he goeth They kept themselves undefiled of this Antichrist of Rome were not defiled with the whoredome of this great beast in all things they consented with the Doctrine of the Primitive Church and their hypocrisies and whoredomes and coveteousnesse were things that would by no means be borne therefore the Pope who was the great head discerning he was thus contested against and as they say blasphemed he thinks he does nothing though he destroy Turkes and Sarazens and Aegyptians and whoever took the Sepulcher of Christ as long as those Heretickes at home were not subdued therefore he thinks it as meritorious a worke to subdue them as ever to fight for the holy Land But there was another thing that made the war for no warre can be made but by levying of Forces on both part◠And therefore a second was their taking up of Armes in the just defence of their liberties both of conscience and outward man For if the Catholick Church had raised up all these Forces and they had quietly submitted themselves like sheep to the slaughter there had beene no warre then there had been massacres It would have amounted to that as the massacre in Paris that a man did not lift up his hand but they were slaughtered like dogs in the street Though they come with fire and sword yet unlesse they resist with fire and sword it cannot be said to be war Some set in against them though their weaknesse caused them to presume but it was to weak a businesse for flesh and bloud Wee wrestle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers and spirituall wickednesses They which trust to flesh and bloud shall be deceived as these men they stood out and sometimes prospered while the Earl of Tone and some other Princes joyned together though they were but few they prospered but war is not one Battel or two and in the end they were overcome and this Beast prevailed and that 's the reason of the 2 d part how he came to make warre against the Saints For the 3 d How came he to overcome them Truly not by strength he had very little that way but First he overcame them by their a little too much confidence in the arme of flesh when they see the King of Aragon set on they come to be a little set on by the power of the King and a great Battell recoyled by trusting to the arme of flesh You read in Heb. 11. 34. That by faith the Saints waxed valiant in Fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens but when our faith runne in another channell that we grow confident not in the Lord Jesus by trusting in him but on the arme of flesh we know what is said in Jer. 17. 5. Cursed be the man ye though he be a good man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord It withers it cannot stand against the potent Army that rise up against them though their enemies were never lesse in number nor never lesse provided yet they prevailed more then ever before The second Reason was by their attention to politick and deceitfull Treaties of peace for when they saw the men were good Souldiers valient in battell and able to fight it out and they found the 3000. that were to fight for plenary pardon three years had served out their time and they had got as they thought their souls saved they would go home now and they had got peace by this carnall confidence of theirs So they perceived this war would be troublesome and the Hereticks were like to prosper therefore they gather in the cheif Leaders to Treaties about peace and great pitty that such bloud should be shed therefore for the honour of Rome it were needfull to cease the warre and so would draw their cheif Leaders to firme leagues of Peace and then they kept their best Generals in Prison and thus when they had got them to yeild to their pretences then they had their neckes under their girdles and their throats under their axes they might hew them out of measure Insomuch that the King of France hearing of such cruell massacre he sent to know what their Religion was and though he sent expresse charge that none of his Souldiers should offer violence to them yet they concealing his Letters they went on in massacring the poor Saints and scattering them up and down in so much that they prevailed partly by the Saints cleaving to the arme of flesh and by trusting their false pretences And there is a third Reason mentioned in the 10. vers saith he Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints It was Gods pleasure to make it the season of the Patience of the Saints It was the season wherein Antichrist should swell to his height and the Saints be brought low and their Patience be tryed to the utmost and it being a time of the Saints Patience it must needs be a time of their suffering and suffer they did with much patience but yet they were not utterly exterpated for some fled to France and some to England and so propagated Christian Religion which after turned to the conversion of many John Husse and Jerome of Pragues Doctrine grew and spread more till God raised up Luther to set forward the power of the Gospell Thus you see the truth of the Doctrine For the use then First it may serve to let us see whence is the power of waging war for the Text saith it was given To him it was given to make war with the Saints All men cannot receive this as our Saviour saith in another case but they to whom it is given It is not an easie matter for any to be 〈◊〉 to wage war it requires great store of persons and great store of Treasury and Fountain to maintaine both And besides all this it require◠no small measure of Wisdome and Policy to undertake such designes all these you see the Lord gives and gives them to those that his soul take no pleasure in and to those that in his esteem are men of beastly spirit◠yet he gives them power to make warre He may blesse himself in his rule and bravery that they were able to 〈◊〉 against Infidels and after against Heriticks as they called them but indeed the Saints of God but you see God gave power unto this Beast which is therefore no cause of triumph or glorying that he hath recived such a power for you see it may be given to these that are enemyes to the Lord Jesus Secondly observe this much That the Lord himselfe doth acknowledge even his poor children on Earth to be that which is commonly by priviledge sequestred to the holy Saints in Heaven He calles them Saints We think Saint-ship is a peculiar priviledge to the Saints in Heaven when they have ended their dayes in peace and a good conscience then they are accounted Saints and Angels but the Lord accounts
his heart is not right with God It is true in a pang of temptation a man may be wheeled about as Peter and David yet the sight of Gods electing love quickens them to see their sinne how farre they are turned aside from God but there 〈◊〉 soul is bent as it were with the point of a compass touched with a Load-stone it may be jogged by windes and stormes yet it lookes still to the North pole though you may shake it from its course yet let it but stand a while it will directly look to the North pole there it will stand so it is with all the children of God they cannot but worke for Christ in John 16. 14. He shall glorifie me for he shall receive of mine and give it unto you So that the heart that is sincere it workes from Christ and for Christ and with Christ I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. So that you see what the manner of Gods people in this case is they are from Christ and for Christ and with Christ and it is a seal of Gods election the highest seal is God knowes who are his and that seal he manifests by his spirit in the Gospel it is the spirit that seals up our adoption and here is another seal we set to our seal while we cleave to him with all our heart and soul and seek after him and have none in heaven but him nor on Earth that we desire in comparison of him And thirdly the last assurance of a mans election and calling which I shall name at this time is that which Peter himselfe doth expresse in 2 Pet. 1. Give all deligence to make your calling and election sure How shall they do that he tels us in ver 5. Moreover adde to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge c. He reckons sundry sorts of graces and he calls upon them to adde grace to grace and one degree of grace to another and saith he if these things dwell in you and abound by this means an open entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as if men that did not grow in grace and gâ—ow from grace to grace if they get to heaven at length they must mend their pâ—ce thrust and croud for it but if these things be in you and abound so an open entrance shall be ministred unto you as if the great gates of Heaven were opened to you there must be a growing you are blind else and cannot see afar off you shall not see your state unlesse you grow from faith to faith and from knowledge to knowledge then an open entrance shall be ministred to you that you shall die in full assurance of faith and of the love of God And thus shall a man make his calling and election sure and by so doing he shall make sure to himselfe his preservaâ—ion from this world and shall be translated to everlasting rest wiâ—h the Lord in due time where there shall be neither false Prophet nor Jesuitâ— nor worldlings whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life Rev. 13. 8. latter part of the vers The Lamb slaine from the foundation of the world THere remayns now the latter part of this vers which is a description of Jesus Christ and he is described 1. By the similitude of a Lamb. 2. By his passion He is slaine And 3. By the antiquity of it He is slaine from the foundation of the world The note is this The Lord Jesus Christ was as a Lamb and though a Lamb yet was slaine and though slaine in fulnesse of time about 4000. years after the world began yet in effect he was slaine from the foundation of the world This is the sum of this latter part of the verse Not to stay long in any of these things and put to stay upon them because they are principles of our Christian faith and principles may not be passed over in hast especially considering the handling of them is a speciall branch of our calling Behold the Lamb of God saith John that taketh away the sinnes of the world John 1. 29. 36. It was his particular office to point at Christ and he doth it under the notion of a Lamb So it is said A Lamb stood upon mount Zion Rev. 14. 1. Now why a Lamb In a double respect and I speak of no more then what the Scripture hath respect unto First in respect of his innocency 2ly In respect of his meeknesse and patience 1. His innocency 1. In his birth That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the sonne of God John 1. 35. 2. Innocent in his life It behooves us saith Christ to Iohn to fulfill all righteousnesse Mat. 3. 15. And in 1 Pet. 2. 22. He did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth 3. Innocent also in his death Pilate bare him that record Mat. 27. 24. when he had heard all things that were born witnesse against him hee tooke water and washâ—d his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of the blood of this just person And as he was thus innocent as a Lamb So he was meeke and patient as a Lamb and the holy Ghost hath respect unto it Acts 8. 32. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a Lamb dumb before the shearers so opened he not his mouth And therefore there is something respected in his silence and quiet subjection to the slaughter knife And his patience or meeknesse doth expresse it self in two things chiefly 1. In submitting not himself only but his will to his fathers will Father saith Christ in his agony in the Garden if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt And if this cup may not passe away from me except I drinke it thy will be done Mat. 26. 39. 42 And that is properly after Gods own heart when a mans heart is subdued to the will of God in which respect he did not murmure at his Fathers hand nor did expostulate his being delivered into the hands of wicked men 1 Pet. 2. 23. Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously And so meek was be in this very kind as that be prayed for his very enemies and persecutors Luk. 23. 34. Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do 2. His patience and meeknesse stood in keeping silence in his own just defence As a Lamb dumb before the shâ—arer keeping silence before his Accusers and Judges and Condemners He answered nothing before the high Priest any thing that might tend to his crucifying as he doth expresse If they will make it a point to crucifie him because he said He was the son of God Saith he I came into
is such power as is far above the reach of man None of them all have such power as he not those that are called Gods So they admire his power what he can do to inward or outward man to publique or private States And they do not only admire the Catholick Church and the head of it and adore them but in both these they adore the Dragon that gave all this power to the Beast The meaning may be exprest in two branches 1. The Dragon is expressed as animating heathen Rome for that hath seven heads and ten horns which are the armes both of heathen Rome and of this Beast Now he is called the Dragon as he acted heathen Rome and as he was Lord of heathen Rome he gave all this power to the Pope For they thought it meet since it was the Imperiall City when it was Pagan that therefore it should be the mother of all Churches And being the Imperial City it was the bloud-sucker of many millions of the souls of Gods servants that caused the Dragon to put that honour upon Rome 2. But that is not all There is another branch comes neerer the full meaning of the Text that was for the honouring of the Bishop of Rome and of the Catholick Church viz. taking another doctrine for the Gospell their Idolatry for pure worship their Government for the discipline of Christ their pardons for Justification of sinne by Christ In all this they doe indeed give true worship to the Dragon for what are all these but Images they are none of Gods Ordinances if you referre them to the heads of Scripture they are but Images of Christ In stead of the Ministery of Christ you have doctrines of men In stead of justification by the righteousnesse of Christ you have justification by works In stead of pardon of Sin from Christ you have it from the Pope All things are in another forme an Image of another forme set up devised contrary to what the word establisheth Now you shall finde this to be true if you doe vary from the kingdome of God and Christ then you worship the Dragon You read in 2 Chron. 11. 15. Jeroboam ordained him Priests for the high places and for the Devils and for the Calves which he had made he had no Preists but for the golden Calves and what were they they were but Images and his intendment was not to bring in another object of worship but another manner of worship Jeroboam worshiped Jehovah in Images which God had not appointed and so he worshipped the Divill and not God And you shall read when the Turke was brought in to revenge the Idolatry of Christendome Rev. 9. 20. It is said The people that were not cut off with the plague they repented not of the worke of their hands that they should not worship Devils and Idols of Gold and Silver and brasse and Stone and of wood which neither can see nor hear nor walk which shews that when men worship Images that is God in Images it is not God that is so worshipped but the Divill and all such worship doth not advance the kingdome of God but the kingdome of the Devill therefore it is reall honour to him and therefore this their taking all this vast honour all Churches receiving all from them is none of Gods Institution but the Devils practice for it was the Devill that gave him his power and great authority Therefore saith the holy Ghost they worshiped the Dragon who gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the beast This worship of the beast they gave it all to him that gave this power to him which was to the Dragon and therfore you read that he had the key of the bottomlesse pit Rev. 9. 1 2. And he opened the bottomlesse pit and there arose a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth There went out Monks Friars and a rabble of all superstition Now if you shall aske the reason why people upon the healing of this wound did so mightily admire both the visible Catholick Church and the head of it and adore both and Satan himselfe in both The reason was First from the wrong Interpretation of some Scriptures which were very frequent with them in those dayes and are still and that was that the Catholick Roman Church was builded upon a rock and that rock was the Bishop of Rome and into his hand the Lord Jesus by Peter had given the keys of the kingdome of Heaven and these keys had absolute universall power to binde on Earth and upon his binding on earth Christ would bind in heaven this was an error in judgment that did so possesse their hearts that upon the healing of this wounded head all the world did admire him Therefore Bellarmine makes a large discourse Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone and they that trust in him shall never be confounded and so never was there any man that was an enemy to the Catholick Church but was confounded nor never did any man stand for the Catholick Church but was preserved and so they did admire him A great inundation of barbarous Nations were all driven out by the piety of the Bishop of Rome they were able to overturn the Emperors of the East and it was overturned and bring them to his feet and all to be at his disposing This was some confirmation to them that he was the successor of Peter that now whoever is saved it must be by the power of this key or else never look for any saving in this world A second reason may be taken from the correspondency and plausablenesse of such a kinde of Religion and Government to carnall reason especially when it is subdued by any terrors of consceence for it was a season and that held many years together wherein the Priests Friers and Monks had marvellous power to sting the consciences of men with the loathsomnesse of their sinne in the sight of God and they had admirable dexterity therein These foure things were all the matter of their Sermons Vertue and vice Heaven and Hell If you be vertuous then you shall go to Heaven If you be vicious then you must go to Hell Now they would so convince mens consciences and upon conviction binde the conscience under terror as eternally shut out of Heaven for want of virtue which they had not that indeed when these mens consciences are thus perplexed and wounded here is a Religion that findes them so many salves and medicines as ease the power but not remove the cause of the disease that is they set men a course well though you be vicious and though Hell be dreadfull yet Purgatory may ease you by Prayer and you may be dispensed with from going to Hell especially by the Popes pardon or by your own workes by your confessions by selfe-whippings and scourgings or by going a Pilgrimage you may be
kind to keep Lamb-like silence when you are charged with any fault whereof you are guilty It is a dangerous sinne when men are found in a fault they have a thousand excuses for it and utter denyal of such things so as they will cut you a Weavers beame unto a very moate But you see the spirit of Christ Jesus will not doe it nor will he confesse it for they charged it upon him in his own person and so he could not confesse it Hee could not deny it because then he should not have stood in our room as he did And therefore it behooves those that are young or old if you be innocent then you may excuse it if you be guilty beware of denying for if you do you shall leave a difficult travayl upon Jesus Christ to plead your cause He that knoweth the heart and the truth of the thing he is ashamed of such a proud spirit that so defends himself as you doe Lastly it is a ground of singular comfort to all whose names are written in the Lambs booke of life and brought on to this Lamb-like frame of heart in the greatest horrour of spirit whereas the soule in this or that man is confounded and he knows not what to say Here is comfort for such a soule laid up for here is a sufficient plea before Gods Judgment seate the Lord Jesus Christ hath been silent at it he hath born and suffered for it It will come unto this passe with a soule under spiritual confusion Wee shall lye downe in our shame with our confusion upon our faces as in Jer. 3. 24 25. Wee cannot deny it nor excuse it and therefore we are ready to conclude woe to us that ever we were born That is not a just conclusion though for truly this we must come unto if ever we come unto Christ And therefore it is a way of justification and of life for a man to be confounded in himselfe for his sin for the Lord doth never justifie a sinner untill hee hath confounded him Many a man many times will say it is true godly friends have had a good opinion of me but they are deceived by my expressions performances and outward carriage Here the soule is mady times apt to sinke and would sink if the Lord Jesus stood not at a non-plus in his room for Christ could not tell what to say till hee had made satisfaction neither could he acknowledg the faults that were layd to his charge because himselfe was guiltless not deny them lest he should falsly justifie us We cannot tell now what to say to our owne estates sometimes The Church complaines all our Prophets are gone and our signes are gone the case is now desperate when wee are in a desperate taking But though wee cannot tell presently what to say yet the Text and the Gospel tels you Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world He himself could make no words about our justification it was a case past words excuses would not heale us then there was something to be suffered and that to the utmâ—st This he hath suffered wherefore he is able to save them to the utmost that come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. He is now able to do it but when he stood before Pontius Pilate he could not tell what to say but now he hath suffered in Family Câ—uâ—ch and Câ—mmon-wealth In his family they forsook him and denyed him and forswore him therefore now having made perfect satisfaction unto the exact justice of his heavenly Father by being condemned to death crucified upon the Crosse dead and buried now his mouth is ever open to make intercession There is a stay and staffe unto a Christian Looke unto me and be yee saved all the ends of the earth Isa 45. 22. Now here is the brazen Serpent lifted up That whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 14 15. Rest not now in a naked knowledge of this but look up to Heaven with your inner man be confounded because of your shame and yet see the Lord offering you Christ and giving you grace to receive him and to rest there that whatever cavils and temptations the Devil may make and your own consciences may make yet there is hope in Israel concerning this The Lord is righteous but I and my house are wicked may a man say my wayes are corrupt and my heart worst of all But the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all and by his stripes we are healed Isa 53 5 6 7. There is nothing that will cleare him before God when he stands in our case but he must stand ashamed and confounded for us all And though wee be thus and thus guilty in our owne apprehensions and culpable in the sight of men yet the Lord hath made satisfaction for us and therefore saith Deliver him for I have received a ransome And where there is any seede of God there will be a secret quieting of the heart upon this very ground which the Lord doth dart into the soule by causing it to rest upon him and cleave to him and hang about him where onely Redemption Reconciliation and Attonement for us are to be found Rev. 13. 8. latter part of the vers The Lamb slaine from the foundation of the world CHrist is here described First by the similitude of a Lamb. 2. By his passion a Lamb slaine Thirdly his passion is amplified by the antitiquity of it slain from the foundation of the world We shewed the last time that Christ was as a Lamb. Now we come to the next part of the description of Christ the next note then concerning Christs passion is this Christ though a Lamb was slain and slaughtered Though a Lamb. That is to say though innocent meek and patient yet slain and slaughtered So you read in Acts 2. 23. Him being delivered by the determinate councell and fore-knowledge of God yee have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain and in Acts 7. 52. You have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the just one of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers He was a Lamb murdered slain and slaughtered He was led as a Lamb to the slaughter Slaughter implyes a violent death put upon him partly by the justice of God partly by the wickednesse of men and partly by the malice of Satan By the justice of God the word is very strong in Isa 53. 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him it is translated but it signifies properly to grind him the same word is translated destruction in Psal 90. 3. Thou turnest man to destruction and so it pleased the Father thus to grinde him to powder that he might have nothing of chaffe he ground him to dust with grief and horror anguish and agony and terrour and pain Isa 53. 6. The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all and so he ground him to dust
else you can talke of that will root it out nor the rod of correction unlesse the blood of the Lamb be sprinkled upon it and then it may be of great use and any other ordinance to bring them to the wayes of Christ Jesus Now if this were well stamped and revetted into the spirits of men it would humble proud flesh and not onely take them off from the free will of Popery and Arminianisme and a pack of such but I hope there is lesse need of speaking against such heresies but to set it home upon our own hearts whatever our fathers have been we their children are not better Some accidentall difference there may be but setting aside such accidentall differences for the substance of prevailing corruptions they have ruled and reigned in the hearts of men since the world began by invincible power unable to be subdued but onely by the blood of the Lamb And therefore you that are children of godly Parents hear this word and know it you bring such engagements into the world with you to the strong man and now are so engaged that unlesse Christ be broken for you and his death suffered for you and his blood shed for you you see how it is with younger and elder people and let all Parents tell it to their children and Masters to their servants and all that have to do with the world be not deluded with a good affection to your own nature you are in this is the state of all since the world began they are all sprauling in wickednesse and there is such a league between the Devil and them that unlesse the Lamb be slaughtered we cannot be saved Secondly Let all the sonnes of nature and all other sons of grace know that if Christ was slaughtered from the beginning of the world and onely to break the Serpents head which had plotted our destruction from the foundation of the world then certainly it is not possible we should live in those sinnes by which we have slaughtered Christ can any man that knows the difference between the right hand and left commit sinne that slaughters Christ Jesus and live and die in it well enough and think with himselfe that notwithstanding the lewd lusts that hurry me I shall do well enough with it an oath is not such a great matter or to sit â—ippling till we be drunk or gaining too much in bargains it is no such great matter I tell thee if it be breach of the law of God thou canst not live in it Christ himselfe could not it cost his breaking I speak nothing to the difference between mortall and veniall sins was it a veniall sin think ye that slaughtered the Son of God they have been breaking him since the world began and is it possible that if he lye a bleeding for sin is it possible that this or that sinne should be veniall and ought to be passed over be not deceived look what slaughter it hath brought of the chiefest of the world even the God of the world it slaughtered him and there are none of all his people that shall be saved by him but must be slaughtered in his lusts and passions they must be crucified with Christ if they have any part in him he was slaine from the beginning and so from first to last they must be crucified from the power of sinne or else they cannot be saved And therefore let no man blesse himself and think he shall do well enough though he continue in sin for the truth is there is no sin but cost Christs breaking and crushing and either thou must lay hold on his death and be conformable unto him or else thou shalt never have part in him it is tough work to slaughter sin let this slaughter of Christ cut off all out-runnings of sinne whether in thoughts words and deeds let it be as a slaughtering knife to all our lusts considering there is no taking leave in this and that for the truth is it cost the very blood of Christ Thirdly It may teach us the unity of our Religion with the Religion of the ancient Patriarks since the world began how did they look to be saved In Acts 15. 11. they all looked to be saved by grace and by the blood of the Lord Jesus as we doe in doing and suffering all for them and we know no other way There is no name under heaven whereby wee must be saved but onely the name of Christ and by that we are saved from the guilt and filth of sinne and supplyed with grace to conformâ— us to Christ Jesus and to make us like to him our head and husband there is the old way of salvation and it is the same now there is unity and true antiquity The Papists speak much of antiquities but let them bring no other way of salvation but the blood of the Lamb and we will look at them as Churches for point of salvation we will grant them the right hand of fellowship if they will look for no salvation neither from free will nor from merits of their own nor from the intercession of Saints and Angells nor from dispensations of the Pope nor from the going on pilgrimage nor from the satisfaction of Saints but that they look for salvation onely from the blood of the Lamb truly we will give them the right hand of fellowship let them have errours there may be many errours otherwise but let them hold there and look for all salvation there and rest not upon any other hopes of salvation but what they receive from the blood of the Lamb by faith in him for so alone it is received faith in the blood of the Lamb breeds and sheds abroad every grace in some measure and makes fruitfull No man hath washed his roabs in the blood of the Lamb but is fit to walk with Christ in white to justification to his sanctification Rev. 7. 14. And so you shall have a true and perfect agreement in Religion if that we agreed upon looking there for salvation and put not salvation else-where but when men magnifie nature and pinch upon and extenuate the blood of Christ and in their deep devotion you shall have pictured here is the blood of Christ and the blood of the sonne of the Virgin when he looks upon the sonne of the Virgin he thinks there is perfect salvation but when he looks upon other things to the miâ—k of his mother oh there is more sweetnesse in milk then in blood when he looks againe to the passion of Christ then he priseth that but when he looks to the tendernesse of his mâ—â—her hee thinkes there is more in that And thus doth their blasphemous devotion hang between the milk of the mother and the blood of the Lamb which argues their religion is transported to a notion of the blood of the Lamb and they are captive hither and thither and any whether rather then to the blood of Christ Fourthly It may be of
head of that Church It is cause of everlasting thankfulnesse and watchfulnesse not to be deluded by fine shewes of worldly men but let us see and know where true worship lies as the Lord hath declared himself in Christ and held him forth in the Gospel of truth Forthly let it teach us all where to bestow our admiration and adoration It was a charge that our Saviour gave to the Devill and which accordingly he himself practised and requires us to doe Mat. 4. 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve The Devill askes this of Christ to bow downe to him and worship him The Lords Indignation is kindled his holy Zeale is inflamed against such a Sacriligious request Get thee hence Satan for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve And as we are to worship him alone and no God but him so we are to admire none but him Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee glorious in holinesse fearfull in praises doing wonders Exod. 15. 11. There is matter of admiration who is a God like unto the Lord that forgiveth Iniquity Transgression and Sinne of which you read Mic. 7. 18. and which the Church holds forth there upon this very ground who is a God like unto thee why what is there in him that you so magnifie him he is a God that forgives Iniquity Transgression and Sinne here is cause indeed of admiration They admire and adore the Pope why Because they had satisfaction to their consciences in their way and an ungrounded hope of a better state in another world and pardon of Sinne in this and now they come to fellowship with Christ by the worship of the Devill But who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity Transgression and Sinne So that here is indeed matter of due admiration and let it be fastned there When a mans soul is brought low with the sence of Sinne and overpoured with the burden that lyes upon his conscience by reason of the guilt of Sinne what is matter of admiration now who is a God like unto thee that passeth by Iniquity transgression sin It is not the Pope of Rome that can take away sin it is not all the cunning of the Dragon that can do it And therefore to what end are all the admirations and worships that are put upon the Bishop of Rome and the Dragon that gave him his power They may please themselves in what satisfaction they apprehend they have but their own principles possesse them that they can never come to see the admirable goodnesse of God in forgiving their Sinnes But now when the Lord sheds abroad a spirit of grace and peace in the conscience and applyes the goodnesse of Christ to the discharge of the burden of Sinne and of quickning the heart in the peace of Christ Jesus this breeds admiration Blessed be God the Father of mercy and God of all consolation that of his aboundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope I say this blessing is worthy of admiration and not onely of wonderment but of acknowledging all glory and blessednes to him When the conscience is not pacified by a sorry duty done from man but by a sealed pardon from the spirit of God witnessed by the breath of the holy Ghost this is such a mercy to the soule as indeed raiseth the heart above all admiration of such a Beast I to a true detestation of this Beast and of the Dragon that hath so long bewitched and carried them captive to the imaginations of their own hearts and in the end to their everlasting perdition But let it be the care of Gods people as ever you desire to be blessed from the admiration of such a worm-eaten Religion so grow to an admiration of the God of mercy and grace and so we shall doe that upon just grounds which our Fathers did without grounds to this Beast and to the head of it Upon this ground this head being wounded and afterwards healed all the world wondred after him Here is an Image of Christ he was wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and he riseth againe and he proclaims all power is given him in Heaven and Earth Now see how this Vicar of Christ as they call him usurps as Christ was wounded and is risen againe so it is with this Beast he is wounded to death and afterwards healed and restored and now all the world admire and worship him Have they forgotten that Christ dyed for our Sinnes and was raised again for our Justification and doe they stand admiring at this Beast as he that was wounded and healed Therefore let it be a ground of true thankfulnesse to the Lord for the great change that is wrought in Christendome and let us give the Lord the admiration that is due to him that we may be preserved from those delusions wherewith others have been deceived and may goe on in this way constantly which the Lord hath established and called us unto Revel 13. 5 6. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue forty and two moneths And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven THE events that followed upon the healing of the Beast the first was That all the world admired him The second was Vniversall worship given both to the Beast and to the Dragon that gave power to the Beast of which wee have already spoken The third event remains now to be spoken to and that is the deligation of power to this Beast upon his recovery and the power given him is four-fold 1. There was power given him to speak great things and in particular great blasphemies 2. There was power given him to continue that is as the word signifies to be doing to be active to be powerfull and efficacious in his worke 42. moneths 3. There was power given him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them 4. Power was given him of dominion over all Kindreds Tongues and Nations First There was given him a mouth speaking great things Secondly There was power given him to continue 42. moneths and both these Authorities or Liberties they are amplified by the effect it wrought in the Beast He did effectually take that power which was given him and employed it to the utmost As he had a mouth given him so he opened his mouth in blasphemies and that amplified by the object of his blasphemy against God and God distributed his Name his Tabernacle and those that dwell in Heaven The note then that the words do afford first is this That after the healing of the wounded head of the Beast there was given to him power to speak great things even blasphemies which also he did effectually and abundantly exercise or
did any earthly Prince challenge that he could not erre nor that none must controll him if he did There have been Laws made to controll the greatest Princes Nebuchadnezzar was taught to be controlled that in the end Shadrach Mesech and Abednego goe away rewarded 3. The Catholick Church and the Pope is the head of it claimes a power of binding and loosing To bind mens consciences by his Laws and to loose mens consciences by his Indulgences and that not ministerially as Ministers do from the Word but by a Juditiary power to dissolve the bond of naturall Obedience incestuous Marriages Oaths and Covenants in Marriage Natural relations between Parents and Children and morall Relations between Princes and Subjects There is not any bond that he cannot loose nor any liberty which he cannot restraine And this not over a few only but over the vast world so far as it is Christian And 4. It is a great thing he speakes and he speakes it not behind the door when he challengeth Soveraign dominion in way of advancement of Religion over all Kingdoms so as to depose their Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms leave any State to choose where he hath power If his Crowne be to be fetched from Rome as it was in former times when it was most active He will set it on but dash it off againe out of the plentitude of his power to â—et up and throw downe at his pleasure He opened his mouth to speak great things He is never so in his element as when he doth hold forth such vast authority and divine propriety proper to the Father Son and holy Ghost Now as he speaks great things so blasphemes against God and wherein Against his Name and Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Against his name All these are blasphemies against Gods name to attribute all these divine properties to a beastly man to a great beast And it is blasphemy to ascribe any divine honour or to put it upon any creature Images served the holy Ghost calls blasphemy Isa 65. 7. You have blasphemed me upon every green hill And in Ezek. 20. 27 28. he complaines of the like blasphemy that they blasphemed him by their Idolatires In Mar. 2. 7. Why doth this man speak blasphemies who can forgive sins but God onely It were to speak blasphemy in any but in Christ Secondly It is against his Tabernacle that may be either meant the body of Christ as 1 John 14. He tabernacled amongst us Or it may be meant the visible Churches such as are instituted by him For the body of Christ it is blasphemy to go to every Masse Priest to make him the body and blood of our Saviour Or if you understand the Tabernacle to be the Church that is the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. 16. Now to call the Church of Christ a Conventicle of Hereticks and Schismaticks it is blasphemy and so they count all the Churches here And for the Saints in heaven to put upon them divine worship to build Temples to them to put up Prayers to them to keep Holy-dayes to them it is blasphemie to them it is a great dishonour Paul and Barnabas when they saw men to come and offer sacrifice to them Men and brethren why doe you these things you cannot do us a greater injury And for the Saints in heaven that is pure Churches he condemns them for Hereticks and Schismaticks and as unworthy of Christian communion and Christian burial these are blasphemies So you see the meaning of this Scripture There was given him a mouth to speake great things and to blaspheme God in his Name in his Tabernacle in those that dwell in Heaven Thus hath he done many yeares and thus doth hee still Now for the reason of the point you see the point stands upon two branches 1. That such power was given him 2. That he did effectually and abundantly put it foâ—â—h He opened his mouth Let mee give the reasons of both 1. Why such power was given him it was First from God in his just judgement to punish the unthankfull world that received not the love of the truth Therefore the Lord gave them over to efficacy of delusions to believe lies That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2. 10 11. This is the just judgment of God that since they refused the simplicity of wholsome Doctrine and had itching eares they should have such men as came with the subduing word of the Law to speak great things and they should have what they aske This is from Gods just jugement A second Reason is from Satan for God concurred and Satan concurred and Christian Princes concurred herein Satan concurred for this reason that he might be avenged of God and despight the name of Christ that had cast him out and dethroned him from his divine power That whereas he was the great God of the world and the God of Israel but a puny God of the lesser Nations now hee is to be no God to trust on but like a Toad or Serpent this doth so enrage the venome of the old Devill that he powrs forth a flood of malice and venome against the Church and Christ as much as may be to testifie to the world hee would be Lord and the Lord Jesus should not prevaile And if he may not be God he will set up a Beast that shall be adored as God And it is a great despight to Christ to advance a Beast that shall carry great State and power and dare and will speak greater things then all the Churches of Christ I as great as the Lord himself shall speak look what one speaks the other wil speak it all and speak it abundantly As the Devill himselfe sometimes said to Christ All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me The same doth he speak at this day and he will speak without controll Another reason that binds Satan so to speak is not only his old enmity to Christ but from his malice against the Church When hee saw that the seed of the woman had thus dethroned him and cast him out of divine power he powrs forth a flood of malice after her and he sends forth an ugly Beast that if he can may root out the face of Christianity and root her out from the face of the earth Rev. 12. 15. These are the Devils reasons that mooved him to stirre up the Beast and to give him a mouth to speake so boldly as hee did But why will Christian Princes be so prodigall to submit themselves to him God had committed to them the care of the Churches that all Churches should live peaceably and quietly under them in all godliness and honesty why would they so degenerate and suffer the Bishop of Rome so to arrogate and speak such great blasphemies The reasons were 1. Because they were ignorantly blinde It was a time of palpable darknesse darknesse
live to our selves nor to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 Pet. 4. 1 2 3. 2 Cor. 5. 15. So that this is that which the Lord now cals us to to wit to live now no longer to those things from which we were redeemed by an invaluable price We are redeemed from the bondage of sinne and Satan and from the world and not onely redeemed from these but purchased to life as a reconciled people to God to be as the friends of God Abraham was called the friend of God Though a man make no bones of breaking out against an enemy yet now being reconciled especially to him in whom we live or move and have our being it is for us to walke as those that are reconciled to God as those that are united to Christ as those that are sanctified by his Spirit as those that have the grace of Christ applyed to our soules as those that are dead to sinne and alive to righteousnesse It is for us to walk as those that look for a purchased possession to the glory of Gods grace when this life shall be no more If we be dead with Christ why are we not free from all that which is evil and free to all that is good Col. 2. 20. It is a staine and blemish to the blood of Christ to see a child of God live in any durty corruption to see a child of God a worldling to yeild to any temptation it is a staine to the blood of Christ To see a child of God set loose from the Father or the Sonne or the Spirit it is a staine to the blood of Christ for the blood of Christ is a purchase to redeem us from all evill and to purchase to us all good For a fifth use it may teach us to apply effectually the blood of Christ as we for our parts in our Ministery so you in your meditations and repititions there is the ground of your peace No conscience that hath been troubled with sence of sinne but there lies his grief the wrath of God that is upon his unbeleiving soule He is condemned the wrath of God abideth on him If you ransack it to the bottom there is it that crusheth the spirit all other will be cast off in case we be clear in this principle about the satisfaction of Gods justice provoked against us by our many and great transgressions what shall satisfie the soule now There is nothing in the world so fit to beget faith as the preaching of the cross of Christ If I be lift up from the earth I will draw all men unto me John 12. 32. If Christ be drawn up on the Crosse held forth for his drawing of people that are troubled about the wrath of God and the removing thereof and about satisfaction to God about all our iniquities this will draw soules unto him For how will you uphold any man to bear his burden of the apprehension of Gods wrath with any tolerable ease No way but by holding forth Christ the innocent Lamb of God crucified upon the crosse and his blood spilt as a price of satisfaction to Gods justice as a price of redemption from all evill and purchase of all good then saith the soule me-thinks there is some hope even for me For who shall hinder the power of the blood of Christ and who shall hinder the free passage of Gods grace if the Lord Jesus hath undertaken it and hold it forth especially to men that are sick and oppressed and cast downe and ready to perish for want of succour In such a case while this is held forth there is the blood of Christ held forth which was shed to purchase the spirit of grace as it is written in Gal. 3. 13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a cuâ—se for us that we might receive the promise of the spirit The same blood of Christ that hath redeemed us from the curse and hath purchased the communion of the spirit he is wont in the preaching of the crosse of Christ to open Heaven to the soule to open the doors of the heart to beleive on this blood thus hâ—ld forth and so by this means you shall finde a support some satisfaction to all turmoils and agonies of consciende It is a wonder to see how this blood of Christ is mighty through God to make our peace while the spirit doth conveigh the efficacy thereof to the quieting and establishing the soule In fellowship with Christ and reconcilement with the Father that the soule sees Christ hath not dyed in vaine that he hath not heard the word in vaine nor waited upon Christ in vaine but sees there is life and peace and all in the blood of Christ And therefore wonder not now that the Apostles were so carefull in preaching the crosse of Christ ther 's the ground of all our reconciliation That satisfies the justice of God and that satisfies the soule the spirit applying it begets faith to receive it and there is they stay of the soul So this is the principall duty as for us to teach so for the people of God continually to attend unto to ponder upon this especially those whose hearts are at a losse about satisfaction of Gods wrath and pardon of their sinne It is that which in a speciall manner they stand in need to attend unto For a sixth use If any man shall aske how shall I know that all this belongs to me what it is for thee we cannot yet tell in case a man have had no impression upon his soule yet it may be to thee for ought thou canst tell because all the Elect are not yet called home but are to be called Therefore it is not the thing to say they have no hope in it because they are not yet washed by it for they may be before they dye But if for the present you would know whether you have part in it or no you see what the nature of it is where the blood of Christ comes where it is sprinkled you see what it doth it hath a redeeming power in it and a purchasing power It doth redeem thee from all evill from the power of sinne and Satan and of this world and of thine owne heart and withall from the wrath of God and the curse of the Law so that the Conscience is more pure and peaceable then before and both these go together But mind what I say further if this blood hath had this free passage in thine heart it hath purchased reconcilement with the Father union with the Sonne communion with the Spirit conformity to Christ and comforting thee in Christ Conforming thee to Christ in his death and comforthing thee in Christ and the fruits of his death the favour of God and the pardon of sinne and the blessed priviledges that his death hath purchased I say this is the efficacy of the blood of Christ where it is received in power If these
is infinite is eternall Now the value and vertue of the death of Christ is infinite as being the blood of the sonne of God Acts 20. 28. Now that which is infinite as well reacheth that which is before as after it infinite it is or else it cannot be eternall and infinite it had need to be or else the infinite wrath of God could not be satisfied thereby but being infinite it was of eternall efficacy and therefore he was a Lamb slain and slaine from the foundation of the world So that all that are elect were in Christ before the foundation of the world Ephes 1. 4. Hee hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world in Christ and in Christ crucified before the foundation of the world for being of infinite value it must of necessity be eternall there is nothing infinite but is eternall they are co-incident that which is finite will end it began in time and will end in time But that which is infinite must needs have respect to eternity and therefore saith our Saviour John 8. 38. Before Abraham was I am So that take him whether as God or in point of the vertue and efficacy of his mediation he was before Abraham it could not be eternall if it be not infinite and if it be infinite it must needs be eternall From the presence of all future things to Christ I speak in proper speech it is truly said there is nothing future to Christ I confesse the point is unconceivable to finite capacities but to God all things to come are present as if they were in actuall being All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe Heb. 4. 13. It is an ancient speech Eternity is like a circumference about a Center that compasseth it round about that if you fit on the Center you see all the lines Suppose a great tower as high as the clouds and one sitting thereupon he sees one man coming this way and another another way he sees they will meet in one place they know nothing of it it is future to them but present to him So the Lord that sits upon the clouds of eternity if I may use such a word he sees all things as if they were present to him and certaine it is God is not one day older then he was from the beginning the Angels are older and Satan but God is not older nor is capable of being older time addes nothing to him his eternity swallows up all that which hath been is and shall be it is fresh still to him that which is past and that which is to come whence it is said Before Abraham was I am he doth not say I was but his past time is not lost to him no time is past with God Before Abraham was I am a thousand yeares are but as yesterday when it is past all are one time to God Psal 90. 4. So then if you look at Gods account of things that hath entred into such a Covenant from eternity hath written so many in the book of life to be brought on to God by the death and resurrection and ascention of Christ he knew the person of the God-head would certainly take the humane nature of Christ it was present to him and therefore hee doth so elect and govern and dispose of creatures as he that had received a ransome before the world began And therefore Elihu his speech is weighty in Job 33. 23. That if an interpreter one of a thousand come to a sicke man and shew to a man his righteousnesse and that then God is gracious to him and saith deliver him for I have found a ransome to wit in the blood of the Lamb then will he say deliver him What had he received a ransome in Jobs time Job lived before Abraham truly then he hath a ransome as a man hath a bond from a good surety but so it was in his apprehension not only because Christ was a good surety and would make good payment in time but the thing was as present with God and really performed All times with God are but as now past present and to come all times with God are one and the same Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and for ever Yesterday before the Law and to day both under the Law and especially under the Gospel and for ever the same of the same vertue and efficacy and power So you see the truth of the Point The use is shortly thus much First it shews you the dangerous and damnable estate of the world from the foundation of the world the deep depravation and corruption of the world from the foundation of it it is said by John 1 John 5. 19. We know we are of God and all the world lyes in wickednesse Did it lye so in Johns time when all the great Nations of the world worshipped the Devill Apollo Hercules and Jupiter and such dunghill gods Did it not then lye in wickednesse Truly it was so since the world began it was never better from Abraham to Moses from Moses to Christs time and from Christs time to this the whole world lyes in wickednesse for otherwise to what end should Christ be slain from the foundation of the world if there were no need of a Redeemer else there had been no need of his sacrificing from the foundation of the world There were all errors in the world not as God made it but they suddenly corrupted themselves Man being in honour abideth not but is like the beast that perisheth Psal 49. 20. The word in the Original is he shall not sleep in it nor lodg in it meaning that hee shall not take one nights rest but become like a beast and clad with the skin of a beast So this is the condition of civill men that are like bruit beasts from the foundation of the world The Lord looked down from heaven and beheld the children of men And the Apostle interprets it of all men He looked downe and beheld all the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seeke God They are all gone aside they are all become filthy c. Psal 14. 2 3 4 5. This is the case of all men by nature The Apostle expounds it of all Jewes and Gentiles by nature in Rom. 3. 10. to 16. And in Gen. 6. 5. The Lord looked upon the earth and behâ—ld it was corrupt And in Gen. 11. v. 12. The earth also was corrupt before God c. And God saw that all the imaginations of mans heart were evill onely evill and that continually The word translated Imaginations in the Originall is The frame and bent of his thoughts is evill and onely evill and that continually bent to back-sliding from God not a good thought in any mans heart since the world began take him as hee is by nature not a good thought riseth in any mans heart not a good word from his lips nor
of measuring bâ— the rule of the word of God count them as given to the Gentiles And the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two moneths the same time that here the Beast is to rule Now Gentiles are accounted without Christ and without God in the world Ephes 2. 12. He meanes Pagan Gentiles nor Christian Gentiles for such are we And in Rev. 11. 8. The dead bodies of the witnesses they shall lye in the street of the great City and he doth account it spiritually Sodome and Aegypt Sodome for lewednesse and beastly lusts and Aegypt for barbarous and base idolatry and oppression of Gods people This is the esteem the holy Ghost hath of him And in Rev. 17. 5. Hee calls her a great whore and the mother of harlots And the Text is playn and holds forth this doctrine playnely and the Holy Ghost would have all the Churches of Christ to know it That none do worship this Roman Catholicke Church that is are reconciled to it and give up themselves to the fidelity of it that goe beyond the state of a Reprobate And all the Churches of God cannot do thus and therefore cannot live and dye Roman Catholicks Let me name you some popular reasons I will not make any subtile discourse of it though it would require strong Judgement and sinewes of Reason but take popular Reasons and yet such as will bear some waite The first is from their want of Christ Jesus in whom all our life and salvation is laid up He that hath not the Sonne hath not life it is a plaine and peremptory principle of the Gospell 1 John 5. 12. No Christ no salvation There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. Now this Roman Catholick Church and they that worship the same they have not Christ How proove you that For Christ is not had nor received but by faith in the Gospell in a free promise of Grace unto the soule As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sonnes of God even to them that belâ—ive on his name John 1 12. Christ dwels in our hearts by Faith Ephes 3. 17. The faith therefore by which we receive Christ whether have they that faith or no let themselves be Judge They do professe that the Catholick Faith is no more but a perswasion of the truth of all the doctrines of the Gospell and of the whole word of God but for a particular application of Christ unto the soule they do not acknowledge it as that which is the means of receiving of Christ So that the Faith which they do in this case hold forth is in very truth no other but that which James saith of the faith of Dâ—vils they have received as much James 2 19. Thou beleivest that there is one God thou doest wed the Devils also beleive and tremble A Roman Catholick beleives the whole doctrine of the world He does well the Devils know as much and beleive as much as they do yet no man will say that the Devils faith receives Christ Now where there is no Christ there is no salvation Where there is no Faith there is no Christ And where there is no Faith but that which the Devils may reach unto there is no true Faith at all It would be endlesse to run into all the objections that they make but let any that know Faith aright judge whether the Faith of theirs is such a Faith whereby a man can receive the Lord Jesus Secondly Without Grace there is no salvation For saith the Apostle By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of workes least any man should boast Eph. 2. 8 9. If therefore the Roman Catholickes say that they are saved by workes and they say so if we take workes in the worst tenour of workes that is by the meriâ— of works The Apostle saith Not of works least any man should boast and say that he hath wrought his own salvation And the Apostle tels you If it be of works it is not of Grace Rom. 11. 6. For works cannot be joyned with grace in the merit of salvation they are onely the way of salvation And in that sence it is said Worke out your salvation with fear and trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 12 13. But if a man look for salvation out of the merit of works he hath it not from grace Papists reply they have it from works and grace also for they have it not from works of nature but from works of grace and they are not opposite but subordinate But what saith the Apostle He saith workes and grace are not subordinate but opposite one to another and if it be of grace it is not of workes and if of workes then not of grace And the Apostle tels you Gal. 5. 4. If ye be justified by the workes of the Law you are fallen from grace you have no part nor portion of the grace of Christ And therefore they are fallen from grace and if from Grace then from salvation These are principles of Religion and he that hath any understanding to hear what the holy Ghost saith in this case may easily perceive the truth of what we speak In very truth you will finde that all which they hold is but in a tenor of the Covenant of works Their election they hold is from works and faith foreseen Some of them indeed are affraid of it as the Dominicans but the most prevailing are those that think Gods electing love is but out of faith and works foreseen They look as the grace of effectuall calling to be founded upon the good inclination of a mans will and co-operation of it with the grace of Gods calling They professe that Simon Peter had no more grace given him then Simon Magus to become a christian And what cut the scantling between the one and the other Peter had received so much grace that if he would he might be saved and so they say Simon Magus did receive the same but God did not bow change his will or reason but left them both so far suffered as they might beleive if they would How comes it then that Simon Peter did beleive and was saved and Simon Magus did not beleive with a lively faith and was damned They will confesse it really the body of them that it did spring from Peters will he did out of the freenesse of his will choose it This is vocation from the working of a mans will whereas the Covenant of Grace doth confesse that it is not of our will but of the Lords that takes away our strong heart and gives us a soft heart before any preparation Justification they look for none but by works nor perseverance in a state of grace but by their works and everlasting salvation from the merit
the Churches and Saints of Christ that have been overcome or have suffered any hard-ship from any of these Those that have been troublesome to Gods Churches and people the Lord will one day visite them all and he will one day root them out of the land of the living They shall one day know what pillars and scourges and fire and faggot meanes what torments meane what bloody inquisitions meane They shall be recompenced seven-fold into their bosomes Here is the patience and faith of the Saints The third note is this The Lord doth as much acknowledg and accept the patience and faith of his Saints that have suffered under the Roman Catholique Church as he did the faith and patience of the Primitive Saints that suffered under the Roman Pagan Emperours against Heathenish idolatry The Papists themselves are full of acknowledgment of the Primitive Martyrs and will write many Legends of them as the Pharisees they did build the Sepulchers of the Prophets and yet killed their Successors Fulfill saith Christ the measure of your fathers You garnish the sepulchers of the dead bodies and yet you kill their Successors They will acknowledg them the Primitive Martyrs but what are those that suffered in Switzerland in France in England in Germany They look at those as Lolards and Hereticks But what saith the Lord of them Even of them as well as of those that suffered in former times the Lord doth accept their sufferings and saith of them Here is the patience and faith of the Saints Wherein the Lord doth acknowledge the faith by which they overcome this Beast and patience to be the patience and faith of the Saints The world saith otherwise but the Lord saith of those that suffered under this Beast Here is the patience and faith of the Saints So in Rev. 12. 13. Here is the patience of the Saints Write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from hence-forth as well as in ancient times Blessed are they that dye in the faith of Christ Jesus in the hottest and highest times of Popery The Reason is evident First because the faith of such Christians and their patience was the faith and patience of Christ That is to say that which both fastned upon Christ and bore witnsse unto Christ and suffered patiently for Christ as did the Primitive Christians in the ten Persecutions And it was such a faith as by which they overcame the world 1 John 5. 4. It was faith in Christ Jesus even that faith by which they chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Heb. 11. 24 25. It was that faith by which they despised honour Even the same case of Christ in Moses hand and in their hands and the point is of like nature Roman Idolatry is but another Edition and their Errors are as fundamentall subvertions to that which shouâ—d be the faith of Gods elect And their Government is directly contrary unto the Gospel-government of Christ Jesus as light is to darknesse When their faith in the cause of Christ do carry them along in suffering for him it is then the patience of Christ It was the like faith and patience of Christ to suffer under Annas and Caiaphas as under Herod It is true in the one he suffered as an enemy to Caesar in the other as a blasphemer but the case is all one No matter what the persons 〈…〉 Christian in profession Iâ— the cause be the 〈◊〉 of Christ it is the patience and faith of Christ which is in his 〈…〉 whomsoever they suffer 〈…〉 Reason is from the greater exercise of saith and 〈◊〉 to discern and suffer under Christians against Christians 〈…〉 Pagans 〈◊〉 Heathen persecutors For the use of the point Fiâ—st it cryes downe all the scandalous sentences that Courts have given against the Saints of God they say here are the suffering of Lolards and Hereticks Jesus Christ from heaven saith Here is the faith and patience of the Saints Do not therefore count it obstinacy and contumacy in heresie nor pravity It is the faith and patience of the Saints if Chrâ—st calls it so his word must carry it When they shall all appear before his Judgment-seate whose word shall stand then his or theirs He will say here is the cruelty and outrage of the persecution of Antichrist that puts the Lambs of Christ to death Secondly It may serve to teach us how much the Lord delights to honour his patient and faithfull servants Hee writes upon their Toomb-stones as it were so many Saints or faithfull Martyrs of Christ are those who have thus suffered This doth the Lord Jesus Christ write upon their stakes where they are burned in Smithfield or else-where and upon the chains wherewith they are bound A great encouragement it is unto Christians to be constant in the profession of the Gospel and to contend earnestly for the faith once given to the Saints We must not therefore be afraid to stand fast in the profession of the Truth and to hold it to the death If we should dye in his Cause in a way of persecution to be slaughtered by the outrage of ungodly men what ever the world say of it the Lord will from heaven beare this witnesse to it That it is the patience and faith of the Saints Thirdly it must teach all who would suffer for the name of Christ to be well assured of their cause and then to adde constancy to their suffering in their cause Otherwise unlesse it be the cause of Christ it is no patience but obstinacy blindenesse and ignorance But see that your cause be the cause of Christ and then cleave unto it by the invincible â—aith of Gods elect to overcome the world and look Lyons and Dragons in the facâ— without fear and astonishment and look at punishment and tortour as not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed It looks at them as things that Christ hath endured greater and other of the Saints of God have gone before uâ— in the like or a greater martyrdome Therefore first look to the cause and then believe in the truth of the cause and the faithfulnesse of Christ that will maintaine his servants stable and firme and cause them to hold out unto the end But do not take up your reformation upon custome nor side with any thing for custom of the country where you are because your Magistrates and Elders do commend it to you for it behooves every christian man to know well what he beleives and practise and to know the doctrine of Christ and the Government and the worship of Christ and that not because men say so but because you see light for it from the word of the Son of God Then your next care is to look that you depend upon Christ for strength that as he suffered for you you may be able to suffer for him ther 's the faith of Gods children And for
which so much concerns posterity may be established for my own part while we live I am not greatly solicitous thereabout yet for future we know not what Governors may arise and what may be put upon our posterity needful therefore that things were put in a right frame that whatever men say yet the Lord may say here is wisdome and here is neither marke nor name nor number of name but all carried according to the laws of the 12. Apostles and this will require some humiliation and if Moses stood in need of 40. days we much more of one day And for our native countrey we do not know what conflicts there may be there about the number of the name of the Beast we are come from them in bodily presence and therefore cannot helpe them by a word of advice but this we may do put up supplications to heaven and we may intreat the God of wisdome and the Prince of peace that he would put in amongst them that they may see the whole fabrick root and branch of the man of sin that so there may be a perfect combination of the two great Nations that the Parliament may be for the better not for the worse but purity of ordinances if it be the blessed will of God may be established however we shall finde a blessing and some of our brethren shall fare the better and if things wax clearer and zeal warmer they will begin to suspect the number as well as the name and as the head of the beast otherwise the three innocent ceremonies as they call them they are grown to six and being multiplyed by ten they may grow to 60. yea to 600. for ought I know Let us help them what we can by Prayer FINIS A TABLE of the principall Heads contained in this Book A THe amplitude of the Popes power page 113 Amplitude of dominion not an inseperable character of the Church 121 Angels created the first day of the weeke 188 Antichrist described 243 It is Antichristian to assume Gods titles 52 Transcendant authority dangerous to be admitted 72 Albingenses and Waldenses slaine to the number of 1000000. 100 B. Backsliders punished page 43 The first Beast what it is page 7. Described p. 2. Not the Pagan Empire p. 4. Not the Christian Empire pag 5. Whence it did arise p. 9 The Beast and the head of the beast is one and the same 44 The Beasts head when wounded and cured p. 35. his great words p. 62. the Beasts time how long p. 80. Why counted by monethes p. 86. When it did begin p. 86 The Beasts power p. 98. From whence p. 115. Why Saints worship not the Beast 139 The second Beast described 223 Bishoply power to be prayed against 38 Blasphemy what 67 Blessed are the sufferers for Christ page 219 Bodie of death what 185 Booke of Providence and booke of Conscience and the booke of life what 132 The Popes Buls are but baubles 90 C. IT is a Character of the second Beast to be without controul p. 236 Christs Government over all Nations 12â— Christ both the subject and the author of life 130 Why Christ answered not Pilate 157 Christ the Lamb slaine p. 154. Christ slaine from the beginning of the world how 189 Christ the stone cut out of the mountaine without hands p. 196. the head of the Church 37 Christians may make a defensive warre 108 The Church Catholick is not visible 13 The power of the Church 13 The Roman Catholicke visible Church a beast p. 14. They receive their power from the Devill 22 Nationall and Diocesan Churches an Image of the beast 16 Christs Church is such as meet in one Congregation 15 No Communion to be held with Antichristian Churches 239 Scripture Computations most exact 95 D. THe Popes Decretals the number of the Beast page 253 Dwellers on the earth who 230 Defensive war of Prorestants p. 104. Defensive warr lawfull 108 Denmark one of the ten horns 81 Devill cast out of heaven when and where 88. 92 E. EAre to heare what it meanes 206 Election a booke of life p 135. in what sence it is sayd to be sure p. 150. How we are said to make it sure 150. 153 England one of the ten horns p. 10. 81. F. FAith the victory whereby we overcome the world page 108 The Faith of Romanists is the saith of the Devill 210 No Falling from grace 149 France one of the tenne horns 81 Fryars are Incendiaries 101 Fundamentall power is in the people 72 G. GRace and workes opposite page 210 God most exact in his computations 94 Christs Government over the world p. 122. It is hard to be set up in England 12 Governours are subject to law p. 109. they may be resisted and when 109 Gregory sent for England 51 H. HEadship of the Church is Christs priviledge page 39 Hints of Providence should be taken 45 To keep Holy-dayes is blasphemy 67 Tenne Horns of the Beast 81 I. IMmunity and impunity from all censures is the Beasts claime page 230 Image of the Beast what p. 223. that all Officers Governments and worship not instituted by Christ are but Images 238 Diocesan Cathedrall and Nationall Churches are Images of the Beast 239 It is impossible for Saints to fall finally 148 The Judgment upon persecutors 217 Justification is from free grace 163 K. THe Kingly power of Christ page 122 L. CHrist the Lamb slaine p. 154. 168. Why called a Lam p. 155. Why slaine p. 170. What the book of the Lamb p. 135 Lex 〈◊〉 unto persecuting Tyrants 98 Boundlesse Liberty dangerous 71 The Lyon of Babels language 12 The Love of God most free 146 M. MAgistrates power should be limited page 73 Magistrates subject to the Churches censures 126 The fifth Monarchy 120. 122 The 42. Moneths the same with 1260. dayes 83 Why the Beasts time is numbred by Moneths 86 When these Moneths began 93 Opening of the Mouth what it meanes 64 Morall vertue is but a silken or golden chaine 197 N. NAvaâ—â— one of the tenne Horns page 81 No Name whereby to be saved but Christ 201 Number of the Beasts name 247 O. VVHat Obedience Subjects owe to Princes page 111 Opening the mouth what it meanes 64 Opportunity to wound the Beast ought not to be neglected 45 P. PArishes a part of the beasts Image page 20 A Papist by his Religion cannot go beyond a reprobate 143 The People can give no power but what the word of God allows 72 Peace with Idolaters dangerous 105 Persecutors rewarded in their kind 98 Gods judgement on Persecutors 217 Pontifex Maximus the Popes style 88 Pope the head of the Beast that was wounded p. 34. When wounded p. 35. When cured 35 Pope is the seventh head p. 47. Hee rules the world p. 52. Hee assumes divine power 53 Pope is the head of the second Beast p. 215. Why compared to a wild beast p. 226 what power he challengeth 229 Popes have been Conjurers 232 Popery a worm-eaten Religion p.