Lectures vpon the first and second Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians: preached by that faithfull seruant of God M. Robert Rollock, some-tyme minister of the Euangell of Iesus Christ, and rector of the Colledge in Edinburgh

THE SECOND LEC∣TVRE VPON THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THES∣SALONIANS.

THESSA. CHAP. 1. vers. 4. 5. 6.

4. Knovving, beloued brethren, that ye are the elect of God.

5. For our Gospell vvas not vnto you in vvord onely, but also in povver, and in the holie Ghost, and in much assurance, as ye knovv after vvhat maner vve vvere among you for your sakes.

6. And ye became follovvers of vs, and of the Lord, and receyued the vvord in much affliction, vvith ioy of the holie Ghost.

THE last day, Brethren, we spake of the first part of this Epistle, written to the Thessalonians, to witte, the salutation that the Apostle, with Siluanus and Ti∣motheus directs to them. We entered in the second part, which continewes the congratulation, wherein he rejoyses to∣gether with them, for the graces of God bestowed on them: geuing God the glorie of all, making him the chiefe Author of all grace: Namelie, for their faith which is imployed in clensing and purifying their hearts, for their loue and charitie, which was imployed in laboring with paineful∣nesse for their brethren and nighbours, to their profite and well: and last, for their hope, which was imployed in suffering, and taking things patientlie, grounded on the Lorde Iesus Christ; hauing God the Father for an witnesse of her sinceritie. This far for the matter going before.

Now followes in the fourth verse, an other cause of this thankes-geuing to God, and of this rejoysing: a more effectuall cause nor any that was named yet: their eternall election be∣fore all worlds. All the graces told before were in tyme, but, as for this election, it is before all tyme, from all eterni••e: Vpon this, as vpon a foundation, all grace that is receyued by vs in tyme is grounded, as ye would ground an house vpon an fon∣dation: None getteth faith, but those that are chosen of God from all eternitie: None true loue, but those whom God loueth from all eternitie: None hope of lyfe, but those who are chosen of God from all eternitie: So all grace geuen in tyme, is groun∣ded on this ground of election that was before all tyme. But to come to the words: Knovving (saith the Apost.) brethren beloued of God, your election. He styles them brethren first, then he calleth them beloued of God (for, I lyke that reading best.) The se∣cond is the cause of the first. Because they are beloued of God, therefore they are Brethren to him, to Timothie, and to Siluanus: Marke this. Whom God loueth and vpon whom he powreth forth his grace, as he did on these Thessalonians, we are bound to loue them, to powre out our affections vpon them, to call them Brethren in Iesus Christ, to speake kindlie and louinglie to them: for, the graces of God we see in men, hes force to con∣ciliate the loue of men; so that, men when they see them in o∣thers are bound of dewtie to loue them. If thou see the grace of God in any man; thou art bound to loue the man for the grace, as thou would vtter thou louest God, the geuer of the grace. The loue thou carries to a man for the graces of God thou sees in him, vtters the loue thou carries to God the geuer. Then we should learne to craue grace, to vtter holie affections to them to whom the Lord hath geuen his graces, and that, for the graces God hath bestowed on them.

But to go forward. The next thing heere that Paul vtters, is a knowledge of their election. Knovving your election, sayeth he. This is a farre sight. Then it is true, brethren, the godlie who are able through the Spirite of discretion, to take vp the grace of God in others, they haue a great insight, yea euen to the eter∣nall election, and predestination to that life and glorie, where∣vnto they are appointed, and they will vtter an wonderfull as∣surance

thereof. (For the word signifies, Knovving perfitelie your election) Indeed a man will haue a greater certaintie of his own election, then of the election of any other, because the warrand of his owne election is within him in his owne heart; his heart is stamped therewith: he findes the seale thereof in his owne conscience: as for the election of others, it is onelie outward, as in his actions and behauiour: by the eye of the godlie, by the words of the godly and the works of the godlie, and such like thinges the visible tokens of the mercie of God in men is showen: and so the Lord makes by some outward tokens their election from all eternitie to appeare.

There are two things, whereof it is verie hard to judge v∣pon, and to vtter assurance of: the first is the eternall election of others: the other is, the perseuerance of others in grace to the end: the one bygone from all eternitie, the other to come to the end. It is very hard to judge of these two, in other men especi∣allie: Yet I see the Apostle takes on him to judge of both, and he vtters an assurance of both. Ye see in this place, he knowes the election of the Thessalonians. In the Epistle to the Philip∣pians 1. 6. he is perswaded, that he who had begun with them (which is God) would perfite the worke he had begun, to the comming of Christ, that is, that they should perseuere in the grace they had receyued vnto the end. The ground of all was, because of the grace of God he saw in tyme of the Thessalo∣lians and Philippians: therefore he knowes perfitelie the Thes∣salonians is elected, and is assured the Philippians will perse∣uere and stand in grace. So all tends to this, the grace of God bestowed on any (if we sawe but a sparke of grace in them) should euer moue vs to judge charitablie, that those persons are the elect of God, and will stand and perseuere in grace to the end. Away then with hard judgements of men.

More then this (Brethren) ye see the Thessalonians are ele∣cted: yet he prayes for them, Making mention (sayeth he) of you in our prayers. And for this same cause; knowing that ye are e∣lected. Marke this. The election of God, that sure ground and foundation of lyfe and saluation, prejudges not prayer. There∣fore, say not, I am elected, my saluation can not faile, saued must I be•• therefore, what needs me to pray my selfe, or cause any o∣ther

pray for me? No, by the contrair, say, I am elected, therefore, I will pray: ye are the elect, therefore, I will pray for you: that is Paule reason. For, as saluation, and life is predestinate and appointed by God, so are the meanes of saluation appointed by God, which thou must vse, if euer thou wouldst attaine to lyfe, notwithstanding of thy election. And among all the rest of the meanes, Prayer is one: thou who art chosen to life, prayers is a meane to thee, to be vsed before thou come to life: Pray must thou, and others must pray for thee, or else, thou was neuer chosen to lyfe. There was neuer man chosen to life from all eternitie; but the Lord appoynted that he should vse prayer; also God ordained that he should liue in holinesse, and vvorke good vvorkes, vvhich is an other meane must be vsed. Ephes. 2. 10. For, if prayer be not vsed, if hee liue not holie, if he liue vvithout loue, vvithout charitie and goode vvorkes, if he continevve so to the end, he shall finde that he was neuer chosen.

Now in the next verse, he falles to and proues their election: he vtters not this assurance of their election without goode warrands. There are two arguments in the text. The first is, from that vertew and power he founde in himselfe, vvhile he preached to them. The other is, from the effectualnesse and force of his Ministrie in them. The first is in Paul himselfe, the second in the Thessalonians: the first is contained in these words. For, sayes he, our Gospell, that is the Euangell preached to you, the Gospell of God: (there is no Preacher but he may take it and call it his Gospell, and except thou be saued by it, as it is the Gospell ministered by the Preacher, thou shalt ne∣uer get saluation: Wilt thou goe to God immediatlie, and not heare of them, but contemne them thou shalt neuer be saued. It is Paul and Peters Gospell, and the Gospell of the preach∣ers of it, ere it serue to thy well (this by the way.) This Gospell stoode not in bare language and vvords onelie, but also in povver. As he would say: when I preached to you, I vttered the Gospel in libertie and power, and therefore vpon the graces and power I found in my selfe in vttering the Gospell to you, I gather, they to whom I preached are chosen of God. Then brethren: when the Lord sends out men to preache in power, it is neuer in

vaine; but it is a sure argument amongst them to whom they are ent, there are some chosen of God to life euerlasting: and the man who finds himselfe sent out with power to preache the Gospell, he may say certainlie, there is some I preach to chosen. Who will send out a reaper except there be some haruest to be reaped? Will the Lord send out a man instructed with power to any place, except there be some to be win to him there. The Lord sayes Matth. 9. 37. 38. The haruest is great, it is comming to maturitie, but the laborers are few: therefore pray the Lord of the haruest to send out reapers. And euerbefore any man be sent out to preache, the men to whom he is sent are rype to be instructed, so that he is sent out to gather them in to the barn-yarde. And by the contrair, when God takes away graces, and drawes away power from preachers, when he lets them vtter nothing but dead and emptie talke without power, or when he closes mens mouthes to speake, it is a token that the nomber of the chosen is growing narrow, and the Church is begun to be barren. Well, go this Ministrie away, and if this power be taken away from vs to an other part, there was neuer a surer argument of the draw∣ing in of the godlie in a narrow bounds then this is, and that the remanent are left onelie as miserable catiffes appointed to dam∣nation. What auailes this life and al that we haue, if we misse that glorie to come. In all our proceedings, looke what serues for the life to come; for all our liues will away, our life is not heere: this death temporall is not death; this life temporall is not life, but death eternall is death, and life eternall is life.

But to come to the words, and marke them. For our Gospell saieth he, vvas not vnto you in vvordes onelie, but in povver. Then it is not preaching in vvordes onelie that vvorkes saluation. I see there are tvvo sortes of preachings: some preachings in vvordes onelie, as these Orators vvho preached to the Co∣rinthians for inuy of Paul, had nothing but vvordes. There he sayeth. When I come I vvill cognosce these men, not in their vvordes, but in their povver (if they haue anie) for the King∣dome of God standes not in vvordes, but in povver of the Spirite. 1. Corinth. 4. 19. 20. There is an other preaching of the Go∣spell, not in vvordes onelie, but vvith vvisdome and povver. Theefore seeing this difference is in preaching, that some

preachinges are in vvordes onelie, and some preachings in vvordes vvith power, I must confesse the cause wherefore there is onelie vvordes vvithout povver geuen to the teachers, is oft tymes not onelie in the people themselues, although they be wicked, but in the preacher that vtters nothing but wordes without power, to worke into the hearts of the hearers. There∣fore he that speakes in the name of the Lord, looke that he haue power, and aske power of God, that his words may be effectual in the hearts of the hearers to saluation, or else let him holde him silent. Either seeke that power of God may be joyned with words, or else close thy mouth, and speake not one word in the name of the Lord.

This power is not gotten lightlie, looke to the groundes of this power: Paul sets them down heer. In the holie Spirite, there is one, and in full assurance, there is an other. The first, the preaching of the Spirite: the second, a full assurance that is in the heart of man that speaks to the hearers. Looke that he haue assurance in his owne heart, that remission which he preaches to others is gotteu to himselfe. Is he promising life to the people? looke that he haue assurance that that lyfe is in him. The first and chiefe ground of all power is the holie Spirite of Christ: if the Spirite of Christ speake not, but onlie the spirite of man, the humane power in the teacher, there shall be no power, no vertew in that word to edifie. And therefore Paul 1. Cor. chap. 2. vers. 13. when he hes spoken of the mysterie of Christ, which the wisdome of the vvorlde could not comprehende, he subjoynes, The vvhich vve speake not vvith speaches, and vvordes, vvhich the vvisdome of man teaches, but vvith vvordes, vvhich the holie Spirit teaches vs, ioyning spirituall vvords vvith spirituall matters. By the which words he meanes plainly, that except the Spirit of Christ be the principall speaker of a spirituall matter, be the matter ne∣uer so true of it selfe, it shall haue no power, yea farther in the 1. cha. v. 17. he saieth, the preaching of Christ, with the wisdom of words & humane eloquence makes the crosse of Christ ineffe∣ctual. 1. Cor. 2. 5. he saieth, that faith stands not in the vvisdom of mē and therfore, who euer teaches in the name of christ, let him beg earnestlie that that holy Spirite may be in the heart, to tune the heart; may be in the tongue, to tune the tongue, that the matter

and words that he vtters may both be of the holie Spirite. It is a dangerous thing to a man to speake in the name of the Lord, except first he pray and say, I am going to this place, Lord giue me matter, giue me words, and let not the speach be so much my speache, as the speache of thy Spirite in my heart. If the Spirite be in thy heart, he will speake, but if he be out of thy heart, it will be the voice of a man onelie. No, nothing will conuert men, but that which comes of the Spirit. A natural eare may take pleasure to heare a naturall thing, a naturall heart to speak of a naturall matter: but a spirituall eare and hart wil take pleasure in a spirituall matter, which comes from the heart of a spirituall man.

Now to come to the second ground of this power: It is the full assurance of grace and mercie, that he preaches by his own feeling, he speaks nothing but of faith and particular assurance: a generall assurance is naught; for before I preache the grace of Christ, I must seeke my warrand in my heart, that that grace, righteousnes & life I teach, is setled in my minde, and vpon this assurance I must speake to others; and if the speaker (albeit the grace were neuer so good) haue not in his heart an assurance of that grace, all his words will be vnsauory words. So he must striue alwayes to participate of that grace he teaches to you, ei∣ther in teaching, or before. Dauid sayes I beleued and therefore I spake. Psal. 116. 10. And Paul sayes, We beleue to ryse againe, and to be joyned to Christ, and therfore vve speake. 2. Cor. 4. 13. As he would say, I am speaking to you of the rysing of the bodie, but all this comes of an assurance in my hart, that this bodie of mine shall be dissolued, and at that last day shall liue, and be glo∣rified: and vpon this assurance of mine, I preache to you this resurrection. All tends to this: He who speakes of God to vs would be a man, that in his owne heart hes a full assurance of grace: and aboue all men, a Minister that stands vp and speaks to others, shoulde haue this assurance, and shoulde seeke all vvarrandes of his ovvne saluation. And of the assurance of his heart, he should speake and say: Because I haue felt remis∣on of sins in Christ Iesus, and lyfe in him, therefore I may assure you of them in him, if ye earnestlie by faith seeke them. So look that none that is faithles, on pain of his life stand vp to vtter one

word in the name of Iesus, to offer life, or remission of sinnes▪ his speaking is but like the clattering of a Parocket, his heart is dead, and his head onelie sounds. The Apostle sayes, Because I am assured in my heart of this, therfore I spake vvith a great libertie Then there are the two groundes: first, the holie Spirite: se∣coundlie, the assurance; if these two be of necessitie the worde must be profitable: and thogh a man can not get the ful measure of these two; well is he that can sigh and say, Lord giue mee an assurance in my heart, ere euer I vtter it to others.

In the end of the verse, he takes them to be witnesses of his doing, manner of speaking, and povver they savv in his preach∣ing. As ye knovv after vvhat manner I vvas among you for your sake. As ye know: then they knew the power. So brethren, there will be no Congregation of the Lord that will be so senslesse and dead, but there wil be some that vvill haue that Spirite of discre∣tion in them, know who speakes with power, and who not. Euerie man in the Congregation will not haue it; but certainlie in all congregations there will be some that will know emptie words, and discerne them. And therefore let euerie man that speakes in the name of the Lord, speake so, that he may take the people to whom this discretion is geuen to be witnesse of the power, and the Spirite where-with he preached.

Now all this is for their cause, all the graces Paul had, was for their cause, they were not for himselfe: Matter, word, power, spirite, all was for their cause, what euer grace any member gets, all is gotten and geuen for the whole bodie: the grace that the eye of the bodie gets, the grace the hand gets, all is for vp∣holding the bodie and if the Lord had had no other regarde, but of the hand onelie, he would not haue geuen it the grace to grip. So is it in the bodie of Christ: for if he had not had an other respect to Paul, but for himselfe onelie, he had neuer receyued these graces. So Iames, Peter, Iohn, &c. all their graces are for the well of the Church. The Apostle. 1. Cor. 3. 21. sayes, All is yours, whither it be Paul, Apollos or C••phas, al is yours, and ye are Christs, and Christ is Gods. Then the man that hath gotten the Spirite, and excels aboue his neighbours in graces, looke that in pride he contemne not the least menber of the bodie; the eye must not lightlie the foote, for if it looke to the

skyes and let the foote stumble, it shall perishe it selfe: so who hes gotten great graces, let him take them, and lay all down at the feete of the Church, and distribute them to the well of the Church, and say, I got them all for your cause. The Apostle ha∣uing gotten a reuelation and assurance, he sayeth, God gaue it for the Church. So when thou hast gotten any grace, giue it out to the Church in humilitie, whither the gift be spirituall or tem∣porall, or else it had beene better thou had neuer receyued it: yea, let a King bestow all his graces vpon the Church, for his calling is for the Church, and except there wer a Church, there should not be a King: woe to them that knowe not this end, that all Kingdomes and policies standes for the well of the Church. Daniel tolde Nabuchadnezar an heathen King, that his Kingdome was for the standing of the Church. The Lord op∣pen the eyes of men, to se that they do their duetie in their voca∣tion, that at that last day they may be found to be members of that bodie.

To goe forward, the Apostle gathers the election of the Thessalonians: first, from that power he had to vtter the word, & that for their cause: secondly, by the effectualnes & powerful working of this God within them. Brethren, if the power that God hes geuen the preacher, for vttering of his Gospell for their well, be an argument to them of their saluation, hovv much more must the effectual working of the Gospell be an ar∣gument of their well? Ioyne these two together, the powerfull preaching of the Spirit & the working therof, these two makes the assurance of the election of the hearers. And by the contrair if there be nothing but speaking without power, & no effectu∣alnesse in the heart, it will not be the speaker that will auaile, it wil be ineffectuall to them to their saluation. So thou must finde the effectuall working of the Spirite in thee, which must be thy warrand. But to come to the words. And ye are become follovvers of vs, and of the Lord, and receyued the vvord in great affliction, and vvith ioy of the holie Ghost. These are the words: ye se this effectu¦alnesse in the Thessalonians stands in imitation and following, not so much of him, as of the Lord, of whom he was a follower. Well to be short: the effectualnesse of the Gospell in the hearer ye fe consists in the imitation of the speaker, when the hearer

imitates in lyfe the preacher; and aboue all, imitates in life and conuersation the Lord Iesus Christ, & followes Pastors as they follow the Lorde onelie, and no otherwise. If then the effectu∣alnesse of the Gospel in the people, stands to imitate thee, looke thou that there be matter of imitation of thee, looke how thy mouth speaks, looke thou speake as Christ speaks, otherwise speake not, except thou may say as Paul sayes, when he hes preached to the people, ye are followers of me, I am made a guide to you going before, ye are followers: at the least, if they wil not follow thee, look that thy life be good, thogh they shold run away, go thou forward in the way of life. Preaching wil not do the turne, if thou be not a light going before the people, all thy words shall do no good, and thou shalt neuer be partaker of that glorie thou speaks of.

Then mark againe. Wherin stands this imitation? And receyued, sayes he, the vvord vvith great affliction. There the imitation of the Preacher, not only in receyuing the word deliuered by him, not onlie by following him in doing, but chieflie by following him in suffering affliction. Is he afflicted for the delyuering of it? thou that receiues it follow him in affliction. I remēber Paul in the second Epist. to Timothie. Cha. 3. v. 10. 11. 12. where he layes downe many things in himselfe to be followed, but chieflie his doctrine, maner of liuing, his purpose, his life, lenitie, patience: then he sayes, my persecution and affliction in Christ. Now he sticks on this last, & he specially bound Timothie to that, and he sayes in generall (as it were to euery godlie man) All that is vvil∣ling to liue godlie in Christ, shall suffer affliction, & thou must be one of that nomber, Timothie. Brethren, we will be all content to fol∣low in doing the Pastor. Hes he faith? we will follow his faith: hes he any other thing in him? we follow him in it: but whē it comes to the crosse, then we will leaue him; we will let him a∣lone: no, if it were Christ himself going out of Ierusalem to Gol∣gatha wher he suffered, we wil let him go all alone & will abide in Ierusalem. It is vaine to thinke that affliction onlie pertaines to the speaker, and not to the hearers. The Apostle sayes, hauing receyued the word of God with great affliction. No, affliction is the vnseparable companiō of the Gospel in this life: heares thou and receiues thou the word, make thee for affliction. And so

Paul to Timothie makes affliction the necessare companion of the Gospell. 2. Timoth,. 1. 8. It bydes with thee heere on the earth with a crosse on the backe of it, for thou shalt not brooke it without a crosse. Therefore maruaile not at this affliction, for it is a meruaile that the Gospell should haue remainde so long without affliction in Scotland, and all this affliction in Scot∣land is nothing in respect of other parts where affliction is. And therefore if we brooke this Gospell, looke for greater afflictions, then these; for who hes striuen yet to the blood, for the libertie of the Gospell?

Now in the last words, with the affliction he joynes the holy Spirite, An••••oy sayes he, of the holie Spirite. Ye receyued the Go∣spell with affliction, and with affliction ye receyued joy of the holie Spirite. Looke how surelie affliction is the compa∣nion of the Gospell; as surelie is the joy of the Spirite the com∣panion of affliction, and this is most sure, that the affliction of the Gospell is most joyfull. aboue all other things in the world. A man that suffers as an euill doer, a man that suffers for theft, a murtherer that suffers for murther, an adulterer for adulterie, he hes no joye in suffering, he is ashamed and hangs dovvne his head, because the querrell for which he suffers bringes an euill conscience: theft bringes an euill conscience, murther bringes an euill conscience, adulterie brings an euill conscience, & therfore he hes no joy in suffering. It is true, a man that is to be execute for his his euill deedes, in his execution will rejoyce, but marke the ground. It is it not the euill cause that bringes that joy, but it is the assurance of the remission of sinnes in Christ that bringes the joy: the euill turne bringes euer an horror of conscience: but vvhen one suffers for Christ and the Gospels sake, there is joye and comfort: and they that hes suffered for Christs sake, in suffe∣ring haue greater joy in the spirite, nor euer they had in the ful∣nesse of their pleasures in the world. Peter in his first Epist. 1. 8. sayes, In the midst of their suffring they suffred joyfully: when there is a good conscience, when men suffer for Iesus sake, there was neuer joye comparable to that joy, it is such a joye as vvill swalow vp al paine & terror. Experience of this we haue in ma∣nie godlie Martyres: not that affliction brings joy with it, for it is naturall to the affliction to worke sorrow and griefe, but it is

the good conscience that makes joye, and the good conscience comes of the good cause. When the conscience sayes, Thou art suffering for Christ that suffered for thee, and be assured after suffering thou shalt be glorified, ô the joye that that man shall finde! The Lord giues euerie man joye that suffers any thinge lesse or more for Christ: the furnisher of the joye is the Spirite, who will not suffer anie persone to beare anie thing for Christ, but he will giue comfort and joy therein. Brethren, ye heare it commonlie said, It is the cause or the querrell, and not the paine that makes the martyre: the paine & the torment, were they ne∣uer so greuous will not make a man a martyre: the ground is the good cause & quarrel that they suffer for, the Gospel & Christ. But I say farther, if there be no more nor the cause or the quer∣rell, that makes not martyrdome, if when thou art suffering for Iesus sake, thou hast no joy, no patience, no faith and tolerance, no joye in the holie Spirite, and reioyse more in suffering and bonds, nor he that goes free, it is no martyrdome. Ioyne me joye and the good cause vvith patience in torment all three to∣gether, these make a Martyre. Peter sets downe the rules of suf∣fring, saying. Let no man suffer as a murtherer, as a theefe, as an euill doer, or as a busie bodie in other mens matters. Then he subjoynes, If anie man suffer as a christian for a good cause, let him not be ashamed therein, but let him glorifie God. 1. Epist. 4. 15. 16. As in the I. Cha V. 8. he sayes, They haue in suffering for a good cause a ioy ••••spea∣kable and glorious: So here he forbids them to be ashamed in suf∣fering, but to reioyce and glorifie God who hes called them to that honour: for this is the highest honour of all, to suffer for Christ as the Apostles did. Marke all these grounds: These ex∣amples and rules commending suffering, are not set downe in vaine: and let none thinke to be a christian and to be exeemed from suffering. Away with them who will say, they will preach and receiue the word gladlie in calmnes, but they will haue no∣thing to do with suffering: but I say, if thou prepare thee not for suffering after so long a calmnesse of the Gospell, the end shall prooue that thou shalt curse the time that euer thou heard the Gospell. Therfore in purpose let vs prepare our selues to suffer, that nothing come to vs vnawares: and let vs say when we rise, here I am readie, if it please thee, ô Lord, to lay any thing on me

for the Gospell ere euening, Lord giue me grace not to be asha∣med; but to suffer in joy, my life is not heere, but my life must be laid down. And wel is him can be this way prepared and lookes for greater affliction: for no doubt, after so great calmnesse, af∣fliction must follow, and all our suffering is but childrens play yet. The Lord prepare vs for it, and make vs readie when he pleases to visite vs. To this God be all praise for euer.

Amen.

Notes

• Note.
• Tokens of election.
• Election no impedi∣ment to prayer.
• 2. groun∣des of povver in preaching
• All grace is giuē to mē for the Church.
• Ioy of the holie Spi∣rite ioined vvith af∣fliction.