make as many roads to heaven as the Scripture tells us there are ways to hell? Contrai-y to Christ, who tells us of no other way but by him to life: ' I am the way, the truth, and the life,' John xiv. G. Point l)lank against St. John, who tell us but of one doctrine, and that the doctrine of Christ ; and he that holds not this, to be marked out for a lost man, 2 John, ver. 9, 10: 'Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.' And how far, I pray, is that man off hell, that hath not God ? He that hath not God before he dies, the devil shall have him when he dies. Well, sirs, the time is coming, yea, it hastens, (what favour and kindness soever corrupt doctrine find here at man's hand,) wherein the obstinate heretic shall receive the same law at Christ's hands with the impenitent drunkard ; you may see them both under the same condemnation, as they stand pinioned together for hell. Gal. v. 20, 21: ' I tell you now,' saith the apostle, ' as I have told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.' And see, I pray you, if you cannot find the heretic's name amongst them : ignorance in funda- mentals is damning, sure then error in fundamentals much more. If a pound weighs down the scale, there is no doubt then but a stone weight will do it. If the less sin presseth down to hell, how can we rationally think that the greater should escape it? Error stands at a farther distance from, yea, a fuller con- trariety to truth, than ignorance. Error is ignorance with a dye on it. He that eats little or nothing, must needs die, much more he that eats rank poison. The apostle doth not only tell us of ' pernicious doctrines,' and ' damnable heresies,' but he tells us, they ' bring swift damnation' upon those that hold them, 2 Pet. ii. 1. I pray observe what an accent he lays on the damnation that comes by these corrupt doctrines ; he calls it ' swift damnation.' All rivers find their way at last to the sea, from whence they sprang ; but some return with a more swift stream, and get sooner to it than others. Would any make it a shorter voyage to hell than ordinary, let him throw himself but into this stream of corrupt doctrine, and he is not like to be long in going.
Secondly, Because impostors are so subtle, therefore it behoves the Christian to establish and strengthen his judgment in the truths of Christ. They are a generation of men, skilful to destroy the faith of others. There is an erudita neguitia in the world, as one calls it, a learned kind of wickedness, that some have to corrupt the minds of men. The Spii'it of God sets them out to life, sometimes comparing them to merchants, who can set a gloss upon their false ware with fine words, 2 Pet. ii. 3 : they are said with ' feigned words' to ' make merchandize' of souls. To hucksters, that blend and dash their wine with water, 2 Cor. ii. 17. To cheating gamesters, that have a sleight of hand to cog the die, Ephes. iv. 14. Yea, to witches themselves. Gal. iii. 1 : ' Who hath bewitched you?' saith the apostle. Strange things have been done in our days, on those that God has suffered them to practise their sorcery upon ; and what counter-charm better than an established judgment? It is observable that in 2 Tim. iii., where the apostle compares the seducers of that present age to those sorcerers, Jannes and Jambres, that resisted Moses, and shews what kind of persons they were that fell into their snare ; ' such as though ever learning, yet never come to the knowledge of the truth,' ver. 7. Then he turns to Timothy, ver. 10: ' But thou hast fully known my doctrine.' As if he had said, I am out of fear for thee, thou art better grounded in the doctrine of the apostle, than to be thus cheated of it. Indeed, those whom seducers lay in wait for, are chiefly weak, unsettled ones ; for as Solomon saith, ' In vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird,' Prov. i. 17. The devil chose rather to assault Eve than Adam, as more likely of the two to be caught. And ever since he takes the same course ; he labours to creep over where the hedge is lowest, and the resistance like to be weakest. Three chai'acters j^ou may observe of those who are most commonly seduced. First, they are called simple ones, Rom. xvi. 18: ' B3' good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.' Such who mean Avell, but want wisdom to discern those that mean ill ; incautious ones, that dare pledge everybody, and drink of any one's cup, and never suspect poisoning. Secondly, ' children,' Eph. iv. 14 : ' Be no more children, tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine.' Now children they are very credulous, prone to believe every one that gives them a parcel of fair words; they think anything is good, if it be sweet; it is not
GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH. £11