Let no man deceive you by any means The Apostle proceeds from intreating to commanding and that negatively that it might be the more obligatory at all times to their consciences Let no man deceive you by any means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noble Leigh that famous Critick observes signifies such a deceit which a false theef useth to a traveller offering himself a guide to direct him a better way to his journeys end and so leading him to some dismal place that he may rob him By any means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a word it is thus By any version and so the meaning most probably is this Let no one deceive you by any misinterpretation or subtil kinde of false glosses upon any Sermon I preached or Epistle that I writ to you or any other of the Churches and so this negative precept is brought in as a vehement reiteration of his dehortatory Petition which mightily confirms his Doctrine that the general day of Judgment is not at hand This doctrine he confirms in the ten next Verses Thus I have done with the Doctrinal part The Second Part. Of the general Apostasie from the true Profession of Christianitie and of the Anti-christ Ver. 3. FOr that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God 5. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things 6. And now ye know what with-holdeth that he might be revealed in his time 7. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now leteth will let untill he be taken out of the way 8. And then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming 9. Even he whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders 10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness CHAP. I. THis portion of Scripture stands amongst Pauls Epistles like the Tower of Ophel upon the wall of Ierusalem clouded and shadowed with sacred Mysteries it may wel be put amongst his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard places of Scripture to be understood which not only the unlearned but some Learned have wrested for ought I know to their own and others destruction Here we may truly take up the Rabins saying meeting with a hard place of Scripture Opusâ—…st hiâ—… quadringentis Camelis onust is commentariis rationem reddere We had need of four hundred Camels loads of Commentaries to give us light into this Prophesie The Prophesie in general is of the great Apostasie in the Gentile Gospel Church and of the Anti-christ Now such and so numerous are the various opinions of Learned men about Anti-christ that it gives occasion to many men who regard not the times or the seasons scoffingly to give out that Anti-christ is some ignis fatuus that is now in this Kingdom now in that anon no where and presently again every where some make him a Divel some a State some a particular man a King a General Others give out that Anti-christ is like the Philosophers Stone much talked on but never seen yet or known But all these Scoffers do not one jot diminish the truth of the sacred Word concerning Anti-christ for as for example there are many Ignoramuses this day in States affairs amongst whom my self is one that do not distinctly know who are the Custodes Libertatis Angliae some say the General Councel of the Army some say the House of Commons as now modelled others the Councel of State others the Keepers of the Great Seal and others the Judges of the Land now because we through our ignorance do not know them will it therefore follow that there are no Custodes Libertatis Angliae this would prove in the end but a bad conclusion for my part I draw no such conclusions but my prayer to God and my hope is that he will speedily dispel all fogs and mists of ignorance from deceived people that at last they may eminently and clearly perceive who are the Veri Custodes Libertatis Angliae But to our purpose That there have been and are many Anti-christs and that there is to be eminently the Anti-christ in the world before the day of Judgment none can deny that do confess the truth of the Scriptures In 1 Ioh. 2. 18. 22 there you have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the petty Antichrists and twice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Antichrist eminently Antichrist Of this Antichrist there are various opinions which arise many of them from the very word as say some Antichrist must be one that pretends to be for Christ but is the great enemy to Christ and his Saints and this they draw from the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Grammers tel us signifies both for and against in opposition it is put for for and so both Humane Authors and the Scripture frequently inform us as Ioh. 1. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Grace for Grace But Criticks who give this gloss do affirm that both in opposition and composition it signifies for and against but I suppose it seldom signifies for in composition but against and so generally Authors understand the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for one that opposeth Christ So saith Hillary it is the property of the name of Antichrist to be contrary to Christ Nominis Antichristi propriet as est esse Christo contrarium and so say other Authors But if we wil have the full signification of this compound word we must look as well to the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to annoint and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies against the Annointed who the Annointed are Rev. 11. 4 5 6. compared with Zach. 4. 3 11 14. tel us In the Church under the Ceremonial Law the King and the Priests only were annointed indeed Prophets were annointed sometimes but that was extraordinary not by Ceremonial constitution but immediate command These two Sacred functions are not destroyed but refined under the Gospel so that probably the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is he that slaies the Witnesses for his proper name is the Opposer of the Lords Annointed the enemy that makes war with and overcomes the sons of Oyl the Witnesses the two Olive trees This is that Antichrist which Paul in this place
in their sin untill they die Since they refused counsell and knowledge and the fear of God they shall have none of it I will refuse them saith the Lord they shall be given up to strong delusion to believe a lie Since they would not feed on Angels food at Christs Table they shall feed on the Devils excrements amongst the swinish herds of heretitcks destinated to damnation As Christ by his gracious wisdome did save an adulterous woman from the judgement of adulterous men by causing the shamefull sin of the condemned to flie upon the guilty consciences of the condemners So God in his glorious wisdome brings to damnation hypocrites by letting seducers baits catch those seduced souls that so greedily catch at them whereby they shamefully like those accusers of the woman go away and leave Christ his Ministers and his Ordinances In all this God is true though every one of them be liars That they should believe a lie so Beza renders it and the Syriack To a word that they should believe that lie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lie what lie Mr. Leigh answers Antichrist Since they would not imbrace Christ the truth they shall be given up to blindenesse and hardnesse to imbrace Antichrist the lie A lie is falshood appearing in the cloke of truth and so is Antichrist which these Apostates shall imbrace They rejected and revolted from Gods anointed ones which were the Cedars of God and chose to themselves the bramble and under this scratching thorn those goates shall sit till a fire come forth from the Lord and devour both it and them They heap to themselves ignorant and unlearned Teachers perverting the Word to their damnation such as Ierome speaks of The very name Antichrist imports a lie for he is one against the truth against Christ who is the way and the truth If love of the truth be meant Christ as Chrysostome Oecumenius Theodoretus and severall other learned Authors affirm then most probably the imbracing a lie is here meant the subjecting to and closing with Antichrist or as very probably truth is put for the anointed offices the two Witnesses which these Apostates reject and imbrace the Antichrist who in opposition to them is called a lie usurpation is a lie the great usurper is the Antichrist who supplants the Witnesses and therefore called in the abstract the lie He is called in 1 Iohn 2. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the liar who is the Antichrist who denies the Father and the Sonne that is the constituted offices in the Church Luke 10. 16. for he that denieth them denieth Christ and he that denieth Christ denieth God CHAP. VII THat they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse This Verse windes up Pauls prophecie of the Antichrist and his followers It hath two parts in it The first shewes us the last of Antichrist and his subjects viz. their finall damnation The last part is an exegefis of the two foregoing verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might be damned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word properly signifies to judge but in the worser sense it is often in the New Testament put for to condemn as Luke 19. 22. Out of thy mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I condemne thee and so generally Expositors understand it that their judging here shall be cum judicio damnationis with the judgement of damnation Here we have the dreadfull Catastrophe of Antichrist but especially his companions his men of name and something more me thinks I see as matter of comfort in the Text viz. the time when he shall be thus with his followers damned or cast into hell as Revel 19. 20. expresseth it Compare it with 2 Tim. 3. 8 9. and it informes us that they shall proceed no further then to oppose the Witnesses as Iannes and Iambres did Moses Aaron when they have resisted the truth i e. the Witnesses maintaining the truth in opposition to the lie Antichrist when they have corrupted their own and others mindes with heresies and blasphemises and when they have shewed themselves reprobates concerning the faith then they shall proceed no further they shall then receive the wages of their work damnation These that Paul prophesies of to Timothy are the same that here he prophesies of to the Thessalonians for they are all professors of Religion all in one livery practising the same devillish things and being alike corrupted and depraved We finde Antichrist and his followers in Revel 11. and Chap. 13. proceeding no farther then the slaying of the Witnesses and triumphantly insulting over them and their authority for three dayes and an halfe and then on a sudden unexpectedly a cloud is seen and a loud voice is heard the Witnesses rise the 7000 names of men are slain by a great Schisme Commotion or Earth-quake which finisheth the second wo and then followes presently the third wo or seventh trumpet and then the Dragon the beast and the false Prophet are cast into hell and Hallelujahs and praises throughout the Church are thundered and no more of Antichrist appears for ever So that I will say to the true Church as Christ in Matth. 24. When ye see these things begin to come to passe know that the time of Antichrists damnation is nigh at hand even at the door Who believed not the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Ghost seems to point at some peculiar eminent truth which these hypocrites and Apostates did reject and would not believe for 't is not to be imagined that they rejected all truth and turned Infidels and Heathens for then they must necessarily cast off the profession of Christianity which they that follow Antichrist do not do and therefore I conceive it is some eminent truth which God permits to be opposed purposely to trie the knowledge faith love sincerity Christianity and courage of his people and to discover the rottennesse hypocrisie and back-sliding of formal professours this God usually doth in every age some eminent truths or other he permits to be opposed and calls out eminent professours to witnesse unto blood on their behalfe There 's never an Article in the Creed but at one time or other hath been thus victoriously in blood defended all being delivered to us sealed with our holy Ancestors blood Thereby teaching us our duty in a time when truth 's opposed God permits certain truths in severall ages to be opposed in Queen Maries dayes the doctrine of the Sacraments was opposed and the true way of externall worship and then God first sealed his truths with his Martyrs blood and then delivered them to us their posterity Now in the time of Antichrists appearing the great truth which shall be called in question to the trial of the Saints and the discovery of hypocrites and formall professors who shall reject this is the two great Offices originally Christs derivatively those whom he
be on a fire and colder comfort for the twelve Tribes who are like to lie in the dungeon of darknesse impenitencie and unbelief untill the day of Judgement come upon them and damn them they by this opinion shall never see Christ till he come to damn them their consciences shall be fast asleep untill hell-fire awake them their faith in Christ shall be no other then that of the devils to believe and be damned Thus making void both the gracious purposes and promises of God towards them both in the Old and New Testament It is really so for it is a generall received truth amongst the learned Expositors that the Jews generall conversion to the Gospel shall not be untill Antichrist be destroyed and it is a clear truth in Scripture But if Antichrist be not destroyed untill the day of Judgement farewell the Jewes conversion and salvation for ever Some of the learned who hold this opinion and fearing as justly they may this undeniable argument grounded on so many known prophetick promises have allowed the Jews or rather the prophetick promises about seven weeks time to accomplish their great work they say betwixt the destruction of Antichrist and the day of Judgment there shall be the space of five and fourty dayes which is the time alotted for the Jews to repent in and believe and imbrace the Gospel Here 's a little charity but blessed Jews that Gods charity is not measured to you by the Papists scant yard Miserable comforters are they which bring you here the best news from this groundlesse opinion which we shall answer two wayes The first by way of supposition Secondly Plainly and positively both to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I Suppose it should be granted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did alwayes signifie Christs personall presence yet is their Argument never the lesse questionable as falsly grounded for we say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here belongs not to Christ but to Antichrist for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in probabiltie relates to the Antichrist for it is usuall say the learned in that language to have the relative refer not to the proximate but to the remote antecedent after the manner of the Hebrews which we finde frequent in Scriptures so that the meaning of the text possibly is this God will destroy Antichrist when he shall appear in his outward splendor and pompe to the World when he is at the full God shall by a sudden change bring him into the wane untill he have utterly consumed in a day when he thinks not of Christ and an hour when he is not aware of him he will come upon him and cast him alive into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone The next words seem to confirme this opinion especially as the Syriack Interpreter reads them Adventus enim illius est c. where enim seems to be put causally So that the sense seems to be this the Lord shall destroy him in the brightnesse of his comming because his comming is according to the working of Satan if this be a true Exposition as for ought I know it is then are their arguments which are grounded on this Text quite overthrown But we will not adhere to this opinion therefore answer positively to the word that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not alwayes the personall appearing of Christ it is not denied but that the word properly signifies presence essential presence oft-times signifies the coming of Christ to Judgment but not always See what our noble English Greek Critick saith he allowes it a saepè but not a semper it is oftentimes put for the personall appearance of Christ but not alwayes so saith Grotius upon this Text and so say some other learned Protestants Calvin bends this way putting an incertum est upon the generall received opinion of Christs comming to Judgement here Besides all this we have many clear Texts which prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not always signifie Christs personal appearance as 2 Pet. 1. 16. we made known unto you the power coming of our Lord Jesus that is his powerful coming by his Spirit in the ministery of the Gospel to convert souls to God Such a phrase Christ himselfe useth of himself in this sense Matth. 16. 28. There be some here which shall not taste of death untill they see the Son of man come in his Kingdome that is sending the Holy Ghost to propagate the Gospel by signes and miracles so say the last Annotations on the Bible or else say those Notes Christs comming in power by execution of Judgments upon the Jewes to the utter overthrow of that Nation Matth. 24. 3 30. this Text is rightly quoted but I conceive not rightly expounded had the Exposition been quite contrary it had been more consonant to the Disciples question and Christs answer to it for Christs comming Matth 24 is to save the Jews to restore them both to be a Church and State again The question that here the Disciples ask is the same that they ask of Christ after his passion Acts 1. 6. Wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel to which question as to the matter of it Christ gives no negative but rather an affirmative answer as much as to say that time is to be but 't is in the fathers hands this is laid up in store with God and sealed amongst his treasures Deut. 32. 34. 't is the great mystery which was not for them to know This appearing of God to build up Sion Psal. 10â—… 16 17 18. that is to restore the twelve Tribes it is written for the Generations to come 't is a mystery to be unlocked to the latter ages of the World About this Kingdome the Pharisees discourse with Christ Luke 17. 20. demanding of him when it should be it seems they had faith enough to believe that there would be some glorious restauration of the Kingdome to Israel and this Christ doth not deny but shews to the end of that Chapter the signes fore-going the comming of this Kingdome the restoring of which in the next Chapter Luke 18. 8. Christ calls the comming of the Son of man and in Matth. 24. 30. the coming of Christ in the clouds and Revel 1. 7. which must necessarily be meant of the Jews wailing with penitentiall convictions and fiducial imbracings of Christ for were it meant of the damned Jews howles at the day of Judgment Iohn would never conclude it with an Even so Amen With this Text compare diligently Matth. 24. 30. and Luke 21. 27 28. and it will manifestly appear that the comming of Christ in clouds is his powerfull and glorious comming by the power of the Holy Ghost in the efficacious working of the Gospel to convert the Jews working in them godly sorrow and faith which present time is that which Luke saith is the time of the Jews redemption drawing nigh not of their finall damnation In this sense Matth. 23.
colour of truth Grotius conceives the Holy Ghost points here at Caius Caligula the Successor of Tiberius in the Roman Empire who made a great apostasie from the good deeds of Augustus and Tiberius his Predecessors which they did to the Jewes and to their Religion what they did to please the Jewes this did undoe to displease and disprofit the Jews After this manner he makes him run parallel with the other part of the Prophesie but this is rather Iusus then allusio rather a sporting with then expounding of Scripture He shews us how foolish a Commentator mans fancy is of Scripture be the man never so learned and how easily a man may be deluded by the strength of his fantasie to beleeve a lye when t is so byased with its own parallels as to melt sacred Texts into its own mould and shape it to its own liking What is it but transitus à genere in genus to make historicall notions in humanity to beget the conclusions of Divinity like that high-strung Musician Aristoxenus who would out of the principles of Musick determine the nature of a humane soul and what usually is the end of such mens violent labors but only Praxitiles-like to make beguiled minds bow downe to the painted Strumpet of their fancies The reason why so many learned men have like drunken men reeled and rambled and stumbled and fel in their Treatises upon Prophetick Texts is because they â—…ipple themselves first with the brainsick wine of their own fancies drawing This hath been and to this day is I am confident the cause of those gross mistakes concerning the powring out of the vials making all the vials almost of Gods wrath to be poured out upon Rome and her adherents when if we look into Scripture soberly and into History with an unbyassed judgment we shall find not one vial as yet to be poured out I know this opinion is vineger and smoak to some but I presume not to sober men well read in these mysteries humane Histories at the best are but the worst Interpreters of the Scripture The body of the Scripture is like Solomons Temple which a wiser then Solomon hath builded for the Church of God every stone is fitted before it come hither for its fellow here window answers to window and pillar to pillar no noise of axe or hammer is heard throughout it The Scripture is like Ierusalem compact and at unitie in it self it is as Strabo saith of that City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well watered within it self so that we need not go any farther then the threshold of the Sanctuary we need not go over it to quench our thirsty desires of understanding it There is no Doctrinal truth for the feeding of the Church nor any Prophetick truth for the comforting of the Church but it is established 2 Cor. 13. 1. in the mouth of two or three witnesses the fault is only in our selves we are weak sighted and cannot perceive them nor distinguish them Let not the Reader think I cry down either the searching into or the applying of humane History to divine Texts but only the riotous fancies of those who in their writings set up Historie against Scripture and I had almost said reason it self I will willingly give as much worship to History in the Divinity School as the Schoolmen give to Images in the Church that is cultum respectivum but not so much worship as the Papists give to Images this day .i. cultum conjunctum My task therefore shal be to search after that testimony which the Scriptures give concerning the Apostasie and that testimony though but single will carry it against all others I shall only first mention the reason that they give that hold Paul means the ruine of the Roman Empire in this place why Paul did not speak plainly and openly of it To this the Greek and Latine Fathers answer viz. Chrysostom Oecumenius Ambrose Hierom Tertullian and several later Writers as Cajetan and Aretius c. ' Paul say they in prudence kept covert this truth ' lest hereby the Christians and the Christian Religion should ' suffer as enemies to the Empire of Rome Indeed I have read of Saint Basil and it is spoken in his commendation as a grave prudential act of his that considering the season and the predominancy of Hereticks pro temporis ratione Haereticorum principatu he did refrain from some sound expressions concerning the Deity of the Holy Ghost which others of a lower degree in the Church did boldly and frequently use Without all doubt there is a season for all things a time to speak and a time to be silent and a word spoken in due season how pleasant is it But all this shall never make me believe that Paul would for fear of Humane or Diabolical power or crueltie put Gods candle of Truth under a bushel he spake as the Spirit gave him utterance neither adding to nor detracting from any thing imparted to him by the Holy Ghost he delivered the whole mind of God to them Paul had none of that baseness in him which is so frequently found in the Ministers of this Age to baulk Truths for fear of persecution The least Truth of God is worth all the Churches in the world yea set me say it were the least Divine truth put in the scales against all the souls in the world it would out-weigh them Better all those souls should eternally miscarry then that truth should perish Though the pretended Saints of God in this age think a little of the world to be worth a great deal of Gods Truth yet those that are truly sanctified and enlightned think far otherwise Truth it is of the Essence of God for God is truth and he that will with-hold any thing of God for a carnal end will easily be drawn to let go all of God in the end and therefore this their reason I hold to be as unsound as their opinion who think Paul prophesied here of the destruction of the Roman Monarchy by peoples falling away from it Some and those not a few make the Apostafie and the Antichrist to be all one directly contrary to the light of the Text as also other prophetick Texts which run parallel with this As it is a sin to separate what God hath joyned together so 't is no lesse an error on the other hand to joyn in one that which God hath distinctly made two Cornelius à Lapide to whom the Christian world in this latter Age is beholding for his learned Labours saving his errors on the Bible saith on this prophetick Text that there are two great signes which fore goe the day of Judgment which the Apostle in this Prophesie holds out 1 This universall Apostasie and then the Antichrist himself which treads upon the heels of the apostasie and immediately follows it Oecumenius seems to point at the Idolatry of the Church of Rome for saith he the deceit of Idols shall cease and
Christ like the lightening i. e suddenly terribly when is that v. 28. when the ravenous birds of prey the Romish Eagles are feasting and rejoycing at the dead carcases of the Witnesses then followes v. 29. the vials pouring out on the apostasie and the Antichrist and then appears the signe of the Son of man in heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourn what all the Tribes yes all for v. 31. the Angels with sound of Trumpet Isa. 27. 13. that is at Iohns seventh Trumpets sounding shall call all the Tribes from the four ends of the earth Oh blessed day the Lord hasten it but is this at the day of Judgement no but at the time of Antichrists ruine for the Generation of the Jews shall not perish untill all this be fulfilled now after this Christ treats of the day of Judgement in that Chapter CHAP. IV. And lying wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Syriack renders it and with false prodigies Beza reads lying prodigies I dare not alter any thing and therefore may not finde fault They say the expression is an Hebraisme equipollent to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they translate for the Text. It is observable that all the New Testament-prophecies are full of Hebraismes sure the Holy Ghost hath some holy designe in it either to informe the Hebrews that the same Spirit that inspired the Old Testament-Prophets inspired also the New and that the onely way to understand either is to believe both and compare them one with another thus I understand that of seeing eye to eye as Esay hath it Or else it is to humble us Gentiles in the remembrance of our stock We are by nature wilde Olives and all the light we have received for salvation it hath come from the Hebrews To them were committed the Oracles of the Gospel and they viz. the twelve Apostles and Paul all Hebrews did dispense those Oracles to the world which are to this day and will be the standing rule to all the Churches to the end of the world Hereby all boasting is excluded from the Gentiles Or rather to point us to the Old Testament there to search for a parallel Comment on a prophetick Text in the New Testament It may be all these designes are included in the phrase and manner of expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is a degree beyond signes that Antichrist goes for signes are but things acted within the Sphere of nature but wonders beyond and above the reach of nature Hence some conceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to terrifie for wonders being things done beyond the course of common causes amaze and terrifie the beholders so that they stand at a gaze filled with admiration and wonder which is nothing else but the surplus of expectation Antichrists slaying of the Witnesses changing the times and lawes of that State where he slayes them Dan. 7. 25. pitching his tents in the Holy Mountain Dan. 11. ult dividing Mount Olivet Zach. 14. stripping the Church of all her strength and power which she made against him Deut. 32. 36. setting up his new strange government in the stead of the government of the slain Witnesses Revel 13. 12 13 14. these are such great things beyond the expectation of the people that are not acquainted with the signes and marks of Antichrists appearing that they wonder at his successes and are cheated by the Antichrist by the great signes v. 13. especially that of Religion and Saintship for Antichrist shall do all these unexpected things under the cloke of Religion as Solomon appeared in the sight of all the men of Israel to be that King whom God had made choice of to build him an house and that that house God chose beyond all others to be his house by the comming down of fire from heaven in the sight of Israel at which sight they being filled with holy wonder bowed down their heads and worshipped believing even so Antichrist shall by his cunning designes which he cloaks with externall formes of high devotion make the people believe that he is the man designed to pull down Antichrist and to lay the top-stone of Church-Reformation and make the times glorious times you may know Antichrist by the Livery that he gives to his black Guard in 2 Tim. 3. 2 3 4 we finde 18 of his company all in one Livery v. 5. having a form of godliness self-lovers or selfish men in the cloak of the form of godliness covetous men in the form of godliness boasters in the form of godliness proud persons in the form of godliness blasphemers in the form of godliness disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitors headie high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God all these the Apostle tells us in the last dayes meaning the dayes of Antichrists appearing shall be cloaked in a forme of godlinesse All these Devils in these dayes arise and walk in Samuels mantle So that I may use St. Iohns words to the dispersed despised and distressed Churches in this age 1 Iohn 2. 18. Little childeren it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us but they were not of us These are the followers of Antichrist these are the chiefs of men to be destroyed when the Witnesses rise which day God of his abundant mercy hasten I believe 't is neer at hand Antichrist and his followers by their prodigious acts under the cloak of Religion may make the World wonder but they do no no wonders for the Holy Ghost tells us they are lying wonders wonders that onely cheat the men of the earth or earthly-minded men to a subjection to bow down to their image and receive the mark of the beast Antichrists miracles are lies respectu omnium causarum saith Cornelius à Lapide in respect of the materiall efficient formall and finall cause The end of his miracles is to cheat the people into a compliance with his false wayes whereas the end of true miracles was to confirme the truth The originall of these miracles is the Devil Antichrist is helped by Sorcerers and Witches that pretend Revelations and come with all manner of cunning to cheat and deceive soules The matter of them are meer deceits for dive into the bottome of them and you shall finde the fire he pretends came from heaven is fire of his own making to delude the people Ant. Scaynus conceives his lying wonders are such as Iannes and Iambres wrought before Pharaoh which were meer delusions and no true miracles yet served the turn to harden Pharaohs heart against the true Church and to divert the people from believing and obeying the truth to their
did his beautifull sister not to be tied in Nuptiall bonds of unity and love but to satisfie his lust and after that disgracefully to shut her out of doors They love Religion in the truth no more then Absalom loved Justice onely in pretence to some greater end to depose the King and get the Crown Now as they think to cheat men by their pretences and hypocriticall delusions so God in Justice leaves them in the hardnesse of their heart and blindness of their minde to be cheated by the Devil and Antichrist to their own damnation Whiles they cheat men under the cloak of religion of their honours and estates the Devil that whiles cheats them of their souls It may be truly said of every formall hypocriticall professor Perditio tua ex te Thy destruction is of thy self But I crave pardon for my sawcinesse in going here before my betters let us see what the learned say They received not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some learned men conceive that this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an extenuation a diminutive expression the full meaning being this they pertinaciously refused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of the truth Some by love of the truth understand Christ who is both truth and love Charitâ—…tem exhibuit veritatem ostendit saith Goran So that the meaning is they received not Christ that is truth for he that receives not truth in the love of it receives not Christ. Some others conceive 't is meant of the deficiencie of charity in Antichrists followers they have knowledge and gifts and faith but no charity which profiteth nothing 1 Cor. 13. Probably truth is here put for the whole doctrine of the Gospel in opposition to all other false Religions so that the Character of Antichrists followers is this They are professors of the Gospel of true Religion but they are hypocriticall professors and temporary professors for 1 They receive not the truth into their hearts they love not what they professe 2 Neither do they professe Religion with a designe to be saved by it Religion is not a Iacobs ladder for them to climb to heaven by but a blinde zeal under which without suspition they carry on their hellish designes all the heaven they look at is the wealth and greatnesse and pleasure of the world They receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved by it but the outward profession of the truth that they may be preferred by it Hence observe that the Antichrist is so far from an open deniall of Christ that he is a great professour of Christ who prefers all his followers upon the account of religious men and Saints men that professe religion but what saith the Text 't is in hypocrisie 'T is true they fast and pray but 't is not out of love to that solemn duty that they may be saved by it but that they may thereby advantage their carnall Interests as a reverend Divine said wittily once eying some mens designes They have saith he humbled themselves into the Throne and fasted and prayed that which they accounted Achans wedge and the Babylonish garment into their possession fasted fine cloathes upon their backs and self-denyingly wound themselves into all the great and profitable offices This is all the heaven that Antichrists followers aime at by all their eminent professions they receive not the truth to the mortifying of their lusts but for the palliating of their lusts 'T is a good place not grace a Kingdome here not a Kingdome hereafter that their profession chiefly pursues and closely hunts after Shall I say any more I will not I need not Reader I leave thee wisely to Comment upon this too-too easie Text in this present age vidâ—…as fugias But the Holy Ghost as I humbly conceive by the restrictive articles and the Scope of the prophecie intends some eminent truth at this time opposed by Antichrist upon the rejecting of which truth they become Antichrists subjects as Antichrist by opposing it becomes formally Antichrist but of this we shall touch in the last verse CHAP. VI. AND for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie In the former verse as Aquinas observes there is onely the sinne set down In this verse there is both their sinne and punishment their being deluded is both their sinne and their punishment In the following verse there is onely their punishment set down which is damnation the end of all their Apostasie a just reward for such iniquity In the words there are these particulars 1 The Judgement denounced delusion 2 The Author inflicting it God 3 The persons on whom it is inflicted them those that received not the love of the truth to be saved by it 4 The specification of it by its effects that they should believe a lie In the Judgement or punishment denounced we must observe the Apostles manner of delivery which is potent in the Causall Conjunction Copulative for I cannot call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any thing else and in the adjunct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for this cause i. e. for rejecting the love of the truth and not making it the meanes of their salvation for this cause ' t is So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports two things 1 A false professours damnation is from himself not from God He is the cause of it for 1 He loves not what he professeth and would you have a man for ever tied to what he loves not Religion is an hypocrites purgatory through which he wades with much regret of soul in hope at last to reap some profit He loves the truths of Christ no more then a Merchant loves the Sea he longs to be over it at his goald he intends not to dwell at Sea in any wise As a true Christian loves this present world so a false Christian loves Religion he cares not how soon he is rid out so he may obtein his desired ends So that as a true Christian counts it his hell and will in no wise be tied for ever to the world so an hypocriticall professor counts it his hel wil in no wise be tied for ever to the everlasting Gospel If a man would commune with an hypocrites heart it would tell him that he looked not at communion with Christ nor expected any robes of righteousnesse from him he neither loves Christ nor his truth nor intends a Spirituall Crown but earthly advantages by his profession He loves not the Gospel after such a manner as to glorifie God and be saved by it and is not such a man the cause of his own damnation God will save no man against his will He will have all his servants Volunteers he ties none by fatall necessity or absolute determination to obedience but all by free choice hence our state in the first Adam was mutable because God would be served by a voluntary choice Since our restauration God gives us a will to
choose him and stability in that will to continue with him And this is the Magna Charta of a Christian that God will give him a will that he shall never depart from him But these followers of Antichrist they are unwilling to receive truth unto sanctification onely to outward washing for some carnall end they will receive truth but no further and therefore as Nazianzen well observes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is not their cannots but their will nots that will damn them they would not receive the truth to be saved by it 2 It imports thus much that a formall hypocriticall professour will easily become an heretick and an apostate in time of temptation he will fall away For this cause God shall send them strong delusions For this cause Ierusalems house is left unto this day unto her desolate for this cause they had eyes to see and saw not and ears to hear and heard not and hearts to understand and understood not For this cause we have this day so many apostates and hereticks and fearfull and unbelieving persons even at the mouth of hell They were formerly eminent professours but their eminencie was onely in externals in formalities there was no inward heart-imbracing of the truth with an inward purpose and resolution to be saved by it and hence it is they are so soon departed to another Gospel or rather bewitched to imbrace the doctrines of Devils strong delusions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficacie of delusion so reads the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies errour and such grosse errour say the learned as leads a man from the way of nature even to sin against the light of nature against convictions of naturall conscience But as if this were not high enough the Apostle underlayes it with this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to raise it above superlative to note that Antichrists followers who are described to be eminent professours shall be given up to the excesse of errours even against the light of nature Covenant-breaking Treachery Apostasie lying with a purpose to deceive adultery and murther are all sins against the light of nature and these grosse sins shall professours be grosly guilty of in that time when Antichrist shall be revealed There is yet something more in the phrase for the efficacie of delusion lies chiefly in this that all these prodigious sins should be committed by Christians and Christians bearing the name and title of Saints and they so far from shame and reluctancie in the committing of them that they vaunt insult rejoyce boast and triumph openly in the committing of them as if they had done God and the Church some speciall service here lies the efficacie of delusion that ever professours should be thus given up to a reprobate minde to commit such abominable sins against the light of nature with delight and greediness This is the grand Character of Antichrists followers But it is said that God sends these strong delusions if so then is not God the Author of their sin and damnation To this the generall answer is that God sends not this delusion effective but permissivè he is not the efficient of it but the permitter of it He permits it by letting loose the rains to Satan and to Antichrist and his Instruments God doth not positively send them delusions There cannot greater blasphemy be thought of then to affirm God to be the Author of evill God sends not any thing for that end to make men believe a lie neither doth he permit it for any such end though in the consequents by accident it effects the same The Judge fore-warnes his servant of theft and then tries him by laying money in his way he steals it the Judge in punishing him is not the cause of his sin but the Author of his punishment God permits nothing unwillingly permission stands not in opposition to the will for permitting a thing is in some sort willing a thing and besides it cannot be supposed that God is an idle Spectator of events for he is the Governour of all things and directs all things according to the counsell of his will and therefore by permitting of thâ—…se delusions to beguile souls to their damnation he wills them To this we answer that God doth will these things but neither as a means nor as an end tending to evill he wills them as actions simply considered which are not evil but are made so by accident through the defects of evill men Or thus God wills them as punishments to the wicked and so they are good as being destinated to a good end He sends seducers amongst hypocriticall professors as a King sends fire-ships which he takes from his enemies and guiding their sterns sends them into the midst of his enemies Navie whereby he fires and destroyes his enemies God may be justly said to will these things as punishments but not as sins One and the same thing may be both a sin and a punishment of sin as Augustine instanceth in many particulars a sin both in the seducer and the seduced and a punishment as by the wise providence of God ordered to both their destructions As a Judge makes one thief to intrap and destroy another so God destroyes one sin by another Peccata praecedentia punit peccatis sequentibus God here makes their after-sins to punish their former since they would not imbrace truth to their salvation they shall imbrace errours and lies to their damnation God as the supream Author of his own righteous vengeance can take up what weapons he will against his enemies Now what fitter Instrument can you finde to punish Apostates in heart with then to fill them with their own wayes a false tongue is most fit for an itching ear These blinde hypocrites God lets them take hands and lead each other in their new-found paths of delight untill they both irrecoverably fall into the ditch These followers of Antichrist despise truth tendered by Gods messengers and God thereupon justly with-drawes his grace tendered to them and so they are as wandering sheep in a wildernesse a prey to those beasts of prey to that roaring lion who daily goeth about seeking for such souls to devour them God infuseth no evill qualities either into seducers or the seduced but onely leaves them who first left him to the evill of their own hearts They heap to themselves Teachers after their own hearts a false heart will choose a false Teacher and God lets them both alone Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone this is all the sending which God is said to send Seducers shall one day know that God never sent them They ran and I have not sent them God will one day say to both the seducers and seduced Who required these things at your hands when men make gods with their hands God leaves them to worship those gods They would not receive the truth well saith God they shall not receive the truth but shall be hardened