Lectures Upon the Epistles to the Thessalonians, Part 2 · Lecture 14
THE FOVRTENTH LECTVRE VPONUPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS.
2. THESSA. CHAP. 3. verſ. 16. 17. 18.
16 Novv the Lord of peace giuegive you peace alvvayes by all meanes. The Lord be vvith you all.
17 The ſalutation of me Paul vvith my ovvvne hand, vvhichwhich is the token in eueryevery Epiſtle: ſo I vvryte,
18 The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt be vvith you all Amen.
IN this text, brethren, we hauehave the end and concluſion of this Epiſtle, it conſiſtes wholly in prayer. Firſt he wiſhes peace to them from the Lord of peace for euer, eueryevery way. Then he wiſhes to them the preſence of the Lord himſelfe to be with them all. Laſt he ſalutes them, and the effect of the ſaluatation is a prayer for them. The grace of our Lord Ieſus be with you all, Amen. So all conſiſtes in prayer. Then learne. He beganne this Epiſtle with prayer and ſalutation: throughout the whole Epiſtle prayer is mingled: Now in the end he multiplies prayer. What meanes this? Euen this, that in vaine is all doctrine, exhortation, admonition, and precept whatſomouer, all preaching is nothing, except the Lord by his Spirit worke inwardlie in the harts of the hearers, all is nothing but vvinde, except he moue their affections. Now the way to obtaine this inward and ſecreete operation of the holy Spirite, is oft-tymes to turne to God by prayer, beſeeching him to be povverfull, and to joyne his Spirite vvith the vvord, and to joyne vvorking vvith ſpeaking. And therefore hovv oft ſo euer we teach and ye hear, the hart and eye ſhould be lifted vp, and ſet vponupon him who hes keeped Spirit and power in his owne hand to giuegive as he pleaſes: No man can giuegive you it, neither the Preachour, nor no Angell can giuegive you it. It is onelyonly in the hand of God and Ieſus Chriſt to giuegive thee Spirite and povver, and to joyne vvorking vvith ſpeaking. And therefore the eye in preaching ſhould euer be ſet on Chriſt. The Paſtour ſhould pray and hauehave his hart aboue to dravve dovvne grace to himſelfe and the people, that the vvord ſpoken may be effectuall in the hart, othervviſe, preaching and all hearing is in vaine.
Now to come to the words. The firſt thing he prayes for and wiſhes, is peace. The Lord of peace, ſayes he, giuegive you peace for euer and eueryevery vvay. The thing then he wiſhes is peace, that is quyetnes, reſt and tranquillity, concord & agreement all theſe words expreſſes the meaning of the word Peace. The contrare is, vnquyetnes,What peace is. diſſention, &c. This Peace is the bleſſednes felicity & happy eſtate of Chriſts kingdome, which is his Church, both in earth and Heauen: And all the graces we hauehave in Ieſus Chriſt tends to this end, that, his ſubjects may liue in peace, quyetneſſe, and joy, for euer: and that ſhall be the end, when we are in Heauen, peace and joy for euer. Ye ſee, the happy eſtate of a worldly kingdome, what is it? When men liues in reſt, and enjoyes peace and quyetnes, that is the happines of a worldly knigdom: therefore, in the 1. Timot. 2. 2. he commaundes prayer to be made for all men, For Kings and ſuperiour povvers. To what end? Euen to this ſame end, that, vve may liue a peaceable and quyet lyfe. Euen ſo, the bleſſed and happie eſtate of Chriſts kingdome, is, an heauenlie peace, concord and quyetneſſe. And therefore, Rom. 14. 17. he makes this peace to be eſſentiall to the kingdome of God, that he defines it, by this peace, ſaying. The kingdom of God is righteouſnes, peace and ioy in the holy Ghoſt. This Heauenly peace is onelyonly in Chriſts kingdome, in his Church, in Heauen and earth. And the ſubjects of the kingdome of Ieſus Chriſt are onelyonly they that enjoyes this peace here, and after this life for euer: for, without the Church of Chriſt, there is no true peace: If thou be no ſubject in his kingdome, thou haſt no reſt, no true peace: for, there is no true peace for the vvicked, ſayes the Prophet Eſay 57. 21. If thou be of that number that is without the kingdome of Chriſt, no peace for thee, and the end ſhall proue, thou hadſt neuer true peace in this world.
Now, to go forward. He craues, that, it may be giuen to them: Then,Peace the gift of god it is a gift. Heauenly peace is the gift of God; thou haſt it not by nature: None is borne with peace, but with warre and inimitie, by nature all are borne with diſſention, ſtrife and debate, there is no heauenly peace, by nature. And the whole lyfe naturall, what is it, but a continuance in war, debate, and ſtrife: firſt, againſt God; next with thy ſelfe and thy owne conſcience? And againe, a ſtrife againſt the Angels in Heauen and men on earth, and all the creatures of God; thou art an enemie to them, and they vntounto thee, vntill the tyme thou attaine to that new birth in Ieſus Chriſt; and then, by vertue of that birth, thou getſt this heauenly and ſpirituall peace: for, then, thou beginſt to liue at peace, firſt, with God himſelfe, and next, with the Angels in Heauen, and men in earth and with all his creatures. So, looke how needfull it is, for thee, to hauehave regeneration: for, if thou want it, thou ſhalt be at war for euer, thou ſhalt hauehave no peace. But how getſt thou it? It is a gift. And who ſhold giuegive it? The Lord of peace. The giuer of it muſt be the Lord, with dominion and power, with command. And as vnderunder his Lordſhip other things muſt be, ſo peace muſt be at his command, either to giuegive it, or, hold it. Now, who is this Lord that hes this power of peace and war? Who is he that ſayes, All povver is giuen to me in heauen and earth Matt. 2… 18. This Lord is Ieſus Chriſt. And therefore, ere euer he came in this world and tooke on him our nature. Eſay 9. 6. he ſtyles him the Prince of peace. And Paul Epheſ. 2. 14 ſtyles him peace it …elfe, he is our peace-maker And in Iohn 14. 27. Chriſt ſpeaking to his Apoſtles takes on him to be the giuer of peace, and ſayes, My peace I leaue to you, and giues you. So this Lord of peace is the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, who hes in his handes all grace and glorie, in Heauen and in earth.
Yet to goe forward.The lords ſtyle anſvver able to the grace … praier. Why is it that he makes a choiſe of this ſtyle rather then of any other? Certainely this ſtyle he receiues here agrees with the petition and thing asked at his hands: peace is craued, he is ſtyled the Lord of peace: what euer we aske of Chriſt it ſhould be in faith that he hes power to giuegive it: aske i… thou peace, aske it not but in an aſſurance that it is in his hand, and that he is able to giuegive it. Now this aſſurance that all is in his hand, it cannot be better vttered then by the Name and ſtyle we giuegive him: askeſt thou wiſdome? ſay, Lord of wiſdome giuegive wiſdome: askeſt thou peace? ſay, Lord of peace giuegive me peace: askeſt thou merciemercy? ſay, Lord of mercy giuegive me mercy. So the name and ſtyle we giuegive to the Lord when we craue ought at his hands ſhould be anſwerable to the grace and mercy we aske: for then we vtter our faith and aſſurance that he hes ſuch a grace and power to giuegive vsus. This hes bene the forme of Pauls prayer, and of godly men of old, and ſhould be imitate by vsus. The Lord hes many ſtyles, he is called the Lord of peace, mercy and juſtice, the Lord of glorie. There is not a Monarch that prydes himſelf in honourable ſtyles and names, that is comparable with the great Creator the Lord of the world, yea ſet them altogether all are nothing in compariſon with him, becauſe all are his, all grace, power and dominion in Heauen and earth is his; and therfore look by how many graces his Majeſtie hes ſpread it ſelfe through Heauen and earth, look how many graces he hes in his hand to giuegive, ſo many ſeuerall and honourable ſtyles may he receiue, there is no end of his glory, nor no end of his Names: from his wiſdome he is called the Lord of wiſdome; from his juſtice the Lord of juſtice; from his mercy the Lord of mercy; from his peace the Lord of peace; from his glory the Lord of glory.
Now to goe forward.Tvvo properties of peace. 1. It is euerlaſting There are two properties giuen to this peace. The firſt, It is for euer, alvvayes, it is not for a tyme onelyonly, but for all tymes: It is not for this lyfe onelyonly, but for the lyfe to come. This worldly peace ſerues but for this lyfe onelyonly, but the peace of Ieſus Chriſt ſerues for the lyfe euerlaſting. The peace of God is not peace in proſperitie onelyonly, but in aduerſitie alſo. It is not peace in life onelyonly, but in death alſo. And therefore Symen. in his ſong when he had ſeene Ieſus, he ſayes, Novv Lord, … depart in peace. Luke 2. 29. the ſeruant of God as he liued in great peace, ſo alſo departed in peace: ſo this peace laſtes for euer. And therefore Eſay 9. 7. when he hes called him the Prince of peace, he ſayes, the largeneſſe of his dominion and increaſe of his … at and peace ſhall hauehave no end: his kingdome is an endles kingdome, and there is an endles peace in that kingdome. I called this peace our bleſſedneſſe. Now this is the nature of bleſſedneſſe, it cannot be bounded within any tearms: if it be true ſelicitie bound it not, compaſſe it not within a yeere, within twentie yeeres, or within a thouſand, yea within ten thouſand yeeres: for the nature of true bleſſedneſſe is euerlaſting. And therefore ye ſee worldly men that places their happineſſe in worldly peace will dreame an eternity, and perpetuitie to that peace of theirs, that neither they nor their peace will hauehave an end. That rich man in the Goſpel, Luke 12. 19. ſaid to his ſoule, Liue at eaſe, eate and drinke, and take thy paſtime, thou hast ſtore laid vp for many yeeres: trow ye not but he thought to liue for euer, and thought that that aboundance ſhould abyde with him for euer? and ſo faires it with all worldlings, they dreame a reſt and peace for euer, but the end will proue that they wer dreaming all their dayes. Therefore Lord ſet our harts on that peace of Ieſus Chriſt that laſtes for euer. This is then the firſt propertie of this peace of his; It laſts for euer. The ſecond propertie of it is It is … of vvay. It is peace in all reſpects, not in one reſpect onelyonly nor in ſome reſpects onelyonly,2. It is in al reſpects but in eueryevery reſpect. I ſhall make this plaine. The peace of Ieſus Chriſt is peace in reſpect of God, when our ſoules ſtandes in friendſhip with him, when we are reconceiled to him by the bloud of Ieſus, as it is ſaid. Rom 5. 1. Being iuſtified by faith vve hauehave peace tovvards God. Then it is peace in reſpect of our ſelues, an euill conſcience is an euill enemie, when thou ſtryueſt not againſt thy owne affections but ſatiſfies them, then thy conſcience will let thee get little reſt, it will ay be accuſing thee: but when once this peace of Ieſus be giuen thee, ſo that thou beginſt to be regenerate, and to lead an holy and ſanctified lyfe, then thy conſcience reſts, and thou beginſt to enjoy a joyfull peace in thy ſoule. Philipp. 4. 7. The peace of God that paſſes all vnderſtanding preſerue your harts and myndes in Christ Ieſus: and Col. 3. 15. Let the peace of God rule in your harts. And againe, it is peace in reſpect of the creatures of God, with Angels in Heauen, with men on earth (man is enemie to man by nature) then hauing this peace thou art at peace with Heauen and earth, man and Angell: for all are enemes to thee ſo long as thou art outwith Ieſus Chriſt, we are enemies to them all, and they all to vsus: but being in Chriſt all things are reconciled to vsus, in heauen and earth. Epheſ. 1. 10. Col. 1. 20. ſo in all reſpects it is peace. Looke how many ſortes of enimities was, as many ſortes of peace muſt be; we are enemies to God, to our owne conſcience, to Angels and men, yea, and that that is moſt conjoyned to vsus by nature, be it bloude, aſfinitie, or any other bond; if there be no more but nature, there is nothing but enimitie; the conjunction of man and woman, if there be no more but their natural bond is enimity; the parents and the children without this ſpirituall peace of Ieſus are at enimitie. So, looke how many ſorts of enimitie there is, there are as many ſorts of peace, and our bleſſedneſſe ſtandes in this peace. Now looke the nature of it. As bleſſedneſſe muſt indure for euer, ſo our bleſſednes muſt be perfite. If thou haſt that peace of Ieſus, thou muſt hauehave it in all reſpects: if thou haſt peace with God, thou haſt peace with all men, ſo far as lyes in thee: (Rom 12. 18.) otherwiſe, thou haſt no true peace with God. Men oft-tymes beguyles themſelues. I will hauehave peace with God, will he ſay, and yet, I ſhal be this man, or that mans enemie, I ſhall ſlay him: folie, folie; if thou glorie in debate with man and does not that lyes into thy power, to be at peace with all men, thou ſhalt hauehave no peace with God: that thing which the Lord joynes, ſeuere not thou, the Lords peace is with al: if thou ſeuere it and pryde thee in enimitie with any, thou ſhalt not hauehave peace with God, nor with thy ſelf. What peace hes a murtherer with God, or with his owne conſcience? Aske at him, I demand thee, ô murtherer, knew thou what that peace of God meanes, when that bloudie affection raged and caried thee to bloude? Thou lookeſt for friendſhip with God, folie, thou art neither at friendſhip with God, nor his Angels, nor none of his creatures. It is a wonder, that the Heauens falles not on thee. The earth is thy enemy, and it is a vvonder that it ſwallows thee not vp for al that bloud that thou haſt ſhed on it, but once it ſhall preſent it to thy damnation, if thou repent not. This far concerning prayer for peace.
I goe to the next words. The Lord be vvith you all. He goes to a deeper ground. Before he wiſhed the grace of the Lord Ieſus to them. Novv he vviſhes the Lord himſelfe to them, the preſence of Ieſus Chriſt in his ovvn perſon, not onelyonly that he ſhall be vvith them in his grace and vertevv, but alſo that he may be vvith them in his ovvne preſence and perſon, vvhichwhich is more then the firſt. Then thou muſt not be content to pray for the benefites of Chriſt, but the cheefe ihing vve ought to pray for to Chriſt is, Lord giuegive me thy ſelfe, giuegive me thy preſence in thy ovvne perſon: for if vve get any good of him it muſt be by himſelfe, he muſt giuegive himſelfe to vsus. In one vvord, the firſt conjunction vve muſt hauehave vvith him muſt be vvith his ovvne perſon, he muſt be our head, and vve the members of his bodie: My hand vvill not be the better of any povver or vertue in my head, if my hand be not joined with my head; the firſt thing then my hand muſt hauehave, muſt be a conjunction with the head, and ſo of the reſt of the members of the body, and then the conjunction being made vvith the head, the vertue goes down from the head and is ſcatred throgh al the mēbers of the body. It is euen ſo with Chriſt Ieſus before we get grace or lyfe out of him, motion ſpirituall out of hi, peace out of him (he is full of grace) firſt that ſweet conjunction muſt be made betvveene him and vsus, he muſt be conjoined vvith vsus in a more ſtrate conjunction then the mē bers vvith the head. And therefore he goes to the ground of all peace the Lord Ieſus, that he may ſtand vvith them, and they may be conjoined with him their head.
Now he prayes for this preſence to them all: not to one member, to tvvo or three, but to all and euerie one of them. Then marke. The Lord Ieſus is a ſufficient head and Sauiour for all the vvorld, none being excepted, all ſufficiencie is in him, he may ſerue to be the head to all the vvorld, yea to a thouſand vvorldes, his preſence is ſo ample that he may ſuffice to be a Sauiour to a thouſand vvorldes; yea, to an infinite number of vvorldes. Paul knevv this that he is not like an earthlie king, vvhoſe preſence ſerues but for ſo many, and is contained vvithin narrow bounds, and therefore he prayes for peace to all. Now if thy head and Sauiour be ſo ample, thy hart ſhould not be narrovve, nor thy mouth narrovve: but as Ieſus is a ſufficient head for all, ſo let thy hart deſire his preſence to all the vvorld, if ſo it ſhould be poſſible. And as for my ſelfe, I vviſhe there vvere none but that they vvere partakers of this preſence of Ieſus Chriſt: For, vvhy ſhould vve ſeeke the vvreak of any creature? yet the Lord hes his ovvne, and none vvill get his preſence but they that are his. O, vvell is that bodie vvho is predeſtinate to lyfe, for that bodie muſt hauehave his preſence, he vvill be an head and Sauiour to him! But that body that is predeſtinat to deſtruction cannot hauehave his preſence; yet vve are bound to vviſh his preſence to eueryevery one.
Novv he commes to the ſalutation, and ſayes, The ſalutation of me Paul vvith my ovvne hand. Then he ſubjoines the forme of it The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, &c. He began vvith a ſalutation after his common forme, and novv he ends vvith a ſalutation. His firſt meeting vvith them vvas by a ſalutation, the end of his conference is by a ſalutation. Then looke vvhat example of his doing ſhould learne vsus: for as vve are bound to obey the doctrine of the Prophets, ſo we are bound to follow their faſhion of doing: Paul ſaluted, ſalute thou. The thing then I note here is this, In all the meetinges and conferences of the faithfull, either by vvord, preſence, or vvritte, there ſhould be a mutuall beneuolence, and an intere louelove and affection; that as ye ſee the bodies of men meete together, ſo the harts may meete together joyned in kyndneſſe and beneuolence: Wilt thou meet in bodie and hold thy hart aback, that is, vvilt thou hauehave the half man meeting, and not the whole man? That is no meeting: for the meeting ſhould be of the vvhole man, bodie and hart: and this ſhould be vttered all maner of vvay, in thy geſture, in thy doing,ſalutatiōs of chriſtians would be teſtimonies of their louelove. in thy ſpeaking, and all the vvordes of thy conference ſhould ſmell of louelove: Among all other thinges that teſtifies of louelove, this ſalutation is one, when thou bidſt him good morrowe, good night, it is a teſtification of thy well willingnes and of thy louelove towards the man: and this hes bene the forme of the godly, their meeting hes bene with a ſalutation; and their ſending with a ſalutation, that if they could not hauehave a byding together here, by their mutuall ſaluation they might abyde together: for all the members that are true members in Ieſus Chriſt, are joyned together in their ſpirits▪ harts and affections, this exemple we ſhould followe. This maner of doing nowadayes is counterfaite: Men will ſeeme to ſalute other gladly, and yet the harts will be wiſhing the worſt: in harts they are enemies to other, and ſo commonly al their doings, becking, and off-cap, and good dayes; both all their words and deeds are fained. Looke therefore what euer thou doe, doe it in ſinceritie: for the Lord heares and ſees all, and if thou doe fainedly, the Lord ſhall judge thee for it in that day.
He ſayes, he wrote this ſaluation vvith his ovvne hand. The whole Epiſtle before Paul hes dyted, and appearantly another hes written it. Now when it commes to the ſubſcription, Paul ſubſcryues it with his owne hand. Now wherefore was this? The cauſe appeares to be that before this tyme there raiſe vp deceiuers that ſtole in wrytings vnderunder the name of Paul, as appeares in the 2. chap. 2. verſe, be not deceiued, ſayes he, &c. And therefore to let them know what was his, and what was not his, he ſubſcryues with his own hand. This hes bene an old practick of Satan, euer to corrupt Chriſts Church, both by word and counterfaiting of writte, and all maner of way, and this ſame day we ſee the experience of it in the Romane Church.Satan by … inſtrumēts coū terfaits holy vvrits. Now to the end that falſe writtes may be trowed the better, looke the craft of the deuill, he hes in his inſtruments ſtollen in bookes written vnderunder the name of Prophets and Apoſtles, to the intent that the people reading the name of a Prophete or Apoſtle ſhould giuegive credite to the writ. Papiſtrie is full of deceite, and the cheefe grounds of their doctrine is Apocryphe-books which hes bene ſtollen in vnderunder the names of holy men▪ Now looke what hes beene the mercy of God, he ſees this well eneugh. Therefore it pleaſed him to imprint a marke in his holy writte, whereby it ſhould be knowne to be authentike Scripture, as in this place he ſubſcryues with his owne hand, which was not without the prouidence of God: for there is not a part of Scripture but the Lord hes ſtamped it with ſuch a ſure ſtampe, that is, with ſuch a Majeſtie in ſpeaking, with ſuch gratiouſneſſe and ſpiritualneſſe, both in words and matter, that they that hes a ſpirituall eye to diſcerne betweene light and darkneſſe will take it vp to be of God. I pray you tell me, how was the olde Scripture tane vp to be of God? The Papiſt will ſay, becauſe the Church ſaid it they were of God. Is that all the warrand? And who told the Church? If the olde and new Scripture bare not the markes of the Spirit in themſelues the Church had neuer tane them vp to be of God? So the marke of the Scripture is that ſtampe of the Spirit, that Majeſtie in ſuch a ſimplicitie of wordes: that gratiouſneſſe and power which ſhows both in the wordes and matter, theſe things telles vsus they are not mans writs: for, mens writtes hes not the gratiouſneſſe and power that is in the Scripture. Brethren, this marke of Pauls ſubſcription is away, albeit we hauehave the Epiſtle, but a better marke bydes, the ſtampe of the Lord bydes, and this telles that it is the Scripture of God and Pauls writing.
Now followes the ſaluation. The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt be vvith you all. I ſee the affection of the man in the end of his writ is powred out on this Church of Theſſalonica, and when he takes his leaue, he burſtes out in frequent prayer, and al his praier is for heauenly and ſpirituall thinges. Then, firſt, we learne, we muſt not euer bide al together, and we cannot hauehave euer conference either by word or writ. But, how is our ſundring recompenſed? To wit, with greatneſſe of affection, let thy louelove grow. And how ſhalt thou vtter it? In prayer to God, for them, with whom thou may not dwell: affection is nothing worth without praier. And what ſhould we pray for? Eſpecially for heauenlie things: Pray for heauenly peace, for the preſence of Ieſus Chriſt, and that the grace of Chriſt may be with him: Pray alſo for things earthly, but ſo that they may further him to heauenlie thinges. And I ſay, the man that cannot pray for heauenly things cannot pray truely for earthly thinges. Dare thou pray, if thou ſeeke not firſt the kingdome of Heauen? no, thou cannot pray, if it were for thy dinner, except thou pray firſt for the kingdome of God. Now the next word is grace, that is free fauour of God. I reade not of ſuch a commendation of any people as of theſe Theſſalonians. He commended them in both theſe Epiſtles, from their faith, hope, louelove, and all the dueties of louelove. Yet, he ſayes not, The Lord render you a rewarde for your merite; but▪ he ſayes grace be vvith you. This is contrare to all merite. Read the 2. Timo. 1▪ 16. there ye will finde a very notable exemple to this purpoſe. There he ſayes, Oneſiphorus vvas very beneficiall to me, he oft refreſhed me, he thought no ſhame of my bondes: he ſought … Rome very diligently. How ſhould he be requyted for this? He ſayes, The Lord grant that Oneſiphorus may finde mercy vvith the Lord at that day: He is but a miſerable man when he hes done all this: And therefore this ſhall be my prayer for him: for it will not be his merite that will do him good, but it is the free grace and fauour of God. O foole, all thy merites ſhall ſtinke in that great day, and then thou ſhalt ſee what free grace ſhall do: for in that day none ſhall ſtand, but ſuch as ſtands by free grace.
Now whoſe grace is it he prayes for? It is Ieſus Chriſts: No, there is no grace but Chriſts grace. How is it the Lord Ieſus Chriſts? He hes boght of the hand of the Father all grace, al gifts of the holy Spirit, all glorie in Heauen and earth with a pryce, euen the pryce of his precious bloude. And therefore the Father hes giuen him all. So there is no ſparke of grace giuen to any creature, but it muſt come through Chriſt his hand, euen the hand of the man Ieſus. All righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and glorie muſt come from him, he muſt be the giuer thereof. Therefore it is ſaid, he gaue gifts to men. Epheſ. 4. 8. The Father giues no graces immediatly, but all are giuen through the hand of Ieſus Chriſt. Therefore let vsus hauehave recourſe to this Lord of grace, and ſeeke not to the Father without him, but ſeek all from the Father in him. Now how far ſhould this grace extend? Euen as Ieſus Chriſt is an head that extends himſelfe to al, ſo the grace that commes from him is ſufficient for all: it is ſufficient if it were for a thouſand, yea infinite worlds. Rom. 5. 15. The Heauens are not capable of the greatnes of the grace of Ieſus Chriſt:Greatnes of the grace of Chriſt. ſo that if there were a thouſand worlds, there is ſufficiency of grace in him for them all: There is no inlack in him, but the inlack is in thy narrow hart; it is capable but of a very ſmall portion. Learne here then by the exemple of Paul that we ſhould not hauehave narrow harts to wiſh this grace to a few, but we ſhould wiſh it to be giuen to all. Looke what he ſayes of himſelfe, 2. Cor. 6. 11. My meuth, ſayes he, hes bene vvyde open vntounto you, my hart is dilated, ye dvvell not narrovvly in my hart. So all men ſhould hauehave an open and a dilated hart in wiſhing grace: ſpare not to be liberall in wiſhing, fill thy hart and mouth with his grace, and … with liberalneſſe to others: ſeeke that grace of Ieſus to all, that, if it were poſſible, all the world might be ſaued: For this is good and acceptable in the ſight of God our Sauiour, vvho vvill that all men ſhall be ſaued, and come vntounto the acknovvledging of the trueth. 1. Tim. 2. chap. 3. 4. verſ. Yet the Lord hes his owne, and ſo many as he hes written in his booke ſhall be ſaued. Therefore thou ſhould ſeeke all the warrands thou can to aſſure thee that thou art Ieſus Chriſts fore-ordeinde to lyfe euerlaſting: for if thou be of the number of the elect, the grace of Chriſt ſhall extend to thee, and thou ſhalt hauehave glorie with him for euer. To this Ieſus be all praiſe, honour and dominion, for euer and euer.
AMEN.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Rollock, Lectures Upon the Epistles to the Thessalonians (1606)