righteouſae's ſake, Tribulations any kind of Suffering, as ſome diſtin- Zuiſh. And it ſtems they had many of both, when he ſaith AP, &e. an yet they endured them, that is, not only ſuffered them, becauſe they could not caſt them off, but in the lenle ot the Apoſtle Fames, chip. 5. 11. Bebild ne count them happy which endure * Which is a ſuf- fering out of choice, and not meer neceſſity, as Mojes did, Zeb, 11.25, when ſufferings ſtand in competition with fin, or the diſhonour of the Chriſtian Proteſhon, Sufferings in themlelves are not defirable, and the Apoſtle did not glory in their ſufferings, but in their faith and patience, As he before join'd Faith and Love. together, ſo here Faith and Partence + and as Love fprings from Faith, ſo doth Chriſtian Pati- ence, whereby it is diſtinguiſh'd from Patience as a meer moral Vir- tuc found among the Heathen, either that of the Stotcs, Periparetics or Platoniſts, Faith and Patience are well ſtyled the two ſuffering Graces,and therefore here mentioned by the Apoſtle when he mentions their Sufferings, Faith as it depends upon God, and ſees Love under Atfictions, believes his Promiles, looks at the recompence of Reward, &e. (0 it {ſupports under ſuttering. And Patience as it keeps down Paſſion, and quiets the Soul under its Burden, makes it to fit lighter, and gives advantage to the exerciſe of that Grace and Reaſon, whereby a Chriſtian is ſtrengthened under his Sutferings. Now hereupon the Apoftle glorics in them, as men are ayt to do in the Heroick Atts of great Conquerors, or the Captain of ag Army in the valiant pertor- mances of his doldters.
-e Miniſters of the Goſpel for the People that have been con- ried by them, or are committed to them, Hereby the Apoſtle's joy
I. THESSALONIANS.
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5 Which is a maniteſt token of the righteous judgment of God þ, that ye may be connted worthy of the kingdom of God 7, for which ye alſo ſvffer k.
þ Thcie words ſeem to follow by way of Argumen*, to comr theſe Theflalonians nnder weir Suffering I, By what they mani viz, the righteous Fudgment of Ged, They are a Plain Indication 9 it, or cemonſtration, as the word 1s uſect by Logicians:; And b. Fi! ment we muft not here underſtand the judgments or afflictions Q 2d { flidts in this World , fo that when God 42th not ſpare, but chaften h;c own Chiijdren, it is a token of his r:;ghteouz Judgment ; but rather underſtand it of the laſt Fudgment, when we ſee the righteous ſuFzr ſuch wrongs and injuries from wicked Men, and they go unpuniſhed we may argue thence that there is a Judgment to come. We cannot elſe well vindicate the Righteouſneſs, Wiſdom, Gocdneſs and Faith. tulneſs of God in his governing the World: As Solomon { rzued, when he ſaw ſo much unrighteouſnels in the very Seat of Jultice, 7 [it in my heart, God mill judge the righteous and the wicked ; for there is ; r1me for every purpoſe and work, Eccleſ, 3.16, 17, And this Judgment 13 called here righteous judgment, by way of eminency : As it's exprel. ſed by one word, Auxgiozetoa, Rom. 2.5, 6, (for all God's Jus. ments are righteous.) 1, Becaule the Wicked will then meet with Ju. ſtice without mercy, which is not ſo in any preſent Judgments, 2, [u. ſtice will then he clearly manifeſted, which nov: lies obſcure, both with reſpect tothe righteous and the unrighteous. And in this ſenſe the words carry an Argument of Comfort to the Saints, under their pre- ſent unjuſt Sufferings from their Enemies. As to the ſame purpoſe the Apoſtle ſpeaks ro the Philippians, Phil, 1, 28, vid, 7 2. The other Argument of Comfort is from the reſult of their Sufferings, the great Advantage which will ariſe out of them. They will be hence account. ed worthy of the Kingdom of God, not by way of Merit, as the Papiſt; lay; the Greek word in the Text in its uſual acceptation, will nor tayour that Opinion ; it fignifies no more in the Active Voice, than the Latin word dignuri, which we Engliſh ro deigr, or vouchſafe ; Ang yet we may allow the Word to fiznifie more here, not only that thi; Kingdom may be vouchſated, but that ye may be meer, or worthy to receive it, not that all their Sufferings could deſerve this Kingdom; for the Apoſtle ſaith, Kom, 8. 18, 1 reckon the yufferings of this preſey; time not worthy of the glory, ©c. there is no proportion betwixt them, and fo they cannot merit it ; yet God may account thoſe that ſuffer for this Kingdom worthy of it, according to the Grace of the New Co. venant in Jeſus Chriſt, and as it hath a congruity with the Nature of God, and his faithfulneſs in his Promiſes, and ſo our Trantlation ren. ders the Word : Not that ye may be worthy of the Kingdom of God, but accounted worthy, God of his Free Grace will account them worthy, The Kingdom of Ged is propounded to Men in the Nz Covenant, upon certain Conditions, and thoſe that perform then har: a worthineſs of right : As, Rev. 22. 14. butnot of Merit, But © enables men to perterm the Conditions, ſo that there is nothin. our part properly meritorious ; yea, when we have performet i}; yet our worthineſs is to be attributed to Chriſt, and God's Gra, 3; not to our ſelves, elſe Man would have whereof to glory. The vc, tures call Eternal Life the gift of God, Rom. 6. 1ſt, and attributes *1- vation to Grace, Eph, 2, 8. We mult allow a Worthineſs only thi: i conſiftent with Grace : But when we have done all, we muſt {ay, ; are unprofitable ſervants, Luke 17. 10, And after all we haye dn: and ſuttered for the Kingdom of God, muſt pray as Pau} for 04-/r/-- rus, that we may find mercy of the Lord at that day, 2 7ir, 1, 1+, & The ſenſe cither reſpetts their Enemies, that it was upon the :: count of this Kingdom, that they perſecuted them, having net elſe juſtly againſt them. Orellſe their own aim and intention ; fering, it was for the Kingdom of God : And whence we may lat that this Kingdom is worth ſuffering for,and that in ſvme caſes ca-147 be obtained without ſuffering. And he that then refuſeth to {er will be accounted unworthy of it ; as he that doth ſuffer for it,(as tile Theſſalonians had,) upon the account of God's Covenant, and the \ie- rits of Chrift, not only the Grace and .Mercy, but the Juttice arid Faithfulneſs of God, engaged to beſtow it upon them. And allo that we may and ought in our Sufferings look ro the Reward, as M/s il, Heb. 11,
6 Seeing #t zs a righteous thing with God Þ to recott- pence tribulation to them that trouble you m2.