Exposition of 2 Thessalonians, Exposition · Chapter 3 · Verse 12
VERS. 12.
Now them that are ſuch we command and exhort by our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, that with quietneſſe they work and eate their owne bread.
THe preſcript, vrging to amendment, wherin is 1. Officium, the Office or act inioyned together with the Modus. To worke with quietnes. 2. The manner of iniunction, with peremptorie and graueſt command. Wee Command; and meekeſt yet moſt ſerious obteſtation, and beſeech you by our Lord Ieſus Chriſt; q.d. by the louelove you beare him. 3. Ratio, that ſo the bread you eate, may bee your owne.
We command and intreate, or exhort you, Brethren, &c. What is wanting to giuegive vsus edge to the dutie? Heere is 1. Preſcript. 2. Iniunction. 3. Exhortation. 4 Argument.
1. Preſcript, informes the Iudgement; directs what is to be done.
2. Iniunction or mandate peremptorie, preſſeth, vrgeth Conſcience.
3. Exhortation or entreatie, ſwayes affection.
4. Reaſon preuailes with all, that are Reaſonable.
Blinde we are all in the things of God; many in maine moralities. Gratious is the Law-giuer, that ſhewes thee oh … what is good, yet are few ſo happie as by bare demonſtration of duty, to be ſwayed to obedience: if any be, they are ſure guided by theePſal. 51.12. ingenuous and free ſpirit of God. But precept muſt be vponupon precept, iniunction peremptorie vponupon iniunction, ere Conſcience in many apprehend neceſſity of performance. There are whoſe Conſciences are vrged by iniunction; yet are not affections allowed to louelove and proſecute the duety: Heere hath exhortation and intreatie their place. And there are whoſe affections are alſo inclinable, yet are of curious vnderſtanding, that muſt ſee Reaſon ere they giuegive command for practiſe.
Vſe Lord what is man that thou ſo regardeſt him? But when Gods Spirit ſo farre deſcends, as in all things, after a ſort, to humour vsus, take heed we deſpiſe not ſuch dueties. If God but preſcribed the ſanctification of the Sabbath, a Lawe-giuer, as he isfIac. 4.12. able to ſaue and deſtroy, were it not ſufficient to preſſe vsus to the duty? But when he ſhall ſo far condeſcend to our backewardneſſe, to preſſe it vponupon Conſcience with a ſpeciallgSee Exod. 20.9, 10, 11. Memento; by his example leade vsus, by Reaſons ſo plentifull perſwade vsus, take heed how, vnderunder pretence of Relaxation from man, we pollute his holy day: ſic de Reliquis, where Gods Spirit pleaſeth to bee ſo importunately vrgent, there chiefely tremble to ſlight the dutie.
What, may we conceiue the Reaſon of Pauls ſo inſtant and importunate preſſing the dutie of labour? Vrging it with ſuch ſerious inſtance and vehemency, againe and againe, and a third time, as it he could neuer ſatisfie himſelfe in preſſing it.
Reſp. 1. The ſtate of this Church now in ſuch ſtreits, as diſſipation of it might iuſtly be feared, except by his meane it were ſupported. 2. The auerſenes of ſome amongſt them, from the dutie. 3. Perhaps alſo the important neceſſity of the duty in it ſelfe conſidered.
Such ſtrength our Church yet feeles not, nor feares; howbeit 1 Auerſenes, abhorrence from labour, toyleſome may be obſerued in moſt: wee are moſtly all of Iſſachars Tribe: therefore vſually chooſe callings of greateſt eaſe; in workes of calling Chriſtian and particular, make choice to be imployed in what is moſt eaſefull: that may bee the Reaſon, why many preferre hearing, before all other works of Religion. 2. Neceſſity lies alſo on vsus,hEpheſ 4.28. precept peremptorie: medi… alſo; ſith without it we can call nothing our owne not the bread we eate; hauehave holy or warrantable vſe of naught wee enioy; and how hatefull to God isiIer. 48.10. negligent doing his worke, any worke euen of calling?
How may we rowze our ſluggiſh nature? Meditate 1. The bleſſings which accompany ſedulous induſtrie; Gods bleſſing goes with it in temporalties, See Pro. 10.4. & 13.4. & 14.23. 2. His curſe is vponupon ſloathfulneſſe, that bringskPro. 10 4. to pouetty. 3. That preuents temptations, at leaſt blunts edge of them. 4. This encourageth, aduantageth the tempter: is Mother and Nurſe, good God, of how many fowleſt finnes, See Ezech. 16.49.
And eate their owne bread: Reaſon preſſing the duty: But is any ſuch bread, that we may call our owne? Peſtilent Anabaptiſts are all for community; ſome of them for ſuch as Plato warranted, wiues not exempted: and wiſer then they, giuegive diſtinction of dominions, no other original, then poſitiue lawes of men. I hauehave neither luſt nor leaſure to enter the queſtion; nor thinke I it pertinent to this Text: this onelyonly; Thou ſhalt not ſteale, is a Law morall, naturall. Why doubt we whether by like Law wee may call ſomething our owne? Elſe what is theft, or where is it? Vſually its deſcribed vſurpatio Rei alienae inuito Domino. 2. Confeſſed it is by all iudicious, that Dominium not onelyonly in Res, but in perſonas, hath approbation from Law morall, Exod. 20.10.17. Approbation? And why not alſo inſtitution? But manum de tabulâ. I had almoſt fallen on confutation of Schoolemens fond Reaſons.
Owne bread ſeemes here oppoſed alieno, not theirs, 1. Either becauſe due to others, viz. to impotent, if vnderſtood of what they receiued by way of reliefe from the treaſure: 2. Elſe, becauſe by no title ciuill; nor deſcent, nor price, nor labour, &c. theirs.
How euer, as Salomon aduiſedlPro. 5.15.17. to drinke water of our owne ciſterne, ſo Paul to eate Bread of our owne iuſt acquiring.
Diuines note a double propertie; one ſpirituall, which we hauehave in Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3.23. Another ciuile, whether by hereditary deſcent, or ciuill contract, or gift, or induſtrie. Ciuiliter meum it muſt be that we eate, and ſuch as by ſome iuſt title we may claime to be our owne.
Miſerum eſt, ſaid the Poet, alienâ viuere quadrâ: though neuer ſo liberally and generouſly conferted vponupon vsus. Impious, alieno viuere pane in Pauls ſenſe; ſuch as by no iuſt title we can call our owne. What is that liuing other then vniuſt, rapinous, and otherwiſe iniurious?
Vſe Their eyes ſwell with fatnes, their paunches as Tunnes, many, who neuer yet ate morſell of their owne Bread, Is it thine thou haſt gotten, by ſacriledge, oppreſſion, fraud, vſurie, bribery, diſſembling pouertie, impotencie, &c? Where hath God ſanctified theſe as meanes to make ought our owne? And not rather threatned, puniſhed with direct curſes ſuch methods & miſteries of coſenage and violence, till they hauehave vomited the ſubſtance they hauehave ſo deuoured. I ſay as Salomon, drinke waters of thine owne Ciſterne; more then Salomon, mNeh. 8.10.eate the fat, drinke the ſweet; but with Salomons caution, let them be thine, thine owne onelyonly; by no other meanes yet, by thy labour and induſtrie, that ſo thou maiſt reioyce in the worke of thine owne hands.