for our ſupport arttl comfort ; ſo Faith is a Breaft-plate or Deteace ; 2n.l as it is a Defence againſt Temptations, io particularly again that tud- den Deſtruction that will come upon the ſecure \World betore menti- oned. o Secondly, Love, and Love is joined with Faith, to thkew it fo be a true and lively Faith, when it worketh by Love, Gal. 5.6, and Love when it worketh produceth many bletied cleats, and particularly as Faith it will be a Breaft-plate of Defence ; It will detend againſt -t!:- | Perſecutions and AffiQtions of the World : Many Iaters cannct guei;_(n ops nor the floods drown 1t, Can, 8. 7 .,Sla viſh Fear will overcome us ; if we want Love to defend azainft it wn true Religion 15 under Dil | arace, and perſecuted in the World > Love will defend a24intt Apa ftaſic, and ſo help us to perſevere ro the coming of Chrift, which the | Apoſtle had been ſpeaking of ; and Love being ſeated in the [earr, 1s well compared to a Breaſt-plate tnat encompalicth the Heart, p >ccond- ly, the other piece of Armour is the Zelmer, fo called in the Greep from encomnaſſing the Head ; and this Helmet is faid here to be tlc bope of Salvation. In Evb. 5. 17, we read of the Aelmer of Sajvarion, but the hope of it is there to be underſtood, for Saivation is no Grace of the Spirir, and to ot it {elt no part of a Chriſtian's Armont, Hops of Salvation is of great ule toa Chriftian many ways ; Ir iz a Cordiaj to comfort him, a Spur to quicken him, a $:2tt to tupport him, a Bri- dle to refrain him, and lo alſo an Helmet to detend him ; and thers- fore no wonder that the Apotite calls true Hope a I:vcly Zype, 1 Per
1.3. And asit {elf is lively, t© it isa Detencg ro the Lite of the Sou!
25 an Helmet is to the Lite of i! lody, £ !ope deferred mit ti the hea, fick, faith $9.0morr, but if quice &11:ppoiatect and loft, the Hear tn; 2nd dies, L<t Afftictions ant Dit, cies break in like 2 Ho, vet Hy wiil keep the tiead above \Vatcr; and if >atan ailauits tlis . oul ic drive it into Delpair, this hope of Salvation will be a Detence to itz, to thatthe Chriftian's Armoyr wcotioned 1a this yerle are £419, 0c, andt
| I _- | £1"Pe
Gill, 17.
$2, 1COrT. {
? ©
Site. Pi :ncs call the three 1 helogical Graces, and placed to- other \\pottle, 1 Cor, 13. "I And theie the Saints who arc Children of Fr) e clav, are to put ON, W hereby they ſhall be Armc« tor the conn, of Chriſt with this Armor of light, Rm, 15. 12. and
in (t £216 <defiudiion which will then 7} ic theChikiren oftheNight. o For * God hath not ap nbirced us to wrath, bur 0
». ohtain ſalvation q by our Lord Jelvs Chrift 7. > q Some Expolitors make theſe words an Argument to al! the Du: ties of Holine's mention'd both in this and the fore gO0INg, C hapters, ; truce, that the knowledzc of our being Elected or appointed to Salvation, doth not in the E e&t Encourage to {in or floth, as ſome atfhrm, \ but engage to all holineſs ; but 1 had rather rcſtrain the words, an That either to thchop? of Salvation mentioned immediately before, al « hen the tenle to Þe tis, we may well hove for Salvation ſeeing Gio! harh appointed us to 1t, or to i115 whole Di{courte about the com- ; of Chriſt, and fo they n \a y give the reaion why the dead in Chriſt
_- Be at e, Anc 1 muſt with the Livins Saints meet the Lord in the air, 211} he ſow ever with him; yea, and why they need not ear the De- {truttion that will come upon others at that day, and why they {ſhould he watchtul tor 1ts coming becauic faith the Apoftle, God hath not app? inted us to Wrath, bes t9 chtain Salvation, &c. having ſpoken of two forts of Perſons, the Children of the Day, and Children ofthe Nizht, and the tudden eftruetion of the one, and Salvation of the 0- ther at the coming, of Chriſt ; ke here aſcends to the firſt Original of b ot Þ, which is Gods irpointment, Which is an Act of God's Sovereign will, "determining mens final Eſtates, which ſeems to be more than oreknowledge, an Act of God's mind,as appears
ant it
l. THESSALONIANS.
his dying for us implieth the greatneſs of our guilt, and eXpreſſet] the greatneſs of his own love,Feh! 15, 13. He love us and there would have us live with him, and he dyed that we an he may lips gether. And ſo he may be faid ro dic for our Salvation, the li ſubRtance whereof contifteth in our livi ing with him. To live with fo 7 lorio ors , perſon, and a perſon that js full of love to us, and ſhall then he perfe&t- ly beloved of us, and that ftands in many near Relations to us, yn
Un ON
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whoſe preſence will hareſuch a blefſed influence upon us, and in (; a place as Heaven is, and that for ever, ſure carries the | ſubſtance ; our Salvetion in it, And if this was the end of his death , lure it
more than to be an example of Faith, Patience, and Cnr [hon to G, Or to confirm to us the Dottrin he preached; It was to fatisf -divins Juſtice, and obtain the pardon of our fin, and merit for us the pr. vitedge of living with him. ;
11 Wherefore || comfort your ſelves together #, edifie one another # even as alſo ye do w.
;£ Thele words are an exhortation to the whole Church of 7h- nica, tO comfort and edifie one another, 1hough fic Mini ſity 1 pointed to this by «ſpecial office, yet private C 'hriſtians are to; i it to one another, the former doth it in wav of - wmthortty, th = * a way of charity, The Apottlc had laid butore them mon comury ble truths 3 which they were to comfort one cher by ; and i read the words, exhort one another, it refers to the neceHfary « 1 Relizion he had mentioned in this and the foregoing chapter, o ! this follows from both the former, as alluding *o an houſe that ishuilt
up by degrees; and ſo is every Church the houſt e of God ; and coni;8. ing of living ſtones, every part is to leek the building up of the who!
and;
Chap,
meer pr#(\cie nc, or by 63 $. 29. 1 Per.
be ihe wtf God, this wift procceds from God's TprPomtipents clic Men mey fave ſomeirmay be fave, 04; but that T am faved, 1 muſt thank my If. FOC NY) LAN to be ſaved; go tao be made fruftrate Wa L apparnts to Salvation,
Apoſtle here makes Salvation ſtand oppoſite to Wrath.
* appointed to the one, are appointed to the other, ud of Mc rcy are {et in. an ogyek te diſtinftion, Rom, 9g. 22, 23. - Text to IHlaftrate the Mercy of God the more in them
Ani W; nercas the Apoſtle calls it the ob. uning of Sal-
4 r Fl nid jo in t! that arc {av os
God to it, aid {peaking lieving Reſdimis alſo, he hath oppointed us t9 obtain Salvation, doth