endeavoureth to complete by his wicked spirit working in his body
(1 John 3:8). And the reason why Antichrist came into the world,
was, That the church, which is the body of Christ, might be tried,
and made white by suffering under his tyranny, and by bearing
witness against his falsehoods. For, for the trial of the faithful,
and for the punishment of the world, Antichrist was admitted to
come: But when he came, he first appeared there where one would
have thought there had been no place nor corner for his reception.

WHERE ANTICHRIST FIRST APPEARED.

The devil then, made use of the church of God to midwife this
monster into the world, as the Apostle plainly shews, there he
first sat, shewing himself (2 Thess 2:4). Here therefore was his
first appearance, even in the church of God: Not that the church of
God did willingly admit him there to sit as such; he had covered
his cloven foot; he had plumbs in his dragon's mouth, and so came
in by flatteries; promising to do for Christ and his church, that
which he never meant to perform. For he shewed himself that he
was God, and in appearance, set his heart to do as the heart of
God (Eze 28:2-6). And who could have found in their hearts to shut
the door upon such an one? True, he came, when he came thither,
out of the bottomless-pit; but there came such a smoke out thence
with him, and that smoke so darkened the light of the sun, of the
moon, of the stars, and of the day, that had they [the church] been
upon their watch, as they were not, they could not have perceived
him from another man. Besides, there came with him so many locusts
to usher him into the house of God (Rev 9:2,3), and they so suited
the flesh and reason of the godly of that day, that with good words
and fair speeches, by their crafty and cunning sleights, whereby