the person if you aske me who are these miserable Antichristians I answere from The persons in danger the text Doct. They are such as beleeue not the truth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnesse They are described here by Infidelity in respect of the word of God and by euil beleife in respect of the word of Antichrist Which descriptiō that you may conceiue consider the foure tearms of it First what is meant by the truth secondly what by not beleeuing the truth thirdly what is meant by vnrighteousnesse fourthly what by taking pleasure in vnrighteousnesse By truth you must vnderstand the doctrine of the Gospel contained in the Scriptures Thus Christ expounds Ioh. 17. 17. it sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth which word is so called in three respects First in respect of the vndeceiueable nature of it All other doctrines are either false or may be vaine or fruitlesse They are false if they oppose the religion of the Scriptures They may be vaine whether they be naturall or ciuill if they doe possesse vs and captiuate or peruert our vnderstanding for these haue their places if they doe prepare vs for higher Modò praeparent ac non detineant ingenium imployments and doe not imprison vs from God and his more sauing truth Secondly the word is truth in respect of the imployment which God hath giuen it in the Church to be a rule and square of all sauing truth As Moses must build according to the patterne so must we lay the ground of all sauing Heb. 8. 5. and wholesome truth according to the Scriptures Therefore when Christ meant to destroy by degrees and to deface the deformities of Antichrist he giues Iohn as a tipe of the Ministery of the Gospel Apoc. 10. 8 9. the little booke to eate which is the word of God Hee gaue him not the great Popish volumes of decretals which together with the spirit of prophesie in the Popes owne breasts doe make vp the word of Antichrist but the little volume of the holy Scripture which maketh vp most fully the word of the Lambe Lastly it is called truth in regard of the worke of it because it doth confound errour and worke sinceritie in iudgement heart tongue affections and the whole conuersation of those who without preiudice doe cleaue vnto it For though some thorough the iust iudgement of God are giuen ouer to the blindnesse of their minds and rebellion of their wills and so doe not submit vnto the word as those who resisted the holy Ghost yet so many as are ordained Acts. 7. 5◠Acts. 28. 23. 24. Act. 2. 47. vnto life and shall be saued are by this meanes at some times or other reclaimed from their false courses and added to the Church Thus you see what is meant by the truth now if you aske mee what is meant by not beleeuing the truth I answere the not receiuing of it into our heads and hearts For that which he called before ◠Thes 2. 10. the not receiuing the loue of the truth that they might be saued heere he calleth not beleeuing the truth Besides the power of beleeuing is called a Ioh. 1. 12. receiuing by Iohn when he saith that as many as receiued him to them he gaue a right to be the sons of God euen to them that beleeue in his name The contrary to this not beleeuing is expressed by three significant phrases namely sealing grafting hiding Esay saith Seale vp the Law among my Disciples Esa 8. 15. The fowles pecke the wheate in the stony ground but that which is sealed vp is not easily come by to be stolne away Iames saith receiue with meekenesse Iam 1. 21. the word which is graffed in you As the graft is receiued of the stocke into one body so the word must bee incorporated into vs and not to bee separated from vs but to our ruine The Psalmist Psal 119. 11. saith that I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee As blessed Mary kept Luk. 2. 19. 51. the sayings of Iesus Christ in her heart so Dauid kept the promises of God by faith When the truth is not thus sealed vp and hid in our hearts by being taken into our nature that we may liue and die with it but the smoake of the bottomlesse pit is suffered Apo. 9 2. to darken our soules then are wee said not to beleeue the truth But what now is meant by vnrighteousnesse in this place Nothing but falshood For as sinne in generall is taken for false doctrine as when Christ Ioh. 8. 46. saith which of you can rebuke mee of sinne as we see by the opposition there but if I say the truth why doe ye not beleeue mee so vnrighteousnesse in particular in this place as we see by the opposition here not beleeuing the truth but hauing pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And falshood may be called vnrighteousnes both because it carryeth vs from the rule of righteousnesse which should informe our Quod efficit tale illud ipsū est magis tale vnderstanding and reforme our hearts and whole conuersation that we might haue an accepted righteousnesse as also because it is a fearefull cause of vnrighteousnesse The Romanes abusing the law of Nature and turning the truth of God into a lye Ro. 1. 24 25. were giuen vp in their hearts vnto lusts vncleannesse and other Gentiles as well as they hauing their cogitations darkened and hearts hardened for Eph. 4. 18 19 want of sauing truth gaue themselues vnto wantonnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse Thus you vnderstand vnrighteousnesse one thing more will cleere all and that is what may be meant by taking pleasure in it I answere the giuing of our hearts to the pleasing enticements of Antichrist as effeminate persons giue themselues to the pleasing enticements of harlots For there are three sorts of the followers of Antichrist Some that are simply seduced such are they who are said to dwell on the earth that is in the visible state and condition of the Church who were Apoc. 13. 14. deceiued by the signes and great wonders of the beast Some that are by feare and torture compelled such are those small and great rich and poore Apoc. 13. 16 17. bond and free whom he made to receiue his marke or else they should neither buy nor sell Some also there are that are carnally minded who liue in pleasure with the whoore of Babel such as are said to commit fornication with her and to be drunke with Apoc. 17. 2. the wine of her fornications and to waxe rich with the aboundance of her pleasures Of these doth the Apoc 18. 3. holy Apostle speake in this place Thus haue I as God hath inabled mee opened vnto you the words of the Apostle by which you may perceiue that the text driues at the description Who are Antichristians of Antichristians and
14. 9 10. being by wilfulnesse and resolution as it were imbowelled in that state of these the holy Ghost saith that they shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God Secondly touching doctrine they are of three sorts some are the foundation and this is double Doctrines FundamentuÌ„â—â— Veritatis 2. Salutis 1. Cor. 3. 12. either the foundation of truth such are all doctrines which haue ground in the word of God ignorance of much of which may stand with saluation so that it bee not affected and they who know most doe not know all or else the foundation of saluation such are all doctrines which doe concerne the causes of our saluation and the necessary meanes of application It is the ignorance of these which doth breede perishing Other doctrines againe are vpon the foundation as the Apostle speaketh of building on the foundation gold siluer precious stones timber 1. Cor. 3. 12. hay or stubble that is varietie of doctrine which hath beene or is of worth and vse as these things whereto it is compared And of this as there hath beene much as gold and siluer in euery age of the Church so there hath beene much as hay and stubble by sophisticall speculations forged traditions humane inuentions and friuolous and fryarly interpretations of the holy Scriptures Such trash is to be swept away as dung out of the streetes that it might not defile our Pulpits but that the glory of the word of God might appeare if it were possible as out of the mouth of Iesus Christ or of his Apostles Other doctrines lastly are against the foundation and that not onely of truth but of health also Such are all those which draw from Iesus Christ and that honour which is due vnto him as the Sauiour of his people Such is the Papall Monarchy which blemishes Christs kingdome traditioÌ„s as the obiect of faith which blemisheth Christs prophesie merits adoration of the crosse and Images sacrifice of the Masse Inuocation of the Saints and Angels and all other idolatrizing points of Antichrist which blemish Christs Priesthood besides other faults To take pleasure in and to be giuen ouer obstinately to these things cannot stand with saluation Thirdly touching times they also must haue a double consideration First the times before the Times restoring of the Gospel when the holy citie was trod vnder foote and the state of the Church Apoc. 11. was despicable in the eyes of the world then as God gaue his people lesse so he required lesse at their hands Secondly the times after the restoring of the Gospel First the beast appeared that cursed Antichrist in his Pontificalibus then Apoc. 13. the Lambe stood vp vpon Mount Syon with his sealed ones then the euerlasting Gospel was preached Apoc. 14. and next when the Gospel is once restored Vers 6. woe to them that take delight in the Whore for they shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe and the Vers 10 11. smoake of their torment shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the Beast and his Image Thus you haue now seene the danger of Poperie and how hard a matter it is to bring them that follow it into Christs Fould How many windings and turnings and how many distinctions to and fro must be vsed to bring them but into the iudgement of Charitie concerning Gods looking vpon them for good What therefore shall I now say Let me first lend a word to all in generall and next to my brethren of the Ministerie in particular To all I say suffer the word of exhortation both concerning our selues and others Vse 1 Concerning our selues seeing the followers of Antichrist shall be damned let not our soules enter into their secrets As the wicked man shall not meddle with the Christians ioy so let not the good man meddle with the Antichristians woe I know my brethren that this Conceit expressed in these generall tearmes That a Papist so liuing and so dying may be saued hath filled our hearts with worlds of indifferencie So that as the Arminians haue their middle knowledge as Scientia media Lect. Prid. pag. 23. 24. c. if there could be any cut betwixt a thing and nothing a being and no being so haue we had our indifferent conceits either of Protestancy or Popery as the world shall serue and the winde shall turne Hath their beene so much striuing vnto blood in vaine Haue so many martyrs lost the crownes of their martyrdomes when they haue layed downe their liues at the feete of the Pope and his image rather then to yeeld vnto the Romane abominations Haue so many glorious Dauids fought the battailes of God against that vncircumcised Philistime in vaine Haue so many Iohns and blessed preachers of the Gospel spent their time and strength in eating of the little booke and venting it againe to be as vials vppon Apoc. 10. the throne of the beast in vaine No No godly witnesses haue not writ in vaine victorious Kings haue not fought in vaine Constant martyrs haue not dyed in vaine They haue all striued as for life and death saluation and damnation Though saluation may be found in the Church as I haue said yet how hardly If it be an hard matter to finde it any where as in truth it is because the law is against it which were it not for the Mercy seate Christ Iesus would rise out of the Arke and accuse vs and because the creatures are against it which are abused by vs and doe call for vengeance and because euen we our selues are against it in our pronenesse vnto sin and delight in it then how hard and hard againe is it to find it in the stye of the beast and amongst the followers of Antichrist where there are so many killing poysons against it As therefore the Psalmist sung Wee is mee that I remaine in Psal 120. 5. Meshech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar so may such as lodge with the beast iustly say with griefe of heart But as for vs that liue out of the smoake of the pit in the shining rayes of the Gospel let vs at the Glassie sea sing the song Apoc. 14. 2 3 4. of Moses and of the Lambe praysing Gods power as the Lord God Almightie and his goodnes as the King of Saints who hath deliuered vs from the yron furnace and begun to take vengeance of that man of sinne Vse 2 Secondly concerning others let vs make the same vse which Paul makes in this place that is thanke God when we can prooue by sanctification 2. Thess 2. 13 14. of spirit and faith of truth whereunto men are called by the Gospel to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ that they are the elect of God so are not in this perishing estate by the works of Antichrist We are in a naturall bond as digged out of the same
Church into 3. periods the first which went before Antichrist wherein there was nothing decreed or receiued as a doctrine of faith which is not ours the second wherein by degrees Antichrist came vnto his highth and in which some pleaded for Christ and more for that man of sinne the third wherein Antichrist beganne to decline in the second darke and leaden times the Church of Rome thorough the whole Hierarchy of it did swell with titles which was accompanied with the ruine of mens soules Let vs take heede in time Pride we see hath bin a miserable Symptome twice Oh thou chiefe Shepherd of our soules driue it and keep it from vs and work our hearts highly to esteeme rather the flourishing of the Church by solid and powerfull preaching and catechising euen amongst the poorest of Gods people Let our second coppy be holinesse to the Lord vnto our people If holinesse to the Lord becomes Gods house for euer why not his neerest seruants As therefore the Iewes in the preparation to their passeouer did for foure houres Godw. Moses and Aaron lib 3. cap. 4. pag. 135. Christ Syn. search out all leuen out of their houses and then for two houres cast it out of their houses and lastly curse all the leuen which they had not seene and could not finde so let all the Priests of the Lords house be carefull to search to purge and to execrate all the leuen of wilfull and raigning sinne and to oppose and mortifie the least sins that we may be Priests after Gods owne heart as Ieremy speaketh Let Popish Priests bee eminent for a Player-like grauitie and holinesse so long as they are acting their massing part but let vs be starres in Gods right hand hauing an inward principle of the light of holines in vs from Christ and shining forth holily vnto others not onely in the pulpit and prayer but in our whole course What would we answere to such Colossians as should say to Archippus Thou that teachest Col. 4. 17. another teachest thou not thy selfe thou that Rom. 2. 21 22 preachest a man should steale doest thou steale thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery doest Vers 23. thou commit adultery thou that abhorrest idols committest thou sacriledge thou that gloriest in the Vers 24. Law thorough the breaking of the Law dishonourest thou God For the name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles thorough you Let vs tell our consciences plainly haue we another way to heauen then we teach our neighbours Take heede I say take heede amongst all that were accessary to Christs death the blacke gowne I meane Iudas was punished first Therefore labour against vnholinesse pray against it and fast against it And oh that it might be the glory of the Church of these times to procure publike fastings and prayings as other Churches haue against all our sinnes What though it be a time of reioycing in regard of our blessed King and gouernment Yet anoynting the face doth not mis-become a fast nor I thinke publike thankesgiuing a day of humbling Physitians haue their preseruatiues to preuent diseases as well as their cures when they are come Seeing then it cannot but pitty vs to see Syon in some places in the dust to see the holy Temple defiled Gods enemies Psal 79. 1. to laugh when the blood of his Saints is Ps 80. 5 6. shed like water and they remaine are fed with the bread of teares and haue giuen them to drinke in great measure to see Antichrist roare in the Idol Masse in the midst of their congregations and to set vp the signes and marks of the beast And lastly to see the plague whereby God doth most immediatly triumph in iustice ouer his enemies to begin to set footing againe amongst vs seeing I say wee see these things whose heart doth not hunger to make the body more hungry and that not onely priuately but publikely especially considering that our sins euen all our sins as well of the Church as Common-wealth doth call for these or greater miseries vpon vs. I will say but one thing more to my selfe and to you my brethren like me by office to perswade to a greater degree of holinesse and then I end Consider that the person doth much commende and gaine much vpon the affections of the hearers Antichrist commendes it as a principall Champ. of the calling of BB. and Pastors principle that first we must looke to the person teaching before we looke to the thing taught that so they may bring in a seeming formalitie to out-face true doctrine And therefore as when Elishah accused the Israelites of Idolatry they called him bald-pate implying belike that he wanted Iewish formalitie according to the Law because he had that blemish so when we charge the Papists with sinning against the word of God they say that we fayle in histories and customes in our entrance But truly this is a silly ground thus to imbrace persons before doctrins For first Christ hath taught vs that what persons so euer they are if they build vp the kingdome of Christ they must goe on For when Iohn complained to him saying Master we saw Mar. 9. 38 39 40. one casting out diuels in thy name which followeth not vs Iesus said forbid him not for whosoeuer is not against vs is on our part Secondly in the New Testament none but the enemies of the Gospel looke more to the persons then to the Doctrine For the Priests and Elders said to Christ By what authoritie doest thou these things and the Synod at Ierusalem aske Peter and Iohn By what power and in what name haue Math. 21. 23. yee done this but of the true worshippers of God we heare no such thing Which I speake not as if Act. 4. 7. ordinarily wee ought not to aske after mens authoritie for this were the next way to leape from the Shop-board into the Pulpit with Brownists and other Sectaries but to shew that Doctrine must be preferred before Persons Thirdly the Eunuch and Lydia did not ill in hearing Philip and Paul without enquiring after their Persons They knew that Christians should not giue an account at the day of Iudgement of the Persons they haue heard but of their obedience or disobedience to their wholesome Doctrine yea they knew that it was better to be led to Heauen by a man of no Pompe then to Hell by a Pope vnder pretence of infallibilitie Lastly most glorious Persons may be full of deceit they that come in Sheepes cloathing may be inwardly rauening Wolues yea Watchmen may Matth. 7. be blinde and dumbe Dogges that cannot barke Es 56. 10 11. and greedie Dogges that can neuer haue enough From the Prophets euen to the Priests they may Ier. 6. 13. all deale falsely yea and there may be a conspiracie of her Prophets as in the Councell of Ezek. 22. 25. Act. 20. 30. Trent in the midst of the Church Thus you may see that it is a silly sleight when Rome would haue vs chiefely looke to the Person teaching before the thing taught yet thus farre it holds that the Person doth much commend the Worke For the Apostle sayd not in vaine Continue in the things which thou hast learned 2. Tim. 3. 14. knowing of whom thou hast learned them that is God yea and it may be me Gods Minister who haue beene in thy Soule by the spirit of Power which hath effectually concurred with my seruice Oh therefore that our Persons may be such that we may sweetly settle our Workes vpon the hearts of those that heare it that when the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare wee may receiue an vncorruptible 1. Pet. 5. 4. Crowne of Glory I will end with Paul I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou 1. Tim. 5. 21. obserue these things without preferring one to another and doe nothing partially FINIS