Page:An analytical exposition of both the epistles of the Apostle Peter, illustrated by doctrines out of every text .. (IA analyticalexposi00ames).pdf/258

 Vse 1. This may serve to admonish us, not so much to meddle in the Scriptures, as if we were in another mans ground, or in those things which belong unto others, and not unto our selves. 2. To exhort us, to raise up our minds to receive the word of God with a congruous affection. We may easily think with our selves how our minds would be affected, if we should receive a letter that was written by the hand of God in heaven, and directed unto us by name, and sent unto us by one of his Angels: after the same manner should we be affected in reading and hearing the written word of God. Doct. 8. In other truths that are lesse necessary for us to know, there are some things hard to be understood.

This is gathered from v.16. He doth not say this of all Pauls Epistles, nor of any one whole Epistle, much lesse of the whole Scripture, (as the Patrons of traditions, and Enemies of Scripture would have it,) but of some few things. And he seemes to point chiefly at some of those things, which Paul wrote concerning the comming of the Lord, because he speaks of that in this place, & therefore it is very likely that he hath reference unto those things which are spoken of, 2 Thess. 2.2.

Reason 1. Because there are some divine mysteries so farre remote from us, that in what words soever they be expressed, they will alwayes be hard to be understood.

2. Because God would have some things, that are not of so generall and necessary a use, out of his singular wisdome to be more obscurely propounded: which seemes to be the proper reason, why those things of Antichrist, 2 Thess. 2. were in the Primitive Church hard to be understood. For God would for just causes, that Antichrist should come, and that most men should be ignorant who he was, untill he did come.

3. God would exercise the industry and diligence of the faithfull in searching the Scriptures, and finding out the sense and meaning of them, not to deter men from reading them as the Papists use to do, by wresting this argument amisse. For Peter in this place doth not discourage so much as the comon sort of the faithfull from reading the Scriptures, but rather stirs them up to read all the Epistles of Paul, although he tels them that there are some things in them that must be read warily.