Ir, ſy,
FToh.1,' x Joh.t. % i Or, tt ufeſteh. FROM.14 ; Pet.3.1h & Eph. % 6,6.
* Luk, 2Þ
51.
Chap. 1V. —_ 1. TIM
2 Thef,
FT; \ 11.30. pb. 3-3- yils C.
Joh,2.1 9. ule 18,
when he was huried, he roſe again from the dead, by which he was
£:;62d, that is undoubtedly proved to be the Son of God, Or,
ty t1:2 Zoly Spirit of Go4 (the third Perſon in the Holy Trinity) by
whom he was conceived in the Womb of the Virgin, Luke 1. 35.
þ Ser of 2215, who declared his Conception, Luke 1. 32,33. Sang
-n4 glorified God when he was born, Tuke 2. 10, 11. Miniftred to
him when h2 was temnted, Marth, 4.11. who comforted him in
hs Patton, declared his Reſurre&ion, Matth, 28, and attended his
Aſcenſion, Als 1, 19, c Chrift's being preached to the Gennles, was
all a myſtery, ſo great, that Peter would not believe it to be the
il of God, "till he was confirmed in it by a Viſion, As 10, This
{me think is ſpoken with ſome reference to the Gentile Superſti-
tion, who allo (as was ſaid hefore) had their greater and lefſer My-
ſeries, and to th2 former would admit no Strangers. 4 That Chrift ſhould upon the Miniſtry of a few Fiſher-men, and the report the
World had received of what Chriſt did in Fudea, be received and
imbraced by the World as their Saviour, was as great a Myſtery as
any other, eſpecially conſidering the Dodtrine of Chrift was as in- comprehenſible by Humane Reaſon, as ingrateful to the propenſt- ons and inclinations of Humane Nature: e The Reſurrettion of
Chriſt is not mentioned, becauſe neceſſarily ſuppoſed to his Aſcen-
ſion, which he mentioneth as the laſt thing whereby Chrift was de-
clared to be God manifeſt in the fleth, CHAPF I,
The Apoſtacy of ſome in the latter days foretold and deſcribed, 1 $ He exhorrs Timothy to propound the rue Doftrine, rejet Fables, and exerciſe himſelf unto Godlineſs, after bis Example, 6—— 11. To be a Pattern of a! Chriſtian Virtues ; continue in Reading ; and not to necle the Gift whi.h he hath recerved ; but to increaſe and per- ſevere in that which is good : that he may ſave both himſelf, and bs Hearers, 12 i6,
Tow the ſpirit * ſpeaketh expreſly a, that in the latter times ſome ſhall depart from the faith, giving heed to ſeducing ſpirits b, and dodrines of de-
It was uſual with the Prophets when they declared the Oracles of God, to ailert in the beginning of their Revelations, That the Lord hath ſpoken, 1/2, 1. 2. Fer. 1,2. Foel 1.1. The Apoftle in the ſame manner, in the beginning of his Prediction of things future, declares th2 Spirit ſpcaketh expreſly, that is, either clearly revealed it to me, as AffSs 10. 19, and 13. 2. thus, expreſly is oppoſed to obſcurelyz for ſometimes the Revelations given to the Prophets were under ſhadows and figures in divers manners, but the Spirit diſcovered in a moſt intelligible manner, what Seducers ſhould come in the Church, &c, 4 Either hath inwardly revealed it to my Spirit, as Afs 10, 19. and 13. 2.-0r (which 15 more probable) becauſe the Verh is in the preſent Tenſe aye, it ſaith it in the written Word, which muſt be in the Old Teftament, (for the New was not at this time written,) but then the queſtion is, Where the Holy Ghoſt hath expreſly in the Old Teftament ſpoken of the A-
poſtacy of the latter times, Our famous Mede anſwers in Dan. 11.
35, 36, 37, 38, 39. where from ver. 30. is a plain prophecy of the Roman Empirez and ver. 3s, 36,37, 38, 39+. of Antichriſt, where it is ſaid, Some of them of Underſtanding ſhaB fall to try them,
and to purge them, &c, and he ſpeaks of a King, That ſhall do ac}
cording to bis Will, and ſhall exalt himſelf, and magnifie himſelf above every God, and ſhall ſpeak marvelous things againſt the G9D of Gods, —Netther ſhall be regard the God of his Fathers, nor the deſire of Women, nor regard any God, but magnifie himſelf above all, Where that Learned Man thinks is an excellent deſcription of the Roman Empire, their various Victories, Succeſſes, Declinations and Muta- tions : and amongſt other things, ver. 36. That they ſhould caft off their old Pagan Jdolatry, and after that make a defe&tion from the Chriſtian Faith, and not regard Marriage (called there the deſire of Women) nor indeed truly regard any God, This the Apoſtle faith ſhould be in the laſt Times, The Lift rimes (faith the afore-mentio- ned- Famous Author) are the times of Chriſt's Kingdom, which began in the time of the Roman Empire ; during which time this E- piſtle was wrote ; where the Apoſtle ſpeaking of time yet to come, the latter times by him mentioned, muſt needs be the latter part of the Jaſt times, which he ſaith began in the ruine of the Koman Em- pire, upon which followed the revealing of Antichriſt, that wicked one, mentioned 2 Th:ſj, 2, 7.” concerning theſe times, the Spirit {ai1expreſly, That ſome ſhould jn them depart from the Faith, b Giving heed to ſeducing Spirits, by which ſome underftand the De- viis themſelves, others Falie Teachers, or falſe Dodctrines,which are afterwards mentioned, called-c Dorines of Devils z by which ſome underftand Dottrines ſuggefted by Devils, or publiſhed by the cun- ning, and art of Devils. But others think that by Dofrines of De- vls, here are not fo be unfderftood Dodtrines ſo publiſhed, but Dotrines concernivg Devils ; and that the meaning, is,that in the laſt times the Pagan Doctrine concerning Demons ſhould be reſtored. The Pagan Dxmons were an inferiour ſort of Gods,a kind of middle Beings between their Higheſt Gods, and Men, whoſe Office was to b2 advocates and Mediators between Mer, and the higheft Gods, becauſe they judged it was not lawful for Men to come to the high- er Gods immediately ; theſe they worſhipped by Images, *even as the Papiſts at this day make uſe of, and worſhip Angels and Saints, ve more fully what Mr, Meds ſaith upon this Argument in his own Book, and in Mr. Po3l's Latine Synopſis upon this Text,and what he ith ſeems very probably the ſenſe of the Text, eſpecially, conſider- 12g the two Dottrines mentioned wer, 3, |
2 Speaking Iyes 1a hypocritie d, having their con- {ciences ſeared with an hot iron e. Wo