and he ſpeaks it by way of conſolation to them, that wha! © ed for, God would effe& ; what need he then have prave'! ? ÞEete's Gotl's Decrees and Promiſes though immutable, and infa!libie, Yer 0:6 to be accompliſht in a way of Prayer. Prayer is our Duty, 2% Go Decrees and Promiſes are no diſpenſation from our Duty: Boots, = ties are more known to us than God's Decrees, And Got C2 CCS TY
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therctore the Apoſtle forbids it, 1 Cor. 10. 14. And fo in Civil Con- veriation,not only to abſtain trom Vice, but the appearance of it ; as of Pridc, Covctovinels, Drunkenneſs, Whoredom, Gc. and that both with rele 100 } Foes, leſt by venturing upon that which hath ſome ſhew or evil, we Hep into the evil it ſelf, and with reſpect to others, that Wo may nt ogun the raking offence, though not juſtly given ; or
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Chap. I.
Ec1cy of the Goſpel npon their hearts, that they were effectually callec. and choſen, as chap, 1, 4. whence he concluded: they ſhould be At laſt wholly fanctifved, and finally preſerved, which is a ftrong argument 1cainkt final Apoſtacy from a ſtate of Grace, Though many that are * catwardly called are never fan@ife, much ls 1boly, But of this < all the Apoſtle ſpeaks nur here, aGcaft not oniv, And partly allo Upon God's faithfulneſs, who had called them, He doth not fay, God 15 av'E to do it, though that is true, but he is faithful, and will do it, Thoſe that are effetually called are brought into God's Covenant,where per- f-Qion and perſeverance are promiſed, and God's fairhtulneis obligeth kim to make good iis Covenant, It is an Act of Grace ang Mercy to call men, but when c«..led, Gotl's faithfulneſs is engaged to prelerve them, and perfe& the work begun, as 1 Cor. 1. $. The Apoſtle tells the Corinthians, God will confirm them, 10 the end they might be bla _ eſs in the day of Chrift, and his Argument 1s, - for God 25 faitkjul L; rw.0m ye were calied, ©c,wver, g. 25 Brethren, pray for us c. ;
c The Apoſtle a little before had pray<d for them, now h2 begs Prayers of them as he doth of other Churches, Ko. 15. 39. Col: 4. 3: Miniſters and People need each others Prayers,and it is a murual Duty they owe to one another. Miniftersare obliged by ſpecial Othce,People by Common duty ; with reſpe& to the ſucceſs of the Golpel in general, 2 Theſ. 2. 1. and their own edification by their labours. The Apoſtle, as he did not think it below him to call theſe Theſſalonians, Brethren, 10 neither to beg their Prayers. Thoſe that ſtand higheſt in the Church, may ſtand in need of the meaneft and loweſt, The head cannor ſay to the foor, 1 have no need of thee, Thoſe that preach not the Goſpel, may yet promote it by their Prayers ; yet this gives no warrant to beg the Prayers of Saints departed, for which we have no precept, promile, 0! example, as we have for the other. And what is without Faith is SIN.
t 15 at. the beſt doubtful whether they know our ſtate below, or can hear {is when we pray, and certainly God never required us to pray upon tach uncertaintics, and it cannot be in Faith,
25 Greet all the brethen d with an holy kifs c.
z The Apoſtle concludes ſcyeral of his Epiſtles with Greezing, Or Salurarions, as men uſually do at this day; ſometimes with (alutations from himſelf alone, ſometimes from others; either particular Perſons, or Churches,which he ſometimes names, as Rom, 16.16, 1 C07. I6.19.
and ſometimes commends to the Saints their faluting one another, as
Rom. 16. 16.1 Cor. 6, 20. ſo here in the Text. The Perſons to be falu- ted are all the Brethren, that is, all believers incorporated into the Gol: pel Church under one common head, and common Father. More par- ticularly thoſe of this particular Church ,We call Men Brethren, ſome- times upon a Natural, ſometimes a Civil account, and why not much more npon a Spiritual account ? And as their love ſhould reach to the Brotherhood, 1 Pet. 2, 17. ſo their ſalntation ſhould reach all the Bre- thren,Poor, and Rich, High and Low, Bond and Free. e & g1anua]: & zi, The Right or Ceremony of Men kiſſing each other, was much ur ied among the Jews, and in the Eaſtern Countries, Gen 27. 26, Prov. 24. 26, Ink, 7. 45. in their ſalutations 7 and thence it came to be pra- £:'d in the Churches of Chrift as an outward Symbol and token ol Love an! Frien!ſhip Which 1s not now praQis'd with us amongſt men, but is of th: ame t1gnification with joyning of hands, The uniting of the Lips or Hands together denoting the inward conjuntion of the Heart. The word in theGreek ſignifies love or friendſhip,and call'd a kifs of Cha- rity, 1 Pet, 5. lat, And though the Ceremony is ceaſed,yet that which it fignified is to be preſerved in all Churches, Places and Ages, It wa: practi,'d in the time of Fuſtin Martyr, Fuft, Mar. Ap 'log. 2. and Ter- mliian, Tertul, de Oratione z and called Ofculum pacts, A X1/s of poace; and uſed eſpecially ar their mceting together at the Lords Supper,thet Love Feaſts, and other ſolemn a{femblies. It's call'd an Zoly Xiſs ; tx diftinguiſh it from the Treacherous Kiſs of Fudas, or the Luftful Ki): of the Harlot, Prov, 7. 13. And why it is not uſed among us now, wc
need ſay only,as concerning waſhing of Feet alſo,we have no ſuch cuſton, ner the Churches of Chriſt, Or, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Phz1, 4. 8. whatrſo- ever things are lovely, and whatſoever things are of good report, ©c, :41- 27 1] charge you by the Lord f, that this epiſtle bc read unto all the holy brethren g.
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f The Apoſtle having now.finifh'd th» En upor. them all, eſpecially their Elders 204 T publiſhed. He now being bimfelf hin: ſends this Epiftleto them to be read to a7”, He wrote it for public;
and theretore would have none Ignorant of it, where!