as it were in a mirror I may see or thou may see Christ comming to judge the world to render to euery one according to their deserts for looke how I or thou may reason When I see a person troubled for righteousnes sake I will conclude here is an innocent man here are godly people troubled wrongously therefore of necessitie there must be a judgement wherein all ods must be made euen I looke certainly for a judgement to come God cannot be God if there be not a judgement wherein he shall be anenged for the wrong done to this man I will not conclude a particulare and an earthly judgement I will not say when I see a godly man troubled therefore the troublers of him shall be plagued ere they go off the world it is ouer high Indeede the Prophetes of olde had this reuelation but it is ouer high for vs because experience in all ages hes proued that some of the greatest persecutors hes died in peace and no visible judgement hes ouertaine them heere But this I am sure of when I see godly men opprest I may say there shall be a day of generall judgement vvherein God shall be anenged of the persecutours if repentance interceede not Novv vvold ye knovv any token that Christ shall come againe and put an end to the vvorld and that there shall be a generall judgement Looke if ye see or heare tel that the godly and innocent are troubled in the world take that for as sure an argument as can be that a generall judgment shal be And as surely as the master is comming after the forerunner as surely shall the general judgment come after the suffring of the godly they must dravv on a judgment and at the last they must draw Christ out of Heauen to take vpon him the place of a Iudge to rander to euery man according to his doing Now another thing He comfortes them taking his reason from the generall judgement he telles them there shall be a terrible judgement when a terrible judge shall come and sit downe in a judgement seat What comfort is this Ye see many vvill shake and shudder when they heare of it and faine would desire neuer to heare of it It is true the promise of the generall judgement will neuer comfort the wicked and they that troubles others the more that they heare of it the more will they trimble and shiuer But it is as true that the most comfortable voice they that suffers wrong can heare is the hearing of the comming of Christ in that latter day and it is the matter of patience it vvill make them ly vnder affliction with exceeding joy the thought of the comming of Christ giues patience in all troubles and this may be found in experience the cheefe joy of the godly is the remembring of Christs comming It is not mens judgement their absolution and condemnation that we should stand vpon What cares me if all the world would absolue me if I be condemned by God And againe vvhat careâ— me if all the vvorld condemne me if God absolue me It is not mens absoluing or condemning that bringes the true joy or heauinesse to the hart but it is Gods absolution and condemnation that will doe this And therefore as thou would haue comfort in that terrible judgment doe well and suffer wrong and byde patiently for surely it will not be long there is such a crying of bloude and such vvronges in this vvorld that truelie in this decrepite age Christ must come shortlie Then this is the first argument of consolation The other is more effectuall I shall touch it Ye that suffers shall be thought vvorthie of the kingdome of God for the vvhich ye suffer He commes nearer as he would say ye haue no cause to trimble and feare ye shall be absoluted from that terrible judgement and ye shall be counted worthie of the kingdome of God The enemies of the trueth gathers of these words that there is a merite and worthinesse for suffering But Paul Rom. chap. 8. verse 18. sayes All this suffering is not vvorthie this vveight of glorie So I answere This worthinesse is not our owne but that which is Christs worthines and properly pertaines to him heere is improperly ascryued to vs for throgh that strate conjunction we haue with Christ he and we are made one and therefore his graces after a sort are ascriued to vs. I hauing Christ may challenge his merite and worthines his graces that he hes conquised as life euerlasting c. to me as euer man might challenge any land or heritage Therefore gather not here any worthines simplie without Christ Alwayes I see the cheefe cause of consolation to the godly that suffers here is not so much that the wicked shall be punished for euer as that the godly shal be adjudged to glory There is the cheefe ground of my consolation Let a man doe all the euill he can to me my comfort is not that he shal be punished at that latter day but that then God shall glorifie me at that latter day Desire not so much the latter judgement that then the wicked may be punished as that thou may be glorified Look Gods purpose he hes appointed this latter day onely to this end that the godly may be glorified The other end of the punishment of the offenders is not the cheefe end for the cheefe end that God looks to is that he may be glorified in mercy It is true he will be glorified in justice but he delytes most to be glorified in mercy He seeks to be glorified in all his properperties in his wisdome power c. But the mercy of the Lord passes all and he seekes aboue all that his glory should shyne in his mercy toward sinners And certainely Christ was sent in the world that his glory should shine in mercy His preaching was to mercy God hes greater glory in sauing one sinfull soule in Christ nor he hes in condemning of millions of the wicked So brethren wonder not that many goes to Hell but wonder that euer a sinner should be safe and maruell more at the mercy of God in sauing of one sinner nor at his justice in the perdition of ten thousands So the mercy of God is wonderfull his power and all is wonderfull but his mercy passes all his properties To him be glory for euer AMEN THE SECOND LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 1. vers 6. 7. 8 9. 6 For it is a righteous thing vvith God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 7 And to you vvhich are troubled rest vvith vs vvhen the Lord Iesus shall shovv himselfe from heauen vvith his mighty Angels 8 In flaming fire rendring vengence vnto them that doe not knovv God and vvhich obey not vnto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ 9 Which shall be punished vvith euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
vp their hand the fathers slay the Prophets the children slay the Lord then the Apostles Ere I goe forvvard marke this iniquitie inâ—â—ietie vngodlines when once it enters in anie familie or clan in any race of men in the vvorld howe hard a thing it is to get it out againe Oft times when the fathers begin with it it followes on so vpon the whole race of them that it makes an end of them and their race both Beginnest thou that art a father thy sonne and thy vvhole posteritie vvill follow while in end the judgement of God light and destroy all together Is the father a murtherer and slew he one the sonne will double it and so forth of other vices and then the Lord throwes dovvne the house and cuttes off all the generation And the Lord did so vvith these Ievves It is said in the second command that the Lord visites the thâ—â—d fourth generation of them that hate him What is the groâ—nde of this because the iniquitie of the fathers is driuen to the children to the thrid and fourth generation Therefore the vengeance of God lights on all Ye fathers therefore take head to your selues and purge you froÌ„ iniquitie for if ye be carelesse of your selues the vengeance of God shall be on you and your children both The example of the Iewes might be a spectacle to al the world the verie iniquitie proceeding from the fathers to the sonnes till all were cutted off might nowe suffice to exhort all fathers to leaue sinne as they woulde not be destroyed and their vvhole race after them Marke an other thing heere There is nothing that can not content this people there is no kinde of message that can please them First the Lord sends Prophets to them then he sâ—ids his Sonne as it is said in the parable that they might reuerence him Matt. 21. 37. Last he sends the Apostles his seruants and they are as rigorous against them as they could so no sort of message could content them 〈◊〉 Act. 7. 51. layes downe the ground of this Persecuters malice euer against the light of the spirite 〈…〉 So there is the ground because all come with the light of the holie Spirite therefore they persecuted all The malice of a persecuter is euer against the light of the Spirite of God So let euerie man be sure so long as the Spirite of light is there must euer be persecution Had I an other man will the prophaine man say I would heare him No if thou hast this hatred of the light of the spirite in thy heart if Paul should come and preach thou vvouldst persecute him yea if Christ him selfe should come in proper person thou wouldst persecute him take therefore head not so much to the preacher as to thine owne heart if thou hast the loue of the light the preacher can not be disliked by thee and by the contrair if thou hast not the loue of the light thou wilt persecute all that come to thee This for the thrid point of their dittay Now comes on the fourth part of their dittay God â—hey please 〈◊〉 This followes the other three The slaying of the Lord the slaying of his Prophets and the persecuting of his Apostles They that slew the Lord and his Prophetes and persecuted the Apostles How could they please God that was the sender of them And so in these wordes he takes off the couer of their faces For these malicious Iewes when they were doing all this euill they boasted of themselues they pleased God they wer his people saying We are the Church and all these are enemies to God Paul pulles off this couer and he showes that they in doing of this were nothing but enemies to God Ye knowe in these dayes men will come in and say It is we that are the true Church it is we who are seruing God aright and in the meane tyme they will be persecuting burning â—ormenting the children of God But what are they will ye haue them deciphered they are enemies to God the Pope is the Antichrist and this shall be ratified in that great day But to let them alone there are many amongst our selues who will ay be doing euill and are enemies to God for thou that art an enemie to his seruants thou pleases not God for heere is a ground There is no glorifying of the Lord but in his ministrie Contemne thou this ministrie by little and little in end thou shalt be an enemie to God if thou hadst sworne the contrair If thou seuere the glorie of God and this ministrie and be a contemner of it thou shalt neuer be glorified of God Ye haue heard foure pointes of their dittay Now to come to the fift They are contraiâ— to all men Iew and Gentile This is a consequent of the first three slayers of the Lord and of his Prophets persecuters of the Apostles pastors they are enemies to the saluation of all mankinde 〈◊〉 what they wil enemies to the seruants of God to the ministrie 〈…〉 which saluation is wrought and without it thou shalt neuer obtaine saluation nor see the face of God they are enemies to all mankindes saluation Come to the last point of their dittay They forbid vs to speak to the Gentiles they are enemies to the saluation of the Gentiles that by our ministrie shoulde be wonne to God and to his Church the porple-wall is broken down that did hold out the Gentiles before yet they wil hold theÌ„ out of the fold There are sundrie sortes of Iewes that hindered the saluation of men there is one sort of them that vvould not suffer Christ to be preached to the Gentiles at all but euer raised vp sedition to impead that vvorke Of these ye may read in the 13. of the Acts. There was another sort of the Iewes that suffered the Gospel to be preached to the Gentiles but added to it circumcision and the law of Moses of whom read Act. 15. The first sort is worst Now the Apostle heere meanes chieflie of this first sort who as the Lord himselfe sayes vvould neither enter them selues into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ nor suffer others to enter For this is a sure thing euen as a man that hes gotten his own heart enlightned by the loue of the trueth would haue that light to be imparted to all the world and wishes from his heart that all were partakers of it as Paul wished to Agrippa and the rest that heard him that they were lyke vnto him sauing his bondes Acts 26. 29. Well had they bene thogh they had bene chainde to haue had the light of Iesus yet he puts to these wordes for reuerence cause sauing these bandes Euen so a man who hes the hatred of the trueth and light he would haue all the world blinded as he is he woulde haue all mouthes closed as his mouth is closed that neuer man should name Christ to the world He would haue all eyes put out that neuer
swordes Heard you euer of a Pope Benifacius the â—ightâ— of whom it is said He entered in lyke a Tod raigne like a Lyon and died like a dog In the tyme of his jubile in the first day thereof he commes out in the Popes weed and as he goes he blesses the people In the next day he commes out in Cesars warlike clock and a naked sword horne before him and sitting downe he cryes out Behold two swordes heere I am the head of the Church I am the Pope and Cesar I haue the Empyre in Heauen and earth Who calles himselfe the head of the Church A style onely proper to Christ Who calles himselfe the Vicar of Christ The brydgrome of the bryde the Church Who calles himselfe the high Priest Styles onely proper to Christ Is it not this beast of Rome Whereto should I insist It is wonder that the earth can beare such a proud filthie villaine It is a wonder that the Heauen can couer him but we must reuerence the long suffering patience of the Lord. And seeing the Scripture hes pointed him out so euidently it is a wonder that men should be so blinde that they should so reuerence him when he rages this waye in sinne and that they will call him the successour of Peter and the head of the Church What shall I say all reading and hearing will not inlighten the mynde and perswade men except the Spirit of God be present to open the hart Therefore leauing this beast I pray God to send his Spirit to let men see that they may abhorre such an enemy to God and Christ and that they may imbrace the light of Iesus and that he would keepe vs that we be not deceyued by these vanities To this God euen the Father Sonne and holie Spirit be all praise for euer AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 5. 6. 7. 8. 5 Remember ye not that vvhen I vvas as yet vvith you I told you these things 6 And novv ye knovv vvhat vvithholdeth that he might be reueiled in his tyme. 7 For the mysterie of iniquitie doth already vvorke onely he vvhich novv vvithholdeth shall let till he be taken out of the vvay 8 And then shall the vvicked man be reueiled vvhom the Lord shall consume vvith the spirit of his mouth and shall abolish vvith the brightnesse of his comming THE Apostle Brethren ye heard proues against the false teachers that the comming of the Lord was not so neere hand as they thought and as they teached He takes his argument from one thing that was to fal out in the world before Christs latter comming Ere euer become sayes the Apostle there shall be an vniuersall defection from that faith of Iesus Christ This matter will conteine a long processe of tyme and therefore would the Apostle conclude Christs comming is not so neere hand as they make the people beleeue He expresses not the name of the Antichrist but for the name he hes a long description and painting out of him This description we entered in the last day and he lets them see when he shall be when he shall come He pointes him out in his nature First in his very essence he shall be a man of nature lyke other men Then he commes to his properties What shall they be First a man of sinne a wicked man as euer was or shall be in the world The next propertie He shall be the son of perdition a man long agoe ordeined to destruction Then he commes to his actions when he shall come and reueile him in the world he shall oppone himselfe against euery thing that shall be called God or shall be worshipped That is against euery superiour power and Majestie whether earthly or Heauenly against God himselfe and his Sonne Iesus Christ Another action He shall not be content onely to oppone himselfe in malice but in pryde he shall exalt himselfe aboue all thinges that shall be called God and worshipped either in earth or in Heauen Then he commes to two speciall actions of his pryde first exalting himselfe aboue God he shall sit in the Temple of God in the Church of God For so the Antichristian Church is termed because shee keepes some ensenzies of the Church of God the Word and Sacraments He shall sit there as God on the consciences of men and wemen to thrall and controle them at his pleasure The other particulare action of his pryde he shall showe himselfe as God in the properties perteining to God he shall take them all on him This far we proceeded the last day in the description of the Antichrist whom the Apostle prophecyes will come in the world ere Christ come againe onely this I aduertise you as I did before Take not this man whom ye call the Antichrist to be a single man one person take him to be a succession of men euery one following another in one kingdome and tyranny The kingdome of Antichrist all is termed vnder the name of a man They are but one kingdome of all one purpose of all to exercise tyrannie on the Church of God heere on this earth Now brethren to the text He leaues off this description for a tyme vntill he come to the ninth verse following and there he returnes againe Now in the meane-tyme he falles out in some speaches and admonitions to them concerning the Antichrist and in the first verse we haue red he confirmes the thing he hes spoken of the Antichrist from the speaches he had with them when he abode among them in Thessalonica Concerning the Antichrist I wryte would he say no other thing to you now nor that which I told you when I was with you That which I then spoke that same thing now I wryte vnto you Then in the next verse he showes to them that the Antichrist and Antichristanisme is come and begun already in the world albeit his reueiling and his comming to his pryde is not yet yet the Antichrist is come Antichristanisme and fals religion is begun Then againe he telle what withholdes him that he is not reueiled so soone and hastily There is an impediment casten in which I told to you when I was with you He insistes on this impediment and telles when this impediment shall be tame out of the way then this wicked man of sinne shall be reueiled And last as he hes tolde of his comming out and growing to an height in his pryde so he propecyes of his decay and his destruction Now to returne to the wordes Remember ye not sayes he vvhen I vvas vvith you I told you these thinges To assure them the more of the trueth of these thinges that he wrytes to them concerning the Antichrist hee calles them to remembrance of that which he spoke to them face to face concerning this same purpose and in doing this the vtters some peece of anger Remember ye not He vses some sharpnesse in wordes because
them that perishes and are appointed to damnation I read in the 9. chap. Reuel verse 4. the locusts that rose out of that smook of that bottomles pit they destroyed onely them that had not the marke of God in their fore-heads 13. chap. 8. verse it is said that they onely should adore the beast vvhose names are not vvritten in the booke of lyfe of the Lamb. Then onely the reprobate that are ordeined to perdition are subject to that finall deceiuing by the Antichrist that his deceite may be as a chaine to bind them to perdition Lord if they who are bound with the chains of the Antichrist hes great cause to search out the ground of their election whether they are such as are ordeined to perdition seeing they are in the wrong way Goe out of Babylon commit not fornication with her for certainly if malitiously ye continue in byding with her ye shall be condemned with her Mark againe another comfort to the elect The elect of God are not subject to these deceiuing errors and Heresies of the Antichrist as the reprobate They are not subject thereto finallie although for a tyme the Lord will suffer them to be drawen avvay to the end they should knovve themselues to be dissolute Christians Matthevv chap. 24 verse 24. Christ saies false Christs and false Prophets shall do such vvonders that if it vvere possible they should seduce euen the elect meaning that it is not possible the elect should fall in this finall defection Who are they then in whom the Antichrist preuailes Onely they who are ordeined to perdition That is such an object as is disposed and prepared before all eternitie to be deceiued by the Antichrist in tyme they are the matter that is perishing and is ordeined to perish I wil make this more cleare by an exemple When the fire burnes vp the caffe and dry timber ye see the cause of the burning not onely in the fire for if a stone or iron were in the place of caffe it wold bide the fire so the cause is not in the burning heate of the fire onely but also in the caffe that is the matter thereof Euen so it is with them that are deceiued by the Antichrist the cause of there deceite is not onely in the force of the Antichrist but also in the euil disposition of the men that are deceiued In plain talk many are ordeined to Helles fire and therefore when the Antichrist lights on such folkes they are readily and easily deceiued And yet I see God hes his parte Who gaue this disposition Who hes ordeinde it Who hes ordeinde men to damnation It is God in his eternall counsell So the Antichrist is not able with his effectualnes to doe any thing in man but that which God hes determined First the Lord of all creatures he dispones he makes some vessels to honor some to dishonor That eternall decree of God giues such a disposition to the creature that in tyme it is capable of good meanes to life capable of deceite to destruction So it is God in his eternall counsell that justly dispenses and the Antichrist in his time works according to Gods dispensation So the Antichrist hes not the glory that he can doe any thing without God neither needs the godly to be offended nor affrayd for the Antichrist nor to be discouraged when they see men daily falling away from the truth Nothing can be done without Gods decree Christ was crucified a foull fact yet it is said Act. 4. vers â—7 that the Lord had appointed from al eternity he shold suffer for saluation and for that cause the hands of Herod the Iewes the Priests and al were lowsed to crucifie him nothing commes but by the Lord that he may haue the glory of all workes Now to goe forward He subjoines a cause of the perdition of the wicked that are deceiued and so reserued to damnation besides this that it is Gods ordinance Ther is another cause ther are none seduced by the Antichrist but they who deserues justly in Gods judgement to be giuen ouer to be deceiued Gods decree is the ground-cause of damnatioÌ„ yet of necessitie there interuenes a cause or doing where by justlie thou deserues thy own damnation and closes thy mouth that thou hast not one word to speak when the Lord is putting his eternall decree to execution Come to the cause They perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued What can be but perishing when men malitiously will not loue the trueth but contemnes it What can ensue The Lord is trueth imbrace the trueth ere thou shalt neuer be saued when men hes renounced the truth wherby they shold be saued how shall they be saued Now take heed there are many means and causes that will bring men to Hel. Murther wil bring thee to Hell Contempt of the trueth a cheef meâ—s of damnation harlotrie perjurie blasphemy foul concupiscence any of these will cause thee die But notwithstanding of these many moe sins against the Law the Apostle maks chuse of one sinne one cheefe sin that procures damnation contempt of Gods trueth contempt of the Gospell teached he leaues all causes and takes vp this The lesson is lfye will looke to them who hes once giuen vp their names to Christ and so are called Christian men and wemen and taking on them the name of God and profession of the faith of Christ in the day of judgement we shall see this to be true the cheefe pointe of dittay that shal be laid against them is thou contempned my Gospel in the earth It shal not be said to them thou art a murtherer harlot c. no thou art a contempner of my Gospel That shall be the cheef cause of thy perdition for it is the mother cause of all sin because if men would imbrace sincerely the trueth of God and loue the Gospel if they wold imbrace Iesus in their hart O if he wold not keep theÌ„ from many inconuenients It is the conteÌ„pt of the gospel that leads thee to thy sins it is the contempt of the Gospell that makes thee a murtherer an adulterer c. Thou contemned the Gospell of Christ and therefore the Lord castes thee away and giues the ouer to thy owne affections to commit sin with greedinesse to be a blasphemer an adulterer and to commit other sinnes So the mother cause and speciall ground of all sinnes is the contempt of the light and the word of Iesus and this may euidently be seene in this land especially in great mens houses Now he sayes not because they receiued not the trueth but he sayes because they receiued not the loue of the trueth There are many will seeme to receiue the trueth and who will take heed to the Gospel so diligently as they And therefore the first thing that men should take heede to is the hart looke if in the hart there be an vnfained loue of God and his
trueth It is not thy eare in hearing of the word nor thy mouth in speaking well of it that will make thee a good receiuer of the trueth but it is the hart Looke there be an vnfained loue to the trueth in it and then hold vp thy eare and it will sinke in so sweetly in thy soule that thou shalt feede on it so joyfully as no tongue neither of man nor Angell can tell It is not the outward profession nor the outward receiuing if thou should sit a thousand yeeres hearing that will bring thee to life First thou must haue hart and soule disposed inwardly with an vnfained loue to God to Iesus Christ and his Gospell and then Heauen and earth shall got together ere thou perish An hart that loues Christ and this light shall neuer perish on the other part al the outward forme of doing the protestation subscription and the rest of these outward things shal not saue thee in the day of the Lord if there be not a peece of this loue in thy hart And so I end with this word 〈…〉 accursed be he that loues not Iesus Christ and his trueth And by the contrare blessed are they that loues Iesus Christ and his truth euen this word preached by this baâ—e ministrie and blessed shall they beforeuer To this Christ with the Father and the holy Spirit be all praise for euer AMEN THE EIGHT LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 11. 12. 13. 14. 11 And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes 12 That all they might bedâ—mned vvhich beleeued not the trueth 〈◊〉 had pleusure in vnrighteousnesse 13 But vve ought to giue thanks alvvay to God for you brethren beloued of the Lord because that God hath from the beginning chosen you to saluation through sanctification of the Spirit and the faith of trueth 14 Where-vnto he called you by our Gospell to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. THE dayes bygone beloued brethren in the Lord Iesus we haue heard a Prophecy of that uniuersall Apostasie that was to come and of the reueiling of the Antichrist who should be the head and ring-leader of this vniuersall Apostasie We heard of the Antichrist to be reueiled he is painted out and deferyued in his owne collours before he was reueiled euen as we see him this day For Paul could not haue set him out more viuely in his nature properties and actions if he had seene him nor he hes done in this Prophecie for he descryuos him euen as if he had seene him with his eyes He hes descryued him from his nature He shall be a man sayes he not a single man simplie but he meanes by this word one man a succession of men in one kingdome As for his properties he sayes he shall be a man of sinne and addicted slaue to sinne Next he shall be the sonne of perdition destinate to destruction and euerlasting perdition from al eternity As for his actions first in malice of his hart he shal oppone himselfe against all thing that is called God and is worshipped either in Heauen or in earth He shall oppone himselfe both against the Majestie of God in Heauen and against the majesties of Kings and Princes on earth Againe in pryde of his hart he shall lift himselfe aboue euery thing called God More in the pryde of hart he shall sit in the Temple of God as God in Gods seate vpon the consciences of men to control them which thing properly pertaines to God No creature hes power ouer the consciences of men it is proper to God onely More he shall showe himselfe in all his styles dignities and names as God He shall reaue these from God and shall cloath himselfe with them Last he is descryued from that effectualnesse and powerfull working which he shall receiue of Satan and which at his comming he shall haue in the harts of men partly by working wonders partly by false and fraudulent doctrine But in whom He sayes in them that perishes that is in them that are ordeined to destruction before the foundation of the world was laid in these he shall be powerfull they shall beleeue him in all that he does and sayes Then he sets down one cause of the perdition of these men in whom the Antichrist is and shall be effectuall To witte their owne merite and desert they will not receiue the loue of the trueth they contemne the light of the Gospell and therefore perish shall they God indeed hes decreed from all eternitie that they shall perish but before the decreete be put in execution their merite shall interuene and in tyme they shall contemne the trueth of God which shall procure that damnation to the which from all eternity they were predestinate In the first verse we read the Apostle showes by what order damnation and perdition shall follow vpon the contempt of the light of God in Iesus Christ Marke this Damnation shall not follow vpon the contempt of the trueth immediatly but something shal interueene first there shall follow one plague of God for he shall send vpon these men strange illusions that is he shall hound out the Antichrist with his effectualnesse and he comming with the effectualnesse of Satan shall deceiue them he shall blinde them as it were and put out their eyes What shall followe on that Being blinded they shall goe forwarde in their sinne and so goe downe toward Hell as it were by another steppe And as they contemned the light before so now being deceiued they shall embrace greedilie lies And what shall followe vpon this Embraceing lyes and vanities damnation shall ensue This is the meaning of this verse Then ye see a man is not shot in Hell at the first No when a man hes committed one sinne God will not put him in Hell at that same instant but he shall make him goe to Hell by degrees from steppe to steppe and from sinne to sinne in his just judgement he shall make him stop from a smaller sinne to a greater sinne and this he will doe by plaguing of him and inflicting on him either spiritual or temporall judgements and being beatten he will not amend No mark this A reprobate will neuer mend all the temporall judgements in the world will not better him but he will be ay worse and worse so that if he sinned before now being plagued he shal go to a greater sin and shal not make an end of sinning till he end in judgement Marke another thing here Ye see what the Antichrist is with all his force and effectualnesse his wonders and his doctrine whereby he is effectuall in them that perishes Is he without God trow ye No he is no other thing but a burrio sent from the Tribunal of God to plague the ingrate world as the king would send an hangman to hang a thiefe or murtherer God in his just judgement sends him to
execute justice vpon this ingrate world for the contempt of the light of the Gospell The Pope is Gods burrio whom God sendes for to plague this ingrate world for the contempt of the Gospell of Iesus Christ When this great vniuersal apostasie began the great Antichrist was sent by God to be the worker of it And brethren what trow ye is the cause of this trouble sent in our Church this day This high contempt of the light of the Gospel hes beene the cause and if we continue in this contempt troubles shall not leaue off This same Antichrist the Pope by his supposts shall make adoe amongst vs the Lord shall send an auenger to plague the soules of men that will not beleeue the Gospell Another thing marke here He sayes not that God shall suffer him and suffer strong illusions to be wrought by him but he sayes he shall send them he shal be an efficient a doer and a principall directer of this turne Then ye will aske Is God the author of euill I answere there are two sortes of euill there is one euill that they call the euill of a fault there is another euill that is called the euill of punishment according to that saying of the Prophet There is not one euill in the cittie that is there is no punishment in the cittie that the Lord doeth nor As to the euill of a fault in sinne he is not the author and worker of it but suffers it to be wrought by euill men And as to the other the Lord is the author of it as that saying of the Prophet before vttered by me witnesseth And therefore Hell as it is a punishment is ordeined by the Lord and so this place is to be vnderstood Who hardned the hart of Pharao Who giues vp men to a reprobate mind Is it not the Lord to punish their sinnes But I will not insist in this matter Lastly I note in this place that this plague the Apostle speaks of here is a blinding and deceiuing of the minde There are two powers of the soule the minde and the hart This plague is especially the plague of the minde I shall make this cleare to you There are two sortes of lightes in the minde there is a naturall light wherewith we are borne and ther is a supernaturall light which we get by the word and Spirit of Christ Now there is such a conjunction betweene these two that if a man when the supernaturall light is offered from Heauen refuse and contemne it looke what will follow The Lord from the Heauen in his just judgement shall pluck from him the naturall knowledge and set him vp blind in thinges naturall and common he shall pluck the common sense from him that is he shall render him ouer to a reprobate mynd without al judgement and discretion What shall follow then Then like a mad man he shall run here and there to fin he shall passe ouer the bounds of common honesty he shall leape ouer all the lawes of the second table he shall be a rebell to God and man he shall be a murtherer and a theefe and he shall follow all concupiscence in the world and as for the first Table which is concerning godlines he sets himself against He will be an Idolater an Heretike an Athist a man of no religion and all this commes of a reprobate mynde which is procured of Gods just judgement because that spirituall light was so contemned that he would not suffer it to be conjoyned with that naturall light Therefore when we see these lightmynded men and these that will be counted Lords and Peeres in the Land repyne to this glorious light of the Gospell take vp the judgement of God that lightes vpon them The Lord suffers them to passe the bounds of common honestie they are wrapped vp in a reprobat sense Count no more of them then of madde men whom the Lord in justice shall confound for euer No if they were here I would say they were mad men running headlong vnder the vengence of God to destruction The Lord giue them eyes to see this and harts to vnderstand that they may be reclaimed from this fearce wrath of the Lord. They want both naturall wit and supernaturall for he that will not suffer this light of the Gospell to be conjoyned with this natural light he hes no wit at all he is a madde bodie he will not care to doe whatsoeuer euill he may both to himselfe and others The Lord saue vs from this sort of men In the verse that followes first we haue the effect that ensues vpon this sinne of beleeuing of lies vpon the first sinne the contemning of the trueth followes the next sin of beleeuing errors and lies vpon this sin againe followes judgement and indignation that they may be condemned sayes he In the next part of the verse he repeats the two sinnes vpon the which damnation proceeds the first is insidelitie vvho beleeued not the trueth the second is beleeuing of lies and vntruth and all maner of vnrighteousnesse He joynes these two together not beleeuing the trueth and beleeuing lies and they go together necessarly for if thou beleeue not the trueth of necessity thou shalt beleue vntrueth If thy hart repose not on God and his trueth of necessity thy hart shall repose on the deuill and vntruth the hart cannot want some faith Thou must haue some faith and something to put thy confidence in â—shal make this plaine The hart of the creature cannot stand alone but especially the hart of the sinfull man cannot stand vp except it haue a leaning-stock or prop to vphold it The harts of all the kings of the earth cannot stand alone but they must repose on something MaÌ„shart must eyther stand on God or on Satan for this is the difference betweene God and the creature God will stand him alone he needes not a foundation or leaning stock as the creature needes for it must lean euer on something or else it is impossible to it to stand Now there are two thinges whereon man reposes either man reposes himself on God his truth or else on the deuil his falshood If thou leanst not on God on Iesus Christ and his Gospel of necessity thy confidence shal be on Satan the Antichrist vanities lies and falshood Wel then when thou hast leand thee ouer on Satan and lies thou wilt stand no longer nor does vanities and lies yea nor the deuill will stand and he will not stand ay albeit he haue strength for a time yet he and vanity and lies shal fal downe and thou shalt fal downe with them for if thou be found leaning on lies and on the Antichrist thou shalt perish with them The word he vses is to be marked He sayes not they that beleued lies but they that had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Euen as we see and finde by experience reposing on God and his trueth is with a joy of the soule So when a
to wit their eternal election to saluation their sanctification their faith in the trueth of Iesus their effectuall calling to lyfe euer lasting and the glorie of Christ vpon these grounds he inferres this I herefore brethren stand fast as if he did say seeing ye are so sure grounded therefore stand fast on your ground Then thelesson is when a man findes in his owne hart that God hes chosen him to saluation from all eternitie when he findes he hes faith and the Spirite of sanctification and finds the Lord from Heauen to call on him and to put out his hand as it were and to take him by the hand againe and to leade him forwarde to that saluation to the which he hes appoynted him from all eternitie Then though Heauen should fall and all the world goe to ruine though thousands of men should fall away from the trueth at this tyme yet it becommes him not once to shudder or to suffer himselfe once to be shaken in the middes of all confusion and that not throgh any confidence or strength in himselfe for then he will be beguilde but onely through the power of the grace of his God which he hes found in experieÌ„ce ground himself on that ground which we haue Rom. 11. 29. The gifts and calling of God is vvithout repentance if once the Lord begin to bestow these spirituall blessings and to call a person to the glory of Christ effectually Heauen and earth shall goe together ere that person perish Now ere I goe further to the words I would solue a question that may fal out here Hes not the Apostle euen now before certified these Thessalonians of their election from al eternitie out of the which it followes necessarly that they are placed out of al danger of finall defection for it is impossible that they that are elected from all eternity can fall away finallie and perish how is it then that he exhortes them to stand considering this their sure election is vnchangeable I answere shortly It is true the chosen of God are placed outwith all danger of this defection vnto the which the reprobate is subject and it is impossible that they can fall away finallie indeed they may haue their owne stumblinges and stoppings but as concerning their finall defection it is a thing vnpossible that they can be subject to it by vertue of their election for brethren so many as are ordeined to life of necessity they are ordeined to finall perseuerance if thou be ordeined to life of necessitie thou must stand fast to the end in some measure but it is as true on the other part that they that are ordeined to perseuerance they are ordeined to stand by such and such meanes and of these meanes this is one exhortation another is admonition another is teaching another rebuking for if need be we should rebuke euen the chosen of God and threatten them yea the prayers also of the Saints and Pastors are meanes to make the chosen to stand fast And failing these meanes by the which the Lord hes ordeined that they shall perseuere and especiallie if thou contemne these meanes exhortation admonition rebukes doctrine and prayers of the faithfull thou shalt faile of perseuerance and failing of perseuerance thou shalt fall finally away And if thou fall finallie away thou shalt finde that thou wert neuer one of these that were chosen to life euerlasting And therefore brethren seeing these are the means of God to hold thee vp to the end till he glorifie thee thou should be glad when thou art admonished exhorted and taught for they are the tokens to thee of thy election if thou take them in a good part Beware then that ye contemne not any of these meanes Now to goe forward When he hes exhorted them to stand fast then immediatly he subjoines as it were the definition of this standing what it is Standfast sayes he What is that Hold a fast and a sure grip Whereof of the doctrine I haue taught you either by vvord or vvrit stand fast by it Marke then Ye see the perseuerance he craues is the perseuerance in the faith and in the â—ight of the word the doctrine of Iesus Christ is the light of the world and perseuerance in knowledge of this word is to hold it fast To make this plaine There are two sorts of perseuerance One is the perseuerance in the trueth in the Gospell in the faith of Iesus and in the light tvvo sorts of perseuerance and all these are one There is another perseuerance and that is an holy life well doing and in a godly conuersation Marke them both if ye will compare them together the first which is perseuerance in faith or in trueth must be the cause of the other and the other is the necessar effect of it where perseuerance is in the light of necessitie there is a perseuerance in godlinesse for a man that perseueres in the light of necessity that man walketh in the hie way to Heauen in his action and maner of liuing and must goe the direct way to saluation but once take away the light and let him reject and contemne the light and veritie of Christs Gospell he shall not goe one stop rightlie but he shall decline from the hie way Take the Gospell and the light of Christ out of his eyes and hart he shall neuer do one right action he may seeme to be good and haue a faire outward showe and his words may seeme glistring so that he shall not seeme to be a murtherer a theefe or an harlot but if the Gospel be out of his hart all is but hypocrisie and there is nothing in his hand that pleases God all is abomination and his rewarde for all his faire doing shall be with the hypocrites in Hell So let not man pleasure himselfe in his doing if his eye be not set on Iesus Christ shining in the Gospel If he walke not in the light of Iesus Christ he is in the wrong way when he thinkes he is in the rightest way Lord giue men this grace that when they think they stand they may grip to this light of te Gospell Yet to marke more narrowly these wordes Keepe sayes he hold a grip and stand fast How shall I stand By keeping of a grip no standing for man but by a gripping if thou let thy grip go fall shalt thou Now what shall they grip Doctrine keepe light the best thing in the world is to keepe knowledge There is no standing for men except by keeping light and knowledge Yet what doctrine is this he willes them to keepe He sayes vvhich I haue deliuered and teached you There is no standing but by gripping of doctrine And what a doctrine Euen the doctrin of the Apostles grip to it onely For grip as fast as thou wilt to the traditions and vanities of men they will not all make thee stand for there is no standing but by gripping of the doctrine of the Apostles Paul
cannot loue him except he loue vs first 1. Iohn 4. 19. There is none that loues him but he that hes the sense of Gods loue in his hart furnished by the Spirit of God O the joy and consolation in the hart when it findes the Lords hart powred out on it And without this sense of Gods loue towardes thee fy on thee if thou wert a king for all thy kingdomes if thou wert ruler ouer all fy on thy glorie and pleasure for all the things vnder Heauen may well minister to thee a false joy and peace in thy hart but they shall neuer giue thee the true joy for there is no true joy but through the sense of the loue of God in thy hart So there is the first gift and argument whereby he assure these Thessalonians that the thinges he askes for them shall be graunted to them without all doubt The next argument is And hes giuen vs consolation eternall In this word he summes vp all the blessinges giuen to man in Iesus Christ in tyme The secoÌ„d is eternall coÌ„solatioÌ„ our effectuall calling our justification through his righteousnesse forgiuenesse of sinnes and an acceptation in his fauor our sanctification by his Spirit the resurrection of the bodie and life eternal in glorie al these we haue in him to whom Paul maks this prayer So all the blessinges of God commes and meetes in the hart of man as in a centre they end all in consolation our effectual calling ends in consolation our justifying ends in consolation Therefore sayes Paul Rom 5. 1. Being iustified by faith vve haue peace tovvard God Then in one word As all blessing beginnes at the hart of God and at that loue he powres our on vs so al blessing ends in our hart The beginning is Gods the end is ours and our end is this that peace that passes all vnderstanding This loue of God is as a floode through the which slowes downe all these blessinges bestowed on vs which are as as many springs and conduits comming from that great and vnspeakable loue of God and entering once in vpon our harts wakens vp an infinite and vnspeakable joy in vs For from once that waâ—eâ— of the loue of God touch the hart there flowes such a consolation as is vnspeakable The Lord of Heauen giue euery one earnestnesse to seeke this consolation for it is the arlespenny of these euerlasting joyes which once we shall haue in Heauen throgh Iesus Christ He calles it eternall because it is a fontaine that neuer is stopped it neuer goes dry but euer runnes when the fountaine euer â—â—mes the riuer that runnes from it will neuer goe dry And therefore when that fountaine of loue in the hart of God commes in thy hart thy consolation must laste for euer his loue running down in thy hart makes thy joy euerlasting The thinges of this world when thou gettest them will waken vp some joy in thy hart but that joy which thou hast the day thou wilt want to morrow for it is not permanent but as for that joy which proceeds of the loue of God it hes no end it is eternall and therefore they that will seeke consolation in Iesus shal neuer haue an end of joy Indeed sometymes this our joy seemes to be troubled heere because it is compassed with many crosses and afflictions but the Lord from tyme to tyme makes our joy sensible and wakens it vp in vs and when thou shalt be in Heauen thou shalt haue an endles consolation without any vicissitude or alteration for euer Seek then I pray you for this loue of God as ye wold be euerlastinglie blessed with this joy vnalterable Now the third benefite is good hope He calles it good because it is of the best thing The third good hope that euer was that is it is of that cheefe felicitie for vvhat is it vve hope for Euen that consummation of our cheefe and euerlasting felicitie vvith our God vve hope for that possession of the glorie of our Lord Iesus and therefore it is not vvithout reason that it is called good hope Wherefrom flowes it Euen as consolation flowes from loue so hope flowes from consolation Rom. 15. 4. and consolation is as an arlespenny that God puttes in thy hand that thou shalt get theÌ„ full payment of the whole summe And therefore it wakens vp thy hart to hope so that when I get a peece of consolation I am induced to hope certainely that that Lord that hes giuen me that arlespenny shal not leaue me till he fil my hart with the fulnesse of consolation for the saciety and full contentment is not till we see Christ face to face and vntill this tyme we must liue by hope In end he sayes all these thinges are by grace Loue is by grace consolation is by grace hope is by grace that is of the free fauour of God without any desert or merite on mans part And it is vvell vvith vs that it is noâ— so that all is of free grace vvithout out merite for if any blessing of God hang vpon a mans merite vpon his doing and deseruing alas vveak vvould this ground be and there vvould not be one day but vve should fall from the grace If it 〈◊〉 depended on me I vvould lose it euerie moment of the day So the ground of thiâ— suretie and stabilitie of Gods blessinges is onely in God euen his free grace and loue When the Lord regardes thee not for ought that is in thee but lookes to himselfe then thou hast stedfastnesse by the grace of God as ye may collect of the 4. chap. to the Rom. verse 16. Therefore it is by faith that it might come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede If the inheritance hang vpon thy stinking vvorkes for thou fylest the vvorkes of the holy Spirit in thee thou shouldst neuer see Heauen And thou that vvilt stick by such a ground and say Heauen and saluation depends on thy vvorks thou shalt find thy selfe frustrate in that day and shall not attaine to that inheritance that thou looked for for there is no blessing of God in Christ but that that hangs vpon the free fauor and mercy of God to vs in Iesus Christ All the vvorld shall not louse this ground In the last verse vve haue the thinges he prayes for to these Thessalonians I pray the Lord Iesus Christ and God euen our Father that they would comfort your harts The next establishe you in euerie vvord of the trueth and euerie good vvorke Praier for consolation These are the tvvo thinges he prayes for consolation and perseuerance in well doing Hes he not said before that God the father had giuen them eternall consolation what is the crause then he praies for it as though they had not gotten it He sayes he hes giuen vs eternall consolation and now he sayes I pray the Lord Iesus that he would comfort you How can these two stand Mark brethren
This he sayes to tell vs that consolation is gotten by praier look the necessity of prayer If there be no prayer at no tyme there is no consolation that man that cannot pray to God and beg comfort at his hand that manifest neuer spirituall consolation in his hart Goe to experience I pose thee in thy conscience felt thou euer comfort without prayer No if there be not prayer to God thou shalt haue no comfort and more if there be not continuance in prayer thou shalt get no continuance in consolation Leauest thou off prayer looke whether consolation will leaue thy hart or not Leauest thou off in prayer to meditate on Iesus Christ I pose the whether the consolation in the hart leaues thee or not Againe striuest thou to keepe that presence of Iesus Christ by prayer and in all thy exercises castes a blenke to Iesus Christ be not so exercised that thou forget Iesus Christ hast thou thy eyes euer on Iesus by prayer and meditation wilt thou not finde a joy and swetnes in thy hart such as thou cannot be able to expres Againe when thou art so fixt on the things in this world yea euen in thy lawfull exercise for in thy lownry thou cannot haue an eye to God that thou cannot get a peece of thy hart to God it may be that thou haue a carnall and false joy but true joy and comfort hast thou not Well then brethren that peace and consolation flowes of prayer and earnest meditation in Iesus Therefore as the Apostle sayes Philip. 4. 6. 7. Be not solist for any thing but in euerything let thy requests be shovven forth to God and that by all maner of prayer and supplication and supponing thou get not the wordly releefe I shall tell thee what thou shalt finde the peace of God that passes all vnderstanding shall stand about thee as a guard and what lakest thou if thou hast that peace and tranquillity of thy soule And what hast thou if thou lakest this peace Now fy on al if thou lake this guarde of Gods peace if thou wert a king or Monarch abounding in riches pleasure and honour what shall all auaile thee So he drawes consolation from God by prayer And as it is sure that euery thing that liues hes the being and continuance of God So it is as sure that that person that is disposed to pray keepes and shall keepe the comfortable presence and peace of God that passes all vnderstanding Therefore the Lord dispose our harts to pray that by praier we may keepe some meditation and presence of Iesus Christ in our harts Kings will leaue their kingdomes Lords their lordshippes and euerie man will leaue this world and all that is vvithin it but vvoe to that man vvhom God leaues when the world leaues him The next thing he prayes for is that the Lord would establish them Praier for perseuerance as we say settle them and make them firme and stable not changing and wagging as the busse wagges and so inconstant in their religion but that they be settled Ye heard wherein stood our perseuerance It stood in holding a fast grippe of the Apostles doctrine the trueth of God Now here I finde more He prayes to God and Iesus Christ that they would establishe them that is hold a grippe of them So that in our perseuering there must be two things of necessitie The one is thy hand must be festned or else thou wilt fall for there was neuer one that had not his hart festned vpon the trueth of Iesus Christ by holding a grip of it but he fell downe to Hell The other thing The Lord must hold a grippe of thee or else thou cannot be able to keepe thy grip so thou must grippe and God must grip thee thou must stand on a fundation which is Iesus Christ and the Lord God himself must hold thee on thy fundation for otherwise thy feet will slip off the ground So euer say Lord hold me on this ground and fundation or else I wil not be able to stand one moment Now then to come to the fundations whereon we must stand and whereon the Lord must establish vs they are these first euerie vvord of this trueth and next euerie good vvorke Ye may see there are two fundations heere whereon thou must stand for he that would stand to the end must haue his feete set a spar-waies he must not stand on a slippery place nor on one foote onely but he must haue a sure ground and must stand on both his feete and euery foot must haue the own ground-stone to stand on and the first ground is the Gospell of Iesus Christ Therefore first lift thy right foot and set it on the trueth of God the Gospell of Iesus The next ground is holinesse of life and good works flowing from the former then take thy left foote and set it on holinesse of lyfe and euery good worke and then both thy feete stands sure I shal make this plaine There are two things in man the hart and the hand The man that would stand must haue hart and hand both fastned The hart must be first fastned and locked on the Gospell of Christ Iesus and that by the lock and bond of faith and next the hand must be fastned too and it must grip first to euerie good turne thinke it not eneugh to haue thy hart exercised If thy hand be idle or doing euill for if thy hand be not well exercised it shall be doing euil keepe these two fast then thy hart on the word of God and thy hand on euery good worke and then firmely shalt thou stand These two are so joyned together that they cannot be seuered for if thou six thy hart on the Gospell of Iesus Christ of necessity thy hand shall be exercised in well doing keepst thou one of them thou keepst both losest thou one of these two thou losest both for it shall passe thy power to haue a good turne in thy hand if thou want the Gospell of Christ Iesus in thy hart As by the contrare hant euill doing and then come to heare the Gospell in despyte of thy hart thou shalt not get the Gospell within thy hart but thou shalt want Christ Therefore as thou would keepe one keepe both and striue to fasten thy hart and hand on both and I shall assure thee in the name of Iesus Christ that he wil hold his hand to thee and stand shalt thou fast to the end vntill thou be put out of all danger For when once thou art brought to the mark and comes to the rinkes end then thou shalt be out of all feare and danger For there is no defection in Heauen no falling nor stumbling there but an euerlasting stabilitie when this mirrour is away and we shal see our Sauiour Iesus face to face Therefore as the Apostle praies for stabilities to these Thessalonians Euen so I beseech Iesus Christ and God the father to keepe vs on