83. ad Palest. Imp. They are in name the servants of Christ, but serve antichrist. They call themselves Jews, but are the synagogue of Satan. "For," saith the apostle, "he is not Rom. ii. a Jew, which is one outward; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one within; and the circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." Of those which are such Leo saith: Ecclesiæ nomine armamini, et contra ecclesiam dimi- Leo, Epist. catis"? "Ye arm yourselves with the name of the church, and yet ye fight against the church." And Chrysostom saith: "The name only of Christ doth not make Hom. 19. in a Christian, but he must also have the truth of Christ; for there are many which Matt. in Op. walk in the name of Christ, but few which walk in his truth." "It is therefore manifest," as Lyra saith, "that the church is not among men by reason of any Lyra in xvi. ecclesiastical or secular authority or dignity; because many princes and high priests and others of the inferior sort have forsaken the faith"." Though they pretend shew of holiness, though they draw to themselves credit by long continuance, though 10 their numbers be great, and they consent together; yet, if they have forsaken the faith, if they hold not the truth of Christ, if they fight against and persecute the church, if their circumcision be not the circumcision of the heart, and in the spirit, if they hear not the voice of the Shepherd, if they love not Christ Jesus the Son of God, and set not forth his glory, if they seek to stop the course of the gospel, if they seek to get a name among men, if they resist Moses and Aaron; they have only a painted visard, and carry only an empty name of the church: they call themselves so, and are not. 11 Matt. Mich. Lib. i. But the church of God is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ: it is the company of the faithful, whom God hath gathered together in Christ by his word and by the Holy Ghost, to honour him, as he himself hath appointed: this church heareth the voice of the Shepherd. It will not follow a stranger, but flieth from him; for it knoweth not the voice of strangers. Of this church St Hierome saith: Ecclesia... Christi,... in toto orbe ecclesias possidens12, Spiritus Hieron. in unitate conjuncta est, et habet urbes legis, prophetarum, evangelii, et apostolorum. cap. i. Non est egressa de finibus suis, id est, de scripturis 13: "The church of Christ, which containeth the churches through all the world, is joined together in the unity of the Spirit, and hath the cities of the law, of the prophets, of the gospel, and of the apostles. This church goeth not forth, or beyond her bounds 14, that is, the holy scriptures." It is the pillar of the truth; the body, the fulness, and the spouse of Christ: it is the vine, the house, the city, and the kingdom of God. They which dwell in it "are no more strangers and foreigners, but citizens with Eph. ii. the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the head corner-stone; in whom all the building coupled together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." This church "Christ loved, and gave himself for it; that he might Eph. v. sanctify it and cleanse it by the washing of water through the word, that he might make it unto himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blame." Such a church was the church of God at Thessalonica: such a church are they, whosoever in any place of the world fear the Lord, and call upon his name. Their names are written in the book of life: they have received the Spirit of adoption, by which they cry, "Abba, Father:" they grow from grace to grace, and abound more and more in knowledge and in judgment: they cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light: they are made absolute and perfect 15 unto all good [They are, 1594.] [Leon. Magni Op. Lut. 1623. Ad Palæst. Episc. Epist. lxxiii. 8. col. 444. See before, page 98, note 1.] [... quia non nomen solum Christi Christianum facit, sed etiam veritas Christi; quia in nomine Christi multi ambulant, in veritate autem ejus pauci. -Chrysost. Op. Par. 1718-38. Op. Imperf. in Matt. Hom. xix. ex cap. vii. Tom, VI. p. xciv.] [ Ex quo patet quod ecclesia non consistit in hominibus ratione pietatis vel dignitatis ecclesiastica vel secularis: quia multi principes et summi pon tifices et alii inferiores inventi sunt apostasse a fide. [10 Although, 1594.] [11 Get name, 1584, 1594.] [12 Possident, 1594.] [13 Hieron. Op. Par. 1693-1706. Comm. Lib. I. in Mich. Proph. cap. i. Tom. III. col. 1503; where possidet.] [14 Bonds, 1611.] Psal. xli. Psal. xliv. works: they are evermore comforted in the mercies of God, both by the holy scriptures, wherein God declareth his gracious goodness towards them, and by the sacraments, which are left unto the church to be witnesses and assured pledges for performance of the promise of God's good-will and favour towards them. "Grace be with you, and peace," &c. God give you the forgiveness of your sins, and the peace and comfort of your conscience. God let all his blessings fall upon you, that you may see the riches and the treasures of his mercy; that you may be filled with all fulness in the Spirit; that you may behold the glory of the kingdom of God; and those things may be revealed unto you by his Spirit, which he hath prepared for them that love him. Without this grace you can do nothing you can neither feel the burden of your sins, nor seek to be eased of them, nor perceive when they are forgiven: you cannot rent your heart, and set apart from you the vanities and lusts of the flesh, which doth evermore fight against the soul: you cannot discern the word of God, and by it enter the way to everlasting life: you cannot abhor that which is evil, and cleave unto that which is good: without the grace of God you cannot continue stedfast and constant in faith, and in hope of the mercies of God through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Ver. 2. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3. Without ceasing remembering your effectual faith and diligent love, and the patience of your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, even our Father; 4. Knowing, beloved brethren, that ye are elect of God. 5. For our gospel was not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye1 know after what manner we were among you for your sakes. "We give thanks," &c. Paul teacheth what is the office of a good minister. He must ever carry in remembrance the state2 of the congregation over which the Lord hath placed him. He must give thanks to God in their behalf, and pray for them, that God will bless that which he hath begun, and confirm them unto the end, that they may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ; that he will behold them from above, and bless his inheritance, and guide the sheep of his pasture. "Your effectual faith." Faith is not idle; it worketh and is forcible, it breaketh out like fire: it is always fruitful through love. Faith without works is no faith: it is dead, and bringeth death. "And diligent love." Love is painful, and full of travail: it thinketh not evil: it seeketh not her own things: it is bountiful. This love had the Thessalonians to the saints of God, which suffered affliction in all places for the gospel's sake. Many were spoiled of their goods, cast out of their houses, and banished from their country: even as at this day for the like cause many of our brethren, the good servants of God, are driven into banishment, cast into prisons, put to the sword, or consumed in fire, in those places where the god of this world hath so blinded their eyes, that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should not shine unto them. It is high time in such cases for charity to shew herself. She cannot dissemble, nor despise the tears of her brother. It sheweth forth as the morning-light: it taketh from herself to relieve them which are in need. It dealeth bread to the hungry, and bringeth the poor that wander unto her house, and covereth the naked, and hideth not her face from her own flesh. Unto them that have this love the Lord giveth his blessing: "Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy: the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble." And Christ saith: "Blessed are the merciful; for they shall find mercy." "And the patience of your hope." How many are the troubles which the children of God suffer in this life! Let us behold the times which were before Abel was innocent and just; yet was he slain by the hands of his brother, and without a cause. The prophet David saith of the prophets and holy men of God, (and the same words saith the apostle of the church of Christ under the us. gospel:) "For thy sake are we killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep Rom. viii. for the slaughter." Jeremy saith: "Thy word is unto them as a reproach." And Jer. vi. again: "For thy sake I have suffered rebuke." What villanies were brought 3 Jer. xv. against our Saviour Christ! They reproached him in speeches, brought false accusations and false witness against him, and killed the innocent, in whose mouth there was found no guile. When St Paul appealed to the witness of Timothy, who did fully know his doctrine, manner of living, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, and patience; and that he knew also the persecutions and afflictions which came unto him, and which he suffered at Antiochia, Iconium, and at Lystra, after he had thus remembered his persecutions and his own innocency, he saith: "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim. iii. What then hath the godly to lean unto, but hope? The prophet David therefore said: "Though I should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Psal. xxiii. I will fear no evil; for thou art with me." Therefore said Job: "Though he slay Job xiii. me, yet will I trust in him." For he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall never be confounded. In this hope spake St Paul: "Christ is to me both in life and Phil. i. death advantage." Again: "Whether we live or die, we are the Lord's." And Rom. xiv. again: "God forbid that I should rejoice, but in the cross of our Lord Jesus Gal. vi. Christ." And to the Romans he saith: "There is no condemnation to them Rom. viii. that are in Christ Jesus." This is the foundation of faith, even a strong rock, which shall continue for ever. Neither tribulation, nor anguish, nor persecution, nor famine, nor any danger can remove the faithful from this hope. But the wicked and unstable fall from their hope; and their fall is miserable. They have heard the word of God that teacheth unto salvation, but did not regard it: they have forgotten the works of the Lord, and received his grace in vain. For, when they have heard the word, the devil cometh, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe, and be saved. And the end of these men is worse than the beginning. It was not so with the Thessalonians. They received the word of God willingly; and it was fruitful in them, so that thereby they increased in faith, in love, and in hope. Their faith the apostle calleth forcible or effectual, their love diligent and painful, their hope mighty through patience, whereby they overcome all manner of dangers; and rejoiceth on their behalf, because he found so great success of his travail in the gospel amongst them. "Knowing that you are elect of God." You were blind, the children of wrath, without understanding, without God, and without hope. But God hath had mercy upon you, and hath given you grace to know your calling. Herein it appeareth that you are the chosen of God, and of the flock of Christ. "My John x. sheep," saith he, "hear my voice; and I know them; and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish; neither shall any pluck them out of mine hand." "For our gospel was not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." That you have yielded obedience unto the word, and that my ministry hath been effectual amongst you, it cometh not of any power in yourselves, or in me: it is the work of God. He hath blessed my ministry, he hath blessed your hearts. It is the gift of God, lest any man should boast thereof. Hereof he speaketh to the Corinthians: "Who is Paul then, and 1 Cor. iii. who is Apollos, but the ministers by whom ye believed, and as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." It is he which hath the key of David, which openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. Without him we can do nothing. He guideth us and all our counsels, and leadeth us into all truth. "No man can come unto John vi. me," saith Christ, "except the Father which hath sent me draw him." And by the prophet Ezechiel God saith: "I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit Ezek. xxxvi. will I put within you. I will put my Spirit within you, and will cause you to walk in my statutes; and you shall keep my judgments and do them." And by the prophet Jeremy: "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their Jer. xxxi. Psal. cxix. Sanct. cap. viii. hearts." Therefore David maketh his prayer: "Teach me, O Lord: give me understanding; and I will keep thy law." The words of the preacher enter in at the ear. The Spirit of God conveyeth De Prædest. them into the heart. Augustine saith: Auditur evangelium: quidam credunt, quidam non credunt:...qui credunt...intus a Patre audiunt et discunt; qui...non credunt, foris audiunt, intus non audiunt, neque discunt. Hoc est, illis datur ut credant, illis non datur1: "The gospel is declared. Some there are which believe: some there are which believe not. They which believe hear it inwardly by the Father, and so learn it. They which believe not hear it only with their outward sense, and not with inward feeling, and therefore learn it not. As much to say, To them it is given to believe: to the other it is not given." In the Acts of the Apostles Lydia, a woman of the city of the Thyatirians, heard the preaching of the apostle Paul; but it is said : "Whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things that Paul spake." The people, which said unto Peter and the other apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" did hear all the words of Peter; but they had another teacher, that gave force unto the word, and made it fruitful in them; and therefore it is said: "They were pricked in their Luke xxiv. hearts." This also appeared in the disciples which walked towards Emmaus: they heard Christ open the scriptures unto them: they reasoned with him: yet until their eyes were opened they knew him not. His word crept into their ears; but it was the Spirit of God which wrought within them, which inflamed their hearts, and made them to know him. Acts xvi. Acts ii. Isai. lv. 66 Thus God blesseth his word, and maketh it yield fruit in such measure as his wisdom hath appointed. His blessing appeareth greater when many are converted; yet is his word all one, and the power thereof no whit shorter when it is utterly refused, or received but of few. Surely," saith God, "as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it fruitful, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to him that eareth2; so shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I will, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." It is the word of the living God, which is blessed for ever. And blessed is that heart which can receive it, which God instructeth and giveth3 knowledge of his word, which doth so learn it that he is assured of the truth thereof, and nothing doubteth but it is indeed the word of life; which saith thereof, This is the way, in which if I walk I shall certainly go forward to the city of my God: this is the truth; if I hearken unto it, I shall never be deceived. Whosoever findeth himself endued with this grace, he doth as plainly and evidently judge of the words of God, and try out the truth thereof from the devices and doctrines of men, as a man of clear eyesight is able to judge of colours, and to know one colour from another. Yea, in this is the knowledge of that more certain; because colour doth fade and alter, and many times one colour thereby waxeth like another; but the truth of God doth never alter. It continueth one through all ages. It is the word of everlasting life. Heaven and earth shall perish; but one tittle thereof shall not be lost. The truth of God shall be established for ever. The humble shall hear it1, and be glad. "As ye know after what manner we were among you for your sakes.” You know how I behaved myself, and after what manner I have lived among you. You know my first coming and entry unto you. You know what doctrine I have taught, and what hath been my conversation of life. I never deceived any, nor offered wrong unto the simplest. I sought not you nor yours, but those things which are Jesus'. I have lived by the labour of my hands, in watchings, in hunger, in cold, and nakedness. God hath ordained, that they which teach the gospel should live by the gospel. Who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? But I have not used this liberty. For I have a great care lest by any means I should offend you. Yet would I never flatter any in that ['Cum igitur evangelium prædicatur, quidam &c. audiunt atque discunt &c.-August. Op. Par. 1679-1700. Lib. de Praedest. Sanct. cap. viii. 15. Tom. X. col. 801.] [ Eateth, 1584, 1594.] [3 To which he giveth, 1584, 1594.] [* In, 1594.] thing they had done amiss: I never spared to rebuke ill. If I should fear, or seek to please men, I were not the servant of Christ. I seek not mine own glory, but the glory of him that sent me, who also hath made me a minister of his gospel. I have forsaken all things, my goods and life, my flesh and my body; and am daily in perils, compassed daily by persecution, and see death daily before mine eyes, for the love I bear to you, and for the care I have of the church. You are the Lord's sheep; I am your shepherd: you are the house of God; I am your builder: you are God's orchard; I am your overseer and workman. I shall give an account for your souls: you know how tenderly I have loved you in the Lord. Your grief hath been my grief: your joy hath been my joy. I have prayed for you day and night, and have given thanks to God for you, and rejoiced in your behalf. What is more dear to a man than life? yet have I desired to yield up my life, that you might live. I have been ready to suffer death, if thereby I might do you good. These things you cannot but remember: your conscience beareth me witness, that I have thus lived among you for your sake. Ver. 6. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord, and received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. He commendeth the godly for the practice of that which they have learned and seen in him, in that they have received the gospel, and framed their lives accordingly, and have continued stedfast in the same in the midst of persecution. Herein he doth not only lay out himself and the other apostles for an example, but telleth them that this way is also trodden out by our Lord himself: who as he is the way, and the light that lighteneth every man which cometh into the world; so did he bear his cross, and did lay down his life for his sheep. Therefore he said to his disciples: "The disciple is not above his master, nor the Matt. x. servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple to be as his master is, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?" "If Matt. xvi. But this is reckoned unto them for happiness. "Blessed are you when men Matt. v. revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you for my sake falsely. Rejoice and be glad; for great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." They slew them, and drowned them, hewed them with swords, and cut them in pieces with saws. any man," saith our Saviour, "will follow me, let him forsake himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." So far must the children of God be from the love of this world: in such sort must he forsake his own life, and endure affliction, that will come unto Christ. In the old law the priests went on and carried the ark before, and the people came after, in token that they should give good example, and the people should follow them. The priest was appointed to be a shrill trumpet sounding in the ears of the people; and the people were commanded to prepare themselves for the battle of the Lord of hosts. Therefore saith St Paul, So have I followed the Lord, and so have you followed me, and received the word (not in affliction only, but) in much affliction. Where he describeth the unmerciful hearts and tyrannous hate of the wicked against all those that follow the Lamb, and receive the word of God with gladness. No torment so cruel, no device so strange, no manner of death so horrible, which hath not been, or which is not laid upon them. Their bodies be cast into prisons: they are stript out of their houses and spoiled of their goods. Thus do the enemies of God work tyranny and much affliction unto the godly. They consume their bodies in fire, shed their blood without measure, throw out their bones, and scatter them upon the face of the earth; and this do they, not as against murderers, robbers, adulterers, or such like, but only because they receive the word, and bear a love to the truth, and cannot deny the power thereof. "With joy of the Holy Ghost." [* Evil, 1594.] This is that which passeth all natural sense [ He much describeth, 1584, 1594.] |