from going into the pit and his life shall see the light Ver. 30. To bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightened with the light of the living Psal. 49. 19. The soul shall go to the generation of his fathers they shall never see light Psal. 13. 3. Lighten mine eyes lest I sleep the sleep of death Hence to sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death are conjoyned Mat. 4. 16. Luk. 1. 79. In respect therefore of life in Christ and communicated by him he is rightly termed the light Now that he hath life in himself at his disposal is affirmed by him Joh. 5. 21. As the Father raiseth the dead and quickneth so also the Son quickneth whom he will Ver. 26. For as the Father hath life in himself so hath he also given to the Son to have life in himself Joh. 14 6. Jesus saith to him I am the way and the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me Joh. 11. 25. Jesus saith unto her I am the resurection and the life 1 Joh. 5. 11. And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son who is termed the Word of life 1 Joh. 1. 1. That eternal life which was with the Father and was manifest unto us Ver. 2. The Prince or Author of life Act 3. 15. The last Adam was made a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. which being spoken of the resurrection of the body it appears that he is the light in respect of natural life as well as spiritual at the first creation as well as at the future resurrection As it is certain that some sort of living creatures are produced by the Sun so it is certain that the Son of God is the Prince of life who hath life in himself and imparts it to other living beings and in this respect is justly termed the Light Sect. 4. Christ is Light as the Lord of glory 2. By Light is oft meant glory and majesty There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon and another of the Stars for one Star differeth from another in glory that is light 1 Cor. 15. 41. The light which made the face of Moses shine Exod. 34. 29. is termed 2 Cor 3. 7. the glory of his countenance and the shining of Christ at his transfiguration Mat. 17. 2. is termed glory 2 Pet 1. 17. and thus Christ is Light that is full of glory and majesty the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. 8. Even on earth John saith Chap. 1. 14. And we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father And doubtless however in Christs outward shape there appeared no more then ordinary or rather less then ordinary splendour yet in his preaching there was such glory as made the people astonished for he taught them as one having authority Mar. 1. 22. In his Miracles there was glory so as that Vers. 27. they were all amazed insomuch that they questioned among themselves saying What thing is this What new doctrine is this For with authority he commandeth the unclean spirits and they do obey him And Joh. 2. 11. This beginning of Miracles did Jesus in Cana of Gaiilee and manifested forth his glory and his Disciples believed on him And Vers. 15. When he made a scourge of small cords he drove out the sellers of Oxen Sheep and Doves and changers of mony all out of the Temple and overthrew their tables and powred out their money and when Officers were sent to apprehend him they returned answer Joh. 7. 46. Never man spake like this man He commanded Lazarus to come forth out of the grave and he came forth Joh. 11. 43 44. He rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm Mat. 8. 26. These and many more things which appeared in him and were done by him manifested that he was indeed Light that is a person of splendour glory and Majesty notwithstanding his emptying himself in the forme of a servant Phil. 2. 7. Sect. 5. Christ is Light as cause of peace and joy 3. By Light is oft meant peace Isa. 45. 7. I form the light and create darkness is expressed in the next words I make peace and create evil Jer. 13. 16. While ye look for light that is peace In like manner Light is put for joy as Psal. 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Prov. 15. 30. The light of the eyes rejoyceth the heart Isa. 60. 20. The Lord shall be thine everlasting light and the dayes of thy mourning shall be ended Darkness takes away mirth but the appearing of the day brings joy The Sun is that which chears all things by its light and so doth Christ dispell storms makes peace and begets joy Whence he is stiled the Prince of peace Isa. 9. 6. our peace Eph. 2. 14. Peace I leave with you saith Christ my peace give I unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid Joh. 14. 27. These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation But be of good chear I have overcome the world Joh. 16. 33. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you that your joy may be full 1 Joh. 1. 3 4. As from the Sun all the light serenity and sweetness of the air whereby the spirits of men are refreshed the members warmed the whole body cheared is derived so from Christ are all the pleasant apprehensions of peace with God all the joyfull tast of his favour all the quickening hopes of heaven which a Christian soul partakes of Sect. 6. Christ is Light in respect of his purity and wisdome 4. By Light is meant holiness purity or clearness Nothing more free from defilement then light all the jakes and dunghills and filthy lakes in the world cannot pollute the light of the Sun and therefore it is fit to resemble holiness And accordingly God is said to be Light 1 Joh. 1. 5. that is pure as it is said Chap 3. 3. And thus the Lord Christ is Light being annointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows as loving righteousness and hating iniquity Psal. 45. 7. Heb. 1. 9. He did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 2. 22. He could challenge his most prying adversaries Joh. 8. 46. Which of you convinceth me of sin 5. By Light is meant wisdome Light is a discovering quality Eph. 5. 13. All things that are discovered are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light Light pierceth through the most narrow chinks into the lowest holes and so doth wisdome find out the most hidden things
the Quakers Church if they have any is but about ten or twelve years old at utmost unless the Weigelians Paracelsians Behmenists and the rest of the Fanaticks in Germany or the Familists in England and New-England may be accounted their progenitors And yet their Church will not be found to be of two hundred years continuance Indeed Stubbe Sir H. Vane's egregious Vindicator had neither wit nor modesty nor fear enough to restrain him from telling the world in his malice pag. 36. that it was ignorantly said of me that The Quakers had no being in the world till a few years ago and the Gnostick adds that as to the generality of their opinions and deportment he doth AVOW it out of as sure and good records as any can be produced that they can plead more for themselves from the first two hundred seventy years then Mr. Baxter for the present orthodox Religion laid down in the Saints Everlasting Rest or the Confession of the Assembly But when will the undertaker produce these Records Such a heart and face might have served him to avow that the holy Apostles were railing lying Quakers or whatever filthiness had come into his thoughts Some of their abominable opinions and practices have troubled the world since the Romish iniquity did abound but no times were freer from them then the first and none more unlike to them then Christ and his Apostles however Satan would gain credit to his impieties or discredit to the Gospel by his apish imitations The witness of their late Leader James Nailor is regardable who in his Recantation saith that they are Unclean Spirits gene out from the unity of the truth and light by which we have been called and gathered into one Christ Jesus the Head over all his blessed for ever whose name hath been greatly dishonoured by many wilde actings and his innocent Spirit grieved and many simple souls deceived and that the work of the murderer and devourer is therein against the life of God in his Temple which though they seek entrance under pretence of humility promising some great things and more holiness in that way to steal into simple minds yet being got in exalts himself above the seed of God and tramples the meek spirit under foot And by this saith he you shall all perceive that Spirit whatever it pretends it will secretly withdraw your entire love from the flock of God already gathered and cool your affections and zeal towards their present meetings and if you judge it not there it will grow on with an evil eye to spie out for their failings and to delight to hear of them with an hidden joy whispering them to others and adding thereunto with a desire to see them broken and their nakedness laid open if anything be amiss And thus it hath wrought in a mystery of wickedness in some unjudged untill it be seated in the throne of open enmity and strife against the Lambs of Light preferring the society ef the prophane before them and taking part therewith against them joyning to any who seek to scatter them And whatever pretence this Spirit covers it sellf with this I declare against it having been kept by the good hand of God to see it revealed in its ground and end that it is the old Spirit of the Ranters which now in a new way makes head against the Light of Christ and life of the Cross which is the only thing that stands in its way by condemning its filthiness in every conscience Thus speaks James Nailor after his lamentable experience and the Papers he hath written against me and others for their way And yet his followers will not be undeceived nor follow him in his Recantation Had they their will against the Ministry in this Land would it promote the Gospel and the salvation of the people Who would instruct them publikely and privately As constantly and diligently and soundly as now they are instructed If there were joyin Hell what joyfull tidings would it be to the infernal Spirits to hear of the accomplishment of the desires of the Quakers and their partakers The accusations against us which the grand accuser of the Brethren hath put into their mouthes are partly from our hearts unknown to them and partly from our duties imputed to us for our crimes and partly from our afflictions in which they should rather compassionate us then reproach us Yesterday in the Congregation and the streets a stranger that never saw my face before cryed out The judgement of the Lord is gone out against thee thou hypocrite thou painted Sepulcher that hast an outside of humility but an inside of pride an outside of godliness but within is envy wrath malice and all wickedness in the day of thy misery thou shalt remember me When I heard the man I blessed God that had caused me to be contented with his own approbation and given me the testimony of my conscience that my soul and life and all that I have is devoted to him and that I have a most just heart-searching Judge that yet hath the compassions of a Father And I wondered that sin should ever prevail so far with men as to harden them to so open and impudent an usurpation of the prerogative of God while they pretend to know the hearts of men as soon as they see their faces And I thought with compassion on the state of weak unsetled consciences that are like young Horses among Drums and Guns that are frightened meerly by a noise As if any man that could but repeat a Scripture-threatning and speak terribly and counterfeit himself a Prophet should frighten us from our peace and faith And it is our very preaching and labours for our peoples souls that is the principal thing they hate us for And the more laborious and faithfull any man is the more maliciously do they oppose him being incomparably more patient with a Whoremonger or Drunkard or prophane Worldling then with such So that our diligence so strictly commanded us by God is with them our crime That we do not as the old worldly Readers did follow the Plow and Cart and labour about earthly business when we should be doing the spiritual work that we are engaged in and that our peoples souls require though we are commanded to meditate upon these things and give our selves wholly to them 1 Tim. 4. 15. A good Minister of Jesus Christ being one that is nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine whereto they do attain vers 6. The great word by which they think to make us odious to the people working on their carnal minds and interests is that we are Hirelings because forsooth we bargain for so much or else we will not preach But Satan is a liar By Gods assistance we will preach while we have life and strength and liberty though instead of maintaining us they spit in our faces But we dare not encourage our people to be ungratefull Monsters nor sacrilegious
Scripture and experience For 1. It is plain from Scripture that by one man sin entred into the world and so death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that or in whom all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. By the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation ver 18. 1 Cor. 15. 22. In Adam all die Now it is by Christ who enlighteneth mens eyes that this death and condemnation are removed and by no other meanes In Christ shall all be made alive 1 Cor. 15. 22. Even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life Rom. 5. 18. 2. Besides death and condemnation all mankinde are liable to innumerable evils to lighten the burden of which the enlightening of Christ is very necessary for that alone can give support and comfort to the soul in the bearing of them Man is born unto trouble as the sparks flie upward Iob 5. 7. Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble Iob 14. 1. Sufficient unto the day saith our Lord Christ is the evil thereof Mat. 6. 34. 1. Man of all creatures is born most obnoxious to harm he is born naked and weak unable to make provision for his own sustenance Naked came I out of my mothers womb saith Job Chap. 1. 21. We brought nothing into this world 1 Tim. 6. 7. The greatest Prince is born as naked as the meanest Peasant and all come crying into it as bewailing their entrance into the world Though the Parents rejoyce that a childe is born into the world yet the childe doth not so Other creatures can quickly help themselves Many years pass over a childes head ere he can beg bread much less earn it He wants a great while both feet to seek it and tongue to ask it and hands to take it and teeth to eat it 2. To obtain it much care and labour is necessary It is the doom awarded to Adam Gen. 3. 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the ground There is much pains and cost and care and hazard in all employments whereby a livelyhood is obtained but in none more then in tillage and husbandry whereby the provision of bread the staff of mans being is procured and after all the industry and skill and charge that is used the ground is cursed for mans sake thornes and thistles it brings forth to man Gen. 3. 17 18. Sometimes the seven lean kine devour the seven fat ones the years of scarcity exceed the years of plenty so as that there is no bread to be had nor seed to so we the ground 3. Besides as the Psalmist speaks Psal. 39. 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew surely they are disquieted in vain he heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them That which a man hath laboured for and gotten together oft times he hath no use of it Sometimes it perisheth of it self sometimes it is stolne or plundered from him He that is as rich as Job was one day is as poor as he was the next day Sometimes a man so idolizeth his wealth that he hath not a heart to use it but only to look on it and to talk of it Sometimes sickness or death seizeth on him and then as it was with the vain man Luk. 12. 20. his soul is taken from him his projects fail his goods are as uncertain owners which caused Solomon to say Eccl. 2. 18. Yea I hated all my labour which I had taken under the Sun because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me and who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured and shewed my self wise under the Sun This is also vanity Whence he infers Ver. 22. For what hath man of all his labour and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the Sun For all his dayes are sorrowes and his travail grief yea his heart taketh not rest in the night This is also vanity 4. There is much more evil consequent on that darknesse or sinne which is entered into the world by reason of the frequent annoyances persecutions and temptations which are caused by the enmity of the world and the acting of our adversary the Devil who continually goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure By which it is that all people are full of troubles civil and forraign wars which waste people and their wealth private quarrels which undo many to was and houses Law-suites and factions and â—â—iulations and discords which ruine many persons and families brawls and jarres and contentions which overthrow many houses and cause perpetual vexation Many secret murders adulteries perjuries idolatries and other evils are caused by the Prince of darknesse which verifie that censure of Solomon Ecol 1. 14. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun and behold all is vanity and vexation of spirit 5. Beyond these from the darknesse of our own hearts there do arise so many perturbations of mind fears jealousies dotages vain hopes ambitious desires foolish imaginations inordinate anger impatience and discontent sometimes by provocations sometimes causlesse upon tales surmises mistakes dreams sancies impostures contingencies and otherwise as make the mind of man like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt as the Prophet speaks Isa. 57. 20. 6. But most of all the conscience of sinne and the sense of Gods wrath and the fear of death and judgment to come over whelm the spirit of man with horrour make Felix tremble Cain turn Vagabond Saul grow desperate and betake himself to one that had a familiar spirit Judas become his own executioner In a word make many through fear of death all their life-time subject to bondage Heb. 2. 15. This being of all other the greatest torture of the soul when God hides his face from a person which made Job expresse himself in this lamenting ditty Job 13. 24 25 26. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble For thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth For as Solomon saith truly Prov. 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear8 All these things and innumerable other evils experience shews to infest the life of man against which the only remedy is well advised reason composedness of spirit patience saith hope in God which must be communicated from Christ who enlightens all with natural or supernatural light of which I am next to speak Sect. 6. Application to make us sensible of sins evil and the worlds vanity and to provoke us to seek a tredsure above and light from Christ to comfort us In
travel with Child for more are the children of the desolate Gentiles then the children of the married wife the people of the Jewes 2. It concerns us to take heed how we doate on our own reason or the most exact Writers of morality or the most perfect patterns of civility and ingenuity and neglect the light which Christ hath brought into the world There is a good use to be made of the writings of the Gentile Philosophers Orators Poets Historians I am not so severe as some ancient Councils were utterly to forbid the reading of their Books No not to the younger Students if they read them with a Christian eye and a sound judgment which is to be an Index Expurgatorius of many passages in them yet if men rest there and be inamoured on them and prefer them as Politian did before the Gospell they may justly expect to be lashed by God as one of the Fathers is said to be for his inordinate affection and immoderate delight in Ciceroes works I would not altogether forbid society with ingenious civill and morall men there may be much good behaviour learned from them But if we converse with them and not with the children of the light If we conforme our selves to this world and be not transformed in the renewing of our minds that we may know what that good acceptable and perfect will of God is in Christ if we behold not with open face as in a glass the glory of the Lord nor are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. We may be amiable to men but not lovely in Gods eyes we may win mens applause but shall loose Gods favour Let us be wise therefore so to use Candles that we do not burn day-light I mean that we so make use of all the reason and humane wisedome and virtue we have our selves or discern in others Writings or examples that yet we chiefly eye and follow the grand light the Sun of righteousness the Lord Jesus learning him by studying the great counsell of God which he revealed and denying our selves take up our Cross and follow him as his Disciples Christ is to be chosen and followed as our Light SERM. IX Containing an Exhortation to use Christ as our Light Joh. 1. 9. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world THe principal Use of all I have said is That you may be induced to embrace and follow the Lord Christ as the great light of the world Besides the evidence out of holy Scripture to prove him to have been sent from God a light into the world the accomplishment of what he foretold the success of his errand which he declared with the great wisdome and holiness in all his sayings and doings do amply confirm it It is true among the Gentile Philosophers there was light but it was dimme there was light in the Law but it was imperfect no light which is truly such is to be rejected yet in comparison of the light of Christ it was but darkness Philosophers light guided men well in some things in most did lead men into crooked and dangerous wayes in the true worship of God they were wholly dark The teachers of the Law did teach many things aright about Gods being works worship but in the great business of reconciling man to God erecting the kingdome of heaven and the coming of the Messiah to judgement were as blinde as Moles No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man being in heaven Joh. 3. 13. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1. 18. Compare Gospel precepts and promises with the most accurate sayings of any other Writers not divinely inspired and you will finde the former exceed the later in wisdome and truth as much as gold doth lead or bread acornes Indeed the things are such as none but a holy person would declare they are so opposite to sin and ungodliness specially when they did inevitably exasperate mens rage and procure persecution unto death They are such as none could declare but he that came from God they are so agreeable to what the Prophets and holy men of old delivered so much advancing Gods glory overthrowing Satans kingdome and leading men to God The predictions of things to come concerning himself his Apostles the preaching of the Gospel throughout the world the persecutions of his Disciples the propagating of his Church the destruction of Jerusalem the giving of the holy Ghost his death resurrection ascension the dispossessing Satan of his Empire in the world the conversion of the Gentiles which are all accomplished besides many other things not yet finished but yet in fieri in doing of which the things already done besides the signes of the nearness of their accomplishment do give firm assurance do make infallible proof of Christs being that true light which enlightens the world Nicodemus though one of that Sect which most envied his repute yet was forced to tell him Rabbi we know thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do these miracles that thou dost except God be with him Ioh. 3. 2. The Devil hath attempted to raise some up who might as Christs apes make shew of doing such things as Christ and his Apostles did but their imposture hath quickly appeared Neither Julian nor the Iewes of the first ages nor other adversaries of Christ though great impugners of Christianity could ever evince any falshood in the Evangelists relations of Christ and his acts The witnesses of them though persons of understandidg and intergrity laid down their lives in testimony of them notwithstanding the sorest tortures used to force them to a denial in spight of all the practices of the Devil yet the preaching of Christ crucified prevailed to pull down the Idols of the Nations and to bring in a sort the known world to the obedience of the faith Though the lewes contradicted and blasphemed the Roman Emperours raged Lucian jeered Libanius wrangled Julian calumniated Papists corrupt Gnosticks Hereticks Fanaticks Quakers adulterate and cloud the truth of Christ they do but piss against the Sun the light of Christs doctrine the truth of the Gospel doth and will shine forth Nor can all the cavils of modern Atheists or the dust raised by new Phantastiques take away the brightness of Christs light or hinder its enlightening from others then themselves And shall we after all the arguments given of Christs being the true light follow after ignes fatuos under pretence of new light What real comfort or spiritual help to holiness or heavenly directions do they give to lead men to God better then Christ hath done May you not discern a vain-glorious spirit a self-seeking proud carnal spirit in them What do their censures of others shew but a minde to extoll
themselves Their reviling but their disturbed passions and impatience of gainfaying Their affected speech looks carriage but a desire to hide their falshood and to insinuate into the affections of those unwary souls whom they would ensnare What do all the devices of Jesuits Popes and their agents tend to but either by force or subtility to set up the monstrous power of the man of sin and their own domineeting over mens consciences under him What is there in their conclave but policy In their Council of Treat but deceit In their Iesuits and Casuists but juggling Have not the Jansenists proved them so versatile in their determinations as to make their resolutions such as might fit all humours What is there but fraud in their doctrine and practice about keeping faith with Hereticks deposing destroying Princes excommunicate by the Pope equivocating answers upon oath with mental reservations And shall we go after such Masters and leave Christ Remember we that one is our Master even Christ Mat. 23. 10. And when any shall sollicite us either not to adhere to Christ as our teacher be it under pretence of being Christs infallible Vicar or not to read or hear his Gospel preached be it under pretence of a sufficient light within them or a new revelation reject them Forget not that Christ hath warned you that if any shall say unto you lo here is Christ or there believe it not Mat. 24. 23. Say as Paul Gal. 1. 9. If any man or Angel preach any other Gospel then is taught by Christ let him be accursed We will not venture our lives upon Mountebanks and will we venture our souls upon deceivers Shall we follow our own conceits which so often prove foolish and neglect Christs doctrine which alwayes proves wise and safe No no let us answer as Peter did for the rest of the Apostles Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Ioh. 6. 68 69. Oh that I could finde your mindes so established in the truth so armed against all the wily methods of the Devil so instructed in the truth that you may not be as children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive but speaking or seeking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ Eph. 4. 14 15. Alas what can we expect but if we follow blinde leaders as all are that teach the things of God otherwise then Christ and his Apostles did we should fall with them into the ditch into everlasting perdition On the other side there is so much plain and clear light in Christ his doctrine as will guide our feet into the way of peace Away then with all such obtruded or insinuating teachers us endeavour to hide from us the light of Christ shining in his doctrine recorded in Scripture Let the word of Christ dwell richly in us in all wisdome Col. 3. 16. Let 's say as that blessed Martyr did None but Christ none but Christ That Christ which preached died at Hierusalem that word of his which is written in my Bible shall be my light to the testimony of Iesus to his everlasting Gospel I stick if men speak not according to it it is because there is no light in them Isaiah 8. 20. To this end it will concern you to take with you and observe these Directions 1. To take heed of false lights under what disguise soever they come The Lord Christ foretold his Disciples Mat. 24. 24. That there should arise false Christs and false Prophets and should shew great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect concerning whom he saith Vers. 23. If any man shall say unto you Lo here is Christ or there believe it not Of these he had forewarned Christians Mat. 7. 15. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Paul had foretold Act. 20. 29 30. that after his departing grievous Wolves should enter in among them not sparing the flock and that of the Ephesian Christians themselves should men arise speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them and thereupon warns the Ephesian Elders to take heed to themselves and to the flock over which the holy Ghost had made them overseers Vers. 28. Paul tels the Corinthians 2 Cor. 11. 13 14. of false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light And of such he admonisheth the Romans I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 17 18. Peter also tells 2 Pet. 2. 1. that there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among Christians who privily should bring in damnable heresies denying the Lord that bought them 1 Ioh. 2. 18. And as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now there are many Antichrists 1 Ioh. 4. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world All which passages do demonstrate the great danger of Christians being beguiled by deceivers who are cunning in transforming themselves as their master Satan doth into Angels of light that they may seem Ministers of righteousness Wherefore it concerns all such as regard the safety of their souls not to be facile in entertaining such as pretend to hold forth light but to examine what they suggest and to try afore they trust To which end it will be needfull 1. That we be of discerning Spirits to know the disposition of persons that pretend light whether they be proud arrogant self-seeking vain-glorious covetous more vehement then considerate obsequious for advantages but otherwise wilfull 2. Concerning their proceedings whether they deal with the weakest afore they argue with the ablest whether they affect more shew of holiness then proof of doctrine whether they love not to conceal their opinions till they have ensnared men by raising a high esteem of their persons whether they practise not to disparage others that they may engross the esteem and affections of men whether they be not much in talk little in deed These and many more enquiries may much prevent the deceits of those that with feigned words make merchandize of weak souls But 3. The chief way is to try what they obtrude upon us by the Scripture Such Owles will not endure this light but as Tertullian terms them they are Lucifuga Scripturarum they fly the