Lectures Upon the Epistles to the Thessalonians, Part 1 · Lecture 5
THE FIFTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS.
1. THESSA. CHAP. 2. verſ. 3. 4▪ 5. 6. 7.
3 For our exhortation vvas not by deceite, nor by vncleanneſſe, nor by guile.
4 But as vve vvere allovved of God, that the Goſpell ſhould be committed vntounto vsus, ſo vve ſpeake, not as they that pleaſe men, but God, …v…o trieth the hearts.
5 Neither did vve euer vſe ſtattering vvordes, as ye knovve, nor coloured couetouſneſſe, God is record.
6 Neither ſoght vve praiſe of men, neither of you, nor of others.
7 Whe… vve might hauehave bene chargeable, as the Apoſtles of Chriſt: but vve vver gentle amōg you, euen as a nource cheriſheth her childrē.
BRETHREN the purpoſe we hauehave in hand, and hes had theſe dayes bygone is the rejoyſing of the Apoſtle together with the Theſſalonians, for the graces of God beſtowed on thē. The Apoſt. falles out in a narration concerning himſelf & the manner of his entrie among the Theſſalonians, ſetting out the grace of God that vvas vvith him, vvhen he entered in among them to this end, to let them ſee the ground wherevpon their faith vvas builded vvas not faire vvordes, but that effectuall grace of God that was hid vp in the …. The laſt day vve ſhevve the Apoſtle proponed his manner of his entrie among them, it vvas not in vaine, it vvas not fectleſſe, but fectfull, and when he come and entered amongſt them, he come vvith a libertie and boldneſſe, vttering the Goſpell of Chriſt, and a libertie not grounded on man, or on his ovvne affection, but on the power of God. This boldneſſe he amplifies in reſpect of the afflictions vvhichwhich before he had ſuffered at Philippi, & in reſpect of that ſuffering he had, while he preached that word of the Goſpell with libertie among them.
Now to come to this text we hauehave in hand. The Apoſtle in the third verſe of this chapt. anſweres to that which might hauehave bene thoght and objected by the Theſſalonians (for he meetes the thoght of the heart) Thou ſayes thy entrie amonge vsus was with libertie & boldnes, but looke with what ſincerity thou entered among vsus: it is not eneugh to preach with boldnes & libertie, but there muſt be ſinceritie, looke that thy preaching hes not bene with deceat to deceiue vsus, with vncleānes, with guile. If any of theſe thre things hauehave concurred with thy preacing & exhorting, al thy liberty in preaching & exhorting auails not. The Apoſtle anſweres (marke euerie word) for our exhortation vvas not by deceit, nor by vncleannes, nor by guile. Look to the vvords. Our exhortation, our doctrine or preaching (for by a ſpeciall part of the doctrine, which is exhortation he vnderſtandes the whole, and that becauſe all doctrin ends in exhorting. Exhortation is the cōcluſion of all doctrine) exhortation, ſayeth he, was not with deceat, with vncleannes, nor with guile, that is to ſay, was not with any kind of fainednes, neither in ſubſtance of doctrin, which is called deceat (falſe doctrine deceiues.) Neither in affection, in vttering the Goſpell, which is called vncleanneſſe, neither in the manner of delyuerie, which here is called guile. In a word our exhortation was voide of all ſort of vnſinceritie: no part was ſimulate. Marke the leſſon on this verſe. Ye ſee here this meeting the Apoſtle makes to the verie thoght of the heart, and to the opinion they might hauehave conceyued, that he was not ſincere in doctrine, vtters plainlie that there is oft-tymes a verie opinion and ſuſpition in the heartes of the hearers, that there is vnſinceritie in the teacher, in delyuering the doctrine, and this will make ſuch a doubt in the heart, that it will hinder edification and faith. And therefore the teacher had much neede to take head to himſelfe in teaching, to his affection, and to eſchew all ſort of vncleanneſſe, if it were but in his thoght and affections: before he ſpeake he ſhould ſtriue to get a ſanctifyed heart, and in word let him meete the verie thoght and ſuſpition of the people, to remoue all blame of vnſinceritie in preaching and vttering the Goſpell, that edification and faith may increaſe. His end in preaching is faith, that the people may beleeue and be edified: Let him therefore put away all occaſions that may ſtay the edification of the people, that the worke and building may goe vp and faith may grow.
Then ſecondlie ye ſe, there are ſundrie ſorts of vnſinceritie: A man may be vnſincere in teaching many wayes: he may teache, and yet teache falſe doctrine: he may be vnſincere in his heart in teaching: he may be vaſincere in delyuering, and thereby deceyue thee. And there is none of theſe wayes, but they will ſtay edification, if the people take a ſuſpition, if it were of an vnſinceritie of the heart, it will ſtay the worke. And therefore, in all manner of way the teacher ſhould ſtriue to be ſincere in vttering the Goſpell: that if there be any ſtop, it may be in him that heares, and not in him who teaches: for if the preachers ſtryue not for his part to ſinceritie, and the people for their part to ſinceritie in hearing, it will be a great ſtay to the worke.
Now into the next verſe, when he hes remoued from him the opinion of all kinde of vnſinceritie, and hes purged himſelf thereof, either in doctrine, affection, or in manner of delyuerie: He ſets downe the contrair, to wit, the ſinceritie he vſed in doctrine. The ſinceritie he vſed was this, that he ſpake: how ſpake he? Not as they doe who are ſet to pleaſe men, but to pleaſe God. There is the ſinceritie in ſpeaking: he had not men before his eyes, he reſpected not the pleaſure of men: but in ſpeaking and preaching his God was before his eye, and his heart was ſet to pleaſe God. Sinceritie in preaching and hearing is to be meaſured by the end that thou reſpects in doing thereof: for if God and his glorie be not before thy eyes, as the Butte wherat thou ſhootes, albeit that which thou doeſt and ſpeakeſt had neuer ſo faire a face, yet al is vnſincere and vncleane. The thing I marke heere ſpeciallie is, a Paſtor that ſtryues to be ſincere in ſpeaking and preaching muſt ſet himſelfe to pleaſe ſome in his ſpeaking: but heere a caueat to be keeped, in the perſone whom thou ſtudies to pleaſe, either by doing, or by ſpeaking: this is all the weight of the matter; if thy heart be ſet in ſpeaking, preaching and doing, to pleaſe men and to ſatiſfie the humours of men firſt of all: if that be the butte thou ſhootes at, becauſe this man likes of this ſpeaking therefore I wil ſpeake this: if this ſpeaking pleaſe this woman, therefore I will ſpeake this. If that be the end of thy ſpeaking, all thy ſpeaking is vnceritie & flattery: if thou ſeeke to pleaſure any creature, if it were the Angels, let be a man, all thy pleaſant talke is but vaine talke and flatterie. I deny not but men may be pleaſured to, Rom. 12. 18. but looke that thy butte be not to pleaſe men, of what eſtate ſo euer they be, but onelie to pleaſe God. Firſt pleaſe God, and in God pleaſe them, & then thou can not go wrong. If men and wemen (what rank ſo euer they be of) can not be pleaſed in God, and will not let God hauehave the firſt place, then pleaſe thou God, and anger all the world. If thou ſtudies to pleaſe any perſone onelie in God in ſpeaking and doing, there can be nothing there but ſinceritie. A ſure rule, a man can neuer faile in ſetting his heart to pleaſe God, in thoght, word and deed. The Lord giuegive vsus vpright hearts to ſtudy to pleaſe our God, and then all creatures onelie in him.
Now he layes down a good ground, why in his preaching he ſtryued to pleaſe his God, it was not without a good cauſe: and the ground is, God pleaſed him firſt, & why ſhould he not indeuour himſelf to do all things to pleaſe him againe, & render him the lyke duetie. But as vve, ſaieth he, vvere allovved of God in ſuch ſort, that the Goſpell ſhould be committed vntounto vsus, ſo vve ſpeake. That is, that he hes placed vsus in this calling, made vsus Apoſtles who wer vnworthie bodies: of one who was vnable of ſuch a calling, hes made vsus able: as it hes pleaſed him ſo to pleaſe me, and as he hes allowed of me, who was altogether vnworthie, my ſpeaking ſhall be to pleaſe him. There was neuer a Miniſter that euer receiued grace for that calling at the hands of men, neither at king nor ſubject, but onlie at Gods hand: and therefore let him ſtudie to pleaſe, not men, but God, who geues him al graces: and if men can not be pleaſed in God, let him not ſtudie to pleaſe thē. Now to ſpeake of this allowance, there is a difference betwene the allowance of men, when they allow of men, and God when he allowes of men: man allowes of man, becauſe he ſees ſome good qualities in him, which qualities he neuer gaue him, for God gaue him them. But when God allowes of man, he allowes not for any good thing he ſees in him, to moue him to allow of him, but al the allowing of God is of fre grace, all is according to the good pleaſure of his will:Gods allovvance of free grace. he allowes not of man becauſe he is able to do good, but becauſe God allowes of him, therfore he is made meet and able to do good: when God choiſed thee before all eternitie to glorie, what ſaw he in thee? The Apoſtle ſaieth. He predeſtinate vsus in himſelfe. Eph. 1. 5. Of his own fre louelove he called vsus to grace. Before he called vsus to grace, what ſaw he in vsus to moue him to make vsus partakers of his grace? He ſaw matter of hell and damnation in vsus. And therfore his allowance of vsus was not for any grace was in vsus: if he had allowed of vsus conforme to that which was in vsus, he would hauehave ſhot vsus with his hand to hel for euer. So when he calles one to be a Miniſter and teacher of the Goſpell, allowes he of him becauſe he hes a grace before hand? No, the beſt Miniſter that is choſen he hes no more grace by nature to this holy function, nor the vildeſt ſinner in the world. So it is the allowance of God himſelfe that makes man meet to that office: ſo this allowance of God was in himſelf: no matter thereof in Paul, matter contrarie to grace was in him, he was a blaſphemer. 1. Tim. 1. 12. Paul had neuer bene an Apoſtle, but an impe of the Deuill, if God had not allowed of him firſt. The note is,Gods free louelove binds vsus to pleſe him. the vndeſerued louelove of God, when he allowes of vsus, when he calles vsus to faith, or places vsus in any calling (if it were a King in his calling,) either in Church or common-wel bindes & obliſhes vsus to ſpende our liues in that calling, that God may be pleaſed. If euer thing bound thee, this vndeſerued lyking God had of thee, who firſt lyked thee when thou was full of …inne, bindes thee to ſet thy heart to pleaſe God: for thy bleſſedneſſe, joy and felicitie is to pleaſe him: and he that ſtudies not to pleaſe him, knew neuer what joy was. Alas, if we coulde apprehend our owne miſerie before Gods allowance of vsus: (We are not placed ſo ſoone in any calling, but immediatlie we conceate vvith our ſelues, that God hes ſeene in vsus ſomething worthie of it,) and then againe, if we could apprehend that free mercy of God, after the ſight of our own vnworthines, then we would ſet our hearts to pleaſure him. For, neuer apprehending our miſerie and Gods merciemercy and free calling, we ſet our ſelues in our calling to pleaſe men and our owne foull affections. The Lorde waken vsus, for appearantlie the tyme of tryall drawes neere: we hauehave beene vnthankfull for the vndeſerued graces of God beſtowed on vsus. Therefore he is begun to draw them from vsus, and lets vsus follow our own affections.
Now next, In what thing ſtriues Paul to pleaſe God? what was his calling? He ſayes, The Goſpell vvas committed to me. That is his calling. Therefore, ſaye he, ſo vve ſpeake. Looke what is eueryevery mans calling? EueryEvery man in a faithful diſcharge of his own calling is bounde to pleaſe God. He ſaieth not, God allowed of me, therefore I pleaſe him in playing the part of a king or magiſtrate: but he hes called me to be a miniſter, therfore I wil pleaſe him in ſpeaking. Then let euerie man ſet his heart to pleaſe God in his owne calling. So there are two things vve ſhould reſpect in ſeruing God: Firſt do all to pleaſe him; Secondlie, in the calling he hath placed thee into chieflie ſtudie to pleaſe him. Keep theſe tvvo, and then thou ſhalt be acceptable vntounto him.
In the end of the verſe he ſubjoynes, But God vvho approoueth our hearts▪ Theſe vvordes containe an aſſurance that Paule had in his heart, that in ſpeaking and diſcharging of his calling hee pleaſed God. God within me had his ſecreete allowance, God in my hart as he allowed of me firſt, ere I had grace, and placed me in the Miniſtrie, ſo now when he has geuen me grace to pleaſe him, he allowes of me There are two ſorts of Gods allowing. The firſt is when God allowes of any man before he hauehave anie grace,2. ſorts of Gods allovving. and by his allovvance makes him able to doe good: the ſecond is, vvhen he allowes of him in the vvorke he hes geuen him by his grace. The firſt allowance moues a man to ſerue his God and to do all things in his calling: the ſecond allowance is a warrand to him that he hes done well. Alwaies the leſſon is. If thou ſet thy ſelfe to pleaſe God thou ſhalt neuer vvant a vvitneſſe of thy doings, thou ſhalt neuer want a ſecreete teſtimonie within thy ſelfe, (albeit all the vvorld ſhould cloſe their mouth, and neuer ſpeake to thee) thou doeſt well: ſetteſt thou thy ſelfe to ſerue God, he ſhall round in thy eare and tell thee of thy weldoing, and giuegive thee a ſecreete joye. By the contrair, doeſt thou euill? art thou an harlote? ſetteſt thou thy ſelfe to diſpleaſe God, who hes geuen thee all things? thou ſhalt get a bitter witneſſe in thy hart, ſaying, falſe villaine, thy pleaſure is in diſpleaſing God; ô catiffe, thou art adjudged to condemnation. Iohn 1. Epiſt. 3. 20. ſayes, If thy heart condemne thee, God is greater then thy heart, much more will he condemne thee: take head to thy conſcience; if thy conſcience tell thee thou doeſt well, the Lord approues thy doing: otherwiſe, if thy conſcience telles thee thou does euill, the Lord diſallowes thee.
Now as he hes remooued from him before, all ſortes of vnſincere doing, and tooke to him ſinceritie in ſpeaking, to pleaſe God in all things who gaue him his allowance: he goes deeper in the verſe following, and he remoues from him the ſoull vyces, out of the which ſprings the vnſinceritie in dealing. The firſt is called flattering words: the ſecond auarice: the third, ambition, inſatiable greed of honour and eſtimation.Foūtaines, of vnſinceritie. He remoues all theſe three, which are as as many fountaines, wherefrom vnſinceritie ſprings. It is not my purpoſe to inſiſt largelie on theſe vices. Onelie I ſhall ſpeake as accords to this place. The firſt then is flatterie,Flatterie. for no man vſed he anie flattering wordes in preaching. Marke the leſſon. When a Preacher is inclyned to flatter and fletche on earth, either King, Queene, Councell, or ſubject, man or woman, he is not ſincere in his calling. There is none of vsus in no degree, but we may be, yea, and would be flattered. The Apoſtle is ſpeaking heere of flatterie, not of Kings, or Princes, but of the flattering of the Theſſalonians, Neither did vve vſe flattering vvordes, ſayes he. But my leſſon is, Where any Miniſter is ſet to flatter and fletche on the earth, that man ere all be done, will fall out in falſe doctrine, he will frame himſelf ſo to the affection of them whom he would flatter that he wil be vnſincere in doctrine. Why? The fountaine of flatterie is the foull crooked affection of man or woman: and ſo, if the vaine man wil apply himſelf to the crooked affection of man, the doctrine ſhall be crooked: ere he faile in flatterie, he ſhall fall out in falſe doctrine. The heart of them who ſpeakes in the name of the Lord Ieſus, muſt be ſet onelie on God, and not vponupon any man on earth, Well, the Apoſtle takes them to be witneſſes of this, and ſayes, As ye knovv. It eaſie to knowe a flatterer, his wordes will bewray him, he will commonlie call God to witneſſe, but not men. Men ſhold behaue themſelues ſo, that they take not ay God onelie, but alſo good men to be witneſſes to their doinges: Paul heere takes not God, but the people of Theſſalonica to be witneſſe, ſaying, ye knovv. It is true, brethren, albeit the words wil bewray the flatterer; yet ſuch is the blindnes of man, who vvith ſelfe-louelove is ſet to pleaſure his foull affection, that if a man wold neuer ſo plainelie flatter him in his face, yet oft times he can not perceiue the flattery, and he beleues this fained flatterer to be his greateſt friend. The Lord keepe vsus from ſuch flatterers, & lighten our eies vsus grace that we may diſcerne them.
The next verſe. The ſeconde vice is auarice, and he calles it the pretence of auarie;Auarice. your books turnes it, nor coloured couetouſnes. Auarice in anie man is dangerous, but chieflie in a Miniſter; it will make him to do much euill: for if his heart be ſet on auarice, and that be his end and purpoſe to vvin the worlde, he will in the end fall out in corrupt doctrine: for the rule of his teaching being his ovvne bellie and gaine, ere he faile to get his purpoſe, hee will teach falſe doctrine. It maye be there be ſome men in this lande vvhoſe hearts are ſo ſet on this ſort of auarice, that they vvould ſay maſſe, ere they ſhould vvant their gaine. After that this vice of auarice raigne in anie man, it vvill miſguide him maruellouſlie, he wil leaue nothing vndone to get his filthy hart ſatiſfied: in anie eſtate in the vvorld an auaritious heart workes much miſchiefe. In the next words he takes God to be witnes, & ſayes, God is my record Auarice is not ſodanely perceiued, becauſe it comes in with ſo faire a colour, the colour of godlines, the faireſt colour that is, and the ſight of man is ſo ſhort that it can not looke in to the corners of the heart full of guile. But the Lorde hes an eye that can looke through thy bodie in to thy hart, and he can tell thee whether auarice be in thee or not. And therfore Paule takes God to be vvitnes that his heart was cleane of auarice. Then learne; there is nothing ſo hid in man but he will get a witnes thereof; if man can not be vvitnes, God vvho ſees all things, hee ſhall be vvitnes to thee, and in that great day he vvill reueale all, and diſcouer the ſecreetes of all hearts: thou ſhalt not vvant a vvitneſſe: thinke nor, vvhen thou art ſinning, thou ſhalt ay lurke ſtill in ſinne; no, the Lord at laſt will take thee out and make thee a ſpectacle to the vvorld.
The laſt vice here is ambition.Ambitiō. Neyther ſayes he, ſought I the praiſe of men, I ſought no honor, neyther of you, nor of others; and ſo, I am free of all kinde of ambition. To ſpeake this by the vvaye: It is not eneugh to be free of anie ſinne in anie reſpect, at this time onelie, in this place onelie, in the ſight of ſome onelie; but, he that vvould be free of anie vice, as ambition, let him in all reſpects be free of it; in reſpect of all perſones, all times, all places: for, otherwiſe, he is an hypocrite and he vvill begyle men. So, we ſhould ſtudie to pleaſe God in all wayes, in reſpect of all places and perſones, and as if there vvere in the vvorld no moe but thy ſelfe allone, thou ſhouldſt doe as he commanded thee. The leſſone is, It is dangerous for anie man to be ambitious; but, in him that teaches the Goſpell in the name of the Lord, whoſe calling ſhould be, to ſeeke the Lord & his glorie, ambition is moſt dangerous: if this man be ambitious, if the thinge he ſeekes by his preaching, be his honour and eſtimation, if his heart be inclyned that way, in the end, if occaſion ſerue, he will proue an euil man; he will be a papiſt, an hereticke, and ſo forth. It is a moſt ſure thing, he that is geuen to ambition will applye all his actions to obtaine honour, becauſe he ſerues that ſinne as a ſlaue. I confeſſe, there are none free of vice, we are all borne in ſinne, (except the Lord Ieſus) and naturallie we are inclyned to al vyce, to auarice to ambition, we woulde all be Kings, and rulers &c. no, none of vsus is free thereof: but, bleſſed is that ſoule that getteth a peece of mortification, that his ſinnes raigne not ouer him, as lords; for, if ſinne raigne ouer thee, thou ſhalt be compelled to ſerue thy appetite. Wee are all foull, aſwell miniſters as people, but, the Lord keepe vsus from ambition raigning in vsus and tyrannizing ouer vsus. For, then, there is no vyce nor miſcheefein ths worlde that can be deuiſed, but we ſhall be compelled to commit it, and all, to ſerue that foull ſinne; and a Miniſter in his calling of all men ought to hauehave the greateſt care to flee this ambition. Alas, the raigning of theſe ſinnes what they hauehave wroght in this age, experience hes told: this black darknes and this corruption that is in the kingdome of Antichriſt hes riſen on flattery, auarice & ambition: among all the Princes on earth, who ouercomes this Antichriſt in auarice? who ouercomes him in ambition? who goes before him in flatterie? Miſerable experience ſhowes well eneugh, that theſe vyces hes broght in all hereſies, and darknes, and theſe are thre rootes to all other vices.
Now in the wordes following, he amplifies that which he hes ſpoken of the ſins of auarice and ambition. He ſaieth I ſoght not goods, nor honour of you, nor no others: he amplifies it In deed I might hauehave ben chargeable to you. I might hauehave ſoght goods of you, being the Apoſtle of Chriſt: my calling might hauehave made me chargeable to you, to hauehave taken goods and honour or you: but I did it not. Brethren this is a maruellous thing. Men hes this ſentence in their mouth.miniſters right to temporall things. The Miniſter of God hes no right nor title to theſe thinges which other men enjoyes. But I ſay to thee, he hes a title to the riches and goods of this world, to his own ſhare of the honour of this world in his calling. Yea, Paul in the firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthians, 9. 11. ſayes, If vve hauehave ſovve vntounto you ſpirituall things, is it a great thing, if vve reape your carnal things? If or hers vvith you be partakers of this povver, are not vve rather? Which wordes importes a greater right we hauehave nor other men hes. If ye be addebted in any of theſe things to any man, much more to him that miniſters ſpirituall things. And Paul charges Philemon verſ. 19. not with a common pleaſure or goods: but with a debt of himſelfe: a Miniſter hes a right in a man to his lyfe if he be faithfull. But that ye ſhould not thinke this maruelous, the things, as Paul ſayes, that are geuen by the Miniſter, are things ſpirituall: he miniſters to thee that ſpirituall lyfe, and woe is to that man that gettes not this ſpirituall lyfe: and thou may ſay, curſed be the houre that euer I was born in, thogh thou were the Monarch of the whole earth, if thou get not this ſpirituall lyfe, the lyfe of God, the lyfe of Chriſt. Then he ſayes, as by Ironia: is it a faire matter to thee to miniſter to them temporal things? this world thinks they get ouermuch if they get a drinke of colde water, or an aiker of land: but would to God men had an eye to ſee what theſe ſpirituall things meanes. There is no ſenſe of heauenlie things amongſt the moſt part of men now in thoſe dayes. Yet againe the ſpeciall commendation a Miniſter can hauehave, is euen for Chriſts ſake, and for the Goſpels ſake, to renounce ſome part of this right he hes to worldlie thinges, ere the Goſpell ſhould be ſlandered. And therefore Paul ſayes, we hauehave not vſed our right, but we ſuffer all thinges, that in no maner of vvay the Goſpell ſhoulde be ſtayed, and ſo the courſe of mans ſaluation left off. Marke it, If anie man for the Goſpels ſake let a peece of his right paſſe, (aſwell an other man as a Miniſter) that the Goſpel may be furthered, and the courſe of mans ſaluation goe forvvard, it is vvell done. The Apoſtle ſayes, Why ſuffer ye not vvronge rather nor before heathen magistrates ye ſhoulde cauſe the Goſpell to be ſlandered? 1. Corinth. 6. 7. Well is hee that can let ſome part of theſe vvorldlie goodes goe, that the Goſpell may encreaſe: hee ſhall receyue a faire recompence, and he ſhall get a part of that heauenlie inheritance with Chriſt his Sauiour.
Novv to end: In the laſt verſe we red he ſets downe a vertue contrarie to auarice and ambition; leauing auarice, leauing ambition, what follovved? he ſayes, But vve vvere gentle among you, euen as a nource cheriſheth her children. So the vertue that Paul vſed contrarie to theſe two vices, is pleaſantnes: this pleaſantnes, vnderſtand what it is, it is a gentlenes in all manner of dealing, in behauiour ſubmitting him ſelfe to them, for the winning of them, ſubmitting him ſelfe to al kinde of trauell and paine; as the paine the nource takes for the childe, to be a ſeruant to them that he might vvinne them, not reſpecting the honour and care of the world, but onlie vponupon ſuch affection as the mother hes to her childe; & ſo he takes a ſimilitude from a mother toward her infant: there is no buſines nor care the mother wil leaue vndone for the infant, nor reſpecting her hyre or gaine, but vponupon an inteere affection to the infant. Then learne ſhortlie; A paſtor muſt be like a mother: Paul Gall. chapter 4. verſe 19. compares him ſelfe to a mother trauailing in birth, vntill Chriſt be reformed in them; O my little children, vvith vvhom I trauaile in birth, vvhile Chriſt be reformed in you. Novv he cōpares the paſtor to a nource taking paines to nouriſh them when they are borne vponupon a motherlie affection, without eyther reſpect to goods or honor; and he compares the people, who by the paſtor are fed in Chriſt, & nouriſhed by the ſincere milk of the vvord to infants. As a yong infant craues no other nouriſhment but milke; no more ſhouldſt thou craue to be nouriſhed with any other food but the ſinceere milke of the word: and as the infant would die, except he be fed with milke: ſo all they that refuſes to be nouriſhed with this ſincere milke of the word, if they continew, die ſhall they. Thou Lord, Laird, or Barron, Husband-man, die ſhall thou, if thou be not nouriſhed with this ſincere milke of the worde. If it be ſo betweene the people and the Paſtor,Affection of the Paſtor to the flocke. as betwene the childe and the mother: the Paſtors leſſon is. Looke what tender affection the mother hes to her birth, to cheriſhe it, to take paines and trauaile, to wake and watch ouer it, and all vponupon a motherly affection, without reſpect of honour or gaine: the lyke ſhoulde thy affection be towards thy flocke, and on paine of thy lyfe looke thou ſeeke them, and not theirs. The Mother ſeekes the well of her childe, and not his goods, nor honour: ſo ſeeke thou the well of thy flocke, and not their goods, nor honour, and let thy affection be motherlie: and when thou ſees the motherlie affection of the mother to the childe, ſay, The Lord giuegive me ſuch an affection to my people as this mother hes to her childe, & let my honour and gaine be to get them nouriſhed. The honour of a Miniſter is in Heauen, and not in earth, his gaine is in Heauen. So Paul ſayeth, 1. Theſſ. 219. What is our hope, or ioy, or crovvn of reioyſing? are not euen you it in the preſence of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt at his comming to glorifie his elect. To this Chriſt with the Father and the holy Spirite, be glorie and honour for euer.
AMEN.