Exposition of 2 Thessalonians, Exposition · Chapter 3 · Verse 4
VERS. 4.
And wee hauehave confidence in the Lord touching you, if you both doe, and will doe the things which wee command you.
THE ſecond euidence of Pauls louelove, confident perſwaſion of their conſtant obedience: for its charitie that thinkes not euill; belieues all good things of him it embraceth: yet withall, conceiue the words hauehave connexion with the former: this, as I apprehend; they ſpecifie reaſon of Pauls applying former comfort vntounto them: their due qualification: what that is, if you aske; Its their obedience to their Paſtors commanding according to God.
So that in the words are two things obſeruable: 1 due qualification is required in all them to whom theſe priuiledges of Gods fauour belong. The rule of the Law here alſo holds; priuilegium tranſit cum perſonâ: wherefore in your reading obſerue with mention of theſe bleſſed priuiledges vſually connexed either 1 limitation, 2 Tim. 2. or 2 condition, Acts 2.38, 39. 3 or deſcription of perſons capable, Gal. 6.4 or excluſion of others, Apoc. 21.7, 8.
Ʋſe Doloſas verſatur in generalibus: We I know not how ſophiſticate, and gull our ſelues with onelyonly ſuppoſed vniuerſalities. Chriſt died for all: propitiats for the ſinnes of the n1 Iohn 2.3.whole world. I am perſwaded that death it ſelfe ſaues not ſo many in the Church, as the miſtake of the ſentence occaſionally damnes. For all, thinke you, without exception?
What for vnbeleeuers and impenitents? if you would heed it, you ſhall finde many ſometimes denotes all; and all onelyonlyoRom 5.19. many. And the world for whoſe ſinnes Chriſt propitiated, is not the world that lies in wickedneſſe, but mundus credentium, the world of beleeuers, as Saint Auſtin long ſince interpreted. Chriſt is Author of ſaluation to them pHeb. 5.9.that obey him; gaue himſelfe a price of Redemption for many: euen ſo many onelyonly as beleeue in his Name, Iohn 1.12.
2 The ſpeciall qualification here inſiſted on, is doing, constant doing of what is commanded, whither immediately or mediately God: if that trouble any, that Paul after blames them for not obſeruing his ordinance, and thence grow doubtfull how he profeſſeth perſwaſion of their preſent and future obedience: Thus he may ſatisfie himſelfe.
1 Howſoeuer there were ſome amongſt them, if not refractarie, yet neglecting; yet the many or more part heedfully obſerued the Apoſtles iniunction: 2 or, though in ſome particulars they were blameworthy for inobedience, yet in the maine they were vniuerſally regardfull of what was inioyned. 3 Or, though their preſent doing was in particulars defectiue, yet confident he was for the future, vponupon new admonition, they would ſupply what was yet wanting.
But obedience he points vsus vntounto as the neceſſary qualification of them, who ſhall partake the promiſes: ſee Mat. 7.24. Iam. 1.25. Heb. 5.9. The Nature of it thus conceiue. Its 1 doing what is commanded: 2 therefore becauſe it is commanded; or as ſome ſpecifie, intuita preceptus: or as Saint Peters phraſe is, forq1 Pet 2.19. conſcience of God. To which if you adde that its vniuerſall in all things commaunded. 2 And conſtant, if not without interruption, yet without whole giuing ouer, or ſurceaſing the courſe; ye hauehave what characterizeth your1 Pet. 1.14. to adoption, and euidenceth your intereſt to the priuiledges of Gods people.
Ʋſe Oh, ſaith the Lord not without much ſhow of paſſion, that there were ſuch a heart in this people. Deuteronomie 5.29.
What a face of religion and deuotion put they on in Ezechiel? They ſit before thee ſEzech. 33.31.euen as my people, ſo complementing with the Lord and his Church. Faces, onelyonly theſe are in pietie.
2 Goe thou neere and heare all that the Lord our God Deut. 5.27.28.ſhall ſay, and ſpeake then vntounto vsus, whatſoeuer the Lord ſhall ſpeake vntounto thee; and wee will heare it, and doe it. They hauehave well ſaid, all that they hauehave ſpoken. But ô that there were ſuch a heart. Deut. 5.27.29. Voyces theſe are, as Nightingales, praeterea nihil.
3 To, thou art vntounto them, as one that hath a very louely ſong, of one that uEzech. 33.32.hath a pleaſant voyce, and can play well on an inſtrument. So tickles it the eares in the hearing, yet vaniſheth all with the ſound. Aſſes, to thinke ares onelyonly make a Chriſtian. See Iam. 1. Rom. 2.
4 The earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters that couer the ſea. Lord, that our obedience were in any proportion anſwerable; how ſhould the Lord delight in doing vsus good. But were our braine-pan as large, as the long bil…-birds, and fraught with profoundeſt knowledge, what ſhould all auaile vsus, without obedience, except to aggrauate our condemnation? Iohn. 13.17. 1 Iohn 2.3. Iohn 9. Iam. 4. vlt. Priuilegia they ſay are paucorum; if obedieuce bee the qualification, theſe bleſſed priuiledges belong not to many, no not children of the Church.
Eſpecially, if ye ſhall notice, how euen this qualification is further qualified. Three particulars, you may therein note: 1 That its preſumed to bee perpetuated, for the future. See Rom. 2.7. Gal. 4.18. & 6.9.
Yet 1 pardon wee muſt pray all for interruptions in our courſe; its well if wee can ſay as Paul, velle adiacet. Rom. 7.18. And if with full purpoſe of heart, wee cleaue vntounto God, Actes 11.23. endeauouring in all things, at all times, to keepe a good conſcience. Actes 24.16. Heb. 13.18.
2 Slakings there befall vsus ſometimes of firmeneſſe in the purpoſe, and languiſhings in the endeauour. There was a man deare vntounto God, a man after his owne heart; that had almoſt changed his reſolution. Pſal. 73.2. Yet almoſt was betweene. But a man deliberately, and wholly failing in his purpoſe, and endeauour… of conſtant obedience; I finde not one amongſt the many thouſands of Iſraelites indeed.
Ʋſe Oh Ephraim, what ſhall I doe vntounto thee? Oh Iudah, how ſhall I entreat thee? For your*Hoſ. 6.4. goodneſſe is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew ſo goeth it away. Atque vtinam ne in memore pelio, xGal. 5.7.ye did run well: for a while yee ſeemed to reioyce in the light, who hath let you ſtill to obey the trueth; this is not the perſwaſion of him that called you: but I ſpare you.
Into foure rankes, we may range all the children of the Church. 1 Some that neither doe, nor will doe: See Ier. 6.16. & 18.12. Their ſpeach is not more deſperate, then their ſtate. 2 There are, who ſay they will doe, but doe not, procraſtinatores. And yet foreign the preſent moment is onelyonly ours, to bee reputed the onelyonly ſeaſon of ſaluation. 2 Cor. 6.2. Hebr. 3.13. 3 Some that doe, but will not, foreign. Matth. 13.21. they looſe what they hauehave wrought: 2 Iohn. 8. And better they had neuer knowne, or ſet foot in the way of righteouſneſſe. 2 Peter 2.21. 4 Hope for ſaluation is of them onelyonly, who doe, and will doe. Rom. ….7.
I ſay as our Sauiour, remember Lots wiſe. Luke 17.32. 1 If euer yeey1 Pet. 2.3. hauehave taſted how gracious the Lord is, that ſweetneſſe ruminated will animate to perſeuerance. 2 Succour thine owne weakeneſſe, with meditation of thezHeb 12.2. reward. 3 Dull languiſhing of fleſh, rouſe with that affright of the Apoſtles. Heb. 10.26. 2 Peter 2.20, 21. 4 And thus thinke alſo, why ſhall I looſe, what I hauehave wrought? Eze. 3.20. Gal. 3.4. 2 Iohn 8.
2 As its perpetuated to all time, ſo enlarged to all iniunctions; quae is here equiualent to quemque. The vow of Iſrael, Exod. 19.8. well pleaſed the Lord: Deut. 5.28. but oh that there were ſuch a heart. It muſt be, if euer we thinke to enioy our God, to ſhare in theſe priuiledges of his people. See Pſal. 119.6. Iames 2.10. Matth. 5.19. Luke 1.6.
Ʋſe As Naaman, ſo muſt Chriſtians;a2 King 5.18. Lord bee mercifull vntounto me in this, our obedience is croſt what with reſeruation.bMar. 6.20. Herod in many things obeyes the Baptiſt, but muſt be borne with for Herodias. The refuſe of the cattell, the raſcall people Saul deſtroyes, bute1 Sam. 15.9.21, 20. the beſt and fatlings, are reſerued for Sacrifice. Hypocrite; for meant he, trow you, to ſacrifice Agag? Mutato nomine de te narratur, not tabula, but hiſtoria. Wee alſo hauehave our fatlings of ſinnes; our fatlings from diſobedience. Herein the Lord muſt bee mercifull vntounto vsus: we reſolue to be cruell to our ſelues; forgetting the wiſe mans counſell, Miſerere animae tuae bonum faciens. Theſe rules let vsus remember.
1 On paine of damnation, the charge lyes on vsus to ſtretch our obedience, as farre as our knowledge. Iohn 13.17. Luke 12.47. In ſome particulars, latet quod iuſtus eſt. Yet for ſuch,dNum. 15.24, 25, 26, 27, 30. ignorances were ſacrifices offered; and Dauid prayes,cPſal. 19.12. cleanſing for ſecret ſinnes: both intimate our ſinnes of inuincible ignorance to bee damnable in the merit; how much more thinke you our ſinnes of knowledge. Yet pardon may be hoped for ignorances; not ſo for habited, or cuſtomarie ſinnes of knowledge.
2 Willing ignorance, is quoad rectum, knowledge interpretatiue. What thou mayſt know to bee duetie, and wilt not, God interprets thee to know: the omiſſions hee will impute, and puniſh as omiſſions of knowledge. Wherein we louelove to ſinne, therein we louelove alſo to be ignorant: loath are wee to heare what may conuince; wrangling againſt apparent demonſtrations, to hold our concluſion. But bleſſed bee the obedient eare, the humble and teachable ſpirit.
3 Which we command you, he meanes, I warrant you, Secundum Deum. But intimates, that our obedience muſt bee extended to the commands of Gods Miniſters, and not onelyonly to the Lords immediate impun…tions. GodsfRom. 13.4. Miniſters vnderſtand after Pauls phraſe; Maieſtrates ciuill, and Eccleſiaſticall, whom the Lord hath inueſted in power of iuriſdiction.
Their regular iniunctions, you may obſerue to bee in a threefold difference: ſome that are ſo theirs, that they are firſt the Lords, in expreſſe tearmes preſcribed by him; as in thoſe prohibitions of murther, adultery, theft, preſcripts of ſanctifying the Sabath, &c. Of theſe ſaith Paul, g1 Cor. 7.10.Dominus, non ego. 2 Some, whoſe generall principles, are immediatly the Lords. Yet determinations of particulars are from men, by apparent deductions from thoſe grounds: of theſe the Apoſtle,h1 Cor. 7.12. Ego non Dominus, and yet thinkes hee hath therein Gods ſpirit to direct him: The ſpeach is remarkeable. 1 Cor. 14.37. The Prophet and ſpirituall man, muſt acknowledge the things which Paul. writes, to be the commandements of the Lord. Moderately, you muſt vnderſtand, becauſe congruent to the principles by him deliuered. 1 Elſe how ſhould, I ſay not the ſpirituall man, but the Prophet, know what the Lord immediatly reuealed to the Apoſtle? 2 Nor is it probable, that what Paul ſpeakes for matter of order, and decencie in the aſſemblies, was immediatly, and expreſſely deliuered him by ſpeach, or reuelation from the Lord. For, why? When they hauehave ſuch apparent, and eaſie deduction from generall principles. Reuelations are not multiplied vnneceſſarily: yet ſuch Paul ſtiles the Commandements of the Lord. 3 A third ſort, which occaſion onelyonly, or accident cauſeth to be preſcribed: deduction whereof from generall principles, ſaue onelyonly in caſe of that occaſion, or accident, the acuteſt ſhall not ſee. As wheniAct. 15.20. abſtinence from blood, and ſtrangled is enioyned, after abrogation of Leuiticall Law. Who can ſhew me ground of equitie out of which; ſuch abſtinence is directly deducible? Marry, inaſmuch as the vſe grew accidentally ſcandalous, neceſſary was the iniunction of abſtinence: for its lex charitatis, to neglect vſe of my Chriſtian libertie, where is perill to offend my weake brother: like muſt bee thought of all preſcripts of Maieſtrates, for publique good, for order or decorum, whoſe acting is not repugnant to the Law of God, though perhaps we ſee not that publique good, nor order, nor decorum: yet lies the bond vponupon conſcience therein to ſubmit our ſelues, as Peters phraſe is,k1 Pet. 2.13. for the Lords ſake, becauſe hee hath commanded obedience to the Maieſtrate.
Ʋſe Is it not pitie to ſee honeſtie grow libertine? Yet beſt men hauehave their taint that way. Men that as Zacharie and ElizabethlLuke 1.6. walke in all the immediat commandements, and ordinances of God without reproofe, yet to iniunctions of Gods Miniſters, are too too refractary. As to ciuell ordinances for common good, ſo to Eccleſiaſtique ceremonies, in themſelues lawfull, ſpecially oppoſite: for where hath God commanded them?
Reſp. 1 And I aske, where hath God forbidden them? 2 Hath hee not commanded in things lawfull to obey the Maieſtrate? 3 They are Gods commandements, not onelyonly which in ſo many words are preſcribed, but what are from generall grounds deduced. 4 Yea occaſion and accident makes indifferent things, otherwiſe arbitrary, yet in that caſemAct 15.28. neceſſary, eſpecially where authoritie interpoſeth to inioyne. 5 And what if we ſee not oratur, decorum, edification, publique good in the obſeruance? Are they wanting therefore? Why are wee curious? Are the things lawfull in themſelues? There muſt our inquirie ſtay. So thoughtnIam. 25.18, 19. Rechabites; whom for obedience ſo ſeemingly blind, the Lord commended and bleſſed.
We are both to be, or to be deemed men vnqualified to partake Gods promiſes. Its obedience that qualifies, obedience to not onelyonly what God immediatly preſcribes, but to whatſoeuer his Miniſters inioyne according to God. Will you ſay? If Apoſtles? Reſp. 1 Siluanus and Timothee were not Apoſtles. 2 And the charge is extended to all whoſoeuer hath the ouerſight of vsus. Heb. 13.17.