer shall haue an end. He calles it not simplie a good pleasure, but all his good pleasure, whereby he meanes here an ample thing. He meanes with the decree of lyfe, all the meanes that serues to bring vs to lyfe. There is not one meane to lyfe but all must come of this decree. Art thou called in tyme? it commes of a decree. Rom 8. 28. Art thou justified? it commes of a decree? Prayest thou? it commes of a decree. Nothing commes to thee in the mid-way of thy journey, but all commes of a decree. What euer commes, whether it be prosperitie, or, aduersitie, thinke not, it commes by chance, but, it is a meane, that the Lord hes ordeined from all eternitie to bring thee to lyfe euerlasting. 1. Pet. 2. 21. So, lyfe euerlasting proceeds of a decree from all eternitie. He calles it the good pleasure of his goodnesse. By this word goodnesse he designes the cause of this eternal decree, not to be any thing, which God foresaw in vs, but his owne onely goodnesse, and that, to the end he may haue all the praise of our saluation. Read Ephes. 1. 5. 6. 9. Yet, there must be another thing, ere one get lyfe. What is it? He calles it a vvorke, that hes a beginning. The worke, that must be accomplished hes a beginning, and then, it ends and resolues in lyfe. And what is the worke? Faith in Iesus Christ. What is lyfe euerlasting then? 〈…〉 but, the accomplishment of this faith, that we haue in this God: Faith is this building, that goes vp continuallie. Iohn chap. 6. verse 29. When the Iewes glories in their workes, Christ sayes, This is the vvorke of God, that ye beleeue in me. This is the building, that must be builded, euen, Faith. Thou must euer be building this faith, this day, one stone, to morrowe againe, another, vntill thou come to the toppe stone, which is glorie and lyfe eternall. Paul sayes 2. Timoth. chap 4. vers. 7. 8. I haue gone forward in this building, I haue keeped the fayth novv, the crovvne of righteousnesse is laid vp for me. Then life euerlasting is the crowne of faith, without faith, nor crowne. Who can crowne thee, except thou haue faith? It is faith, that, must be crowned. Lookest thou to be crowned, and in the mean-time, hast thou no faith? thou deceaues thy selfe. Therefore, seeke euer faith in Christ, or, else, seeke neuer to get that crowne. Then, he sayes, vvith povver. This must be done with power, or, else, it shall neuer be done. All the Monarchs of the world, and all the Angels shall not be able to lift vp this crowne, to set it on thy head, It must be onely the infinite power of Christ, that must lift vp that crowne and set it on thy head, after thou hast gone forward in that worke and come to the end. It is said Phill. 3. chap. 21. verse, When the Lord shall come, this vyle body shall be transformed and made lyke that glorious body of Christ. What is the meane? Throgh the effectualnesse of his povver, vvhereby he is able to subdevv all things, the deuill, sin and death that would hold thee aback from that glorie. There must be power in the Lord, to kil sin, Hell, and to ouercome the deuill and all thy enemies. And the Lord by his power must giue thee power ouer all, before thou be made conforme to him.

Now, to come to the last verse. He sets downe the last end of his praying. That the name of the Lord Iesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him. Then, the cheefe respect he hes, in praying, is, not their glory, but, Gods glory. Howbeit he would haue the Thessalonians to be saued, yet, that is not his last end, but, al their saluation is, that, God may be glorified in them. The end of his praying is, that, God may be glorified in them; because our glory should rend to the glory of God. Now, mark one rule in praying. When we pray for life, either to our selues, or, to others, let not our mindes be so much set on our and their glorie and saluation, as, Gods’ gglory cheefly to bee requyred, in our praier. that, the God of glory may be glorified, and say, Lord, I seeke glory and saluation, that in my glorifying and saluation, thou mayest be glorified; and so, let euer that glory of God be more pretious and deare to vs, nor all the glorie and life can come to vs. And they that gets grace to pray this waies, they may be assured, they shall be glorified for euer. So, renounce all, Heauen it self, our joy, our glory, and our inheritance in Heauen, to the end, that, he, to whom all glory pertaines may be glorified. This did Moses and Paul, they craued to be anathema, that, God might be glorified. And this should be the desire of euery man, seeke, if it were thy owne condemnation, rather, ere God, who created thee be not glorified; prefer Gods glory to thy owne saluation. Lord giue vs this zeale to his glorie. What shall the end be? Trowest thou to lose any thing by so doing. No, looke what God saies to Moses, Exod. 32. chap. 33. verse, when Moses desired to be scraped out of the booke of life. No, the Lord sayes, Moses, thou, who so earnestly desired my glory, I will glorifie thee, and will scrape them out, that deserues to be scraped out. Then, the way, to come to life eternall, is, to renounce thy self, to seek onely, that, thy God may be glorified. O, the joy, that is in the hart, when we find that zeale, that we can prefer Gods glory, to our own saluation. That joy surpasses all joy, that euer was.

He addes to another thing, to this, He saies, That he may be glorified in you and ye in him. Learne, there is no peece of glorie, that, Christ gets, but it redounds to his elect. Is he glorified in thee? that same glory commes back againe to thee and glorifies thee. I shall tell you how it stands. First, thy lyfe and glory, that ye call euerlasting lyfe, is nothing but, a faire glance, that strikes from the glorious face of Iesus Christ as ye see the Sunne shining on a man, makes him to shine: So, thy glory and lyfe is as a verie glance, 〈…〉 that strikes from the glorious countenance of Christ, as the glance of the Sun striking on a black body makes that body glance: ô, much more will the beames of the face of Christ beating on thee, make thee to shine. What was the shining of the face of Moses, that made the people afraied, but, a glance of the face of God. Then, when the glory of God hes first shined on vs, we shine; and then, our shining again with a reflex goes back to that Son of righteousnesse, it came from, and he of new shines againe on vs, in a fairer shining, nor before. Now, in this mutuall reflex and shining, yea, and the cōtinuāce Christ is both the beginning and the ending: the shining begins at him and ends at him. And therefore, it is said Rom. 11. chap. 36. verse, For, of him, and throgh him, and for him, are all things: to him be glory for euer. Now, what shall be the cause of this glorie of ours? He sets it downe in these words, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Iesus Christ. Grace is the cause of our shining. Grace from the Father, grace from the Sonne. Then, there is nothing, but grace, there shall be nothing, but, grace in Heauen, grace in earth; no merite in this earth, no merite in Heauen: No merite in this earth, but, Iesus merite, no merite in Heauen, but, onely grace, grace and mercy in earth: all standing here and in Heauen is only by grace. And so, the cause of our euerlasting standing is euerlasting grace, the onely grace of God, in Christ. To whom, with the Father and the holy Spirit, be all glory for euer.

AMEN