and speeches for we may bleare mens eyes but not his 3 Decently and comely When the sunne is up men must doe lawfull and justifiable things because all eyes are upon them Let the theefe cover himselfe with darkenesse let the adulterer watch the twilight let Papists and Atheists and profane persons doe shamefull things without shame But let us in so open a light doe things comely let not the light make us ashamed of any indecent and uncomly or unconscionable action let not the sunne see our nakednesse without shame or holy blushing 4 Painefully and diligently When the sunne riseth man goeth forth to his labour by Gods ordinance Ps. 104. 25. so while the sunne and day and light lasts us let us walke and worke hard for faith for repentance for oyle for the wedding garment See Iohn 12. 35 36. 2 A ground of comfort that this Sunne shall never fall to his Church The sunne may be hid and clouded for a time but at length shall breake forth with much brightnesse and comfort So Iesus Christ may hide himselfe and the cloud of our sinnes and corruptions may get betweene him and us but at length his grace and light shall shine forth againe and manifest it selfe to every soule to which it ever arose So for the publique estate of the Church As the Sunne of the world may withdraw and remove it selfe and doth in winter so as all things seeme dead and lost but be the winter never so sharpe and tedious the sunne comes backe againe and brings with it a sweet and pleasant spring So the Church may sustaine a blacke and bitter winter be afflicted and shaken with many stormes blustrings of furious enemies but these shal blow over and it shall see a happy spring againe Our sun is in the heavens and so long as the enemies cannot reach him to pull him thence whatsoever winter the Churches abroade doe now sustaine whatsoever winter our Church at home may endure faith and patience will waite and attaine a sweet spring and fruitfull summer againe which shall make the enemies gnash their teeth and the Church sing for joy as men do sing in harvest Amen We have seene what the garment is Now of the application Clothed where consider 1 How the Sonne is a garment 2 How it differs from other garments 3 How the woman is clothed with it First Iesus Christ the Sunne is in many places of the Scrpture called by the name of a garment by resemblance because his righteousnesse and meritorious obedience supplieth all the offices of a precious garment to the Church of God In observing the use of a garment we shall see what usefull offices Christ performes to his Church his body Quest. What are the chiefe ends of garments Answ. Garments serve 1 for necessity 2 ornament 3 distinction 1. The necessity of a garment is in three things 1 To cover bodily nakednesse and to hide all corporall shame and defects so the Church wrapped in this robe of Christs righteousnesse hath all her sinnes which are her speciall nakednesse and shame hid and covered from the eyes of God When Adam had sinned he saw his nakednesse and sewed figg-leaves but neither they nor any thing he could devise could hide it till God made him a cover Neither can any of the sonnes of Adam by their owne reach or power attaine a cover but the Son of God the second Adam onely can afford a garment to hide sinfull nakednesse from the eyes of God 2 To defend the body from the injurie of weather both of Summer and winter so onely Christ his meritorious righteousness can save shelter the soule from the burning heat of his Fathers wrath and from the pinching and shaking terrours of a mans self-accusing conscience Onely Christ can cover his Church from the stormes and blasts of temptation by Satan and from the raging tempests of persecution by tyrants and enemies Isai 4. 5 6. Iesus Christ was the true Cloud and Pillar protecting his people through the wildernesse by day and by night who makes a gracious promise that upon all the glory shal be a defence aud a couering shal be for a shadow in the day for the heat and a place of refuge and a cover for the storme and for the raine He will for ever supply all to his Church of all ages whatsoever he did to Israel by that Cloud which was but a shadow of his protection 3 To preserve and cherish naturall life for a while by keeping in and repressing naturall heat which else would spend too fast So doth Iesus Christ and his pretious merits preserve and cherish spirituall life and heate in the soule nay which no clothes can brings in a new and heavenly heat life where was nothing but a cold death and maintaines it not for a time onely but unto life eternall Whence this second Adam is called 1 Cor. 15. 45. a quickning spirit a spirit not changed into a spirit but for that his body after the resurrection became and remaines spirituall and glorious and quickning not onely because his holy flesh is united to the quickning word but because by his death he brings life unto the world dead and rotten in sinnes and corruptions 2 Garments serve not onely for necessitie but also for ornament When Rebecca was given to Isaac to be married Abrahams servant gave to her from Isaac in token of love not onely raiment and garments but also Iewels of gold and of silver and precious bracelets to put on her hands Gen. 24. 22. 53. A manifest type of the Church married to her Isaac Iesus Christ who endoweth her not with garments only to cover her nakednesse but Iewells also to adorne her See Ezec. 16. 10 11. the Lord covers his spouse with fine silke and deckes her with ornaments bracelets and chaines Quest. What are these ornaments An. The blessed and beautiful graces of humility faith hope love good conscience layed up in the closet and Casket of the heart within and the shining and grace of holy life and vertuous conversation of Saints which as a cleane garment adornes the righteousness of faith where ever it is Because whersoever the merit of Christ is applied there the spirit of Christ is conferred who effectually worketh all these shining graces by which the whole man is sanctified and the spirits mansion adorned 3 Garments serve for distinction as the liverie given to servants shewes to whom they belong what Masters they serve Even so the righteousnes of Iesus Christ is 1 In the external professiō of Christ a liverie and garment discerning and distinguishing the Christian from all Heathens Turkes and Infidels 2 In the sound application of it there is a reall distinction of the servants and sons of God from the slaves of sinne and the Devill not onely without the Church but within the bosome it A King is not better knowne by his purple then a
Aegypt that went before it the darknesse was most grievous and so is this no plague in the world before this was comparable to it 2. The Lord restrained from them not the light of the Sunne onely but of fire and Candle and withdrew his blessing and comfort from all his creatures so in this spirituall Aegypt and Antichristian Kingdome is a miserable palpable blindnesse they see nothing of Christ savingly nor of the Scriptures which witnesse of him nor of sound interpreters the Candles in the CHVRCH consuming themselves to give others light nor are guided or comforted by the Spirit who is as fire warming and inlightning beleevers God hath laid a curse on all their means of light that they get no sound or saving light from them no not their greatest schollers unlesse they bee enlightned to sinne against their consciences 3. Yet had the Israelites light mingled among the Aegyptians Even so the true Church hidden in Babylō hath light and knowledge and great blessing on weak means though the Aegyptian cannot discern or see it as among our selves a Recusants house hath nothing but darknesse and superstitious ignorance when a Protestants house perhaps next to it hath light of knowledge holinesse and saving grace 4. That darknesse was next to the death of their first-borne even so here the pale horse followes the blacke Revel 6. 8. and this darknesse fore-runnes everlasting darknesse in hell as that did death in the Aegyptians houses But with this difference that this is a more miserable darknesse 1. In the kinde because it is spirituall as it is called Aegypt spiritually a blinde body is miserable a blinde soule is damnable 2. That was a darknesse of the ayre but not of their eyes this is of both and the blackest darknesse is within them as theirs was without them 3. The Aegyptians by their darknesse knew the benefit of light the better and saw their plague and mourned under it but these Aegyptians are pleased with their darknesse and fight against the light the more and are not more fearefull or watchfull against any thing than that the light should peepe in amongst them Thirdly next as Antichristian Apostasie is blackest so is it most generall of all heresies even the Catholike heresie into which all other heresies of the New Testament runne as into a sinke One cals it an abridgement of all old heresies For it is not against any one Article of faith as other particular heresies are but First against the holy Scripture which is the Scepter of Christ infinitely disgracing it calling it a nose of waxe a sheathe for every sword insufficient obscure the booke that makes heretikes and The Scriptures have no authority but from thē no sense but from them they forbid the reading of them they preferre Apocryphals traditions Church-determinations above them c. Secondly against the whole Gospell which is a doctrine of free justification and salvation by the onely righteousnesse and merits of Christ imputed by faith but they teach to seeke salvation in our owne merits and satisfactions here or hereafter Thirdly against the whole person and offices of Christ They appoint infinite Priests to repeate his onely sacrifice a number of mediators against this one Mediatour that men may bee heard by their prayers and saved by their merits They appoint the Pope a King of Kings by whom all Kings raigne who hath all power in heaven and earth yea the Head and Husband of the Church which is proper to Christ. Fourthly against all the foundation of religion and Catechisme For although they hold in word and outward profession the Creed of the Apostles the Lords Prayer the words also of the ten Commandements yet indeed and by direct consequent they reverse and renounce every Commandement of the tenne every Article of the twelve if wee except that of the Trinity and every Petition of the sixe as sundry godly writers have cleared and my selfe have in a readinesse to prove Thus of Antichristianisme considered in it selfe II. Now consider the tyranny of it comparatively with the tyranny of temporall enemies and the wrath will bee infinitely greater and that in three respects 1. For secrecy of working 2. For transcendency of the danger 3. For hopelesnesse of recovery Of the first open mischiefe a man may avoid or prepare for but here is a more secret and undiscernable mischiefe a great adversary but slie and under a contrary profession of friendship the greatest wounder of Christian Faith under pretext of Christian Faith whether wee consider his person or his worke For his person hee is a sonne of perdition a sonne must resemble his father the dragon his father buildeth up his Kingdome rather by fraud than by force so doth his eldest sonne Antichrist Hence is this great Adversary compared to a Whore who hunteth the precious life of man not by open force but by secret and faire pretenses sugred speeches and alluring flatteries shee hath a cup in her hand full of abominations the draught is deadly poyson but shee hath put it in a golden cup Revel 13. 11. the second beast which is Antichrist speakes like the dragon that is breathes out devillish doctrines and thundereth hellish curses against the true Professors of Christian Faith but hath two hornes like the Lambe that is a counterfeit shew of humility and meeknesse For his worke it must bee a mysterie of iniquity Hee must sit in the Temple of God hee must not bee a Turke to destroy by fire and sword and open defiance of Christ the profession of Christianity but an Herodian who pretending to worship him intendeth to kill him Hee must denie Christ to bee come in the flesh but in a mysterie not openly and directly for then all Christians would abhorre him and renounce him but indirectly and by expresse consequence and saith the Father Whosoever denyeth Christ in his deeds the same is an Antichrist Of the second this tyranny of Antichrist is more inward spirituall than the furious persecutions of other tyrants and inward plagues are a thousand times more deadly than outward It is true that as the dragon is extremely tyrannous against the bodies of Saints so is Antichrist but yet the cruelty of both is more spirituall than temporall and aymeth more at the death of the soule than the body and it is most true that one saith Open tyrannies and outward oppressions are torments of sinfull men but these inward are the increasers of sinnes and vices Pharaohs hard heart was a more deadly stroke than all the ten plagues beside It was a more grievous plague to give up the Idolatrous Gentiles to their owne lusts and vile affections Rom. 1. then to give over the Idolatrous Samaritans to bee torne with Lyons 2 Kings 17. Let heathen tyrants come upon a Christian they can take but his externall lower and sensitive part but let this Ecclesiasticall tyrant come hee winneth the highest towers and faculties of man his minde judgement affections
life that she might cleave unto him alone saying For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and clcâ—ve to his wife and they two shal be one flesh Gen. 2. 24 Even so when God saw that after mans fall it was lesse good for him to be alone he institutes for him a second marriage with the second Adam whom he casts asleepe by death and brings his spouse out of his side peirced and marries the Church unto him that renouncing and forsaking all loves and lovers but him she migh cleave undividedly to him And that now as Salomons spouse we might forget our owne people and fathers house seeing the true Salomon hath vouchsafed to marrie us Gentiles to himselfe and to lay us by his owne side from whence we were taken Quest. How must wee cleave to Iesus Christ Answ. Three waies 1. In person First the wife dedicates and delivers up her person to her husband alone so beleevers must deliver up their bodies and soules to Iesus Christ for now we are no longer our owne but his 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Secondly a faithful spouse as a chaste virgin is married but to one man 2 Cor. 11. 2. Thirdly Christ communicates his whole person unto us and us onely no other are admitted into his body he gives his life for his sheepe onely prayes not for the world Fourthly Christ as a faithfull husband leaves father in heaven and mother in earth to cleave to his wife and therefore we must esteeme him as father mother brother and sister as Adam was to Eve 2 Wee must cleave to Christ in faithfull affection The earnest love delight and affection of the wife must be towards her husband by Gods ordinance Gen 3. 16. Thy desire shall be unto him and to him alone because it is the covenant of God the recognisance of which is kept in heaven that both parties keepe themselves in pure and chast love one to another So must wee as good Spouses love our husband Iesus Christ as our selves nay better then our selves not loving our lives to the death for his sake seeing that his love to us was stronger then death and more to us then to his owne life This loyall love will be loath to offend him and having offended him will not rest till he bee pacified againe 3 Wee must cleave to him in affliction A wife marries her husbands estate as well as his person for better or for worse So we must cleave to Christ in affliction in poverty persecution banishment and beare his reproach The husband and wife must beare one anothers burthen must rejoyce and weepe together If common Christians must doe so amongst themselves much more Christ and the Christian. A Kingdome is promised to such Luke 22 29 30. 2. The wife must depend upon her husband as upon her head and that for three things 1 For direction subjecting her selfe as owing obedience to all his lawfull commandements Gen. 3. 16. he shall rule over thee she must heare his voice and acknowledge a stampe of God upon it in everie thing that is not sinne This is subjection and not to be sicke or sullen or answering or replying when she is crossed in things indifferent It were monstrous in the body if the hand should goe about to direct the eye or the foote rise up to rule the head and they are monstrous wives that covet rule and command whom God hath made to be ruled and commanded and subordinated their wils to the direction and discretion of their husbands Even so the Christian must be subject to Christ in every thing Ephes. 5. 24. She is not worthy the name of a wife that will be subject as far as she list or as makes for her ease Gen. 2. 19. all the Creatures came to Adam to be named by him in token of their subjection and as they so the woman also was named by Adam in token of her subjection that she should never think of the name woman but also conceive her subjection Would to God women did thinke that to lose subjection were to lose woman head In like sort the spouse of Christ hath taken her name of him in token of absolute subjection What can be more proper for a Christian then to frame to all the rules of Christ seeing he is the true light the sunne of right eousnesse the pillar able to direct 2 The wife must depend upon her husband for protection The husband is the vayle of his wifes eyes as Abraham was to Sarah Even so the Churches husband is the saviour of his body Eph. 5. 23. The only Phineas that turnes away the wrath of God kindled against the Israel of God The only Moses that standeth in the gappe where Gods wrath had made a breach Davids wives being taken captives he rescues them 1. Sam. 30 and smites the enemies with an horrible destruction So this Sonne of David and Davids Lord redeemes us his wife out of the hands of our enemies both spirituall as sinne hell death Devill and damnation and corporall also so as though they may exercise yet they shall not hurt his spouse In all our troubles and dangers we must come unto him as Ruth 3. 9. Spread the wing of thy garment over thy hand maid for thou art the Husband 3 The wife must depend on the husband for provision Whom should the wife depend upon for necessaries but on her husband or who must pay the wives debt but the husband so who else but Iesus Christ can suppply the Church with such things as she needs who can bestow pardon of sinne righteousnesse life and salvation but he or who can pay such debts as we owe but he both obedience to the whole Law and satisfaction for the breach of it None but he can satisfie either the principall or forfeiture If any man should maintaine another mans wife the husband being better able then he would not all the world judge them harlots and nought So seeke thou salvation and righteousnesse as the Romish Church doth by any other meanes within or without thy selfe then by the name Iesus thou art an harlot and no spouse of Christ. 3 The wife must rejoyce to honour her husband even with her owne dishonor 1 Cor. 11. 7. the wife is the glory of her husband and so a good Christian is the glory of Christ. Christ rejoyced to honour us with his owne infinite dishonor The joy of heaven pleased him not without our presence fellowship in it All the members honour the head so must wee honour our head though we be losers by it Such a dutifull spouse was Iohn the Baptist who rejoyced because of the Bridegroomes voice Ioh 3. 29. and saith ver 30. He must encrease but I must decrease Such good spouses were the disciples that rejoyced they were counted worthy to be scourged in the Synagogues for the name of Christ and were contented to be fooles for Christ
sound beleever is hereby discerned from all hypocrites and the prophane of the world Secondly how doth this garment differ from other garments Ans. In the 1 efficient 2 matter 3 price 4 vse 5 durance 1 The Author All other garments for the body are made by man but this could onely be made by God and man Hee must be God to performe an infinite righteousnesse and meritorious obedience he must be man for it could not besteed man had it not beene done in the nature of man He must be man to suffer he must be God to overcome See Ezec. 16. 10. I clothed thee 2 The matter and manner All other garments are made of dead creatures God made naked Adam and Eve coats of skinnes of dead beasts Gen. 3 21. But for his soule he made this garment of the life and death of the Sonne of God of his death to make satisfaction of his life to fulfill the law thus for the matter Now for the manner or fashion Other garments are made to the body but we must be fashioned to this our garment Christ must not submit to us but we must frame to him 3 The price Other garments are made either of some homespunne webbe or bought with corruptible things a base vile price in comparison But this is no homespunne piece nor bought with any other price then the precious blood of Iesus Christ nothing in heaven or earth else could buy these costly robes And therefore these robes are said to be made white in the blood of the Lambe Rev. 7. 14. Other blood staines and fowles and dyes red but this blood makes white and purgeth from all sinne 1 Ioh. 1. 7 and makes white as snow Isa. 1. 18. A colour of grace not nature of faith not art 4 The use Other garments may couer our bodily nakednesse but this our spirituall and therefore are called long white robes that need no eching or patching with humane merits or satisfactions for this were absurde to set an old patch on a new garment And for ornament other garments can but adorne the body in mans eyes this beautifies the whole man in Gods eye and makes us as Iacob acceptable to our Father in our Brothers garment The durance They all waxe old and decay Even Israels clothes in the wildernesse by miracle kept from wearing fourty yeares yet afterwards fâ—ll to ragges But this is an ever-new garment for as Christs blood is ever new so is the merit of it But suppose those garments should not yet we waxe old and decay and leave them in earth but this garment we carry to heaven with us which lasts with us to all eternity Herein also it differs from other clothes for those we put on and off at our pleasure but this once put on is put on for ever never to bee put off any more Thirdly how is this woman cloathed with the Sun that is the righteousnesse of Christ more pure and shining then the sunne in his strength Answ. Two wayes 1 On Gods part by his gracious imputation of Christ and his merits unto the true beleever This is a phrase taken from creditors who doe not impute a debt they meane to forgive but account it as discharged though the party be never able to pay it So God doth impute Christs righteousnesse to the beleever and the beleevers sinnes to Christ our surety So as in and by faith in Christ made sinne for us wee are made and reputed no sinners but acquited and freely discharged Rom. 4. 24 25. Abraham beleeved and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse and not to him onely but to us that beleeve 2 On mans part by sound application and acceptation I say sound application because application is twofold 1 Sacramentall and by profession onely Gal 3. 17. all that are baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And thus in respect of the sacrament and externall profession good and bad may put him on as every man may easily hang a cloak or loose garmeÌ„t upon himselfe 2 Spirituall and by faith also when a man is not only baptized with water but also with the holy Ghost and fire when inward and outward washing goe together A man is then truely said to be clothed when he hath put on all his clothes one peece as well as another And this is Augustines distinction Some put on Christ onely by Sacramentall washing some by spirituall regeneration This is also the Apostles distinction speaking to them that were baptized already Rom. 13 14. But put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ so implying that there was a further putting on of Christ then by the Sacrament Quest. But what is required to this putting on of Christ Answ. There are five graces especially necessary to this clothing of a Christian. 1 The grace of true repentance and mortification which bewrayeth it selfe in two things 1 A sight and most humble sense and sorrow and as Dan. 9. 8 shame for our nakednesse A daily putting off the filthy ragges of our owne sinfull nature and lothsome lusts for this new garment will never come upon our old ragges of sinne Adam casts off his figgeleaves when God makes him coates 2 The grace of speciall faith which justifieth and so incorporateth into Iesus Christ. For what is putting on of clothes but a close knitting and uniting them to the body And what else is our putting on of Christ but a neere union and conjunction with him And therefore the Apostle Gal. 3. makes the putting on of Christ and being in Christ all one ver 27 28. and that this union by adoption is by faith ver 26. Now as the man and his garments are but one man so Christ and the beleever are but one even as he and his Father are but one Ioh. 17. 22. Wouldest thou daily put on Christ as thou daily puttest on thy garments then thou must daily renew and strengthen thy faith for the strengthning of this union 3 The grace of fervent invocation and prayer That Iesus Christ wold cloath himself with our sins that we may be clothed with his righteousness for before we can put on Christ Christ must put on our sinnes and wretchednesse 2. Cor. 5. 21. He made him sinne for us which knew no sinne that wee should bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Hee must bee covered with shame that our shame might bee covered 4 The grace of true sanctification and holinesse Thou canst not put on Christ but thou must put on his graces For 1 Christ is the treasury and store-house of all graces which were in all abundance in the manhood of Christ he is full of grace Ioh 1. 14. 2 Christ and his graces are inseparable so as without putting on of these there is no putting on of Christ his fulnesse supplies us Ioh. 1. 16. 3 Christ is never given for justification but his spirit is given to our sanctification
the woman drunke with blood of the Saints That religion which is so fiery and fierce must be from the Devill a man-slayer from the beginning unknowne of Christ and his Apostles and all their true Disciples and followers 4 A fourth note of this woman is her Marriage A good way to know one by is the head and how can wee know the Church better then by her head Jesus Christ whose wife she is of whom all the Children of the Church are begotten by vertue of the eternall Covenant of grace as in Lawfull wedlocke Our Mother scornes to be the Popes Concubine she hath betaken herselfe onely to Christ and professeth of him Cant. 2. 16. My welbâ—loved is mine and I am his Christ is he whom her soule loveth and is in her eyes the chiefe of ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. To him she hath plighted her troth and cleaves onely and undividedly unto him in life and in death The whore of Rome holds not Christ the head For 1 By Image-worshiping and many other Idolatries they are fallen from Christ this is plaine in Colossians 2. 18. 19. 2 They set up the Pope in Christs place Bellarmine on the 1 Pet. 2. 8. by the stone understandeth the Pope And Catharinus by head mentioned in Colos. 2. 19. will have the Pope to be meant Ob. But they professe Jesus Christ. An. Union is either Sacramentall so they are joyned by profession or Mysticall so they are not joyned The fift marke of the true Mother is her carriage and behaviour First to her husband to whom in all her behaviour shee expresseth foure vertues As 1 She is chast and faithfull unto him she keepes herselfe onely to her husband and preserves the marriage band She forgets not the guide of her youth nor the commandement of her God nor playeth false with any other lover any secondary head or Vicar generall she thinkes it strange that an husband should have a Vicar She abhorres that foule and spirituall adultery by grosse Idolatry and false worship which the whore of Rome impudently acteth and defendeth Neither Angels nor men nor merits nor Saints nor Images doth she bow unto nor any other alluring harlot can unsettle her from him whom her soule loveth 2 She is subject to her husband in all things content to be tryed and ruled in all cases by his will and word in the Scriptures What will we say to a woman that laies claime to a man to be her husband but rejecteth and disgraceth his directions and cleaveth wholly to her owne will and to other mens counsels and decrees Who will not suspect and conclude her to be an harlot But so doth the apostaticall Romish Synagogue 3 She depends onely on her husband and no other for the meanes of her welfare and all needfull supplies She scornes to seeke to any other Advocates or mediators whether Saints or Angels either for redemption or intercession her husband that can supply the greater can the lesser much more She cares for no pardons nor merits but her Lords She scornes to marry one and seeke maintenance of another 4 Shee honors her husband onely and will give his honor to none other If she did derogate from his glory in the worke of redemption by the doctrine of free-will justification by workes humane satisfactions she were an arrant strumpet and no wife But our Church ascribes all the worke of salvation to God onely from first to last Teaching that we are wholly dead in trespasses and sinnes till he quicken us and that good workes are the way to the kingdome not the cause of it and follow a person justified but goe not before to justifie him and are necessary by a necessitie of presence not by a necessity of efficiency Thus men and Angels are excluded from any part of Gods honor Secondly her behaviour to her children 1 She nurseth them at her owne breasts puts them not forth to suck strange milke of traditions Councels Decretals 2 She instructs them and teacheth her children The vertuous woman opens her mouth with wisdome Prov. 31. 26. Eunica taught Timothy the scriptures of a child 3 She provides for her children as the vertuous woman for all her family Prov. 31. 15. The Church upholds the meanes of salvation to keepe the beleevers in good state She is not the naturall Mother that starves her children that shuts up the breasts from them that hideth the Scriptures and counts it heresie to reade them that corrupteth the Sacraments that a man can see nothing lesse then the institution in them But Popery leadeth her children directly to perdition whatsoever shewes they make to the contrary For 1 They runne after it whose names are not written in the booke of life 2 All the children of that mother are without comfort in life and death because they are the sons of Agar and not of the true Mother and therfore no inheritance belongeth unto them II. Having found out the true Mother in herselfe we are now to enquire how or by what markes we may find this Mother to be our Mother and our selves her children A man may know himselfe the sonne of this Mother by sundrie notes 1 As a child borne comes into a new world and findes a marveilous change in the estate of it So a sonne borne of this mother comes into a new estate is separated from the world and the corruptions of it brought out of the corruption of nature and practise as out of the waste and wombe of the world and set into a new condition in grace and is in all things contrary to himselfe in his old nativity The change especially appeareth in five things 1 Thou wast borne of flesh and after the will of the flesh but now thou art borne of God This is called a birth of water and the holy Ghost because in this the spirit supplies the office of water in washing away corruptions and defilements of flesh 2 In thy old nativity thou wast borne in sinne now being borne againe thou sinnest not 1 Joh. 3. 9. because the seed of God is in thee thou canst not sinne raigning sinne wholly and finally thou hast now a new or renewed nature 3 In thy old nativity thou wast borne dead in sin Eph. 2. 1. but now borne of this mother thou art quickned with a new life of grace called the life of God Now thou livest not but Christ liveth in thee Now maiest thou say as Christ himselfe said Rev. 1 18. I was dead but now I am alive 4 In thy old nativity thou wast as a dead man bound hand and foot without all motion of grace nay all thy motion was downeward for nature with contempt of grace But now a new motion in spirituall things attends spirituall life Now thou movest upward towards heaven according to the command of grace whereto thou wast before an open enemie 5 In thy old
that is borne of God keepeth himselfe and the wicked one toucheth him not Keepeth himselfe that is groweth up in holy watchfulnesse and resistance of temptations to which care God addeth his blessing that he abides untouched that is of raigning sinne the wicked one strikes him not deadly nor can wholly and finally foyle him Examine this strength of CHRIST if it bee in thee for so it is called Ephes. 6. 10. 6 A sixt note is child-like affections 1 To our Father 2 To this Mother The child-like affections to our Father are two 1 Honor. Is Christ thy Father how doest thou honor him Mal. 1. 6. The Apostle Pauls care was that Christ should be magnified in his body by life or death Phil. 1. 20. What obedience shewest thou to his commandements and to his corrections doest thou honor him by trusting in him and depending upon him 2 A second child-like affection to Jesus Christ is love The child loveth his father better then all men else and canst thou be a child and not love him that begat and not as a Creator but a Father If thou canst doe no more for thy parent canst thou doe lesse then love him dearely Examine thy love to Christ and see if thou canst say as Peter Lord thou knowest I love thee Happie is the soule that dares thus appeale to Christ as a witnesse of his unfained love But how canst thou saie thou lovest him when his commandements are heavie and irkesome when thou wilt doe nothing for his sake suffer nothing for his name when thou wilt part with nothing for his words when thou hatest his servants his words and Ministers and risest up in armes against him by horrible sinnes David may have a rebellious sonne an Absalom Christ hath no such All his children love him better then their owne lives Now secondly the child-like affections to this mother are also two 1 To honor love and obey this mother in all her directions in all her corrections according to the word Good children will honor the Mother aswell as the Father according to the Commandement Ob. The Papist catcheth at this as making much for him The Commandements of the Mother Church must be obayed and therefore in their Catechismes besides the commandements of God they injoyne a number of the Churches commandements which must be obeyed in paine of damnation aswell as Gods Sol. To this I answer 1 That this Mother must be obeyed of her children as other parents of their children namely In the Lord. Eph. 6. For this is the difference between the commandements of this Father and this Mother His must be obeyed simply and absolutely as the Lords but hers onely in the Lord. If the precepts of this Father and Mother agree then the Mothers commandements must be obeyed but not if they be either contrary or diverse from his He that brings another doctrine must be accursed He or she that addes to his commandements must be accursed and all the plagues added to them And seeing Jesus Christ the Lord of his Church would deliver no doctrine nor commandements to the Church but what he heard from his Father no more must the Church but what she heares from Christ. 2 Why should Rome a particular Church rather enjoyne lawes on other Churches then other Churches on her seeing that parity admits not superiority 2 The second child-like affection to this Mother is compassion Children of the Church must be sensible and grieved in their Mothers sorrow affliction and oppression It is an unnatural child that takes not to heart his mothers miserie Humanity will make us mourne in the miserie of strangers yea of enemies as David put on sackcloth for his enemies much more will Christianity for the sorrowes of friends especially friends of God How have the Papists shewed that they have not a drop of the blood and spirit of Christians in their late joyes and triumphs and braggs before the victory as they use to doe fatting and feeding themselves in the savage barbarousnesse of Antichristian Captaines against the Church in Bohemia and the Palatinate But what other expectation from such as lay the principles of their Religion in blood and barbarous inhumanitie beyond Scithians or Man-eaters Yea and not a few sorry protestants there are who harbour but a little sorrow for the sorrowes of the Church bewraying the hardnesse and insensiblenesse of their hearts by their poore and penurious releefe Some out of base irreligion sowing scarce so many pence as they would have done pounds had they had conscience and affection of Children This Mother may wish she never stand in need of such children so flinty and degenerate 7 The seaventh note of one borne of this woman is brotherly-affection Christian love to all that are begotten of God as to brethren 1 Joh. 3. 14. highly esteeming them as the excellent in the earth Psal. 16. 3. A man borne of this woman respects not men according to their greatnesse or basenesse in the world but according to this birth be they rich or poore and according to this present relation and that future happinesse they are borne unto A child of this woman cannot disaffect and reproach his brethren because they be brethren and thinke the very brotherhood a sufficient scorne He cannot scorn them for frequenting their Mothers house Nay he cannot but affect them for the fellowship in the Gospell and their consanguinity in this new estate Now lay these notes on thy heart try by them thy estate and know it is better to be out of the number of men then out of this number And cried in paine ready to be delivered The Church bringeth forth no children to God without much travell and paine For as by an inevitable decree painefull sorrow is annexed to naturall birth so it is in this spirituall birth As our Saviour applieth that Ioh. 16. 21. A woman when she travelleth hath sorrow because her time is come I It cost Christ no small travell and sorrow to beget children to God For he must become a man of sorrowes and never was any sorrow like unto his Nay he must sustaine the sorrowes of hell and be broken to pieces with sorrowes of body and soule before one child could ever be begotten unto God and therefore the Prophet Esai 53. 11. saith He shall see the travell of his soule that is the seed for which his soule travelled And in the preaching of the Gospel sowing this seed in the dayes of his flesh in his owne person what great sorrowes sustained hee by the Scribes Pharisees Princes and wordly-wise men and was made a butte of contradiction all men resisting his person his doctrine blaspheming his miracles and mighty workes preferring murderers before him and setting him with Belzebub the prince of the devils II The painefull travell of the Church is by the Ministeriall paines and sorrowes of her Pastors and Preachers Gal. 4. 19. Little children of whom
labour An idle Pastor that gives up the paines of his calling is like a yong mother that wold faine have children without paines and sorrow in bringing forth 2 To love dearely persons wonne to the faith For he that knowes the sorrow of winning and begetting any to Christ cannot but love them as his owne children And therefore hath Gods providence annexed much sorrow to the birth that the child might bee so much more tendred and loved of the Mother as she hath dearely bought it And so in this spirituall birth it is true And a spirituall Father may rebuke and sharply reproove his children begotten by his paines for just faults and this is fatherly love but he that shall reproach the whole seed of Christ and nip and blast goodnesse in them and the more they prosper in grace the more spitefully shall ordinaryly disgrace them I doubt whether such a one be the Father of any of their soules How doth a Mother yea a tender nurse rejoyce in the health and prosperitie of the child and grieve even unto death if the Child thrive not nor prosper And who wold abide a nurse whom nothing so much grieveth as the thriving and growth of the child Fourthly The comfort of a faithfull Minister Howsoever his sorrowes and paines be as sure and inevitable as the sorrowes of a woman in travell yea and as sharp too Yet 1 The are also short as theirs a little while will put an end to their paines 2 They are in the end sweet and turned into joy as theirs Joh. 16 21. A woman as soone as she is delivered remembreth no more the paine because a man-child is borne Their labour and paine passeth away and is quite and quickly forgotten but the joy is lasting and eternall and none can take it away Wee must consider that if we be rejected of men so was the chiefe builder and the Master builders the Apostles themselves If we speake words of truth and wisedome out of the booke of God in the name of God out of the place of God some dare say we will lie as fast as a dog will runne If our innocency were as bright as the sunne some dog will barke against us The servant is not above his Master Our Master as innocent as he was some few said he was a good man but many that he was a Devill and was a very vile man Well this is the comfort of faith it shall breake out of all clouds and darknesse and shine in the faces of all adversaries one day For as it frets the enemie that he cannot withhold Gods gracious blessing from his faithfull servants here So much more shall it breake their hearts that they cannot resist the glorious light of it hereafter And secondly to the people of God to be willing to submit themselves to the sorrowes of the new birth No infant can avoid the difficulties of birth nor no child of God can shunne this Quest. What are these sorrowes 1 Resolve therefore of sorrowes from within to undertake the paines of true repentāce sound sorrow for sinne mortification selfe-deniall renounce the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season As Moses as that of Christ If any will be a Disciple let him deny himselfe Is not here a paines and difficulty to renounce the wisedome of the flesh a mans owne corrupt will his affections and passions which must be stockt up roote and branches his owne naturall inclinations which are nearer to him then his skin his owne habits and bosome sinnes of long maintenance to cut off hands and put out eyes 2 Resolve of sorrowes from without 2 Tim. 1. 8 be partakers of the affliction of the Gospell Take up the crosse daily and after one still expect another Christ and his crosse are inseparable God might have severed affliction from the gospell as he might if he had pleased severed paine and sorrow from the birth of a child but would not For First his wisdome foresaw it stood more with his glory to erect himselfe a Church in the world in despight of Satan and all wicked instruments In no naturall thing is Gods power more seene then in the birth of an infant in grace the hazard and opposition is but the manifestation of his power Secondly The Lord would stop Satans mouth who would accuse the Saints as Iob as if we served God for nought when we are ready for Christ to endure all hazards and deadly dangers Thirdly The Lord tries the truth of his childrens graces while they abide with him in affliction Now we must resolve to goe through the paines of new birth to difference our selves from 1 Carnall gospellers that like not the gospel because it teacheth selfe-deniall 2 Wicked men because the power of it crosseth their whole course 3 Polititians who renounce it because it requires a change and they can endure no change though for the better 3 Resolve of paines and labour in the meanes of grace in hearing reading praying watching fasting and spirituall combate for God brings forward his image in his owne meanes Consider for encouragement 1 The discription of Saints Rev. 7. 19. those are they that come out of great tribulation Wicked are ever going into great affliction as jolly as they are and as free as they seeme to be but the Saints are ever comming forth 2 The worth of grace for which thou sufferest The least is worth all thy sufferings Is knowledge worth nothing Is the light of the sunne so worthlesse a thing wouldest thou suffer any hard labour and peril for money and a small summe of silver and wilt thou be at no paines for faith more pretious thē gold for hope nor for peace of conscience are these worth no paines 3 The happy estate into which thou comest by suffering Thou art borne to blessednesse Blessed are they that mourn All thy paine in suffering is not cōparable to the gaine of suffering The momentany afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory in the life to come looke not on the losse but on the gaine Thou loosest friends but hast God and Christ and his Angels neare thee Loosest libertie of body but hast libertie and joy of Conscience Hazardest outward peace but hast peace with God thy self and all creatures so farre as they cannot hurt thee See our Saviours argument Mark 10. 29. And there appeared another wonder in Heaven Now we come to the description of the Churches adversarie and opposite enemie under the name and tipe of a Dragon To which description is set a preface as before the description of the woman Of which having spoken in the 1. ver we here omit it onely remember that by heaven is meant the Church of God militant for what hath the dragon to doe in heaven in proper acceptation The description of the Dragon is by two arguments 1 His adjuncts being five 2 His effects which are two His adjuncts in the text are 1 Magnitude
great strength in the prayer of faith Ephes. 6. 18. And of the faithfull Acts 12. 5. 7. as for Peter in prison yea prayer is able to muster an army of heavenly souldiers for our defence If all wicked members limbes of the dragon be great enemies we must be wise to avoid their societies and combinations whatsoever peace and favour they pretend flye inward fellowship with them as from dragons whose propertie is to poyson a farre off before we see them Trust not their flatteries and pretences Genes 49 5 6. Simeon and Levi brethren in evill and instruments of cruelty Into their secret let not my soule come It had beene happy if in many passages of latter times the Church had beene more shye and wary of the faire and treacherous pretences of Antichristian dragons who use to pull on faire gloves on foule and carnall fists and pawes And who will trust him that cannot put off the nature of a dragon although he may speake as the Lambe The greater the dragon the greater must our courage and resolution be For such potent and dreadfullen enemies are shadowed out in this title great dragon not to terrifie or dismay us as all Israel runne away at the sight of Goliah but to animate and excite us to manly and stout resistance Quest What ground of courage have wee against so great a dragon Answ. First Wee have a great adversary but wee have a good cause in which we need not feare to dy or maintaine unto death Secondly As we have a great enemie so we have a great and invincible captaine heere is the Lion of Judah against the roaring Lion Hebrews write that the Jewes painted a Lion in a great banner for their standert Let us run under this standart of this Lion and be safe Little David under this standart trampled on the great Goliah Thirdly Wee have great enemies but as Numb 19. 8. God is gone from them they are bread for us great but naked to Gods revenge their sheild is gon Great but cowardly weake and flying to him that resists Jam. 47. Great but conquered and bouÌ„d Mat. 12. The stronger man hath disarmed him He is the great Prince of the world but ours is the Prince of peace and mighty Lord of glory Fourthly We have great enemies but more and greater succours then we have enemies both with us and in us They are spirituall wickednesses that are against us but wee have the spirit of God and of grace with us Wicked men seeme great and dreadfull dragons and as great and unresistable as an hideous dragon by a weake woman But let them combine in most forcible manner all that strength is but as the strength of reeds in comparison of that with the Church see Ezeck 29. 9. 6. Besides they are many against us but more with us then against us 2 King 6. 16 and in us greater is he that is in us then he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4. 4. we have greater power in us then any without and against us Phil 4. 13. I can do all things by the power of Christ strengthning me and while we have all the might of his glorious power to strengthen us we are safe Colos. 1. 11. Fiftly Our enemie is great but thence we are assured of greater glory and victory as David the harder taske he had against Goliah the greater was his victory The more difficult the war the more honour is in the conquest A red dragon It pleaseth God in the Scriptures under divers colours to describe divers things As Revel 6. 3. 4. is a vision of three horses of severall colours which expres the several estates of this womaÌ„ here in coÌ„flict The first a white horse which colour noteth in the Revelation puritie and innocency of doctrine and manners and figureth the virgin primative Church upholding the puritie of doctrine and discipline of the faith and worship appointed by the holy Apostles before this white came to be speckled and spotted with blacke errours and staines in doctrine discipline and worship The second a red horse ver 4 deciphering the same Church now red with martyrdome and persecution and effusion of blood by tyrants The third horse is a blacke horse noting the estate of the Church now blacke and in sad and afflicted condition by heretickes which had horribly mingled the truth of pure white and lightsome doctrine with blacke darkenesse of heresies and errours For it were not hard to shew how in the first two hundred yeares after Christ the Church was blacked by the heresies of Ebiâ—n Cerinthus Valontine Marcion and Basilides In the second two hundred by Photinus Samosatonus Sabellius Arius and Eunomius c. In the third two hundred by Pelagius Nestorius and Eutiches c. But this red colour of the dragon lively pourtreyeth the feritie cruelty and bloody disposition of the dragon against the Woman the Church The greeke word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is emphaticall noting him to be a fiery dragon fiery red set on fire and all enflamed with an hellish flame of wrath and crueltie against the Church of God Whence learne The nature and disposition of the enemies of the Church further then they are over-ruled they are red and fiery dragons whom nothing can content but blood and cruelty First See it in the head of the dragon Satan quaerit non quem mordeat vel frangat sed quem devoret Chrysost. He is red blood-thirstie sanguinolent as a thirstie man delights in blood and crueltie affectedly red Secondly He is actually red imbrued with all the blood of the Saints of Abel and of the Prophets Apostles the Sonne of God himselfe and all his holy Martyrs since his ascension He is guilty and dyed with blood Thirdly He is anciently a red dragon a manslayer from the beginning Joh. 8. 44. Who hath slaine all man-kind not in body only but in soule and body by our first fall Fourthly he is originally red yea the authour of all crueltie and blood-shed that ever was in the world and all the homicide done by man upon man t is the proper worke of the devill in whose service homicides are So Christ to the Jewes Joh. 8. his workes yee doe seeking to kill Christ. Secondly See it in the members Pharaoh a red dragon lying in his rivers commands the midwives to kill all the Males and makes a cruell bloody act that every parent should drowne his owne child Haman a red dragon sends posts into all provinces to kill but not content with that to root out and destroy al Jewes young and old children and women in one day least any place should be left for pitty or humanitie Manassah a red dragon shed innocent blood till he had replenished Jerusalem from corner to corner 2 King 21. 16. Saul before his conversion breathes out nothing but slaughters and threatning as a dragon that slayes onely with his breath The like
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
of the children of darknesse Iames 4. 1. Now were it not for the enmity of this wicked One and ones against the Gospell there would bee no hurt in all the maintenance of holinesse Onely here note how wide they are that call for and commend an unlimited peace whereas the Gospell onely cals for a well conditioned peace 1. No peace is good but which flowes from peace w th God none against him defie that peace that is at defiance with the God of peace beware of an impious peace 2. No peace but joyned with holinesse Heb. 12. 14. carnall companionship is a peace in sinne drunkennesse swearing the devill divideth not his kingdome Christians must owne no such hellish peace detest such a prophane peace 3. No peace but with truth which is magnified above peace against popish pacification conversing with Papists shall wee betray the truth of God under the pretence of peace no peace without contention for truth 4. No peace but with good conscience secure Protestants will have peace in their sinnes let them alone they will let you alone runne with them they like you oppose godlinesse these precise wayes oh you winne them for ever but all is against the Gospell but better is a godly distraction than a wicked peace The Church and members must be in perpetuall warre while it is upon earth as Israel in the wildernesse had daily warres and resistances so all the Israel of God in the wildernesse of this world Hence it is that the Church of God on earth is called militant because it is an inseparable adjunct of it to be in perpetuall flight and battell Ephes 6. 12. wee wrastle against principalities and powers and that without intermission and if wee must still put on the armour of God this implyeth a perpetuall battell God will have us put a difference betweene heaven and earth and know that this is not our resting place and that rest is not gotten with ease hee will have us prize the worth of it in the difficulty danger and strife in attaining it he will crowne none without lawfull striving because none can overcome that fights not The Lord hereby provideth for his owne glory for whereas if it pleased him he might put forth his mighty power in preventing all molestation and overthrowing all his and the Churches enemies at once and so procure to his Church perfect peace and prosperitie even in the world but he more magnifieth himselfe in the victory of his servants than in their peace and they are more glorious in their faith constancy fortitude and patience than in their peace rest and security The state and constitution of the Church is such as none can be servants of Christ but souldiers for 1. So long as the enmity of the seed of the woman and the Serpent lasts there is no hope of truce or cessation of armes 2. There cannot be spirit but there will bee a combate betweene flesh and spirit which if neither the first Adam nor the second both in innocency can escape how shall wee expect to avoid it in state of corruption so long as there is light darknesse will fight against it 3. Where any grace is as is in every true Christians heart there is something worth stealing there the thiefe layeth battery where hee knoweth the treasure is yea the same men who were quiet enough before the appearing of grace are now so raged against it as if either inward temptation or outward fury can prevaile they shall be cast downe as Paul 4. Where there is but an entrance into the profession an admission into the family of Christ a receiving of our Captaines presse-money and a promise to fight the good fight of faith that is cause enough of quarrell and even so much or so little shall not want keene blowes from the dragon and the world 5. Suppose a man should want enemies without him yet he wanteth no enemie so long as hee carrieth about himselfe himselfe is exercise enough to himselfe all his life long and the better he knoweth himselfe the better shall hee know this truth The Lord hereby provideth for his Churches good and the furthering of her salvation and that many wayes 1. He letteth her see the great malice and hatred of the dragon against her and the extent of his mighty power against her against which shee could no way stand but in the power of God thus hee humbleth her in her selfe shaketh her out of her security driveth her out of her selfe and chaseth her to her fort and refuge even God himselfe her rocke 2. Hee letteth her see the desert of her sinnes in some measure and so to further her repentance for though hee have laid the chastisement of her peace on his Sonne yet he by these wicked instruments fatherly correcteth us as children so Iob 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me possesse the sinnes of my youth This good the Lord bringeth out of the evill intentions of the dragon he both awakeneth the conscience to finde out and hunt out secret sins which before she was not aware of as this sharpe water of affliction cleareth her sight so she findeth that the greatest strength of the dragon is in her owne corruption she is now more wary to prevent sinne for time to come as the buffettings of Satan kept under Pauls pride and suffered him not to be exalted above measure 3. The Lord hereby setteth and keepeth all the graces of his servants in exercise and so preserveth and strengthneth them as the health of the body is preserved by bodily exercise so the health of the soule Now in conflict they find the use and worth and measure of their faith hope patience prayers which before were weake and languishing 4. The Lord setteth enimies perpetually in the necks of his servants not that they may be overcome but that they may not bee overcome hee knoweth standing brookes gather dregs that unused iron gathereth rust David in all his battels stood unconquered but in his peace and rest was soone foyled whereas in this battell none are foyled but cowards and none can hold out but are crowned Seeing he can be no Christian that knoweth no combates let us lay up the point of wisedome to forecast and make account of the battell and know we have blowes and bullets to passe through Holy Iob waited when his changes would come and it was his wisedome for time came when hee had thrust upon thrust messenger upon messenger yea changes and armies of sorrowes encamped about him in one day Chap 10. 8. Quest. How shall wee wisely forecast dayes of tryall and battell Answ. 1. Know wee have enemies round about such as will slip no advantage offered we say opportunity maketh a knave our enemies are wrathfull watchfull and never farre off 2. Labour to stand prepared Dost thou not see an enemy now in the field against thee yet bee wise in peace provide for warre a
Theodosius and Kings and Queenes that are nursing fathers and mothers to the Church as also godly Pastors holy Martyrs zealous professors to all whom sometime the name of Angell is ascribed in the Scripture 1. Because they are all sent from him on his errand 2. They are called his Angels by speciall propriety for he is the Lord of the holy Angels wicked men and Angels are retainers these of his house 3. Their whole service is due to him their Lord as of duty for himselfe in his one right Ob. They are called our Angels Mat. 16. 27. Ans. They are ours by speciall commission and direction from him ours onely for his sake our head and ours by his charge because wee are in communion with him Quest. 3. Why are his Angels here taken in with him to get victory over the dragon doth not hee treade the wine-presse alone or doth he need their aid or assistance Rev. 19. 15. Ans. 1. No he is the strong and armed man who alone entreth into the house of the strong man and bindeth and spoileth him neither needeth hee the helpe of any creature to whom is given all power in heaven and earth but yet quorum opera non indiget eorum ministerio utitur he pleaseth to use their Ministery not for his necessitie but for their honour incouragement and remuneration 2. There is a twofold battell 1. Of Christian redemption 2. Of Christian exercise In the former onely Christ standeth against the dragon and no Angell can stand in the battell but in the second Angels stand and men fight and resist and in the strength of the Lord represse and overcome the dragon 3. Though our Lord overcommeth the dragon alone in plaine field and single combate Mat. 4. yet it is not for the honour of the Captaine to bee without an army to lead and traine 4. Having an army of stout and couragious souldiers Angels in earth as well as in heaven he would leave them some remainders some tayle of the dragon some temptations some sufferings of Christ to bee fulfilled in the members with which hee will have his servants exercised and their fortitude tryed and put forth for how unseemly unglorious is it that an army of such power lead forth in the field should stand idle and onely look on their Captain fighting and themselves never come in to strike a stroke Here I might enter into a large discourse of the fight of the good Angels under Michael against the dragon but intending duties nearer our selves I will winde it all up in this one doctrine Seeing that all the godly are included under Michaels Angels learne That every good Christian must joyne himselfe unto the good Angels in the fight against the dragon under the Lords standard In the prosecution of which consider 1. The reasons why 2. The manner how 3. The Application If the Angels therefore fight against the dragon because the Church the party afflicted and oppressed is the Spouse of their Lord and head and members of his body much more ought we to joyne with them that professe we are these Spouse and members seeing that Michael is in a nearer bond our head than the Angels hee is their head by government and confirmation but ours by union and influence having taken our nature on him and not theirs 2. If they intend their office and calling in which they abide and are confirmed by grace which is to take part with the Church in this her military condition and come in for her succour in her assaults much more must we stand against the dragon whose cause and quarrell it is for should they stand in our quarrell according to their charge Psal. 91. Hee hath given his Angels charge c. and shall we leave it shall they sticke to it and shall wee fall from them and our selves too 3. Another reason that moveth them to fight against the dragon is their most ardent desire to promote the glory of God and uphold the true worship of God which is the beauty and safety of the Church wherein as in a glorious temple the Lord sheweth himselfe glorious And ought not we much more stand out against the dragon who are part of his Temple assaulted by the dragon to the end that both Gods glory in us and wee our selves might not be dishonoured 4. They thus stand in the fight because they not onely unfainedly love God above all according to the law even in the most perfect love that the creature can imbrace the Creator withall according to which perfect love their whole will is wholy conformed to the will of God else could they not bee happy but also because they sincerely love the Saints as themselves because they see them loved of God and elected to eternall life to bee partakers of the same heavenly inheritance with themselves The effect of this love is to desire and promote the salvation of the Saints to rejoyce in their attaining it to be sad in their manner for their sinnes impenitency and evils inward or outward Ought not wee out of our love to God and our owne salvation cleave unto God and resist the dragon resisting them both II. The manner How doe the good Angels fight against the dragon for the Church 1. By setting themselves as a strong guard round about the godly and pitching their tents round about them where Satan pitcheth his forces against them to protect their persons Psal. 34. 7. they still by their power and care thrust aside dangers Exod. 14. 19. the Angell that went before Israel when the Aegyptians pursued them went behinde them betweene the army and them When Elisha was beset a Mountaine was full of horses and Chariots 2 Kings 6. 17. If Daniel be cast into the denne the Angell shutteth the Lyons mouthes If Lot bee in danger the Angell draweth him out and can doe nothing till then If the three Children bee cast in the furnace the Angell is there as soone as they to suspend the fire from burning them Dan. 3. 2. By assisting the Ministery sundry wayes 1. They delight to bee present to behold our order and ordinances which else the dragon would soone overthrow 1 Cor. 11. 10. 2. To assist and relieve the faithfull teachers opposed and resisted most by the dragon as the Angeli helped Peter out of prison Acts 12. 3. In resisting false worshippers and removing occasions of idolatry so the Angell would not have Moses body knowne where it was buried Iud. 9. 3. By resisting and crossing the plots and purposes of the dragon Numb 22. 22. the Angell resisted Balaam in the way wherein he came forth to curse Israel 4. By supplying the Saints with needfull helps and comforts in their wants and faintings so the Angell fed Elias 1 Kings 19. 5. so the Angell shewed Hagar the Well and gave her wholesome counsell Gen. 32. 2. 5. By conveying them safe through the world and carrying their soules to heaven at their death thus the Angell
follow both for the respiration of the Church and the overthrow of the tyranny of Antichrist Lastly the mysterie of God shall bee finished namely in the seventh Trumpet an end shall bee of the tyranny of Antichrist and the Church shall obtaine happy dayes Our Papists thinke not of this Time Viall or Prophesie let us rejoyce in the neare approach of it which shall take them as Birds in a Nett in the evill day 3. Note the unspeakable happinesse and comfort of the Saints who are free from all the hurt of all the angels of the dragon so as neither things present nor things to come can shake them from their happie estate for thus doth the Apostle Rom. 8. 38. boldly both glory and conclude from this perfect victory of Michael over all the angels of the dragon 1. For things present they are either within us or without us Within us is a remainder of the power of the dragon a bosome enemy as Dalilah ever ready to betray us our owne flesh and the dragon often ploughes with our owne heifer But as neare and wily as it is Michael hath cast it out among the dragons angels not that it be not but that it raigne not in us Our Michael hath destroyed the body of sinne in us and now though there bee many damnable sinnes in us yet there is no condemnation to Beleevers sinne may cast us down but cannot cast us off so long as Michael puts under his hand The blood of Michael cleanseth from all sinne and is never drie Without us is a remainder of the dragons power partly in evill spirits partly in evill men both of them cast out by Michael Evill angels will ever bee molesting the godly because they weaken the dragons Kingdome but to little purpose they may plucke at us but cannot plucke us away they may reach at us by temptation but Michael that saves us not alwayes from their tempting saves us ever from their tyranny and dominion Wee are not free from tryall by them but from the efficacie of errour we are free they may reach at us by accusation by collusion by delusion they will be filching the Word from us and sowing tares and errours among us but by no meanes can hinder the salvation of the Elect nay they cannot but further it for the case is not now with us as it was in the first Adam from which height one apostate angell could cast us downe for that happinesse was in our owne hand and keeping without a Mediatour but this in the hand and keeping of a Mediatour and therefore all of them cannot cast us downe from it the gates of Hell cannot prevaile They perhaps may because they cannot hinder us in the end molest and vexe us in the way by witchcraft by possession or the like as Paul was buffeted by a messenger of Satan and a daughter of Abraham was vexed eighteene years and Christs blessed body was afflicted and transported by the devill from place to place but Michael hath foyled all of them and made this 1. Onely a bodily and externall annoyance by which hee hath leave to winne the wall without not the castle of our hearts within not the wealth of grace not the center of good conscience 2. A temporary chastisement to the Beleever which shall determine in death at farthest but in wicked men it is taking of eternall possession 3. Michael hath left a strong remedie of fasting and prayer and covered us with the armour of God that we may be more than Conquerors even of this molestation Evill men are malignant against the Church and raise up many a storme and tedious persecution but all these angels of the dragon cannot hurt or prejudice their salvation nay as Iosephs brethren while they intend evill God will turne it to good for while they would chase them out of the earth they chase them to heaven as the Aegyptians did Israel to Canaan for First our Michael hath made persecution a fire burning the Bush but not consuming it or as a stout Generall besieging the City of God but not taking it Secondly hee hath made the Church persecuted as a bush of sweet wood the more scorched the more fragrant and sweet-sented Thirdly hee hath made the persecutors his scullions to make bright his Vessels his Fullers to whiten his children his Goldsmiths to melt his gold and purifie it not to consume it his Threshers onely with this flayle to beate out his Wheate from the Chaffe Fourthly he makes the persecuted as his Worthies and Champions placed on the Theater of the world in whom hee puts forth his owne power and makes them more than Conquerours Fiftly hee sets himselfe a companion in suffering and they beare but the markes of Christ are set in the right way in which Michael himselfe went to the Crowne Now because the sword cannot cut asunder the union betweene Christ the Head and his members nor the world the dragons sworne armour-bearer can foyle their faith and graces but as Saul and his armour-bearer who fell together therfore are they also truely said to be cast out with their Prince and Captaine 2. The things to come are those quatuor novissima death the grave hell and judgement but all these are cast out likewise 1. Death in his nature is the devils weapon to murder all mankinde but Michael hath made him of an enemy a friend of a gate to hell a Gate to heaven to Beleevers Death is as a Drone who hath lost his sting and as a fiery serpent seemes to sting deadly but one looke to the Brazen Serpent is a ready cure This sonne of David drawes out this Goliahs sword to cut off his owne head yea out of the eater this Sampson draws meat he makes death determine all the battels betweene the spirit and the flesh and to conjoyne us nearer unto himselfe so as in the dolours of death the Saints who onely taste of death rejoyce and triumph as Moses on his Pisgah when he got the first sight of Canaan 2. The grave which is a Cave of death and a dreadfull dungeon of rottennesse and a darke vault of oblivion is by Michael changed into a sweet bed of rest and the darknesse makes it but fitter to sleepe in in which the body lyeth without sinne or sense of paine a member of Christ retaining for ever an happy union with Christ as well as the soule of whom the whole beleever being a member the grave can no more hold him under for ever then it did the head himselfe who having gloriously risen againe by the same power will raise the members which raised himselfe the glorious head 3. Hell in it owne nature is the appointed prison of the soule separated from God But Michael hath shut up the mouth of it and suffered the sorrows of it for all beleevers and now it is onely prepared for the dragon and his angels 4. The last judgement is as the day in which Pharaohs baker
Anthony c. Oh abominable sinke of Romish Idolatry the true Church doth not sing salvatioÌ„ to Saints living or dead but saith of Abraham Iacob They know us not Es. 63. 16. here Salvation is the Lords this the Church of Rome doth not therefore it is not the true Church But 3. Above all their hatefull Idolatry they exceed themselves and all other Idolaters in worshipping the Queene of heaven and depending on their Lady and where the true Church sing salvation to the Lord they sing salvation to the Lady The Psalter of Bonaventure which they call the Ladies Psalter is a witnesse beyond exception or credit where in every Psalme whatsoever is sung to the Lord they change into the Lady Psalme 3. 1. O Lady why doe they increase that trouble me Psal 6. 1. O Lady correct me not in thy fury so in all the rest all prayers all confessions all the praises of Gods salvation are turned wholy upon her Add to this that they turned Athanasius Creed into our Ladies Creed Whosoever will be saved must above all things beleeve firmely concerning Mary which whosoever holdeth not firmely cannot be saved and so on and concludes This is the faith of our Virgin Mary which whosoever c. They have and doe sing to her the Song of Simeon Now let thy servant of Mary depart in peace for mine eyes have seene the salvation of Mary which thou hast prepared before the face of all people a light c. They sing to her the Song of Zachary Luke 1. 68. Blessed be the Lady and the Mother of my God of Israel who by thee hath visited and redeemed his people and raised up an horne of salvation And Maries owne Song My soule doth magnifie my Lady and the Song of Ambrose We praise thee Lady wee acknowledge thee to bee the Lady c. The same Bonaventure in his Ladies Psalter lately imprinted prayeth to her thus Coge illum peccatoribus misereri Enforce Christ to have mercy upon sinners and in his Treatise called corona B. Mariae Virginis Iure matris impera tuo dilectissimo filio Command thy welbeloved sonne in the right of a mother to turne our hearts from the love of earthly things unto heavenly And in their Mariall the name of the Lady is a strong tower the sinner flyeth unto her and is saved as is said of God Prov 18. 10. Is not this to sing salvation to their Lady not to the Lord Biel upon his Exposition of the Canon of the Masse saith Wee flie principally to the Queene of heaven for it is signified in Ester the Queene who comming to appease King Ahasuerus had this grant It shall be given thee though thou aske halfe of my Kingdome so God the Father having his justice and mercy as the chiefest goods of his Kingdome keepes his justice to himselfe and surrenders his mercy to the Virgin Mary and so makes her as Bonaventure cals her the chiefe corner stone Bernard de Busti in his Marial tels us Velocior est nonnunquam salus memorato nomine Mariae quà m invocato nomine Iesu filij ejus A man may be sooner saved by mentioning the name of Mary than by calling upon the name of Christ her sonne How then is salvation the Lords Christ saith I have trodden the winepresse alone and there was no man with me Esa. 63. 3. but saith hee there was one woman c. Bozius de signis Ecclesiae saith By the two Cherubins covering the Arke are signified Christ and Mary through whom God is mercifull and heareth our prayers and as Hevah was the mother of the living that filled earth so Mary was the mother that bare all men to heaven That vision beleeved of theÌ„ above the Canonicall Scripture of the two Ladders set up the red Ladder on the top of which Christ stood the Fryers of Francis could not get up by but the white Ladder on the top of which the Virgin Mary stood by that they easily gat up shewes to whom that hereticall Church sings their salvation The heathens would rend their garments and pull their haire off their head to heare such blaspemies against their so reputed gods and wee Christians can comport with such hatefull blaspemous Idolatrous people No marvell if the Gospell take her to her wings when such vile seducers are taken into our bosomes and such Preachers as withstand them cast out of all request But Papists expect not salvation onely from the Host of heaven but from the host in earth Not troubling you with their Crosses Relickes Images all which they invocate for helpe with most religious devotion They all expect the very same salvation from the broaden god as from Christ himselfe the very God for it is very Christs body blood bones flesh Boots and spurs and all Their detestable prayers to their breaden god are infinite in number and sacriledge I will not stirre that sinke now But can wee sufficiently detest or bee too opposite to a religion whose god may be stolne away as Labans Why hast thou stolne my gods where Chrysostome saith Art thou not ashamed of the speech what can they be stollen and be gods too whose god may bee burned in the fire as the bread even after consecration whose god may bee eaten by dogs mice wormes yea by his worshipper Avernoes after his long travell and experience of many religions detested as worst and fondest of all the Christian Religion because said hee they teare him with their teeth whom they worship as a god Can we bee too farre from that religion whose god may poyson him that eates him as in many instances I could shew in their host and whose god may bee broken to pieces and some of them reserved for relickes shall wee bee so senselesse as they to expect salvation from that which cannot save it selfe from wormes The second reproofe after Churches lighteth on many persons that seeke and expect salvation not from the Lord but from the devill seeking to Witches and sorcerers a common sinne even of hearers of the Word Consider some reasons shewing the wickednesse of it 1. It is against Gods Commandement Levit. 19. 26 â—1 Yee shall use no inchantment the soule that turneth after such I will set my face against and cut off God by his Law pronounceth death on the Witch and the seeker to him see Deut. 18. 10. 2. All commerce with the devill directly or indirectly mediately or immediately is condemned First the open compact with Satan by the Wisard who openly invocates the devill and for his helpe renounceth his Creator his Baptisme Jesus Christ and his redemption worships the devil executes his commands c. It is absolutely wicked to require this of them which they cannot doe without their owne destruction and wraps themselves in the sinne for not principals onely but accessaries are worthy of death Rom. 1. 32. Secondly for the secret compact on thy part thou seekest them for thou gettest no cure but by
faith in that diabolicall meanes nor farther than thou bewrayest distrust infidelity contempt and rebellion against God as Eliah said to Ahaziah Is it because there is no God in Israel that thou goest to Baalzebub the god of Ekron 2 Kings 1. 3. 3. It is a signe of a man or woman in a woefull estate that seeketh to witches First hee is an unbeleever if the word had prevailed to heale his infidelitie he would not seeke to Witches faith makes no such haste Secondly hee is one that carelesly or maliciously rejects the Gospell and therefore God gives him over to manifest and open contempt of him Pharaoh despising the Word is given over to bee deluded by Sorcerers Saul for disobedience to the Word is given over to seeke to Witches he did it not before God was gone from him see 2 Thess. 2. 10. 11. Thirdly he is one whose sin and judgement is ripe as wee see in Saul Pharaoh and Manasses who for conspiring with devils named in the Text as an outragious and transcendent sinne was deprived of his Kingdome bound in fetters and carryed to Babylon 4. The helpe thou câ—nâ—â— get from them is not comparable to the hurt by them for First the devill seldome cures the body but hee kils the soule is hee not a devill as well curing as killing Secondly hee seldome removes the evill either farre or long but sometimes returns it againe in some other kinde or person in children servants or cattell Hence is the common observation that such persons never thrive after it but all goeth backe with them Thirdly if thou shouldst get good by theÌ„ yet know 1. Thou must not judge of an action by the successe but by the rule 2. Thou maist not doe evill that good may come of it 3 It were but as a robber should rufsle and live gallantly by taking of purses 5. Consider this never did good and religious man in Scripture seek to a Witch and what a madnesse is it to forsake the Author of life and follow the author of death and if hee be of the father the devill that doth his workes what art thou or what canst thou thinke of thy selfe Lastly here is a use of consolation If salvation bee the Lords the Church shall not perish but indure safe so long as the Lords salvation indureth 1. The rocke of salvation is founded in heaven not to bee shaken by the forces of earth and hell 2. Wee have a strong city salvation hath God set for wals and Bulwarks Esa. 26. 1. Hee that must scale these wals must first scale heaven it selfe and seeing the Lord hath promised to bee a wall of fire round about Jerusalem Zech. 25. how can the enemy make an inrode or incursion 3. All Satanicall and Antichristian forces must combine and plot in vaine to roote out the people of God from the earth they can assoone hinder the Sunne in his course and turne back the whirlewinde into his place as turne away the Lords salvation from his Church Oh but wee see many potent enemies and mighty forces and strong armies levyed by Antichrist and his Princes against the little flocke of Christ and we see no helpe no likely power to keepe from making havocke of all I answer I. Salvation is the Lords who is more mighty to save than they to spoile else would they soone prove too puissant for the little city of God 2 Thou seest no helpe yet is it not farre off Psalm 85. 9. surely his salvation is neare them that feare him that glory may dwell in our Land 3. It shall bee put forth seasonably and shall not tarry Esa. 46. 13. The time hasteneth when the Church shall sing Now is salvation in heaven now hath the Lord manifested his salvation in his Church in the overthrow of Antichrist And strength and the kingdome of our God These are the two other Attributes ascribed to God the giver of victory By strength is meant the mighty arme of GOD which hath two properties of power the former to sustaine and beare up all things so long as hee will have them to bee The latter to subdue all contrary things to his will and power For this strength must prevaile against all adversary power and can be overcome of none The right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to passe Psalm 118. 16. partly in the world partly in the Church called out of the world of which latter our Text properly speaketh By Kingdome in Scripture is meant two things 1. The absolute soveraignty of God over all things to whom appertaine all kingdomes this is called the kingdome of power and appropriated to God The Kingdome is the Lords that is originally and in his owne right all other in the creature is soveraignty derived and delegate Dan. 2. 27. 2. That speciall administration and government which hee exerciseth in setting up and upholding his Church at which our Text aimeth The difference betweene this and the former is In that we are all by nature in this onely by grace in that wee onely live and injoy the benefit of creatures in this we live happily and enjoy the benefit of new creation in redemption and sanctification Now whereas this speciall kingdome is either of grace here or glory hereafter the former is here meant even that kingdome of grace which the dragon specially opposeth who resisteth not so much the kingdome of power nor at all the Kingdome of glory but most fiercely assaileth the kingdome of grace as is plainely convinced by the particle Now is strength and the Kingdome of our GOD in heaven In that the Church rejoyceth that now the Lord hath put forth his strength in the overthrow of the enemies and set up his owne kingdome where the dragon and his angels had ruled in darknesse Idolatry cruelty and tyranny we learne that this Saints ought to rejoyce when they see Gods Kingdome set up and prevaile against the dragon and his angels Rev. 11. 15. When the seventh Angel blew the Trumpet there were great voyces in heaven that is the militaÌ„t Church saying The kingdoms of this world are become our Lords his Christs These were loud voyces of joy and praise that the kingdoms of the earth were converted to Christ and because Christ in his Gospel raigned by the Princes among his their subjects And indeed a good heart seeing Jesus Christ manifesting his royall administration and thereby taken up with sense and feeling of Gods goodnesse to his Church cannot conceale nor containe this joy but must vent and expresse it as Iethro Exod. 18. 9. rejoyced for all the goodnesse the Lord did for Israel he inwardly rejoyced he confessed it with his mouth vers 10. and afterward offered sacrifices to God for his mercy in delivering Israel from Pharaohs bondage which mercy hee twice expresseth And David seeing the forwardnesse of the people offering freely to the Temple rejoyced exceedingly and blessed God before all the congregation 1
in demonstration of the spirit that men may say Christ is here indeed I feele his power quickning counselling comforting c. 2 To Magistrates that they put forth all the power they receive of Christ for the glory of Christ and the good of the Church as knowing First that all powers are of God and therefore for God and his causes Secondly they are his Ministers for the good of the good and them that do well Thirdly those that honour God God will honour and contrarily And who seeth not that those that extraordinarily oppose this power of Christ in his Ordinances God extraordinarily opposeth them they cannot so openly contemne him and despise his word but God as manifestly powres contempt upon them and makes them extraordinary spectacles of disgrace and contempt For how can a man set himselfe against God and prosper Fourthly All the power in Christs owne hand was set against sinne and the divels kingdome what better example to a Christian Magistrate 3 To every Christian three wayes 1 Wee are instructed to submit our selves to the royall power of Christ our King as willing subjects acknowledging him the great Centurion of the world For this was prophesied of us in the New Testament Psal. 110. 3. Thy people shall come willingly at the time of holy assembling And otherwise we shall be worse then wicked angels or the unreasonable creatures who all obey his word as we saw before 2 To depend upon this power of Christ as our soveraigne King who hath all power to do us good Want we heavenly things he hath all power in heaven and for heaven he hath power to call to justifie to sanctifie to beautifie to glorifie Want we heavenly graces and riches he hath treasures of wisedome and grace Want we earthly things he hath all power in earth he can bestow not dews of heaven only but the fat of the earth Isaac had but one blessing but he hath more blessings then one and if he be rich being our husband wee shall not be poore 3 To acknowledge this power of Christ in all our receipts of blessing or comfort 1 Finde wee the worke of conversion and sound grace this is not by free-will or preparations or operations of nature but here is a creating power put forth by Christ a power divine working many miracles making a blind man see a deafe man to heare dispossessing a man of many divels raysing a dead man and quickning him that was dead in trespasses and sins 2 Finde wee not onely our peace made up with God but that now wee are lovingly affected to Gods people for Gods image and goodnesse Here is a fruit of Christs mighty power who hath reconciled the wolfe and the Lambe the child and the cockatrice Esa. 11. 6. 3 Finde we any worke of holinesse begun any presence of grace any beginnings of heavenly motion in faith hope love joy zeale constancy Here is a great power of Christ our head by whose power all these are purchased here is a power making a Blackmoore white as snow 4 Findest thou any strength against sinne any temptation foyled any lust given over and hated which thy nature inclineth unto Oh here is the power of Christ above the power of nature Never was sinne foyled but by Christs power never was any a Conquerour in the spirituall combate but by the presence power and strength of the Generall 5 Finde we our prayers heard our defects covered our duties accepted All this is the vertue and power of Christs prayer and by the merit of his obedience Thus must wee with the Church here sing out the power of the Lords Christ. And this also of the Instruction Next this serves the members of the Church for examination namely to try whether we feele this power of Christ put forth in our selves else all is unprofitable and uncomfortable to us Phil. 3. 10. the Apostle counts all other knowledge and priviledges but losse and dung in respect of knowing in himselfe the vertue and power of Christs death and resurrection This is more then to heare of Christ of his life and doctrine of his death and passion It is a lively feeling in his owne soule the power and vertue of his death in the death of sinne and of his resurrection in rising from the grave of sinne This is more then to preach of Christs life and death and goeth beyond all eloquent discourses of the actions and passions of Christ if the Preacher as too many onely know the vertue of Christs death as the Physitian knows the vertues of herbes and simples onely by his reading or relation without his owne experience This knowledge of the power and grace of this Salomon must be like the knowledge of the Queene of Sheba 1 King 10. 7. It was a true word which I heard of thy sayings and wisdome howbeit I beleeved not this report till I came and have seene it with mine eyes neither can halfe the power and glory of Christ be attained by reading or report except our selves by inward feeling and experience come to discerne it That is an happie knowledge of the power of Christ not which is speculative or discoursive but which is experimentall such as the Samaritans Ioh. 4. 42. They say to the Woman Now we beleeve not for thy relation but because our selves have seene Him Quest. How may I discerne the power of Christ in my selfe Answ. It may be discerned by foure special marks or evidences I By the power of the word which is his powerfull arme to salvation So much as thou findest the power of the word so much of the power of Christ mayest thou discerne in thy selfe Now examine 1 Hast thou found the word commanding light out of darknesse in thy soule as in the first creation hath Gods powerfull word created a new saving light in thee that whereas thou wast blind now thou art sure thou seest the face of God in Jesus Christ reconciled unto thee 2 Hath the word in the Ministery beene a powerfull voice of Christ calling thee as Lazarus out of the grave where thou wast by nature under the dominion of death by sin hath it brought in a new life of God and grace What word besides the Omnipotent word of Christ can raise a dead man If the word of God hath inspired a new breath of the Spirit and wrought heavenly motions in thee thou mayest plainly see the power of Christ in thy selfe 3 Hath the word beene powerfull as a mighty engine to cast downe high and strong holds and bring every thing unto the subjection of Christ hath it taken thy highest holds and now sitteth as a Commander there If it have an inward command the understanding conceiveth and is convinced in the certainty of things which be contrary to nature and sense it will shut the owne eyes and yeild to things foolish and absurd to reason The will easily denyeth it selfe worldly wisdome reason profits pleasures liberty and life
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
Let the Turke come hee may expose the body to bee slaine with sword fire teeth of beasts and in all this nothing comes contrary to the condition of mortall men But let the Pope come and hee will doe all this and beyond all this by his fraud and impostures hee taketh the minde and delivers up the heart to bee ruled by the devill that lusts and vices as wilde beasts prevaile against reason religion and humanity it selfe and this is most unnaturall and monstrous If they spoyle our goods maime our bodies deprive us of our liberties there are some remedies and hope of recovery or by a right use of these tryals wee may better our selves in grace But if Antichrist withdraw us from grace delude our soules sit in our consciences and so cast us into the wrath of God what remedie is left Now shall wee finde that a gash in the soule as it is the deeper so it will prove more incurable than any bodily wound Of the third this tyranny of Antichrist is beyond all externall tyranny in the difficulty of recovery because it is more pleasing to sense than the other Externall oppression and tyranny every man naturally avoydeth and resisteth but this every naturall man chuseth and desireth for it dazelleth the eyes with external pompe outward splendor worldly power in all which it is contrary to the simplicity of the religiō of Christ. This Antichristian poyson which was by a voyce from heaven said to be powred into the Church in the dayes of Sylvester naturall men drink up without all inquiry and are willingly detained under Antichristian slavery and without a mighty arme of Christ a stronger than hee are never pulled out All this sheweth the fearefull wrath in this Antichristian tyrannie beyond all other III. The third argument will further cleare it that Satan commeth with greater wrath in Antichristian delusions than in any open tyranni◠or persecution besides drawne from the effects of this wrath which are more fearefull than any or all other judgements of God besides The miserable effects of this wrath are especially three 1. An upheaping of the measure of sinne In open tyrannies the enemy fights against the Christian man and this is the enemies sinne in this hee makes the Christian fight against Christ and his truth and his Church which is his own horrible sinne In the other it is miserable to see men besmeared and all imbrued with their owne blood but here is a greater misery to see men wallow in their inward filthinesse and bloody vices and pollutions The former may bee a meanes to open the blinde eyes and the sealed eares to bring in a sight and sense of sinne and soften the heart but here is nothing but increasing of sinne for this is a meanes to harden the heart more and blinde the eyes more and wrap men not onely in darknesse but in the hatred of the light 2. An unhappy resisting of the meanes of recovery In other tyrannie tyrants may chase men to the Rocke of their salvation and drive them toward heaven as Israel toward Canaan by the oppressions of Aegypt but this tyranny gallops men to hell and intercepteth all meanes of reconciliation and repentance so long as they are under this thraldome which is plaine in these particulars First it is a turning of men from truth to fables from light of Scripture to the darknesse of humane traditions and devises Secondly a going an whoring from Christ to many lovers and harlots Thirdly a denyall and renouncing of the onely sacrifice and merit of Christ. Fourthly a sinning against the whole Gospell and all the Offices of Christ. Fiftly a settling of men in contempt and hatred of holy Scriptures and now what greater plagues can be imagined than thus to fight against Christ and that salvation so dearely purchased by him 3. Another effect is a rushing headlong into a gulfe and maine sea of wrath This tyranny findes men sonnes of wrath but casteth them into a deeper wrath than it findeth them in For is it not a greater damnation to fight against the light than to want it Is not the issue in a deeper wrath to refuse the remedy than contract the disease Is not that judgement heavier which brings eternall confusion of the whole man than that which onely can bring the outward man to confusion Thus having cleared the doctrine wee come to the Vse 1. Of all judgements in the world beware of spirituall plagues in which is the greatest wrath which either God or the dragon can inflict on a man in this life We must more feare blindnesse of minde than of the body feare more the stone in the heart than the stone in the bladder feare more to be drawne to errour than to torment Wee have had great cause to feare the power and forces of Antichrist but much more the efficacy of his delusions For where God giveth up to efficacy of errour it is such a token of his wrath as except he should presently send him to the place of his iniquity he cannot strike him with a more severe judgement this being a signe that the Lord hath denyed or deprived such a one of his saving grace that hee hath rejected him from his care and speciall Providence and that hee meaneth to glorifie himselfe in his utter destruction Here for fuller application of this point consider two things 1. The markes of a man under this wrath 2. The meanes to avoid it The markes of one that lyeth under this wrath are these 1. Ill use of gifts bestowed and not profiting by good means of grace vouchsafed when Gods Word and Ordinances are too weake to prevaile with a people or person to reclaime him Esay 5. 4. What could the Lord doe more to his Vineyard Which when it failed of all his expectation hee would lay it waste nothing but bryars and thornes should thenceforth grow in it and hee would command the clouds to raine no more on it The unprofitable servant that imployed not his Talent to increase had his talent taken away and himselfe bound hand and foot unto execution Heb. 6. 8. the ground often watred and dressed that still beares thornes and bryars is neare a curse and the end is burning So the bad ground of wicked mens hearts which under a powerfull Ministery grow more stony more secure more hatefull their conscience more seared their courses more obstinate against the meanes of grace are neare a blow and the longer it is a fetching the heavier it will bee So when the Lord addes to his Word his hand and addes some stinging externall crosse to awaken the soule and bring it low before him but this gracious warning and summons is set out and no good use made of it it hardens so much the more as in Pharaoh and causeth the Lord to leave such persons to themselves as a father who cannot prevaile against his sonnes stubbornnesse by admonitions nor corrections leaves him with sorrow to himselfe or
a Physitian who hath put Art and nature to the uttermost extent but cannot prevayle against the disease leaves the Patient to death so the Lord Esa. 1. 5. Wherefore should ye be smitten any more ye fall away more and more 2 Another note is pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes. 2. 12. this signes a man given up to this wrath By unrighteousnesse is meant error of judgment or of practise whereby God or men are deprived of their due as righteousnesse gives both their due By taking pleasure in unrighteousnesse is meant 1 Not a willing of their sins only but a liking and allowing of them 2 An high prizing and esteeming of them as things we take pleasure in 3 An earnest greedy and delightfull pursuing of them 4 A fight and contention for them and against contrary grace 5 A resolution by no meanes to part with them no more then we will with things in which we take most content and pleasure Examine the content which thy course giveth thee and see whether it be a sweet fruit of the Spirit of truth or arise from the spirit of error and delusion For there be many wayes that be good in a mans owne eyes but the issues are death Prov 14. 12. and a most grievous plague it is when a seduced heart flattering the sinner shall cause him to blesse himselfe while his sinne worthy to be hated is found with him Psal. 36. 2. This calling of good evill and evill good drawes on sinne with cartropes Esa. 5. as many nowadayes count religion precisenesse care of pleasing God hypocrisy zeale rashnesse and folly in the meane time they thinke their owne prophane estate good enough Well take heed of pleasure in unrighteousnesse which argueth a man stripped of all sound grace for the least grace would acknowledge the least grace and disallow the least evill and it argues a man in a course which brings on swift damnation and whosoever delights in unrighteousnesse the righteous Lord will dash all his joyes and make them end in wo and desperate sorrow 3 Another note is society with vile persons out of favouring their vices as with Atheists swearers drunkards enemies of grace and such whose damnation sleepeth not For what is this but to partake and thrust a mans selfe into the wrath of other mens sinnes and how can a man be knitt unto the members of a body and not to the head If Gods justice have permitted thee to be one with the members thou mayest well discerne he hath permitted thee and for the present delivered thee to the head seeing the head and the members make up but one dragon And as there is not a more discernable marke of a Beleever then love and hearty union with the brethren 1 Ioh. 3. 14. so is there not a more discernable note of a man belonging to the dragon then by sorting with his brood and running with workers of iniquity 4 He is apparently under the dragons wrath that confirmes himself in the customable neglect of Gods Ordinances publike or private This man will fall to nothing as he that ordinarily refuseth his meat or at best his religion is but a passion or fit or is in respect of persons or occasions And it is because he will not be reclaymed from some lust 5 He also that is an enemie of righteousnesse a man whose bent is to disgrace the way of God and turne men out of the way as Elymas Act. 13. 8. 10. a flaunderer a deviser against it an open contester against the powerfull purity of Gods word an instrument of the divell and make-bate to cast out thy meanes of Salvation such a one is in the divells worke and why not in his power The like of them that mis-judge the generation of God and pronounce wicked sentence on them whom the Lord acquiteth as if a good man be cast into some furious disease they are ready to judge the estate of the soule by the distemper of the braine and disgrace a godly and holy life by a violent death c. Now the meanes to avoyd this great wrath are twofold I. To avoyd the speciall sinnes which arme Satan with this great wrath against us as 1 Want of care to know God Rom. 1. 28. the heathens because they regarded not to know God God gave them up to a reprobate minde For when men cast God out of sight and out of minde how just is it that God cast them out of sight and minde Thou that hast not God before thine eyes thinkest not of him but as of one that hath nothing to doe with thy matters forgettest him to be a judge and witnesse of all thou doest deridest the true knowledge of God and wilt take no direction from him know it thou hast thy choise God will have as little to do with thee for the present as thou desirest his grace and presence shal be farre enough from thee owne thee who will guide thee who will his mercy and helpe will be farre to finde Who seeth not this heavie stroke of Gods wrath in numbers left by God and ruled by the divell men of reprobate mindes destitute of judgment and common reason rejecting all that is good refusing nothing that is naught rejoycing in the highest sinnes swearing drinking drabbing rayling cursing defying whatsoever savoureth of God or Godlinesse 2 Sinne want of love to the truth 2. Thes. 2. therefore God gave them up to the strong delusions of Antichrist See wee a man despising the meanes or bringers of the truth or a man that willingly suppresseth and choaketh the truth in himselfe or withstandeth the holy meanes resists and scornefully thrusts away the preaching of the Gospell of truth or preferreth vaine speculations and frothy discourses and devises of mens braine before the simple truth of Scriptures or a man that doth not regard to procure preserve practise and propagate the true knowledge of God this man is farre from love of the truth he is fit for any delusion there is no trust in him but be his knowledge and profession never so great he may make a strong Papist an open Apostate or any thing but a sound and constant Beleever If wee know the truth happie are we if we love it 3 Sinne idolatry Rom. 1. 26. for this cause God gave up the heathen to vile affections namely for their idolatry And yet theirs was invincible they knew not the true God by the light of the Scripture but only by reading in the booke of nature How much more shall Christians be given over for their wanton and wilfull Idolatry after so long teaching and such cleare shining of the truth amongst us Where an idoll stands up there is no place for God Dagon and the Arke cannot stand together How farre Antichristian Idolatry hath driven God from that synagogue wee may read in the great letters of such senselesse errors as no blinde heathens were ever worse seduced It was Gods patience that our easinesse to Romish Masses and
that the more furious his wrath is the shorter it is like to bee For this is an infallible signe of the last times and the last houre when Satans wrath seemes to mingle heaven and earth let us lift up our heads the Lord is not farre off to put an end to this confusion 2. Doe we see Antichrist furious and wrathfull laying about him with both his swords so busily as that hee is in hope to gaine the morsell he hath long gaped for Doe wee see him make havocke and waste in the florishing Churches of Bohemia the Palatinate and other parts of Germany is he casting downe the worship of God banishing the Scriptures of God killing the Ministers and people of God setting up his Idols and puppets for gods before those that receive his marke in their hands and foreheads What may we hence gather but these two things First that we are cast into the last of the last times for the nearer wee are to the last moment of the last houre so much the more busie shall wee see Antichrist and the spirit of error active in putting forth their wrath Second that Antichrist his time is short the sharper the assault is the shorter it will bee and how can hee that reads the Scripture with judgement but know that as there is an houre of judgment vengeance to light upon that Antichrist Rev. 14. 7. so it is not farre off their neckes 2. Let all wicked men beware of boldnesse and fiercenesse in sinne which argues them not only delivered up to the wrath of the devill but that their time is not long for their measure fils apace See it in Iudas how industrious hee is neare his death A man in the high formes of sinne easily loseth his life in the service of some sinne or other God usually taking them at their hight and top How many judgements of God witnesse this truth dayly upon drunkards swearers riotous persons and quarrellers who come to untimely deaths and seldome live out halfe their dayes How suddenly hath the Lord taken downe proud and scorne full persons in the hight of their pride and pursuit of his children examples are too many to recite And how many wicked men are so like the devill that as he refuseth not to bee thrust into Hell at the judgement-day on condition he may play Rex against the Church and vexe and torment the Saints till then so these care not for hell and damnation afterwards so they may a few dayes live as they list and bring to passe as lawlesse persons their wicked devises and villanies in trampling downe the servants of God and in service to their owne damnable lusts as drunkards swearers revengefull men and the like 3 Wee must from the dragons practise picke out our lesson and dutie concerning our owne time 1 As the divell knoweth and observeth his time so must wee labour to know ours and the fitnesse of it for dutie Christ sharply reprooves the Jewes for not knowing their time Luk. 12. 56. Why discerne ye not this time Mat. 16. 3. Hypocrites can yee discerne the face of the sky and not the face of these times How few be there who know the happy times and opportunities they enjoy Satan knows the time of his mischiefe and slips it not men know not the day of their visitation nor the acceptable time nor the day of salvation which God offereth for grace and conversion The Lord may justly complaine of us as of the Jewes Ier. 8. 7. The Crane the Storke the Swallow know their times but my people know not me How else comes it that the Lord stretcheth out his hands all day long and knocketh continually by the hammar of his word at the dore of every mans heart offering the precious mercies of grace and glory but who open unto him or answer his gracious invitation Why do our youth riot out their time and cast the care of religion into their last accounts but because they know not their time Did they consider that youth is most fit for impressions of grace that grace is in that age most gracefull that now they have fresh wit quick senses all powers lively instruments for grace and that now they have strength and vigour called for 1 Ioh. 2. 14. to overcome evill knew they such a seed time of grace would they sow to the flesh would they not seeke wisdome early Whence els is it that our elder men after long teaching and trayning in the profession are as ignorant as children spend their time as vainely as the heathen in earthly lusts but because they never knew their time Should not they that have had more meanes have beene more expert in the word doth not their time who have beene bred up in the profession and lived twenty or thirty yeares in it call for double or treble measure of knowledge and grace as they have doubled or trebled their yeares beyond others the divell would be loth to slip any part of his time so foolishly Why else do our great and rich men wallow in lusts feed their senses pamper their bodies cast away their soules eate up their time in eating gaming riot and wantonnesse but because they have not learned neither from Gods booke nor the divells diligence to know their time and the fitnesse of it for their owne good Have they not many houres free from so necessarie labour as poore men are bound unto as many houres free from cares and distractions for necessaries which lye heavy on poore men many houres and dayes in a weeke free to hearing reading prayer meditation want they any thing but grace and will to do themselves good and doth not their very time tell them if they knew the voyce of it that they ought to be as farre above others in grace and piety as place and opportunities of grace But why be these so farre below their inferiors in knowledge in practise in use of the meanes why do they suffer the poore to receive the Gospell and the grace of it from them but because they know not their time neither the worth nor use of it and therefore they so miserably wast it 2 As the dragon knows his time is short and therefore bestirres him so wee must know our time is short and yet hath long wings to fly swiftly from us and therefore not to wast it out idly Object Who knows not that his time is short experience and sense teacheth it every day few children but can shew some markes of their parents mortality Answ. Sense and observation and experience may teach the dragon that his time is short But thou must have a better and higher teacher or else thou canst not learne this lesson And therefore Moses seeing few men wiser by the sense and experience of the shortnesse of their lives and uncertainty of dayes and that nature and experience cannot teach this skill to benefit themselves by the frailty of themselves or their predecessors goeth
opposing Christ when by the clouding vailing of the truth of the Gospel she saw her selfe spoyled of the shining clothing of the Sun when shee saw the Moone that was under her feet set above her head when now her Pastors and Bishops whom persecution could not conquer were addicted to pompe wealth contention primacy and greatnesse when now she saw her selfe robbed of her crowne of twelve starres that was upon her head and those starres were fallen from their Orbe and Firmament when her Pastors forsaking Apostolike doctrine and striving for superstitions and to stuffe the Church with humane devises and traditions in stead of Christs most sacred institutioÌ„s when she saw that not now the bodies of men were slain and wounded as in former persecutions but their soules and consciences were everlastingly wounded with heresies errours and Apostasie for the truth now shee flies into the wildernes now she dares not shew her face in those particular coÌ„gregations in which formerly her beauty glory was conspicuous her case now is as of a chaste spouse who seeing a painted harlot and a bewitching whore taken into her place and those offices of love and duties of marriage bestowed on her which is the wives right shee is willing to give place and take her selfe to a solitary and sorrowfull life to be so unkindly cast off so doth the true Church and Spouse of Christ hide her selfe from those adulterate doctrines superstitions and Idolatries which thrust out Christs owne pure Ordinances Here are two things 1. What is this flight 2. What are the meanes For the flight 1. This flight of the Church is not a ceasing to bee but to be seene for Christ will have alwayes a true part of his Catholike Church upon earth that shall hold and professe constantly the true faith without change So as the Church ceaseth not to bee when shee ceaseth to bee seene but hath a true being when she is least visible 2. This ceasing to bee seene is not in respect of particular Christians but of particular Congregations the which although they may cease because by persecution or heresie the externall government may faile for a time the Pastors may be interrupted the sheepe may bee scattered the discipline hindered and the externall exercise of religion suspended and sincerity of religion exceedingly corrupted yet there shall not cease to bee many godly members dispersed here and there who shall hold the truth for substance and so now though there were no or few assemblies in which God was purely worshipped while superstition tyranny and Idolatry usurped all places yet many beleeving Christians were reserved to Christ in secret although either not knowne or of no reckoning in the world but contemned and oppressed 3. This ceasing to be seen in particular Christians is not inrespect of their persons as men which are as visible as ever but in respect of the visible exercise of Gods Ordinances of the Word Sacraments Prayer and outward forme and government which persecution had now restrained 4. This invisibility in respect of visible exercises is not in regard of the Christians themselves but of the blinde world for the persecuted Christians may have a secret knowledge among themselves and a secret profession and exercise of religion and yet the blinde world take no notice of theÌ„ yet the Church not destroyed nor ceaseth to bee no more than the Sunne ceaseth to shine though a blinde man cannot see it in the day nor a seeing man in the night and no more than a man ceaseth to bee a man because he is hid Now from the cause of this invisibility and flight learne that errour and heresie is more hatefull to the Church than persecution and tyranny Corruption of doctrine and changing the truth into a lie more straightneth and scattereth the Church than sword and torments of tyrants that drives the the Church to her winges not this that manifests the true Church and members but this hideth and obscureth her Let the example of the Church make us wise 1. To feare the dragon more when hee fawneth than when he rageth more in his Foxes skinne than in his Lyons skinne He is more dangerous when he would teach Christians to deny the truth than when he would force them His wiles are more mischievous than his violence his Doctors more dangerous than his Captaines 2. More to feare losse of truth than losse of wealth losse of the Gospell than losse of goods or life This is true godlinesse which teacheth Mary to fasten upon the good part whatsoever become of the worse 3. Hold him that would spoyle us of the truth a greater robber than him that would steale our goods an heretike worse than a tyrant 4. Be more carefull to hold the truth and keepe our part in the Gospell than our portion of goods and wealth The Church to hold the truth chuseth a poore desolate solitary and sorrowfull estate and a wise Merchant will sell all to buy the pearle But where is this care or where bee the Children of this mother who for the truth sake would follow her into the wildernesse who either care for the presence of truth or feare the losse and removall of it Where be the buyers of the truth in this age when so many value it not worth a shoo-string How few feare the prevailing of Popery for the truth sake though perhaps for their peace sake or wealth sake they had rather have things stand at a stay Now in the meanes of the womans deliverance are five things in this verse 1. The meanes themselves two great wings of an Eagle 2. Whence shee did flie with them from the face of the serpent 3. Whither into the wildernesse called her place 4. To what end to bee noâ—rished and preserved there 5. How long for a time times and halfe a time In the first are 1. What these wings are 2. The number 3. Whence she had them they were given her 4. The similitude wings of a great Eagle By Wings are meant the speciall meanes of the Churches escape from danger so called because they resemble the wings of the birds in a twofold use First as a bird by his wings flyeth swiftly from the danger and so saveth his life even so the Lord by these meanes foreseene and appointed by himselfe worketh a swift escape and speedy safety in the present perils of his Church Secondly as the bird hideth her young under her wing Mat. 23. 37. so by and under these meanes the Lord hideth his Church as under the wings of his Providence where she lyeth most safe and secure till the danger be over Psalme 91. 8. Hee shall cover thee under his wings For the number they are two enough to fly withall no bird hath or needeth more for her flight The Church is supplyed with as many meanes of her good as the Lords wisdome seeth her need to require at all times This number of two hath
The soule hath as well his eye of faith as the body the eye of sense and by that we see not the head only but the members and beleeve and live in the Communion of Saints And went to warre The wrath of the dragon produceth the warre of the beast and Antichrists wars are the dragons wars the dragon by and in Antichrist makes warre upon the Church For 1 The wrath of the dragon is in them as the chiefe moover inspirer and General who seales commission to his universal Vicar and Liâ—utenant who receives power from him Revel 13. 2. 2 The cruelty of the dragon is in them who as he is an homicide and manslayer from the beginning so is this an Apollyon a destroyer a scarlet beast of a bloody coulor dyed in the blood of Saints a woman drunke with blood 3 The scope of the dragon is in them universall and unmercifull destruction of bodies and soules Rev. 13. 15. Whosoever will not worship the beast he commaunds them to be slaine But this is a small thing to his spirituall warre in which he comes with effectuall delusions among them that perish that all they might be damned c. 2 Thes. 2. 10 11. 4 The meanes of the dragon is in them As the dragon seekes to draw the worship of God upon himselfe from God Mat. 4. so doth Antichrist sit as God and all the earth must worship the beast As the dragon to attaine his ends will salsifie and vilifie the word of God so the beast slayes the two Prophets Rev. 11. 9. that is as some interpret the two Testaments He must needs destroy soules if first he can destroy the Scriptures And never were the two witnesses so warred against as by Antichrist 5 The subtilty of the dragon is in them even all his seaven heads He fights not only like a Balak with open fiercenesse but like a Balaam a false prophet by his wiles and delusions He comes not so much with displayed banners as with hostility wrapped up with all guile and deceitfull pretenses He will not be seene to warre as an enemie and persecuter of the Church but under specious termes of the Patron and just defender of the Catholike Church Now if the warres of Antichrist be the dragons warres of all other wee must hold them the most pernicious to mankinde and of all other deprecate these and wish rather to fall into the hands of any Turke or tyrant then into the hands of Antichrist For First other tyrants are raysed by the generall wrath of the dragon against mankinde but this from the greatest wrath against the Church the seed of the Woman Secondly those are satisfied with our goods lands liberty or life and intend no further but this not so content must have our religion consciences and salvation our heaven and God from us Thirdly their weapons are corporall and onely wound and slay the body Let Nero Domitian Decius Dioclesian or the Turke or Scythian come they can bring sword fire wilde beasts melted ledd gibbets and other exquisite bodily torments But the cruelty of Antichrist beside all these brings strong delusions idolatry apostacy heresie And this spirituall persecution is so much more cruell as the soule is more excellent then the body and so much more dreadfull as the destruction of both together is more desperate then of one alone Wee must not measure the cruelty of Antichristian warre as theirs by the privation of mortall life but by the invaluable losse of life eternall 2 Note the miserable estate of such as fall unto the part of Antichrist they are intereffed in the dragons warres and directly fight against Christ against their owne salvation and others Wee must esteeme them greater enemies then any tyrants or robbers that would only bereaue us of our goods or lives These slaves of Antichrist are become bondslaves to the dragon for none worship the beast but they first worship the dragon Rev. 13. 4. 3 Let it moove us to stand so much the more resolutely against Popery and the impostures of Antichrist seeing wee stand against the wrath of the dragon for the right and honour of Jesus Christ against his sworne enemie and for our owne salvation This will be the honour of the Saints that they perish not only as sheepe woryed by the wolfe but as the valiant souldiers of Jesus Christ who even in martyrdome are more then conquerors With the remnant of her seed The number of faithfull Christians that sticke close to Christ against the corruptions of Antichrist is but a small number and as small in worldly reputation Christs company was alwaies a little flocke Luk. 12. 32. And Israel is as the sand of the sea yet a remnant onely shall be saved Rom 9. 29. This phrase is a metaphore taken from tradesmen who having cut out a whole piece of cloth leave some small remnant or remainder even so the true professors of the Gospell are but as a small remainder of the whole piece and people of the world Beside it is but the remnant of her seed As a little seed-corne is reserved out of a great heape for store which is nothing to the whole croppe so is the small number of true Beleevers reserved by grace to the whole field and croppe of the world as it was in the state of the ancient Church in captivity Zech. 3. 1. Is not this a brand pulled out of the fire the state of the people being as a great tree cut downe and cast into the fire of which one little brand was snatched out of the flame and returned from captivity and the dragon would have had that brand burnt to ashes too so here he warreth on the remnant of the seed of the woman in the wildernesse So also is the number of Gods company sayd to be one of a City and two of a tribe as if in a great inundation of water which carrieth away a whole towne or country some one or two houses or persons should escape or as if in a blazing and universall fire devouring a whole City one or two houses should bee left standing 1 Few are chosen Mat. 20. 17. God hath decreed that few shal be saved The earth affords much clay for potters but little oare for gold Common stones are many pearles but a few In the universall Church signified by the Arke were but few even eight soules saved all the rest drowned 1 Pet. 3. In particular visible Churches there are but a few names that defile not their garments Rev. 3. 4. All are not Israel that go for Israel and all that go for Virgins are not admitted to the bridegroomes chamber 2 The gate to heaven is straight and few finde it Mat. 7. 14. None know it of themselves and of them that know it few will endure the persecution the sharpenesse the selfe-deniall the mortification the losses the crosses with which that straight way is strawed the most
the commandements of God without wavering or halting betweene two opinions They hold them not as luke-warme Laodiceans but stedfastly unmoveably they hold fast the faithfull word as their life Pro. 4. 13. As Naboth they will not lose a foot of their birthright 4. Vnspotted adorning and beautifing the truth in all things by conforming their lives to the Commandements of God These are the conditions In sure Coffers also doe the remnant keepe the Commandements 1. Of a firme memory Luke 2. 51. Mary 〈◊〉 and pondered the things in her heart Psal. 119. 16. I will not forget thy word And this sanctification of memory sanctifies the whole man 2. Of a faithfull and beleeving heart for faith mingled with the Word giveth rooting and so continuace This was Abrahams Coffer in which hee laid the promises and neither delay nor deadnesse of Sarahs wombe nor conflict of contrariety or impossibility could rob him of them 3. Of a sound and loving affection of the soule love is a safe and faithfull keeper things that we love wee will hold fast Oh love I thy law saith David such love is stronger than death no water can quench it 4. Of holy practice in the whole life bewrayed in three things 1 In professing a good profession as Christ before Pilate holding forth the word of life 2 In promoting and defending to our power all good things and persons in their conformity to the law a good man preserves the law aswell as observes it 3 In suffering for good things and sealing if we be called the truth with our blood Next let us inquire how we may shew our selves of this remnant and know our â—elves to bee keepers of the Commaundements The Markes are these 1 If we doe all from within for all obedience to the law must flow from a pure heart the end of the Commandement is love out of a pure heart Psal 119. 2. Keepers of his testimonies seeke him with their whole heart If we heare we heare with an honest heart Luk. 8. 15. If we pray wee poure not out words but our soules as Hanna If wee praise wee call all that is within us to praise him Psal. 103. 1 2. If wee preach wee are fervent in spirit as Apollos If we receive the Sacrament it is with examination of our hearts As the clocke mooves from the spring within it selfe so is the motion of a good man to the law from within not from without 2 If wee do all by our rule holding the truth for the truths sake The word is called a lanterne and the commandement a light and obedience to the commandement a comming to the light that our workes may be manifest first to our selves and then to others that they are according to God Ioh. 3. 21. This argues a secret disciple silently denying his owne and acknowledging Gods wisdome holinesse and soveraignty An artificer that would have his worke approoved must not coble it up any way but do all by rule and line and square so here in all things make truth thy guide 3 If wee easily depart not from the commaundement but sticke to it First in all things even the least as the greatest In commandements against thy profits the Saints endured the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10. and Abraham to fly out of his country In commandements dangerous as Daniel and his fellowes and the Martyrs In commandements most irkesome as Abraham in killing his sonne Secondly in all times not as the Galathians who ran well but desisted but with constancy as one that hath begun soundly and wisely Thirdly in all places at home and abroad in the house and walking by the way Dan 6. 7. in Gods house in thine owne house in other mens houses never laying aside the Commandement Fourthly among all persons and companies high aswell as low and before the meanest Christian as the greatest Hold the commandement among the wicked as among the godly so did Lot This is the third note 4 If we willingly endure to be examined and tryed A good man can endure the conviction and triall of Gods Ministers as Peter did Pauls Gal. 2. 14. David Nathans 2 Sam. 12. Eli Samuels 1 Sam. 3. But Saul Ahab Amaziah Felix will abide no triall A signe they have not kept the commandement Yea a good man will try himselfe and examine himselfe whether he be in the faith 2 Cor. 13. 5 and will come to the light to judge himselfe Nay more he will desire God himselfe the Judge to try him Psal. 26. 1 2. and is glad that it is the Lord that will and must examine and judge him 1 Cor. 4. 4. 5 He earnestly loves others that keepe the commandements of God His soule cleaveth to the Saints he doth them all the good he can he speakes to God for them as Elisha prayed for the mother and the child and Paul for the Ephesians he speakes to man for them in their defence as Hester for the Jews David for Ionathan Nicodemus for Christ. He speakes to themselves and to their hearts for their comfort strength instruction and encouragement He never scornes nor reviles them but honors them that feare the Lord. 6 He seeth in all he doth his faylings and humbleth himselfe dayly and abhorres himselfe in dust and ashes as Iob. chap. 42. 6. David that so resolutely kept the comman dements saw what a beast he was by his faylings Psal. 73. 22. Agur seeth himselfe more foolisher then any man Prov. 30. 2. Paul after many a yeare striving and combate for the law in the inner man complaines what a miserable man he is Rom. 7. 14. 24. how carnall he was and sold under sinne Now this hastens us to Christ and makes us watchfull against corruptions and still strive hard to the marke That wee may be provoked to shew our selves of this remnant by keeping the commandements of God and abiding in the duty which the word commandeth let us take these motives 1 Keepe the word and it will keep thee keep the name of Christ and thou shalt be kept in his name Pro. 2. 11. Ioh. 17. 6. 11. 2 All the commandements of God are pure the law is holy just and good of the same nature power and justice as God himselfe Psal 119. 128. I esteeme all thy statutes right and hate all false wayes Yea all of them tend to perfection of holinesse as our Father is perfect 3 In keeping them is great reward Psal. 19. 11. The righteous are in some manner recompenced on earth they enjoy a sweet peace with God and in their consciences assured hope and precious promises But their full and finall reward is in heaven Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandements that their right may be in the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the City If Salomon shall endeavour to keepe the Commandements God promiseth to establish him in a Kingdome 1 Chron. 28. 7. On the same condition will he establish us in