himselfe wisely in his matters Good Rebecca willing to save Iacob from Esaus fury hideth her counsaile by pretending another occasion because the daughters of Heth were a griefe unto her she would send him to Padan Aram to fetch him a wife And so wisely prevented the intended mischiefe Gen. 27. 41. And Paul used a speciall good policy for himselfe amongst his accusers who discerning that some were Saduces who denied the immortality of the soule and the resurrection of the dead and that some were Pharisees that held both he professed himselfe a Pharisee and cast a bone betweene the two sects and so slid away betweene them Acts 23. 6 7. And thus Christian policy is as lawfull in our warre against this hellish and serpentine army as are those prudent policies of the field in externall wars and martiall affaires squared to the rules of Gods word and to these cautions 1 That nothing be said or done to prejudice truth 2 Or Gods glory 3 Or civil righteousnesse 4 Or the speciall calling 3 The serpent is subtile to contrive evill by evill meanes and this is that wisedome that is earthly hellish sensuall and devillish such are the Machivilian policies and desperate shifts to atraine wicked ends by right or wrong force or fraud life or death Thus Ahab and Iezabel coÌ„trived for Naboths Vineyard by hypocrisy and murther Thus Papists will set up their religion by lies equivocations Spanish inquisitions gunpouder plots and such horrible torments as are likest and come nearest to the torments of hell whence both their religion and devises to uphold it are Thus many Tradesmen are wise to get wealth by lies oathes circumventing and laying snares But the practise of true wisedome from above is pure peaceable gentle and by allowed meanes attaineth lawfull ends the Serpents policy is ever joyned with iniquity but Christian policy must be accompanied with innocency and contriveth good things by good meanes onely and degenerateth into carnal counsaile when even in case of saving the life unwarrantable meanes are undertaken as when David to save his life fained himselfe mad Peter denyed his Lord a Protestant to goe to masse with pretence to keepe his heart to God or a Christian for recovery of health or goods to goe to the Witch 4 The serpent is wise to stop his eares against the charmer and will by no sweet and cunning notes be drawne out of his hold into danger So must the Christian be here as wise as serpents by bewaring of men Mat. 10. 17. Godly men must not commit themselves hastily to every one that can speake theÌ„ faire and singing sweetly unto them but carefully keepe them out of their snares who are like ponds the water is cleare enough at the top but at the bottome foule and muddy Let us remember our Lord was betrayed with a kisse that the Apostles suffered most from false brethren who crept in to spie their liberty That enemies of grace can make faire weather when they are most stormy within that the times are dangerous the persons we have to deale with pernicious the flights of the serpent mischievous and if we deale not as wisely as warrantably they will get beyond us that it is the property of folly to poure out al his mind but wisdome reserveth something for afterward 2 But especially let us not be carried away with their whisperings and charmes that would draw us from our religion sincerity true worship Let no Syren song draw us out of our hold as those of Jesuites Priests Libertine preachers nor prevaile so much with us as to taste any forbidden fruit Quest. How shall I get this serpentine wisdome to oppose the dangerous 7. heads Answ. 1 Get the feare of God that is the beginning of wisdome Prov. 1. 7. Psal. 111. 10. and to depart from evill is understanding Job 28. 28. Prov. 3. 9. 2 Use the meanes appointed seeke for wisdome dig for it as for treasures Prov. 2. 4. Minerals lie hid in the bowels of the earth and are fetched out with labor and hard paines wait at the gates of wisdome that is worth nothing which is got for nothing we must seeke it as silver covetously diligently constantly 3 Make the word thy counsellor there thou meetest with the wisdome of the spirit which over-reacheth all the wisdome of the flesh David hereby became wiser then the ancient then his Counsellors then his enemies Psal. 119. The serpent indeed hath a subtilty of many turnings and windings but in the scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifold wisdome against all devises It is a faithfull guide against all wandrings it is as was the cloud in the wildernesse for our motion or station an unerring guâ—de that leadeth us as wise men to Christ it is the holy card to direct us in this troublesome sea to escape all the shelves and sands and rocks to conduct us safely to the holy land 4 Pray for wisedome so did Salomon for heavenly wisdome thou must go to heaven James 5. If any want wisdome he must aske it of God the incouragement of the prayer is 1 The promise of the spirit of wisdome grace and speech to prevent evils and disappoint enemies Luk 21. 14. 2 The promise that God wil turne wicked mens counsailes to folly as Achitophels 2 Sam. 15. 31. he will scatter their devises and bring them home on their owne heads 5 Practise true wisdome the practise of true wisdome increaseth it The dragon is subtile by long experience and practise against which we shall well oppose this experimentall and practike wisdome Deut. 4. 6. This is your wisdome Quest. How may we practise this Serpentine wisdome Answ. 1 In respect of God and the things of God true wisdome wil provide for it selfe the best things In vaine is that man wise that is not wise for God and himselfe Prov 9. 12. Sound wisdome will provide the best estate for it selfe Wise Virgins will prepare oyle as well as lamps and the wise Merchant will be sure to purchase the pearle though it cost him his whole estate true wisdome will first seeke the Kingdome and the righteousnesse of it then other things true wisdome esteemeth godlinesse the greatest gaine and is provident for it selfe 2 True wisedome is watchfull of it selfe it will observe what evill it is most prone unto and there fence most carefully as Cittizens beseiged doe the weakest part of their wall and there keepe strongest watches 1 It knoweth the dragon watcheth all occasions and so it doth for it selfe and seeing it knoweth Satan fitteth his temptations to every estate it will observe it selfe in prosperitie to watch against pride in adversity to watch against impaciency it will observe opportunities offered and accept them for Gods glory and the good of himselfe and others 3 In good duties it contenteth not it selfe that they be done unlesse they be wel done and in a good manner by good meanes to right ends and in all right
aske it of God Iam. 1. David prayeth God to turne Achitophels wisedome into foolishnesse and so it was God onely can make us wiser then this our enemy therefore as a child the weaker it feeles it selfe the faster hold it layes on the hand of the father so let us on our heavenly Father 3. By sticking to the Word Psalm 119. 24. make that the man of our counsell which onely can make us wise to salvation By this David was wiser then the ancient then the counsellers By this all the serpents stratagems are discovered and diverted 4. Grow up in the feare of God which is the beginning of wisedome This stands not in contemplation but operation rectifying the minde affections actions and is nothing but an upright endeavour to please God in all things A good understanding have all they that do thereafter II. Against the sting poyson and biting of this serpent 1. Let us looke to the brazen Serpent Christ that wee may be both healed and saved No other sight but this can ease us not gold not silver not lands nay not heaven it selfe without Christ nothing but Christs blood The Israelites must bee cured onely by looking the Christian by beleeving 2. A speciall preservative is prayer The policie of the weesell is that knowing the serpent will set upon her and that hee cannot abide the sent of Rue which wee call herbe-grace shee runnes and eates of that herbe and so the sent of it drives off the serpent so wee being sure to be set upon by the serpent who is too strong for us must runne to this herbe-grace and let our dayly and fervent prayer be as Rue against him Thus are wee taught to prevent temptation by praying not to be led into it 3. Daily apply the vertue and power of Christs death to the cure of thy sinne The Harts horne burnt is of power to drive away the serpent and a good antidote against his poison Christ is this Hart or Hinde his horne is the power of his death this horne burnt or parched on the crosse with his Fathers wrath is the onely antidote against the malignity of Sathan III. Against his satanicall opposition and enmity be sure to get God thy friend if God bee with thee Jesus Christ for thee the Spirit of God within thee who can be against thee Rom. 8. 31. If God be for us who can be against us And if Christ be dead and risen for thee who can lay any thing to thy charge verse 33. 34. Now God is with thee so long as thou art with him for hee leaveth not those who have not left him first IV. Against his accusation get 1. The testimony of thy conscience excusing thee that no sinne is unrepented 2. Corin. 11. 12. 2. The testimony of the Spirit that thou art the Lords and in Jesus Christ and then is no condemnation Rom. 8. 1. 3. The Lords justification of thy uprightnesse Iob 1. By fearing God and departing from evill This of the names The second argument by which the Dragon is described is his effect that hee seduceth or deceiveth the whole world where foure things for opening the words I. What is it to seduce Answ. In proper speech it is to mislead or draw a man aside from the right way into some by-way and is a Metaphor taken from travellers or passengers who being ignorant of the right way are led aside into error and wrong wayes Thus the dragon after the way of God had beene propounded to the world in the preaching of the Gospell and Jesus Christ had beene published the onely Way by whom wee can come to the Father by all meanes would shut up this way to heaven and did draw aside the world from the true worship of God to idolatry and false worship of idols and heathen gods and from the embracing of Christian religion to Paganisme and Heathen rites so as the very name of Christ should be extinct if it were possible This is the seduction of the dragon which he incessantly labours in as the participle of the present tense noteth even a perpetuall action of drawing men from the way of truth to errour and false religion II. The persons that are seduced are the whole world alluding to his generall seduction and surprising of all mankinde in our first parents as also the generall corrupting of true religion in the daies of Noah when all flesh had corrupted their wayes and were destroyed by the deluge But by the whole world or earth are meant the reprobates or earthly minded men who intended the world and minded earthly things with contempt of heavenly These were the dragons prey for their multitude called the whole earth For first it is not possible the elect should bee seduced Matt. 24. 24. 2. They are onely in the world but not of the world they are not the earth while they are in the earth nor parts of it but citizens amongst Saints and of another corporation 3. The dragon cannot go beyond his commission which reacheth not to any elect but onely to those who by the just decree of God are given up to his seduction and their owne destruction Rev. 9. 4. The locusts are sent out with a limited commission they are commanded not to hurt the grasse of the earth nor any greene thing that is the elect who have any appearance of true grace these are not to be wounded with the keene stings of their damnable errours and devillish devises but onely the reprobate who have not the seale of God in their foreheads And Revel 13. 13. who be they that worship the beast but they all they and onely they that dwell upon earth earthly men who have no part in heaven whose names are not written in the booke of life III. How or by what meanes doth the dragon seduce the whole earth Answ. Hee hath many wayes some without us and some within us Without us especially three 1. Hee deceiveth by false doctrines errours heresies and lies in which sense Antichristianisme is called the deceiuablenesse of unrighteousnesse 2. Thes. 2. 9. because under pretence of truth and Christianity it fights against Christ and his truth Thus was Ahab seduced by foure hundred false prophets Thus Elymas seduced the deputy and resisted Pauls doctrine and Paul cals him the child of the devill Acts 13. 10. and so be all they that disswade others from hearing the truth II. He deceiveth the world by impious frauds diabolicall impostures and prodigious workes for the confirmation of error Reuel 13. 14. the beast did great wonders to deceive them that dwell on the earth by signes as to make fire come downe from heaven and the like This beast is Antichrist and that false prophet Revel 19. 20. who wrought false miracles by which he seduced those that received the marke of the beast Hee shall do great wonders to confirme a deceivable doctrine yea even call for fire from heaven Which though Bellarmine to free his Pope
consideration of the approach of death was a spurre to the Apostle Peter to double his diligence in the Ministery 2 Pet. 1. 13. The Magistrate hath a notable worke in hand in repressing the wrath of the dragon upholding and encouraging godliness and annuall Magistrates have but a short time when it is longest in their office Have you but a short time be the more stirring and carefull to do good that little time Wee have seene some in that short time have done a great deale of ill businesse therefore imitating the dragon because they would not heare the voice of God But a good man in office will do a great deale of good in a short time Wee heare sometimes some Magistrates reckon what a short time they have to weare out I would wee could heare what good they are resolved to do in that short time which will away apace for it is onely the good they do in it which will abide for their comfort Finally the private Christian hath an excellent worke in hand namely to worke out his owne salvation and to further others both in workes of piety and by workes of mercy spirituall and temporall to helpe them unto heaven and in earth Hast thou but a short time for so great a worke be so much the more diligent Seest thou the dragon because his time is short so industrious in heaping up his owne damnation and wrapping as many others as he can into his judgment and wilt or canst thou slack thy pace and diligence in promoting thine own and other mens salvation 3 As the divell and his instruments shew and declare the shortnesse of their time by extreme wickednesse because Satan powres forth his spirit upon the world to poyson it with outragious sinnes so let us manifest that wee keepe in mind the shortnesse of our times and that we are cast into the last ages by our readinesse and cheerefulnesse in good duties and in abundant fruits of the spirit which in the last dayes was to be powred out Act. 2. 17. Wee must expresse the powring out of this spirit by our increase in knowledge faith obedience and be more fruitfull in our age Thus wee shall aright testifie our right judgement of our owne time and of the last age of the world And as the wicked of the world shew apparātly the last time and Christ neare at hand by abundance of iniquity by worldlinesse atheisme excesses of carnall delight for is it not as in the dayes of Noah wherein men eate and drinke and marry and give in marriage and cast off all care of judgment so let us shew it the last age and that a short time remaines by using the world as not using it by marrying as not marrying and by heavenly conversation and all this because the time is short as the Apostle adviseth 1 Cor. 7. 29. 30. because there is no constancy or durance of any of these earthly contentments no more then of the world it selfe let us use these moderatly and gaine those which are lasting unwithering and unperishing Vers. 13. But when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child SAtan being cast out of heaven I meane that heaven upon earth which is distant from the earth not in distance of place but in sanctity of faith and manners so as he cannot prevayle to prejudice the same as hee would for neither can hee hinder the sound of the Gospell but it prevaleth in the world neither can hee seduce the Elect nor prevent the Saints of their salvation Now seeing himselfe cast vnto the earth he rageth among earthly-mindedmen and stirreth up his agents and vassals to raise up horrible persecutions and new tyrānies to root out if it were possible the name and mention both of Christ and the woman his Spouse but all in vaine as the former assault was as appeares in the sequell of the Chapter In this and the fourteenth Verse are two things 1. A new onset of the dragon upon the woman with the reason in this Verse 2. The evasion or escape of the woman with the meanes in the next Verse In the Onset consider First the person persecuting The dragon Secondly the person persecuted The woman Thirdly the time and manner When shee had brought forth the man childe I. The persecutor is the dragon that is both the devill the head of that fierce kingdome and all such instruments as he raised and used against the Church in this new assault and persecution for there is but one persecutor of the woman in all ages even Satan who is the same but hee hath many members and Ministers even a continuall spawne and succession who as they carry his nature so here also his owne name and are one and the same dragon in minde in will in malice in act Hence it is that in Scripture whatsoever the one doth the same the other is said to doe Revel 2. 10. The devill shall cast some of you into prison What Commodus Decius or the other Tyrants did the devill is said to doe and the workes of the Jewes in persecuting Jesus Christ is called the devils worke Iohn 8. 44. Ye are of your father the devill his workes yee doe 1. Because the dragon being the god of the world ruleth the hearts of wicked men who inclines their wils to hate the Church and stirres them up to persecute and leades them at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. and a slave cannot doe but what his Lord commands him onely he inspireth and acteth voluntaries 2. The same causes which stirre up the one stirre up the other to this fury First as there is an old enmity betweene the woman and the serpent so is there betweene the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent If there be hostility betweene two Princes it is maintained among all their subjects Secondly as the dragon being a deadly enemy to Gods glory incessantly seeketh to hinder and abolish pure religion holy worship and worshippers because it is contrary to his designes and stoppeth his power which prevaileth in Idolatry superstitiō and Atheisticall liberty so doe wicked enemies his issue and off-spring in all ages fight against the true worship of God holy religion and pure worshippers as against their contraries because they despise their false gods detest their idolatry resist false religion contest against their superstition and actually reprove their Atheisticall liberty and all their proceedings contrary to the light of grace and the word of grace Thirdly as the dragon feares that Christ and his Kingdome will weaken his kingdome so the spawne of the dragon feare the same Herod and Domitian feare the comming of Christ and therefore command them of the stock of David in Jewry to be slaine If we let this man alone say the Pharises all men will beleeve him and down goes our credit Yea say the Rulers and the Romanes will come and
For 1 What was the Church in the cradle and beginnings of it Was it not a true Church and yet had no Antiquity 2 Antiquity is either in time or in truth To plead antiquitie of time and lose antiquity of truth as they have done is but antiquity of error rejected by the Scriptures and Fathers And errour was borne into the world the same day with truth and is in time almost as ancient 3 If antiquitie in time must carry it then not Rome can be the true Church but Antioch where we are sure the Apostles taught and whence was the first name of Christians Nay Jerusalem must be the Mother-Church because from thence was the Gospell preached to all the Gentiles Acts 1. 8. 4 They challenge antiquitie as falsely as the former note for their whole doctrine departing from ours is a novelty never heard of in the Church for the space of sixe hundred yeares after Christ. Never was nor will be answered that famous challenge of the Iewell of Bishops who cals but for one testimony out of pure and unsuspected antiquity for the space of the first sixe hundred yeares after Christ for any one of the seaven and twenty points propounded and never any such was brought till this day Neither have they been at leasure now above twenty yeares to answer that famous probleme of that blesse Saint Mr. Perkins in which he avoucheth it impossible for any Papist in the world to prove out of the true writings of Fathers and Councells and out of the true sense of those writings that the now Romane faith wherein it differeth from the reformed Church is the Catholike faith and substantially cleareth it in sixty two points of difference between us What a number of points might I alledge wherein they are gone both from the Scriptures and their owne writers and as many for which they have no Scripture but the Churches authority Auricular confession the Canon Law saith it is by a tradition of the Church and by no authority of old or new Testament For the not marriage of Ministers Bellarmine and Cassander confesse it to be an humane institution Cassander and the Councel of Trent call it onely an Ecclesiasticall decree For the Communion in one kind their owne Cajetane confesseth that the contrary custome endured long in the Church and they had cuppes for the nonce to serve the people with wine For their Transubstantiation Tonstall saith No man was bound to beleeve it till the Lateran Councell which is not much above foure hundred yeares agoe And Bellarmine himselfe saith there is no Scripture to enforce it but the Churches determination Why do they brag of antiquity and confesse so many novelties His third note is perpetuitie and duration Indeed the same note with the former increasing the number numbering not the number numbered For 1 Tares must continue with the wheat till harvest must they therefore be wheat for their perpetuity And Antichrist hath continued a long time since the Apostles dayes and shall till Christ at his appearing abolish him doth this make his Synagogue a true Church 2 Time was when there was a true Church and yet this could be no note of it and time shal be when by their confession their Church shall faile and not endure to the end Ribera on Rev. 14. Rome is called Babilon because at the end of the world she shal be the shambles of all Idolatry and the kennell of Antichrist So as this by their doctrine is no proper but a separable note from the Church 3 The true Church and Mother Church hath and ever shall continue in the world though not in outward pomp and glory yet in that inward and spirituall beauty and glory which she shall not lose though she be in the wildernesse and sit sometimes defolate as a widow When this true Church loseth her visibility she loseth not her being no more then the Sunne ceaseth to be risen when it is hid under a cloud The fourth note to know this woman saith Bellarmine is multitude and amplitude As deceitfull as any of the former besides that it is the same with his first For what difference betweene Catholike and universall For 1 That was a true Church of two in Paradise When also it was in one family before the flood In the flood consisted but of eight persons In the Old Testament in one little kingdome In the New was but a little flock Luk. 12. 32. August saith The Church was in one Abel in one Henoch The Papists themselves say that in the time of Christs passion the true Church and faith was preserved onely in the Virgin Mary which is false but yet a strong argument against them that hold multitude a sure signe of a true Church 2 Multitude is a streame that the Church must row hard against unlesse we be sure it be the truely beleeving multitude Sathans number infinitely exceeds Christs must it therefore be the true Church That one sect of Mahomet is farre more numerous then all the Romane religion by their note that must be the true Church and not they Time was when the whole world was made an Arrian and scare five Orthodoxe Bishops to resist it and they also persecuted shall the generall spreading and infection of it prove it no poyson Antichrist at his comming drawes multitudes after him by strength of delusion 2 Thes. 2. 9. And this is their Romane Antichristian religion drawing multitudes because it is a naturall religion but turnes them not from darknesse to light not from sinne to God We conclude or rather exclude this note with Athanasius against those Arrians They have the multitude we the faith Let their multitudes goe in the broad way we must walke in a narrow way which a few onely finde His fift note is succession of Bishops A false and deceitfull note For. 1 A false Church may have succession of person onely as Caiphas succeeded Aaron and yet abandoning truth and rejecting the head must needs be a false Church 2 The first Evangelicall Churches were true Churches but wanted their succession unlesse they will say that Christ and his Apostles succeeded the Scribes and Pharisees If a Church may be a true Church without and before succession how can succession be a note of a true Church 3 Right succession is twofold First externall secondly internall or personall or doctrinall Where both succession of Chayre and doctrine concurre there is a true succession But in the Church of Rome is neither I Not of doctrine because they hold not Apostolike doctrine The doctrine of the now Church of Româ— being cleane contrary to that it was when Paul wrote to the Romans as might appeare in a number fundamentall points II Not of Seate First because they never proved nor can prove that they have the seat of Peter or that ever Peter
their pleasure hee calleth them all by their right names Object What need we care for them seeing God is so carefull Sol. Provoke not God to remove them 1. See the neede of starres for illumination warmth moisture refrigeration by them discerne seasons of grace guide thy course on the sea of this world starres were made not for ornament onely but for use heate influence 2. Make use of their light some hate the light as of commets portending evill to them and blesse themselves from them 3. Reioyce in their light constantly not as the Iewes did in Iohn that counted him a light for a season men receive Preachers as new Starres or Commets gaze a while but care not how soone they be wasted The second effect by which the dragon is described is by his mischievous attempt against the woman as the former was against the starres this effect is set downe 1. By his action he stood before the Woman 2. His intention to devoure the childe when it was brought forth I. In his action observe two things 1. What it is to stand before the woman 2. How he standeth before her 1. To stand before the woman is an allusion to the ancient Story both of the dragon standing before Eve the woman that is the mother of the world and of the Church to seduce her as also of Pharaoh called the dragon of Aegypt watching the destruction of the male children of the Church so soone as the mothers should bee delivered of them to which places out of doubt the text hath reference This standing before the woman implieth two things 1 His readinesse and nearnesse as one at hand narrowly watching observing to assault and destroy the blessed seed 2. His instance and diligence in the purpose hee departs not farre nor long but standeth and abideth proceedeth and persisteth in his mischievous purpose and intention against the Church and members he standeth still but not idle 2. How he standeth before her and that is two wayes 1. By fraud and secret trechery he layeth traines out of sight for her hurt and by flattery seeketh to bring and lure her into his snare 2. By open force and violence to subdue such as by secret traines he cannot allure II. His intention to devoure the childe hee seemeth to doe nothing lesse but the Spirit of God uncaseth him sheweth us the true end of all his couÌ„sels and indeavours Let the dragon dissemble never so much friendship as to Eve in eating his minde is murderous for hee standeth not afore us to abridge us of our liberty or goods or outward comfort onely but his direct aime is to compasse our death and destruction of soule and body Quest. But what had the child done or when should he devoure it Sol. He watcheth the destruction of it before it be borne if the woman miscary not in bringing forth some abortive birth then he bestirreth himselfe to destroy the young and tender birth so soone as it taketh breath in the Church Where in the dragon note three things 1. The groundednesse and setlednesse of malice in the nature of the dragon who out of his wickednesse unstirred and unprovoked carrieth deadly wrath against the children of the Church There is a naturall enmity and antipathy betweene the seed of the dragon and the seed of the woman for what can the childe doe against him before hee is borne 2. The policy of the dragon who will not suffer the womans children to grow up to strength and stature but will oppresse them even in the biâ—â—â— or as soone as they are borne while they are tender and least able to resist hee knoweth the fittest time to blast grace is in herba in the cradle in the beginnings 3. The implacablenesse of this savage dragon whose pittilesse disposition nothing can move not infancy not tendernesse not innocency not causelesnesse nothing can pleade or prevaile for a drop of compassion nay these rather cause and stirre up his wrath and kindle his rage and fury more against them and this is the enemy with whom we have to deale whom Gods spirit hath thus graphycally and punctually described that we might stand so much the more watchfully and preparedly against him So soone as any childe commeth to bee borne of the Church Satan watcheth by all means to destroy him 1 Pet. 5. 8. Satan as a roaring Lyon seeketh whom to devoure The principall businesse of Satan in the world hath ever been to take out of the way and to destroy vijs modis by secret fraud or open force all that should bee spiritually begotten of the Church especially such as should stand up to maintaine the religion of Christ. How Herod the dragon stood before the woman seeking to slay the childe Iesus so soone as he was borne appeareth Mat. 2. 16. hee could not hinder his holy conception his quickning birth but his hope is to devoure him being borne the same fury he sheweth to the members and to come to that our text aimeth at how the dragon by the heathen Roman Emperours and bloody Tyrants Nero Domitian Trajan and the rest did by most cruell Edicts torments and unheard of punishments and persecutions stand in the whole Empire with the greatest vigilancy that might bee to swallow up whatsoever Christian should be borne in the Church utterly to extirpate all Christians and extinguish the Christian faith is manifest in every leafe and line of that bloody Story But especially the dragon by those tyrants watched and observed most diligently lest any defender of the Christian faith either in Magistracy or Ministery should spring up in so much that if any President or Governour was more moderate or lesse rigorous against ChristiaÌ„s he was presently devoured by the dragon as a favourer or childe of the woman His incessant labour to hinder the glory of God for whereas the glory of a King is the multitude of his subjects he cannot abide that Gods glory should bee increased by the increase of the subjects of his Kingdome He is the Arch-tyrant and head of all tyrants in the world and setteth up and holdeth up his kingdome by tyranny and injustice and as Attaliah could never thinke her selfe stable in her usurped authority till she had slaine all the Kings seed 2 Kin. 11. 1. so this monster of tyrants and scourge of the world thinketh his kingdome can never bee sure and stable if he kill not all the Kings seed the sonnes of this woman the Church His extremâ— hatred of the true religion the true service of God amongst the Israelites was an abomination to the Aegyptians and therefore like dragons they oppressed them The dragon never ceaseth to hinder or corrupt the purity of Gods worship or to persecute whom he cannot hinder Let Israel but talk of going to worship in the wildernesse the hellish Pharaoh presently begins to rage to augment the burthens and never cease his unjust vexation till himselfe cease to
they are gods on the Throne the title Iehovah being a title of Gods Essence agreeth to no creature but the name of Elohim being a title of his power is given them because in them the greatnesse and soveraigne authority of GOD the high and supreme Iudge of the world clearly shineth and as himselfe shineth more bright than the Sunne in beames of Majesty above all creatures so in a parcell of his owne Majesty hee makes them shine above all other men for the daunting and terrour of wicked men bee they never so great Is the Magistrates Throne Gods Throne then to contemne the Magistrate is to contemne the Throne of God to which he is taken up The Embassadours of great Princes are honourably respected for the person they sustaine Magistrates must resemble the person of GOD in whose Throne they sit 1. In Piety and holynesse what an unseemly thing is it for him that sits on Gods Throne to doe any thing unbeseeming God or contrary unto God 2. In love of Gods house and word so doth God himselfe his eye his heart and delight is on his owne house and so should his who sits on his Throne Hee that disaffecteth the house of God and the true worship of God hee can neither prove good Magistrate nor good man till hee change his minde and conversation 3. In wisedome knowing what is just and unjust what hee is to doe what to leave undone what to cherish what to punish God on his Throne is called the ancient of dayes for his wisedome in discerning Psal. 2. Be wise yee Kings bee learned yee Iudges and their title of heads must put them in minde of this wisedome in which they ought to resemble the ancient of dayes for the head is the seat of wisedome and understandeth for all the parts now whence must they have this wisdome but in Gods book given into their hands for which cause Rulers were injoyned that the booke of the Law should not depart from them night nor day and the Kings of Israel in their inauguration had Gods booke given them into their hands by this booke David became wiser then his ancients Now if Magistrates cast off the reading of Gods word at home and the hearing of Gods Word at Gods house Ieremy 8. 9. telleth us that folly must rule them and others too they have cast off the Word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them 4. In sincerity and uprightnesse God on his throne is described sitting in garments white as snow noting the innocency and righteousnesse of his judgements Dan. 7. 9. the seates of Magistrates and Iudges should bee like Salomons Throne of white Ivory 1 King 10. 18. signifying the purity and incorruption of Iudge and judgement of a truth God is no accepter of persons Act. 10 and hee that sitteth on Gods Throne must avoide the appearance of partiality hee ought to honour and heare Gods Ministers love and affect the professors of true religion distaste and disaffect the contrary thus doth God Are Magistrates taken up to Gods Throne their throne and seate must resemble Gods Throne and be a counterpaine of that Quest. Wherein Ans. 1. In true inquisition of cause Before Gods Throne there is a true information by opening of bookes and his Throne is said to bee fiery both for his zeale for truth and for manifestation of the truth of causes so on the Thrones and tribunals of men right information and true evidences must carry matters 2. In a just sentence when that is condemned which God would have condemned and that cherished and advanced which God would have set up Esay 44. 28. Cyrus must performe all the Lords desire not his owne for hee is now on the Lords Throne Zach. 4. 14. they must bee assistants to the Rulers of the earth as namely in looking to his worship in repressing swearers drunkards gamesters idle persons c. 3. In sound execution of just sentences against offenders Gods Throne is no idle scarrecrow but commeth to the life of justice which is execution It hath two properties 1. It is powerfull About the Throne of God goeth a fiery streame noting the power of his judgement Dan. 7. which is as unresistible as a streame of fire to stuble no sinner cā ever escape at this throne and if the thrones of Magistrates resemble not Gods Throne great offenders or bold and stout sinners will shift out 2. It is quicke and speedy Gods throne is described to have wheeles Ezek. 1. for the celerity and speed in execution before it are no delatory pleas no spinning of causes no stay of justice by any meanes Dan. 7. 9. Gods Throne hath burning wheeles for celerity in consuming corruption 4. In powerfull protection of the godly GOD from his throne doth so Psal. 76. 9. The Lord riseth upon his throne to save all the meeke upon the earth so Rulers must see that they be answerable to the title given them of God who calleth them the shields of the earth to shelter not vilde and vicious persons sonnes of Beliall but the innocent religious and godly as Davids eyes were on the godly in the land This is taken from the end Hence note Rulers are therefore taken up by God into his throne to protect this woman as this manchilde for the good of the Church Rom. 13. Hee is the Minister of God for thy good 1. Earthly kingdomes are especially ordained to set up and uphold Gods kingdome 2. Their titles are hedges for the Lords field a covering for heate winde stormes Esay 32. 2. 3. The promise that Princes shall bee nursing fathers of the Church That Magistrates take notice of their duty which is not onely to assist the Lord in governing and upholding the civill state but to uphold the Church 1. By professing the religion of God themselves sincerely 2. By protecting true religion and that with zeale and courage against all kinde of opposites David will use his power to cast scorners from Gods face and presence 3. By countenancing and upholding the holy Ministery leading the way to Gods house and worship as all godly Governors ever did and begin the government alwaies with manifesting their zeale to Gods holy religion as David with joyfull bringing the Arke to Hierusalem Salomon with building Gods house Iehoiada with making a covenant with the Lord and compelling the people to stand to it 2 Chron. 23. 16. Nay evill men what ever they were afore were thus far changed into other men as Saul to dissemble religion Saul though he sought Asses before will so soone as called to the kingdome prophesie amongst Prophets so as if confidence and love of Gods house commanded them not as men yet shame and example compeld them as Magistrates Wee that are Ministers must take notice of our duty to call upon Magistrates to use their power for the good of the Church be not accessary to the absurd husbandry of them that plucke up good
spirit Esay 66. 2. Thou must therefore confesse with that Ruler that thou art unworthy hee should come under thy roofe Mat. 8. 8. 4. By purging away sinne by sweeping and sweetening the roomes of our hearts for him Thinke not now that Christ will lodge any more among the beasts in a foule stable Prepare him therefore a roome in the Inne of thine heart 5. By loving obedience to his Commandements On this condition Christ comes in as hee promised Ioh. 14. 23. If any man love mee and keepe my word my Father and I will come in and dwell with him Secondly wee cast the Dragon out of our selves by proclaiming warre against our owne corrupt nature and ruling over affections Wee can never overcome him within us till wee have conquered our selves As this is the greatest so it is the first victory to get under feet our owne uncleane lusts motions thoughts and actions which are the harbours and burrowes of wicked spirits these serpents lie in these thickets to cast out envy malice drunkennesse uncleanenesse to ruinate and batter downe these holds of the dragon and bring every thought into the subjection of Christ that when hee comes hee may finde nothing in us Thirdly wee cast out the Dragon by carefull fencing and watching our strongest forts and faculties The Dragon keepes hold especially in ignorance of minde in rebellion of the will in corruption of the conscience and having these forts hee can command the whole man at pleasure Now to cast him out of these our most inward and highest forts wee must deliver them up to Jesus Christ to bee informed strengthened commanded and defended by him Hee onely is able to keepe what wee commit unto him Fourthly wee shall cast out the Dragon by suffering Christ still to draw us to himselfe by the power of the Gospell and to fashion us daily unto holinesse Ioh. 12. 32 The prince of this world cannot be cast out till Christ draw us unto himselfe who as he draweth by his word which is called the arme of God and by his spirit moving in those meanes so must wee give up our selves to be ruled and moved by his Word and Spirit These motions and directions cast out and keepe out Satanicall motions and temptations by which hee holds up his rule and state Without a mans selfe every godly man must strive to cast downe the power of Sathan every where both by Christian profession and Christian conversation By Christian profession manifesting it selfe in foure maine practises 1. Upholding to his power wholsome doctrine which is the rod and scepter of Christ and by the zealous maintaining an holy Ministery in which Christ casteth downe the Dragon Shall Jesus Christ seeke in the ministerie to cast out the Dragon then wo to those that oppose ministery Shall Jesus Christ striue by holy and sound doctrine to subdue the power of the devill whose kingdome stands in lies and errors Wo then unto those unhappy men that shall seeke to bring in the Dragon againe by broaching or defending false doctrine heresie popery idolatry or Antichristian delusions who instead of the ministers of Christ would bring in the vassals of Antichrist Priests Jesuites locusts and impostors 2. In promoting piety and the reigne of Christ by grace in others For true religion practised promoted encouraged propagated casteth out the Dragon and onely that What unhappy men are they and apparent limbes of the Dragon who disgrace and discourage godlinesse every where who plot to cast out piety religion and all godly men Is this to joyne with Michael in casting out the Dragon 3. In forwardnesse in doing good which glorifieth God and honoureth our profession The Dragon would set up his kingdome by pretenses of great workes of mercy charity building of Churches and Hospitalls c. And Antichrist is bold to outboast all professions in such pretenses But wee must bestirre our selves that neither papists nor hypocrites put us downe in workes of mercy love or charity that wee may honour our profession by a readinesse to every good worke 4. In readinesse constantly to suffer for the truth and fearlesly to sticke to the Gospell that as our Lord subdued the Dragon by giving witnesse to the truth so should wee by maintaining the same truth to the utmost of our power and the last drop of our blood Ler Ephraim divide his heart betweene two religions let the fickle Galathian change his judgement in maine points let the Ephesian fall from his first love let profane dogs and swine fall backe to generall revolt and apostasie 2. Pet. 2. 2. As none are more serviceable to the Dragon then these so none give him a greater blow then constant witnesses and martyrs none so much cast him downe By Christian conversation also must every Christian joyne with Michael in casting out the Dragon and this partly at home and partly abroad I. A man can never bee good abroad that promotes not piety at home Hee that hath cast the dragon out of his heart will also cast him out of his house which is done 1. By setting up the service and worship of God in his family that hee and his house may serve the Lord. Hee whose heart is a Temple of God his house shall bee a Church and a little Bethel there shall be no roome for swearers drunkards riotous persons scorners nor sonnes of Belial for these are the brood of the Dragon 2. By preventing and wisely resisting the speciall sinnes of the calling all crafts and deceitfull mysteries by which the Dragon over-reacheth most men in the carrying of their speciall calling A godly Christian in these will not as others do what others do but what himselfe hath warrant to do hee will not make his calling a service of the Dragon but subordinateth it to his generall calling wherein hee acknowledgeth himselfe a servant to Jesus Christ. 3. By waching narrowly those lusts in which the Dragon thrusts himselfe on to disturbe and throw downe Gods worship in the family as anger and wrath which hinder prayer worldlinesse or unfruitfull employments which thrust out or ingrosse the times of family-duties When the Dragon had drawne David from his watches it was easie to imploy him in strange services of sinne II. Abroad a Christian must take his Lords part against the Dragon Both in respect of good men walking fruitfully and watching good occasion in the communion of Saints instructing some comforting others guiding others in the way lovingly counselling reproving encouraging c. And in respect of evill men 1. If corrigible and hopefull helping them out of the snare and power of Sathan saving some with meeknesse and pulling others out of the fire 2. If wilfull or scornfull either avoid their company and all needlesse society with them because the Dragon mightily prevailes in infectious society and it is an unequall yoking 2. Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. Or if thou beest cast into their company bee undaunted in good causes and give them no
as the fish doth naturally river-water we have so much the more need to bee called backe from so dangerous a sinne and indeed we want no bridles if wee be not too head strong for 1. God hath provided by his expresse law aswell for the good name of his servants as for their goods or lives Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour wherein the Lord upon paine of death bindeth every soule to truth and justice in all his speeches the uprightnesse whereof must demonstrate the uprightnesse and sincerity of the heart as a chaste daughter of a chaste mother And this Law of God wraps him in the curse as well that steales and wounds his good name as the theefe that steales his goods or the murderer that assaults his life And as farre as the good name is farre in estimation above gold and silver Prov. 22. 1. so much more hatefull and mischievous is the false accuser above a theefe or burglary 2. Nothing can bee more contrary to God nothing comes so neare the devill Hee is a creature most degenerate from God both in respect of his nature judgement and practise First God in his nature is truth essentiall and truth originall the Author of all truth and truth it selfe in all his decrees in all his workes in all his words which all agree with the truth of his essence But this man suits with Satan the father of lies who stood not in the truth Iohn 8. 44. God in his nature loveth truth the devill speaketh truth sometimes but never lovesit God is called a Justifier Satan here an accuser If wee see this image or superscription of false accusing on any say it is Satans coyne a man moulded in his mint and give unto Satan what is Satans Secondly nothing can bee more dissonant to the judgement of God than rash judgement and false accusation of good men God approves the wayes of his servants highly esteemeth of their graces accepteth and remunerateth weake indeavours Now what can bee more contrary than to accuse the wayes of God to bee hatefull purity and a straine beyond discretion and the graces of God for singularity hypocrisie dissembling know thou hast not now belied men but the Spirit of God Thirdly the Lord in his course pleadeth for his Saints acquiteth them answereth all accusations for them and pronounceth a righteous sentence upon them the fals accuser impudently impleadeth all this God calleth Nathaniel a true Israelite no saith the accuser hee is an Ismaelite a dissembler God pronounceth Paul an elect Vessell no saith the accuser hee is a murderer a theefe vengeance will not suffer him to live Act. 28. 4. God pronounceth of his owne Sonne This is my beloved Sonne no saith the accuser he is a deceiver an impostor a blasphemer in saying he is the Sonne of God Now what can be liker Satan who would have all men in his owne condemnation than these vile persons who would have all thought as vile as themselves Hence our Text maketh Satan and all accusers but one accuser 3. Whom doest thou accuse or revile Thou accusest the brethren First the brethren of Christ and in them Christ himselfe Matth. 25. In that ye have done it to one of these my brethren ye have done it to mee Wouldest thou in the day of the Lord be brought in a false witnesse against Christ And yet there is a nearer relation these brethren are members of Christ. Wouldest thou for a thousand worlds have that sin of the Jewes lying upon thy soule that thou hadst thrust a speare into the body of Christ but what was that sinne to this they knew not who he was nor what they did beside his body was dead first but thou thrustest the sharpe speare of false accusation and by it tearest and rentest the living body of Christ which is his Church and this wilfully and of set purpose 2 Thou sinnest against the sonnes not of God onely but of the Church whom thou professest thy Mother The Spirit of God amplifies the wickednesse of false accusation by this circumstance Psal. 50. 20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slaunderest thy mothers sonne shewing the unnaturalnesse of these wicked men to their owne flesh and the bowels of their owne Mother Were there a dram of nature or grace in them they could not violate such neare bands Godly Sem will cover his fathers nakednesse though unnaturall Cham discover it Charity would cover a multitude of offences Prov. 10. 4. But wanting both they are rightly ranked with theeves and adulterers vers 18. 4 A false accuser is a most irreligious person and commonly such are the greatest enemies to true religion Observe and you shall finde them either Atheists or Papists or Libertines or worldlings given over to some foule sinne or other For according to the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh If the heart swell with malice envie and bitternesse how can the mouth but run over with cursed speaking A bitter fountaine can send no sweet water The shop is supplied with such wares as are in the storehouse Besides true religion which purifieth the heart would order the tongue I am 1. 26. If any seeme to be religious and ordereth not his tongue that mans religion is in vaine 5 Consider the fearefull evils awayting this sin so contrary to God First It casts a man out of the sanctuary of God Psal. 15. 3. unlesse the Church of God could consist of a generation of devills but it is the spouse of Christ the communion of Saints 2 It casts him into the judgement of God and damnation of hell for God hath appointed a day to give judgement of all cruell speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against him Iude 15. Then shall their measure be filled to the brim they shall have accusation enough God doth even here admonish of that day and sit in judgement on some even in this life What got Haman by false accusation but hanging on his owne gallowes What got Ahab and Iezabel by false accusing Naboth but a possession of wrath In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth must they licke Ahabs and Iezabel was eaten with dogs in the valley of Jezreel 1 King 22. A dart shot against a wall or an arrow shot upward rebound and fall upon the shooter Daniels accusers were devoured by the Lions to whom Daniel was cast What got Amaziah by accusing Amos chap. 7. 17. Thy wife shal be an whore c. Let men take heed of touching Prophets and slaundering godly Ministers Eusebius in his Church-history sheweth how Narcissus was falsly accused by three false witnesses one wished if it were not true he might be burnt the other that a foule disease might eate him the third that he might else be blind And accordingly they perished the first by a sparke of fire from heaven the second by a loathsome disease from top to toe the third seeing this repented but yet lost both his eyes
Christ neither needeth nor receiveth the testimony of any man Ioh. 5. 33. Answ. Christ is true God and his truth is the truth of God infallible more certaine and firme then al mens testimony And it were very unworthy that infinite should need finite or infallible should need fallible or that the author of truth should need authority from men In this sense Christ neither needeth nor receiveth the witnesse of any man as necessarie to himselfe or for his own part but that they might be saved partly for the weaknesse of men who cannot come to understand divine things without mens testimony or ministery and partly for their salvation which by men he promoteth He useth Iohns witnesse and calleth for the witnesse of the meanest beleever Now the reasons why every one of the remnant must give witnesse to Christ are these 1 Nothing that wee can do can more honor God and Iesus Christ then this Rom. 4. 21. Abraham was strong in faith and gave glory to God What or wherein can wee give greater glory to God then when our faith giveth him a witnesse of his great power truth and goodnesse even contrary to sense and reason as Abraham did 2 Nothing can more honour our selves then to be vouchsafed witnesses to God testifying his truth and the excellency of Gods holy religion both in word and conversation Were it not a great honour for a great Prince to call a meane subject to be a witnesse on his side for the opening of a truth that nearly in honour concernes him But this honor have all the Saints it being the office and function of the whole Church to be the ground and piller of truth the upholder and maintainer of that truth which upholdeth the honor of God himselfe What an honor was it that the Lord called in the whole Church of the Iewes to be witnesses on his side Esa. 43. 10. against all the heathens to testifie of his Omniscience in predictions of things to come which their gods could not do and of his Omnipotency in admirable workes done for them in the wildernesse in the sea in the land of his singular goodnesse and providence in innumerable mercies wherein they were advanced above all people of the earth Did the Lord need them to witnesse no but it was their honour to be vouchsafed such grace that whereas all the heathens witnessed to their idolls they of all people on the earth witnessed and celebrated the great and noble acts of God done among them 3 Nothing makes us liker to Christ our head that true and faithfull witnesse this was his speciall office to witnesse the truth as the redeemer of mankinde and the author of truth Ioh. 18. 37. For this cause was I borne and came into the world that I might testifie of the truth Even so every member of Christ is borne into the Church and commeth into the world of Beleevers to give witnesse unto the truth as being taught in the truth and as the redeemed of the Lord. 4 As nothing can make us liker to God so nothing is better pleasing unto God God the Father hath often and sundry wayes testified unto his Son First Sensibly and audibly in his baptisme and transfiguration also that he was the son of his love who had all his love cast upon him Secondly By the internall revelation of his Spirit in the hearts of beleevers as to Peter Mat. 16. 17 Flesh and blood hath not revealed this but my Father in heaven Thirdly and especially by the mission ministery of the Son himselfe Ioh. 3. 33. he that receiveth his testimony fealeth that God is true for he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God If wee desire to be like God or to please God we must herein imitate him as deare children Which serves for the reproofe of such as are afraid or ashamed of this testimony contrary to 2 Tim. 1. 8. Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Many will not testifie to Christ among poore men some because great men resist it some are afraid of the strictnesse of it some of the crosses some of the scornes of it and most because this witnesse would witnesse against their own contrary courses and men of little faith are dejected in small matters But such Christ wil be ashamed of in the day of his appearing and shall witnesse against them that he never knew them Such also are condemned as do contest against the witnessing of Christ. The world is full of false witnesses such as were suborned against Christ as First all false teachers that father that on Christ which he never spake as Papists or others that deny any article of faith and Christian Religion so the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. If the dead rise not againe we are false witnesses So to teach the doctrine of mans merit of free-will to good image-image-worship or the like is to be a false witnesse against Christ himselfe Secondly all unbeleevers that receive not this testimony whether such as scorne to heare the witnesses of Christ if they dislike the person they will none of the witnesse loth to drinke good wine because they like not the dish or such as heare sometime but beleeve not the witnesse this infidelity makes God a liar so farre as a wicked man can 1 Ioh. 5. 11. Thirdly such as contest against his witnesses to elevate their testimony for as in the dayes of his flesh there wanted not such as witnessed against himselfe in person that he was a drunkard a devill a friend to Publicans and sinners an enemie to Caesar a blasphemer so for the same end to weaken the authority of his witnesses there never wanted such as would witnesse against Iob that he was an hypocrite that Paul was a pestilent fellow a moover of sedition a preacher of false doctrin unworthy to live And can the devill devise so foule accusations or so slaunderous which his agents will not boldly urge against the witnesses of Christ to whose innocency godlinesse God himselfe witnesseth This also serveth to comfort 1 Poore Christians despised in the world God honors the poorest Beleever to be a witnesse to his truth and a poore mans testimony is as good even in mens Courts as a rich but much more before Gods tribunall 2 Such as suffer for this testimony losses reproaches and the contempt of the world Even wee lovingly respect such as suffer for their love to us in upholding our truth and innocency and much more doth the Lord see the promise for incouragement Mat. 19. 29. It is also a word of instruction that we frame and fit our selves to this witnesse Quest. How may that be Answ. To a good testimony is required a good witnesse and to a good witnesse must concurre these five things 1 Knowledge and certaine perswasion of the truth to which we are to testifie When Christ was to raise up witnesses to the truth of the Gospell he would have them his owne
hotch potch of his religion Gal. 6 12. false teachers to avoid persecution will make and coyne a new Gospell joyne Moses and Christ justification of faith and workes And many admirers of the moone can finely joyne Papists and Protestants religion together and binde them together with a rope of sand can justifie and qualifie their toyes and inventions and for advantage like hucksters for the Apostle calls them sellers for gaine blend our wine with puddle waters of mens devices There are too many of these patchers that will patch old ragges with new garments and in the meane time bring in disgrace those that are so strict that cannot blend as they doe For what cares he to tread religious persons under foot if times do so that can suffer religion to be troden downe with silence nay with approbation but how impossible is it to have the Sun and moone shine together 5 He that maketh his gaine his godlinesse that bestowes more thoughts care time for the world then heaven That can stand in all windes for profit and by right or wrong get the world That cares not for nor desires but feares the appearing of the Sonne of God the Sunne of righteousnesse to judgement Let this man resolve that the Moone is upon his head or in his heart and not under his feet To conclude thou that wouldest know that the Moone is under thy foote and that thou art a sonne of this woman thou must 1 Magnifie Christ above a 1000. worlds 2 Set up Gods service above the world 3 Subordinate the Moone to thy religion 4 Hate and detest mixture in religion 5 Esteeme godlinesse the greatest gaine hate that gaine that is severed from godlinesse and long for the appearing of Jesus Christ thy happie and perfect gaine And upon her head a Crowne of twelve starres The third propertie followes in the description of this woman who is set forth by a Crowne upon her head Where consider three things 1 Why this woman is crowned 2 The matter of the Crowne a Crowne of twelves starres 3 The place of it on her head 1 The Churches Crowne betokeneth foure things 1 The honor of her person that she is a Queene for no women are crowned but Queenes or Kings wives The true Church is no lesse being espoused to Jesus Christ the King of his Church Psal. 45. 9. upon thy right◠and thy Queen doth stand Salomons wife being a type of the Church set upon the right hand of Jesus Christ the true Salomon 2 Her eminency and glory for a Crowne was ever an ensigne of royall dignitie and crowned persons were ever in ranke above other ordinary persons So is the Church of God of the blood royall and advanced to partake of the divine nature raised to the height of spirituall and eternall glory which common persons are not and therefore the Lord hath fitted her with an incomparable ornament for no ornament is comparable to a Crowne 3 Her rich and abundant estate for a crowne is the richest thing that the world can give So this Queene partaketh of all her husbands wealth and shareth in the riches of that glorious inheritance Eph. 1. 18. And as the crowne compasseth her head so the Lord compasseth her with the riches of grace and of glory in all fulnesse and perfection For seeing Christ is hers so are all things with him 1 Cor. 3. 21. 4 Her victory and conquest For crownes are set upon the heads of conquerors Rev. 6. 9. And to him that overcommeth is granted to sit on the throne Rev. 3. 21. So the Church hath overcome and conquered sinne Satan death hell flesh and all enemies hath in the power right of her husband troden them all under feete For as the wife partaketh of all her husbands victories so she of Christs 2 The matter of this Crowne of twelve starres Other Princes weare crownes of gold beset with pearles and precious stones but this Queene hath a Crowne of twelve starres What cares she for gold and stones that hath the Moone under her feet Quest. What is meant by this crowne of twelve Starres Ans. The shining doctrine of the twelve Apostles here compared to bright and beautifull starres by whose meanes this woman gat this victorious Crowne For this was the Crowne and ornament of the Primitive Church that she was reared and advanced by the diligent and personall preaching and sufferings of the blessed Apostles Ob. But if this was the Churches Crowne then the Church of after ages and at this time hath lost her crowne and ornament Answ. No. For 1 that doctrine is delivered to us in writing to which while we hold our selves fast we are not despoyled of our ornament 2 The substantiall ministeriall duties which the Scriptures ascribe to the Apostles are not to be restrained to their persons but are to be extended to all those that are their true successors which preach the same Christ and him crucified and administer the same Sacraments And Christ is now with the Apostles in their successors to the end of the world as he promised Mat. 28. 20. And this seemes implyed in the number of twelve which is a number of universalitie and perfection including all that purely preach Christ as the Apostles did 3 The Pastors of the Church as they succeed the twelve Apostles in this function of crowning the Church so also have they the name of starres in many places So the Church hath still a crowne of twelve starres 3 The place of this Crowne on her head Some understand by head the beginning of the Church of the New Testament and so it is true she had then the Crowne of Virginitie and purity above all after-times when yet Apostolicall doctrine was not so corrupted by humane devices additions and traditions as shortly after it was But that is not all for the true Church was never without this Crowne But this Woman after the manner of other Queenes is said to weare her crowne on her head To note 1 That her glory and crowne is in and from her head For as the man is the glory of the woman so is Christ the object of the Apostolike doctrine the glory of his spouse the Church 2 That her Crowne is not of or from this world for the moone is under her feet The Crowne is not thē set upon her head whē she is rich glorious to the world but when the shining light of heavenly veritie is set aloft as the starres are above to direct her in all doctrines and actions When by the light of the Scriptures all the firmament of the Church is guided and ruled in all actions aswell inferiour as superiour then is shee a crowned Queene 3 To note a note of visibilitie The head is most conspicuous and the most apparent part of a man and a Crowne set upon the head may be seene a far off as the starres
in Antiochus and Antichrist typified in him practised wholly to destroy the mighty and holy people Dan. 8. 24. And the same we see in Herod who slew all the male children under two yeares old Thirdly See it especially in the Imperiall dragon the bloodinesse and tyranny of those Romane Emperours was matchlesse who poured out the blood of innocent Christians by thousands and tenne thousands in their streetes and territories like water For the first 300. yeares after Christ were nine or tenne bloody dragons that dyed themselves red in the blood of Christians which they sucked out greedily more like hell-hounds then men that had a drop of pitty or humanity left Nero began and flew upon them as a monster as if they had beene incendiaries of the city which him self caused to be set on fire only to lay it upon them like our incendaries and Romish powder plotters After him Domitian who cast John the Evangelist into a furnance of scalding oyle but when he saw he came forth unhurt he banished him into the I le Pathmos where he writ this Revelation Euseb. lib. 3. cap. 17. After him Traian under pretence that there must be but one religion in one Region persued Christistians with fire and sword and new devised torments to chase the name of Christian out of the world He slew Simeon Iustus and Ignatius the Pastors one at Jerusalem the other at Antioch After him came Antonius Verus who slew with Policarp Pastor of Smirna innumerable Christians What shal I speake of Hadrian that in one Mount crucified 10000. Christians crowned with thornes and darts thrust into their sides in derision of the passion of our Lord Jesus Or of the last of these dragons in one month of whose raigne were slaine 17. thousand Martyrs and innumerable more condemned to mines and slavery worse then death In a word the dragons were so red as the very story seemes to be written in blood which tell us that no man could step his foote in Rome and not tread on a Martyr Fourthly See it in the causes First God in his counsell hath just reason for as he foundeth his Church in the blood of Christ so he finisheth and perfecteth his worke in blood He advanceth his glory and maketh his power shine in working by contraries and confoundeth the adversaries when they see their wrath turned to Gods praise and the blood of Martyrs the seed and watering of the Church Pharaoh shall see he cannot worke wisely enough here is a more glorious world fetched out of a greater Chaos Iulian shall say vicisti Galilaee Secondly So deepe and inveterate is the poyson and malice of a dragon that no lighter or smaller revenge will serve him then death The same poyson lighted upon Christ he was judged unworthy either to live or dye in Jerusalem So the enemies of David when will he die and of Paul he is unworthy to live The rancorous poyson of an enemie of God and grace is such as a smaller revenge will not content them No whipping or mocking of Christ but crucifie him Thirdly The fury and feircenesse of the enemy is still augmented by reason it findes fuell to feed it First the light and grace in the godly which the more it encreaseth and shineth the more their malice and hatred burneth and boyleth against it For Why did Cain as a dragon slay Abel but because his workes were good 1 Joh. 3. 12. Why do the godly make themselves a prey but because they refraine from evill Esay 59. 15. Dragons can plead many causes Amos is accused by Hamaziah that he hath conspired against the King Daniell by the envious princes that he rebells against the Kings proclamation Ieremy if he exhort to go out into Babel according to Gods word and decree that he is a confederate with the Caldeans Paul that he is a troubler of the City and preacheth strange doctrine and pittie it is that hee lives But the true cause is if the white horse go forth the red horse will follow him at the heeles Psal. 38. 20. Mine adversaries hate me without cause Nay because I doe the thing that is good that is cause enough to hate to death Psal. 59. 3. They are gathered against me not for mine offence nor for my sinne This doctrine may serve as a glasse to let many see their owne faces and to what head they belong There is a generation of men who are feirce revengfull and cruell hearted against the godly who may here see what spirit they are guided by The spirit of God is gracious meeke mercifull gentle but they are not led by him His they are whose spirit they resemble in mischiefe and malice Joh. 8. 44. Yee are of your father the devill for his workes ye do A naturall child resembleth his father so do they theirs who was a murderer from the beginning As it was once so will it ever be Gal. 4. 29. He that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit and delighted in scorning the generation of God and seed of the promise these shew themselves a bastardly brood of Ismael who have no part in the promise no foote in the promised land To let us see whence that religion is that practiseth and teacheth all manner of fiercenesse and cruelty against the Saints It is of the devill of the dragon and is no religion of God Abraham makes this aptitude and forwardnesse to homicide a note of a false religion and proper to Idolaters Genes 20. 11. The feare of God is not in this place and they will slay me Hence it followes that the Romane religion cannot be of God for 1 Her head is that Abaddon and Apollyon The great destroyer of bodies and soules Rev. 9. 11. 2 Her members resemble the head for never were any more cruell and fiery dragons and homicides then the Antichristian zealotes and popish Inquisitors which for so many ages have destroyed the bodies of the innocent Saints with fire and sword and innumerable soules with divelish and hereticall doctrines 3 Her principles and positions are bloody and mischievous and such as the Heathens and sanguinary Savages would be ashamed of 4 Her proper colour is red scarlet dyed and drunken with the blood of the Saints which noteth her an essentiall member of the dragon fierie dragons are they furious and sulphurious kindling blazing fires not onely against the bodies of men women and children but laying their fire workes under ground against the bodies of many kingdomes at once This is that generation of which Christ spake They shall thinke they do God good service in killing you And the more fierce any man is against good men the more of this leaven he doth discover in himselfe Pray to be delivered from these direfull dragons Psal. 59. Deliver me from the bloody man and of all plagues which we have deserved let us pray we be never stung with these fiery dragons
the cause deserving them they are light and short 4. Not to sense but to faith they are short which apprehendeth Gods favour presence and promise of a good issue 5. Not in the glasse of the law but in the Gospel they are short in Christ his sweetning them sustaining us and shortning them 6. Not in respect of the terme of this life for so they are long but in respect of aeternall glory and rest following them they are but a moment Long and durable sorrowes are no signes of Gods hatred Eccles. 9. 1. for then the Church could have no certainty of Gods favour say not with thy selfe none was ever so afflicted with long and bitter sorrowes and God is gone for ever and a day and his mercy is cleane shut up in displeasure but consider 1. He left not the Church in this long tryall in so dreadfull and forsaken wildernesse the Arke was safe on a world of waters 2. Whether thy sinnes have not been long a growing on therefore they will not hastily away but are like spots long settled in cloth and require much scouring and rubbing 3. Whether ever thy heart and joyes would bee pulled off the world if the Lord should not with strong hand force thee out as Israel out of Aegypt dealing as the nurse weaning the childe being fond on the breast layeth mustard on it to make it distaste it 4. Whether thou hast not more cause in durable tryals to suspect thy want of love to God rather than Gods want of love to thee and whether thou hast not with thee harde knots that had neede of hard wedges To terrifie Gods owne children from presuming either to attempt or hold any of their sinnes embolden not thy selfe to sinne because thou art neare or deare to God for 1. Hee lookes to have more service from thee that standest nearer him in profession than others his eye is most on his garden and hee will bee sanctified in all that come neare him if thou wilt grow wilde it were good for thee to stand in the waste and not in the profession 2. If thou wilt hold thy sinne against him thou shalt know that though hee will not take away his grace so he will not take away his rod. Comfort the godly in their tedious and durable tryals 1. Though they belong yet the Lord supplyeth them all the time with needfull supplies and comforts hee sendeth none into the wildernesse to famish but to feed them and what comfort so ever they want yet they want not the two witnesses for if she did she were sure to perish yet were shee not sustained by the word the Lord Iesus should bee quite cast out of his possession and so lose his kingdome on earth which cannot bee 2. How long so ever they bee they are all determined by God for entrance continuance and conclusion there is a certaine time which they shall not passe for hee that setteth the bounds to the raging Sea hath set bounds to the raging of devils and wicked men and saith thus farre they shall come and no farther and then after many dayes hee will bring her out of the wildernesse into a more convenient and comfortable estate which shall be as an harbour or haven so much more sweet and desirable as the waves and billowes of a trouble some sea have been dreadfull and dangerous As there is an houre for the entrance of power of darknesse Luke 22. 53. so it is appointed for durance Exodus 12. 41. wee have seene a great part of these yeares passed and they draw to expiration therefore doe the enemies of the Church bestirre themselves because the time is but short yet this time is determined when the Church shall be eased Vers. 7. And there was a battell in heaven Having largely described the combatants in the former part of the chapter now the Spirit of God commeth to declare the battell it selfe unto which there hath been such preparation and this is no small controversie or trifling conflict but the greatest battell that ever was fought in the world and that in three respects 1. In respect of the place other battels are fought on earth but this in heaven not the heaven taken naturally but figuratively not in the highest heaven which is no place of dragons or quarrels but in the heaven on earth which is the Church militant called by the name of heaven as we have shewed verse the first for many reasons 2. It is great in respect of the armies whether we consider the greatnesse of the Generalls Michael the dragon or the valour or numbers of their forces for both these Generals come with their Angels which are great in multitude in power 3. Great in respect of the quarrell and cause namely whether Iehovah or Iupiter bee superiour whether Christ or Beliall whether Christianisme or Paganisme must prevaile whether Christian religion or Idolatrous worship bee more ancient more venerable more ample and of more worthy respect and acceptance This Verse propoundeth 1. The battell And there was a battell 2. The armies Michael and his Angels The former part predicteth this feirce fight where for the meaning are four Questions Quest. 1. Why I call it a prediction or prophesie being delivered in the time past and not in the time to come it is not said there shall bee a great battell but there was as if it had beene past rather than to come Ans. The manner of the Prophets in speaking of future events is to propound them in the time past Esay 53. 5 6 7. 1. For their more evidence and certainty in themselves as surely they shall come to passe as if they were past already 2. For the surer confirmation of the faith of the Church who are bound as certainly to beleeve bee they never so unlikely as if they were past already 3. That wee might more easily conceive of the words of the Prophets to be true and the word of God to whom past and present are both alike and who hath power to speake unto us in what manner himselfe pleaseth Quest. 2. Of what battell is this to bee understood Ans. 1. It is not to be meant of that battell between Michael and the dragon in the wildernesse for that was past but this was of a future event after Iohns time and that battell was betweene the Generals onely 2. Neither is it to be meant of that perpetual war in the militant Church between the elect and the reprobates both men and Angels which hath continued in the severall ages of the world from the beginning under the conduct of those great Captaines Christ and the dragon for this here is of a warre not yet begun when Iohn prophesied but that was 3. We properly understand it of some speciall and notable part of that warre which in the spring of the Euangelicall Church Satan raised to the overthrow of the salvation of it Now whether the Spirit of God had an aime at the warres of
end of falling Ester 6. 13. 4. The fervent and faithfull prayers of the Church are as an heavy Hatchet to knock the enemies on the head never could any prosper still that had the prayers of the Church against them Hezekiah prayes against Senacherib and Rabshekah and God sends a blast on them and shakes all their power in pieces 2 Kings 16. 6. The like in Haman Iudas Iulian. If this thundring Legion come against them they cannot stand against the showre and storme of shot like Haile that gals them on all sides more than all the Horsemen and Chariots than all the Muskets and Pikes mustered against them This was confessed by Marcus Aurelius Emperor to the Senate people of Rome the Christians by praier obtained for him a sweet showre of water when he wanted five dayes and a showre of Haile and Thunder and Lightning against the adversaries The Use hereof concernes both the godly and their enemies 1. The godly have hence a ground of patience and contentment and learne not to envie or fret at the exaltation of wicked adversaries consider the end and thou shalt see no cause see Nahum 1. 2. and Psal. 37. 7 10. 2. Here is comfort for the people of God a time comes when the place of Gods enemies shall not bee found Now they are in place and hope to prevaile but they cannot for 1. Satan the head of the dragon the God of peace shall tread under our feet Rom. 16. 20. 2. For those spirituall powers which he brings against us sin death hell and damnation they shall bee no more their place shall not bee found Rev. 20. 14. 3. For the world all that is borne of God overcommeth the world 1 Ioh. 5. 4. and it passeth away and the fashion of it shall bee no more 4. For wicked men and temporall enemies as Moses said to the Israelites at the Sea Those enemies whom your eyes hath seene to day ye shall never see more Exod. 14. 13. so may we say of these 5. For Antichristian and Popish tyrants and enemies yet a little while and they shall be found no more in the cup shee hath filled unto us shall be filled double No man shall buy her wares any more Rev. 18. 11. all her glory and wealth called fat and excellent things are departing and none shall finde them any more vers 14. with violence shal the great City Babylō be cast as a Milstone into the Sea be found no more ver 21 22 23. she hath brewed blood blood must bee her drinke Our owne Babylonians began not long since to prate of the price of Fagots to shew what they meditate and that they are of the right blood of their bloody Parents But I assure them fire and Brimstone shall bee cheape enough when that showre appointed fals upon that filthy Babylon to revenge their fiery rage against the Lords servants Thus shal the Elect see all their foes their footstool let us make our faith our present victory this shall bring fruition which is a full and finall triumph 3. It teacheth the godly seeing the place of wicked men shall not be found to make sure of a stable and firme estate and that is 1. By repentance and reconciling our selves to God see Iob 11. 14. and 22. 21. 2. By stedfastnesse in faith and other graces all our stability is founded in Gods covenant as on a sure rocke stable faith upholds the whole estate truth of faith and grace is an impregnable hold and fortresse but a wavering minde in faith and religion is restlessely tossed and carried every where by temptation or persecution from the truth 3. By joyning in Gods worship with Gods people Iob 22. 27. He that is a pure worshipper that lifts his face to God and makes his prayer and renders his vowes unto him the light shall shine upon his wayes when others are cast downe he shall say I am lifted up 4. By uprightnesse and integritie walking conscionably before God and man only uprightnesse and a good conscience can bring in a sure estate when an evill conscience rageth as the sea a good and pure conscience hath peace and confidence yea assurance in life and death The next Use belongs to the enemies of the Church and First to terrifie them in that they cannot chuse but worke their owne woe and wracke The woefull condition of persecutors enemies is that howsoever they lift up themselves against God and his truth they must come downe was it not a wofull fall of Haman when hee sought his life of Hester whose life hee had sought Now this must needs be 1. Because they fight with the Lambe and the Lambe overcomes them Rev. 17. 14. nay the Lambe will never leave them till they confesse themselves overcome Pharaoh with all his power chased Israel as a company of fearefull Hares before him but was not he forced to yeeld the bucklers were not his Sorcerers forced to say This is the finger of God Ex. 8. 19 did not himselfe beg prayers of Moses Aaron did not his Princes say Let us flie frō before Israel for God and the Lambe fights for them Did not great Nebuchadnezzar confesse himselfe overcome when hee cast the servants of God into the fire but could not command the fire to burne them when he loosed those whom he had bound and was forced to extoll whom hee had ignominiously vilified yea to absolve justifie and advance those whom hee had condemned Iulian must say Vicisti Galilaee 2. Their rage and fury against the Church makes them runne headily upon their owne ruine for it suffers them not take any good counsell but in pursuite of their chase march furiously as Iehu and plunge themselves into such a depth as they cannot wade out againe Could Pharaoh get back againe when himselfe his Princes power and Chariots were in the bottome of the Sea now hee found hee was too deepe and hee that found a way in could finde no way out had hee consulted with himselfe hee might well have thought that God made that not a way for him but for Israel whose businesse lay beyond Sea Could Haman get backe againe when hee had laid that wicked plot without breaking his owne necke Could Iudas having betrayed innocent blood get backe againe without shedding his owne 3. Their instance and furious pursuit of their purposes carry them so farre that commonly nothing can be the deliverance of the Church but their owne destruction as in the former examples of Pharaoh and Haman The like we might observe in that fierce intended invasion of 88. and the same in the Hellish Powder-plot wherein the godly came out of trouble and the wicked came in his stead Thus saith Salomon The wicked shall bee a ransome for the just and the transgressors for the righteous Prov. 21. 18. Such is the irreconciliable rage of wicked men as having the godly at advantage no ransome will be taken and they have no ransome if it
up to hatefull things condemned by themselves to drunkennesse filthines usury base and shamefull courses that their name stinkes as a Candle sluttishly put out not after but before they are put out that all men may see them cast out of their place parts before hand and if the wicked servants talēt be taken from him what remaines but the other part of the sentence Cast him into utter darknesse Mat. 25. 30. 2. Another note of a man whose place shall not bee found is hee is one whose place is not found amongst Gods people in his House and ordinances Cain as vile as hee was being cast out from the presence of God complaines of a miserable case many outcasts now wilfully excommunicate themselves and please themselves in it their owne hatred of grace hath cast them out from Gods people and worship already Gods house hath already spewed them out as unworthy of the fellowship of Gods people and whither are they hastening hee that will not abide to have his place found amongst Gods people shall one day have his wish his place shall never bee found among them Thirdly a man blowne about as chaffe and dust already shall never have a stable estate hereafter as I. If any bee carried with every blast of false doctrine as unrooted unsetled in the faith never was there change of religion but Satan raised false teachers and seducers who did privily bring in damnable heresies such as Iannes and Iambres that resisted the truth and carryed away numbers from the truth themselves first carryed away by the deceit of Balaams wages beware of such Popish Pedlers that helpe to sell the people of God into the hands of the cursed Babylonians Ieremie describes such 1. They cast aside the Word of God and deliver their owne dreames chaffe instead of wheare they bend and straine their wits to looke out vaine and foolish things causes of banishment Lam. 2 14. 2. They are described by their intolerable Iesuiticall lying fathering that upon the Lord which the Lord never spake where doth the Lord in al◠the Scripture enveigh against the powerfull frequēt preaching of his holy word Shall we beleeve he speaks from God who cryes out of too much Preaching I must beleeve that his eyes are sore or bleared who cries out of light how can a Torch-light be welcome to a company of theeves or robbers how can the light of the word be welcome to Atheists Papists and Iesuiticall spirits who would robbe the Church of the word of salvation 3. They are described by hucksterly blending the wine of Gods word with the puddle-water of humane inventions watch them and disclaime them that would sow our field with the miscelen of Popery who like their Jesuiticall friends with one wipe will cast out all the reformed Churches from being the true Churches of God with whom wee have joyned as sisters ever since the restoring of the Gospell as in the harmony of Confessions appeareth with another overthrow the better halfe of the fourth Commandement as their friends cast out the whole second Commandement and as like the Jesuites as may bee cast dirt and foame upon the faithfull able and zealous Preachers because they see them stand in their light as the greatest opposites to their Popish projects Well for giving heed to such deceitfull Prophets the Lord threatneth Ierusalem to wipe her as a maid wipes a dish If we would not be cast out of our places Churches let us beware of such locusts whose property is to eate up every greene thing Rev. 9. 4. especially beware of the delusiō of Antichrist who is that beast that must goe into destruction and the King of these Locusts for how shall they that adhere to him stand or bee found in their place when his place shall not be found II. The like of one who is carryed away with the blasts of temptation from sinne to sinne having no stedfastnesse in a good course None can bee established by iniquity III. The like of them that are carryed away with Apostasie from good beginnings without constancy in their hearts or mouthes or good actions such withered leaves are blowne away with windes Psal. 1. And IIII. Of them that runne after the world setting their hope and heart on earthly things for how can such a ones place be found when earth and heaven flies away and their place found no more Revel 20 11. when all Ilands and Mountaines shall not bee found Rev. 16. 20 Vers. 9. And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devill and Satan which deceiveth the whole world hee was cast out into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him This Verseis a large confirmation or interpretation of the former and in it are foure parts I. A large description of the party overthrowne the grand enemie of the woman and that by two arguments 1. His names and titles which are foure 1. The great dragon 2. That old serpent 3. The devill 4. Satan 2. His effect he deceiveth the whole world II. The manner of his overthrow He was cast not downe but out III. The place designed whither he was cast into the earth IIII. His company and associates in this overthrow and his Angels with him First of the description Quest. Why is the Spirit of God so large in it Answ. 1. That we should not mistake the enemie overthrowne and conceive of any naturall or physicall dragon in proper sense 2. That wee should not doubt of the truth of the overthrow For the meaning of the names I. The great dragon is the arch-enemie of mankinde who had in all ages by his instruments oppressed and outragiously wasted the Church but especially as wee have seene in this Text by the great and prophane power of the old Romane and imperiall dragons in whom he had ruled at his will tyrannized over the woman spreading upholding all Idolatry blasphemy heresies and plotting dēvising and executing all injustice tyranny and barbarous immanity against her this dragon is now cast out of whom and his greatnesse wee have spoken at large verse 3. and will neither repeate nor add to that discourse II. The Title is The old Serpent where 1. His nature 2. His adjunct His nature he is a serpent First because hee hid and covered himselfe in the serpent in his first stratageme against our first Parents Secondly because of his serpentine disposition in two things 1. His poyson and malice both in the fountaine and streams for in his owne nature his poyson is alwayes ready as in a fountain and in his effects it runneth incessantly as in full streames first and principally against Christ the Head of the Church and then against all the members for the Heads sake His speciall hatred is against Christ for as the serpent carries a most deadly antipathic and fight against the Hart or Hinde so this serpent against Christ who is aijeleth hashahar the hart or hinde of the
joyne to it For efficacy of doctrine is no proofe of truth because there is an efficacy of errour by which the dragon prevailes against all the earth But is the doctrine effectuall to turne men from the power of Satan to God then it is true not else Nor yet be much dismaied that among our selves after the knowledge and profession of the truth so many should turne away to Popery and are seduced by Priests and Jesuites for how can a carnall doctrine but prevaile among carnall men what looke they after in their religion but men on earth at Princes lawes times persons and earthly respects not one of them after God or his word or rules of direction from it but hate the Scripture as a theef the gallows their Religion then must needs be good But none are altogether given up to Antichristianisme but they they are first given up to Satan to bee seduced Oh that Papists would heare and lay to heart that they are pitifully seduced by the chiefe seducer under Satan which is a plaine signe of perdition for among whom doth Antichrist raigne but onely them that perish Rev. 14. 6 How can they expect to raign in the heavenly Jerusalem with Christ who stick in mysticall Babylon unto Antichrist how shall hee triumph in heaven with Christ that fights on earth for Antichrist But well may we with a sea of teares take knowledge of the generall sinne of our land in the hatred and abuse of the light and bringers of it for which the Lord may justly deliver us up to delusion and efficacy of errour and if we goe on resolved to give no better entertainment to the light the Papists themselves are not more effectually deluded in maine points than it may please God many among us may bee Finally marvell not that so many great wise and learned men in the world oppose resist the truth plot cōtrive against Gods Ordinances servants for how can earth but stand in opposition to heaven they are but pieces of earth and of the world delivered up to Satan to deceive earthly affections lusts motions desires carry them away earthly policie dignity favour ease wealth is all they aime at their way and their end earth is their portion and they the dragons for the dragon seduceth all the earth and only that Doth any resist and oppose heavenly doctrine he is earthly-minded he savours the earth some base lust or sinne is the dragons chaine to hold him under delusion to destruction Thirdly wee learne hereby to beware of seduction and carefully prevent it Quest. What meanes may we use thereunto Answ 1. Get out of the estate of nature into the estate of grace become a beleever by faith get into the hand of Christ and none shall pluck thee thence Iohn 10. Give all diligence to make thine election sure by adding grace to grace and bringing forth fruits of faith the dragons delusions are onely effectuall in them that perish 2. Get out of the world answer the voyce of Christ calling thee out of the world for what is the whole earth but a company of seduced and deluded people If thou art still in the world hee that seduceth all the world cannot but carry thee away from God Demas embraced the present world and forsooke the truth The young man went heavily from Christ for hee had great possessions nay they had him rather The dragon thought to have seduced Christ himselfe by the profer of the world All this will I give thee Oh therefore get thee with all speed out of the world in affection in conversation love it not live not after it 3. Avoid persons and places of seduction Persons are 1. False teachers and false Prophets that come in sheepes clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves Mat. 7. 15. not Priests and Jesuites onely who study the art of deceiving but sweet-tōgued Prophets who by libertine doctrine or loosenesse of life leade the way to wickednesse They are accursed in the Law who make the blinde goe out of the way and all the people must say Amen Deut. 27. 18. 2. Perswaders to Popery and false worship whereof there are not a few at this day and such as perswade to any schisme or separation from the truth Let servants be choice what Masters they serve and bee sure their Masters serve the same Master in heaven with them but above all beware of a Snake in the bosome our weaknesse needeth a faithful Counsellor so neare us For places 1. Beware of ignoran tand rude places which are destitute of instruction and able instructers where the eye is blinde that man is misled any whither and such a people are led away as a prey to the dragon a wicked Ministery makes a naked people Where doe the Frogs and Locusts Priests and Jesuites sculke and croake bin ignorant and untaught places where men are taught no difference betweene the mists of Popery and the shining light of the Gospell where the watchmen are blinde the embassadours dumbe and teachers untaught need teachers themselves in the principles of Religion 2. Avoid infected places where abominations are set up and maintained no poyson kils more certainly or speedily Whether they be Popish Countries to which the Spirit of God would have us bid farewell Revel 18. 4. Goe out of her my people lest yee partake of her sinnes and plagues Or Popish houses where deceivers are harboured idols and lies set up and worshipped a little Breaden god adored true religion reviled and the mysterie of iniquity embraced Avoid these This is the third meanes to avoid seduction 4. Sticke close to the word of God which onely can hold us upright Mat. 22. 29 Ye erre no knowing the Scriptures Here in cleaving to the word First indeavour to grow up in sound judgement for the discerning af doctrines and signes which carry great pretenses of truth and by which the dragon usually seduceth many 1 Iohn 4. 1. Beleeve not every spirit but trie the spirits whether they bee of God for many false spirits are gone out into the world Alas how doe the body of our people lye open to seduction and are ready to entertaine any doctrine any religion for want of this abilitie They embrace a religion because it is established by authority commauded by the law professed by the Prince embraced by the multitude freest fr ōtrouble But aske them a reason of their faith call them to account in Catechisme you would thinke them speechlesse you can force no answer savouring of judgement or reason is there then no need of this exhortation Secondly grow up in sound love to the Word for else thou canst not but bee given up to beleeve lyes 2 Thess. 2. 10. it is not learning knowledge wisedome that can arme or fence us from delusion but love of the truth as in the instances of Adam Iudas Hymeneus and Philetus c. but love of the truth will quench in us love of the world and selfe-love and
carry us through fire and water through Pikes and perils through thicke and thin after it Thirdly sticke to the conscionable practice of the Word and then be sure thou canst not bee deceived hold to the rule of that for it cannot deceive thee the powerfull practice of it turneth a man from the power of Satan unto God V. Pray for the spirit of grace to performe his Office for thy establishing in grace Quest. What is his Office Answ. 1. He is that Anoynting which teacheth all things needfull 2. Hee is the Spirit of wisedome and counsell to resolve all doubts it is his voyce that saith behinde thee This is the way walke in it 3. He is the Spirit of courage and fortitude to dissolve the fears of flesh to arme us against tyrants enemies changes tryals and persecutions for the truth 4. He is the Comforter to sustaine us with assured comfort in our heavinesse and to cheare us in our wearinesse 5. Hee is the Perfecter of his owne worke for he leaveth no work imperfect which he beginneth for salvation Col. 1. 28. I strive to be perfect according to his mighty power that worketh in me VI. Add this to the former sticke to the Ministery but see that the Spirit be effectuall in that Ministery for 1. The Spirit worketh all those comforts by means of the Word 2. As the evill spirit is effectuall in such as perish by false doctrines and false perswasions so the Spirit of God is effectuall in the Saints especially in the preaching and perswasions of the word of truth 3. It is just that whosoever suffereth not the Spirit to be effectuall there shall finde the spirit of error effectuall in strong delusions If Ahab will not heare Gods Spirit in Micah hee shall fall by a spirit of errour in the mouthes of his false prophets Now to bee established by an effectuall Ministerie wee must observe two rules 1. Receive not every thing hand over head but search the Scriptures and trie the things that are delivered Iohn 5. 39. and the Bereans were commended for examining the doctrine of the Apostles themselves by the touchstone of the Prophets Acts 17. 11. But Papists would not have the Scripture in common mens hands because they distrust their doctrine 2. Having tryed all things resolve to hold all that is good and continue in the things learned from the Word which is an assured fence against deceivers 2 Tim. 3. â—4 We are further admonished to take notice of the markes and signes of a person that is seduced by the Serpent to the end we may avoid them One is in the dayes of light not to perceive the glorious light of the Gospell 2 Cor. 4. 3. If our Gospell be now hid it is hid to them that perish in whom the god of this world hath blinded their mindes that the light of the Gospell should not shine unto them Hee is a blinde man that seeth not the Sunne shining nor such objects as the Sunne discovereth so hee is blinded by Satan who cannot or will not see his estate to bee damnable and miserable but is alive and happy without repentance and conversion that by the same light cannot see that a sinne in himselfe which hee seeth so to bee in another that by the light cannot be convinced but that some sins are good and commodious as profitable lies and oathes some breach of the Sabbath some usury some idle company and perhaps esteeme it vertue or wisedome that by so cleare a light cannot be perswaded but that there is more ease and pleasure in following lusts and sinnes than in observing Gods law here is one led away and deceived of the serpent 2. Another mark of such a one is not to beleeve the truth but to esteeme the Word as a fable unworthy of our credit Eve was not seduced till her faith in the word was shaken Thou that beleevest not the promises as not expecting salvation by them that turnest away the thoughts from thinking earnestly of the threatnings and punishments due to thy sinnes that walkest in thine owne way and refusest the counsell of the word why seest thou not thy selfe seduced and led away by Sathan in great part already 3. A third marke of such a one is a departing from the doctrine of faith received from the religion and divine worship planted by the Prophets and Apostles and prescribed in the word of God a giving way and willing eares to Priests Jesuites and croaking locusts Eve should not have lent her eare to the serpent against the truth of God Hee easily seduceth those that are willing to bee seduced 4. The fourth marke is to withstand the power of grace and religion accounting the practise of holinesse a needlesse precisenesse esteeming the care of pleasing God to be hypocrisie zeale to be rashnesse and distemper Who seeth not but the dragon hath led these away at his will For what other way doth the Dragon himselfe walke in but in a perpetuall hatred of grace 5. The fift marke is noted wickednesse of life and living in lusts for the more wicked a man is the more subject hee is to be delivered up by God to be seduced and who be they that are given up to the efficacie of Antichrist but such as have pleasure in unrighteousnesse that is such as take felicity in sinne and rather then they will forsake it trample under foot all the hopes of the Gospell 2. Thess. 2. 12. Who be they that are or may be noted at this day carryed away into the delusion of popery and are a prey to Jesuites Priests and deceivers but such as must have liberty and indulgence to live in some sin or other first they resolve upon a beastly life and then fall to such a deluding doctrine as may skinne over the gall of their consciences Of many such Apostates wee may say it were pitty they should professe any other religion then popery for no other would befit the wickednesse of their lives so well 6 The last marke is when sinne is revenged with sinne with hardnesse of heart with brawne of conscience deadnesse of spirit dedolency impenitencie This man is fearefully left by God and seised on by the dragon when neither Law nor Gospell neither piping nor mourning prevailes with him Instance whereof we see in many Apostates and temporizers who having made some shewes of goodnesse in themselves and good affections to others falling to the world and selfe-seeking have slacked in their love to the truth and that sinne revenged with hatred and persecuting of goodnesse and that sinne further revenged with hardnesse of heart and a dead conscience not suffering them to looke either behinde them or before them till they have outrunne themselves in so fearfull violence against the grace of God as commonly godlinesse meets not with such enemies any where as those that once made shew of it And as the dragon most desirously assaulteth these so Gods revenge sheweth it selfe most
by maintaining whatsoever may enlarge the Dragons state and kingdome and resisting whatsoever might weaken or impaire it 1. This appeares in that every wicked man gives up himselfe willingly to Satans rule who raignes like a lyon in every unbeleeving heart there hee enacts lawes of evill there he raignes by sinne there is his seat his court his chaire of estate as for Jesus Christ hee casts off his rule his lawes hee breakes asunder his yokes and disclaimes his person and titles saying Wee will not have this man to rule over us 2. Hee rules not all by himselfe but by his confederates which he convocates at his pleasure and they readily obey the summons Hee can presently gather wicked Councels Synods Conclaves Convocations to act and decree whatsoever pleaseth him against the word of God and the truth of religion onely devising in them what may gall the truth and its professors and uphold superstition and corruption hee hath in store numbers of hereticks false teachers libertine doctors to spread and maintaine doctrines of devils And by these agents he hath in all ages especially upheld his state and power in blinding and seducing the world willing to bee blinded 3. Hee hath the secular arme and civill states of the world at an houres warning to set up and hold up his state in erecting idolatry and false worship in all corners of the world both Heathen Jewish and Popish and this is the ground of all the tumults in this part of the world the thrusting out of the truth and bringing in idolatry whereby the Dragon stands in greater state then in any other ordinary sinnes against the Gospell for first this sinne is most directly against the high Majesty of God secondly as the God of heaven is present and honoured when hee is purely worshipped so is the god of the world when hee is served and as Gods glory is set up in and by true worshippers so is the devils honour in and by idolaters who are therefore said to offer to devils and not unto God Thirdly as the throne of God is upheld by his subjects so is the devills throne by his chiefe subjects who are idolaters Revel 2. 13. The Angell of Pergamus is said to dwell where the devills throne was the reason is because that city was most idolatrous and fierce against Christ and his religion Satans throne was set up in Court in Country in Churches in Palaces he ruled all Now this is a rule of tryall of religion of persons of places 1. That religion in which Christ is not exalted in and by that the devill keepes his hold which is true not in the Heathenish onely which knowes not Christ or Jewish which acknowledgeth no Messias come in the flesh but in the naturall religion of Popery which thrusteth downe the Scriptures to set up traditions and setteth up many mediators for one Mediator and maketh every man a Saviour of himselfe by his merits besides their formall idolatry which is a worship of devills And shall wee looke backe to a religion where the devill rules where Christ is banished and Christianity under a pretext of Christ persecuted to death 2. For persons Naturall men are still in the power of the devill very slaves because Christ is not yet entred Sure wee are hee held up his power in us all once not one of our hearts but was his throne if hee be not cast out hee is still in his former state This is the forlorne estate of all of us by nature and if we be not converted and brought to Jesus Christ by faith and obedience to the Gospell the devill acteth mooveth and ruleth us at his pleasure This shewes the necessity of conversion unlesse wee would willingly harbour such a Dragon 3. See wee any place set open for drunkennesse whoredome cursing blaspheming scorning of goodnesse or of such hellish resort where sinne is maintained and upheld and Christ with the mention of godlinesse barred out Be sure Sathans throne is there his signe is on every such doore his armes on every post there is a house swept for the devill at least a suburbes of hell there is the devill present in prevailing manner with strength of temptation absolute command over his slaves whom hee drawes to the height of wickednesse As Salomon giveth counsell to goe by the house of the harlot and not to come neare the doore of her house Prov. 5. 8. So let all godly men avoid all such persons places and practises in which the devill sits in his chaire of estate Sundry places are permitted to Satan by God to possesse where hee domineireth and sheweth himselfe in strange noises frightfull apparitions is powerfull in such houses to hurt destroy he that knows the danger of such haūted places will not enter into them But in such places as wickednesse dwels although Sathan be not sensibly present yet he is more powerfull if not more dreadfull yet more dangerous no wise Christian that hath not a desire to be acquainted with hell beforehand would come into houses so haunted stuffed with yong Dragons and devills incarnate how miserable to live where Satan dwells how difficult to serve Christ where Satan raigneth This also teacheth us to examine our selves whether the dragon bee cast out or keepe his state and command in us where consider 1. The necessity of this tryall 2. The rules of tryall The former appeares 1. Because the greatest part of the world even in places where the Gospel is preached are not brought to Jesus Christ but are voluntary slaves to Satan renouncing obedience to God and professe obedience to the dragon what a severe but just judgment of God is it that they that will not be ruled nor submitted to Gods will should become slaves to the Devill that being delivered by Gods justice unto Satan their whole course should tend to uphold the state of the dragō with the final ruine of their own 2. As it is not the presence of the Gospell so neither the profession of the Gospell that puts Satan out of state What a great Professor was Ananias that seemed to give away all his lands to the use of the Church and yet Satan filled his heart Act. 5. who was a greater Professor than Iudas the steward of Christ yet the devil kept the hold of his heart there is much more then profession required to dispossesse him yea muchmore than preaching of Christ for Iudas did both 3. He is certainly concluded a wicked man under the power of the devill that is carelesse in this examination whether Christ bee in him 2 Corinth 13. 5. Prove your selves know yee not that Christ is in you unlesse yee be reprobates as also who by examination findes not the Spirit of God of Christ to dwell in him Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Now the rules of this triall are reduced to two heads The
Sinne in his allurements 3. Afflictions and rebukes for the Name of Christ and for well-doing All overcome by the power of Christ in his members 1. A mighty worke of his power was that he was able to foyle temptations and stand against all hellish powers so as when Satan came he found nothing in him Even so the power of Christ wherever it is puts forth it selfe against Satans kingdome the strong man is cast out by a stronger than hee Doest thou chase Satan afore thee and the whole band of his temptations so as though thou canst not bee free from the molestation of his assaults yet thou art free from the seduction and persistest in thy goodnesse here is the power Christ if Satan bee trodden under our feet it is the God of peace that doth it These adversaries are so mighty in strength and subtilty that no power but the power of Gods might can resist them But where the devill triumpheth and holdeth a man captive at his will when as the great Centurion he saith to his slave Doe this and hee doth it sweare and raile and whore and drinke and lie and deceive and men doe so the power of Christ is farre off unlesse for revenge 2. Another enemy is our owne sinnes and lusts in the subduing of which wee may espie the power of Christ. Canst thou finde the evils of thy heart and life conquered infirmities vanquished the power of sinne daily weakned and foyled sinne cast out if not in respect of presence yet of power that the raigne and dominion of it is gone here is the power of Christ for no other power can put sinne to death but the power of Christs death Contrarily where sinne is not disarmed but the body of it stands united compacted not wounded to death where secret sinnes are allowed where lusts are alive and cherished where worldly pleasures profits fashions are followed with a full strength where men willingly cast themselves into the occasions of sinne here is no saving power of Christ in conversion and change for all Christs power is set for the overthrow of sinne it set himselfe free from all corruptions and sinfull infirmities and so his members 3. The last enemy are afflictions for Christ and well-doing Canst thou beare the worst troubles for Christ and bee baptized with his baptisme canst thou esteeme the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt as Moses Heb. 11 canst thou account losses for Christ thy greatest gaine doest thou not account thy life deare to thee so that thou maist finish thy course with joy Is not all this a divine power that can make thee rejoyce in the Crosse of Christ and joyfully indure the spoyling of thy goods and carry the reproaches of Christ as a Crowne on thy shoulder all which formerly thou fearedst as hell it selfe But where is the power of Christ when every shadow of change is of force to drive men from the profession every damsels speech can terrifie so great a Professor as Peter even to the deniall of his Lord a sleight reproach or nickname can keepe many away from Christ and make many goe away Were the power of Christ present it would indure the Crosse and despise the shame and nothing could separate Now have I discovered the tryals of the power of Christ. If any man have this experience of the mighty power of Christ praise God for it if not pray to have thine eies opened to see the exceeding greatnes of this power of Christ in thy selfe Eph. 1. 19. both in weakning the power of sinne that it may not have dominion over thee and in weakning the presumption of thine own power and strength which overthrows great graces and casts men headlong into fearfull fals as wee see in Peter but let him that stands take heed lest hee fall as also in stablishing the mighty worke of grace in thy soule and whatsoever vertue may accompany thy salvation as knowing that this mighty power of Jesus Christ is put forth first for holinesse and then for happinesse For the accuser of our brethren is cast downe which accused them before our God day and night These words containe a reason why the Church hath with a loud voyce ascribed the honour of salvation and kingdome to the Lord and of power unto Jesus Christ namely because the accuser of the brethren is cast downe Where wee have two things 1. His crimination 2. His dejection In the former part are foure things 1. What are these accusations 2. Who are accused brethren 3. Where before our God 4. When night and day I. These accusations are the objecting of things true or false to the hurt and disgrace of the godly First in true things Satan accuseth them hee espieth their infirmities and noteth even in the best many sinnes and errors which they are guilty of and these hee urgeth and amplifieth against them before God and pleadeth from them their unworthinesse of mercy yea the sinnes which in them are of weaknesse hee amplifieth as if they were sinnes of wickednesse and raigning sinnes and maketh them seem unpardonably hainous and claimeth the justice of the Law and the execution of the curse upon persons so unworthy of life and salvation Secondly these accusations are also of false things For Satan alyer from the beginning deviseth many false calumniations lyes and slanders and casteth them upon the Saints In those Primitive times what an heape of horrible lyes did the devill and his instruments raise against the Saints to incense the Emperours against Christian religion as namely that they were seditious rebellious against government sacrilegious incestuous that they ate raw flesh used libidinous cōmixture in their meetings by night that they worshipped the head of an Asse adored the Sunne and a number more execrable villanies imputed to those poore and innocent lambes led away for such monsters to the slaughter as appeares in Eusebius and Tertullian And to the same purpose hee being still like himselfe hath falsly accused the godly in all ages for seditious meetings nightly and unlawfull conventicles rebellion against Princes unchaste conversings and the like II. Who bee the persons accused Our brethren Wee have shewed it to bee a voyce of a multitude of members of the Church militant upon occasion of a particular victory who stood in neare relation to the afflicted Saints and therefore called them our brethren Brethren are either by birth of the same parents as Cain and Abel or by affinitie of one roote or stocke as Abraham and Lot or by Nation or Countrey as Paul and the Jews Rom. 9. 1. or by profession and communion in one faith and worship as here Quest. Doth Satan accuse none but the godly who are brethren or doth hee not also accuse the wicked and unbeleevers Ans. Hee accuseth the godly to get them condemned but what need hee stand accusing those whose infidelity hath already condemned them as the wicked are Ioh. 3. 18. Hee need
doth not the Lord protect innocency and holinesse but suffer it to bee the butt and white to receive all the arrowes of wicked calumniation Answ. Aske also why the Lord suffers the clouds to beset and darken the Sunne or the darknesse of the night to succeed the light of the day He is not bound to give thee a reason of his wayes and works and yet in his great wisdome he worketh them all For 1 As in the beginning he set a fight betweene light and darknesse naturall and separated betweene them not that darknesse should prejudice the light but rather should make the benefit and comfort of it more perspicuous and discernable so hath he separated from the beginning light and darknesse spirituall and maintaines this fight and separation not that light of grace should be extinct by that darkenesse but be made more manifest and shining See 1 Cor. 11. 19. 2 God will have theÌ„ strive that must be crowned Were there no combate there were no conquest were there no conquest there were no crowne but the greater the conquest the more glorious is the crowne How should the faith fortitude patience or any grace of the Saints be tryed either for the soundnesse or measure if there were nothing to exercise them Not peace but warre tryes the metall of a souldier 3 God will also by this fight shew the madnesse and malignity of wicked men left by God who must grow from evill to worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. to fill up their measure And therefore the holinesse wisdome grace and innocency of godly men which should be a fence and shield to keepe evill men off them is but an invitation and bayte for their mischiefe and malice to worke upon Which is most apparent in our Lord himselfe the innocent Lambe of God who taught the truth without mixture of error or respect of persons Could his wisdome innocency or holinesse fence him from being a butt and signe of contradiction or a subject of accusation Was he not said to be a sorcerer a Samaritan a drunkard a glutton a deceiver a divell an enemie to Caesar a disturber of publike peace Oh what a deadly poyson lurketh in a wicked man left to himselfe that as a spider from the sweetest herbes swelleth up with poyson so thence there he acteth his mischiefe where he should admire love and imitate The reasons of the doctrine are taken from 1. The godly 2. Satan 3. Wicked men 1 The godly are members of Christ and members must be coÌ„formable to their head If they cal the master Belzebub will they spare the servant was the greene tree accused of rebellion and disobedience to Caesar and may not the dry trees expect more then the greene Againe godly men shine as lights in the midst of a crooked generation the light of their gracious course actually condemnes their vile conversation the shining holinesse of the one really refuteth the foule corruptions of the other Now so long as this enmitie lasteth betweene the seed of the woman and of the serpent and so long as light and darknesse remaine unreconciled the godly must make account of accusation and unjust molestation 2 Godly men cannot avoid accusation in regard of Satan the great Accuser For First his malice is restlesle against Christ who hath broken his head but Christ being now in person out of his reach hee expresseth it in two things wherein he reacheth as neere Christ as he can 1 Against the truth and holy religion both in the doctrine and practise Hence is it that he can get all the good way of God called and accused for a notable heresie Act. 24. 14. and the sincere walking in this way no lesse 2 Against his members for as he accused the Hâ—â—d in his time so now the members in theirs for the Heads sake As he accused our elder brother so also for his sake the rest of the brethren yea for being brethren as our text implieth Secondly Satan hath wicked mens tongues to command who are ruled at his will and therefore godly men must not looke to bee free from calumniation so long as they can either devise false things or deprave true Thirdly Satan hath experience of the strength and force of this weapon of false accusation and that by it he hath got no small advantage in all ages Hee knowes hee got the Sonne of God to death by false accusation hee got thousands and ten thousands of the Primitive Christians to death by the same weapon Hee knowes how in all ages hee hath brought thereby holy religion into suspition and disgrace He knowes how such as are not of the truth but guided by his spirit love lyes and are taken with them as a baite and by Gods just judgement given over to be hardened against the truth And therefore according to his owne ancient practise he hath taught his apt scholler Machiavel Calumniare audacter aliquid saltem haerebit Belie the man confidently and some dirt at least will sticke upon him Well hee knowes that as such calumnies make easie entrance into corrupt mindes so are they hardly dispossessed of such prejudice and if he can doe nothing else hee pleaseth himselfe in troubling them in their way whom he cannot deprive of the end 3. Wicked men cannot but accuse the brethren First because of their ignorance of God and of Christ Iohn 15. 21. These things will they doe unto you for my names sake because they have not knowne him that sent me and Iohn 16. 2. They shall excommunicate and kill you because they have not knowne the Father nor mee The eye of the minde being blinded how great is that blindnesse This is the foundation of accusation Secondly as they are grosly ignorant in the things of God so are they most subtile in covering their owne pretexts and practises As no sinne desires to goe naked and seene in his owne colour and skinne so no sinner would walke in his owne shape and habit but will sew himselfe a garment of some fig-leaves or other to maske himselfe in that whatsoever hee is hee may seeme no sinner Now there bee 4. maine sins of wicked men which have ever beene mischievous to the godly but all masked and hid with this large cloake of false accusation 1. Pride Haman cannot get honour from Mordecai for how can godly Mordecai honour such a vile person now Haman cannot for shame accuse Mordecai directly for not kneeling unto him but hee can make good another accusation against him and his people by which he covereth his pride 2. Covetousnesse Now to hide their covetousnesse they have ever devised accusations under pretence of peace and standing against innovation The Apostles preach ordinaÌ„ces not lawful to receive and trouble our City but that was onely a cover for the Text saith When they saw the hope of their gaine was gone they caught Paul and Silas Why did Demetrius and the Crafts-men make that disorderly tumult against Paul but
of his foule death and damnation both in soule and body with many passages after his buriall and stirre of the devils about him which comming to Luthers hands hee answered Of Queene Elizabeth they spred in forraine parts some yeares before shee dyed that shee was dead and had reconciled her selfe to the Pope Iohn Husse yet alive was accused that hee affirmed a fourth person in Trinity who when he desired the author or witnesse to bee brough forth and could not obtaine cryed out O miserable man that I am who am forced to beare such blasphemies and standers 2. Another note of an impudēt blasphemer accuser is to accuse in things wherein himself is most guilty With what impudency did Potiphars wife accuse Ioseph of incontinency when only her selfe was unchaste and the solliciter Satan accuseth Iob before the Lord that if hee touch Iob a little hee will curse and blaspheme him to his face whereas nothing is more usuall with Satan himselfe than to curse and blaspheme God perpetually Nero to picke a quarrell against the Christians set Rome on fire and charged the Christians with it hence were they apprehended clad with skinnes of beasts and torne in pieces with dogs and many crucified and heapes of them cast into blazing fires as if they had been cōmon burners destroyers of men The most treasonable massacre that ever the Sun saw was laid upon the pretended treason of poore innocent men drawne into the shambles as sheepe thirty thousand of whose throats were cut in one month At home the Parliament House must bee blowneup and the fact laid upon the Puritans with extreme and ridiculous impudence whereby also Papists charge us with heresie with corrupting the Scripture with Idolatry c. and as impudently doe grosse Recusants accuse conformable men of inconformity some of faction being most factious themselves Athaliah cryes Treason 3. The impudency of accusers appeareth in that when they can prove nothing they lay many hainous things upon the godly to oppresse them with multitude and make the world thinke something must be true among so many and whereas one such crime would beare action enough if true they lay on loade with all manner of crimes Daniels fellowes were charged with First singularity they alone stand out against the Image of the King Secondly Irreligion they will not worship the Kings God Thirdly rebellion and sedition they rebell against the Kings commandement Mar. 15. 3. the High Priest and Pharisees accused Christ of many things And Christians must expect from this impudence all manner of evill sayings for Christs sake falsly Mat. 5. 11. 4. To accuse all the godly for one is a note of an impudent accuser Haman thought it too little to destroy Mordecai but all the seed of the Jewes also For the quarrell is seldome private or personall but generall against all the persons of them that feare God Satan would root out all the godly The same cause that stirres up his wrath against one doth inrage him against every one that is Gods grace and Image Hence it is that no one good man can bee falsly accused but so is every good man in him for they are all alike all dissemblers hypocrites never a good c. See Satanicall impudency 5. A tricke of Satanicall impudency is for some persons sake to accuse the whole religion it self for it is not enough to throw downe the persons but the worship and religion of God also being so contrary to them which is apparent in a number of gracelesse men who never take offence against a godly man but presently flie upon his religion Wilt thou impudently raile on the Sunne because a man stumbles in the Sunshine here is a more hatefull madnesse 6. Another is to seeke occasions of accusing and not finding occasion yet to accuse as they Ier. 18. 18. Come let us devise against this Ieremy and smite him with the tongue Dan 6. 4. the impudency of Daniels accusers is that they fought an occasion and will not stay till occasion be offered and they confesse Daniels innocency among themselves saying Wee shall finde no occasion but in the matter of his God and yet contest against it to the King himselfe Luke 6. 7. The Pharisees watched Christ to get accusations against him Let watchers and devisers of plots against innocent men see with whom they runne 7. It is high impudency in accusing that when they cannot for evill they will for good Daniel for praying Christ for healing on the Sabbath the godly for the matter of their God for tendernesse of conscience for going to heare Sermons for singing Psalmes in their houses for carrying Bibles for care in keeping the Sabbath for repeating Sermons at home for exercises of religion for not swearing for not being gamesters tosse-pots and Taverners his impudent accuser can make it more easie and seeme more gracefull to bee manifestly prophane and vile than sincerely good and a resister of evill 8. It is shamefull impudence to accuse where speciall respects binde to defend honour and imitate But a shamelesse accuser casts off with all shame all bands and respects 2 Sam. 16. 3. Ziba will not spare but falsly and villanously accuse his raiser and Master Mephibosheth and that of no lesse than high treason that he stayed in Jerusalem to be made King and so got his lands 2 Sam. 15. 13. Absalon spares not his owne father There is no man to doe justice Not the nearest band of nature can stay an evill heart from accusing where it should honour and defend It will neither acknowledge him from whom it hath received benefits nor yet beeing in the world The sinne is likest Satan when it is most ungracious and unnaturall II. Next the motives or disswasions from false accusation are so much the more to bee urged because of our great pronenesse and inclination to this sinne For First slipperinesse of the tongue a nimble member casteth many headlong into this sinne unawares especially in persons addicted to loquacity and garrulity or chatting who as empty vessels give a loud sound but no soundnesse or savory matter or choise discourse can bee heard from them and wanting matter in themselves will finde it upon others Secondly lying and false accusing agreeth best with the corruption and depravation of our nature which being at first corrupted and spoyled by a lie wee leane that way ever since and as a vessell keepe the smell of our first liquor yea our whole nature is degenerate into a lie Thirdly wee have selfe-love in abundance and pride of heart by which wee set up our selves and contemne and treade upon others This admiration of our selves makes us disdaine others and according to this distemper we speake and fil our mouths and others eares with detraction and false accusation lest so much be detracted from us as we heare or see added to another Seeing therefore we are so prone to drinke in this puddle water of detraction and false accusation
we may and must cut off the vizards of envious obtrectors and slaunderers if not for our persons yet for the truth Thirdly impudent accusers abuse the patience and modesty of good men and by their silence make thēselves more audacious to slaunder Fourthly a good man may be as bold in defence of innocency and goodnesse as they are impudent in disgracing them Samuel did not boast or preach himselfe when rejected by the people he asked Whose Oxe or Asse have I taken Our Saviour Christ many times askes Which of you can accuse me of sinne If Papists or Atheists make it the discourses of their table and sawce of their meats to belye and slander Preachers of the Gospell a Preacher may as I doe this day challenge all Papists scoffers enemies of the truth which I preach c. if the Roman law were in force which Eusebius and Nicephorus speake of that hee that had falsly accused his brother and not able to prove it should have both his legs broken what a number of criples should we have I wish them better that God would breake their hearts with godly sorrow and breake their malice rather then their limbes that embracing the truth they may acknowledge the bringers of it The accuser is cast downe The second part of these words is The dejection of the dragon He was cast downe not utterly expulsed or destroyed for he will ever stand up as an accuser before Gods tribunall and mens but he falleth in his accusation and is cast in his cause Quest. Wherein standeth this dejection of the dragon Answ. In two things 1 In regard of Gods tribunall he is foyled because Christ is risen for the justification of Beleevers and is ascended into heaven to cleare all accusations and now reigneth triumpheth over all enemies whom he hath made his footstoole 2 In regard of mans tribunall at this time which our text aymeth at the heathenish power which had long oppressed the Church being subdued and Christian religion stablished by Christian Princes those horrible accusations by which the poore Christians were daily brought to death by hundreds and thousands were stayed and in great part cut off and the Christians were cleared and acquitted from those hatefull and impudent accusations layd against them And now the innocency both of their persons and profession appeareth 1 The holinesse innocency peaceablenesse and godlinesse of their persons began more and more to breake out the booke of their Adversaries false suggestions was as an honourable crowne upon their heads now God gives them favour and honour in the sight of their Adversaries 2 That which is more now the profession and religion of God and his Sonne Jesus Christ as odious as it was formerly made by hellish blasphemies begins to be received advanced spred abroad and lifteth up the head above all heathenish and idolatrous religions in a word grace and glory comes unto it in stead of former infamous imputations cast upon it This is the casting downe of the Accuser Note hence that there is a time when the accusers of Gods people shal be cast downe and put to silence Though Ioseph a long time lie in the place of the Kings prisoners his mistris is impudent in accusing his master credulous in beleeving cruell in putting his feet in the stockes and laying irons on him and himselfe hopelesse of favour or deliverance yet the Lords time came when he came out of prison with honour and much more grace then all his disgrace came unto Mordecai and his people may be accused condemned a day of execution appointed no hope nor helpe appeares but ere that day commeth the Lord brings forth his innocency Haman his accuser must honour him and proclayme him the second man in the kingdome and quickly after hansell his owne gallowes There was a time when the den and furnace were thought too good for Daniel and his fellows so grievous are the aceusations and so haynous their facts but soone after they are raysed to honour and high advancemet and their accusers cast into their roume There was a sad and heavie time in which the poore Christians bare the burden of tenne bloody tyrants and monsters their names blacked their goods spoyled their blood shed as water but afterward a Constantine came who acquitted them honoured them cherished and protected them 1 This must needs be in respect of God in whom if we consider foure things wee shall see it cannot be otherwise First his knowledge and cleare discerning of the innocency of his servants Now their righteousnesse and innocency is denied and derided enemies would bury it in the grave of everlasting oblivion and take deepe counsells to roll great stones of infamy and reproach upon it that it cannot rise in the after-ages of the world But all things are naked to him with whom we have to deale who preserves the bones of innocency and will rayse it out of the ashes and bring it into a cleare and glorious light See Luke 12. 2. Secondly his justice The righteous judge of all the world cannot alwayes hold his peace at wrong nor alwaies suffer justice to be turned into wormewood nor truth to be alwayes covered with sackecloth and ignominy He must shew himselfe a patron of truth and a revenger of wrong Be it farre from him the doing of this thing that the righteous should be even as the wicked that be farre from him shall not the judge of all the world doe right Gen. 18. 25. Thirdly his promise in Psal. 37. 6. Commit thy way to the Lord and he will bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgment as at noone-day implying that righteousnesse may be hid with darknesse and covered with the blacke night of impudent slaunders but yet after darknesse it shall see light the longest and darkest night that ever was saw a morning and the sunne rose and chased away darknesse and mists and revealed all that was hid in darknesse And so God promiseth it shall be to all his disgraced Saints Doth he promise and doth he not meane to performe is he not able is he not willing to accomplish is not he truth are not his promises so both from truth and for truth and those that are of the truth Fourthly his affection to innocency The righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse What a man loveth he will maintaine much more the Lord though he tarry long yet at last will step forth and plead for truth and will not suffer it alwayes to bee smothered with smoake and mists of lyes and falshood 2 It shall so be in respect of Jesus Christ to whom the Saints must be conformed and by whom they are confirmed and upheld First as the Saints are conformed to Christ in his crosse so in his crowne as in his combate so in his victory And therefore as the Head was accused accursed crucified buried and a great stone rolled upon him and a sure watch about him and all
Patriarkes Iacob fled from Esau Moses out of Egypt Elias from Iezabel David from Saul of Apostles Paul escaped from Damascus being let downe through the towne wall by night in a basket Act. 9. 25. Nay our Lord himselfe sundrie times withdrew himself and escaped out of his enemies hands A Lambe naturally flyes the fiercenesse of the wolfe and the lambes of Christ may flye from men of fierce and woolvish disposition But the cases when a man may flye are worthy the consideration As first if authority send him into banishment as Iohn into Patmos Secondly if the persecution be present not feared or a farre off and personall against that speciall person that person may for the heat of persecution depart for a time with purpose to returne to his office againe when the fire is quenched Thirdly when hope is cut off it is apparant that our presence can do no great good or service there where the persecution is raised a man may reserve himselfe somewhere else for the presentand after use of the Church Fourthly if upon examination a man finde himselfe not sufficiently armed against the temptation and that he wants gifts strength courage for such a trial he may step aside till he can gaine theÌ„ of God for as the Lord layeth nothing upon his servaÌ„ts above their strength so they must not undertake any thing above their power if they will not tempt God Fiftly if God open a dore and make way for our safety that without scandall or violence or publique wrong we may avoyd when we see lawfull meanes offered to helpe our selves then not to flye may be a tempting of God Now the cases which make it unlawfull to fly in persecution are 1 When a man is so bound by his calling as he cannot step aside without the hazard of Gods glory and detriment of the Church And therefore Magistrates Ministers must see they have a speciall loose from their callings ere they flye all the Saints must seek the Kingdome of Christ before all things if it make to that to fly a man may fly if that may be a greater gaâ—er to abide by it then he must stay 2 If a man fly with intent to avoyd his calling generall or speciall Christ would allow his disciples to fly from wolues danger but not from office Mat. 10. 24. they may fly but so as they must disperse the Gospell to other Cities The flight of the faithfull is the seminary of the Church and Kingdome of Christ not to make the truth a loser but a gainer 3 When a man aymes principally at sauing himselfe as when Gods glory the good of the Church and the victory of the truth are small things to him in respect of his owne safety whereas no man must fly but with resolution rather to suffer then deny God if the time be come 4 When a man is in hands and God hath shut all doors of escape now the time is come he is called to suffer the Apostles being in prison would not breake prison by force which is to resist Magistracy but when the Ange'l opened the doores and made them way they thankfully accepted the providence of God for their safety Our Lord Jesus who often fled because his houre was not come when his houre was come fled not 5 When a man hath received the Spirit of strength and fortitude he may not fly to avoid the triall Act 20. 22. I goe bound in the Spirit to Ierusalem knowing that nothing but bands abide me every where Object But to flye out of flesh and feare is forbidden in 1 Pet. 3. 14. Answ. 1 Some flight may proceed from other warrantable causes as namely to fly idolatry to goe where meanes of religion and the pure worship of God is to enjoy meanes of salvation and glorifie God elsewhere Therefore all is not caused of feare 2 All feare is not unlawfull but onely inordinate feare no more is al flying but inordinate The sin then is not in the flying it selfe but in the inordinate and distrustfull manner Object To flye is to deny Christ. Answ. No but to fly in the right conditions is 1 A secret profession of Christ a denyall of a mans selfe a leaving of wife children goods country and deare things for Christ and an undergoing a great deale of trouble for him 2 As confession is open or secret so Martyrdome is bloody or unbloody this confession is an unbloody martyrdome and no true Martyr is a denyer of Christ. Quest 4. But how can the Saints overcome by Martyrdome and passion which apparantly overcomes and destroyes them Answ. This is strange in bodily battells uncoÌ„ceivable but in this spirituall warre and fight it cannot be but that they most overcome when they are most overcome When did Christ most overcome but when he was most overcome and where made he his greatest conquest but on the crosse The reasons are 1 The nature of the Christian war is divers from other warre In other fields the enemie is without here the strongest enemie is within there the enemie is another person from the souldier here the enemie is the same person with the Christian souldier and therefore then is the field wonne when themselves are most overcome the Christian souldier hath more adoo to conquer himselfe then all his enemies beside and is then the greatest conqueror 2 The maine battell of the enemies without is not against the bodies and outward estates of men but against their soules and their eternall state of happinesse And in this they never conquer so apparantly as when their bodies are most conquered Rom 8. 36. Wee are all day as sheepe for the slaughter but yet more then conquerors Then persecutors hasten the Saints to happinesse when they most conquer their bodies 3 The persecutors quarrell is not so much against their persons as against their cause even the truth it selfe where in they are sure to carrie victory whatsoever become of their persons for they are well appointed to answer all arguments which are of two sorts First such as are drawne from reason reading learning or the like All these arguments of humane perswasions and forces out of subtilty and wit they overthrow by the word of their testimony the sword by which the two witnesses conquer Another sort of arguments is drawne from the blocke such as fire sword persecution inquisition interdiction excommunication abjuration c. All these fierce and furious arguments they overcome with teares prayers patience and Martyrdome And even in the death of their persons are most glorious conquerors in their cause in their deepest sorrows they rejoyce and glorie as in an happie triumph clapping their hands and singing Psalmes in the Flames yea sometime professing the fire to bee as a bed of Downe or roses so as they are conquerors of their Adversaries when they most conquer and destroy them 4 The persecutors lay their great ordinance and battery against their graces rather thaÌ„ their persons which
1. By their paucity The remnant of her seed 2. By their property twofold 1. They keepe the Commandements of God 2. They have the testimony of Iesus Christ. First of the dragons wrath and warre then of the persons against whom In the former 1. What kinde of warre this is 2. With whom The kinde of warre will appeare if wee consider the Captaine and the weapons The Captaine of this warre under the dragon who is Generall of the field is described in Chap. 13. 1. and 7. The Beast whom the Euangelist so calleth rather than the Bishop of Rome or rather a succession of them because hee is a Prophet here not a Doctor these spake plainly they enigmatically especially in arguments dangerous and envious Besides if hee had plainly named him hee had not left it a mysterie so deepe This beast riseth out of the sea that is out of those very floods which the dragon cast out of his mouth after the woman namely of herefies superstitions traditions abominations and wicked constitutions and decrees against the truth and professors which enthroned Antichrist and set him in his Chaire He hath seven heads a monstrous Hydra sits on seven hils and hath gotten seven kindes of government into his hand and ten hornes hee hath the power of ten Kings to uphold him Hee hath on his heads the name of blasphemy not in open profession for hee will disclaime it in word but in deed and truth brings into the Church and maintaines under glorious titles of Headship blasphemous doctrines religion and idolatrous worship so it is expressed Verse 6. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God and his Tabernacle and those that dwell in heaven 1. He opposeth himselfe against all that is called God challengeth all that God can doe hee can create and that his Creator he cannot erre he can make something of nothing hee can make Gods Word of authority or no authority hee can make Kings and transferre kingdomes he shewes himselfe as if hee were God and suffers his flattering Canonists to stile him God Oh high blasphemy 2. Hee blasphemeth the Tabernacle of God that is the Church of God resembled by the Tabernacle challenging to bee the head the husband the Lord of it oppressing it with tyranny infecting it with heresie blaspheming and condemning for arch-heretikes all that yeeld not to his blasphemies And if by the Tabernacle of God wee meane the body of Christ as some doe what more horrible blasphemy against it then to undertake to create many thousands every day out of a few pieces of bread to sacrifice to eate and destroy it at their pleasure 3 He blasphemeth all that are in heaven that is the Saints in the heaven upon earth stiling them heretickes schismatickes rebells the most wicked of al men unworthy of common light aire or any society or sufferance in the earth In the 7. verse it is given to this beast the dragon seales his Commission to make warre with the Saints alluding to his type that little horne Antiochus Dan. 7. 21. an eminent figure of the Roman Antiochus that is said to make war with the Saints and prevaile against them So as this prophecy is meant of the warres of Antichrist against the Saints and is manifest by the time of 42. months the time that the woman was hid in the wildernesse This of the Captaine The weapons also are answerable to the warre which is twofold Ecclesiasticall and Civill in ordine ad spiritualia So the beast hath two swords One is spirituall by which he wounds the soules and consciences of men and that for their consciences This sword is his Canons Constitutions Councells deceitfully called Decretalls doctrines of devills heresies the Popes head-ship Jesuitisme the sharpest point of it sophisticate distinctions sleights of equivocations cursings anathemaes excommunications damnatory proscriptions damnable Bulls and Breves degradations condemnations Popish absolutions for murders of Parents and Princes canonization of Traitors and the like enamilings of his spirituall sword The other is the secular sword with which he layes about him to force the obedience and subjection to the former This is his tyrannicall inquisition Guisian massacres English powder-plots pistolls poniards poisons fire sword insurrections rebellions invasions Armadoes treasons slaughters butcheries of Princes and people Kings and kingdomes that yeild not themselves as slaves to his beastly authority And this of the kind of warre The persons with whom it is waged will further open it that is the remnant of her seed namely such of the faithfull who when al the publique assemblies were openly corrupted by Antichristian Idolatry yet retained the ancient faith and stept out sometimes to make profession of the same The beast could no sooner meet with them or finde them out but presently he brandished his sword againstthem whether they were 1 Kings that ruled not according to the Popes rules who were warred against as tyrants or 2 Pastors and Bishops who taught not according to the Popes decrees with whom the Pope warred as against heretickes or 3 Private persons called lay-men who lived not according to the Popes lawes these he warred against as out-laws and excommunicate persons In a word seeing the dragon could not now make warre against whole congregations as formerly he had done for now in the darke times of Antichrist they appeared no where he watched if he could find any of the remnant of the seed any scattered and dispersed Saints who privately as they could exercised the pure worship of God who kept themselves to the comaundement of God in freeing themselves from the abominations idolatries and superstitions of Popery and who had the testimony of Jesus sqâ—aring their consciences to the written word and would not receive the Popes Laws traditions and decretalls for Articles of Faith These were made meat for the sword of the Beast excited by the dragon to make warre with the remnant of the womans seed Of the wrath of the dragon wee have spoken before which admits no truce as also of the renewing of his assaults though he be never so foyled in them Only now in this wrath of the dragon which is continued against the woman hid in the wildernesse note that Wicked men hate and malice the godly whom they never knew nor saw as the dragon the woman now out of sight Hest 3. 6. Haman thought it a small thing to lay hands on Mordecai only but sought to destroy all the Jews yet he knew but few of them and only one of them Mordecai had offended him Pharaâ—h pursues al the Israelites though he knew but few and drownes all the males and Herod kills all the infants which he never saw and Balak calls Balaam to curse all the people of God 1 Because of the generall enmity put by God betweene the two seeds of the Woman and the serpent And hatred is of kinds not individualls only The wolfe hateth all lambes A man naturally hateth all serpents even those he