Exposition of 2 Thessalonians, Exposition · Chapter 3 · Verse 13
VERS. 13.
But yee Brethren bee not weary of well doing, &c.
Aprolexticall Apoſtrophe to the people orderly demeaning themſelues, after the Canon for labour; hauing nature of a caution, whoſe ſumme is this; that howſoeuer exorbitants behaued themſelues, they yet ſhould continue in weldoing.
What this weldoing is, is queſtionable: whither beneficence, and relieuing of theſe inordinate? Reſp. 1. Except in caſe of extreme neceſſity, its not weldoing to giuegive reliefe to loyterers. 2. And where the charge generall is, that ſuch ſhould not eate, ſuppoſe you the Caueat is to yeeld them maintenance from common Treaſure?
Thus rather; weldoing vnderſtand continuing in labour, notwithſtanding the loytering of theſe exorbitants.
Let not others exorbitancie make you irregular. Though though Iſrael play the Harlot,nHoſh 4.15. yet let not Iudah ſin.
Gods people may not runne with the ſtreame,o2 Pet. 3.17. be carried away with the errour of the wicked, See Ioſh. 24.15. 2 Pet. 2.8. Gen. 7.1.
1. They are taken out of the world, Gal. 1.4. 2.pTit 2 14. Gods peculiar, q1 Pet. 2 9.a holy Nation to ſhew forth vertues of him that hath called. 3. Compare 2 Cor. 6.14, &c. Epheſians 5.11.
Ʋſe Millions of Soules daily periſh by neglect of this Rule, while they thinke others exorbitancie warrant for their owne, eſpecially when multitudes, great men, or Saints go in the droue, blindely they follow though in praecipitia.
Yet hath the Lord laboured to make vsus cautionate: 1 Charging not to follow multitudes to euill, Exod. 23. 2 Minding vsus of their iſſue, Mat. 7, 13. moniſhing that they lie in that euill one, 1 Ioh. 5.19. Exemplifying his wrath vponupon whole Countries,r2 Pet. 2.4, 5, 6. worlds of vngodly men, millions of reuolting Angels.
2. Though he tell vsus of great men, they are not alwaies wiſe: of Aged, that they vnderſtand not Iudgement, Iob 32.9. Profeſſeth to hide theſe things from wiſe and prudent, and to reueale them to babes and ſucklings, Mat. 11.25. 1 Cor. 1.26.
3. Though doctrinally he deliuer it, beſt men are but in part ſanctified, 1 Cor. 13.9. Rom. 7, 15, &c. preſcribes vsus our quatenus in imitating the moſt holy, 1 Cor. 11.1. permits chiefe of his Saints to fowleſt delinquences.
Potent is the temptation, ſo that good men ſometimes miſcarry in it. Barnabas himſelfe is miſled with Peters diſſimulation, Gal. 2.13.
Thus thou maiſt be armed againſt it. 1 Making thy line of life, not facta hominum, but praecepta Dei. 2 Conſidering the beſt are but in part ſanctified; and therefore may ſuffer humani aliquid, Iac. 3.1. Ec. 7.22. 3. Thinking nothing warrant for Conſcience in practiſe, but what will hold plea at the Barre of Gods Iudgement.
The duty, Be not weary of wel-doing. Thinke it ſpoken to vsus. The word byſHeb. 12.3. Apoſtles interpretation implies two things; chiefe branches of that Acedia, which School men from Gregorie a number to ſins Capitall.
1. Tedious yrkeſomeneſſe, or tiredneſſe in Gods ſeruice, charged on Iſrael as their loathſome ſinne, Mal. 1.13. Am. 8.5. for which Gods furie threatens to breake out againſt them, vtinam ne non & noſtrum.
Cauſes out of which it iſſues, you may obſerue theſe, 1 Lacke of louelove to our God, who yet hath done ſo great things for vsus: the tMat. 11.30.yoke is eaſie, the burthen light; but Amanti, is Bernards gloſſe. Commandements are not grieuous to louelove, 1 Ioh. 5.3.4.
2. Wee conſider not, nor taſte theu1 Pet. 2.3. ſweetnes found in holy duties. Good God, what*Gal. 6.16. peace bring they to the Conſcience, thoroughx2 Pet. 1.10. aſſurance of Calling? What ornament to the ſoule? Reſtoring in it the decayed Image of God. Oh taſte & ſee how Gratious the Lord is, Pſal. 34.8.
3. Are lead too much by ſenſe and carnality; eſteeming nothing good, but what is good to ſenſe, and yeeld pleaſance to ſenſuality: See Pſal. 4.6. Mal. 3.14, 15. Had we Dauids Spirit, the bittereſt of all ſeruices would be honeyſweet, accompanied with the light of Gods fauourable countenance. Pſal. 4 6, 7.
Is it incident into a childe of God? Reſp. S. Paul had neuer elſe ſaid of Philippians, their care ſprang afreſh, Philip. 4.10. yet with this difference. 1 Its not vſuall towards all goodnes vniuerſallie, but in particulars. 2 Is ſtriuen againſt and bewailed. 3 Recouery is of firſt louelove, to doe firſt workes. 4 They riſe againe timoratiores, ſollicitiores, feruentiores, as it were to make amends for former languiſhings.
Preuentions or Remedies of it auaileable are theſe. 1 Euer meditate, contemplate the goodnes that is in holy duties.yPſal. 133.1. Ecce quàm bonum & quaàm iucundum, is applicable to all ſeruices we doe to our God.
2. Be frequent in doing, that thou maiſt habituate thy ſelfe in goodnes: who ſo workes or habitu, workes with delight.
3. Let that be weighed, that wee hazard and lay open our ſelues to the whip, to Gods ſeuere correction, Hoſh. 5.15. The Lord will not ſuffer grace to ruſt in his Children.
4. Deſpiſe not Prophecie, 1 Theſ. 5 19, 20. forſake not Aſſemblies, Heb. 10.25. The words of the wiſe are as Goades, Ec. 12.11.
5. Pray God to quicken what languiſheth, and is ready to die.
6. Conſider 1 What it euidenceth; our little or no reliſh of gratious goodnes, 1 Pet. 2.3. 2 What it cauſeth: depriuall of fauours already receiued, Amos 8.
The ſecond thing it denotes, is fainting and whole giuing ouer, Heb. 12.3. one well calls it inperſeuerantiam. Its ſometimes in bono particulari, ſometimes vniuerſali: then to be trembled at. 1 We looſe what we hauehave wrought, 2 Ioh. 8. or ſuffered, Gal. 3.4. 2 Proclaime our ſelues to hauehave bin but hypocrites, hauing forme onelyonly of godlines: Its not of hypocriſie to bee but temporarie, Mat. 13.21. Hoſh. 6.4. 3 The diuel reentring brings with him more, and worſe then himſelfe, Mat. 12.45. vitious thou then groweſt aboue the ordinarie rate of nature 4 Recouery, after ſuch whole relapſing, is impoſſible, Heb. 6.4, 5, 6. & 10.26.
May it fall into Gods children? Reſp. Abſit: 1 the better Couenant aſſures of perſeuerance, Ier. 32 40. 2 promiſe of God is to confirme, 1 Cor. 1.8. to perfect, Phil. 11.6. to ſafeguard by his power to ſaluation, 1 Pet. 1.5. 3 Chriſt intercedes, raignes at his fathers right hand, that nothing may ſeparate, Rom. 8.34, 35.
Why then caueat giuen them againſt it? Reſp. 1 to minde of naturall mutability; for by grace we ſtand, Rom. 11.20. 2 Cautions are meanes ſanctified to preuent it: 1 our owne endeauours are required to our eſtabliſhment, 1 Iohn 5.18. 2 which, theſe items and exhortations, without miſſing, kindle, and cheriſh in vsus.
Ʋſe 2 Beloued, theſe are the …aſt times, perillous forz1 Tim. 4 1. recidiuation: now ſeemes the autumne of the Gentiliſh Church; wherein trees fulleſt of ſap, hauehave many caſt their fruits, almoſt loſt their leaues; God grant the root keepe life, that care of Gods ſeruice may ſpring afreſh; elſe, what bodes it? but that wee ſhall become fewell for the fire vnquenchable.
Obſecro per Ieſum. a2 Pet. 3.17.Take heede leaſt you alſo be carried away with the errour of the wicked, and fall from your owne ſtedfaſtneſſe. Eſpecially let him b1 Cor. 10.12.who thinks he ſtands, take heede leaſt he fall. Behold Adam kept not his ſtanding in innocency; Angels greater in power and ſtrength then we, yet kept not their firſt eſtate. I ſay not but we hauehave better promiſes in the new couenant; But its good to feare our owne infirmity, perillous to relie on our own ſtrength; mutable more then the winde, is man in himſelfe, eſpecially from good to euill.
Preuentions profitable meditate theſe: 1 preſume not of thine owne ſtrength to begin or continue weldoing, leaſt the Lord leaue thee to thy ſelfe, asc2 Chro. 32 31. Ezechias, asdMat. 26.35, 70, 72, 74. Peter; till thou hauehave learnd that the way of man is not in himſelfe, that its God who workes both will and deede.
2 Pride not thy ſelfe in thy beſt doings:eLuk. 17.10. Is it more, is it ſo much as duetie? is not all ſtained withfIſai 64.6. fowleſt blemiſhes? and who is heg& 26.12. that workes all our good workes in vsus? Take heede leaſt the Lord permit thee to euill, till thou hauehave learnd to be vile in thine owne eyes; to acknowledge him author ofhIam. 1.17. eueryevery good gift, of eueryevery act and exerciſe of gracious qualities.
3 Reioyce not, nor inſult ouer the fall of others, leaſt the Lord ſee it and it diſpleaſe him: through infidelitie they were broken off, and by faith thou ſtandeſt;iRom. 11.20. bee not high minded, but feare; thou alſo maiſt be tempted, Gal. 6.1.
4 Set before thine eyes the fearefull eſtate of them who hauehave reuolted from holy courſes; if not that terror, nothing will worke thy caution, Heb. 10.26. &c.
5 Conſider the fruits preſent; thek2. Cor. 4.16, 17, 18. glorious reward to come, leaſt thou be wearied, and faint in thy minde, Heb. 12.3.
6 Dote not vponupon the acceptance or approbation of men: for wherein is it to be eſteemed? Thus thinke: though thou labour in vaine in reſpect of men, yet is thy reward with the Lord, and thy worke with thy God, Iſai 49.4.
7 Haſten not to the reward: its good to truſt and to waite: in due time wee ſhall reape if we faint not, Gal. 6.9.