Exposition of 2 Thessalonians, Exposition · Chapter 2 · Verse 17
VERS. 17.
Comfort your hearts, and ſtabliſh you in eueryevery good word and worke.
THE bleſſing prayed for, as neceſſary to preuent ſeducement. 1 Comfort. 2 Stabliſhment.
Comfort, what it is, ſee ſupra. Sometimes ſorrow oppreſſeth. Oppreſſit me, tIſai 38.14.Domine ſuccurre mihi; her comfort is refreſhing, Matth. 11.28. reuiuing. Iſai 57.15. foreign. Speake to the heart of Ieruſalem. Iſai 40.2. Sometimes feare ſurchargeth, comfort is then encouragement; foreign, the exciting of our fainting and languiſhing ſpirits.
Quest. How prayed for, when already giuen.
Reſp. 1 To be continued. 2 Encreaſed.
Neceſſitie of it, and prayer for it, to our perſeuerance eaſely appeares. 1 Perpetuitie of preſſures and temptations, as waues in the ſea, following one in the necke of another. 2uHeb. 12.4. Poſibilitie of greater. 3 Owne readineſſe, to multiply our owne feares, and ſorrowes. 4 Fearefull iſſues of withdrawing it. 1*2 Cor. 2.7. Swallowing vp of ſorrow. 2 Slow pace in goodneſſe. 3 Dulneſſe of ſpirit in performance. 5 Little or no encouragement to goodneſſe the times afford vsus.
Ʋſe The Father of mercies, and God of all conſolation, grant it vntounto vsus. The rather conſidering the ſeaſon, preſently dolorous, likely to be more. Conſidering our ſinnes, theſe are but foreign, the beginnings of ſorrowes.
This yet comforts. 1 God hath promiſed not to leaue vsus comfortleſſe. 2 Tox1 Cor. 10.13. giuegive iſſue with the temptation. 3 Toy2 Cor. 1.5. cauſe comforts abound as our afflictions. 4 And hath plentifully exemplified it, in the cloud of witneſſes, that hauehave gone before vsus.
OnelyOnly let vsus not be wanting to our ſelues. 1 Store you with knowledge, and meditation of Scriptures,zPſal. 119.50. that ſhall be our comfort in our trouble. 2 Amend what is a miſſe; who aIon. 3.9.knowes whither the Lord may returne, and lea… bleſſing behinde. 3bEzech. 9.4. Mourne for what thou canſt not mend; the abominations done amongſt vsus. Perhaps thou ſhalt findecZeph. 2, 3. a hiding place, in the day of Gods wrath. 4 Bed2 Chro. 6.29. ſenſible of the plague, and ſo powre out thy ſoule vntounto God. 5ePro. 24.17. Inſult not ouer others miſerie, rather commiſerate, ſolace it.
The ſecond bleſſing prayed for, is eſtabliſhment; amplified by the matter, in eueryevery good word, and worke.
Stabliſh you, Saint Peter in like pray…r addes,f1 Per. 5.10. ſtrengthen, ſettle you; as a foundation is ſetled, to bee vnmoueable. Whither hee thought all little enough to worke our eſtabliſhment; or, that the greateſt meaſure of this grace from God, were but enough to our confirmation.
Neceſſitie of the bleſſing, and prayer for it appeares by; 1 Naturall gGal. 1.6.mutabilitie, no leſſe then hEph. 4▪ 14.leuitie. 2 Violence of aſſaulters to deiect vsus from our ſtation. 1iEph. 6.12▪ Principalities and powers. 2 Perſecutours. 3 Heretiques. 4 Temptations by view ofkPſal. 73.3▪ 13. proſperitie of contrarie courſes. 2 Yea, our owne proſperous eſtate. 3 Frequent examples of multitude, yea, of wiſe and prudent running another courſe. 4 Paucitie of companions. Theſe with the like, preſſe on vsus prayer for ſupport and eſtabliſhment.
Ʋſe Still I like proteſtations, and reſolutions of conſtancy; yet preferre humble prayer to God for eſtabliſhment. Aduiſes not to bee ſlighted, heed theſe. 1lPro. 28.14. Feare thine owne infirmitie; beware of ouer confidence: let foule falles ofmNeh. 13, 26. great Saints make thee watchfull. None hauehave euer proued more cowardly in times of triall then confident preſumers. 2 Caſt not thy ſelfe into temptation; that were to nMat. 4.7.tempt God. Shunne no affliction which God calles thee to ſuffer; yet runne not vponupon the pikes. God hath promiſed to keepe vsus in vijs, Nunquid in precipitijs? Bern.3 What euer thy preſent ſtrength may ſeeme, vſe meanes of confirmation;oHeb. 10.25. forſake not aſſemblies, &c.
Matter wherein hee prayes for their eſtabliſhment. 1 EueryEvery good word; that vnderſtand, not ſo much good ſpeach, or language; though that alſo bee a great and rare grace of God,pEph. 4.29. Col. 4.6. to hauehave our ſpeach poudered with ſalt, and alwayes gracious.
But good word, is here good doctrine; as Peter, ſtabliſhed in the preſent truth. 2 Pet. 1.12. Paul ſeemes to interpret, the words of faith, good doctrine. 1 Tim. 4.6.
To goodneſſe of doctrine concurre. 1 Conformitie to the Idea, and foreign, of knowledge,qTit. 1.9. & 1 Tim 6.3. the analogie and rule of faith.
2r1 Tim. 1.4. Ʋſefulneſſe for ſpirituall edification. Genealogies and ſuch like nicities, reiect as vaine; they breed rather queſtions, then godly edifying.
ſIohn 17.17.Holineſſe, all diuine trueths hither tend.
t1 Tim. 1.10. 2 Tim. 4.Wholeſome, or healing of 1 errors in iudgement. 2 Wounds of conſcience. 3 Diſordered affections.
In eueryevery ſuch doctrine the Lord ſtabliſh you, theſe you may ſay they are good doctrines, herein you may finde reſt to your ſoules.
Ʋſe Why languiſh we? why dote we ſo long about impertinent queſtions of ceremonie and diſcipline? Things that no way concerne the people, except to obey and ſubmit in. Yet mentior, if they bee not holden amongſt many, as the maine grounds of the Goſpel; ſuch as wherewith the ſubſtance of Religion muſt bee thought to ſtand or fall. Why are we ſo long children in vnderſtanding? When ſhall we once learne that theuPſal. 45.13. beautie of the Church is within; her veſture of diuerſe colours? When to preferre in our ſtudy, and approbation, ſubſtance rather then circumſtance?
And good worke: the ſecond thing wherein Paul prayes they may be eſtabliſhed. In eueryevery good worke; ſaith Papiſts this difference: ſome are morally, ſome gratuitouſly, or meritoriouſly good. I that hauehave learned to thinke and ſpeake according to Scriptures, and know no workes, no not gratious, meritorious, will thus explicate: 1 Premiſing a difference twixt morall workes of Heathens, and good workes of Chriſtians. Thoſe I know formally euill, though materially good; theſe materially, and in part formally good, and*1 Pet 2.5. acceptable to God through Ieſus Chriſt. Thoſe little other then xRom. 14.23.ſinnes, becauſe not done in faith; and tendered to Gods fight, without any thing to couer their blemiſhes, or make them acceptable: theſe ſtained with ſinne in reſpect of defects, in meaſure of performance, yet preſented to God as pure. 1 God willingly yNum. 23.21.conniuing at weakeneſſes while the heart is vpright. And 2 ex pacto zMat 10.42.capable of reward.
2 Next I preſuppoſe the Apoſtle to ſpeake to Chriſtians, men in the faith, whom hee deſires to remember the end of their redemption, which is, to be conſtantlyaTit 2 14. & 3.8, 14. zealous of good workes; and ſo to proceed to explicate their Nature.
1 In actions of ſuch men, I hauehave learned to require a double goodneſſe; 1 One genericall; 2 The other ex circumſtantiâ. Genericall goodneſſe, when the act for the matter or ſubſtance of it, is congruent to that perfect rule of righteouſneſſe, the Law of God. He hath ſhewed thee, O man, bMic. 6.8.what is good, euen what the Lord requires of thee. They talke of workes of counſell and aduiſe, which they ſuppoſe in excellencie to exceed ſuch as are commanded. Yet 1 its their owne rule, vbi maior obligatio, maior acceptatio quia c1 Sam. 15.22.melior eſt obedientia quam victima. 2 And theſe workes which they ſuppoſe to bee of counſell, are neuer good, nor ſo much as lawfull, ſaue when circumſtances determine them to be neceſſarie, neceſſitate precepti.
2 Goodneſſe ariſing from circumſtances, when due circumſtances of doing are obſerued. Suppoſe firſt motiue. 1 LoueLove of God. 2 View of precept, or conſcience of the command.
2 Modus, when indRom 6.17. Epheſ. 6.6. ſinceritie and ſingleneſſe of heart, without groſſe hypocriſie, they are tendered vntounto God.
3 When with regular intention, thateMat. 5.16. God may thereby be glorified.
To which when other circumſtances of time, place, perſon, &c. bee added: you hauehave a worke morally good, bee circumſtantionatum, as Papiſts confeſſe: as I, a worke acceptable to God through Ieſus Chriſt, when done (as theſe circumſtances ſuppoſe it) by a man in faith.
The law I confeſſe requires to eueryevery worke it crownes, allowes, aliquid vltra? Non onelyonly. 1 Rem, & 2 modum, 3 but menſuram & gradum perfectionis. ButfRom. 6.14. wee are not vnderunder the Law, but vnderunder Grace.
Infinite varietie are ſuch good workes in. They dreame who fancie no workes good but thoſe of mercy, viſito, poto, cibo, &c. So many commandements, ſo many good workes; ſo many ſeuerall dueties enioyned in eueryevery commaundement, ſo many ſeuerall ſorts of good workes; which yet Paul hath reduced to theſe three heads: workes 1 ofgTit. 2.12. Pietie. 2 Iuſtice. 3 Sobrietie; compriſing vnderunder iuſtice thoſe of merciemercy, wherto alſo Popiſh common-placemen referre mercy and the workes thereof as to their head.
Ʋſe Herein pray to be eſtabliſhed: 1hMat. 26.41. Nature is a holdbacke, a draw-backe. 2iIſai 49 4. Encouragements are few from men. 3 YetkMat. 10.42. reward is great in heauen. 4 Commoditie much on earth. 1 Simple aliensl1 Pet. 2.1. preparatiuely won. 2mTit. 2.5. Blaſphemers mouthes ſtopped. 3 Goſpel adorned. 4n2 Pet. 1.10, 11. Election and calling aſſured. 5 Yea plentifull enterance into Gods Kingdome procured. Yet hac lege, that weoGal. 6.9. be not weary of well doing, for thenp2 Iohn 8. Gal. 3.3. we looſe all that we hauehave wrought.
I conclude with that of the Apoſtle. Therefore my bethren, be ye ſtedfaſt and vnmoueable, alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord; 1 Cor. 15, 58.foraſmuch as you know how that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. So I proceed to the third maine part of the Epiſtle.