Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, To meddle with that which thou hast to do. ' Secret things belong to the Lord, but revealed things belong to thee/ Deut. xxix. 29. Thy work, sinner, is, to be peremptory in believing, and in returning to the Lord ; thy work is to cast thyself upon Christ, lie at his feet, to wait on him in his ways, and to give him no rest till he shall say, Sinner, I am thy portion, I am thy salvation, and nothing shall separate between thee and me.
Here followeth seven characters of false teachers, which let me add for a close, viz. : —
That Satan labours might and main, by false teachers, which are his messengers and ambassadors, to deceive, delude, and for ever undo the precious souls of men:1 Jer. xxiii. 13, 'I have seen folly in the pro- phets of Samaria ; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err ;' Micah iii. 5, ' The prophets make my people to err.' They seduce them, and carry them out of the right way into by-paths and blind thickets of error, blasphemy, and wickedness, where they are lost for ever. 'Beware of false prophets, for they come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves,' Mat. vii. 15. These lick and suck the blood of souls : Philip, iii. 2, ' Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.' These kiss and kill ; these cry, Peace, peace, till souls fall into everlasting flames, &c, Pro v. vii.
Now, the best way to deliver poor souls from being deluded and de- stroyed by these messengers of Satan is, to discover them in their colours, that so, being known, poor souls may shun them, and fly from them as from hell itself.
Now you may know them by these characters following :
[1.] The first character. False teachers are men-pleasers.2 They preach more to please the ear than to profit the heart : Isa. xxx. 10, ' Which say to the seers, See not ; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things : speak to us smooth things ; prophesy deceits.' Jer. v. 30, 31, ' A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land : the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means, and my people love to have it so. And what will you do in the end thereof?' They handle holy things rather with wit and dalliance than with fear and reverence. False teachers are soul-undoers. They
1 Acts xx. 28-30, 2 Cor. xi. 13-15, Eph. iv. 14, 2 Tim. iii. 4-6, Titus i. II, 12,2 Peter ii. 18, 19. s But so are not true teachers, Gal. i. 10, 1 Thes. ii. 1-4.
150 PRECIOUS REMEDIES [2 COR. II. 11.
are like evil chirurgeons, that skin over the wound, but never heal it. Flattery undid Ahab and Herod, Nero and Alexander. False teachers are hell's greatest enrichers. Non acerba, sed blanda, Not bitter, but flattering words do all the mischief, said Valerian, the Roman emperor. Such smooth teachers are sweet soul-poisoners, &c, Jer. xxiii. 16, 17.1
[2.] The second character. False teachers are notable in casting dirt, scorn, and reproach upon the persons, names, and credits of Christ's most faithful ambassadors. Thus Korah, Dathan, and Abirain charged Moses and Aaron that they took too much upon them, seeing all the congregation was holy, Num. xvi. 3. You take too much state, too much power, too much honour, too much holiness upon you ; for what are you more than others, that you take so much upon you ? And so Ahab's false prophets fell foul on good Micaiah, paying of him with blows for want of better reasons, 1 Kings xxii. 10-26. Yea, Paul, that great apostle of the Gentiles, had his ministry undermined and his repu- tation blasted by false teachers : ' For his letters,' say they, ' are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak and contemptible,' 2 Cor. x. 10. They rather contemn him than admire him ; they look upon him as a dunce rather than a doctor. And the same hard measure had our Lord Jesus from the Scribes and Pharisees, who laboured as for life to build their own credit upon the ruins of his reputation.2 And never did the devil drive a more full trade this way than he does in these days, Mat. xxvii. 63. Oh ! the dirt, the filth, the scorn that is thrown upon those of whom the world is not worthy. I suppose false teachers mind not that saying of Austin, Quisquis volens detrahit famw, nolens addit mercedi mew, He that willingly takes from my good name, un- willingly adds to my reward.
[3.] The third character. False teachers are venters of the devices and visions of their own heads and hearts.3 Jer. xiv. 14, • Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name : I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them : they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart ;' chap, xxiii. 1 6, ' Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that pro- phesy unto you ; they make you vain : they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.' Are there not multitudes in this nation whose visions are but golden delusions, lying vanities, brain-sick phantasies ? These are Satan's great benefactors, and such as divine justice will hang up in hell as the greatest malefactors, if the physician of souls do not prevent it, &c.
[4.] The fourth character. False teachers easily pass over the great and weighty things both of laiv and gospel, and stand most upon those things that are of the least moment and concernment to the souls of men* 1 Tim. i. 5-7, ' Now the end of the commandment is charity
1 Whilst an ass is stroked under the helly, you may lay on his back what burden you please.
2 The proverb is, Oculus elfama non patiuntur jocos, a man's eye and his good name can bear no jests. Yea, and Lucian, that blasphemous atheist, termeth himthe crucified cozener.
8 Mat. xxiv. 4, 5, xi. 14, Titus i. 10, Rom. xvi. 18.
4 Luther complained of such in his time as would strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. This age is full of such teachers, such monsters. The high priest's spirit, Mat. xxiii. 24, lives and thrives in these days.
2 Cor. II. 11.] against satan's devices. 151