A briefe and plaine, yet orthodoxall and methodicall exposition vpon S. Pauls second epistle written to the Thessalonians. By Timothie Iackson Master of Arts, of Christs Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher of Gods word at Wragbie in Yorke-shire

Vers. 17. The salutation of Paul, with mine owne hand, which is the token in euery Epistle: so I write. 18. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all, Amen.

IN the 17. verse, Paul shewes, that though hee had a Secretary to write this Epistle, yet hee did, with his owne hand, write the salutation, which, as it was the token in euery Epistle, by which they might know, that they were his, and no counterfeits, so it was the token by which they might know that this was his Epistle, and no spurious writing. For thus he writes, this is his salutation, by which his Epistles may be knowne, viz. The grace of our Lord &c.] This salutation he ordinarily vses in his Epistles, to te∣stifie his great loue to them to whom hee wrote, in the words we may note.

• 1. For what he prayes:
• 2. Whose grace it is:
• 3. For whom he begs it, euen all the Thes∣salonians: By Grace, is meant the free fauour of God, and all blessings issuing therefrom, as streames from the fountaine: It is called, The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, because it is deriued from God by him, vnto all Gods adopted children.

God the Father is the Foun∣taine, Christ is the Conduit-pipe, by which all grace, whither spirituall, or temporall; whether the grace of God, whereby hee loues vs, or the grace, whereby his loue is made knowne vnto vs, is deriued to vs all. Out of these verses wee may gather these poynts of Do∣ctrine.

1. That in Pauls time, there were counterfet wri∣tings, falsely fathered vpon Paul and others; and ther∣fore, that none might be deceiued, Paul giues his Epi∣stles a marke, with his owne hands, whereby they might be discerned from spurious and counterfet wri∣tings.

In that Paul, as he began his Epistle with Grace, so hee also ends it: Wee may learne, that the grace of Christ, is a most excellent and necessary thing: Fire and water are not so necessary for the body, as grace is for the soule; and therefore it is often and againe to be asked. And whosoeuer knowes, either the worth of grace, or want of it, will much call for it; they that do not so, either they value not grace, as they ought, or feele no need of it, which is a wofull dulnesse.

3. All our salutations and greetings, our adieu's & farewels, ought to be grounded in the grace of Christ; otherwise they are but carnall: and therefore the Apo∣stle biddeth the Christians, to salute one another with an holy kisse, Rom. 16.16. Or (as Peter speakes) with the kisse of loue, 1 Pet. 5.14.

4. Wee must acknowledge Christ for our Lord, as∣well as for our Sauiour; many can bee content to ac∣knowledge Christ, as a Sauiour, to deliuer them from Hell, but not a Lord to command them: this they can∣not brooke: They are like to those that sayd, Wee will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs, Luk. 19.14. Let such know, that damnation shall bee their lot and portion, Luk. 19.27. Those that cannot brooke Christ to bee their Lord, shall neuer haue him to bee their Sauiour: Too many such there are, in these dayes, the Lord be mercifull vnto them, and season their hearts with the salt of sauing grace, in his good time. Amen.

Tri-vni Deo sit omnis laus & gloria in aeternum. Amen.

FINIS.

Notes

• Verse 18.
• Parts.