Exposition of 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 1 · Verse 7,8
VERS. 7.8.
So that yee became enſamples to all that beleeue in Macedonia and Achaia.
For from you ſounded out the Word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but alſo in eueryevery place your faith to Godward, is ſpred abroad, ſo that wee neede not ſpeake any thing.
THE connexion framed by others I motion not, thus I conceiue, the Apoſtle amplifies their faith and patience by the meaſures thereof: ſuch were their proceedings therein, or rather ſuch the ſpecialtie of Gods fauour in the diſtribution; ſuch, that though they came after others to Chriſt, yet became they preſidents to their precedents; ſo richly endowed, that it might well beſeeme their Ancients to make them their patternes. The amplification ſtayes not there, but addes mention of the Churches whom they had out-ſtript; All that beleeued in Macedonia and Achaia. And becauſe it might ſeeme ſtrange, the notice of a Church ſo newly planted ſhould ſo farre bee divulged; a greater wonder Paul mentions, no wonder but truth; In eueryevery place where he came, heard he report of their Faith, though further remote then Macedonia their Countrie, and their Neighbour Region Achaia.
The particulars of their commendation here touched, are theſe, Firſt, their precedencie in Faith to their Ancients the Churches of Macedonia. Secondly, the famouſneſſe of their gracious eſtate and practice. Thirdly, their propagation of it to others.
Types. In gracious practices it is not enough to be followers and of the company, but we ſhould ſtriue to become precedents and Preſidents vntounto others.
In Religion it ſhould be, who may goe formoſt. That was the bleſſed ſtate of Iohn Baptiſts times, the nMatt. 11.12.Kingdome of heauen ſuffered violence, and the violent tooke it by force, it was who might throng firſt in for a ſhare in the Goſpel. As Souldiers at the ſurprizing and ranſacking of ſome wealthy Citie, where the prey is made free, ſtriue who may come firſt to the ſpoile; ſo was it in Iohns dayes, for this rich treaſure of the Goſpell; ſo ſhould it be now. S. Paul for common gifts, giues charge to ſtriue that wee may excell. And weigh theſe Reaſons.
Firſt, good and euill things hauehave their meaſure of graduall quantitie according to the greatneſſe of their effects. An euill thing the more it hurts, the more euill it is, and more damnable in the Ring-leader. A good thing, the more it profits, the better and more beneficiall to the firſt beginner: It much amplifies the prayſe of Corinthians compaſſion, that they were ſo forward, becauſe their o2. Cor. 9.2.zeale had prouoked many.
Secondly, God hath pleaſed for our encouragement in this kind, to expound vsus different meaſures of heauenly rewards, to be proportioned to our meaſures of grace and exerciſe thereof; that though none want his fulneſſe, yet eueryevery ones glorie is not alike abundant. The Diſciple hathpMatt. 10.41. a Diſciples reward: The Prophet, the reward of a Prophet: as diſcrepant in the meaſure, as is excellently the imployment and worke of a Miniſter, aboue that of a Hearer.
*Bernard. in Pſalm. Qui habitat, ſerm. 9.Sit licet elatis pariter omnibus vnus idem que denarius vitae reddendus aeternae; at in ipsâ tamen ſicut ſtella à ſtella differt elucitate, & alia claritas ſolis, alia claritas Lunae, alia Stellarum: ſic erit & reſurrectio mortuorum: & quamuis domus vna, diuerſae tamen in ea ſunt manſiones; vt videlicet quantum ad aeternitatem & ſufficientiam, & qui parum, non minoretur, & qui multum non abundet; quantum vero ad eminentiam & diſcretionem meritorum, vnuſquiſ que accipiat ſecundum ſuum laborem, ne quid omnino pereat quod in Chriſto ſit ſeminatum.
Thus hath the great God of heauen beene pleaſed to excite our dulneſſe; but behold a curſed modeſtie, no where more frequent then in gracious practice; wee ſtill looke for a Leader that may firſt giuegive the aduenture, are both to be ſingular or ouer-forward in goodneſſe. And they that in all other things like euen enuious emulation, in Grace and Pietie louelove not to be emulous. In Riches whoſe couetouſneſſe deſires not eminence? in honour what Haman would not be a tranſcendent? euen in lewdneſſe men ſtriue for peereleſſe excellencie. It is a glorious ſtile amongſt Drunkards, to be King of Good-fellowes: onelyonly in Grace, any modicum is thought ſufficient; here onelyonly wee feare a nimium, qEccl. 7.16.to be iuſt ouermuch.
Auguſt. in Epiſt. 144.Humanam dico propter infirmitatem, ſaith Auguſtine, paraphraſing that place; This preariſeth the Apoſtle, as hauing more to ſay, had the people beene able to beare it: for we owe more ſeruice to righteouſneſſe, then men vſe to affoord vntounto ſinne: How happy were wee, if the ſtreame of our ancient deſires and paynes to ſinne, were carryed in any meaſure of proportion to righteouſneſſe! But how iuſt is the taxe laid on vsus by our Sauiour,rLuk. 16.8. the Children of this world are more wiſe; more eager, more any thing in their generation, then the children of Light!
It is true, I confeſſe, which perhaps is the holdbacke, the beſt meaſure of ſound grace is ſauing, the meaneſt place in Gods Kingdome, happineſſe al ſufficient: yet take this with you, hee hath no grace in ſoundneſſe that thinks he hath ſufficient, nor ſhall hee find any place in that houſe of ſoſIoh. 14.2. manifold Manſions, that ſtriues not tot2. Pet. 3.18. grow and excell in Grace, and in the knowledge and obedience of our Lord and Sauiour.
To whom they became Types is next expreſſed: To all that beleeue in Macedonia and Achaia; that, as appeares by their deſcription here, were in CHRIST before them.
Obſer. So ofttimes it falls out that the latter in conuerſion becomes the more excellent in Chriſtian practice: Subitus calor longum vincit teporem, Hier. ad Paulinum de inſtitut. Monachithat it may hauehave place here that our Sauiour ſaid: There are firſt which ſhall be laſt, and laſt which ſhall be firſt. As in a race, ofttimes he that ſets out laſt, outſtrips the forerunner, and comes before him to the Goale.
PAVL last called to Apoſtleſhip, yet not inferiour to the chiefe Apoſtles in meaſure of gifts,u1. Cor. 15.9, 10 in labours much more abundant: DAVID vaunts not himſelfe, but magnifies the power of GODS grace in his vſe of the meanes, when hee profeſſeth, he was become xPſal. 119.99. Nouiſſimus in ordine, primus in meritis eſt, Hier. quâ ſupra.wiſer then his Teachers, and of more vnderſtanding then they that were his Ancients.
Reaſons are, ſome in the foregoers, that caſt them behinde; perhaps, Firſt, their high-mindedneſſe and conceit, that they hauehave alreadie attayned, whence iſſues neglect of meanes ſanctified to their eſtabliſhment and growth in Grace. Wee hauehave ſeene Nouices in Religion, Smatterers in diuine Knowledge, preſently become Teachers of their Teachers; ſcorning the Ancient ſtile of Gods people to be termed Diſciples; they heare not to learne, but to iudge, as Criticks onelyonly and Cenſors of their Miniſters; maruell not if GOD plague ſuch pride, permitting them to decayes: for his profeſſion it is to yIam. 4.6.reſiſt the proud, and to adde grace to the humble.
Secondly, withall they may be obſerued, for inſolent and contemptuous carriage towards their Inferiours in gifts, and diſdayne, no leſſe then ſcornefull, towards them yet left in the power of darkneſſe.
Thirdly and laſtly, bearing themſelues as men made perfit, and contented with that which they hauehave alreadie receiued; ſo reſpecting what they hauehave come vntounto, that they forget zPhil. 3.13, 14.preſſing towards the marke.
Secondly, in the After-commers thus:
Firſt, the greater louelove of God ſeene in pardon of ſinnes ſo long continued; whence iſſues greater ardencie of their louelove to God, and zeale to doe him ſeruice. For they that are truely penitent, after they thorowly hauehave a feeling of their former ſinnes forgiuen, become more thankfull to the Lord for his mercies all the daies of their liues: they aLuk. 7.47.louelove much, becauſe many ſinnes are forgiuen them. Experience hath oft found, the viler man before calling, and he that hath moſt earneſtly perſecuted the Saints of God, and the true Profeſſors of the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, in proofe the moſt feruent, when God hath once touched and turned his heart.
Secondly, perhaps alſo that addes ſpurres to their progreſſe, their late taſte how b1. Pet. 2.3.gracious the Lord is, whom now they feele ſo ſweet, that they thinke they ſhall neuer be ſatiate with the pleaſures of his houſe.
Thirdly, And the LORD, whoſe diſpoſition this is, would ſhew himſelfe an abſolute LORD of his gifts, bound to none, no not for good vſe of gifts receiued, ſaue onelyonly by free promiſe, that alſo wee may ſee the meaſures of Grace are in him abſolutely to diſpoſe, when as hee giues to the cMat. 20.14, 15laſt as much, perhaps more, then to the firſt.
Ʋſe 1 What euer the reaſons be, the thing we are ſure is true, and hauehave cauſe for our particular, many of vsus, to lament: inaſmuch as the cauſe of our caſting behind is ſo apparent in our ſelues. How many hauehave wee ſeene at firſt entrance into Chriſtianitie, peerleſſe for pietie, and ſtrict care to depart from euill? now befooling themſelues for that too much preciſeneſſe in moralities, and halfe of the mind, it was a deluſion of the Deuill. Once thinking, the beſt decking of womanhood,d1. Pet. 3 4. Meekneſſe and Humilitie; now doting vponupon toyes and gariſh trifles in apparell, repenting that euer they carryed face of the Daughters of Sarah. Deſirouſly imbracing all oportunities of hearing, now, as Felix in his trembling,eAct. 24.25. putting it off to their times of leaſure; ſo that Nouices and Petties in Chriſts Schoole, are become their betters in almoſt all gracious practice. I mention it, as PAVL, the fRom. 11.13, 14power of his Apoſtleſhip amongst Gentiles, to ſee if by any meanes, I may prouoke them to emulation, that they may recouer their ſtanding. Mee thinkes they ſhould ſcarce looke on their Iuniors in grace, without this thought; How ſhamefull is it for vsus their Ancients, not to hold pace with after-commers in gracious practice?
Ʋſe 2 Learne not to inſult ouer men as yet vncalled to ſtate of Grace, and ſaluation: for, firſt,g1. Cor. 4.7. who hath diſcerned thee? Secondly, is not God hRom. 11.23.able to graffe them in? Thirdly, and they may proue thy Superiours in meaſure of gifts and holy practice: this people later in calling, become precedents to their Ancients in faith.