Exposition of 2 Thessalonians, Exposition · Chapter 3 · Verse 7, 8
VERS. 7, 8.
For your ſelues know how ye ought to follow vsus; for we behaued not our ſelues diſorderly.
Neither did wee eate any mans bread for nought; but wrought with labour, and trauell night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you.
THE enforcement of the duetie; from quallitie, or degree of the offence, in the diſorderly, from two circumſtances aggrauating their ſinne. 1 Knowledge of the conſtitution and equitie thereof. 2 Example of the preſcriber; where is ſubioyned explication of Pauls exemplary practiſe.
1 You know; 2 how ye ought to follow vsus. You, not only innocent, but delinquents know, and are conuinced of the duetie, &c. So doeth Paul amplifie their ſin; circumſtances they are, both which adde much to the degree of the tranſgreſſion. 1 Knowledge. See Iames 4. vlt. Iohn 9.41. & 15.22, 24. Luke 12.47. Rom. 1.21, 32. 2 Wilfully, and halfe preſumptuouſly, ſuch are interperted to ſinne.
Ʋſe h1 Cor. 8.1.Knowledge puffeth. No reaſon it ſhould; encreaſing our obligation to duetie, adding to the degree of eueryevery ſinfull act, or omiſſion.
Take heed we be noti2 Pet. 1.8. idle or vnfruitfull, in the knowledge of duetie. 1 We ſhall ſinnekIoh. 15.22. excuſeleſſe. 2lTit. 3.11. Damned of our ſelues. 3. HaueHave puniſhmentmLuke 12 47. greater. 4 More, not onelyonly waſt conſcience, and for the preſent ſtupifie it: but make it raging when once feare, or wrath ſhall awake it.
To follow vsus. As knowledge of duetie, ſo examples therein aggrauate our neglect. Noahs faith and obedience in building the Arke,nHeb. 11.7. condemned the faithleſſe and impenitent World. See Matth. 12.41, 42. What colour or pretenſe hauehave ſuch for diſobedience? To Whom God hath giuen eyes to ſee, guides to goe before them, in difficulteſt parts of duetie.
Remarkeable in all things is the wiſedome of diuine prouidence, view it in this particular. Scattering abroad his Saints, in ſuch ſort, that in the moſt extrauagant congregations of people, ouer whom his name is called, there want not more, or fewer of his Saints, ſhining as lights in the way of life. That either by light of their oPhil. 2 15.16.example, they may bee guided to pietie; elſe hauehave theirpHeb 11. condemnation more iuſt and heany. Ʋae mundo a ſcandalis, vae, vae, vae, ab exemplis bonis. 1 Factibile oſtenditur quod ſuadetur: Ʋſe That impoſſib…litie, or difficultie may not bee pretenſed. 2 And way-guides we hauehave had tracing out vntounto vsus, and beating the path that leades to life, men of our owne mould; whoſe foot-prints hauehave left impreſſions of matter, manner, meanes of atchiuing duties preſcribed.
For we behaued not our ſelues diſorderly. The explication of the example. 1 Generall. 2 With application to the particular dutie inioyned in the Canon. 3 Where alſo are ſpecified ends of Pauls ſubmitting himſelfe to the Ordinance.
De primo: We behaued not, &c. So if not neceſſary, yet auaileable it is, the preſcriber to exemplifie his preſcripts in his owne practiſe. GiueGive me a Law-giuer, a teacher exemplary: Such an one exhibits himſelfe, theqExod. …0 11. great Law-giuer. SuchrIoh. 13 15. Chriſt, hisſIac. 5.10. Prophets and Apoſtles. Preſcript is the ſame tot1 Tim. 4.12. Miniſters, alluPhilip. 2.15, 16 Chriſtians; eſpecially Superiours. 1 Phariſaicall it heares, to *Mat. 23.4.lay burthens heauy on others ſhoulders, and not to mooue our owne fingers to helpe forward the carriage. 2 And how ſeemes it all but fabula, that we teach de inferno de caelo, when our ſelues are ſeene faulting in thoſe duties, which we preſſe vponupon others, vnderunder paine of damnation, or with promiſe of eternall reward?
Ʋſe Its gladſome to ſee the people taught by penaltie, that its criminous to take Gods Name in vaine; the Land xIer. 23.10.mournes becauſe of oathes; to bee lamented, that the Law-makers, are knowne many, ſo ouer familiar with the Name of God, as to contemne it. Suppoſe ye, they of all men, ſhall yRom. 2.3.eſcape the iudgement of God? Who likes not the vrging of Pauls canon, on vsus countrie drones, to z2 Tim. 4 2.preach the world with inſtance? How doe we bleſſe thoſe our fathers of the Church, who excite vsus by their example? But is not the diſpenſation committed to all? How ſhall they eſcape thea1 Cor. 9.16. woe belonging to non-preaching, who puniſh others neglects, and yet feed themſelues onelyonly, bEzech. 34.and not the flocke?2.
Neither did we eate any mans bread for nought. The application of the example to the particular preſcribed, carried in that forme, which Rhetoricians call foreign.
Queſtion, Had it beene for nought if Paul had not wrought with his hands, labouring onelyonly in the Word and doctrine.
Reſp. 1 The ſpirituall things we ſow,1 Cor. 9.11. are they not equiualent to your beſt carnals? your gold that periſheth? 2 And in the worke of the Miniſtery, is foreign,c1 Tim. 5.17. labour toyleſome, tireſome,dIſai 49.4. enfeebling. Phyſitians accord that minde labours, more feeble ſpirits animall and naturall; more waſt naturall heat and moiſture, then toile of the body. Diuines can minde you, how the more ſpirituall faculties, had greateſt wound by originall ſinne; eſpecially when they are bent to ſpirituall things in ſerious meditation, oppoſition they finde from malignant ſpirits, ſo ſtrong, and oft ſo violent, that they ſeldome beare vp, without ſome wound in the encounter, that if either pretium, or opera may be though equiualent to our maintenance, on free coſt we eate not any our heareres bread, but buy it, many, at deereſt rate.
How then ſaith Paul foreign, if without manuall labour?
Reſp. Commonly he is apprehended to ſpeake foreign, according to the opinion of earthly minded people. What thorough I their vnderpricing ſpirituall bleſſings, through earthly mindedneſſe. 2 And what for not conſidering their conueiance, linked by ordinance, to our Miniſtery; which is their ignorance, or infidelitie. 3 And what thorough little experience in mentall labours, eſpecially for ſpirituall things, generally the voyce of the people is, our liuing comes in eaſily, we ſweat not for it; and what giuegive, or doe we for all they pay vsus?
Whereto the anſwere is ready from the Apoſtle: 1 Wee1 Cor. 9 11. Gal. 3.2. ſow you ſpirituall things; reach to you, as Gods hands, the graces of his ſpirit, thef1 Tim 4.16. ſaluation of your ſoules. 2gHeb. 13.17. Watch for your ſoules, as they that ſhall giuegive accounts. 3 Spend, ſacrifice our ſelues many, vponupon the ſeruice of your faith, Philip. 2.17.
How ſoone would this errour vaniſh? If men were either ſo happy as to 1 feelehIob. 33 22. miſery of want. 2 Toi1 Pet 2 3. taſt ſweetneſſe of grace. 3 Or ſo wiſe as to conſider, that by vsus, ask1 Cor. 3.5.9. Gods co workers, they receiue whatſoeuer they are, or hauehave in grace? And how without vsus they are l naked,Pro. 29.18. and lye open to Gods wrath, and eternall deſtruction.
As to our labour, to ſpare ſpeach of what Gods ſpiritm1 Cor. 3.9. 1 Tim 5 18. reſembles it by, would they pleaſe but to experiment a little, in what ſeemes eaſieſt in our taske; informing the minde, with diſtinct notice of the myſtery of godlineſſe; or faſtning it, as …s theirnEpheſ. 6.4. duetie, in their ignorant families, they would change their minde and ſay, husbandry were a playgame, a recreation to the toyle of a faithfull Miniſter. To conclude; where, tell me, hauehave you ſeene a painefull Paſtour, not too maturely made old? Though by naturall temper, choiſeſt temperance, and manner of education framed to greateſt vigour, ſitted to extend life to the vtmoſt terme of nature.
Our Sauiour in his prime and ſlower of age, little paſt thirtie, is deemed by lewes a man towards oIoh. 8.57.fiftie; ſuch ſhowes of ouer age, had care and paines to win ſou…es, as ſome opine, caſt vponupon him.
But what lets to conceiue the Apoſtle ſpeaking foreign, and as the thing was? That his meaning may be; hee bought at deereſt rate, in the eye of fleſh it ſelfe, wherewith to ſuſtaine himſelfe; if opera, hardy labour of the hardeſt may bee thought equiualent to price, or to things which for price paſſe in exchange from man to man. For ſo himſelfe addes the explication foreign; but wrought with labour and trauell night and day. Like was his practiſe in ſome other Churches, though on other occaſions and to other ends. See Act. 20.33, 34. 2 Cor. 11.12.
Bindes the example vsus? Or doe they well who preſſe it vponupon Monkiſh predicants, from Pauls example?
Anſ. Apiſh imitation of Saints hath filled the world with ſuperſtition, with errours, ſome no leſſe then hereticall. With what caution wee ſhould heed examples of Saints, hath beene treated in the former Epiſtle, wither I remit the reader. Diſparities b…twixt Paul and vsus, you may obſerue theſe. 1 His extraordinary inſtincts and inſpirations, added to his ouer meaſure of gifts acquired by induſtry, aduantaged, aduanced him to facilitie of performing his Apoſtolique function in teaching, (who doubts? but) oft without ſtudy, and premeditation, ſo that other his neceſſary, or occaſionall imploiments brought not, by diſtractions, impediment to his preaching, or other miniſteriall offices.
Of vsus, to our enabling to the worke, is required attendance to priuatep1 Tim. 4.16. reading and meditation; dwelling vponupon, and being in theſe things, a day, or houre otherwiſe ſpent, may giuegive vsus iuſt occaſion to ſay as he, Amici perdidimus diem: and with that day, part of our full furniſhing to the worke of the Miniſtery. Except we be imployed in ſome thing coniunct with, and ſubordinate to the maine; or when perhaps neceſſitie, and infirmitie of body, or minde, forceth to remit and looſen the ouer bent ſpirits.
2 Nor is it with our Churches, as was with this of Theſſalonica; that we ſhould feare at this day ouercharging our people. Scantingly, it ſhould ſeeme, the Lord had diſtributed to theſe poore Artiſans (as learned deeme them) the good things of this life; which ſmall portion alſo lay open, and was liable daily to be preyed vponupon by violent rapine of perſecutours. Whereas God hath pleaſed to ſeat vsus in another Canaan, a land flowing with milke and hony; where we ſit, moſtly all, vnderunder our owne vine and figtree; eating the fat, and drinking the ſweet; ſated, ſhall I ſay? Surfetted rather with the plentie of all Gods gracious bleſſings. That wee, of all Churches, may ſeeme vnworthieſt of the Corne, if wee ſhall offer to put theq1 Tim. 5.18. muzzle on the oxe his mouth, which treads it out.
Howbeit, where exacting of due maintenance, is indeed a burthen to the Church, let art, or induſtry, or owne poſſeſſions, or other imploiments ſupplie our neceſſities; incline to part with right, rather then to bee ouerpreſſing in exacting it: compaſſion teacheth it; and ſo farre vrgeth the example of the Apoſtle.