Lecture 4 · 2 Thessalonians 2:1–3

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

IN the chapter preceding ye haue heard, brethren, first of the saluation of the Apostle, wherein he wishes to the Thessalonians grace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ. Then we came to his preface, wherein he rejoices and giues thanks to God, for the increase of grace, of faith, of loue they had receiued. And thirdly, we came to that consolation, that he ministers to them against the affliction and trouble vnder the which they lay for the faith of Christ. Now to come to this chapter. In it the Apostle first admonishes the Thessalonians that they giue not eare to deceiuers and false teachers, who would perswade them that the comming of the Lord Iesus was at hand, and thereafter he enters in a refutation of this pointe of false doctrine and heresie. Now to make this more plaine. The occasion (as it appeares) of that, which the Apostle wrytes in this chapter is this, In his first Epistle written to them and fourth chapter thereof he spoke concerning the second comming of the Lord Iesus, 1. Thess. 4. 17 and beside other thinges, as we may read there, he specifies these wordes, We, sayes he, vvhich liue and are remaining in the comming of the Lord shall be caught vp in the cloudes vvith them vvho are departed this lyfe after their resurrection. The Thessalonians reading this, incontinent concludes, Christ shall come ere euer we die, we shall be found on lyfe at his comming, and we shall be reft vp in the aire to meete the Lord in the cloudes vvith them who are departed Now in this meane-tyme the deuill is busie to confirme them in this error, and therefore he raises vp deceyuers and false teachers that went about to perswade them of the trueth of this, as though it had beene true, that they should be liuing at the Lords comming. These false teachers alledged for them partlie the reuelation of the Spirite of God, partlie a tradition of Paul, which both were false. Therefore, the Apostle vnderstanding this, tooke occasion to vvryte this Epistle, and especiallie, this second chapter, wherein he admonishes or rather effectuouslie requestes them, that they suffered not themselues to be deceiued, as though the comming of the Lord were at hand, and thereafter falles out in a refutation of this error.

To returne to the wordes. In the wordes we haue read in the first verse we haue the earnest request of the Apostle, together with an obtestation adjuring them with all grauitie, by the comming of the Lord Iesus, by the assembling of the elect to him at his comming, that they should not suffer themselues so to be deceyued, as though the comming of the Lord were at hand. Now to insist in this first verse, Novv vve beseech you sayes he, by the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ, and by our assembling vnto him. The words bears a great obtestation, wherein he straites them vnder the paine of lyfe and death, that, as euer they wold look to haue joy in Christs comming and to communicat with his glory, they shold not suffer themselues to be deceiued. Then, brethren, ye see in requesting and that in lenity, he obtests and adjures them in grauity and in some seuerity. He joines and tempers two contrare things together, sweetnesse and lenity on the one part, sowrenes and seuerity on the other part First, he dravves them on and intreates them vvillinglie to obey that vvhich he requyres of them; and then againe in a maner violentlie he pulles them. He both leades and dravves. Requesting in lenitie he leades them, obtesting in seuerine he dravves them, as it vvere, violentlie. Commonlie ye shall finde he vses this forme of requesting. In the 2. Epist. to the Cor. 10. chap. 1. verse, Novv I Paul myselfe, beseech you by the meeknesse and gentlenesse of our Lord Iesus Christ. There ye haue the request vvith an adjuring and charging of them. Novv brethren, take these tvvo, take lenitie vvith seueritie together, they vvill haue a great force in the hearers to bring them forvvard: sunder them, none of them vvill be so effectuall; lenitie the alone hes lesse force, seueritie the alone is ouer sharpe. It will destroy more nor vvin, bind them together they haue a great power. In the 2. Epistle to Timothie 4. chap. 2. verse, improue, rebuke, there is seueritie; and againe, exhort vvith all long suffring and doctrine, there is meeknesse. Looke that these two be not seuered. This was the Apostles maner of doing, and thus forme he vses bindes euerie one of vs that speakes in the Church of God to the end of the world to vse the lyke.

Yet to insist in the vvordes. I beseech you by the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ, and by our assembling vnto him. Ye see tvvo thinges heere vvhereby he adjures them to obey his request. The first is the comming of Christ. The second is our assembling to him at his comming. Then it fellowes, that seeing he obtests by these two thinges that we should not doubt but the Lord Iesus will come, and when he commes that we shall assemble vnto him: for all obtestations are made by things, which are counted vndoubted trueths. The things whereby any man objures and obtests another man should be sure grounds. Now the Apostle obtests them by these two things. Therefore we should not doubt but these two are true, Christs second comming to the cause of our assembling vnto him. that Christ shall come, and we shall assemble vnto him. Yet compare these two together, the first is the cause, his comming; the second is the effect. our assembling vnto him. The comming of the Lord shall be found effectual in that day to our recollection, to the gathering and assembling of the whole elect vnto him. The presence and the comming of Christ is euer effectuall to the meeting of the Saintes, where he is, there must be a meeting, he cannot be his alone. In the 24. of Matthevv 28. verse. Christ sayes, Where the carion is, the ther vvill the Egles resort. So where Christ is, there shall the elect resort. He came no sooner in the world but some elect both Iew and Gentile resorted to him, so that there was not a Church raised vp: But at second comming there shall be another kinde of assemblie. At that tyme all the elect from the foure quarters of the earth shall be gathered, and neuer one shall be missed, all shall be in that generall assemblie, when the Lord shall come in that glorious day, and that assembly shall be through the power and effectualnes of Christ. At his comming there shall come a sweet smell from him that shall draw all the elect that euer was together vnto him.

Yet to insist. These tvvo thinges are joyned together vvith great discretion: He sayes not onely by the comming of the Lord, but also by our assembling vnto him: For if he had said, by the comming of the Lord onely, it had beene a great motiue to haue terrified vs: For the speaking of Christs comming without any further consideration and mention of our lyfe and our assembling vnto him would rather terrifie thee nor comforte thee. Therefore the vvicked desires neuer to heare of his comming: for vvhen their consciences are vvakned they are terrified. But when the godly heares that Christ shall come, and that men shall be conjoyned to him and be partakers of his glory, and that he shall not be glorified without them, that is comfortable, they neuer heare it without joy. Therefore if euer thou would finde comfort at Christs comming, looke that thou finde an assurance in thy hart that thou shalt be made partaker of his glory at his comming Further marke in this obtestation. This vndoubted certainty of Christes comming, and our assembling vnto him, binds and oblises euery one of vs to beleue the trueth of the doctrine concerning his comming, and to slee and eschew all false doctrine thereof. As namely this pointe of false doctrine that stands in limitating and bounding his comming at a certaine tyme, as they would say, He will come in such an age, in such a yeere, such a day, an houre, all is false doctrine. So I say the benefite of his comming, and the glorie vve shall receyue at his comming bindes vs that vve beleeue nothing but the trueth: in such sort, that, if we will beleue the trueth of his comming, we shall be partakers of his glorie at his comming. If we decline any thing from the trueth of the doctrine of his comming, we shall hazard the glory, which othervvayes we should haue. This which I set downe vnto you in particulare concerning one Article of our faith, is true in all the rest: For, there is not one blessing of God in Christ, but it oblises vs to beleue the true doctrine, concerning that blessing, in such sort, that, if we will beleeue the truth concerning that blessing, we shall be partakers of that blessing, and if we beleue not the trueth spoken, concerning that blessing, we depryue our selues of that blessing. To make it plaine. The benefite of justification, whereby we are justified before God, onely by the bloude of Christ and his merite, and not by the merites of men, bindes vs to beleue the trueth of it, in such sort, that, if we will beleeue and seeke justification in the bloud and merites of Christ onely, we shall be justified. If, againe, we refuse to vnderstand the true way of our justification and repose on our vvorkes, vve hazard our justification. In the 9. chapter, to the Romans, vers. 31. 32. we reade, the Iewes soght to be justified by the workes of the Law. (So does the Papists, by their merites) But, vvhat came of it? The Apostle sayes, They attamed not to it. And why? Because they sought it not by faith, but, by the vvorkes of the Lavv. Ye see, heere, that peruerse and false opinion, which the Iewes had, concerning mans justification made them, not to attaine to justification. No more shalt thou be justified, who will be justified by thy vaine workes. The Prophet Esay saies (Esay 64. 6) all our righteousnesse is lyke a menstruous clout, scarcely to be looked on, let be to be presented as a meane, whereby to be justified by God; if thou wilt seeke to be justified by thy works, I denoūce to thee, in the name of God, that, at that great day, thou shalt finde thy self not to be justified. The Lord giue vs grace to imbrace the trueth, and the onely way of justification and saluation.

In the next verse, he commes to the thing be requested them, not to doe. It is this, that, they should not suffer themselues to be deceyued, as if Christes comming vvere at hand. Novv, for the better vnderstanding heereof, I shall take vp this second verse, in these three pointes. First, vve haue that thing, which he requests them not to doe. To wit, That they be not suddenly moued in their mynde, and be not suddenly troubled; in one word, that they suffer not themselues to be deceyued. Then we haue the means (which are thre in number) by the which the false teachers vsed to deceyue them. The first is by reuelation pretending falslie the reuelation of the spirit. The second is by vvord or traditiō. The third is, by letter, as it vver from him. In the third place he sets down the Heresie which false teachers labored to perswad them to be true, to witte, that the day of the Lord was at hand. Now to come back to the words. In the beginning of the verse he sayes, I request you, that suddenly ye be not moued. Consider the words, and then he subjoynes nor yet troubled. The first of these two respects the mynde, next the hart, mouing from the mynde respects the mynde, trouble respects the hart: for, the hart and the affections are suddenly troubled. Now by the mynde I vnderstand not euery minde: for, euerie man hes a minde, an Heretike hes a minde, an Idolater a minde, but, I vnderstand, heere, a sound minde and rightly informed, and speciallie in this pointe of doctrine concerning Christs comming: A minde that is inlightned, not with the light of nature onely, but also, with the spirituall light of faith in Christ. Now he requests them, that, they be not moued, as it were, a jaw of the sea (for, the word is borrowed) And moued, to what thing? If the mouing be from a sound minde, and informed by the light of Christ, it must be to a minde that is without faith in Christ, a minde peruerslie instructed, without the light of God. The maner, is suddenly. It is shame to be moued from that which is good, but it is a greater shame suddenly, as it were, with euerie light winde to be caried away. Thefore, the Apostle marueiles, that the Galathians was so suddenlie caried away to another Gospell. Galat. chap. 1. verse 6. Now to come to the lesson. Who is the man that is in his right minde? Who is he that is in his witte? Is euery man in his wit? No. Onely that man is in his wit, whose mynde is inlightned by the supernaturall light of the faith of Iesus Christ. Onely the beleuer is in his right wit. Who is the man that is by his mynde and is mad? Tharman (albeit otherwaies he had all the wit of the world in his head) that wants this light of faith in Christ, is madde, and the end shall kythe, and declare it, and the vviser in worldlie thinges; if he be without this supernaturall wit he it euer the madder. We haue all beene madde, by nature. This then must followe. By nature we are all borne mad and by our myndes, mad foolishe, witlesse, no otherwaies borne. Therefore, the Apostle, to Titus chap. 3. vers. 3. saies, We also, lewes, aswell as the Gentiles, vvere vnvvyse, madde and by our myndes, meaning, that, without Christ we are all mad fooles. Brethren, there are two sorts of this spirituall madnesse, one naturall common to all the sonnes of Adam, all are euer madde, till they know Christ, euer continuing in madnesse, till they beeleue in Christ. The other sort of madnesse is, that is acquyred by the defection and falling away from the knowledge of Christ, euery Apostate is mad, euery one that hes known the trueth and falles therefrom, becommes mad. Of this madnesse Paul speaks Gal. 3 chap. 1. verse, O foolish Galathians, &c. Now if ye will compare these two madnes the one naturall, the other by defection. The second is more dangerous, nor the first. Madnes that commes by Apostasie, of all other is the most dangerous madnes: and therefore Peter 2. Epistle chap. 2. verse. 20. sayes, The latter condition is vverse, nor the former. Madnes that commes of the defection from the knowne trueth is worse, nor the madnesse we had before we knew Christ. And so he subjoynes, It had bene better, neuer to haue knovvne the vvay of Christ, nor, after knovvledge, to haue fallen back againe. It is better to a man euer to haue bidden in the naturall madnes, nor once to haue bene wise and inlightned and then, to haue made defection. There is a recouerie after the first madnes, but, after the second, it is verie hard to get recouerie. An apostate hardly recouers, but, oft, the Apostate will fall to blasphemie against the holy Spirit. Therefore, let euery one striue by al means to keepe the trueth.

Now the next thing he requestes, is that they be not troubled. The vvord is borrovved, and in the ovvne language it signifies that horror that ryses in the hart of man, through the clamor, or noyse of any tumult. Ye see, men will be afrayed, when they heare any tumulte. So vvere the Thessalonians afrayed, vvhen they heard, that, Christes comming vvas at hand. Novv vvill ye compare this terrour vvith the mouing out of the mynde, it follovves verie vvell: For, the man vvho hes his mynde euill informed, and not inlightned by the faith of Christ can haue no rest and peace in hart. For ye see a madde man hes neuer quyetnesse in his hart, but his affections are euer in trouble. So a man spiritually madde without the light of Christ and saluation is neuer setled in his hart. An Idolater is neuer setled in hart, an Herotike hes neuer a setled hart, euer his affectiones on feare. Therefore he who would haue that peace and joy that passes all vnderstanding, let him seeke light to knowe Christ, and to know the trueth concerning him, otherwaies shall he neuer get peace and joy. Then in one word I aske the question. Who is he that is happie? Who is he that hes a stable and setled hart? Who is he that hes peace in his affectiones, and hes them set in order, so that he may take rest both day and night? I answere. The faithfull who beleeues the trueth in Christ. This man is blessed being iustified by faith vve haue peace tovvards God, sayes the Apostle. Rom. chap. 5. verse 1. If thou be not justified by faith in Christ no peace, but euer trouble and vnquyetnesse both with thy selfe and vvith God. God shall make one affection to fight with another, and to harle thee before his fearefull tribunall. Then who is he that hes not a stable and setled hart? Who is he that hes not his affections setled? He that beleeues not in Christ, he that beleeues not in the trueth of God in Christ, he that knowes not the way of saluation, he hes not a setled hart. It is truely said Es. 7▪ cha. 57, verse 21. No true peace for the vvicked: for they haue vnstable harts; and when thou seest the jawing and mouing of the raging sea, thou may say, this is nothing in respect of the trouble that the vvicked hes in conscience: for the trouble of the hart and vnquyetnesse in the affectiones, of all troubles is the greatest; and surelie he vvho hes not the peace of God, but is troubled in hart, vvould gladlie be turned in any thing. When it pleases the Lord to make one affection rise against another, ô vvhat paine trovvest thou that person sustaines? And againe, ô hovv prerious a thing is faith in Iesus! Hast thou it? nothing shall trouble thee. So prease euer to haue faith in Christ: Hast thou faith? thou shalt in joy peace and a quyet minde: What euer be thy estate in the world, be thou rich, both on poore, hast thou faith in Iesus Christ, thou rests by day and night, nothing troubles thee: yea euen in these things, that appears to bring some greefe to thy body outwardly, as siknes &c. Yet in thy soule in some measure thou shalt injoy peace and joy in Iesus Christ, that shall make the patiently beare the outward crosse.

Now in the second part of the verse we haue the meanes set downe which the deceiuers vsed to deceiue the Thessalonians with concerning Christs comming. 3. meanes of deceyuing men. They are thre: first, Neither by spirit, that is to say, by dreames which men pretended to be reuelations of the Spirit. The next is, neither by vvord, that is by any tradition that they said they had of Paul. The third is, neither by forged wryting or Epistle, as if they had any which Paul had written to them concerning Christs comming Now what are the thinges that cheefly euer from the beginnig hes made men madde, and hes troubled the harts of the people and the Church of God? Euen these same three things. In all ages men hes risen vp that hes said, We haue receiued reuelation extraordinar from the Spirit of God. Such as of olde were the Valentinians and Montanists, such are the Anabaptists this day, such are many Papists, and Monkes in their closters. When they dreame they pretend the reuelation of the Spirit; yea some of them hes pretended a reuelation to slay kings. O but it is a false reuelation, and it is not from Gods, Spirit, but from the Spirit of the deuill. This is the first meane of deceyuing. The next which hes euer troubled the world and broght men to madnesse is. Traditions, which the Papists extols so highly that they make them equall with the holy writ. The last that hes made men madde is writtings that hes bene stolne in into the Church of God vnder the name of holinesse, and yet written by wicked and profaine men. Such as were the Gospels of Thomas, Barthelmevv, and Nicodemus, and the Papists are full of such writtes bearing the names of men that neuer saw such paltrie. So these three thinges hes made and makes men madde. Now as these three makes men madde, so there is one thing that keepes men in their myndes, that is onely the Canonicall Scripture of the Olde and New Testament, the writings of the Prophites and Apostles. Keepe me the Scripture, hold by it onely, thou shalt be keeped in thy right minde, and thou shalt haue an setled hart. Trow therefore no spirits, that is false reuelation of Spirits. Trow nothing but that which is reueiled in the word: for I lay thee this as a sure ground. The Spirit of God will neuer reueale nor speake to thee any thing but that which is written in the olde and nevv Testament. If any will come with a reuelation, aske at him, is that conteined in the Scripture? Is it reueiled in the word? Trow not these traditions and these vnwritten verities that is ascryued to the Apostles: for vvith these the vvorld is deceyued. Trow nothing but that which is in the word or may stand with the word. And last, as for writtes, beleeue no writ but this writ which is conteined in the olde and new Testament, and such as godlie men hes set dovvne agreeing vvith the olde and new Testament. Keepe this ground of the Canonicall Scripture. I assure thee, thou shalt be keeped in thy minde, and shall be reserued so till the glorious comming of the Lord Iesus Christ.

In the last parte of the verse. The Heresie is set downe, as though, sayes he, he day of Christs comming vver at hand Brethren, it was an Heresie to say the comming of Christ was at hand. Ye will wonder at this. Sayes not Iames in his Epistle 5. chap. 8. verse The comming of the Lord dravves neare. Sayes not Peter in his first Epistle chap. 4. verse 5. Christ is ready to iudge the quick and the dead, and thereafter sayes he not. The end of all thinges is at hand and are not these dayes called the last dayes? Is not the Scripturefull of this? and so is not the day of the Lord neare hand? How count ye it an Heresie then to say, The day of the Lord is at hand? I answere. There is a great difference betweene these two: for these men who said the day of the Lord was instant prescryued a certaine and definite tyme to his comming, at the least they thought that Christ should come in that age and generation wherein they were, and so they bounded Christs comming till a certaine tyme. To say he will come in this yeere or that yeere, in this age or that age it is Heresie. These men went about to perswade the Thessalonians that the Lord Iesus should come in that age, which was false and pernitions; and that it was false experience teaches vs. There are past since that tyme sixtene ages that is sixteene hundreth yeere, and yet they said then that the Lord should come in that age. Againe it is pernitious and euill to limitate and bound Christs comming; for if his comming be not in that age which they calculate, it will fall out, thât, either the godly that would faine haue his comming (for, they sooke euer for it) will faint and fall away through impatience, or else it will make the people to think that this doctrine of Christs comming is but a fable. They will say, the tyme of Christs comming which they said was is by past and he is not come. Therefore beware to prescryue to it a particulare tyme. Now I marke two pernitious Heresies in the new Testament concerning his comming. One that prescryued a tyme, and said, Christ shall come shortly, in such an age, in such a yeere, as in this place: Another that said he shall neuer come. 2. Peter chap. 3. vers. 3. 4. Let vs prease therefore to holde vs by the trueth, and keepe vs from these extremities that the deuill preases to draw vs to.

Now in the next verse and in the beginning thereof he repeats againe his request and that in few wordes. Let no man deceiue you by any meanes. It is the same thing which he said before, but it is contracted in fewer words. Now what needs this repetition and doubling ouer? was it not eneugh to him to haue said once be not deceyued? Brethren, men can neuer beware eneugh of seducers and false teachers, and therefore the watch-men can neuer ouer earnestly and oft eneugh warne them to beware of them. And if I should stand vp from morne till night, crying, keepe you from deceyuers, it will not be sufficient; I speak not so oft as need craues. Paul to the Philip chap. 3. verse 1. saies; It greenetly me not to vvrite to you the same things, and for you it is a sure thing: and then he subjoins. Bevvare of dogs, bevvare of euill vvorkers, bevvare of the concision. So I say, we can neuer be earnest eneugh in warning you to beware of false teachers, and namelie to beware of Papists: for experience might haue teached vs within these few dayes what neede we haue to warne you to beware of Papistrie. Now he sayes, Let no man deceiue you, that is, be not deceiued with any man without exception of person, in matters of Religion beleeue no man for his ranke. Brethren, experience teaches this daily. The persons and authority of men deceiues many simple men. The estimation of learning and dignitie deceiues many. The Apostle knew this, and therefore he sayes, Let no man; and againe he sayes, he no meanes, neither by this meane, nor that meane: as he excludes all persons, so he excludes all the waies of deceit. The waies of the deuill that he suggyres to false teachers to deceiue men by, are infinite. There is no end of his waies. Hes he set one way? failles that way? he hes another way. If that failles too, he hes another, and so forth without end. So infinite are his waies to deceiue the godlie. Therefore the Apostle knowing that the deuill hes many wayes to deceiue them, forbids them to beleeue any of his meanes. Now the argument whereby he deceiues them, is, all is deceite. What euer be the person, what euer be the way, all is deceite. Therefore be not deceiued. There is such a great lose and domage in this one thing we call deceite that there is no other thing that will vpset it. The lose thou getst by deceite will neuer be vpset: all the kings and doctors vnder Heauen will neuer set vp thy lose thou getst by defection. Alas, what hes that man win when he hes win all the world and lost his soule by falling away from the trueth. Now the Lord let euery man see that there is nothing comparable to this hurt of deceiuing. What pleasure can thou haue of all the kingdomes of the world when thou hast a troubled hart and conscience, when thou hast an vnquyet soule within thee? Therfore as we say, It is good to sleepe in a sound skinne. Change not a setled minde and pacified hart with all the world, and preferre a sound minde inlightned with the knowledge of Christ to all the honours and dignity in the world. And because we are so vnstable mynded and so ready to alter that except we be surely anchored on Christ we shall be euer beatten away with euery light wind of false doctrine. Therefore we haue to pray that our soules may be anchored by a sure faith on Christ. The Lord therefore by his grace anchor our soules on Christ. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praise for euer.

AMEN.