Exposition of 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4 · Verse 1,2
VERS. 1.2.
Furthermore then we beſeech you, Brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Ieſus, that as yee hauehave receiued of vsus, how yee ought to walks, and to pleaſe God, ſo yee would abound more and more.
For yee know what Commandements wee gaue you by the LORD IESVS.
HItherto of the firſt part of the Epiſtle, ſpent in exhortation to perſeuerance, followes like inſtant exhortation to perfection & progreſſe in Grace: Firſt, generally propounded in the three firſt Verſes. Secondly, particularly explayned to the cloze of the Epiſtle, Cha. 5.23
In the generall exhortation obſeruable are, firſt, the modus, I beſeech and exhort. Secondly, the matter to abound. Thirdly, Reaſons preſſing the practice. Firſt, They had receiued how. Secondly, Know the Commandements, &c.
foreign. A Miniſters taske is an endleſſe taske; there is ſtill in it, foreign; ſomething left him to doe. Hath he planted knowledge? beſides, that it is true of all men; they know but in part, aIohn 13.17.practice muſt bee vrged. Is their practice approouable? perſeuerance muſt bee preſſed. Continue they in well-doing? he muſt vrge their progreſſe: that not without cauſe the Miniſters toyle is paralleld with that of the b1. Cor. 3.9.Huſbandman; ſo ſtill is the end of one taske the beginning of another. To cIer. 4.3.breake vp the fallow ground of our peoples hearts, that it may bee fitted to receiue the precious ſeed, what labour requires it? after the ſeed ſowne, there maydMat. 13.25. grow tares, ſleepe wee neuer ſo little; and there muſt bee1. Cor. 3.6. watering of that we hauehave planted, as of Egypt from Nilus.
Vſe. So that they little vnderſtand the nature of their office, that hauing layd ſome grounds of knowledge, take vp their reſt. Firſt, knowledge is the foundation: a great part of the building is behinde, after that foundation layd.
Conſider that, as it fares with our owne ſoules, ſo with our peoples. How much adoe hauehave we to hold what we hauehave receiued? much more to hale on our ſlow-backe Nature to perfection: many are our ruines, and decayes in Grace, that need repayring. Diſcomforts often ariſe; fightings without, feares within. What wee feele in our ſelues, let vsus not doubt but our people are acquainted withall. And wee cannot bee ignorant, how neerely it concernes vsus to ſee to our peoples, as to our owne ſafety; in caſe they periſh through our negligence, to vsus they periſh; and we are fEzech. 3.20.anſwerable for their bloud.
We beſeech, &c. The manner of propounding; in louelove and meekeneſſe; as Philem. 8.9. Apoſtles ſometimes deale more peremptorily; charging duties vponupon the people with graueſt adiurations, 2 Tim. 4.1. 1. Theſſ. 5.27.
The direction thus conceiue. Firſt, perſons. Secondly, ſtates of perſons. Thirdly, parts of the miniſterie muſt be diſtinguiſhed. Firſt, ſome are of that temper, that meeke dealing makes the more refractarie; and what iſſues from louelove, they impute to our feare. Another ſort of contrary diſpoſition, rough handling rather exaſperates. Some, ſaith our Engliſh Seneca, are as thornes: handle them roughly, they pierce you; ſome as nettles; rough handling is beſt for your ſafetie.
Secondly, the holieſt hauehave ſometimes their extrauagancies:g2. Theſ. 3.6. Brethren walke inordinately. In ſuch caſe God himſelfehJob 13.26. writes bitter things againſt them; and we know how peremptoriei2. Theſ. 3.12, 14. Pauls proceedings are.
Thirdly, there are parts of our office, which the meekeſt temper beſt beſeemes; ſuppoſe inſtruction and exhortation. Reproofes of open ſinnes, PAVL will hauehave ſo carried, thatk1. Tim. 5.20. others alſo may feare. The wiſedome of a miniſter ſtands much in this; to know with what temper to carrie himſelf towards different perſons, in different parts of his miniſterie.
Obſer. That ye abound more. The matter of the exhortation; to abound. In Grace we may not reſt contented with competencie, but muſt labour for abundance; lEphe. 3.19.to be filled with all fulnes of God. mPhil. 1.11.Filled with the fruits of righteouſnes; nCol. 1.19.with the knowledge of Gods will, &c. In things earthly,oHeb. 13.5. contentment is required with what is preſent; In Grace, a holy couetouſneſſe, and vnſatiableneſſe of deſiring, is warranted vntounto vsus.
Reaſons, Firſt, its the plentie of Grace, that makes vsus notp2. Pet. 1.8. idle and vnfruitfull in the knowledge of God.
Secondly, and according to our meaſures of Grace, ſo ſhall be our meaſures of Glorie.
Vſe. There is in many an affectation of mediocritie, in nothing thought vertuous, ſaue in gracious endowments. In things of this life they are vnſatiable, as the graue: in Grace, eueryevery little, neuer ſo little, a meere nothing is thought ſufficient: men you may well thinke, that neuerq1. Pet. 2.3. taſted how ſweet the Lord is; ſecondly, nor hauehave had experience of temptations.
A day may come when they ſhall ſay, Bleſſed is the man that hath his ſtorehouſe full of theſe things; and all will be found little enough, and too little to quench the fierie darts of the deuill.
This abundance and riches of Grace, let vsus couetouſly ſeeke for: meanes furthering to attainement.
Firſt, in greateſt meaſures carrie louely conceit; God rIam. 4.6.reſiſteth the proud, addes Grace to the humble.
Secondly, vſe gifts to the glory of the beſtower, and good of brethren:ſMat. 25.29. to him that hath; and vſeth, ſhall be giuen, and he ſhall hauehave abundance.
Thirdly, diligently attend to meanes ſanctified: Word, Prayer, Sacraments, Obedience. More: It ſhould ſeeme they had a comparatiue abundance; yet not ſo ouerflowing, but there might be added to their plentie. In greateſt fulneſſe there are defects; and none ſo perfit in Grace, but muſt ſtriue to more. PAVL counted not himſelfetPhil. 3.13. to hauehave attained: thought it his perfection, to acknowledge imperfection, and to ſtriue towards the marke. There is in this life quaedam, vt it a dixerim, imperfecta perfectio: BERNARD. But … imperfecta. *Auguſt. cont. 2. epiſt. Pelag. lib. 3. cap. 7.Sicut poſſimus dicere perfectum eſſe vi…em, cuius bene promonetur acceſſio, quamnis non perficiatur intentio, niſi fuerit facta preuentio.
Vſe. What euer Perfectiſts dreame, let vsus, as many as are perfect, walke by this rule, and thus thinke:*Bernard. de ſanct. Andrea ſer. 1. Aſcendendo, non volando, attingitur ſummit as ſcalae. Proficiencie is comfortable, and a pledge that the Lord will perfect what hee hath begun.
Auaileable furtherances of care to proceede, are: Firſt, LearnuPhilip. 3. to forget that which is behind: think not ſo much of what thou haſt attained, as what remaines to bee atchieued. It is ſafeſt, in this caſe, to conſider our wants; how farre we come ſhort of what we ſhould be.
Secondly, prudently chooſe to compare thy ſelfe with ſuperiours, rather then with vnderlings in Grace: we vſually thinke highly of our ſelues, becauſe wee ſee many, in many things, come ſhort of our meaſures; therefore ſeeming to our ſelues halfe Angels, becauſe wee are not as ſome others, halfe deuils. Our knowledge is thought ſuperabundant, becauſe more then that of forefathers, &c. Whereas firſt our meanes are more, ſecondly, our ſtanding longer; and we may well preſume, God xLuk. 12.48.lookes for more, where he commits more: rather ſet before vsus the moſt eminent among Saints, as Gods Spirit directs vsus. In faithyRom. 4.12. Abraham, In patience, zIam. 5.11.IOB; mirrors in theſe vertues, are made our paternes: no example oftner propounded, then that tranſcendent of our Sauiour.
Yee hauehave receiued how; and know the Commaundements. Reaſons preſſing the exhortation; firſt, they were not ignorant of the duetie, hauing had the charge ſo often preſſed by the Apoſtle: and, ſecondly, that in greateſt manner; as in the name and from the authority of the Lord Ieſus; thirdly, were alſo informed how and in what ſort to demeane themſelues, that they might pleaſe God: therefore neglects could not but be hainous and mortall in them.
In points of duety ſufficiently made knowne vntounto vsus, ſhould be our eſpeciall care of obedience, Ioh. 13.17. Firſt, becauſe omiſſions are in that caſe moſt hainous. To him aIam. 4 17.that knowes to doe well, and doth it not, to him it is ſinne. So to him alſo that omits of ignorance; but ſpeciallybIoh. 9 41. to him that knowes: Secondly, the puniſhment more grieuous. Impenitent negligents, whether of ignorance or knowledge, are damned. Yet mitiùs ardebunt, cLuk. 12.47, 48that of ignorance neglect duetie; then thoſe that ſinne of knowledge.
Ʋſe. Our care muſt be the greater, to ioyne d2. Pet 1.5.to faith, vertue, to knowledge holy practice. The dayes foretold by Eſay, are come on vsus, through Gods great merciemercy; theeIſai. 11.9. earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord: would God our obedience were in any proportion anſwerable. But the complaint is too iuſt; our ſcience more, our conſcience leſſe, then that of blinder forefathers: more is our vnderſtanding; greater by farre, was their deuotion.
To excite to this care, let it be meditated. Firſt, that no knowledge is comfortable, ſeuered from obedience.f1. Ioh. 2.4. He knowes not God, that keepes not his Commandements.
Secondly, the iſſue of vnfruitfull knowledge, isgRom. 1.21. groſſer ignorance, and infatuation. Thirdly, of all ſins burthenſome, none more then thoſe of knowledge, when God is once pleaſed to arraigne the conſcience: There is left hIoh. 15.22.no cloke for ſuch ſins. Ignorants yet can ſay as fooles, Non putaram: they knew not that they did euill: theſe hauehave nothing to calme conſcience, no not in foreſt accuſations.
Fourthly, the promiſe of ſound knowledge is madeiIoh. 7.17. to holy practice: knowledge and practice are in ſuch a league, that they are mutually helpefull each to other: knowledge, the mother of practice; practice, the nurſe of knowledge.
Fiftly, Seeing ſinnes are of moſt difficult pardon; hauing in them a ſpice almoſt of preſumption. The plea for pardon of Iewes made by our Sauiour, is made fauourable by this circumſtance, theykLuk. 23.34. knew not what they did. This reaſon there was of Gods merciemercy to PAVLS blaſphemie and perſecution; thatl1. Tim. 1.13. he did it ignorantly. Sinnes of knowledge are not vncapable of pardon: there were ſacrifices of atonementmLeuit. 5. for ſinnes willingly committed. Yet is the forgiueneſſe of difficult procurement and aſſurance.