Lectures Upon the Epistles to the Thessalonians, Part 1 · Lecture 8
THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPONUPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS.
1. THESSA. CHAP. 2. verſ. 15. 16.
15 Who both killed the Lord Ieſus and their ovvne Prophets, and hauehave perſecuted vsus, and God they pleaſe not, and are contrary to all mē.
16 And forbid vsus to preach vntounto the Gentiles, that they might be ſaued, to fulfil their ſinnes alvvaies: for the vvrath of God is come on them, to the vtmoſt.
IN this rejoyſing of the Apoſtle Paull together with the Theſſalonians, for the graces of God that were beſtowed vponupon them, ye hauehave heard brethren. the Apoſt. thanked God inſtantlie for that meeting he founde in them when he preached to to them, exhorted, comforted & beſought them to walke as worthie of that God that had called them to his kingdome and glorie. Their meeting was: they heard him, and not onelie they heard him, but they receiued the thing they heard, and not onelie receiued it, but in heart embraced it and laide it vp as a treaſure and the ſeede of life and immortalitie: they imbraced it, not as the word of man, but as the word of God, as it is indeede: and not onelie imbraced they it as the word of God but in life and conuerſation vttered it: it was effectual in their life He proued this, becauſe they were followers of the Church in Iudea, conuerted to Ieſus Chriſt. The ſpeciall thing wherein they followed them was, that euen as theſe Churches were troubled by their owne Countrie the Iewes: euen ſo they that were conuerted at Theſſalonica were troubled, not by forrainers but by their o…ne Citizens.
Not to repeat any thing we ſpak the laſt day, but to go to the text red. In this text the Apoſtle hauing ſpoken of theſe Iewes malicious and obſtinate doing, wherby they euer impeaded the progreſſe of the Goſpell of Chriſt and hindered mans ſaluation, ſcattring themſelues among the Gentiles, throgh al the …mane Prouinces: and when anie of the Apoſtles came, ſtirring vp inſurrection, and not ſuffring the Goſpell to hauehave place, ſo farre as they might ſtop it. Therefore he digreſſes heere and agg…eages the ſinne of theſe malicious Iewes, making vp a dittay againſt them, and therafter he giues out the doome, and pronounces the ſentence of wraith and condemnation againſt them. And therefore to returne, and to oppen vp euerie ſentence. They hauehave ſlaine, ſayes he, the Lord Ieſus. There is the firſt point of their dittay. Theſe men the Iewes, that trouble the Church of Chriſt in Iudea, are they that hauehave ſlaine the Lord Ieſus himſelf. They hauehave in their extreame perſecution ſlaine and crucified to the death the Lord of glory. 1. Cor. 2. 8. That is, they hauehave diſpatched him, not after a common manner, but after a moſt cruell and ſhamefull manner, by a cruell, ſore and ſhamefull death. Whom hauehave they ſlaine? the Lord of glorie: and honourable perſonage, all the glorie of God, is, & dwels in him as it wer. Who is this by name? It is Ieſus, the Sauior of the world: euerie word aggreages their fault. There is the firſt point of their dittay. The firſt crime laid to their charge, is the crucifying of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, this is the thing he begins at: there are mo pointes of dittay laid againſt them, but he beginnes at this, the perſecution of the Lord himſelf▪ Perſecution beginnes not at the bodie, nor at the members of the bodie,Perſecution begins at the head of the Church. nor at the ſeruants; but it beginnes at the head, the Lord Ieſus him ſelfe, if not in action & in deede, yet in intention; in the malice and hatred of the heart. The Prophetes in deede were ſlaine and perſecuted in action, and died before the Lorde Ieſus came in the world: but theſe ſame men that ſlew the Prophets with their hand, ere they ſlew the Prophets they ſlew the Lord of the Prophets, the Lord Ieſus in their hearts: becauſe that all the Prophets that were ſlaine were his ſeruants ſent before him that was to come.
Now to come forward. The ſecond thing is, They ſlevv the Lord Ieſus, they ſlew the Lord of glorie, that in his ſlaughter, ſo farre as in them lyes, the worlde ſhould be ſlaine: for they that vvoulde ſlay Ieſus vvould ſlay all men, ſo farre as lyes in them, and they ſlay him after a moſt cruell and ſhamefull manner.The greater grace the greater the perſecution. Brethren, this is the ingyne and nature of perſecutors: the worthier the perſonage be who is perſecuted, the greater grace of God be in him, the greater glorie and innocencie be in him, the greater will be the extremitie of their perſecution. None of the Prophets of olde were ſo extremelie perſecuted as the Lord Ieſus was; neither yet the Apoſtles that followed him were ſo perſecuted as he was: and all becauſe of the greatneſſe of the glorie of his perſonage. If ye will ſearch the grounde of this, it muſt, no queſtion, come of great blindnes, for if men ſavv vvell the grace and the glorie of God that is in the perſones of them that are perſecuted, for all the vvorlde they durſt not perſecute them. And therefore he ſayes in the 1. Corinth. 2. chap. 8. verſe, If they had knovvne they had not crucified the Lord of glorie. No if the glorie of the Church were ſeene, vvicked men durſt not ſtirre her. There is yet a greater and an higher ground; The malice of the heart comes in and blindes and putteth out the eye of the minde, Eph. 4. 18. Throgh ignorance ſayes Paul, that comes through the hardnes of the heart, for this is the nature of the hardnes of the heart to hate the light and to delite in darknes, which is enemie to the light of God: All our pleaſure is in darknes by nature, and ſo it is caried againſt the light, and the firſt thing it does it puts out the light of the minde yea euen the very natural light, and ſo when the heart is blinded it caries him againſt all light, and chieflie againſt the light of God and the Lorde of light him ſelfe. And this is the vvorke of this fa…e nature of man ſo highlie accounted of by the Philoſophers. Seeke therefore to ſhutte out of thy heart this maliciouſnes that blindes it, or elſe thou ſhalt be blind folde throvvne down to hell.
The thride thing to be marked heere is. When he is laying out this perſecution before the Theſſalonians he is comforting thē that wer afflicted. HaueHave they not ſlain your Lord? &c. what vvounder is it hovvbeit they perſecute you? Brethren, all the affliction is not layde vponupon one man, hovvbeit he get his burdene heauie enough.Comfort through Chriſtes perſecutiō The Lord hes meaſured to euerie one his owne part: and he vvho is afflicted ſhould looke ouer his ſhulder and ſee who hes beene afflicted before him, and ſcarcelie ſhall he ſee a godlie man but vvith his burdene on his backe, all is not laid on him alone. But aboue all let the perſone that is afflicted firſt ſet his eye on the Lord Ieſus. Let him looke ouer to Golgotha vvhere Chriſt is hanging on the Croſſe, and in Chriſt let him looke to tvvo thinges: firſt to the glorie & worthineſſe of that perſonage who ſufferes: next, to the extremitie and ignominie of that paſſion: looke to theſe two things in him, and then looke down to thy ſelfe, and looke what thou art firſt, not a Lord, if thou were a King, but a ſeruant (all the Kings on the earth are but ſeruants in reſpect of him:) then go to the affliction thou ſuffers, and thou ſhalt finde thou ſuffers not the thowſand part of the affliction he ſuffred for thee, there is great inequalitie betweene thee and him, and then beginne to reaſon. The ſeruant is not greater nor his Lord, the diſciple is not greater nor his Maiſter. The Lord Ieſus is my Lord I am not but a ſeruant: yet the Lord Ieſus my Lord ſuffers and in ſuch great extremity; then may I not be content to ſuffer the thouſand part of his ſuffering? Of this comes contentment of heart, and patience to ſuffer for the Lord. For except thy eye be ſet vponupon that perſonage of Ieſus Chriſt, it is not poſſible for thee to ſuffer with joy the ſimpleſt croſſe that is for the Lords ſake.
The next point of their dittay, they hauehave ſlaine their ovvn Prophets. Perſecution of the Prophets.This they did ere they ſlevv the Lord; albeit it be ſet in the ſecond rovv…e. They hauehave ſlaine: vvhom? Prophetes, vvorthie men. Whoſe Prophets? not ſtrangers, but men of then own nation, Iewes as they vvere, their ovvne Prophets ſent by God to them, to teach and prophecie to them, to bring them to the way of life: yet they hauehave runne vponupon them, and hauehave ſlaine them, all aggreages their fact. Ye vvill aske, vvas theſe Ievves that ſlevv the Prophets the ſame that ſlevv the Lord Ieſus, they wer not in the Prophets dayes, they came long after? I anſwer, he vnderſtands the whole bodie of that people, fathers and children, which makes vp a bodie. The fathers ſlew the Prophets, Therfore Steuen. ſayes Act. 7. 52. Which of them is he vvhom your fathers hauehave not perſecuted? Then he comes to the children: & as for you that are children, ye hauehave betrayed and ſlaine the iuſt one. This is it that Chriſt ſayes in the 23. chap. of Matt. verſ. 32. Ful … out that or follow out that, that your fathers hauehave left vndone ſlay me and my Apoſtles. Yet there may be an other anſwere made to this. It may be that he will lay to the charge of them that ſlew the Lord Ieſus, the ſlaughter of the Prophets, as though they had ſlaine them with their owne hands.Poſteritie guilty through their fathers. For ye muſt vnderſtand that the children that come after their Fathers, are inuolued in the whole guiltineſſe that their fathers were in before them. Was he a murtherer? thou art guiltie of murther: were thy Grandfather and his father murtherers? thou art inuolued in the ſame guiltineſſe: and except thou by grace be tranſplanted out of the rotten ſtock of thy fore-fathers in Ieſus, thou ſhalt die for that murther of thy fathers. All the ſinnes of thy progenitors ſhalbe hung about thy neck if thou be not exeemed and …lanted in Ieſus Chriſt. Yea that ſinne of Adam for eating of the frute ſhall be laid to thy charge, and thou ſhalt pay for it, if thou be not tranſplanted out of rotten Adam, and ingraft in Ieſus Chriſt, the ſecond Adam. Rom. 5. 14. Not onelie is this naturall corruption drawen to children throgh propagation, but the children are inuolued in the guiltineſſe of the verie action of the progenitours. All ſerues to this; to make fathers to be waie and to take head to their actions, that they ſlay not themſelues allone, but the multitude of their poſteritie, as Adam ſlew vsus all. Yet there is an other ground and anſwere to this. Theſe Iewes that ſlew the Lord Ieſus, are counted to hauehave ſlaine the Prophets before them. The ground and cauſe is this (I would that all murthereis did heare this:) Slayeſt thou an innocent man ſuch as Abel? the whole innocent bloud that was ſhed ſince the beginning lights vponupon thee, thou art guiltie of it. And therefore Chriſt Matt. 23. 36. layes to the Ievves charge the whole innocent bloud ſhedde ſince Abell vntounto Zacharias that vvas ſlaine betweene the temple and the altar. Therfore murtherer take head, thou ſhalt drowne in bloud, for by thy act thou giueſt approbauen to al thoſe murtherers that were from the beginning. Thou makeſt it a paſtime to dip thy hand in innocent bloud: but wo to thee if thou be not waſhed in the bloud of chriſt. This for the anſwer to the queſtion. Now marke, brethren. When he ſpeakes of the ſlaughter of the Lord Ieſus committed by theſe Iewes, he forgets not the old Prophets: and with the Lords he joines his ſeruants, neither forgets he the Apoſtles,Both the perſecution & the perſecutors are recent in Gods memorie. and vsus alſo hauehave they perſecuted: al are put in one catalogue, the olde Prophetes, the Lord Ieſus, the Apoſtles and Martyres that were ſlaine. And who doeth this? It is not ſo much Paul as the holie Spirite that doth it: which is a token that all the martyrdomes that hauehave bene, is, and to be; was not, is not, nor ſhal not be forgot of the Lord: they are all in recent memorie. And ſuppoſe there were not a booke of Martyres vvritten in the earth, yet there is a booke in Heauen written, and all the Martyres from the beginning are regiſtrate in it: and that book ſhall be laid oppen before man & Angels: ye ſhall ſee them, not in pictures but in face. And again, he remembers the Iewes who did it: ſo as there is a booke of Martyres in heauen, ſo is there a booke of perſecuters, wherein all their names are written, and in that great day the booke ſhall be laide oppen, and ſhall be preſented to their eyes, to their rebuke, ſhame and eternall confuſion. So the Lord hes all in remembrance, the Lord hes a recent memorie: a thouſand yeeres are but like a day to him, and a day as a thouſand yeeres: albeit we will forget all, yet all is recent in his memorie. And this is verie comfortable to the afflicted, and it is terrible to the perſecutors. Woe is that man that hath not his ſinnes forgote and pardoned of the Lord. There is not one teare of the ſufferer but it is put vp in his bottle. This for the ſecond point of their dittay.
Let vsus novve come to the third point. The Iewes vvere not content with the ſlaying of the Prophetes and of the Lord Ieſus himſelf, but when he is away they perſecute his Apoſtles. A wonderful thing that this people can not hold vp their hand: the fathers ſlay the Prophets, the children ſlay the Lord, & then the Apoſtles. Ere I goe forvvard marke this: iniquitie, in…ietie & vngodlines, when once it enters in anie familie or clan, in any race of men in the vvorld, howe hard a thing it is to get it out againe. Oft times when the fathers begin with it, it followes on ſo vponupon the whole race of them, that it makes an end of them and their race both Beginneſt thou that art a father? thy ſonne and thy vvhole poſteritie vvill follow, while in end the judgement of God light and deſtroy all together. Is the father a murtherer and ſlew he one? the ſonne will double it: and ſo forth of other vices: and then the Lord throwes dovvne the houſe and cuttes off all the generation. And the Lord did ſo vvith theſe Ievves, It is ſaid in the ſecond command, that the Lord viſites the th…d & fourth generation of them that hate him. What is the gro…nde of this? becauſe the iniquitie of the fathers is driuen to the children to the thrid and fourth generation. Therefore the vengeance of God lights on all. Ye fathers therefore take head to your ſelues, and purge you frō iniquitie: for if ye be careleſſe of your ſelues, the vengeance of God ſhall be on you and your children both. The example of the Iewes might be a ſpectacle to al the world; the verie iniquitie proceeding from the fathers to the ſonnes, till all were cutted off, might nowe ſuffice to exhort all fathers to leaue ſinne, as they woulde not be deſtroyed and their vvhole race after them. Marke an other thing heere. There is nothing that can not content this people: there is no kinde of meſſage that can pleaſe them. Firſt the Lord ſends Prophets to them: then he ſ…ids his Sonne (as it is ſaid in the parable) that they might reuerence him Matt. 21. 37. Laſt he ſends the Apoſtles his ſeruants, and they are as rigorous againſt them, as they could: ſo no ſort of meſſage could content them. … Act. 7. 51. layes downe the ground of this.Perſecuters malice euer againſt the light of the ſpirite. … So there is the ground: becauſe all come with the light of the holie Spirite, therefore they perſecuted all. The malice of a perſecuter, is euer againſt the light of the Spirite of God. So let euerie man be ſure, ſo long as the Spirite of light is, there muſt euer be perſecution. Had I an other man (will the prophaine man ſay) I would heare him. No, if thou haſt this hatred of the light of the ſpirite in thy heart, if Paul ſhould come and preach thou vvouldſt perſecute him: yea if Chriſt him ſelfe ſhould come in proper perſon, thou wouldſt perſecute him: take therefore head not ſo much to the preacher as to thine owne heart: if thou haſt the louelove of the light, the preacher can not be diſliked by thee, and by the contrair if thou haſt not the louelove of the light, thou wilt perſecute all that come to thee. This for the thrid point of their dittay.
Now comes on the fourth part of their dittay. God …hey pleaſe …. This followes the other three. The ſlaying of the Lord: the ſlaying of his Prophets, and the perſecuting of his Apoſtles. They that ſlew the Lord, and his Prophetes, and perſecuted the Apoſtles: How could they pleaſe God that was the ſender of them? And ſo in theſe wordes he takes off the couer of their faces. For theſe malicious Iewes when they were doing all this euill, they boaſted of themſelues they pleaſed God, & they wer his people ſaying. We are the Church and all theſe are enemies to God. Paul pulles off this couer, and he ſhowes that they in doing of this, were nothing but enemies to God Ye knowe in theſe dayes men will come in and ſay, It is we that are the true Church, it is we who are ſeruing God aright and in the meane tyme they will be perſecuting burning …ormenting the children of God? But what are they? will ye hauehave them deciphered? they are enemies to God: the Pope is the Antichriſt, and this ſhall be ratified in that great day. But to let them alone there are many amongſt our ſelues, who will ay be doing euill, and are enemies to God: for thou that art an enemie to his ſeruants, thou pleaſes not God: for heere is a ground, There is no glorifying of the Lord, but in his miniſtrie. Contemne thou this miniſtrie by little and little in end thou ſhalt be an enemie to God, if thou hadſt ſworne the contrair. If thou ſeuere the glorie of God and this miniſtrie, and be a contemner of it, thou ſhalt neuer be glorified of God. Ye hauehave heard foure pointes of their dittay.
Now to come to the fift. They are contrai… to all men; Iew and Gentile. This is a conſequent of the firſt three: ſlayers of the Lord, and of his Prophets, perſecuters of the Apoſtles & paſtors, they are enemies to the ſaluation of all mankinde: … what they wil; enemies to the ſeruants of God, to the miniſtrie … which ſaluation is wrought, and without it thou ſhalt neuer obtaine ſaluation, nor ſee the face of God) they are enemies to all mankindes ſaluation.
Come to the laſt point of their dittay. They forbid vsus to ſpeak to the Gentiles: they are enemies to the ſaluation of the Gentiles that by our miniſtrie ſhoulde be wonne to God and to his Church: the porple-wall is broken down that did hold out the Gentiles before, yet they wil hold thē out of the fold. There are ſundrie ſortes of Iewes that hindered the ſaluation of men: there is one ſort of them that vvould not ſuffer Chriſt to be preached to the Gentiles at all, but euer raiſed vp ſedition to impead that vvorke. Of theſe ye may read in the 13. of the Acts. There was another ſort of the Iewes that ſuffered the Goſpel to be preached to the Gentiles, but added to it circumciſion and the law of Moſes: of whom read Act. 15. The firſt ſort is worſt. Now the Apoſtle heere meanes chieflie of this firſt ſort; who, as the Lord himſelfe ſayes, vvould neither enter them ſelues into the kingdome of heauē, nor ſuffer others to enter. For this is a ſure thing, euen as a man that hes gotten his own heart enlightned by the louelove of the trueth, would hauehave that light to be imparted to all the world and wiſhes from his heart that all were partakers of it, as Paul wiſhed to Agrippa. and the reſt that heard him, that they were lyke vntounto him ſauing his bondes. Acts 26. 29. Well had they bene, thogh they had bene chainde, to hauehave had the light of Ieſus: yet he puts to theſe wordes, for reuerence cauſe ſauing theſe bandes.) Euen ſo, a man who hes the hatred of the trueth and light, he would hauehave all the world blinded as he is, he woulde hauehave all mouthes cloſed as his mouth is cloſed, that neuer man ſhould name Chriſt to the world: He would hauehave all eyes put out, that neuer a man might ſee one jote. In a word he that is in Heauen tranſlated out of this darkneſſe of nature, he woulde hauehave all in Heauen with him. And by the contrair: He that is yet in darkneſſe, and ſo in Hell, he would hauehave all with him. So looke what condition the man is of he would hauehave all lyke to him. Therefore I will neuer thinke well of men that impeades the progreſſe of the Goſpell of Chriſt: they argue what is within them: for were this louelove of the light within their hearts, for all this worlde would they not hinder the progreſſe of the Goſpel Alas, ye ſhall finde this ouer true in the end: woe, woe, to them that hinders the planting of the Goſpell. Alas, if there were this louelove of the light in their hearts, there would not be ſo many churches vnplanted, & ſo many ſoules fuffred to periſhe.
Now I draw to an end. When he hes ſet down theſe ſix points of their dittay, whereof the leaſt is worthie damnation: for what judgement muſt light on the ſlayers of the Lord, of the Prophets and Apoſtles? He ſets down the end of all, that euer they ſhould I fill out their ſinnes. As though he ſaid, they are euer exerciſed this vvay to this end that the meaſure of their ſins ſhould be filled out▪ and then the judgement ſhould ouertake them, This is the end of the counſell of God. They had an other end. But to make this plaine.all things fall out to man by meaſure vvhole the fulnes come. All thinges that fall as it vvere out of Heauen out of the counſell of God vponupon men▪ fall in a meaſure, and in a quantitie. The grace of God in Ieſus Chriſt is giuon in a meaſure to euerie one. Epheſ… 4. 7. The afflictions of the godlie is giuen in a meaſure, and peece and peece this meaſure is filled out, vntill it come to the heape, and then the affliction ſhall ceaſe. The filling of them did begin at the creation, and Abell felt them firſt, and euer ſince the meaſure of them hes beene increſſing vntill it came to Ieſus; and he tooke an heauier vveight of affliction vponupon him nor euer was before him. Yet the meaſure of the afflictions of the Church is not filled out. In comes the Apoſtles and they get their part: after them comes the Paſtores, and they get their part: and enerie perſone that is in Chriſt gets his part, and ſo euerie one hes his ovvne burdene. So long as the world ſhall ſtand this meaſure ſhall be in filling out: when it ſhall be full the world ſhall fail, and the pillers of it ſhall be cutted, and an end ſhall be put to all teares. Reuel. 21. 4. This meaſure is long in filling. It did begin ſoone, it muſt be … out, ſayes …. 1. Epiſt. 5. 9. So euerie one hes his owne part. Likewiſe, ſome goe by a meaſure and ſince the beginning this meaſure hes beene in filling: euerie age hes caſten to their their owne part. It is not one age that hath …lled vp the meaſure of ſinne; but euerie generation hes caſten to the ovvne part to fill vp ſinne: and in this age euerie one is bearing their arme-fall and burdene of ſinne: he vvith murther, the with harlotrie, and he with oppreſſion and perſecution, and he comes in with blaſphemie: yet the cup is not full, and the meaſure of ſinne ſhall not be filled vp ſo long as the worlde doeth ſtand. When the father dies, the ſonne will liue to fill out this meaſure: he makes his teſtament, yet the ſin is not filled vp, but the thing he could not doe himſelfe, he bids his ſonne do it, and he will ſay to his ſonne: Sonne I could not get this man ſlaine, nor this euill deed nor that euill deed ouertaken, if I had liued, I ſhould hauehave done this or that: doe thou therefore that I coulde not do. So doe the Iewes, and therefore the Lord ſayes, Fill out the meaſure of your fathers ſinnes, Matt. 23. 32. Now when this meaſure is full, the vvorld ſhall take an end and all ſhall fall down, but vvoe is the ſinner, and vvell is the godlie: for the ſinner ſhall be deſtroyed for euer, and the afflicted bodie ſhall finde ſaluation. Take head. There are none that knovve when this meaſure ſhall be filled out, but he who in his vnſearchable counſell hes appointed this meaſure of ſinne, that is God: I know it not, thou knovveſt it not, and therefore it is ouer preſiumptuous a thing, when thou ſeeſt a man i… ſin to ſay, this man hath filled the meaſure of ſinne: for it may be the Lord will let him hue to commit greater ſinne. And in deed it is a vvonder to conſider the patience of God in ſuffering of ſinne, and ſo it is called the ri…hes of the …enignitie of God. Rom. 2. 4. And this ſhould learne vsus patience to ſit ſtill and abyde Gods leaſure, and glorifie him. Farther this vvould be marked heere: there are ſundrie meaſures of ſinne: one of all the wicked that euer vvas, is, or ſhall be to the end: an other is of any certaine nation or countie, as of the Ievves heere: the thrid is of the particulare perſone vvhereof Paul ſpeakes. Act. 3. 10. And in lyke manner vve may conſider the ſame meaſure of grace. There is now the dittay.
Will ye heare the doome? the vvrath of God is come on them to the vtmoſt. As he would ſay the vvrath of God ouertooke them long ſince. It holdes on, and ſhall holde on. vntill it bring them to a miſerable end. There is the doome and judgement. It is ſet dovvne as a cauſe of the filling vp of their ſinne,Proportiō betvvene vvraith & ſinne. becauſe the wrath of God leaues them not. When once Gods wrath begins to light on a bodie, that bodie will neuer doe a good turne, but ſinne on ſtill, vntill in end the vvrath light on him and bea…e …ut all his b…aines. And againe, when once God beginnes to looke on a creature vvith a fauourable eye, that creature will be exerciſed in vvell doing: for it is the mercifull face of God that makes the man to doe vvell. And for this cauſe it is ſaid that God hated Eſau, and therefore he neuer did a goode turne: and againe he loued Iacob, and therefore hee did all to pleaſure his God. All ſerues to this end, that men and vvemen ſhould ſeeke to ſtand in the fauour of God: ſeeke tokens of his louelove. And on the other part ſeeke to be free of the vvrath of God: for if it poſſeſſe thee, thou ſhalt doe nothing but ſinne vnderunder it, and as thou ſinneſt, vvraith after vvraith ſhall follovv on thee, vntill it come to an height, and then it ſhall be heaped on thee, to thy euerlaſting deſtruction: vvhen thou art crying peace, peace, the vvrath of God vvill come on, tumbling on thee as a Mountaine: as vvas ſeene on theſe Ievves fourtie yeeres after this. Novv to end. The Lord giuegive vsus euer grace, to ſeeke to be vnderunder his fauourable countenance, and that the countenance of his terrible vvraith may be turned from vsus, that that vve may ſtudie to pleaſe him in our lyfe and conuerſation through Ieſus Chriſt. To vvhome vvith the Father, and the holie Spirite, be al praiſe, honour and glorie, for euer and euer.
AMEN.