Lectures Upon the Epistles to the Thessalonians, Part 2 · Lecture 12
THE TWELFTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL, TO THE THESSALONIANS.
2. THESSA. CHAP. 3. verſ. 7. 8. 9. 10.
7 For, ye your ſelues knovve, hovv ye ought to follovv vsus: for, vve behaued not our ſelues inordinatly among you,
8 Neither tooke vve bread of any man for nought: but, vve vvroght vvith labour and trauaile, night and day, becauſe vve vvould not be chargeable to any of you.
9 Not but that vve had authoritie, but, that vve might make our ſelues an enſample, vntounto you, to follovve vsus.
10 For, euen, vvhen vve vvere vvith you, this vve vvarned you of, that, if there vvere any, vvhichwhich vvould not vvorke, that, he ſhould not eate.
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 eueryevery thing, he had commaunded them. The thirde precepte was particulare, that they ſhould take heede to their harts, and ſet them firſt on the louelove of God, and ſecondly, vponupon 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 eueryevery Chriſtian, that keepes the name and walked inordinatly, that is, not according to the …ale, he had ſet downe to them, to follow. In this precept, firſt, we hauehave 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 vsus, how hard it is, to ſeuere the beſt of vsus 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 eueryevery brother, that walketh inordinatly. There is no worſe companie, then they, who keepes the name of Chriſtians, and vnderunder the pretence thereof, vvill liue licent…ouſ…e, 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 vsus: 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 hauehave not liued out of rule, nor out of order. Therefore, learne to liue, as I hauehave liued you before you, not idle, but labouring for your liuing, as ye hauehave 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 vponupon the part of the people, concerning them, that heares the preaching, and doctrin of Chriſt. What is their duetie? When they hauehave heard, and when they hauehave ſeene the Paſtor walke directly according to the rule of doctrine ſet downe by him: then, there is a neceſſitie laide vponupon them, to follovv his foot-ſteps, and walke, as he vvalkes. And more. The vvords lets vsus 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 hauehave 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 vsus 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 vponupon 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 hauehave 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 vsus 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 vntounto 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 onelyonly 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 onelyonly, 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 hauehave laboured for it, in his owne calling. Yet, marke the words. There is a giuing and a receiuing: for, he ſayes. I hauehave 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 giuegive him meate willingly, he may lawfully eate of it. No, it is vanitie, except with the gift there be labour. There is nothing vnderunder 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 vponupon ſuch. Alwayes, the leſſon is, there is ſuch a neceſſitie of working laide on euerie one, for their liuing, that, nothing can exeeme vsus. 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, ſaye▪ 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 hauehave to impart to other, that cannot worke. So, let him not labor for himſelfe onelyonly, but, for others. And ſo, we ſhould not labour, onelyonly that we be not burdenſome to others, but, alſo, that we may be helpfull to others: for, we are not borne for our ſelues onelyonly, he giues vsus not hands and feet, and the reſt of our members for our ſelues onelyonly, but, for our neighbours alſo: yea, he giues vsus not an hart, to louelove our ſelues onelyonly, but alſo, to louelove 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 hauehave ſaid, Then, thou haſt no right, to craue ought of vsus, for thy preaching? ſaieſt thou not, thou laboreſt, to get thy ovvn liuing? He anſwers, no, I hauehave juſt right, to tak for my preaching, I writ not this, as if I had no authority: but, this I hauehave done, when I might hauehave ta…e 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 hauehave 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 hauehave 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 giuegive ouer their rightes, vvhichwhich they may moſt juſtlie challenge. Paul gaue ouer his right, hovvbeit he might hauehave 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, vponupon 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 vsus. Brethren, the thing, that, the Lord craues of euerie one of vsus, 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 onelyonly, 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, onelyonly preaching might hauehave 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 vponupon 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 hauehave. For, if this be true, that, the bleſſing of God is on the labourer, Pſal. 128. 2. Prou. 10. 4. and vponupon 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 hauehave 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 vsus to that lyfe, that Chriſt, by his bloud, hes bought to vsus. 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 giuegive a vagabound leaue to clatter from morne till night and then, giuegive 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 giuegive vsus 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 vsus; 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.