Lectures Upon the Epistles to the Thessalonians, Part 1 · Lecture 2
THE SECOND LECTVRE VPONUPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS.
THESSA. CHAP. 1. verſ. 4. 5. 6.
4. Knovving, beloued brethren, that ye are the elect of God.
5. For our Goſpell vvas not vntounto you in vvord onelyonly, but alſo in povver, and in the holie Ghoſt, and in much aſſurance, as ye knovv after vvhat maner vve vvere among you for your ſakes.
6. And ye became follovvers of vsus, and of the Lord, and receyued the vvord in much affliction, vvith ioy of the holie Ghoſt.
THE laſt day, Brethren, we ſpake of the firſt part of this Epiſtle, written to the Theſſalonians, to witte, the ſalutation that the Apoſtle, with Siluanus and Timotheus directs to them. We entered in the ſecond part, which continewes the congratulation, wherein he rejoyſes together with them, for the graces of God beſtowed on them: geuing God the glorie of all, making him the chiefe Author of all grace: Namelie, for their faith which is imployed in clenſing and purifying their hearts, for their louelove and charitie, which was imployed in laboring with painefulneſſe for their brethren and nighbours, to their profite and well: and laſt, for their hope, which was imployed in ſuffering, and taking things patientlie, grounded on the Lorde Ieſus Chriſt; hauing God the Father for an witneſſe of her ſinceritie. This far for the matter going before.
Now followes in the fourth verſe, an other cauſe of this thankeſ-geuing to God, and of this rejoyſing: a more effectuall cauſe nor any that was named yet: their eternall election before all worlds. All the graces told before were in tyme, but, as for this election, it is before all tyme, from all eterni…e: VponUpon this, as vponupon a foundation, all grace that is receyued by vsus in tyme is grounded, as ye would ground an houſe vponupon an fondation: None getteth faith, but thoſe that are choſen of God from all eternitie: None true louelove, but thoſe whom God loueth from all eternitie: None hope of lyfe, but thoſe who are choſen of God from all eternitie: So all grace geuen in tyme, is grounded on this ground of election that was before all tyme. But to come to the words: Knovving (ſaith the Apoſt.) brethren beloued of God, your election. He ſtyles them brethren firſt, then he calleth them beloued of God (for, I lyke that reading beſt.) The ſecond is the cauſe of the firſt. Becauſe they are beloued of God, therefore they are Brethren to him, to Timothie, and to Siluanus: Marke this.Note. Whom God loueth and vponupon whom he powreth forth his grace, as he did on theſe Theſſalonians, we are bound to louelove them, to powre out our affections vponupon them, to call them Brethren in Ieſus Chriſt, to ſpeake kindlie and louinglie to them: for, the graces of God we ſee in men, hes force to conciliate the louelove of men; ſo that, men when they ſee them in others are bound of dewtie to louelove them. If thou ſee the grace of God in any man; thou art bound to louelove the man for the grace, as thou would vtter thou loueſt God, the geuer of the grace. The louelove thou carries to a man for the graces of God thou ſees in him, vtters the louelove thou carries to God the geuer. Then we ſhould learne to craue grace, to vtter holie affections to them to whom the Lord hath geuen his graces, and that, for the graces God hath beſtowed on them.
But to go forward. The next thing heere that Paul vtters, is a knowledge of their election. Knovving your election, ſayeth he. This is a farre ſight. Then it is true, brethren, the godlie who are able through the Spirite of diſcretion, to take vp the grace of God in others, they hauehave a great inſight, yea euen to the eternall election, and predeſtination to that life and glorie, wherevnto they are appointed, and they will vtter an wonderfull aſſurance thereof. (For the word ſignifies, Knovving perfitelie your election) Indeed a man will hauehave a greater certaintie of his own election, then of the election of any other, becauſe the warrand of his owne election is within him in his owne heart;Tokens of election. his heart is ſtamped therewith: he findes the ſeale thereof in his owne conſcience: as for the election of others, it is onelie outward, as in his actions and behauiour: by the eye of the godlie, by the words of the godly and the works of the godlie, and ſuch like thinges the viſible tokens of the merciemercy of God in men is ſhowen: and ſo the Lord makes by ſome outward tokens their election from all eternitie to appeare.
There are two things, whereof it is verie hard to judge vponupon, and to vtter aſſurance of: the firſt is the eternall election of others: the other is, the perſeuerance of others in grace to the end: the one bygone from all eternitie, the other to come to the end. It is very hard to judge of theſe two, in other men eſpeciallie: Yet I ſee the Apoſtle takes on him to judge of both, and he vtters an aſſurance of both. Ye ſee in this place, he knowes the election of the Theſſalonians. In the Epiſtle to the Philippians 1. 6. he is perſwaded, that he who had begun with them (which is God) would perfite the worke he had begun, to the comming of Chriſt, that is, that they ſhould perſeuere in the grace they had receyued vntounto the end. The ground of all was, becauſe of the grace of God he ſaw in tyme of the Theſſalolians and Philippians: therefore he knowes perfitelie the Theſſalonians is elected, and is aſſured the Philippians will perſeuere and ſtand in grace. So all tends to this, the grace of God beſtowed on any (if we ſawe but a ſparke of grace in them) ſhould euer moue vsus to judge charitablie, that thoſe perſons are the elect of God, and will ſtand and perſeuere in grace to the end. Away then with hard judgements of men.
More then this (Brethren) ye ſee the Theſſalonians are elected: yet he prayes for them, Making mention (ſayeth he) of you in our prayers. Election no impediment to prayer.And for this ſame cauſe; knowing that ye are elected. Marke this. The election of God, that ſure ground and foundation of lyfe and ſaluation, prejudges not prayer. Therefore, ſay not, I am elected, my ſaluation can not faile, ſaued muſt I be… therefore, what needs me to pray my ſelfe, or cauſe any other pray for me? No, by the contrair, ſay, I am elected, therefore, I will pray: ye are the elect, therefore, I will pray for you: that is Paule reaſon. For, as ſaluation, and life is predeſtinate and appointed by God, ſo are the meanes of ſaluation appointed by God, which thou muſt vſe, if euer thou wouldſt attaine to lyfe, notwithſtanding of thy election. And among all the reſt of the meanes, Prayer is one: thou who art choſen to life, prayers is a meane to thee, to be vſed before thou come to life: Pray muſt thou, and others muſt pray for thee, or elſe, thou was neuer choſen to lyfe. There was neuer man choſen to life from all eternitie; but the Lord appoynted that he ſhould vſe prayer; alſo God ordained that he ſhould liue in holineſſe, and vvorke good vvorkes, vvhichwhich is an other meane muſt be vſed. Epheſ. 2. 10. For, if prayer be not vſed, if hee liue not holie, if he liue vvithout louelove, vvithout charitie and goode vvorkes, if he continevve ſo to the end, he ſhall finde that he was neuer choſen.
Now in the next verſe, he falles to and proues their election: he vtters not this aſſurance of their election without goode warrands. There are two arguments in the text. The firſt is, from that vertew and power he founde in himſelfe, vvhile he preached to them. The other is, from the effectualneſſe and force of his Miniſtrie in them. The firſt is in Paul himſelfe, the ſecond in the Theſſalonians: the firſt is contained in theſe words. For, ſayes he, our Goſpell, that is the Euangell preached to you, the Goſpell of God: (there is no Preacher but he may take it and call it his Goſpell, and except thou be ſaued by it, as it is the Goſpell miniſtered by the Preacher, thou ſhalt neuer get ſaluation: Wilt thou goe to God immediatlie, and not heare of them, but contemne them thou ſhalt neuer be ſaued. It is Paul and Peters Goſpell, and the Goſpell of the preachers of it, ere it ſerue to thy well (this by the way.) This Goſpell ſtoode not in bare language and vvords onelie, but alſo in povver. As he would ſay: when I preached to you, I vttered the Goſpel in libertie and power, and therefore vponupon the graces and power I found in my ſelfe in vttering the Goſpell to you, I gather, they to whom I preached are choſen of God. Then brethren: when the Lord ſends out men to preache in power, it is neuer in vaine; but it is a ſure argument amongſt them to whom they are ent, there are ſome choſen of God to life euerlaſting: and the man who finds himſelfe ſent out with power to preache the Goſpell, he may ſay certainlie, there is ſome I preach to choſen. Who will ſend out a reaper except there be ſome harueſt to be reaped? Will the Lord ſend out a man inſtructed with power to any place, except there be ſome to be win to him there. The Lord ſayes Matth. 9. 37. 38. The harueſt is great, it is comming to maturitie, but the laborers are few: therefore pray the Lord of the haruest to ſend out reapers. And euerbefore any man be ſent out to preache, the men to whom he is ſent are rype to be inſtructed, ſo that he is ſent out to gather them in to the barn-yarde. And by the contrair, when God takes away graces, and drawes away power from preachers, when he lets them vtter nothing but dead and emptie talke without power, or when he cloſes mens mouthes to ſpeake, it is a token that the nomber of the choſen is growing narrow, and the Church is begun to be barren. Well, go this Miniſtrie away, and if this power be taken away from vsus to an other part, there was neuer a ſurer argument of the drawing in of the godlie in a narrow bounds then this is, and that the remanent are left onelie as miſerable catiffes appointed to damnation. What auailes this life and al that we hauehave, if we miſſe that glorie to come. In all our proceedings, looke what ſerues for the life to come; for all our liues will away, our life is not heere: this death temporall is not death; this life temporall is not life, but death eternall is death, and life eternall is life.
But to come to the words, and marke them. For our Goſpell ſaieth he, vvas not vntounto you in vvordes onelie, but in povver. Then it is not preaching in vvordes onelie that vvorkes ſaluation. I ſee there are tvvo ſortes of preachings: ſome preachings in vvordes onelie, as theſe Orators vvho preached to the Corinthians for inuy of Paul, had nothing but vvordes. There he ſayeth. When I come I vvill cognoſce theſe men, not in their vvordes, but in their povver (if they hauehave anie) for the Kingdome of God ſtandes not in vvordes, but in povver of the Spirite. 1. Corinth. 4. 19. 20. There is an other preaching of the Goſpell, not in vvordes onelie, but vvith vviſdome and povver. Theefore ſeeing this difference is in preaching, that ſome preachinges are in vvordes onelie, and ſome preachings in vvordes vvith power, I muſt confeſſe the cauſe wherefore there is onelie vvordes vvithout povver geuen to the teachers, is oft tymes not onelie in the people themſelues, although they be wicked, but in the preacher that vtters nothing but wordes without power, to worke into the hearts of the hearers. Therefore he that ſpeakes in the name of the Lord, looke that he hauehave power, and aske power of God, that his words may be effectual in the hearts of the hearers to ſaluation, or elſe let him holde him ſilent. Either ſeeke that power of God may be joyned with words, or elſe cloſe thy mouth, and ſpeake not one word in the name of the Lord.
This power is not gotten lightlie, looke to the groundes of this power: Paul ſets them down heer. In the holie Spirite, there is one, and in full aſſurance, there is an other. The firſt, the preaching of the Spirite:2. groundes of povver in preaching the ſecond, a full aſſurance that is in the heart of man that ſpeaks to the hearers. Looke that he hauehave aſſurance in his owne heart, that remiſſion which he preaches to others is gotteu to himſelfe. Is he promiſing life to the people? looke that he hauehave aſſurance that that lyfe is in him. The firſt and chiefe ground of all power is the holie Spirite of Chriſt: if the Spirite of Chriſt ſpeake not, but onlie the ſpirite of man, the humane power in the teacher, there ſhall be no power, no vertew in that word to edifie. And therefore Paul 1. Cor. chap. 2. verſ. 13. when he hes ſpoken of the myſterie of Chriſt, which the wiſdome of the vvorlde could not comprehende, he ſubjoynes, The vvhichwhich vve ſpeake not vvith ſpeaches, and vvordes, vvhichwhich the vviſdome of man teaches, but vvith vvordes, vvhichwhich the holie Spirit teaches vsus, ioyning ſpirituall vvords vvith ſpirituall matters. By the which words he meanes plainly, that except the Spirit of Chriſt be the principall ſpeaker of a ſpirituall matter, be the matter neuer ſo true of it ſelfe, it ſhall hauehave no power, yea farther in the 1. cha. v. 17. he ſaieth, the preaching of Chriſt, with the wiſdom of words & humane eloquence makes the croſſe of Chriſt ineffectual. 1. Cor. 2. 5. he ſaieth, that faith ſtands not in the vviſdom of mē and therfore, who euer teaches in the name of chriſt, let him beg earneſtlie that that holy Spirite may be in the heart, to tune the heart; may be in the tongue, to tune the tongue, that the matter and words that he vtters may both be of the holie Spirite. It is a dangerous thing to a man to ſpeake in the name of the Lord, except firſt he pray and ſay, I am going to this place, Lord giuegive me matter, giuegive me words, and let not the ſpeach be ſo much my ſpeache, as the ſpeache of thy Spirite in my heart. If the Spirite be in thy heart, he will ſpeake, but if he be out of thy heart, it will be the voice of a man onelie. No, nothing will conuert men, but that which comes of the Spirit. A natural eare may take pleaſure to heare a naturall thing, a naturall heart to ſpeak of a naturall matter: but a ſpirituall eare and hart wil take pleaſure in a ſpirituall matter, which comes from the heart of a ſpirituall man.
Now to come to the ſecond ground of this power: It is the full aſſurance of grace and merciemercy, that he preaches by his own feeling, he ſpeaks nothing but of faith and particular aſſurance: a generall aſſurance is naught; for before I preache the grace of Chriſt, I muſt ſeeke my warrand in my heart, that that grace, righteouſnes & life I teach, is ſetled in my minde, and vponupon this aſſurance I muſt ſpeake to others; and if the ſpeaker (albeit the grace were neuer ſo good) hauehave not in his heart an aſſurance of that grace, all his words will be vnſauory words. So he muſt ſtriue alwayes to participate of that grace he teaches to you, either in teaching, or before. Dauid ſayes I beleued and therefore I ſpake. Pſal. 116. 10. And Paul ſayes, We beleue to ryſe againe, and to be joyned to Chriſt, and therfore vve ſpeake. 2. Cor. 4. 13. As he would ſay, I am ſpeaking to you of the ryſing of the bodie, but all this comes of an aſſurance in my hart, that this bodie of mine ſhall be diſſolued, and at that laſt day ſhall liue, and be glorified: and vponupon this aſſurance of mine, I preache to you this reſurrection. All tends to this: He who ſpeakes of God to vsus would be a man, that in his owne heart hes a full aſſurance of grace: and aboue all men, a Miniſter that ſtands vp and ſpeaks to others, ſhoulde hauehave this aſſurance, and ſhoulde ſeeke all vvarrandes of his ovvne ſaluation. And of the aſſurance of his heart, he ſhould ſpeake and ſay: Becauſe I hauehave felt remiſon of ſins in Chriſt Ieſus, and lyfe in him, therefore I may aſſure you of them in him, if ye earneſtlie by faith ſeeke them. So look that none that is faithles, on pain of his life ſtand vp to vtter one word in the name of Ieſus, to offer life, or remiſſion of ſinnes▪ his ſpeaking is but like the clattering of a Parocket, his heart is dead, and his head onelie ſounds. The Apoſtle ſayes, Becauſe I am aſſured in my heart of this, therfore I ſpake vvith a great libertie Then there are the two groundes: firſt, the holie Spirite: ſecoundlie, the aſſurance; if theſe two be of neceſſitie the worde muſt be profitable: and thogh a man can not get the ful meaſure of theſe two; well is he that can ſigh and ſay, Lord giuegive mee an aſſurance in my heart, ere euer I vtter it to others.
In the end of the verſe, he takes them to be witneſſes of his doing, manner of ſpeaking, and povver they ſavv in his preaching. As ye knovv after vvhat manner I vvas among you for your ſake. As ye know: then they knew the power. So brethren, there will be no Congregation of the Lord that will be ſo ſenſleſſe and dead, but there wil be ſome that vvill hauehave that Spirite of diſcretion in them, know who ſpeakes with power, and who not. Euerie man in the Congregation will not hauehave it; but certainlie in all congregations there will be ſome that will know emptie words, and diſcerne them. And therefore let euerie man that ſpeakes in the name of the Lord, ſpeake ſo, that he may take the people to whom this diſcretion is geuen to be witneſſe of the power, and the Spirite where-with he preached.
Now all this is for their cauſe, all the graces Paul had, was for their cauſe,All grace is giuē to mē for the Church. they were not for himſelfe: Matter, word, power, ſpirite, all was for their cauſe, what euer grace any member gets, all is gotten and geuen for the whole bodie: the grace that the eye of the bodie gets, the grace the hand gets, all is for vpholding the bodie and if the Lord had had no other regarde, but of the hand onelie, he would not hauehave geuen it the grace to grip. So is it in the bodie of Chriſt: for if he had not had an other reſpect to Paul, but for himſelfe onelie, he had neuer receyued theſe graces. So Iames, Peter, Iohn, &c. all their graces are for the well of the Church. The Apoſtle. 1. Cor. 3. 21. ſayes, All is yours, whither it be Paul, Apollos or C…phas, al is yours, and ye are Chriſts, and Chriſt is Gods. Then the man that hath gotten the Spirite, and excels aboue his neighbours in graces, looke that in pride he contemne not the leaſt menber of the bodie; the eye muſt not lightlie the foote, for if it looke to the skyes and let the foote ſtumble, it ſhall periſhe it ſelfe: ſo who hes gotten great graces, let him take them, and lay all down at the feete of the Church, and diſtribute them to the well of the Church, and ſay, I got them all for your cauſe. The Apoſtle hauing gotten a reuelation and aſſurance, he ſayeth, God gaue it for the Church. So when thou haſt gotten any grace, giuegive it out to the Church in humilitie, whither the gift be ſpirituall or temporall, or elſe it had beene better thou had neuer receyued it: yea, let a King beſtow all his graces vponupon the Church, for his calling is for the Church, and except there wer a Church, there ſhould not be a King: woe to them that knowe not this end, that all Kingdomes and policies ſtandes for the well of the Church. Daniel tolde Nabuchadnezar an heathen King, that his Kingdome was for the ſtanding of the Church. The Lord oppen the eyes of men, to ſe that they do their duetie in their vocation, that at that laſt day they may be found to be members of that bodie.
To goe forward, the Apoſtle gathers the election of the Theſſalonians: firſt, from that power he had to vtter the word, & that for their cauſe: ſecondly, by the effectualnes & powerful working of this God within them. Brethren, if the power that God hes geuen the preacher, for vttering of his Goſpell for their well, be an argument to them of their ſaluation, hovv much more muſt the effectual working of the Goſpell be an argument of their well? Ioyne theſe two together, the powerfull preaching of the Spirit & the working therof, theſe two makes the aſſurance of the election of the hearers. And by the contrair if there be nothing but ſpeaking without power, & no effectualneſſe in the heart, it will not be the ſpeaker that will auaile, it wil be ineffectuall to them to their ſaluation. So thou muſt finde the effectuall working of the Spirite in thee, which muſt be thy warrand. But to come to the words. And ye are become follovvers of vsus, and of the Lord, and receyued the vvord in great affliction, and vvith ioy of the holie Ghost. Theſe are the words: ye ſe this effectualneſſe in the Theſſalonians ſtands in imitation and following, not ſo much of him, as of the Lord, of whom he was a follower. Well to be ſhort: the effectualneſſe of the Goſpell in the hearer ye fe conſiſts in the imitation of the ſpeaker, when the hearer imitates in lyfe the preacher; and aboue all, imitates in life and conuerſation the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, & followes Paſtors as they follow the Lorde onelie, and no otherwiſe. If then the effectualneſſe of the Goſpel in the people, ſtands to imitate thee, looke thou that there be matter of imitation of thee, looke how thy mouth ſpeaks, looke thou ſpeake as Chriſt ſpeaks, otherwiſe ſpeake not, except thou may ſay as Paul ſayes, when he hes preached to the people, ye are followers of me, I am made a guide to you going before, ye are followers: at the leaſt, if they wil not follow thee, look that thy life be good, thogh they ſhold run away, go thou forward in the way of life. Preaching wil not do the turne, if thou be not a light going before the people, all thy words ſhall do no good, and thou ſhalt neuer be partaker of that glorie thou ſpeaks of.
Then mark againe. Wherin ſtands this imitation? And receyued, ſayes he, the vvord vvith great affliction. There the imitation of the Preacher, not only in receyuing the word deliuered by him, not onlie by following him in doing, but chieflie by following him in ſuffering affliction. Is he afflicted for the delyuering of it? thou that receiues it follow him in affliction. I remēber Paul in the ſecond Epiſt. to Timothie. Cha. 3. v. 10. 11. 12. where he layes downe many things in himſelfe to be followed, but chieflie his doctrine, maner of liuing, his purpoſe, his life, lenitie, patience: then he ſayes, my perſecution and affliction in Chriſt. Now he ſticks on this laſt, & he ſpecially bound Timothie to that, and he ſayes in generall (as it were to eueryevery godlie man) All that is vvilling to liue godlie in Christ, ſhall ſuffer affliction, & thou muſt be one of that nomber, Timothie. Brethren, we will be all content to follow in doing the Paſtor. Hes he faith? we will follow his faith: hes he any other thing in him? we follow him in it: but whē it comes to the croſſe, then we will leaue him; we will let him alone: no, if it were Chriſt himſelf going out of Ieruſalem to Golgatha wher he ſuffered, we wil let him go all alone & will abide in Ieruſalem. It is vaine to thinke that affliction onlie pertaines to the ſpeaker, and not to the hearers. The Apoſtle ſayes, hauing receyued the word of God with great affliction. No, affliction is the vnſeparable companiō of the Goſpel in this life: heares thou and receiues thou the word, make thee for affliction. And ſo Paul to Timothie makes affliction the neceſſare companion of the Goſpell. 2. Timoth,. 1. 8. It bydes with thee heere on the earth with a croſſe on the backe of it, for thou ſhalt not brooke it without a croſſe. Therefore maruaile not at this affliction, for it is a meruaile that the Goſpell ſhould hauehave remainde ſo long without affliction in Scotland, and all this affliction in Scotland is nothing in reſpect of other parts where affliction is. And therefore if we brooke this Goſpell, looke for greater afflictions, then theſe; for who hes ſtriuen yet to the blood, for the libertie of the Goſpell?
Now in the laſt words, with the affliction he joynes the holy Spirite, An…oy ſayes he, of the holie Spirite. Ye receyued the Goſpell with affliction, and with affliction ye receyued joy of the holie Spirite.Ioy of the holie Spirite ioined vvith affliction. Looke how ſurelie affliction is the companion of the Goſpell; as ſurelie is the joy of the Spirite the companion of affliction, and this is moſt ſure, that the affliction of the Goſpell is moſt joyfull. aboue all other things in the world. A man that ſuffers as an euill doer, a man that ſuffers for theft, a murtherer that ſuffers for murther, an adulterer for adulterie, he hes no joye in ſuffering, he is aſhamed and hangs dovvne his head, becauſe the querrell for which he ſuffers bringes an euill conſcience: theft bringes an euill conſcience, murther bringes an euill conſcience, adulterie brings an euill conſcience, & therfore he hes no joy in ſuffering. It is true, a man that is to be execute for his his euill deedes, in his execution will rejoyce, but marke the ground. It is it not the euill cauſe that bringes that joy, but it is the aſſurance of the remiſſion of ſinnes in Chriſt that bringes the joy: the euill turne bringes euer an horror of conſcience: but vvhen one ſuffers for Chriſt and the Goſpels ſake, there is joye and comfort: and they that hes ſuffered for Chriſts ſake, in ſuffering hauehave greater joy in the ſpirite, nor euer they had in the fulneſſe of their pleaſures in the world. Peter in his firſt Epiſt. 1. 8. ſayes, In the midſt of their ſuffring they ſuffred joyfully: when there is a good conſcience, when men ſuffer for Ieſus ſake, there was neuer joye comparable to that joy, it is ſuch a joye as vvill ſwalow vp al paine & terror. Experience of this we hauehave in manie godlie Martyres: not that affliction brings joy with it, for it is naturall to the affliction to worke ſorrow and griefe, but it is the good conſcience that makes joye, and the good conſcience comes of the good cauſe. When the conſcience ſayes, Thou art ſuffering for Chriſt that ſuffered for thee, and be aſſured after ſuffering thou ſhalt be glorified, ô the joye that that man ſhall finde! The Lord giues euerie man joye that ſuffers any thinge leſſe or more for Chriſt: the furniſher of the joye is the Spirite, who will not ſuffer anie perſone to beare anie thing for Chriſt, but he will giuegive comfort and joy therein. Brethren, ye heare it commonlie ſaid, It is the cauſe or the querrell, and not the paine that makes the martyre: the paine & the torment, were they neuer ſo greuous will not make a man a martyre: the ground is the good cauſe & quarrel that they ſuffer for, the Goſpel & Chriſt. But I ſay farther, if there be no more nor the cauſe or the querrell, that makes not martyrdome, if when thou art ſuffering for Ieſus ſake, thou haſt no joy, no patience, no faith and tolerance, no joye in the holie Spirite, and reioyſe more in ſuffering and bonds, nor he that goes free, it is no martyrdome. Ioyne me joye and the good cauſe vvith patience in torment all three together, theſe make a Martyre. Peter ſets downe the rules of ſuffring, ſaying. Let no man ſuffer as a murtherer, as a theefe, as an euill doer, or as a buſie bodie in other mens matters. Then he ſubjoynes, If anie man ſuffer as a chriſtian for a good cauſe, let him not be aſhamed therein, but let him glorifie God. 1. Epiſt. 4. 15. 16. As in the I. Cha V. 8. he ſayes, They hauehave in ſuffering for a good cauſe a ioy …ſpeakable and glorious: So here he forbids them to be aſhamed in ſuffering, but to reioyce and glorifie God who hes called them to that honour: for this is the higheſt honour of all, to ſuffer for Chriſt as the Apoſtles did. Marke all theſe grounds: Theſe examples and rules commending ſuffering, are not ſet downe in vaine: and let none thinke to be a chriſtian and to be exeemed from ſuffering. Away with them who will ſay, they will preach and receiue the word gladlie in calmnes, but they will hauehave nothing to do with ſuffering: but I ſay, if thou prepare thee not for ſuffering after ſo long a calmneſſe of the Goſpell, the end ſhall prooue that thou ſhalt curſe the time that euer thou heard the Goſpell. Therfore in purpoſe let vsus prepare our ſelues to ſuffer, that nothing come to vsus vnawares: and let vsus ſay when we riſe, here I am readie, if it pleaſe thee, ô Lord, to lay any thing on me for the Goſpell ere euening, Lord giuegive me grace not to be aſhamed; but to ſuffer in joy, my life is not heere, but my life muſt be laid down. And wel is him can be this way prepared and lookes for greater affliction: for no doubt, after ſo great calmneſſe, affliction muſt follow, and all our ſuffering is but childrens play yet. The Lord prepare vsus for it, and make vsus readie when he pleaſes to viſite vsus. To this God be all praiſe for euer.
Amen.