Exposition of 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 5 · Verse 18
VERS. 18.
In eueryevery thing giuegive thankes; for this is the will of God in Chriſt Ieſus, concerning you.
A Second precept wee hauehave here, ſubordinate to preſeruation of ſpirituall ioy. Wherein are three things conſiderable. Firſt, the duetie, GiueGive thankes. Secondly, the extent of the duetie; In eueryevery thing. Thirdly, the reaſon or inducement to the duetie. For this is the Will of God in Chriſt.
In all things; that is, ſay ſome, in all eſtates, aduerſe and proſperous; for all accidents, neuer ſo full of affliction, or calamitie; as our vulgus: thanke God they muſt for all, euen for puniſhments, that come from him, as from an angrie Iudge. And amongſt Learned, it goes for current Diuinitie, without diſtinction: that for afflictions wee muſt bee thankefull: for they worke to our good. But why not then for our ſinnes alſo, ſith they alſo worke after a ſort to good, by the ouerruling power and prouidence of God?Auguſt. de cor. & grat. cap. 9. All things worke together for good: Vſque adeo omnia, ſaith AVSTIN, vt etiamſi qui eorum deuiant & exorbitant, etiam hoc ipſum eis faciat proficere in bonum, quia humiliores redeunt atque doctiores.
The old diſtinction muſt here be remembred. Afflictions, ſome are foreign: puniſhments properly ſo called: they are ſuch as proceed from Gods wrath, and are inflicted in the Nature of Vengeances. May wee thinke theſe matter of thankefulneſſe? and not rather of trembling and humiliation?
Some are foreign: chastiſements, or fatherly corrections. They differ from the former, not ſo much in their matter; as Firſt, in the Fountaine. Secondly, Meaſure. Thirdly, end of inflicting and iſſue. They iſſue out of GODS louelove, and fatherly care, willing thereby to reclayme vsus. They hauehave theiryEſay 27.8. temper and mitigation according to our ſtrength. They tend to make partakers of the zHeb. 12.11.quiet fruit of righteouſneſſe. In afflictions of this Nature, if we reſpect the vſe and fruit, there is cauſe of thankefulneſſe.
Some are foreign: preſeruatiues againſt ſinne; as PAVLSa2. Cor. 12.7. buffeting by Satan.
Laſt are foreign: tryals of faith; whether by Satan; as thoſe of Iob: or by men that perſecute for righteouſneſſe ſake. In this laſt ſort, wee finde great cauſe of thankefulneſſe, and reioycing. Paul cals his Croſſe, his bPhil. 1.7.Grace: PETER and his fellowes reioyce therein, as incActs 5.41. a great dignitie.
The ſumme is: Afflictions ſimply cōſidered, are no matter of thankeſgiuing; their vſe and fruit is a bleſſing of God; but that comes from them by accident only; is not wrought out of the Nature of miſery.
The extent of the dutie is beſt meaſured, by comparing it with the former: what wee may pray for; for that wee muſt giuegive thankes; and whatſoeuer is no fit matter of Prayer, is as vnfit for thankeſgiuing. That wee may pray for afflictions, I find not warranted vntounto any; nor by any practized; For dIob 6.11.what is our ſtrength that wee ſhould indure?
By which rule alſo, the prophane guize of many is excluded; euen for their ſinnes, and thriuing therein, prophanely prayſing God, and giuing thankes to him. The Thiefe for his Spoyle; the Adulterer for his vncleane Dalliance; the vaine Gameſter for his good Fortune. Gratitude, ſaith Bernard, is or ſhould be pudica. Abominable to God is that thanke, that aſcribes to him the operation, of what hee profeſſeth to abhorre, and threatneth to puniſh; as hee doth all iniquity. The ſenſe then thus conceiue: Inioying the bleſſings of God, be as carefull to render thankes, as in the want thou waſt inſtant in Prayer to obtayne them. Let no fauour of God, bee it neuer ſo meane, bee ouer-paſſed without thankeſgiuing. Amongſt Iewes, were as many Thankeſ-offerings; as Offerings of expiation and atonement; to teach vsus, to be as thankefull for bleſſings receiued, as in our wants wee are importunate to obtayne them. And hereto tended their ſolemne Feſtiuities, as to one end, to teſtifie their thankefulneſſe, and reioycing in Gods Mercy, and the Bleſſings beſtowed on them in temporall and ſpirituall things. The Saints of God were carefull in this kind: in Dauid, the man after Gods owne heart, it is ſpecially obſeruable; his Pſalmes of thankeſgiuing double in number to thoſe ſpent in Doctrine, Hiſtory, or Petition.
Motiues here: Firſt, The excellencie of this ſeruice would bee conſidered. Firſt, Preferred by theePſal. 50.23. Lord before all Sacrifices. Secondly, Peculiar to Saints. Thirdly, The ſeruice of the life to come, when all other almoſt ceaſe.
Secondly, It is all wee are able to render vntounto the Lord for all the benefits hee hath done vntounto vsus: in a ſenſe,fPſal. 116.12, 13. all the Lord requires of vsus: how iuſtly, iudge by that no obligation of the Lord vntounto vsus; For gRom. 11.35.who hath giuen him firſt? Wee receiue them, ſaith BERNARD, Dupliciter gratis; ſine merito, ſine labore noſtro.
Thirdly, Vnthankefulneſſe, ſaith Bernard, is that ventus vrens and exiccans, that dryes vp fluenta gratiae. For it, God is wonted to depriue of his Bleſſings, and to turne them into Curſes. BecauſehRom. 1.21, 22 Gentiles were vnthankefull, the Lord infatuated their vnderſtanding. Or if the Bleſſings bee continued, yet not in the Nature of bleſſings: but as occaſions of hard-heartedneſſe, iRom. 2.5.and preparatiues to greater iudgement. Thus of the dutie; ioyne thereto the extent of it: In eueryevery bleſſing of God. They are of three ſorts. Firſt, Naturall, that tend to our being, or wel-being in Nature. Secondly, Politicall, tending to our being, or wel-being in ciuill ſocietie. Thirdly, Spirituall, ſeruing to our being, or wel-being in Grace. EueryEvery of theſe require their ſpeciall thankeſgiuing. And in eueryevery of them muſt bee conſidered, Firſt, The bleſſings themſelues. Secondly, The vſe. Thirdly, The continuance. Fourthly, The increaſe of the Bleſsings. ThatkActs 17.28. we liue, mooue, hauehave our being, is Gods merciemercy towards vsus; that hee giues vsus things neceſſary for ſuſtenance of life, and hearts to vſe them, is his Bleſsing, not without thankefulneſſe to bee acknowledged. There be, ſaith Salomon, that hauehave them in abundance, and yet lProu. 5.13.want hearts to take comfort of them. The habit of Faith, is Gods Gift; the vſe of Faith, his Gift; the continuance, his Gift; the increaſe, his Gift; they fayle in this dutie, that paſſe by any of theſe without their ſpeciall thankeſgiuing.
Sinnes contrary hereto. Firſt, Ingratitude: the ſinne ſo deteſtable vntounto God, ſo odious, I ſay not to Saints only, but to all men. Ingratum dixeris, omnia dixeris, ſaith, Mimus Publianus. And if on any people it may be charged, moſt on vsus, to whom GOD hath beene richeſt in bountifull beſtowing of his Fauours.
Degrees of this ſinne, Ancients hauehave thus noted.
Firſt, To paſſe by the Fauours of GOD without notice-taking of them, at leaſt in the Nature of Fauours; in this degree who ſtands not culpable of Ingratitude before God? How mLam. 3.23.many mercies are with eueryevery morning renued vponupon vsus? which through commonneſſe, not only loſe of their worth in our eſteeme, but their very notice and obſeruation.
Secondly, Not to requite or recompenſe the benefit to the beſtower, according to oportunitie: may ſome ſay, Can any recompenſe to the Lord his Kindneſſe? Behold, ournPſal. 16.2. wel-doing extends not to him; andoIob 22.3. what is it to God that wee are righteous? Yet are there certaine duties, which he is pleaſed to interpret, after a ſort, as thankfull rendrings, and retributions made to his bountie, as, when we vſe his gifts to the glory of the bestower. Secondly, To the comfort of his Children, whom he hath pleaſed to appoint receiuers of his Tribute, and accepts things done to them, pMat. 25.40.as done to himſelfe.
Thirdly, To render euill for good. A high degree of Ingratitude. I could wiſh wee could waſh our hands of it. His Patience and Bountifulneſſe how many abuſe to licentiouſneſſe? his wonderfull Mercy in the worke of Redemption, how many make the greateſt excitement to diſobedience?qDeut. 32.6. Do yee thus requite the Lord, O people, fooliſh and vnwiſe?
Fourthly, To diminiſh the worth of the Bleſsings; as IſraeliresrPſal. 106.24. despiſed the good and pleaſant Land: As many of our people, the great fauours of God, in the ſeedes and beginnings of Grace.
Fiftly, To account Bleſsings Curſes. Wonderfull fauour God vouchſafed to Iſrael in their deliuerance from bondage in Egypt; and ſuch as while they felt, they ſExod. 2.23.cryed after; yet no ſooner appeares the leaſt danger, but theytExod. 16.3. eſteeme better, death in Egypt, then life in the Wilderneſſe vnderunder Gods protection. By Miracle GOD feedes them with Manna from Heauen; and while it is now, they admire it; incontinently they murmure at that pleaſant meate, and the Fleſh-pots and Garlike of Egypt ſeemes better food. What a gracious bleſſing hath God beſtowed on vsus in libertie of his worſhip, and plentie of his Word? But oh curſed vnthankefulneſſe of men, crying out of this bleſsing, as of ſome direfull Curſe, becauſe it is croſsing to their fleſhly affections.
Secondly, To this may be added formalitie in thankefulneſſe; thankeſgiuing being vſually no more but lip-labour; we can ſay God a thanke; but he is a rare man, whoſe heart is affected with reioycing in Gods MercieMercy; and that feelingly acknowledgeth Gods fauour in his bleſsings. Or that diuerts not the prayſe in part, to himſelfe, as the uLuk. 18.11.Phariſe; and is readiexHab. 1.16. to ſacrifice to his Nets.
That our hearts may bee ſtirred vp to this dutie, take notice of theſe as meanes auayleable.
Firſt, Conſider our no Merits of any the Lords Mercies; yea, our deſeruings of the contrary. Who muſt not ſay, as IACOB,yGen. 32.10. Lord, I am leſſe then the leaſt of all thy Mercies, and louing kindneſſes thou haſt ſhowne mee? what were our Merits? except ſuch, as Auſtine ſpeakes of, Meritamala. See Paul and Dauid from this ground, more then once exciting their hearts to thankefulneſſe.
Secondly, Meditate the miſery of wanting the bleſſings inioyed. Vſually it is true, Carendo, magis quàm fruendo. The Lord for this cauſe is pleaſed to leaue vsus many, as ſpectacles of his wrath; that ſeeing their miſerie wee might be prouoked to prayſe his MercieMercy: And ſometimes to withdraw them from his owne Children, that wee might learne to ſet better price on them.zPſal. 32.1. See Dauid.
Thirdly, Set our ſelues apart to ſerious view of their excellency: there is none of them but hauehave a ſecret worth in them. Make inſtance, Remiſsion of ſinnes.
Fourthly, Conſider the preferment God hath giuen vsus in his fauours, aboue many of equall deſerts with our ſelues; whichaPſal. 147.19, 20. Dauid thought no ſmall motiue to thankeſgiuing. See alſo Exodus 19. Deutronomie 5.3. Matthew 13.17.
Fiftly, Amongſt Gods owne Children thou mayſt perhaps finde ſome, thy inferiours in the meaſures of Grace. I dare ſay there is no man, but may ſay, God hath in one kind or other made him a ſuperior to his Brethren. Compariſon with thoſe behind vsus, as it reſtraines Enuy, ſo prouokes thankefulneſſe.
Sixtly, Stay not in the inſtrument, by which thou receiueſt Gods fauours. But conſider Gods hand, reaching to thee whatſoeuer good things thou inoyeſt. And of the dutie thus farre.
The reaſon preſsing it followeth. For this is the wil of God in Chriſt Ieſus towards you: that is, It is that the Lord by his Sonne Chriſt hath ſignified to bee his will; and after a ſort the whole, he requires of vsus for all the good things he hath done to our ſoules: other Expoſitions there are many, this ſeemes moſt congruous. The obſeruation made to the fourth Chapter and third Verſe, here againe offers it ſelfe: Thither I remit the Reader; wiſhing only wee had all Wiſedome to captiuate our thoughts to the obedience of Chriſt; and not to allow diſputes againſt the ſignifications of Gods will; what the LORD ſpeakes to Ioſhuah, ſhould, me thinks, be ſufficient excitement to obedience.bIoſh. 1.9. HaueHave not I commanded thee? It is that, I am ſure, that formes our obedience to ſinceritie; and chiefly puts difference betwixt the integritie of Gods Children and the formalitie of Hypocrites, and mercenary affection of Hyrelings. Glorious things we find written of Formaliſts; and ſuch, as for ſubſtance of the action, are ſcarce exceeded by the moſt vpright in heart: Yet cannot find teſtimonie giuen to any Hypocrite, that hee made the Commandement his motiue. If that were the ground of wel-doing, how is it wee finde them ſo halting in their Obedience? how, that where is the ſame ground of doing, there is not like performance? Hee that ſaid, Thou ſhalt not commit adultery, ſaid alſo, Thou ſhalt not kill. He that ſaid to IEHV, Hee ſhould destroy BAAL, the Idoll of ACHAB, ſignified alſo diſlike of the Calues of IEROBOAM. If therefore he deſtroyed Baal, becauſe the Lord ſo commanded: wherefore departs he not from the ſinne of Ieroboam, which God had ſo ſeuerely puniſhed by rooting out his poſteritie? It ſhall euer be the priuiledge of the vpright in heart, to doe what God willeth, therefore becauſe he wills it.