Exposition of 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4 · Verse 8
VERS. 8.
Hee therefore that deſpiſeth, &c.
THe ſecond reaſon inferred out of the former; it implies the contempt of God: becauſe it is he that calleth to holines. Ergo: conceiue the Apoſtle to preoccupate what ignorance might obiect.
Obiect. They are men by whom wee are called.
Solut. It is God that calleth, though by mans miniſtery: Therefore he that deſpiſeth, deſpiſeth not men, but God.
Contempt of Miniſters, in their regular preſcripts, ſtayes not in the perſons of Miniſters, but reacheth to the Maieſtie of God: As the contempt of an Ambaſſadour toucheth the King whoſe Ambaſſadour he is. Therefore ſaid our Sauiour,dLuk. 10.16. He that deſpiſeth you, deſpiſeth me.
The reaſon is, becauſe ſuch preſcripts are Gods, in the ſanction: ours onelyonly in reſpect of declaration: As the Law of God, as the Law-giuer: MOSES his, onelyonly as the Proclaimer. And as the Edicts of Princes are not therefore the Edicts of the Cryer, becauſe he publiſheth them; but the Princes, whoſe authoritie giues vigour vntounto them: ſo, the preſcripts of holineſſe publiſhed by vsus, are not ours, but Gods, whoſe Soueraigne authoritie puts life into them.
That we erre not; this may not ſo be vnderſtood, as if the neglect of eueryevery thing deliuered by a Miniſter, were preſently the contempt of God, as Popiſh Doctors would beare vsus in hand: for what if we preach the eIere. 23.16.viſions of our owne braine; Shall God be thought to be contemned?
The charge to heare the Church ordinarie, is not abſolute, but to bee vnderſtood with limitation. Though our Sauiour commaunded to heare Phariſes and ScribesfMat. 23.2, 3. teaching out of MOSES chaire, yet a caueat he giues, togMat. 16.6. beware of their leauen. Therefore alſo hee iuſtifies his Diſciples, violating hMat. 15.3.their tradition; becauſe if not in the matter, yet in manner or ends of impoſing they had exceeded their limits. But where their preſcripts are regular, of holineſſe truely ſo called, their contempt redounds to the Maieſtie of God.
Ʋſe. I ſay then, Take heede how ye deſpiſe the meaneſt of thoſe Miniſters, that ſpeake vntounto you in the Name of the Lord; not only their Angels behold the face of their Father in Heauen; but God himſelfe beholds it, and holds himſelfe intereſſed in their contempt.
Strange is the deluſion of men in this kinde; that caſting off the weightieſt of Gods Commaundements deliuered by his Miniſters, yet think the wrong vnſufferable, that contempt of God ſhould bee charged vponupon them. God they reuerence, and thinke highly of that Maieſtie: It is the beggerlineſſe, or baſe birth, or lewd life, or deformitie of the Miniſter they contemne, not God. But I would faine know whoſe meſſage it is, that beggerly baſe borne, blemiſhed Miniſter bring vntounto thee, when hee chargeth to ſanctifie the Sabbath? &c. The command we are ſure is Gods; to him reacheth the contempt thereof. And hath not God choſen the poore of this world, to confound the rich? The i1. Cor. 1.28.baſer things, to confound the more honorable? Principall Apoſtles were Fiſhermen; the reſt, men of no great ſtate or eſteeme amongſt men. OnelyOnly Iudas, a man of renowme; therefore called Iſcharioth, a man of that place; famous in the place where his habitation was. As to outward blemiſhes; why are we ſo carnall, as to iudge after the outward appearance? The beautie within ſhould be moſt glorious in our eyes. Not onelyonly Moſes, whoſe beautie is commended: But Simon kAct. 13.1.Niger, whoſe deformitie is recorded, was choſen to be a meſſenger of the Lord of hoſtes.
May not lewd life of the Miniſter warrant vntounto vsus contempt? What of their meſſage? God forbid. Heare lMat. 23.2, 3.Scribes and Phariſes ſpeaking out of Moſes chaire; the meſſage is Gods, whoſoeuer brings it. The contempt of it reacheth to his Maieſtie; though woe to them that ſay and doe not.
Queſt. How may I know that God ſpeakes in the Miniſter?
Anſw. Firſt, Conſider what experience will teach thee; the word wee preach, ſearcheth farther then any ſpeech or thought of man can poſſibly diue: Euen tomHeb. 4.12. the diſcerning of ſecreteſt thoughts, and intentions of the heart. Thine acts of euill, that none eye hath ſeene; ſaue his onelyonly, to whoſe eyes all things are naked and vncouered, the thoughts and intentions of euill, that neuer yet were vented to the eares of man, thou ſhalt heare in our Miniſterie diſcouered and reproued. Canſt thou chuſe now but ſay,n1. Cor. 14.25. God is in vsus of a Truth?
Secondly, If this perſwade not, weigh the terror and aſtoniſhment, that a weake man ſtrikes the Conſcience withall. That men of Lyon-like courage, like the great Leuiathan, contemning Sword and Speare, ſhould be ſo arraigned and ouer-awed by a weake Miniſter, as to tremble at his words, argues it not a Diuine Maieſtie ſpeaking in vsus? Is it not a wonder to read, how Paul a priſoner in bonds, ſhould ſtrike Felix his Iudge, with oAct. 24.25.trembling? I doubt not, but he might ſay, as Iob, He could hauehave made thouſands afraid with his countenance; yet ſee him now trembling at the voice of his priſoner.
Thirdly, Conſider the ſtrange and no leſſe then miraculous change, this Miniſterie workes in the hearts of men, in whom God will hauehave it effectuall to ſaluation. There is no Antipathie ſo great betwixt any things in Nature, as betwixt Mans pRom. 8.7.Nature, and the Law of God. Yet ſee, and ſay at length, as Pharao his Sorcerers, Here ſure is the finger of God; when thou beholdeſt a man ſo rauiſhed with louelove of that, which he moſt deadly hates by Nature, that he preferres it qIob 23.12.before his daily food; yea, holds not life deare vntounto him, for ſupport of the Goſpel.
Who hath alſo giuen vntounto vsus his holy Spirit. The third reaſon here couched, taken from the great fauour of God, in beſtowing his holy Spirit vponupon vsus. How follows the Argument? Whether firſt, from the bountie of God, in beſtowing vponupon vsus a gift of ſuch excellencie? or ſecondly, from the abilitie miniſtred vntounto vsus by the holy Ghoſt, to liue holily? or thirdly, from the great danger accompanying the neglect of holineſſe, after wee hauehave once been partakers of the holy Ghoſt? This …a…eſt I inſiſt on. And thence obſerue, How of all others it moſt neerely concernes men, made partakers of Gods Spirit, to be carefull of holineſſe. I ſay not onelyonly, their ſinnes are greater, becauſe their abilities are more to withſtand temptation; but their ſtate, in caſe of reuolt, moſt dangerous and irrecouerable. Firſt, to ſuch ſinning wilfully,rHeb. 10.26. remaines no more ſacrifice for ſinne; ſecondly, nor is it poſſibleſHeb. 6.4, 6. to renew them by repentance. Conceiue it thus; not as if eueryevery ſinne of infirmitie ſhould caſt them out of all poſſibilitie of pardon and repentance; for in caſe we ſo ſinne, we t1. Ioh. 2.1.hauehave an Aduocate with the Father, to propitiate for our fraileties. But in caſe, ſuch wilfully take themſelues to a courſe of ſinning, and in Peters phraſe,u2. Pet. 2.21. turne back from the holy Commandement giuen vntounto them, xDeut. 29.19, 20.adding drunkenneſſe to thirſt, to them God hath threatened to ſhew no merciemercy.
Vſe. The more ſhould be our care and caution,y2. Cor. 7.1. to purge from all filthineſſe, and toz1. Ioh. 5.18. keepe our ſelues that the euill one touch vsus not.
Queſt. Can men, partakers of the holy Ghoſt, be regardleſſe of Holineſſe? Gods feare is ſo put into their hearts, that they aIer. 32.40.neuer depart from him. And theyb1. Iob. 5.18. Caietan. ibidem. keepe themſelues that the euill one toucheth them not, at leaſt tactu qualitatiuo; ſo, as to alter the diſpoſition of their hearts, and their propenſion to holineſſe.
Anſw. Suppoſe it true; firſt, yet are not Caueats needleſſe to men ſtabliſhed in Grace, as being preſeruatiues againſt ſecuritie, and ſanctified meanes to further perſeuerance: ſecondly, but let it withall be remembred; there are gifts of the holy Ghoſt incident vntounto Caſt-awayes; Illumination, Reſtraint, &c. ſome ſteps and degrees to Sanctification; they alſo hauehave their taſte of the Heauenly gift, of the good Word of God, of the Powers of the world to come; diſpoſitions, and the inchoate habits of true Sanctification, they are truly made partakers of, who yet many of them fall away. And let their fearefull relapſings be our feares, and encreaſe our care to depart from Iniquitie.