102 THE ELEVENTH SERMON. [2 ThES. II. 13.
things ; raallco on the other, who rashly condemn men without evi- dence, yea, against it. (3.) If this argument woukl hold good, it had been better, in Christ and the apostles' time, to be a Jewish jiroselyte than a Christian. Christ acknowledgeth ' salvation is of the Jews,' — their promises of adoption and glory ; but the Jews pronounced him and his followers accursed — scourged, imprisoned them ; yet did not get so far as papists, to murder and butcher them. Suppose a little time that Catholics owned Donatists as brethren, allowed their bap- tism ; but Donatists are re-baptised, and upon pain of damnation require all so to be, and say. Save thy soul, become a Christian. Now a pagan should rather by this argument join himself to Donatists than Catholics. Lastly, the argument may be retorted — A Protestant keepeth himself to his Bible, baptismal covenant, creed, but denieth many things which papists believe and practise, as papal infallibility, transubstantiation, purgatory, invocation of saints, worshipping of images. They cannot but say Protestants are in the right.
Use 2. Observe the degrees of obduration, not receiving the truth in the love of it, believing a lie, discarding truth, and then taking l)leasure in unrighteousness, and then cometh damnation.
SERMON XI.
But ive are hfAind to give thanks always to God for you, hrctliren, beloved of the Lord, because the Lord hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.— 2 Thes. 11. 13.
The adversative particle but showeth what respect these words have to what went before. He had spoken of God's direful judgment, of sending strong delusion on them that had no love to the ])ure truth, but sinned against light, and had pleasure in the false worship and superstitions countenanced by the world. Now, lest the Thessalonians should be troubled at this sad prediction, he showeth what cause he had to bless God in their behalf The subjoining of this consolation doth teach us three things : —
1. That it is a great favour of God to us to escape antichristian errors. They are so dangerous in their own nature, so insinuative and inveigling by plausible appearance, and accom])anied with such worldly Ijaits and advantages, that it is a great mercy that God hath taught us better things. But then be sure you be in the right out of conscience and evidence, not oiit of faction and interest; and that you hate Popery out of the love of the truth, rather than because you are out of the reach of the tem])tatioii. However, it is a great mercy that God keepeth off the temjitation till we are better settled in religion.
2. That the election of God giveth a ])eoj)Ie great advantages against errors, especially against the impostures of Antichrist ; for when he speaketh of the sad estate of those who are seduced by the man of sin,
2 TUES. II. 13.] THE ELEVENTH SERMON". 103
he presently addeth, ' But we are bound to give thanks to God for you, for he hath chosen you to salvation.' You will say the Thessalonians received the gospel before these corruptions were brought into the cluirch ; but, though Antichrist was not then in being, and this corrupt Christianity not then set afoot, yet there were some preparations for it. The mystery of iniquity already worketh, and they were preserved from the taint of it by tlie election of God ; for either God sufiereth not the elect to be deceived in momentous points, or sooner or later he reducoth them : ' The ])urpose of God according to election must stand,' Rom. ix. 11 ; and Rom. xi. 7, ' The election hath obtained, and the rest were blinded ; ' so 2 Tim. ii. 18, 19, ' They have overthrown the faith of some, neveilheless the foundation of the Lord standeth sure.' Still the elect of God escape the seduction, and especially anti- christian error : Rev. xiii. 8, ' The dwellers upon earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life.'
'S. How careful we should be to support the hearts of God's people, when we speak of his terrible judgments on the wicked. This was the practice of the apostles everywhere ; as when the author to the Hebrews had spoken of the dreadful estate of apostates, ' whose end is to be burned : ' Heb. vi. 9, ' But we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak ; ' he did not condemn them all as apostates, nor would discourage them by that terrible threatening, So again, after another terrible passage : Heb. X. 39, ' But we are not of tliem that draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul' Once more, when another apostle had spoken of the sin unto death, which is not to be prayed for, he presently addeth, 1 John v. 18, 19, 'Whosoever is born of God, sinneth not ; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.' Zuinglius saith, JBo7ie Christiane, hcec nihil ad te, &c. — Good Christian, this is not thy portion, when he had flashed the terrors of the Lord in the face of sinners. The reasons of this are partly with respect to the saints, who, sometimes out of weakness and infirmity, and sometimes out of tenderness of conscience, are apt to be startled, elecioruin corda semper ad se sollicite pudeant (Gregor.) We deserve such dreadful judgments, and therefore fear them ; partly, with respect to ourselves, that we may rightly divide the word of truth : 2 Tim. ii. 15, ' Study to show thyself approved unto God, a woi'kman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.' Give every one his portion ; make not their hearts sad whom God would not make sad ; and, therefore, they are much to blame who, in reproving sinners, stab a saint at the heart, and take the doctrine but for a colour to make a perverse application. The apostle here useth more tenderness : ' God shall send ihem strong delusion. But we are bound always to give thanks for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord ; because the Lord hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sauctitication of the Spirit and belief of the truth.'