Lecture 9 · 2 Thessalonians 2:15–17

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

AFTER the Apostle hes ended that Prophecy of the vniuersall defection from the trueth and faith of Christ Iesus, and of the reueiling and manifesting of the Antichrist, and his power, he doeth three things in the end of this chapter. First he comforts the Thessalonians against this Apostasie and defection, assuring them it should not touch them, because they were grounded vpon that stable foundation of the eternall election of God, of the which they had sure tokens and testimonies, the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the trueth, the calling of God to faith and participation of the glory of Iesus Christ. Next in the text we have red there are conteined two things. The first is an exhortation to the Thessalonians to stand and perseuere to the end. The other is a prayer conceiued by the Apostle to God the Father and to the Lord Iesus, that it would please them first to comfort the harts of the Thessalonians, next to establish them in euery good word and worke.

Then shortly to come to the text. We haue set downe in the first words an exhortation to the Thessalonians that they should standfast. But first we shall consider how this exhortation followes on the doctrine passing before. Therefore, sayes he. Then it must be inferred by a consequent vpon the doctrine preceeding. The cause of their standing and perseuerance must be in the text preceding, to wit, their eternal election to saluation, their sanctification, their faith in the trueth of Iesus. their effectuall calling to lyfe euer lasting, and the glorie of Christ: vpon these grounds he inferres this; I herefore, brethren, stand fast: as if he did say, seeing ye are so sure grounded, therefore stand fast on your ground. Then thelesson is, when a man findes in his owne hart that God hes chosen him to saluation from all eternitie, when he findes he hes faith and the Spirite of sanctification, and finds the Lord from Heauen to call on him and to put out his hand as it were, and to take him by the hand againe, and to leade him forwarde to that saluation to the which he hes appoynted him from all eternitie Then though Heauen should fall and all the world goe to ruine, though thousands of men should fall away from the trueth at this tyme, yet it becommes him not once to shudder, or to suffer himselfe once to be shaken in the middes of all confusion, and that not throgh any confidence or strength in himselfe (for then he will be beguilde) but onely through the power of the grace of his God which he hes found in experiēce: ground himself on that ground which we haue Rom. 11. 29. The gifts and calling of God is vvithout repentance, if once the Lord begin to bestow these spirituall blessings, and to call a person to the glory of Christ effectually, Heauen and earth shall goe together ere that person perish.

Now ere I goe further to the words I would solue a question that may fal out here. Hes not the Apostle euen now before certified these Thessalonians of their election from al eternitie out of the which it followes necessarly that they are placed out of al danger of finall defection: for it is impossible that they that are elected from all eternity can fall away finallie and perish: how is it then that he exhortes them to stand considering this their sure election is vnchangeable? I answere shortly. It is true the chosen of God are placed outwith all danger of this defection, vnto the which the reprobate is subject, and it is impossible that they can fall away finallie. indeed they may haue their owne stumblinges and stoppings; but as concerning their finall defection it is a thing vnpossible that they can be subject to it by vertue of their election: for, brethren, so many as are ordeined to life, of necessity they are ordeined to finall perseuerance; if thou be ordeined to life, of necessitie thou must stand fast to the end in some measure: but it is as true on the other part that they that are ordeined to perseuerance they are ordeined to stand by such and such meanes: and of these meanes this is one, exhortation; another is, admonition; another is teaching; another rebuking, (for if need be we should rebuke, euen the chosen of God, and threatten them) yea the prayers also of the Saints and Pastors are meanes to make the chosen to stand fast. And failing these meanes by the which the Lord hes ordeined that they shall perseuere, and especiallie if thou contemne these meanes, exhortation, admonition, rebukes, doctrine, and prayers of the faithfull, thou shalt faile of perseuerance, and failing of perseuerance thou shalt fall finally away. And if thou fall finallie away, thou shalt finde that thou wert neuer one of these that were chosen to life euerlasting. And therefore, brethren, seeing these are the means of God to hold thee vp to the end till he glorifie thee, thou should be glad when thou art admonished exhorted and taught, for they are the tokens to thee of thy election if thou take them in a good part. Beware then that ye contemne not any of these meanes.

Now to goe forward. When he hes exhorted them to stand fast, then immediatly he subjoines (as it were) the definition of this standing what it is. Standfast (sayes he.) What is that? Hold a fast and a sure grip. Whereof? of the doctrine I haue taught you either by vvord or vvrit, stand fast by it. Marke then. Ye see the perseuerance he craues is the perseuerance in the faith, and in the light of the word; the doctrine of Iesus Christ is the light of the world, and perseuerance in knowledge of this word is to hold it fast. To make this plaine. There are two sorts of perseuerance. One is the perseuerance in the trueth, in the Gospell, in the faith of Iesus and in the light, tvvo sorts of perseuerance. and all these are one. There is another perseuerance, and that is an holy life, well doing, and in a godly conuersation. Marke them both: if ye will compare them together, the first which is perseuerance in faith or in trueth must be the cause of the other, and the other is the necessar effect of it; where perseuerance is in the light of necessitie there is a perseuerance in godlinesse: for a man that perseueres in the light of necessity that man walketh in the hie way to Heauen in his action and maner of liuing, and must goe the direct way to saluation; but once take away the light, and let him reject and contemne the light and veritie of Christs Gospell, he shall not goe one stop rightlie, but he shall decline from the hie way. Take the Gospell and the light of Christ out of his eyes and hart, he shall neuer do one right action, he may seeme to be good and haue a faire outward showe, and his words may seeme glistring, so that he shall not seeme to be a murtherer, a theefe, or an harlot: but if the Gospel be out of his hart, all is but hypocrisie, and there is nothing in his hand that pleases God, all is abomination, and his rewarde for all his faire doing shall be with the hypocrites in Hell. So let not man pleasure himselfe in his doing, if his eye be not set on Iesus Christ shining in the Gospel: If he walke not in the light of Iesus Christ, he is in the wrong way when he thinkes he is in the rightest way. Lord giue men this grace that when they think they stand, they may grip to this light of te Gospell.

Yet to marke more narrowly these wordes. Keepe, sayes he, hold a grip and stand fast. How shall I stand? By keeping of a grip, no standing for man but by a gripping, if thou let thy grip go fall shalt thou. Now what shall they grip? Doctrine, keepe light, the best thing in the world is to keepe knowledge. There is no standing for men, except by keeping light and knowledge. Yet what doctrine is this he willes them to keepe? He sayes, vvhich I haue deliuered and teached you. There is no standing but by gripping of doctrine. And what a doctrine? Euen the doctrin of the Apostles, grip to it onely: For grip as fast as thou wilt to the traditions and vanities of men they will not all make thee stand: for there is no standing but by gripping of the doctrine of the Apostles, Paul, Peter, and the rest of them, there is no standing but on the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles. Paul writing to the Ephes. 2. 20. speakes of their building, Being builded, sayes he, vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles. Thou shalt neuer be builded on Iesus Christ, if thou be not builded vpon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, and if that be not, then there is no saluation for thee, goe to Spaine, goe to Rome as thou wilt, thou hast noght ado with Iesus Christ if thou stand not grounded on the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles. Then would ye see what ye call true perseuerance in faith? VVhat is perseuerance and apostasie. Euen that is true perseuerance that is in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles onely, and no more, and no lesse. Then what is Apostasie that is contrare to perseuerance? If perseuerance be in keeping of the doctrine of the Apostles, then that is Apostasie when thou falles away from their doctrin. No, brethren, the falling away from that Roman Antichrist is no Apostasie. The Lord at his comming in that great day shall justifie this, and shall judge that Church to be a false and an adulterous Apostatike Church, and whoeuer joines with it if they repent not, shall be adjudged that day to damnation; and they that departs from it and stickes to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles shall be judged to be the holy ones of God.

Now followes in the end of the verse two sortes of teaching of them, that the Apostle vsed. The first is by word, when he spoke to them face to face. The other is by his Epistle. The lesson is easie. Men are taught aswell by writ as word, all teaching is not tied to the personall presence of men. No, men are as surely taught by writ as by word. And seeing it hes pleased the Lord to showe this mercy on vs that the writtes of the Apostles are comde in our hands, which are read in your audience, therefore we haue Paul to be a teacher to vs aswell as the Thessalonians had. Therefore conclude surely that it is not so much this Minister or that Minister teaches you, as it is the Apostle Paul and Christ Iesus in him: for euery Minister is not so guyded as he was the ministers may erre and hes erred, but the Apostles could not erre: for they were immediatly called of Iesus Christ, and were in their writting direct fully by the holy Spirit. Therefore think that ye haue the Apostle Paul and the rest to be your teachers, and as for a Minister if he goe a stray breadth off that ground of the Apostles, he teaches false doctrine; and so the surest teachers that we haue are the olde Prophets and Apostles that cannot erre. Thinke it not a small mercy that the Lord hes made their writs to come to vs; and no doubt Christ when he tooke good-night of the Apostles had respect to this. Matt. 28. chap. 19. vers. Goe your vvay and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, and loe I am vvith you vntill the end of the vvorld: as he would say, ye in a maner shall bide and liue till I come againe, if not in your persons, yet in your writte, and I shall accompanie your writte, as I did accompany your persons in the world: and surely the Spirit of Christ accompanies this same writ and word as euer he did their dresence on earth.

Now I will answere one doubt that he ere occurres before I go forward. Ye that hes red any thing knowes that the aduersars preases to make aduantage of this place, keepe that that I haue taught you by word or writ: Then cry they out traditions, traditions. The Apostles, say they, hes left traditions besides their writs, verities vnwritten, and therefore as great credite should be giuen to them as to the written verity, and they should be receiued with as great reuerence as their writs. Brethren, it is true the words importes a diuersity, but if ye will looke well about you ye shall find that there is no diuersity in the matter and substance, but onely in the maner and forme of teaching: as if he should haue said, Keep that which I haue teached you either by word or writ, which is all one thing: for that which I spoke I wrote, and that which I wrote I spok; this is certaine. But giuing this to them, supponing the Apostle had spoken something which he had not written at this time, what is it to the purpose? Ergo wrote he it not afterward? Supponing the Apostle had not written this whole doctrine to the Thessalonians, yet wrote he it not to the Romans, Ephesians, &c? and in one word, the Apostle spoke nothing by mouth which he registred not in writte. The same doctrine he spoke by mouth, the same he left in register in writ to be red by the world.

Now then to return to the matter. When he hes ended the exhortation he subjoines prayer, and the same perseuerance he exhorted them to, he begs to them frō the hands of God. Brethrē, al exhortation, Teaching vvithout the spirite povverlas all this doctrine and preaching, all preceptes and admonitions are but winde and vaine voyces shal sounds in the eare and goes not to the hart, except with the word the Lord concur by his spirit If the Lord by his power and spirit inwardly moue not the hart and affections of men all is but vanity and winde. Now the meane ye see to get the Spirit to the preaching and hearing of the word, is prayer. And therefore take the lesson. A man should neuer preach nor heare preaching but the eie of his soule should be lifted vp to him that is able onely to giue the power and increase: In preaching the Minister should be begging power, and the people praying and saying, Lord as this is thy word, which is thy power vnto saluation, so by thy Spirit make it powerfull in me. If thy eye be on the man, and thy hart be not lifted vp to God, thou shalt goe as empty home as thou came abroad. Therefore set thy eye and hart on him who is only able to giue power to thy life, and vpon him who giues only consolation when thou hast need, and finally on him that giues saluation to all that beleues aright, to wit, the Lord Iesus: for without him there is no grace to be bestowed on man, be what he wil. Prayer is the meane to get the presence of the Spirit concurring with the word: for the word, without grace and power be giuen to it to open the hart, is powerfull to close the hart. The Gospell is an instrument to obdure thy hart, if it be heard without praier to God and presence of his Spirit. Therefore pray that in hearing ye may vnderstand, and that ye may walke according to the knowledge thereof.

Now then to come to the wordes. There are three thinges in this prayer. First, the persons to whom it is directed: The second is the arguments whereby he will assure the Thessalonians that the praier shal be granted to them. And the last is, the things that he prayes for to them. To come to the persons, I pray, sayes he, the Lord Iesus Christ. He names him first, for the sweetnesse of grace he had found in him euer since first he knew him; his soule was so filled with the swetnes of Christ that in nothing he could forget him, neither in his praier nor exhortations to others, as euery one that is touched with such a feeling of Christ will doe: Know ye not this ye that make a glorious profession of Christ? ô wo is thee that euer took the profession of Christ in thy mouth if thou find not a sweetnes of his grace towards thee in thy hart; if thou finde it, thou wilt neuer speake of any matter concerning grace and saluation but Iesus Christ shall be first in thy mouth. Next he commes to the Father, and he sayes, and God our Father. There then the two persons which are the two fountaines of all grace that comes to mā in the world. Mark here a double honor giuen to Christ. First he is joined with the Father as a fontaine of all grace, and next he is first named: for he sayes, I pray the Lord Iesus: and then he sayes, and God our Father. He puts the Father in the second rowme, Iesus Christ god equal vvith the Father. albeit in other places he puts God the father in the first rowme, as ye may finde in all his salutations. Now what must followe on this? Euen this, that Iesus Christ is very God, as he is very man, coessential of the same nature with God, coequall, of the same dignity and majestie with the Father, and coeternall with him; if this were not, he could not haue giuen him such a style without blasphemy against God. The olde Heretikes thought they got a great aduantage of such places of the Scripture that placed the Father in the first rowme, to conclude that Iesus Christ was not onely inferior, but far vnequall to God the Father, and especially they gather it out of these wordes, I baptise thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, &c. Ergo, say they, the Sonne is inferiour. But looke here and ye will finde that Christ is named in the first rowme. That olde doctor Chrysostome when he hes reasoned against this fond opinion, at last he concludes. They are equall in eternitie, dignitie and in euerie thing, that is, or may be called truely God. Indeed the Father is the first person, but that makes not that the Father is aboue the Sonne; for there is equalitie in dignity and essence, and therefore he whiles puts the one before the other, and that not in respect of any supremacy, but to testifie that Iesus Christ our Sauior and the Father is one, and equall in euery respect.

Now to come to the argumentes which are not set downe so much to mooue God, as to assure the Thessalonians that the thinges shall be granted that he craues for them The arguments are from the effects of God. First, Who hes loued vs. Secondly, vvho hes giuen vs euerlasting consolation: And the last, who hes giuen vs good hope, and all throgh grace and mercy, contrare vnto our deseruing. Marke, bethren, a generall. He bringes these Thessalonians to remembrance of these graces of God bestowed on them before, Argumentes to assure vs, that, God vvill grāt vs benefits craued in prayer. to assure them, the Lord wil grant them these benefits he praies for to them. When God begins to show his mercy on men, or, wemen, and in Iesus Christ to powre out his blessings vpon them, he giues, as it were, an obligation subscriued with his own hand, I shall be with you for euer, neuer man bond himself as the Lord binds himselfe: from once he begin to deale mercifully with vs, if he begin once to giue vs faith in Iesus christ and to minister that inward consolation, and to giue vs hope of life euerlasting, in so doing he giues vs an obligation that that mercy shall continue with vs for euer. Therefore mark the graces of God giuen to thee and neuer forget them: for they vvill hold thee vp. That God that hes comforted thee once shal comfort thee for euer: He is not like man, I am, sayes he, Iehoua, not changeable; and therefore, ground thy hart on that vnchangablenes of God. For, he, who hes once begunne with thee to giue thee mercy, assure thy self, he shal not leaue thee. How was Dauid and the godly of olde, holden vp, but, by this same obligation? Would euer any of the olde fathers haue stood without this? No. There only prop & vp-hold was the experience of the mercy of God once showne on them, and diligently remembred by them.

Now, to come to the particulare. Who hes loued vs, not as a Creator does a creature, The first Gods loue but, as the father does the son, that is an higher degree of loue; for, he called him Father, immediatly before, then, he subjoines, he loued vs. Brethren, would ye come to the thinges we haue of God, throgh Christ? The first is grace, mercy, and free fauour: He is bound to no creature, but, what euer he giues, he giues it freely. The first blessing, that God bestowes on man on earth, and the first effect of grace and of his free fauor, is loue (this loue is giuen to make the creature to powr out, as it wer, the hart on his Creator againe) He hes loued vs, ere euer we wer, of this loue proceeds eternal election, as ye may read, in sundry places of the new Testament. This loue stayes not here, but, after, he bringes vs in the world at his owne appointed tyme, he makes the loue, that was in his hart, before all tyme towardes vs, to break out, and he sheds it abroad, in our harts. And the first effect of it is our effectuall calling. He will say, Come hither out of the foule pollution of the world, and I wil exceme thee from the damnable end of the world, and so, from thence forth, mercy hes no end, but, from calling he proceeds to justification; from justification, to regeneration; and last, to glorification. So, the first thing God giues thee, is his hart and harty loue. He will not giue thee any of these blessinges, that are in Iesus Christ, vntill with them he giue thee his hart: He is not like man who will giue thee a faire countenance alone, and will take no further thought what become of thee, but God will giue thee his hart, as the first gift, and giuing thee his hart, what can he deny thee? When he hes giuen thee his hart, can he deny thee life? And therefore, Rom. 5. 5. it is said, that, the loue of God is shed abroad in vs, by his holy Spirit. Now, as he embraces vs with loue, Lord if we could meete him with halfe loue againe. We cannot loue him, except he loue vs first. 1. Iohn 4. 19. There is none that loues him, but he that hes the sense of Gods loue in his hart furnished by the Spirit of God. O, the joy and consolation in the hart, when it findes the Lords hart powred out on it! And without this sense of Gods loue towardes thee, fy on thee, if thou wert a king for all thy kingdomes, if thou wert ruler ouer all, fy on thy glorie and pleasure: for, all the things vnder Heauen may well minister to thee a false joy and peace in thy hart, but they shall neuer giue thee the true joy: for there is no true joy but through the sense of the loue of God in thy hart. So there is the first gift and argument whereby he assures these Thessalonians that the thinges he askes for them shall be graunted to them without all doubt.

The next argument is, And hes giuen vs consolation eternall. In this word he summes vp all the blessinges giuen to man in Iesus Christ in tyme, The secōd is eternall cōsolatiō. our effectuall calling, our justification through his righteousnesse, forgiuenesse of sinnes, and an acceptation in his fauor, our sanctification by his Spirit, the resurrection of the bodie, and life eternal in glorie: al these we haue in him to whom Paul maks this prayer. So all the blessinges of God commes and meetes in the hart of man as in a centre: they end all in consolation, our effectual calling ends in consolation, our justifying ends in consolation. Therefore, sayes Paul, Rom 5. 1. Being iustified by faith vve haue peace tovvard God. Then in one word. As all blessing beginnes at the hart of God, and at that loue he powres our on vs, so al blessing ends in our hart. The beginning is Gods, the end is ours, and our end is this, that peace that passes all vnderstanding: This loue of God is as a floode through the which slowes downe all these blessinges bestowed on vs which are as as many springs and conduits comming from that great and vnspeakable loue of God and entering once in vpon our harts wakens vp an infinite and vnspeakable joy in vs: For from once that water of the loue of God touch the hart, there flowes such a consolation as is vnspeakable. The Lord of Heauen giue euery one earnestnesse to seeke this consolation: for it is the arlespenny of these euerlasting joyes which once we shall haue in Heauen throgh Iesus Christ. He calles it eternall, because it is a fontaine that neuer is stopped, it neuer goes dry, but euer runnes, when the fountaine euer [ristes] the riuer that runnes from it will neuer goe dry. And therefore when that fountaine of loue in the hart of God commes in thy hart, thy consolation must laste for euer, his loue running down in thy hart makes thy joy euerlasting. The thinges of this world when thou gettest them will waken vp some joy in thy hart, but that joy which thou hast the day thou wilt want to morrow, for it is not permanent: but as for that joy which proceeds of the loue of God, it hes no end, it is eternall; and therefore they that will seeke consolation in Iesus shal neuer haue an end of joy. Indeed sometymes this our joy seemes to be troubled heere, because it is compassed with many crosses and afflictions, but the Lord from tyme to tyme makes our joy sensible, and wakens it vp in vs, and when thou shalt be in Heauen thou shalt haue an endles consolation without any vicissitude or alteration for euer. Seek then I pray you for this loue of God, as ye wold be euerlastinglie blessed with this joy vnalterable.

Now, the third benefite is good hope. He calles it good, because it is of the best thing, The third, good hope that euer was, that is, it is of that cheefe felicitie: for, vvhat is it vve hope for? Euen, that consummation of our cheefe and euerlasting felicitie vvith our God vve hope for that possession of the glorie of our Lord Iesus, and therefore, it is not vvithout reason, that, it is called good hope. Wherefrom flowes it? Euen, as consolation flowes from loue, so, hope flowes from consolation, Rom. 15. 4. and consolation is as an arlespenny, that, God puttes in thy hand, that thou shalt get thē full payment of the whole summe. And therefore, it wakens vp thy hart to hope, so, that when I get a peece of consolation, I am induced to hope certainely, that, that Lord, that hes giuen me that arlespenny shal not leaue me, till he fil my hart with the fulnesse of consolation: for, the saciety: and full contentment is not, till we see Christ face to face, and vntill this tyme we must liue by hope.

In end, he sayes, all these thinges are by grace. Loue is by grace, consolation is by grace, hope is by grace, that is, of the free fauour of God, without any desert, or, merite, on mans part. And it is vvell vvith vs, that it is not so, that all is of free grace, vvithout out merite: for, if any blessing of God hang vpon a mans merite, vpon his doing and deseruing, alas, vveak vvould this ground be, and there vvould not be one day, but vve should fall from the grace. If it be depended on me, I vvould lose it euerie moment of the day: So, the ground of this suretie and stabilitie of Gods blessinges is onely in God, euen, his free grace and loue. When the Lord regardes thee, not for ought, that is in thee, but lookes to himselfe, then, thou hast stedfastnesse by the grace of God, as ye may collect of the 4. chap. to the Rom. verse 16. Therefore, it is by faith, that it might come by grace, and the promise might be sure, to all the seede. If the inheritance hang vpon thy stinking vvorkes (for, thou fylest the vvorkes of the holy Spirit in thee) thou shouldst neuer see Heauen: And thou, that vvilt stick by such a ground, and say, Heauen and saluation depends on thy vvorks, thou shalt find thy selfe frustrate, in that day, and shall not attaine, to that inheritance, that, thou looked for: for, there is no blessing of God in Christ, but that, that hangs vpon the free fauor and mercy of God to vs, in Iesus Christ. All the vvorld shall not louse this ground.

In the last verse, vve haue the thinges he prayes for, to these Thessalonians: I pray the Lord Iesus Christ and God, euen, our Father, that they would comfort your harts. The next, establishe you in euerie vvord of the trueth and euerie good vvorke. Praier for consolation. These are the tvvo thinges he prayes for, consolation and perseuerance in well doing. Hes he not said before, that, God the father had giuen them eternall consolation, what is the crause, then, he praies for it, as though they had not gotten it? He sayes, he hes giuen vs eternall consolation, and now he sayes, I pray the Lord Iesus that he would comfort you. How can these two stand? Mark, brethren, This he sayes, to tell vs that consolation is gotten by praier, look the necessity of prayer. If there be no prayer at no tyme, there is no consolation; that man that cannot pray to God and beg comfort at his hand, that manifest neuer spirituall consolation in his hart. Goe to experience. I pose thee in thy conscience, felt thou euer comfort without prayer? No, if there be not prayer to God, thou shalt haue no comfort: and more, if there be not continuance in prayer, thou shalt get no continuance in consolation: Leauest thou off prayer, looke whether consolation will leaue thy hart, or, not? Leauest thou off, in prayer to meditate on Iesus Christ, I pose the, whether the consolation in the hart leaues thee, or, not? Againe, striuest thou to keepe that presence of Iesus Christ, by prayer, and in all thy exercises, castes a blenke to Iesus Christ, (be not so exercised, that thou forget Iesus Christ) hast thou thy eyes euer on Iesus, by prayer and meditation, wilt thou not finde a joy and swetnes in thy hart, such, as thou cannot be able to expres? Againe, when thou art so fixt on the things in this world, yea euen in thy lawfull exercise (for, in thy lownry, thou cannot haue an eye to God) that thou cannot get a peece of thy hart to God, it may be that thou haue a carnall and false joy: but, true joy and comfort hast thou not. Well, then, brethren, that peace and consolation flowes of prayer and earnest meditation in Iesus. Therefore, as the Apostle sayes, Philip. 4. 6. 7. Be not solist for any thing, but in euerything let thy requests be shovven forth to God and that, by all maner of prayer and supplication; and supponing thou get not the wordly releefe. I shall tell thee, what thou shalt finde, the peace of God that passes all vnderstanding shall stand about thee, as a guard, and what lakest thou, if thou hast that peace and tranquillity of thy soule? And what hast thou, if thou lakest this peace? Now, fy on al, if thou lake this guarde of Gods peace, if thou wert a king, or, Monarch, abounding in riches, pleasure and honour, what shall all auaile thee? So, he drawes consolation, from God, by prayer. And as it is sure, that, euery thing, that liues, hes the being and continuance of God. So, it is as sure, that, that person that is disposed to pray keepes and shall keepe the comfortable presence and peace of God, that passes all vnderstanding. Therefore, the Lord dispose our harts to pray, that by praier, we may keepe some meditation and presence of Iesus Christ in our harts. Kings will leaue their kingdomes; Lords, their lordshippes, and euerie man will leaue this world and all, that is vvithin it; but, vvoe to that man, vvhom God leaues, when the world leaues him.

The next thing he prayes for, is, that, the Lord would establish them, Praier for perseuerance. as we say, settle them, and make them firme and stable, not changing and wagging, as the busse wagges, and so, inconstant in their religion, but, that they be settled. Ye heard, wherein stood our perseuerance. It stood in holding a fast grippe of the Apostles doctrine, the trueth of God. Now, here, I finde more, He prayes to God and Iesus Christ, that, they would establishe them, that is, hold a grippe of them. So, that, in our perseuering, there must be two things, of necessitie. The one, is, thy hand must be festned, or, else, thou wilt fall: for, there was neuer one, that had not his hart festned vpon the trueth of Iesus Christ, by holding a grip of it, but he fell downe to Hell. The other thing. The Lord must hold a grippe of thee, or, else, thou cannot be able to keepe thy grip; so, thou must grippe and God must grip thee; thou must stand on a fundation, which is Iesus Christ, and the Lord God himself must hold thee on thy fundation: for, otherwise, thy feet will slip off the ground: So, euer say, Lord, hold me on this ground and fundation, or, else, I wil not be able to stand one moment.

Now, then, to come to the fundations, whereon we must stand, and whereon the Lord must establish vs: they are these, first, euerie vvord of this trueth: and next, euerie good vvorke. Ye may see, there are two fundations heere, whereon thou must stand: for, he that would stand to the end, must haue his feete set a spar-waies, he must not stand on a slippery place, nor on one foote onely, but, he must haue a sure ground, and must stand on both his feete, and euery foot must haue the own ground-stone to stand on, and the first ground is the Gospell of Iesus Christ. Therefore, first, lift thy right foot and set it on the trueth of God, the Gospell of Iesus. The next ground is holinesse of life and good works flowing from the former; then, take thy left foote and set it on holinesse of lyfe and euery good worke, and then, both thy feete stands sure. I shal make this plaine. There are two things in man, the hart and the hand. The man, that would stand, must haue hart and hand both fastned. The hart must be first fastned and locked on the Gospell of Christ Iesus, and that, by the lock and bond of faith; and next, the hand must be fastned too, and it must grip first to euerie good turne; thinke it not eneugh, to haue thy hart exercised. If thy hand be idle, or, doing euill: (for, if thy hand be not well exercised, it shall be doing euil) keepe these two fast then, thy hart, on the word of God, and thy hand on euery good worke, and then, firmely shalt thou stand. These two are so joyned together, that, they cannot be seuered: for, if thou six thy hart on the Gospell of Iesus Christ, of necessity thy hand shall be exercised in well doing; keepst thou one of them, thou keepst both; losest thou one of these two, thou losest both: for, it shall passe thy power to haue a good turne in thy hand, if thou want the Gospell of Christ Iesus in thy hart. As, by the contrare, hant euill doing, and then, come to heare the Gospell, in despyte of thy hart, thou shalt not get the Gospell within thy hart, but, thou shalt want Christ. Therefore, as thou would keepe one, keepe both, and striue to fasten thy hart and hand on both, and I shall assure thee, in the name of Iesus Christ, that, he wil hold his hand to thee, and stand shalt thou fast to the end, vntill thou be put out of all danger: For, when once thou art brought to the mark, and comes to the rinkes end, then, thou shalt be out of all feare and danger: For, there is no defection in Heauen, no falling, nor, stumbling there: but, an euerlasting stabilitie, when this mirrour is away, and we shal see our Sauiour Iesus, face to face. Therefore, as the Apostle praies for stabilities, to these Thessalonians; Euen so, I beseech Iesus Christ and God the father, to keepe vs on this solide foundation for euer and euer: and let euery one of you pray for the same, in the name of Iesus. To whom, with the Father and holy Spirit, be all praise and honour.

AMEN.