An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

Thirdly, the matter which he professes to have received in this vision, is a great and a holy truth of God. Man never belies God to confirm the truth of God. When any boast vainly of revelations, it is to confirm their own fancies and delusions. 'Tis rare when men are so zealous for truth, as to improve all that God hath spoken in the maintenance of it; I have not read of any that have feigned a word from God, to maintain that which is really the Word of God. We find all along in Scripture, that when visions from God were falsely pretended, they ever tended to secure the heart in false opinions, or unwarrantable practises.

Thirdly, the matter which he professes to have received in this vision, is a great and a holy truth of God. Man never belyes God to confirme the truth of God. When any boast vainly of revelations, it is to confirme their own phancies and delusions. 'Tis rare when men are so zealous for truth, as to improve all that God hath spoken in the maintenance of it; I have not read of any that have fained a word from God, to maintaine that which is really the Word of God. We finde all along in Scripture, that when visions from God were falsely pretended, they ever tended to secure the heart in false opinions, or unwarrantable practises.

The Apostle Paul found many who falsified the stamp of the Spirit, and forged his hand and seal to establish error (2 Thess. 2. 2.) I beseech you brethren, that you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled either by spirit, or by word, or by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. That gross error was scattered in the Church of Thessalonica, that the day of Christ was at hand, that in those beginnings of the Gospel, there should be an end of all things. To confirm this, false teachers boasted of the Spirit, an immediate revelation from God: or a word immediately from the mouth, or a Letter under the hand of Paul. How active is error to find patronage? It cares not whom it belies, so it self may pass for truth. Thousands love errors, but none will own them by that name. And therefore (because children bear their fathers name) they would father them upon the God of truth, or upon men, most eminent for truth. Montanus the Heretic, said he had the Holy Ghost his Paraclete, dictating those erroneous doctrines to him, beside