God’s people as well as others will be found obstinate in fundamental errors, in which sufferings and persecution doth harden.
Yea, God’s people themselves, being deluded and captivated, are strongly confident even against some fundamentals, especially of worship: and yet not against the light, but according to the light or eye of a deceived conscience.
Now all these consciences walk on confidently and constantly, even to the suffering of death and torments; and are more strongly confirmed in their belief and conscience, because such bloody and cruel courses of persecution are used toward them.
Secondly, speaks not the scripture expressly of the Jew, Isa. vi., Matt. xiii., Acts xxviii., that God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, &c.? all which must be spoken of the very conscience, which He that hath the golden key of David can only shut and open, and all the picklocks or swords in all the smiths’ shops in the world can neither by force or fraud prevent his time.
Strong delusions.
Is it not said of anti-christians, 2 Thess. ii., that God hath sent them strong delusions? so strong and efficacious that they believe a lie, and that so confidently, and some so conscientiously, that death itself cannot part between the delusion and their conscience.
“Again, the magistrate, say they, keeping him in safe ward: that is, the heretic, the blasphemer, idolater,” &c.
Peace. I here ask all men that love even the civil peace, where the Lord Jesus hath spoken a tittle of a prison or safe ward to this purpose?
Truth. We find indeed a prison threatened by God to his irreconciled enemies, neglecting to account with him, Matt. v. 25.
We find a prison into which persecutors cast the saints. So John, so Paul, and the apostles, Matt. xiv. 10, &c., were cast; and the great commander of, and caster into prison, is the devil, Rev. ii. 10.