Lecture 12 · 2 Thessalonians 3:7–10

THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL, TO THE THESSALONIANS.

THIS last part of this Epistle, we shewe you, contained precepts and admonitions, concerning Christian life and conuersation. The first precept and admonition was, to pray; and that, for Paul and his fellow-labourers, Syluanus and Timotheus, who with him directed this Epistle to them. The next precept was generall, desiring them, to doe, and continue in euery thing, he had commaunded them. The thirde precepte was particulare, that they should take heede to their harts, and set them first on the loue of God, and secondly, vpon the patient hope and awaiting for the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ. The fourth precept concerneth societie and fellowship, and warnes them, to withdraw themselues from euery Christian, that keepes the name and walked inordinatly, that is, not according to the rule, he had set downe to them, to follow. In this precept, first, we haue the forme, how he propones it, the forme is graue, I denounce, sayes he, in the Name of the Lord, that ye withdrawe your selues. By this forme, he teaches vs, how hard it is, to seuere the best of vs all from evill company: for this remanent corruption, that abydes in the renewed men cleaues so fast to euil company, that oft-tymes it preuailes against the Spirit: so, that, men must be reauen, as it were, by force, from euill companie, they must be threatned with judgement ere they be content to leaue them. As to the matter, Withdraw, your selues from euery brother, that walketh inordinatly. There is no worse companie, then they, who keepes the name of Christians, and vnder the pretence thereof, vvill liue licentiouslie, idle, without a calling, busie bodies: a cursse and no blessing followes such men. And therefore, they, that hantes their companie, takes pleasure in it, and fosters them in their fantasie must be inuolued in that same judgement with them.

Now, to come to the text presently red. It containes morall preceptes, concerning maners. Therefore, we shall open it vp and gather such lessons, as shall be offred for our instruction. He turnes him to these idle bodies, of the which, appearandly there vvas a great number among the Thessalonians, as there is in this Cittie, and he willes them, to change their maners. The first argument, he vses, to moue them, is taken from his owne exemple, Ye your selues knovv, bovv ye ought to follovv vs: for, vve behaued not our selues inordinatly among you, &c. Ye who liues inordinatly, knowe, how it behoued you to followe me, as a light, that goeth before you, in lyfe and conuersation. Then he subsumes: I haue not liued out of rule, nor out of order. Therefore, learne to liue, as I haue liued you before you, not idle, but labouring for your liuing, as ye haue seene me doe, before you. Now, to gather some lessons, on this first argument. Mark, in the person of the Apostle, when a Pastor hes laid downe the rule of right liuing: the doctrine of the word of God, concerning an honest and godly life in this world, how soone he hes set downe this rule in the Pulpet, he is bound immediatly as soone as he commes out of it, to walke according to that rule, he hes layde down; to the end, that, he walking according to the rule, the people may followe him: For, for this cause, Heb. 13. 17. he is called aguyde (as he is called a Preacher) because in lyfe, he should guide the people the right way, according to the doctrine taught by him; and walking according to the rule of the world, he conciliats credite and authoritie to the word, and makes the hearers to beleue the word, he hes spoken, when they see him, in his person practise that word. And by the contrare, not walking according to the word, he hes preached, he does, that lyes in him, that no man credite him, and so, becommes guilty of the highest crime, that can be: for, the disgracing of the Gospell of Iesus Christ is the greatest sin, that, a man can commit; lease-majestie is a great sinne, yet it is nothing to this: for, this sin is lease-majestie, against God. So, ye may see what necessitie lyes on him, to liue well; otherwise, he shall beate downe more, with his euill life, nor he will be able to builde by his preaching: and so, he is a traitor, against Christ and his Gospell. Now, the cheefe care of Paul was to honour the Gospell, that it should get no disgrace; and therefore, he looked to be partaker of his owne Gospell: otherwise, if a man honor not the Gospell by his life, teach it as diligently and eloquently as he can, he shall not be partaker of the Gospell. This lesson rises on Pauls person; another rises vpon the part of the people, concerning them, that heares the preaching, and doctrin of Christ. What is their duetie? When they haue heard, and when they haue seene the Pastor walke directly according to the rule of doctrine set downe by him: then, there is a necessitie laide vpon them, to follovv his foot-steps, and walke, as he vvalkes. And more. The vvords lets vs see, that, their conscience telles them, that, necessitie is laid on them, that, seeing the Pastor vvalking before them, their conscience telles them, that, they should follovve: for, if thou follovve not, the first challenger, that shall challenge thee, shall be thy ovvne conscience, and it shall condemne thee, and if thou follovve, thou shalt haue the approbation of thy conscience: Iohn sayes, 1. Epist. chap. 3. verse 20. If thy conscience condemne thee, God is greater, nor thy hart and conscience, and he shall condemne thee, Ye knovv mens voices in this countrey and their opinions, vve are not all Ministers, vve are not therefore bound to vvalke so closlie by the rule, as ye, we may play vs here and there. It is true, indeed, the Minister should walk first, and should go before you, but, it is as true, there is a necessity lying vpon you, to follow him foote by foote: and certainly, if ye follow him not, damnation shall ensue, play thee and passe thy time, as thou pleasest.

Come to the next part of the argument. He sayes. I haue not behaued my self inordinatly among you: this is the assumption of the argument. His lyfe was among them, he past not out to a backside, out of the society of men and wemen, but, his life was among christian men and wemen, continually winning them to Christ, by the preaching of the Gospell. Brethren, we are bound to liue in a society among men and wemen, and not to go aside to Hermitages, and to liue in Monkes Closters, but, to liue among men, in the societie of men and Gods people: for, the lyfe of a good man, or, good vvoman vvill edifie that spirituall building, asvvell, as the vvord vvill edifie: and euerie one of vs is oblist to edifie another, by our lyfe, asvvell, as by our vvord. Peter 1. Epist. chap. 3. verse 1. exhorting vvyues to be obedient to their Husbands, sayes, They lucrifie soules vnto Christs, by their lyues, vvithout any speach. A vvoman vvill vvinne soules, by her life, albeit she speake not one vvord. Therefore, brethre, seeing there is such force in the lyfe, either to builde, or, cast dovvne, take the admonition, that, Paul giues both in the Epistle giuento the Ephesians chap. 5. verse 15. and also, to the Coloss. 4. 1. Walke circumspectly, lift not one foote, but know well, where thou setst it downe, vvalke vvisely: for, be assured, as thou liuest, others will liue and follow thee; if thou liuest vvell, others will followe thee, and if thou walkest wickedly, thou also wilt get followers: and if thou be a stumbling-block, wo is thee. O, wo is him, that is a slanderer with his euil life; it wer better, that, a mil-stone wer hāgd about his neck, and, that, he wer casten in the sey, nor to be an occasion of stumbling. Therefore, we should be carefull, not onely for our selues, to liue godly, but, for others also: for, othevvise, if, through our occasion and ensample, others walke inordinatly, their bloud shall be craued at our hands.

I go forvvard to the verse following. He proues, that, he vvalked not inordinatly, and he takes his argument from the maner of the eating of his meate. When I vvas among you, the breade that I eate, it not for noght, but, I wrought for it: and how? With great painfulnesse. And when? not in the day onely, but, in the night also: and with what instruments? Euen, with my ovvn hands, besides my preaching. The end of all, was, that I should not be greuous and chargeable, to any man. Now, of Pauls working, read Acts 18. 3. He was a tent-maker, and besides the teaching of the Gospel, he vsed his handy-labour. But, I come to the purpose, ye will see if a man walks ordinatly, or, inordinatly; the eating of their meate will showe it; for, Paul taks his argument from his eating. If he liues and eats his meate by his worke, he liues in rule and keeps a good order; but, when he steps to his meate and hes not done a good turne for it, he is out of rule: men commonly thinks, if they get meate, they care not how they eate it. This is a great sinne: and oft-tymes an idle knaue vvill thinke that meate svveetest, that hes cost him least trauaile. But, marke, the end shall proue, there was neuer meat so deare boght, as that, that is gotten without labour, and in end, it shall proue the sowrest meate, that euer thou tasted: for, vvhat, trovv ye, be the pryce of this meate, how is it boght? no man should eate, but, that, that is boght, but, what is the price of it? He hes a pursse full of siluer, Hes he payde the just pryce, for it? No, there is no true price for meate, but, the price of labour and vvorking. Labour and eate; othervvise, if thou shouldest die for hunger, thou hast no right to eate. Alas, if men vnderstood the trueth, concerning this thing. More, note, here, two fashions of eating. One there is, by working and that hes the blessing of God with it. There is another sort of eating for noght, eating gratis. If thou workest not, thou eatst for nothing. Compare these together. The one is lawfull and thou may eate, with Gods blessing. The other, when thou hast beene an idle vagabound, and hes done no good, and yet, stops to thy dinner, and framples vp other mens trauels, that is vnlawfull eating: for, the Lord sayes to thee, that is an idle bodie, touch not, nor handle not, Is there any exception of persons? No, no, there is not a Monarch can eate his meate lawfully in a good conscience, except, in his calling, he doe the turne, the Lord hes put in his hands, except he haue laboured for it, in his owne calling. Yet, marke the words. There is a giuing and a receiuing: for, he sayes. I haue not eaten the bread giuen by any man: Therefore, the Apostle thought it not eneugh, to eate, because it was giuen him liberally, except, ere he eate, first, he had laboured for it. Looke how men countes of this doing: He thinkes, if a man giue him meate willingly, he may lawfully eate of it. No, it is vanitie, except with the gift there be labour. There is nothing vnder Heauen, that, will make a right to thee to eate, except laboring in thy owne calling goe before: for, measure not the way of life by thy owne conceit, but, by the will and word of God, and as he bids thee liue, liue; otherwise, woe to thy life.

But, now, looke how he aggrearges his working. He wrought and that, with labour and trauell he wearied and pained himself, that is one circumstance; looke to the tyme, all tymes were alike, he wrought by night and by day. Looke the instrumentes: He wroght with his owne hands, he put his owne hand to labour. This is a marueilous thing, if ye knew what Paul was; He was a gentle-man. Our gentle-men thinkes much to file their handes: God forbid, that, my Lords son, and the Lairds son file his hands with worke: Paul was a Citizen in Rome, a man greatly accounted of, he was a Pharisie, he had many worldly prerogatiues, and yet, he puts his hand to worke. It is a shame, to see so many idle vagabounds, they wil pretend their nobilitie, and they thinke shame to labour, because they are gentlemen, yet, I say, the cursse of God followes euer vpon such. Alwayes, the lesson is, there is such a necessitie of working laide on euerie one, for their liuing, that, nothing can exeeme vs. There is nothing can exeeme thee from labour, no, not thy bloud and kinred, if thou wert a kings sonne, all thy lands and rents will not exeeme thee; the painfulnesse of thy labour will not exeeme thee: No, no time will exeeme thee, when the Lord enters in count. If thou cannot win thy liuing in the day, then, worke in the night, no sort of worke will exeeme thee. He will say, I cannot put my hand to such a worke: No, put thy hand to the pleugh, and lead muck creeles, and goe to the vylest exercise, that is, rather, ere thou win not thy liuing by worke. Well is the man, that winnes his liuing by the sweate of his browes, and woe to them, that liues on other mens labors.

Now, to come to the end, why he did this. He sayes, he labored night and day, to the end, he should not be chargeable to any man. I draw out the generall of this. It is requisite, in a christian man, that, he be as little chargeable to others, as can be possible. Art thou a christian man? striue, that, thou be not chargeable to others: Is he debt-bound any way? yet, sayes Paul, spare him. Burdene thy father and mother at little, as thou may: many knaues will not care, what they waist of their fathers goods. The Thessalonians were much addebted to Paul, and yet, he spends very little of their goods, he is as little chargeable to them, as he could. Now, the way to free them of this burdene, is, to worke. If thou be idle, thou must be a burdene: for, an idle man is a burdene laid to others, that labors. Paul Ephes 4, 28. sayes, Let him that stole, steale no more now, when he is a christian: Brethren, he that hes sinned, let him sinne no more. But, what should he doe? let him labour. There is the remedie: If thou labor not, thou must be a thiefe, and a throt-cutter. And how shall be labor? If he cannot get a liberall and honest calling, let him labour with his owne hand, and doe that, that is good. To what end? That he may haue to impart to other, that cannot worke. So, let him not labor for himselfe onely, but, for others. And so, we should not labour, onely that we be not burdensome to others, but, also, that we may be helpfull to others: for, we are not borne for our selues onely, he giues vs not hands and feet, and the rest of our members for our selues onely, but, for our neighbours also: yea, he giues vs not an hart, to loue our selues onely, but also, to loue our neighbour. All thy working, if it be in respect of thy self, if thou hast no respect to thy poore brother, thou shalt get no reward at all, for it.

Now, I come to the verse following. The Thessalonians might haue said, Then, thou hast no right, to craue ought of vs, for thy preaching? saiest thou not, thou laborest, to get thy ovvn liuing? He answers, no, I haue just right, to tak for my preaching, I writ not this, as if I had no authority: but, this I haue done, when I might haue tane of you, yet, I tooke not, to learne you to labour, and to shame them, that are among you, idle bodies, that vvorkes not, for their liuing. Novv, yee see, heere, in the persons of the Thessalonians, hovv readie men are, and hes beene at all tymes to thinke, that, a Minister of the vvord hes no right, to these temporall things, as to eate, to drink, 1. Cor. 9. 4. to mary a vvife, to take a stipende. Any man hes a good right to all these thinges, but a Minister, they inuy, that, Minister should get so much, as this common aire. They come forward: from thinking and speaking, they come to doing. Scotland proues this euidently eneugh, by violence, by cauillation of lavves, by one vvay, or, other, they wil reaue these temporall things from them, that the Lord hes set in his seruice: a minister hes no right to personage, nor, vicarage, nor, teindes. What hes the Minister adoe vvith them? they haue no right to them? Hes not my Lord, or, the laird, or, vvhat he is, a Charter of them? But, Paul sayes, if any man hes right, I haue right: And I say, a Minister hes as good right to these things, as any Earle, lord, laird, or, vvhat euer man he be hes to his heritage: but, the ground of this is, men knovves not, what, life is, what the kingdome of Heauen is, albeit they will prattle much of it. Now, this ministrie is the ministrie of the Spirit, and of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ: And therefore, all vvordes of these things are but vvinde, to them; and they thinke, a man, that traueiles in this calling is but an idle man, they count of no exercise, but, that, that is in these earthly thinges. O Lord, that heauy count that shall be in that glorious appearance of Iesus Christ, in that terrible day! Then, this reafe and violence shall appeare to be reafe and violence indeed: Then, no vvordes, no cullour of Lavve shall be an excuse to thee. More, yet, on Pauls parte, marke hovv readie, good men should be, vvhether they be Ministers, or, others, to giue ouer their rightes, vvhich they may most justlie challenge. Paul gaue ouer his right, hovvbeit he might haue taken a stipende: Yet, least it should seeme to common people, that, Ministers had no right, or, title to take by their labours, he meetes it and vvill not prejudge the right of the ministrie, that should follovve, but, he telles, he had authoritie, to take. Thou mayest, vpon good occasions leaue thy right some-tymes, but, looke, it be not to the hurt of thy brother, looke thou impare not his right, by giuing ouer thy right, othervvise, thou hast no sinceritie in thy doing; for, if thou hurt him, there is no sinceritie in thee.

Novv, in the end of the verse, he telles the cause, vvherefore he gaue ouer his right. To be an ensample, sayes he, to you, to follovve vs. Brethren, the thing, that, the Lord craues of euerie one of vs, is, that, vve stand vp, to be a good ensample to others: euerie one is bound to this duetie: for, vve are not borne to our selues onely, and it is hard, to vvinne to this, and before a man attaine to this, he must suffer many thinges, he must suffer many injuries and vvronges, he must passe from his right oft-tymes, and that, that he hes just title to, he must let it goe. So, vve, that vve may be ensamples of vvell doing, must suffer many thinges, and doe many thinges. Ye see a meane heere set dovvne, to moue idle bodies, to labour, it is set dovvne in Pauls doing. Paul needed not to vvorke, onely preaching might haue done his turne, but, to moue idle men there among the Thessalonians, to vvorke, he vvould vvorke. So, the lesson is, It is requisite, that, euen, honest men, that hes no necessitie to put their ovvne hands to vvorke, put to their handes to vvorke, to moue seruants, men and vvemen, that hes no other moyen to liue by, but, by vvorking, to doe their duetie. As, for ensample. A master of an house, vvho hes such seruants, as vvill not put their hands to vvorke, let him go before his seruants in vvorke, that thereby they may be ashamed.

Now, to come to the last verse. He sets dovvne another argument, to moue these idle Thessalonians to vvorke. The argument going before vvas gentle, tane from his ovvne ensample, but, this argument is straite, forbidding all, that vvill not vvorke to eate. He that vvill not vvorke, let him not eate. Workst thou not? Paul inhibits thee to eat. This leanes on a grueat equitie. What, trow ye, eating be? God hes ordeined it to be the rewarde of labour and working. Thou getst thy dinner, thy supper, meate and drinke, as a rewarde of thy worke, thou hast no other allowance of dinner, nor supper, but as a rewarde of thy worke. Then must it not followe, he workes not; therefore, he must not eate. O, ye will say, that is very strait, if men and wemen eat not, they will die? But, I say, die as they will, the Lord vouchafes not a nip on them, except they worke. Yet, notwithstanding of this, great number of men gets meate and liues, albeit they worke not, as, in Edinburgh this day, and Scotland, ye know, is full of such folke, that neuer puts their hand to worke, and yet, they eate. Yet, I shal tell you their estate: Let not an idle man thinke, he is well, when he eates and workes not; for, the curse of God is lying vpon him, a miserable estate. Would to God, that, men would weigh this, that, the curse of God is on these men, and al is accursed to them, their cloathes, their bed, and all, they haue. For, if this be true, that, the blessing of God is on the labourer, Psal. 128. 2. Prou. 10. 4. and vpon him, that eates the frutes of his labours, it must follow, that, he that eats, when he labours not, the cursse of God is on him. So, idle bodies haue no matter of vaunting and rejoycing when they eate; and they who wins their liuing with the sweate of their browes hes the blessing of God with them. Indeed, his blessing is not seene by thee now, and ye cannot distinguish now a blessing from a curssing. Ye see, here, oft-times it is aswell with the idle bodie, as with the bodie, that workes; for, Gods blessing and curse is not well seene here by men, but, in that day it shal be showen euidently, and this labour is a meane to bring vs to that lyfe, that Christ, by his bloud, hes bought to vs. The rewarde of a seruant, that labours faithfully, and that beleues in Iesus Christ, shall be glorie Ephes. 6. 8, Now, as this inhibition concernes Idle bodies, that they eate not, so, it concernes them, that labours, that they foster nor idlenesse in any bodie; for, that is to foster them in sinne. No, if thou would doe an idle bodie any good, bound him to worke: wilt thou giue a vagabound leaue to clatter from morne till night and then, giue him meate, thou fosters and enterteines him in sinne: beware of such helpe, for, when thou thinkst, thou helpst and pleasure him, thou art procuring a iudgment to him. The Lord giue vs grace to helpe all creatures out of that damnable estate, whereinto they are, by our ensample, that thereafter both we and they may striue to honour God in our callinges, vntill we come to Christ, the Author and finisher of our faith; who according as our faith and beleefe is in him, does recompence to euerie one of vs; that, through him, the just may be saued and the reprobate condemned. And therefore, to him with the Father and holie Spirit be all honour, praise and glorie for euer.

AMEN.