not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2.1 2 3. Now we beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him That ye be not soon shaken in mind nor be troubled neither by spirit not by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand Others conceive some notable manifestation of his Presence and Power in his Church but this would ingage us in many dark Proâ—hecies which I shall not meddle withal intending only a doctrinal discovery of Antichrist as how long before his coming by what means Sure I am that at his coming the Beast and false Prophet shall be slain and cast into the lake of fire Rev. 19.20 but for other things I have not light enough certainly to define That the utter ruine of Antichrist is not to be expected till the second coming of Christ. Vse Be not discouraged though Antichrist yet remain after all the endeavours against him It is enough that Antichristianism shall be finished and finally destroyed And for the time refer it to God If it be not till the Day of Judgment or Christs final Conquest over all his Adversaries you must be contented to tarry for that as well aâ— for other things SERMON VII 2 Thess. 2.9 10. Even him whose coming is after the working of Sathan with all Power and Sins and lying wonders And with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved WE have considered the Titles of Antichrist his nature and properties the time of his rise and with it his ruine Now we are to consider the way and means how he doth acquire and keep up this power in the World The means are 1. Principal 2. Instrumental 1. Principal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the working of Sathan 2. Instrumental which are also two 1. Pretence of Miracles with all Power Signs and lying wonders 2. Other Cheats and Impostures with all deceivableness of unrighteousness Their general way of dealing being Sophistical and fallacious Let us a little explain these things 1. The great Agent in setting up this Kingdom after the working of Sathan It may note the manner as we render after that is in such a way as Sathan deceived our first Parents for he was a murderer and a lyar from the beginnning John 8.44 I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve by his subtilty so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ 2 Cor. 11.3 So all this mystery of Iniquity shall be carried on after this manner by deceit by the tricks of lying men and the works of deceiving Spirits Rather it noteth Sathans Agency and Influence and after or according to the working of Sathan is as much as by the working of Sathan noting not only his Pattern but his Influence so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often rendered and the energy of the Devil and Influence upon all wickedness is spoken of elsewhere Eph. 2. 3. The Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience the Devil hath a great hand over wicked men in the World his way of dealing with them is most efficacious and powerful and certainly he is the first Founder and main supporter of the Antichristian State 2. The Instrumental means 1. By pretence of Miracles with all power and signs and lying wonders These three words signifie the same thing and are often joined when true Miracles are spoken of as 2 Cor. 12.12 Truly the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all places in signs and wonders and mighty deeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Acts 2.22 Iesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signs So Heb. 2.4 God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and with divers miracles Rom. 15.19 Through mighty signs and wonders through the power of the spirit of God Powers they are called because they issue from Power divine and extraordinary Signs from their use because they served to seal and signifie the Doctrine to which they are applied Wonders from their effect because they breed astonishment in the minds of the beholders These were the true Miracles Now Antichrist to countenance his false Doctrines and Superstitions would ape and imitate Christ and pretendeth to Powers Signs and Wonders as Iannes and Iambres sought to imitate Moses God permitting it in some degree so Antichrist seeks to promote his Kingdom the same way which Christ took to promote Evangelical truth But they are called Powers and Signs and lying Wonders i.e. lying Powers lying Signs and lying Wonders for it agreeth to all the words though affixed to one of them But why lying wonders partly because the greatest number of them are meer Fables notorious Impostures and Forgeries partly because others are Diabolical illusions things beyond humane but not Angelical Power if they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wonders they are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome distinguisheth fit signs to signifie the truth of the Doctrines partly from the end and scope for that must also be regarded God cautioneth his People that if they gave them a sign and wonder though it came to pass if it were to draw them to other Gods it was to be rejected Deut. 13.1 2 3. the Spirits must be tryed whether they be of God 1 John 4.1.1 Cor. 12.3 No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Iesus accursed If a wonder be wrought or pretended to be wrought to draw us off from Christ or to promote things clearly forbidden by the word of God it is a lying wonder as all Antichrist's are for their end is to confirm the Popes Dominion and false Doctrine The sum is this then That many things are pretended not really done Impostures and Forgeries not Miracles other things done by Diabolical illusion as there may be Apparitions Visions Spectres for Sathan will bestir himself to keep up the credit of his Ministers Lastly if we cannot otherwise disprove them if they tend to false Doctrine and worship they are to be rejected whatever extraordinary appearance there be in them 2. The other expression concerning the means is general with all deceivableness of unrighteousness which comprizeth 1. Their Sophistical Reasoning from Antiquity Universality Unity Iâ—fallibility without coming to the intrinsick merits of the câ—use but condemning the truth rather by prejudice 2. Their practical Acts and feats to beguile Souls by Fawning or Threatning or Preferment and Persecutions these are the Arts by which Antichrist shall deceive men into Unrighteousness that is to bring this corruption into the Church and acquire this power to himself Now I shall observe some points 1. Doct. The Devil hath a great hand in setting up Antichrists Kingdom as he hath a great interest by it his coming â—â—all be by or after the working of Sathan He
to Saints and Angels and turned into a theatrical Pomp and the Pageantry of empty Ceremonies which eclipse the Majesty and splendour of it and the Discipline of the Church into a temporal domination and all is carried in the World by sides and interests that Christianity looketh like another thing a design Calculated for the present World rather than a serious preparation for the World to come Then certainly there is an Apostasy and a defection from Christ however the corrupt manners of the Church be varnished over with the name of Christianity There is a degeneration questionless and that is Apostasy in a Mystery such as this is though not an open revolt from the Christ. But to make this more evident to you let us consider what the Kingdom of Christ is The Gospel Kingdom is a Kingdom of Light Life and Love Opposite to Light is ignorance and errour to Life a Religion that consists of shews dead rites and empty Ceremonies to Love uncharitableness malice and especially hatred of the power of Godliness now where these prevail eminently there is an opposite Kingdom set up to the Kingdom of Christ certainly a falling off from his Kingdom That is to say where in opposition to Light errour is taught and ignorance is counted the Mother of Devotion and people are restrained from the means of Knowledge as if the height of Christian Faith and Obedience did consist in an implicite believing what the Church believeth and where instead of Life men place their whole Religion on superficial Rites and Ceremonies and some trifling acts of seeming Devotion and exteriour Mortifications and instead of love to God and Souls all things are sacrificed to private Ambition and forcing Consciences with the highest penalties and persecutions to submit to their corruptions There is a manifest subversion of the interest of Christs Kingdom In short Gods witnesses were slain in that City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt and our Lord was crucifyed Rev. 11.8 That City which answereth to Sodom for impurity to Egypt for Idolatry and to Ierusalem for persecution of the Saints there may you find the great Apostasy 5. This Apostasy from our Lords Authority and the interests of his Kingdom is some notable and discernable Apostasy and the Head and Patron thereof is Antichrist The defection is not of one or a few or many in divers Churches there have always been back-sliders from the Faith 1 Joh. 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us and the Spirit of Antichrist wrought in the Apoâ—tles days 1 Joh. 2.18 As you have heard that Antichrist shall come even now there are many Antichrists and again 1 Ioh. 4.3 we are told of the Spirit of Antichrist and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the World Then described to be afterwards Verse 5. a Worldly Spirit They are of the World and speak of the World and the World heareth them Though they profess Christianity Carnal Worldly Hypocrites which never Conquered the fleshly mind and interest have the Spiriâ— of Antichrist These obscure the light and obstruct the life and love of the Gospel They that wholly affect a life of pomp and ease in the Church Now this hath always been in all Ages The false Christians forget their hopes are built upon a Crucified Christ and are to be derived to them from a Glorified Christ in the other World Crucified in this World and Glorified in the next which indeed are the two considerations that keep Christianity pure and lively That all was purchased by a Crucified Christ and all is dispensed by a Glorified Christ and I wish you would oftner think of it But the great Apostasy is eminently found in some external visible Church where these corruptions are generally received and defended For the head of that Church is Antichrist where Doctrine is corrupted and the worship mingled with Idolatry and the Government an Usurpation and bent against the Holy Seed that desire to worship God in Spirit and in Truth there is this manifest revolt from and a Rebellion against God and Christ though they push with the Horns of the Lamb. That the Papists are a corrupt Sect of Christians is beyond dispute to any that will try their Religion by the Scriptures and that they are far more corrupt than the Protestants 〈◊〉 Reformed Churches will also soon appear by the comparison or a view of both Churches But whether they are so corrupt as to become the Seat of Antichrist is the matter under debate Therefore let any one consideâ— where the eminent Apostasy is to be found Who are they that invade Christs Authority by setting up an Universal Head over all Câ—ristians Who are they that establish the Doctrine of Daemons or revive the worship of a middle sort of Powers between God and mortal men 1 Tim. 4.1 who through Hypocrisy â—nvent so many lies to maintain it and when Christians should keep themselves from Idols 1 Ioh. 5.21 yet in defiance of this worship Angels and other Creatures Col. 2.18 Let nâ— man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels c. and erect the Images of Saints commanding and compelling men to adore them and pray to them who are they that are not contented with the one only Mediatour 1 Tim. 2.5 For there is one God and one Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Iesus 1 Cor. 8.5 For though there be that are called Gods whether in Heaven or in Earth as there be Gods mâ—ny and Lords many But to us there is but one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him but set up other Mediâ—tours of Intercession Who are they that plead for Indulgences and the supererogatory saâ—â—sfactioâ—â— of the Saints as gathered into the Treasure of the Church and so profitable for the remission of sins and condemn them who think the contrary Who are they that keep Beliâ—vers from reading the Scriptures when they are so expresly injoined to do it Joh. 5.39 and Psal. 1.2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night That deny one part of the Lorâ—s Supper to his Disciples notwithstanding his Institution to the contrary 1 Cor. 11.25 26. After the same manner also he took the Cup wheâ— he had supped saying This Cup is the New Testament in my blood This do ye as often as ye drink it in remembrance of me for as oft as ye eat this bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords death till he come It were endless to instance in all I shall speak more of it in the following Verses 6. This Apostasy is not only forbidden but foretold as a thing that would certainly come to pass This consideration is necessary for divers reasons 1. Because the Papists
3. Carry it so as those to whom God hath given grounds of everlasting Consolation We are up when we have the World with us but dead in the Nest when our temporal Dependencies are broken The Covenant is the same still and there should be your Hope and your Joy 2 Cor. 1.20 All the Promises of God in him are Yea and in him Amen unto the Glory of God by us 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he maâ—e it not to grow Heaven is where it was the World cannot make void your Interest in it Therefore you should rejoice in the Lord always Phil. 4.4 Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice SERMON XVI 2 Thess. 2.16 And good hope through Grace WE now come to the third ground of Audience and Acceptance he hath given us good hope through Grace This sheweth how we entertain the everlasting Consolation offered in the Gospel with good Hope and this wrought in us by God Here is 1. The Gift good Hope 2. The moving Cause through Grace Doct. That it is a great advantage when we pray for Consolation and Confirmation in Holiness to consider that God hath already given us the Hope of Eternal Life Here I shall 1. Open the Gift 2. Shew what incouragement this is in Prayer In the opening the Gift let me inquire 1. What is this good Hope mentioned and what are the Properties of it 2. That this is the free Gift of God 1. What is this good Hope Hope is sometimes put for the Object or Thing hoped for As Prov. 13.12 Hope deferred maketh the Heart sad That is the delay of the good expected is very tedious and troublesome to us So in Christian Hope Col. 1.5 For the Hope which is laid up for you in Heaven Where Hope is put for the Object of it the blessed and glorious Estate which is reserved for us hereafter The great objects of Hope which yet do not exclude intervening Blessings are these 1. The coming of Christ to oâ—r Comfort Tit. 2.13 Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. 1 Pet. 1.13 Gird up the loins of your Minds and be sober and hope to the end for the Grace that is to be â—rought unto you at the Revelation of Iesus Christ. Hope is there described by its singular Object the coming of Christ called there the Revelation of Christ. Christ is now under a Vail his Bodily Presence being removed and his Spiritual Glory seen but darkly as in a Glass but then he shall appear in Person and in his Glory When Christ withdrew out of sight our Comfort seemed â—o be gone with him but he will come agâ—in he is not gone in anger but about Business to set all things at rights against the day of solemn Espousals and then he cometh to possess what he hath purchased and to carry the Church into the everlasting place of her Abode This is the great Hope of Christans and a blessed and good Hope it is indeed 2. The Resurrection of the Dead Acts 2.36 My flesh shall rest in Hope Acts 24.15 I have hope towards God thaâ— there shall be a Resurrection both of the Iust and Vnjust Acts 26.6 7 8. Now I stand judged for the hope of the Promise made unto the Fathers unto which Promise our twelve Triâ—es instantly serving God day and night hope to come Why should it be thought an incredible thing with you that God should raise the Dead Death seemeth to make void all the Promises at once but there is an estate after Death the Dead shall rise and to Men bred up in the Bosom of the Church this should not seem incredible It is not incredible in it self considering the Justice and Power of God But why to you Since all Religion tendeth to it But it is a matter of undoubted certainty all Believers do look for long for and prepare for this Blessedness otherwise why should they trouble themselves about Religion which abridgeth us of present Delights and exposeth us to great Difficulties and Sufferings But there is another Life after this where all is happy and joyful and therefore we serve God instantly day and night 3. The Vision of God I Iohn 3.2 that at length we shall be admitted into his blessed Presence and see him as he is and be made like him both for Holiness and Happiness 4. Our heavenly Inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us Called Eternal Life Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal Life which God that cannot lie promised us The Glory of God Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Well then all this is a good Hope if there be the things hoped for for the object of our Hope is the chiefest Good the eternal Vision and Fruition of God this is that we must aim at as our Happiness Psal. 17.15 As for me I shall behold thy Face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness we must seek after it and make it our constant Work Heb. 11.6 God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him this is that we must take hold of as having a right and title to it Heb. 6.18 Who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before us We challenge it by the Law of Grace as we fulfil the Conditions Our Hold is more strong Right more evident as we get greater measures of the First-fruits we gain more security and confidence in the spiritual Conflict Ver. 19. Which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul sure and stedfast By good Works we enter upon the possession of it in part as we get the First-fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8.23 We our selves also which have the First-fruits of the Spirit even we our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our Body 2 Cor. 5.5 Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit In whole when we come to Heaven for then we enter into our Master's Joy Matth. 25.21 when we die our Souls enter into that blessed place where the Spirits of just Men are made perfect not only preserved in manu Dei but admitted in conspectum Dei 1 Pet 1.9 Receiving the end of your Faith the salvation of your Souls But after the Resurrection and general Judgment John 14.3 I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also Then in Body and Soul we enter into our everlasting Mansions 2. Sometimes Hope is put for the reasons and causes of Hoping and so he that giveth me solid reasons of Hoping giveth me good Hope In this sense it is
Holiness And his unchangeable Love which doth not vary and alter with our Condition Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth He is our God still though he seemeth to deal hardly with us We learn of Christ on the very Cross to cry My God Matth. 27.46 and if we cannot find enough in him when the Creatures and our natural Comforts fail it is meet we should lose them Heb. 3.18 Though the Fig-tree should not blossom c. yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation This is the sum of God's Comforts and when these things are suggested to us God comforteth our Hearts 3. When by these means God worketh Comfort in us Joy is often called the Comfort of the Spirit and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Rom 14.17 Now all the Spirit 's Works are singular and do much exceed the natural Work of Man's Heart The groans which he stirreth up in Prayer are unutterable Rom. 8.26 His Joys unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 The Heathens counted that Fire more sit and pure for their Altars whicâ— was inkindled by a Sun-beam rather than a Coal taken from a common Hearth So this Comfort which is raised in us by the Holy Ghost is more Rich and Glorious and Affective than that which is the fruit of our bare Reason or the meer working of our Human Spirit even in the common grounds of Christian Comfort Or as Elementary Fire differeth from Culinary and Kitchin Fire and is much more pure So doth this Joy which is immediately wrought in us by â—he Spirit from all Joy that we can work by our selves out of the Scriptural Grounds of Comfort Carnal Men have their Joy at the second or third Hand as God blesseth the order and influence of Inferiour Causes it comes to them from Creature to Creature so as they discern not the Work of God in it yea the Joy of common Christians in the proper grounds of Comfort is not strong as that which is raised in us by the immediat impression of the Comforting Spirit II. Why this is of God 1. Because God challegeth this as his own Right to comfort the Heart of Man and therefore whatever the Means of the comfort be God will be owned as the Spring and Fountain of it He keepeth this as his great Bridle upon the World to govern the Hearts of Men. Job 34.29 When he giveth Quietness who then can make Trouble And when he hideth his Face who then can behold him Whether it be done against a Nation or against a Man only Our Peace and Trouble is in God's Hands and at his disposing It is true he exerciseth his Soveraignty according to Law and in his Internal Government according to the Law of Grace penally withdrawing his Comforting Spirit and leaving us to our Doubts and Troubles and Fears by the rewarding our Obedience and Faithfulness with the manifest Tokens of his Love as the Matter shall require It is enough for the Point in hand that God alone doth powerfully dispence Peace or Trouble And when he will give Comfort none can make his Gift void for it is at his Command and in both a Nation is all one with a particular Person as to any ability to resist God 2. Though grounds of Comfort be never so clear yet if God concur not we find not the effect therefore it is his Spirit that can only comfort the Heart To have God's Warrant for our comfort is much but to have his Impression is more both musâ— concur or the Soul will not be comforted It falleth out many ways sometimes out of Ignorance When a Well of Comfort was near poor Hagar saw it not and was almost famished with thirst until God opened her Eyes and she saw a Well of Water Gen. 21.19 We know not the grounds of our comfort Sometimes out of Passion Grief is obstinate and will admit no Remedy as Rachel would not be comforted Jer. 31.15 They are so peevishly addicted to their Worldly Comforts that if they be crossed in them they will not admit of God's Comforts though they are evident clear and pertinent Sometimes out of Forgetfulness Heb. 12.5 Ye have forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto Children And Oblivion is an Ignorance for the present Had they remembred they would not have fainted and waxed weary It is a great Work of the Spirit to bring to Remembrance sometimes questioning their interest in Comfort besidâ—s that there are general Comforts when Interest is not clear Now the Spirit that sheweth us â—he things given us of God doth also reveal and evidence our Right to them What is wrought in our Hearts that is to say by quickning us to exercise Grace he evidenceth the truth of Grace and in our Afflictions by Patience maketh out our Comfort Rom. 5.3 4 5. We glory in Tribulations knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope And Hope maketh not ashamed because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us From the whole there can be no true solid Comfort but what God bestoweth his Favour and our Interest in his Favaour is manifested to us by his Spirit III. What advantages we have by this that all solid Comfort is of God 1. It assureth us of God's readiness to comfort poor afflicted Creatures that humbly submit to him He that is the God of all Comfort is also the Father of Mercies his Mercy and Compassion inclineth him to comfort us God hath his Name from this effect Nomina sunt à notioribus God that comforteth those that are cast down 2 Cor. 7.6 He is very tender of all Afflicted Creatures much more of his People 2. God's Comforts come with more Authority and silence all our Doubts and Fears Psal. 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my Soul We have many intricate perplexing thoughts out of which we cannot disentangle our selves no comforts come with such Authority and Power as God's Comforts In the Comfort we have it is good to consider whence it cometh Is it God's Comfort or a Fanâ—y of our own If it be made up by our own Fancy it will be like a Spider's Web that is weaved out of its own Bowels but is gone and swept away with the least turn of a Besom but God's Comforts are more durable they flow from the true Fountain of Comfort upon whose Frowns or Smiles our happiness and misery dependeth There is little warmth in a Fire of our own kindling God's Comforts are built on his Covenant and have a commanding force and over-powering efficacy on the Soul God in his Word speaketh by Soveraign Authority in our Hearts he worketh by powerfâ—l Efficacy The Authority of his Word we own when we speak to others or to our selves when we know trouble but in supposition or imagination The Efficacy of his Grace we feel