which shew boththeii- detestable and damning nature. In Gal, v. 19, heresy is called a ' work of the flesh,' and reckoned among those sins which shut the doors of heaven : ' They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God,' ver. 21. They are called doctrines of devils. And if they come from the devil, whither must they lead but to hell ? Such as are against the fundamental principles of the gospel, are inconsistent with the love and favour of God. He 'that abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God,' 2 John 9. And who, think you, shall have him that hath not God ? Were there no other scripture against this kind of sin but that 2 Pet. ii. 1, it were enough to strike the heretic through his loins, and make the knees of every se- ducer, likeBelshazzar's at the sight of the handwriting on the wall, to knock one against the other, — ' There shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.' So that if a man hath a mind to get the start of other sinners, he need do no more than open his sails to the wind of heretical doctrine, and he is likely to make a short voyage to hell of it ; for these bring upon them swift destruction. Nay, the Spirit of God, the more to aggra- vate their deplored state, brings in three most dreadful instances of Divine vengeance that ever was executed upon any sinners, namely the detnision of the apostate angels from heaven to hell, the drowning of the old world, and the conflagration of Sodom and Gomorrah by raining hell, as it were, out of hea- ven upon them. I say, he brings these as patterns and pledges of that ven- geance which shall certainly befall this kind of sinners. And by this time I hope thou wilt be warm in thy prayer against this dangerous enemy. Secondly, When thou hast thus possessed thy heart with the dread of being led into any corrupt opinion, then strengthen thy faith from those comfortable scriptures which assure thee that no sincere saint shall be left to fall finally into any soul- damning error. Christ is as able for, and faithful in, his prophetic and kingly offices as in his priestly. Surely he will not have the least care of his people's understanding, which is a guide to their whole man, and is that faculty which he first pi'actiseth upon in the work of conversion. Thou hast therefore as strong ground to believe he will preserve thee from damnable principles as damnable practices. It would be little advantage to be kept from one enemy, and left to the will and power of another. Christ's hedge comes round about his people. Solomon tells us, ' The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit ; he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein,' Prov. xiv. 22 ; and so is the mouth of the seducer who comes with strange doctrines, whorish opinions. Now, who is this pit dug for ? Indeed, if we look at Satan's design, it is a trap chiefly laid to catch the saint ; he would, if possible, deceive the very elect. His greatest ambition is to spread his banners in this temple of God, and defile them whom God hath washed. But if we eye God's intention, it is a pit he suffers to ])e made for hypocrites, such who never heartily close with Christ and his truth : these are they whom God abhors, and therefore left by him to be- come a prey to those that seduce souls with their corrupt doctrines : 2 Thess. ii. 10, 11, ' Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they shovdd believe a lie ; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in imrighteousness.' These, like the out-setting deer, are shot, while they that are within the pale are safe ; or like the suburbs taken by the enemy, but those within the city escape their fury. It is the outward court. Rev. xi. 2, that is left to be trampled inider foot. And in the forecpioted place of the epistle to the Thessalonians, though he gives up hypocrites to be deceived by false teachers, as once Ahab by those knights of the post, his false prophets, yet, ver. 13, he speaks comfortably to the elect, and shews, that the same decree which appointed them to salvation, provided also for their embracing the truth, as the necessary means leading thereunto ; ' But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because CJod from the beginning hath chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.' And if God hatli got possession of the head by his truth, and the heart by his sanctifying grace, he will keep them out of Satan's clutches. Go, therefore, and ])lcad the promise for thy preservation : the promise, improved by faith at the throne of grace, will be thy best antidote in these times of gene-
602 ^^^ ^"^ SWORD OF THE SPIIUT.