Exposition of 2 Thessalonians, Exposition · Chapter 3 · Verse 1,2
2 THES. Chap. 3. Ver. 1, 2.
Finally, Brethren, pray for vsus, that the word of the Lord may hauehave free courſe, and be glorified as it is with you:
And that wee may be deliuered from vnreaſonable and wicked men: for all men hauehave not faith.
THE third part of the Epiſtle, ſpent in Redargution of errour in practiſe: ſuppoſe 1 ſleeping of Church diſcipline towards the inordinate. 2 The continued neglect of Pauls ordinance, touching perſonall labor. To reprehenſion whereof, becauſe the carriage of it is ſomewhat tart and peremptory. The Apoſtles paſſage, as to me it ſeemes, is, by prefacing ſomewhat inſinuatiuely; premiſing teſtimonies and ſignes of louelove, three in number: 1 that he deſires the helpe and comfort of their prayers: 2 reſts confidently perſwaded of their obedience. 3 Praies God for them: eueryevery of theſe, a Teſtimony of Pauls louelove continued: but of them as manifeſtations of louelove, in the looſe.
Of the firſt, his crauing aid of their prayers: verſ. 1, 2. how it euidenceth Pauls louelove and good opinion of them, notwithſtanding their exorbitancy, you may eaſily conceiue; weighing, how it preſuppoſeth, Paul knew how little grace the prayer of the wicked hath with God; and how his eares are open to prayers of righteous onelyonly.
The words conſidered in themſelues, hauehave the forme of a preſcript: wherein is 1 the duety: 2 the matter of it. The duety, pray for vsus: whereof ſee Annotata ad 1 Theſ. 5.25. this onelyonly annexed.
Why is Paul ſo eueryevery where instant with the people to afford himaSee 2 Cor. 1.11 Eph. 6.18, 19. Col 4 3. Heb. 13.18. Rom. 15.30. aid of their prayers? Might he not preſume his owne deuotion preualent enough with God? ſomewhere ye hauehave him in the tone and phraſe of beggars, importuning the people for it. I beſeech you, Brethren, for the Lord Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, and for the louelove of the Spirit, that you ſtriue together with me in your prayers to God for me.
Reſp. 1. Perhaps, or without perhaps its true,bIob 42.8. other Saints prayers ſometimes obtaine for vsus what our owne doe not. 2 It cannot be that the prayers of many ſhould be deſpiſed. 3 The good and welfare of Miniſters, is thecHeb. 13.18. benefit of the people; their prayers God requires to obtaine it. 4 The tribute of thanks come home more plentifulld2 Cor. 1.11. from many.
eEccl. 4.9, 10.Ʋae ſoli: Two are better then one: as in other things, ſo in deuotion.fIam. 5.16. Single prayers are as the ſingle haires of Sampſon, eueryevery one hauing the ſtrength of a man: The prayers of many, of whole Congregations, as Sampſons whole buſh; able to ouercome the hoſt of heauen, almoſt to binde the Almightie. Proud Scorner let his name be, whoſoeuer deſpiſeth this helpe of owne weakneſſe.
2 The matter of the duety, of two members: 1 reſpecting their Miniſterie, verſ. 1. 2 their perſons, verſ. 2.
Their Miniſtery: 1 that the word of God may runne; hauehave free courſe: that is, may hauehave ſpeedy and vnhindered paſſage and propagation: ſometimes its called, thegActs 6.7. growing; ſometimes, the hActs 13.49.ſpreading or carrying abroad: ſometimes theiActs 12.24. multiplying of the word of God. Not that it ſelfe, in it ſelfe, is multiplied; but in ſubiecto: as Act. 6.7.
Reaſons of the duety: 1 hereby is Gods Kingdome enlarged: 2 Satans demoliſhed: 3 our conſummate bleſſedneſſe haſtened.
Neceſſitie: 1 oppoſites many to proceedings of Truth; as Iames and Iambres to Moſes. 2 Perſecutions of all ſorts, from all ſorts of people raiſed. 3 Timorouſneſſe of Predicants occaſioned thereby. 4 Reproach of the word. 5 Ill liues of thoſe that preach and profeſſe it. Theſe, and the like impediments, meets the Goſpell withall; that were there not a diuine vertue to breake through all, it had ſtopped in Sion, whence it firſt began courſe.
Ʋſe Now bleſſed be God that hath giuen vsus a King, nurſing father to the Church, defender of the Faith once giuen to Saints: oppoſites elſe it hath as many, as euer any age afforded; witneſſe the inſurrections of multitudes, when once the k1 Cor. 16.9.effectuall doore is ſet open; beſides the ſwarmes oflApoc 9.3. Locusts afreſh chirping amongſt vsus: And, which without griefe I mention not, the many exorbitancies of men preaching, and profeſſing the Truth. All theſe exact our prayers for vnhindered paſſage.
You may adde in your meditation, the miſerable eſtate of many congregations in this Kingdome, diſperſed, ſhall I ſay? without a Shepheard; or famiſht with the Idole Shepheard. Amongſt whom, beſides confuſed notices and rumours of one Ieſus and his death, is ſcarce to be found any other knowledge of Ieſus Chriſt and him crucified. If any bowels be in vsus, they will yearne at their miſery, andmMat. 9 36. pray God to ſend them nIer. 3.15.Pastors after his owne heart, to feed them with knowledge and vnderſtanding.
And there are of thatoIohn 10 16. other fold, which our Sauiour ſpeakes of, ſheepe, as I hope, many, whom the Lord will bring home.pRom. 11.25. The fulneſſe of the Gentiles is not yet come in. Nations many, to whom the name of Ieſus hath not yet bin knowne: vainly, I thinke, we hope for Iewes reſtoring, till Indian Churches be collected; at leaſt the Goſpell preached vntounto them for a Teſtimony againſt them: fallor? or doth our nauſeating of the Goſpell, the ſower Grapes of our vintage, and the turbulent ſtate of our Chriſtendome, pretend the tranſlating of the Goſpell from vsus to them? In that preſage of our depriuall, Lord grant our Repentance may make me a falſe Prophet: Howbeit that to them alſo the doore of faith may be opened, the Goſpell conueied, the word of God runne, ſhould be a Chriſtians prayer.
And be glorified: the ſecond parcill of the petition on behalfe of our Miniſtery: the Glory of the word of God. I conceiue, not ſo much what reſults from holy liues of profeſſors and predicants, though that may alſo be implied; as theq2 Cor. 10.4, 5. & 3.6. mighty and powerfull efficacy of it in bringing men to the obedience of faith. Saint Luke ſomewhere cals it the potentrActs 19 20. preualence of it. Saint Paul, theſCol. 1.6. fructifying of it in the hearts of the hearers. And ſo had it bin glorified amongſt this people, 1 Theſ. 2.13. As if Paul ment to preſſe vponupon our deuotion, to craue of God, not onelyonly the ſpreading of the knowledge of the Goſpell, but manifeſting the power of it in the conuerſion of as many in eueryevery kingdome and Nation as belong to his Election.
The name of the Lord is by nothing moretActs 19.18. glorified then by the Saluation of his people. 2 Comfort and ioy is multiplied vponupon our ſoules in the report or beholding, if yet there be grace in vsus. 3 The bleſſed end of this miſerable world wherewith is coniunct the conſummation of our happineſſe, to which alſo we profeſſe to haſten, is hereby furthered.
Ʋſe We are by much more in niſe cenſuring then in deuotion. In this particular notice it: where the holieſt Miniſtery preuailes not with the multitude to worke their manifeſt and preſent conuerſion, vſually we grow iealous of the miniſters ſincerity; or deeming the people a rent of Caſtawaies to whom God ſends his word to harden, rather then ſaue them. And yet 1 ſincereſt Preachers hauehave not alwayes bin moſtuIſai 49.4. fruitfull: 2 yet who doubts but a*2 Cor. 2.15. ſweet ſauour vntounto God: 3 And there is oft a ſecret vnſeenexRom. 11.4, 5. remnant, ayIſai 6.13. Tenth vnknowne which returnes: 4 Times and ſeaſons of bleſſing God keepes in his owne power. But ſee if the default reſt not on other people; that they are defectiue in their duety, to aid Miniſters with their prayers for bleſſing and ſucceſſe of their gracious indeauours.
2 Elſe by their vnreformed liues working greater alienation of mindes from the Goſpell, in men already eſtranged from the life of God. Certainly I hauehave long obſerued ſuch cenſors, though ſeemingly tranſported with the zeale of Elias, yet none of the greateſt ornaments to the Goſpell. There is a way for you to glorifie the glorious Goſpell: 1z1 Pet. 2.12. Liue as it preſcribes, and you profeſſe: 2 pray God to proſper it in our mouthes; you may ſee it glorious in the ſaluation of thoſe miſdeemed forlorne ſoules, when once the day of Gods gracious viſitation commeth.
As it is amongſt you. The exemplification of that glorious power of the Goſpell in themſelues he mindes them of; whither to make hopefull of obtaining like bleſſing from God on others, though preſently aliens, from their owne experience? Certainly to ſuch end hee elſewhere mindes Gods people of the ſtrangeaTit. 3.3, 4.5. change Gods grace hath wrought in them: or not rather to forme their affection to ſuch pietie, as to deſire other mens ſharing with them in the ſauing power and benefits of the Goſpell? Grace may be emulous, is not enuious, Eaſily, willingly, fainely beteemes another, any other, all others ſhare with it in the common ſaluation.Ambroſe. Its after a ſort naturallized in eueryevery good man, to deſire conſorts, as many as may be, in goodneſſe. Moſes to Ioſhuah. Enuieſt thou for my ſake? NowbNumb. 11.29. would God all the Lords people were Prophets. Paul, cActs 26.29.I could wiſh that not onelyonly thou, but all that heare me this day, were both almoſt and altogether as I am in Chriſtianitie: elſewhere, that d1 Cor. 7.7.all men were as I in my peculiar priuiledges.
According ſee gracious endeauors of Gods Saints. Dauid, ohePſal. 34.8. taste and ſee how gracious the Lord is: fPſa. 66.16.Come ye children hearken to me, I le tell you what the Lord hath done for my ſoule. Who doubts? but minding to draw them to experiment like bounty. Compare Act. 11.20, 21. &c. Ioh. 1.42, 45. as if in the new birth after their opinion, the prouerbe held; Naſcitur indignè per quem non naſcitur alter: ſee Zech. 8 21. Iſai 2.3.
Ʋſe It ſauours of Iewiſhneſſe, rather then Chriſtianity, to deſire encloſure of grace to our ſelues. What looſe we, if others ſhare with vsus in the common ſaluation? that inheritance is not diminiſhed by multitude of enioyers. What are we preiudiced if others be our equals or betters in the meaſures of Grace? 1 Our little is theg2 Cor. 1.22. earneſt of our inheritance, as their more: 2 their more, ish1 Cor. 12.7. ours in the vſe and benefit. 3 Not much Grace, but muchiMat. 25.23, 26. vſe of Grace in doing ſeruice to God and our brethren, is that which augments our reward. 4 And where is thatk1 Cor. 12.26. ſympathie of members, reioycing when any one is had in honour? while I hauehave place amongſt the Sheepe at the right hand of the Iudge; why doe I enuie to Apoſtles their Thrones of more eminence?