[2.] God's discovery of him to the world; that is, when Antichrist was not only extant, but impleaded as such ; and this also was by degrees, God raising up in every age witnesses against the tyranny and usurpa- tions of Rome, as the place, and the Pope, the person, as, considered in his succession, claiming the same power. Five hundred years before Luther, Peter Bruis l)Cgan, and Henry his scliolar succeeded him, and both of them succeeded by the Waldenses and Alhigenses; then Wic- lilfe, the Bohemians, who have all pleaded and proved that the Pope was the very Antichiist ; then Savonarola in Italy preached this boldly. In the fifteenth centuiy, about 1500, there were some remainder of the Alhigenses about the Alps, some few relics of the Hussites and Caiixtines in Bohemia, so few and so ignorant that they had neither
2 TlIES. II. 8.] THE SIXTH SERMONS 50
leaniinij^ nor ability to oppose this potent tyranny. Then God raised u\) Luther, and many otlier worthies to assault the idolatry, tyranny, and errors of the church of Eome ; and it is reported in history, that the angel on the top of the Tower St Angelo was beaten down by a thunderbolt ; and in the very day and in the church where Pope Leo the Tenth at Rome had created thirty-one cardinals, a sudden tempest dashed the keys out of the hands of the image of St Peter, showing God would begin to take away their power.
Use. If God hath revealed Antichrist, let no man shut his eyes, but let him be shunned, forsaken, and abhorred. When Christ was tr» come into the world, it was a day of rumours ; some sent to John Baptist, whether he were the Christ, others cried up false Christs and impostors ; but the peoi)le were alarmed with a general expectation. So when Antichrist was to be revealed, it was a day of rumours ; just about the time there was a great expectation : some pitched it here, some there, until the pit was discovered to the church, and the snare laid open. And now to run wilfully into these errors, how damnable is it ! If Papists cleave to him, let not Protestants fall to him ; to continue Papists is dangerous, for they favour Antichrist, and serve Antichrist ; but to turn Papists is more dangerous, for this is a down- right revolt from Christ to Antichrist. And how God may in mercy dispense with errors imbibed in our education we know not ; but to turn our back on the truth, Avherein we have been educated and instructed, maketh it more dangerous to our salvation.
Secondly, We now come to the more comfortable part, his ruin ; where note : —
I. In the general, that the apostle, as soon as he had showed his rise, he presently foretelleth his ruin, to support the hearts of the faithful, though he hath yet more things to speak concerning his dis- covery, ver. 9. I cannot let this pass without an obsei'vation.
Docf. That a spiritual eye can discern the ruin of Avicked instru- ments, even in their rise and reign : Job v. 3, 'I have seen the foolish taking root, and presently I cursed his habitation.' By the fooh's-Ji, is meant the wicked ; by their talcing root, their seeking to fix and settle themselves in their worldly prosperity ; I presentbj, that is, without any great deliberation, which in this matter needeth not, cursed their habitation, not as desiring, but as foreseeing and foretelling. I pro- nounced them accursed, or to be in a ciu'sed condition ; when carnal men seek to root and establish themselves upon earth, to a spiritual eye, their best estate is miserable and detestable. When we see their rise, we may foretell their fall.
REASONS.
1. Their faith occasions such a reflection, which is 'the evidence of things not seen.' lieb. xi. 1. They look not at things as at present they seem to shortsighted men, or as they relish to the flesh, but as they appear, and will be judged of at last ; their ruin is as present before them as their rise ; present time is quickly past. But now without faith this cannot be: 2 Peter i. 9, ' He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off",' fMvcoTrd^cov, but are dazzled with pre- sent splendour, and so miscarry.
CO THE SIXTH SERMON. [2 TlIES. II. 8.
2, This faith is necessary : — (1.) Partly to prevent scandal at the prosperity of an nn<;-odly party who obey not the gosi)el, but corrupt and pervert it to their worldly ends. David's stejjs were even gone when he saw the i)n)sperity of the wicked, till he went into the sanctuary and nnderstood their end, Vs. Ixxiii. 17 ; that settled his heart, to consider what end these men were a})})ointed nnto. How pros- jierous soever they seem to be for the present, yet the end m;ist put the difference ; there they see the wicked in the height of their pros- ])erity, as ready to be cut down and withered. (2.) To pi-event apostasy. They choose the better ]nirt that choose the holiness and patience of the saints: 2 Cor. iv. IS, ' While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen ; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.' But things present carry away our hearts, because we have so dim and doubtful a sight of things to come ; whereas, if we did look upon them as sure and near, they would fortify us against temptations : Prov. iii. 31, 32. ' Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways; for the froward is abomination to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous.'