Exposition of 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4 · Verse 3 – Verse 3,4,5
VERS. 3.
For this it the will of God, euen your ſanctification —
THe Apoſtle declares the Grace of God, wherein hee expected their proficiencie; ſanctification: annexing new reaſon therof; the will of God. Sanctification paſſiuely taken comprizeth two things. Firſt, Conformitie of our nature, to the nature of God. Secondly, Conformitie of our actions to the will of God. Of the firſt ſpeakes Peter; ſtiling itn2. Pet. 1.4. the participation of the Diuine Nature: by analogicall reſemblance of qualities; when we are patient, mercifull, iuſt, holy, pure, as our God is pure: it is vſually made to comprehend, Firſt,o2 Cor. 7.1. Freedome from filthineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit. Secondly, Preſence of gracious habits and qualities, inclining to holy performances.
Holineſſe of our actions is deſcribed, Their conformitie to the will and Commaundements of God. When what hee preſcribes is done, ſo as he preſcribes it to be done. When, what he commaunds to abſtaine from, we flie from, in that maner that he preſcribes. The care of it eueryevery where vrged vponupon vsus. Firſt, wee hauehave here ſignification of the will of God, Emphatically to be vnderſtood. Secondly,p2. Pet. 1.4. Promiſes many and excellent giuen vsus to this end; as that God will be a q2. Cor. 6.16, 17, 18.father vntounto vsus, dwell in vsus, as in his Temple, if in holineſſe we be carefull to reſemble him. Thirdly, It is made euidence of our title to all fauours of God; election, redemption, iuſtification, adoption. Fourthly, the iſſue and reward promiſed,rRom. 6.22. life eternall. Fiftly, and that nothing may bee wanting to our excitement, we are remembred, that ſHeb. 12.14.without it no man ſhall ſee the Lord.
By ſo many reaſons hath God pleaſed to preſſe vponupon vsus the care of holineſſe: would we thinke, in the Church of God, there ſhould bee found men ſo deſperately profane, as to ſcoffe at the indeuour of it? how true is it of our times, that the Prophet complained; he that walketh vprightly, makes himſelfe a prey, a reproch, and by-word to the generation of Eſau. Should not the Lord be auenged of ſuch a nation as this? Marueilous is Gods patience; I ſhould maruaile elſe that we are not conſumed.
And for their owne practice, how generally is the care of holineſſe caſt off? with that helliſh proteſtation; they are not Saints; If they would ſay (Angels) I would ſay with them; but they are Saints, that are Gods children: and whoſo perſiſts alien from the life and affection of Saints; Saint Iohn doubts not to ſay of him,t1. Ioh. 3.8. Hee is of the deuill.
Let vsus, hauing ſo many and ſo excellent promiſes, bee exhorted tou2. Cor. 7.1. purge from all filthineſſe of fleſh and ſpirit, and to grow vp to full holineſſe in the feare of God.
For this is the will of God. Gods will ſignifies, Firſt, his facultie. Secondly, act of willing. Thirdly, tropically the thing willed: in which ſenſe it is here taken, q.d. It is that the Lord requires of you eſpecially; therefore to be endeuoured.
Obſer. So ſhould the ſignifications of Gods will be motiues, ſtrong enough to perſwade obedience. Though no other inducement, or reaſon appeares; this alone ſhould ſway vsus, that ſo is the will of the Lord. For, firſt, his power is abſolute to command. Secondly, his will the rule and meaſure of Iuſtice. God wils not things, becauſe they are iuſt; but things are iuſt, becauſe Gods wils them. Thirdly, the Nature of obedience is this; to doe what God willeth, intuitu voluntatis, and becauſe he willeth. Let this bee our rule to walke by: that we may ſilence in our ſelues the idle diſputes of fleſh and bloud. That coeca obedientia impoſed by Romaniſts vponupon their Prieſts, is due to no creature; to God yet, and him onelyonly, we owe it.
There are in this curious age riſe, preſumptuous inquiries many. That of Moraliſts is ancient, whether ius be in rebus. Generally it is affirmed for moſt moralities; howbeit it muſt bee graunted, particular equitie of eueryevery preſcript is not to vsus apparent. Our people muſt hauehave equitie ſhowne in eueryevery preſcription; elſe ſee they no neceſſitie of obedience. No equitie appeares to them in Chriſts precept,xLuk. 6.35. to lend freely; no reaſon the borrower ſhould hauehave benefit by their money, they none by his labour. But if Chriſt ſay, Lend freely, it is ſafeſt to captiuate thy thoughts to the obedience of Chriſt.yRom. 12.2. Prooue what is the acceptable will of God; that once vnderſtood, obedience better beſeemes thee, then curious inquiſition.
There are with whom the ancient inquiry is frequent; Cui bono, zMal. 3.14.What profit is it to ſerue the Lord? Firſt, It is enough we hauehave conſcientiam rectè factorum. Secondly, yet true it is, no man ſerues God for nought. Thirdly, and why ſhould it not ſuffice vsus, that the Lord wils and commands it? when as in his impoſitions he intends,aIob. 22.2. not his, but our benefit. Ita enim voluit Deus ſibi ab Homine ſeruiri, vt eâ ſeruitute non Deus, ſed homo ſeruiens inuaretur, LOMBARD.
VERS. 3, 4, 5.
— That you ſhould abſtaine from fornication.
That eueryevery one of you ſhould know how to poſſeſſe his veſſell in holineſſe and honour.
And not in the luſt of concupiſcence, euen as the Gentiles which know not God.
THe generall matter of proficiencie thus explained, the Apoſtle deſcends to particulars of duetie, compriſed vnderunder that whole of Sanctity; leading the people along ſundry the Commandements, wherin of likelihood he ſaw them moſt, either defectiue, or indangered.
Like wiſedome in particularizing generals of our doctrines and exhortations beſeemes vsus in our Miniſterie: Firſt, both for that errours are moſt frequent in particulars; and where generals are acknowledged; conuiction is difficult in particulars. Secondly, as alſo, for that our people are either impotent, or negligent to proceed in Meditation, farther then the Preacher leades them.
The firſt particular inſtanced, is of dueties belonging to the ſeuenth Precept: that here ſeemes to hauehave full explication. Firſt, the ſinne to be abſtayned from; Fornication. Secondly, the vertue to be exerciſed, Chaſtitie. Thirdly, the meaſure of both, very luſt to be mortified: elſe thus conceiue particulars. Firſt, the duetie, Abſtayne from fornication. Secondly, the meanes; Know to poſſeſſe your veſſell, &c. Thirdly, Reaſon. Ʋerſ. 15.
Fornication, in propertie of ſpeech, is that act of vncleanneſſe, committed betwixt perſons vnmarried. Largely taken, it compriſeth all whatſoeuer breaches of Chaſtitie. Firſt, whither in thebMatt. 5.28. heart, by inordinate deſire. Secondly, or in thec2. Pet. 2.14. eye, by wanton and laſciuious lookes. Thirdly, or in thedEphe. 4.29. & 5.3. tongue, by filthy and rotten ſpeech. Fourthly, or in the act, by doingeGen. 39.9. that great wickedneſſe. See Annot. ad Rom. 1.
A ſinne which the Lord hath ſeuerely threatned, grieuouſly puniſhed from Heauen, curſed to the pit of Hell: yet reckoned generally amongſt leuiora delicta, and, as Papiſts call them, veniall ſinnes. A tricke of youth, ſay our Youths, of that which brought in thefGen. 6. floud vponupon the world of the vngodly, fire and brimſtoneg& 19. vponupon Sodome, hNum. 25.peſtilence vponupon Iſrael, &c.
Our wiſedome ſhall be to notice the odious foulneſſe thereof, that, if it be poſſible, Conſcience of the ſinners may be more remorcefull, and a ſinne of ſo foule nature, not ſo ſleighted: Firſt, the Apoſtle makes it eminent aboue all ſinnes, in this reſpect, that it alone is i1. Cor. 6.18.againſt the body, depriuing it of that great honour whereto God hath aduanced it, to be a member of Chriſt, a Temple for his Spirit to dwell in. Secondly, vſually they are counted greateſt ſinnes, that imply breach of moſt Commandements. Adulterie iskVerſ. 15.19. Sacrilege, Profaneneſſe, Diſmembring the body of Chriſt; drawes with it Thefts, Murthers, what not? Thirdly, they ſay alſo, ſinnes are moſt pernicious, that are moſt delightſome; becauſe the affections are moſt taken, and ſtreighteſt detayned by them: therefore perhaps Salomon ſaid of the Harlot, herlEccleſ. 7.26. heart is ſnares and nets, her hands as bands; ſo eaſily are men taken, ſo hardly reſcued, being once bewitched with the beſtiall pleaſure of that luxurie. Fourthly, varietie of Iudgements threatned, ſhewes it haynous aboue the ordinarie. Waſte ofmIob 31.12. goods, blemiſh ofnPro. 6.33. Name, rottenneſſe of bones,oHoſ. 4.11. hardneſſe of heart, &c. plagues of all ſorts threatned to deterre vsus. Fiftly, executions hauehave beene grieuous; on Sodomites, old World, Iſraelites; of whom, ſaid the Apoſtle, there fell in one day for this ſinne, p1. Cor. 10.8.three and twentie thouſand. I ſay then as PAVL, Fly Fornication.