But he hath finished hia course, and is gone before us, and hath left here a dark, self-distracting world, and a church of such as Christ will perfect; but, alas! yet lamentably imperfect, as their errors, divisions, contentions, and scandals have these thirteen hundred years too publicly declared. Children of tlie light we are, while the world is in darkness ; but, alas ! yet how dim and clouded ! "With thousands it does not so much as convince them of their ignorance, nor maketli thera himibly suspicious of an erring judgment; so that through the copulation of pride and ignorance, few cry out so loud of error as the erroneous, or of heresy as the heretical, or of schism as the schis- matical ; and false conceptions are so common among men, that I think with almost all mankind the number of false apprehensions in comparison of the true ones is far greater than unhumbled under- standings will easily believe ; and yet, while mankind doth swarm with error, those that least know their own cry down even the tolera- tion of that which, alas ! we cannot cuie ; and if a multitude of errors must not be tolerated, I know not the ])erson that must be tolerated. And who then be they that shall be the avengers of other men's mis- takes ? Christ knew that none are so forward to reproach and so backward to bear with the motes in men's eyes as they that have beams in their own.
Among such, what sort of men on earth hath more cried down error, heresy, and schism, than the Papal tribe ? Away with them, EXTERMINATE THEM, BURN THEM, hath loug been their cry, their laws and practice, little thinking how they are polluted with error, heresy, and schi.sm themselves. The revived attempts of this consuming fiery spirit hath made those that dispose of Dr Manton's papers take these against Popery as now most seasonable ; and their plainness, suited to common capacities, may make them to many more useful than more argumentative disi)utations. They that would have such may see errors that are unanswerable (I should say unrefutable, for I find that men, and women too, can answer anything). I confess myself not thoroughly studied in these prophetical i)arts of the scriptures, and therefore none of the fittest to commend such writings, any fur- ther than they commend themselves. But I am hasting after this my dear departed brother to the world of light, where all divine mysteries are unveiled, and life, and light, and love are perfected; for which, even at the door, 1 am, though weak, a believing and desiring expectant.
PtiCH. Baxteb.
Jul>/ 8, 1^70.
SEKMON I.
Noio loe beseech you, hrethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him, that you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by ivord, nor by letter as from us, tliat the day of Christ is at hand. — 2 Thes. II. 1, 2.
The former chapter was spent in a consolation against troubles, this in a caution against error, or to rectify their judgments concerning the time of Christ's second coming. In these two first verses, we have the manner of proposal, ver. 1 ; the matter proposed, ver. 2.
1. The manner of proposal is very pathetical, by way of adjuration or obtestation.
2. The matter. An error had crept in among the Thessalonians concerning the speedy and immediate coming of Christ to judgment, while they were yet alive ; which error the devil set on foot to subvert their faith and expose the whole Christian doctrine to contempt.
First, The manner or obtestation falleth first uader our consider- ation, in which two things are mentioned : —
1. The coming of Christ.
2. Their gathering together unto him. Obtestations are by those things which have great reverence and respect with us, as most likely to prevail. Now these two things are mentioned : —
[1.] As weighty: 2 Tim. iv. 1, 'I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead, at his appearance and his kingdom.'
[2.] This was the article mistaken and perverted as to one circum- stance, the time ; but the thing is taken for granted as an unquestion- able truth, and the support of all their hopes : 2 Thes. i. 10, ' When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that believe.'
[3.] This was a famous Christian doctrine with which the apostles usually began, in planting religion in any place : 1 Thes. v. 1-3, ' But of the times and the seasons ye have no reason that I write unto you, for ye yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so Cometh as a thief in the night,' &c.
[4.] It was of precious account with them : 2 Tim. iv. 8, ' Hence- forth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto them also that love his appearing.' So that the obtestation im- plieth both the certainty of their belief, and also their dear account of this article of faith ; and therefore the sense is : As you do assuredly